Founding chef Russell Hodges may have departed, but new executive chef Matt Bresnan is holding his own. Which is no surprise, because he came from the Tasting Room at Lola, itself inventive. At Iris, the neighborhood restaurant where the neighbors can afford $30 plates regularly, Bresnan pleases palates with a small but well-rounded menu filled with familiar, often comforting, ingredients, prepared with a contemporary twist. For example, a simple and appropriately small serving of risotto, creamy with a hint of crunch, was made earthy and rich with forest mushrooms and Parmigiano-Reggiano. A little edgier, but certainly not off-putting was a salad of bitter greens, balanced by the sweetness of candied walnuts and beautiful blood oranges, served with warm goat cheese-stuffed dates. Pan-seared Scottish salmon arrived with a surprisingly generous slab of crisp-edged fish, rosy medium-rare in the middle, served atop crispy leeks and shiitake mushrooms, with a sure-thing sauce of whole grain mustard. Veal porterhouse—though a manly name, it was a woman-size portion—was skillfully grilled and seasoned, with juices to spare. Service was equally attentive and unobtrusive, a hard balance to achieve. But they do so, effortlessly. 5405 W. Lovers Ln. 214-352-2727. $$$.
Update: Iris has closed.
