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Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Charcuterie in Chicago


...Meat plate. That's what else you could call it, but why not stick with 'charcuterie'? It just sounds better.

I find myself rather giddy when I know a restaurant serves a charcuterie platter or a cheese plate. After all, we grew up eating preserved deli meats (bolgona, turkey, ham) with cheese on bread almost every day of the week. In Europe, they eat it for breakfast!

Nothing else could be so simple, except maybe some plain pasta with butter or a smeary pb&j. But where did slopping slim cuts of meat on a plate with tart garnishes of pickles, spicy mustard, baguette, and apricot spread come from, you ask? I'll give you the short version and then I'll tell you where to get the best meat plates.

The term 'charcuterie' is a French word, originating in the Latin caro, for flesh or meat, and coctus, or “cooked.” It is meat that is salted, smoked or brined--commonly called "cured". The 'charcuterier' shop was derived from France in the 15th century and is very different from your average butcher shop, which specializes only in fresh meat. Oui, oui!

Charcuterie meats can be preserved over months of time, unlike fresh meat which must be consumed immediately. As you can imagine, this is a refined process where the meat must be edible and flavorful with no signs of bacteria or mold. Yikes! 


******

I really love a charctuerie plate you can arrange yourself. Hopleaf, Old Town Social, D.O.C. Wine Bar and Fork can make that happen, it's just up to you to decide.

Bluebird // Wicker Park 
DOC Wine Bar // Lincoln Park 
Hopleaf // Andersonville

To see my full list of Charcuterie picks in Chicago, click here

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Just a Taste. A Review of Graham Elliot.


When I was younger and came down with a cold, my mom's go-to cure was hot tea with milk and two pieces of white toast with cinnamon, sugar, and butter. Drifting in and out of sleep, I would wake to a hot white mug of murky tea and toast cut up into four pieces. More often than not, my mom would have nibbled off an edge of toast--as if I were too weak to notice. Hrmph!

She always claimed that she was "testing it for the princess", inherently knowing there really was nothing I could do about it while nursing myself back to health with toast, aspirin, and some time in front of the TV if I was lucky. To this day, when we go out to dinner and someone asks, "who wants dessert?", her automatic answer is, "I'll take a bite out of whatever you get". Of course you will.

Sometimes, that's all we really want--a bite. There are more than several 5 star restaurants that prepare tasting menus, some of which ONLY have tasting menus--no a la carte. It certainly limits the diner's choices, but it gives the chef free range to perfect dishes that complement each other. Some of the finest tasting and prix fixe restaurants in Chicago include but are not limited to: Les NomadesCharlie Trotter (closing soon), Graham Elliot, Schwa, Boka, Alinea, Moto, MK, and Next. Maybe be age 30 I'll have tried them all.

For my 27th birthday... eesh, that looks bad....
For my birthday this year, my boyfriend took me to Graham Elliot. The restaurant has been open since 2008 and in 2010, Elliot created Grahamwich, a high end sandwich shop in River North that we had tried a couple of times. Saving the most exquisite restaurants for special celebrations, this meal was sure to be a first for both of us.

Graham Elliot had an a la carte menu, but the tasting menus (two) caught our eyes. The first menu, "Tasting" was composed of eight courses, while the second, "Repertoire" had a whopping 14 courses! We opted for the "Tasting" and buckled in for our long dinner.

Each course was small but oozed with flavor and immaculate presentation. I honestly loved everything but the first course. The first course was a three-plate mix of foamy fish, a foie gras lollipop covered with Pop Rocks (the candy), and the latter which I cannot remember, maybe a lemon foam. I certainly liked the lollipop but the other two I could have done without. That being said, I think that 7/8 is fair. I can only assume that the people dining at this restaurant have a taste for unconventionally prepared food and have a more adventurous palate than most.

Going into a little detail, the lobster dish was prepared three ways if I can remember correctly: poached, gelled, and buttered. The latter chicken, cheese, and milk(dessert) dishes were also finely prepared and left me neither too stuffed or too famished. The milk course was a take on cookies and cream and it filled those shoes perfectly. There's nothing I appreciate more than chocolate and a dish that tastes as it should. That was a home run for both me and the beau-- you can't argue with ice cream!

