Back in 1996, Jeff Gale was tired of being a waiter, so he opened a small restaurant in the Montrose and named it after his favorite childhood pal, an English sheepdog called Barnaby. Then he opened another and another, and now, in his first venture outside the Loop, he has opened his fourth Barnaby's at 5750 Woodway, in the space that used to be occupied by Café Toulouse. "We really believe in the area, and the location on Woodway was the only thing we could really afford," says Gale. "This one is a bit more of a grown-up Barnaby's. We have a nice emphasis on wine, and the decor is very comfortable and intimate. After all, we never forget that we're an eating place, not a dining place." Dish loves this no-nonsense attitude.

Lance Kade, manager of the Woodway location, says the dog theme is more muted there. "We don't have quite as much dog stuff as our other locations, but we do have a great outdoor patio," he says. "We also have a lot of regulars who came from the Shepherd location." Dish recently visited and found the place hopping. Some friends thought it was because many folks in the neighborhood were still without power. But in reality, it seems the word's out about the place and like all of the other Barnaby's locations, they're gonna be busy from the time the doors open until they close. Dish sampled a beautifully prepared sirloin steak and fries for an incredible $12 and a terrific mushroom burger that hit the spot perfectly...