DISH: SAVOR Beatrix; Ombra

Once, the term “neighborhood restaurant” conjured images only of greasy spoons that served the most sinful of comfort foods. (However, in their defense, some of those places serve the tastiest food.)

However, the people behind Lettuce Entertainment You (LEYE) restaurant Beatrix (519 N. Clark St.; beatrixchicago.com/) aim to change that concept with a River North restaurant that can safely say it’s not serving your grandparents’ steak and eggs. (In fact, its twist is steak chimichurri with eggs, complete with grilled shishito peppers and hash browns.)

Additional Ombra photo spread at the link: windycitytimes.com/gay/lesbian/news/photospreadthumbs.php?APUB=wct&ADATE=2014-07-29&AGALLERY=OmbraBeatrix.

Amiable executive partner Marc Jacobs (no relation to the fashion designer) told Savor several intriguing tidbits about the year-old Beatrix, including that the place’s name derived from a combination of LEYE founder Rich Melman and his wife’s mothers’ names. (“Beatrix” also is a combination of “viatrix,” Latin for a female voyager or traveler, and “beatus,” Latin for “blessed,” according to several name-related websites.)

Something else Jacobs related is that Beatrix restaurant started with a test kitchen in which chefs were given free rein with the cuisine, resulting in a no-holds-barred approach—and a menu that spans the globe.

This eclectic pattern is reflected primarily in the breakfast and lunch menus. Go in the morning, and your choices include shakshouka (spicy tomato sauce, poached eggs, kale, feta and warm naan), quinoa cakes with poached eggs, or a braised pot roast-and-egg sandwich—with that last item being very tasty. Lunch offerings include supernatural chopped salad (which contains practically a farmers’ market of vegetables); Dr. Bob’s turkey burger (with quinoa, almond and kale salad); savory turkey, sweet potato and greens neatloaf (yes, that’s spelled correctly); or a surprising chili-and-chocolate glazed salmon.

Dinner seems to have more traditional fare, although the neatloaf and salmon are there as well as brioche-crusted branzino as well as poached farm egg and truffled pasta.

By the way, Beatrix excels with its drinks—and I mean the non-alcoholic ones. (It was a bit too early in the day to try a cocktail, although I’ve have to return to try one.) The carrot, apple and ginger-snap concoction I had was suitably robust, while my dining companion’s mango, orange and pineapple nectar was definitely refreshing.

Speaking of robust, Beatrix offers Bulletproof coffee (in addition to Intelligentsia and Metropolis brands). Bulletproof may cost almost nine dollars a cup, but its low-toxin beans provides antioxidants as well as time-released caffeine.

Welcome to the new neighborhood restaurant. This one definitely deserves a shot.

Andersonville restaurant Ombra (5310 N. Clark St.; barombra.com/) was reviewed in 2012, with Sugar & Spice reviewer Meghan Streit giving the spot high marks.

However, there has been at least one noticeable change since then: a 4,000-pound wood-burning oven that was added in May. I tried one item from it: the carbonara pizza, which is decorated with pancetta, roasted garlic, farm egg, black pepper, mozzarella and pecorino romano—and while I wished for a more even dispersement of toppings, it was pretty good. (Among the other pizza offerings, divided into “red” and “white,” are piccante, margherita and calamari.)

As for other items, they’re as good as advertised. The goat-cheese truffles (fennel powder, almond cookie, and smoked paprika and cayenne) were simply fun, and the large zucchini flowers were definitely tasty. However, don’t leave without trying the orecchiette (one of the best I’ve had) and the pancetta-wrapped, gorgonzola-filled dates.