The overall experience was worth it, especially with a whole bottle of red wine. I might add that the cocktails here are raved about and you can absolutely find a bottle of wine within reason.

Graham Elliot is opening up a bistro is the West Loop- G.E.B. While I prefer brunches that are closer to my apartment because they are closer to my bed, I hope to mosey on over to G.E.B and see what he has to offer for brunch! Eggs Benedict a la pop rocks?!

Monday, April 23, 2012

BACONFEST 2012: Read all about it!

This is a Baconfest 2012 Recap.

Yes, you read that correctly, Baconfest.
On April 14th, Over 100 Restaurants, Bars, and Vendors teamed up to delight Chicagoans with a feast of bacon-inspired dishes and drinks. A two-part day consisting of a lunch and dinner menu separately, some of the best Chicago restaurants brought their a-game (or B-game if you will) to the UIC Forum.
Ticket ($75) holders could attend either the lunch or dinner session for unlimited dishes and were also allotted 5 drink tickets.

I attended the lunch event, which lasted for 3 hours! I confess that I tried nearly 80% of the dishes, as it was hard to both resist and finish some dishes. While I cannot recount every single dish, there were some winners that stuck out in my mind. I also tried to take pictures of what I did not consumer immediately within 2 seconds.

 Susan's Best Picks for Baconfest 2012 (Lunch):

Best dessert: Alright, this category comes first because I have quite the sweet tooth. Even though there weren't too many dessert choices, there were enough that gave me a struggle when picking the winner.
1st place: May St. Cafe's Double-chocolate flan with cherry-smoked bacon
This dessert was a delightful surprise. The mini chocolate flan relieved the belly full of salty bacon that was starting to bog me down. It was not as gelatinous as some traditional flans-- it was smooth, cool, and creamy.
Runner-up: Chicago q's Smoked Bacon Baklava
This was one of the first dishes I popped in my mouth. It was rich and quite greasy, but the added bacon really made this dish stand out.
Honorable mentions: Nosh This, The Bacon Lady

Best savory dish: There were copious amounts of sandwiches, strips of bacon, and chunks of meat floating around the forum, but I think I came up with a winner...
1st place: Frontier's Bacon-wrapped peppadew pepper
This was a hard one. There were a lot of BBQ joints here and it's hard to mess up BBQ, so I chose Frontier's dish because it was a bit against the grain, and I love me some SPICE!

Burger Bar
Pork Palooza Burger

Runner Up: Burger Bar's Pork Palooza Burger
You can't argue with a burger, less a burger WITH a piece of bacon on top. Perfection.



Flo and Santos
Peppered bacon-wrapped pork wing



 Honorable Mentions: Flo and SantosSignature Room







Signature Room
 Bacon- wrapped rabbit loin













Best side: Bacon can be infused into just about anything, and there were several places that mastered the side dish really well.
1st place: Cafes De Architectes' Bacon Mac n Cheese Bites
I have not been wowed by mac and cheese lately. It's made its way onto many upscale menus but the cheese taste falls flat and it leaves me just wanting a cup of good ole fashioned Kraft blue box. However, these creamy bites turned me on to mac n cheese again!
*Places to get good mac n cheese: The Southern, The Bedford, Smoke Daddy
Runner Up: West Town Tavern's Bourbon-Bacon Caramel Corn
Yum and quite the hefty sample. Plus, the owner's name is Susan Goss-- you know it's good!
Honorable Mentions: Hearty, The Bristol


Though we had drink tickets, I had no room except for a few ounces of my favorite Michigan Brewery, Greenbush! They brought their best beers and gave plentiful pours. If you ever go to Sawyer, MI or see them on a menu in Chicago (places like Haymarket in the West Loop), get the Black IPA.
Of course, there were bacon bloody marys all around and some gin and vodka drinks, but I came for the bacon and boy did I feel like a pig when I left!

Will I do it again next year? Maybe. However, my 'restaurants to try' list is even bigger now thanks to Baconfest 2012!

