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.

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