More food pics
Bleeding Heart Bakery
Bacon-wrapped & deep-fried sausage


 







Bacon Cheesecake










Moderno
Bacon cannoli, reggiano, wasabe peas




Cooking Chicks
Bacon chocolate truffle

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Out with the old

Restaurants are always coming and going in Chicago, and I'm hopeful it's never one of my favorites that goes under. Fingers crossed.


Balena (translation: fat guy), the new restaurant that took over Landmark's old space, opened up about 3 weeks ago. The opening was wildly anticipated as they postponed the open date quite a few months. I had never visited Landmark before but had passed it a million times while riding the brown line to work. I was always under the impression that it was a swanky club-type bar and had never made my way in to discover more.

Balena, however, made a huge impression even before its doors opened. The great folks responsible for The Bristol, Girl and the Goat, and Boka teamed up to open this joint in late fall of 2011. The promise was to utilize the space as a restaurant more than a bar. And with all those heads and hands together, a magical menu was sure to ensue.

The newest trend in menus seems to be an assortment of plate sizes. Not that all restaurants are moving to "tapas" style by any means, but there are more options for people looking to try different bites during their dining experience and also be mindful of how much they're putting in their mouths. The inexplicit benefit of serving multiple sized plates is that the cost can be very reasonable. There is a price point that fits every budget with these types of menus. With Balena especially, everything including the a la carte entrees were right on point and not grossly expensive. In fact, the pizzas, which boasted 14 inches each and meant to be shared didn't even run over $16! There are several pizza chains in Chicago that don't even offer a 14 inch pizza for under $20.

The drinks. I can't write any more without praising the drinks at Balena. Their robust (over 300!) wines hit all palates. Personally, I had never heard of any of the wines because they were all Italian, but they listed all of the flavor notes which made it easier to choose. I was extremely satisfied with my choice not knowing exactly what I was picking.

Their signature drinks are ranked in order of bitterness: 1 being mellow, 10 having quite the bite. You'll find egg whites, absinthe, and cordials among the ingredients in the cocktails (which take a minute or two to brew, much like Hubbard Inn and Violet Hour). Among the favorites of the table included the Strawberry (low bitterness) and the Peat (with Scotch and egg white).
Peat
The food. We started with the shared cheese and meat plate (The Balena, $26). If you have a party of 4, this will feed you all very well! It came with a wonderful assortment of meats, cheese, and bread with pickled vegetables and spreads. One of the better charcuterie plates I've had in the city.
Meats
   Paprika Cured Pork
   Loin
   Gin and Juice Salami
   Coppa di Testa 
Cheeses
   Robiola
   Pecorino Grand Cru
   Oregonzola
Breads
   Walnut Bread
   Fennel Crostini
   Roast Garlic Semolina
   Lemon Pepper Challah
Spreads
   Bagna Cauda
   Whipped Ricotta
   Olive Oil

Digesting the menu, we were overwhelmed with the various choices of pizzas, pastas, and main entrees, but I had already decided on the stuff rabbit loin days before. Whenever there is rabbit served on a menu, I will get it. The portion was huge and I was surprisingly unselfish and gave a few nibbles away. The plate is definitely for someone who enjoys sausage and gamey meat, but it wasn't offensive at all if you're privy to throwing your palate a curve ball. I would highly recommend it!
Rabbit loin
The boys ordered the large king prawn (yes, the ones where you suck the head off, that comes with EYES and everything). The verdict was that they were good, but a bit salty.

The sturgeon, which I had a piece of, was cooked perfectly. The portion wasn't huge, so I wouldn't suggest only ordering that for your entire meal. The side of polenta also gets two thumbs up.

The dessert list ($8-$9) was not to be missed. The donuts caught our eye. To be accurate, it was deemed the Affogato: Vanilla Gelato, Espresso, Cinnamon Sugar Donuts. The glass was filled with gelato and they poured the espresso over it. It tasted even better than it looks, if you can imagine!
Affogato
The decor. The atmosphere is unpretentious and the bar is just the right size. The kitchen is on an elevated level with a glass window to watch everything. There is ample seating and the ceilings are sky high! What I enjoyed most were the rafters at the top. The ceiling came to a point and there were balls of warm lights which reminded me of an old barn set up for a wedding. It gave the space a nice open feeling--one that you might not find in your one bedroom apartment.

Learn more. 
Eater Chicago
TimeOut Chicago



Saturday, March 24, 2012

Let's Do Brunch!


There's nothing I love more than brunch. Brunch is hardly ever rushed, and it's far more enjoyable than the average M-F breakfast. For me, eggs are a required food group in a brunch meal. For others, pancakes, waffles, or a pastry will suffice. All of these are good choices for a leisurely late breakfast, but I need some protein to start my weekend off right.

Eggs don't take long to cook, but they need a little more TLC than adding a splash of milk and a spoon.

There are a few spots I frequent in Chicago for a good brunch that have my fore mentioned eggs cooked the way I like. See my list. An omelet or a poached/over-easy egg will do. Palpable coffee is also taken into consideration, but that's not too hard to find either.

A spot that combines all the essentials into one is Austrian Bakery in Lincoln Park. Don't let the name fool you. This local bakery specializes in homemade cakes for occasion, pastries, breads, breakfast, and lunch. Austrian also serves home squeezed orange juice (juicer in the front, so you know it's legit).

What's great about Austrian Bakery is that everything is:
1. Homemade. In addition to the sweet treats and large cakes, they make a large assortment of breads that are ready to take home and not to mention a little cheaper than you'd expect.
2. Authentic. There's more than just pancakes and omelets. Think about your European breakfasts and how they most always include some sort of meat or cheese (I'm not just talking bacon or cheddar cheese, either). You'll find a summer brie platter and a Weisswurst dish here too.
3. Friendly. Coming here upwards of 50 (yes I said 50) times, we are welcomed with coffee and cream and most of the time our server remembers our order--which almost never changes.

I will never say I'm not a bread person. If I said that, I'd be lying, because there's no way to turn the bread down at Austrian. I'll kneed it down for you:
Selection of breads at Austrian Bakery

Poppyseed, Cranberry Walnut, Buttercrust, Farmer's Rye, Back to the Earth, Multigrain, Sunflower Seed, Russia's Best, Bergsteigerbrot, Honey Wheat, and Pretzel (saved for lunch sandwiches and The Bavarian breakfast).

I go for the 'Back to the Earth' bread every single time. It's a rich and dark condensed rye bread that goes great with a little butter and jam.  It's a bit sour like a sourdough bread but it's more moist and perfect for poached eggs. My boyfriend loves the hearty Sunflower Seed bread. It's crunchy and satisfying, although I'm not sure if I'd choose it for a sandwich bread.

Back to the Earth
Sunflower Seed











In addition to their cake and brunch items, they also serve some traditional Austrian lunch items like goulash and liver dumpling soup.

All in all, this is a place fit for Chicagoans and tourists alike. I hope that someday down the road I can order a cake from here and get a discount on account of my frequent patronage ;)

Friday, March 23, 2012

How to Live: Food

Look closely, as the Lazy Susan tries to find her direction.

It has come to my attention and much to my dismay that I have ill-treated this blog. My first hope, almost a year ago, was to highlight Chicago in all its greatness, and showcase all activities that I had either tried, wanted to try, or could not go another day without telling someone about it. However, I don't go on adventures every weekend or do things that always warrant daily posts, which brings me to my point (and rest of my post)...

I should (and will) blog about what I love most: food. I remember in high school I had an interest in becoming a chef. I shadowed a few chefs in the back kitchen at a nice restaurant for a day in Indianapolis and even took a cooking class(1) with my mom. What I learned was that yes, I love food, but just because you love something, it might not mean you're meat to live, breathe, AND work with it. Hmm, it works with THESE two. Fine. I digress.

After the brief stint with "restaurateur-ring", I asked my mom how one could become a food critic. I was given an explanation along the lines of: you have to be a chef first, then comes the critiquing. Damn.

But with one hiccup came a step forward in a slightly different direction. Writing about my experiences with services, food in particularly, became a habit. A good 10 years later, I'm word-of-mouthing my mouth off to anyone who has ears and everyone who can read.

Food is something I may not know how to best perfect, but I sure as hell can examine it, pronounce it, hate it, and drool over it. Best of yet, I'll share with you how it makes me do all or none of the above.