Foodie Digest

We’ve had some of best meals in Chicago along with some of our worst for us meals (cheesy beef anyone? tater tots with squeeze cheese?). This past weekend was no exception.

Dinner at Mexique We startled our local friends with a request for dinner for 7 people on a Friday night. We were heading from bluesfest so requested casual with good food. They delivered with Mexique.

With our large group we had the opportunity to try many things on the menu. For appetizers at our table we had:

Appetizers

• French onion soup with roasted poblano this was a rich and hearty soup with amazing flavor and not overly oniony. I got to taste and I went back for more.
• TRIO OF SOPES which was: Escargots & Chimichurri Butter, Shrimp Provencal with Avocado Mousse, and and Sweet Plantains, Young Coconut, Xico Mole. These were three separate sopes, or little boats with things in them. the escargot was overly garlicky and passed along to another diner, but the shrimp was tasty and the plantain one my favorite. I loved this dish for the variety.
• Beef tartare which was quite good. Strong mustard flavor but very flavorful.
• Ceviche of the night, which was ahi tuna. I didn’t get to try this but those who ordered it seemed happy.

Entrees

• Asada served with a goat cheese souffle. My friend who ordered this asked for rare but his steak came between medium rare and medium. This was one of the dishes recommended by the server but it was one of the weaker dishes of the evening (to be fair, it was weaker because the rest of the competition was so fierce. The food was quite good overall).
• Puerco Alcaparrado roasted pork with a bunch of interesting sides. Two people at our table ordered this and both were pleased. I tasted it and thought it was good but I preferred my dish and one other to this.
• Pato al Tamarindo duck breast — served rare — and duck confit. I didn’t try this but those who did raved about it and listed it as one of the stronger meals on the menu.
• Cordero herb crusted rack of lamb — also served rare — and slow roasted coffee braised lamb shoulder. I loved the lamb chops but wasn’t blown away by the lamb shoulder. Other people really enjoyed this, tho, so I do believe it was prepared well. I loved the eggplant that came with this dish and overall thought it was one of the better and more hearty plates.
• Costillas ahh, the best, most memorable for last. Braised short ribs with a slaw and truffle fries. I loved this dish and kept stealing bites from it. If I went back to Mexique I would order this one.

We were too full for dessert and and we were in Chicago so we had other friends to meet up with.

Overall thumbs: Up. They were great at accommodating our large group, the food was great and the chef came out to meet our table.

Tastiness rating: High. Their food is really good. Would go back if there weren’t so many restaurants in Chicago I want to try.

Service rating: Very good. Our server greeted us from the minute we walked in and sat at our bar and continued once we were seated. The chef came out to meet us and talk about the meal.

Even though you’d think I’d have learned not to go to restaurants the first week they are open, I still do. And sometimes I am treated to a very pleasant surprise.

54 Mint  is one of those surprises. It’s a great cute space with exposed brick and a long dining bar. There are a few small tables that often turn into a community table (a table that would seat 6 would turn into tables for two groups, for example). And there’s some frenetic energy going on there (more on that later).

oh? and the NY part? The chefs/owners bring a great pedigree from a variety of New York restaurants. I first read about this place in my faithfully subscribed to and read Tablehopper newsletter. And now when I re-read it I wonder if it was dry cured beef or pork and if my meat sauce was beef or pork. Things to discover on my next trip to 54 Mint.

We definitely experienced some new restaurant dysfunction, but the proof is in the food and the quality of the meal here was fabulous. Here’s a rundown of the meal (and experience).

We walk into the restaurant and think ooh, this space is cool. We get smiles from the staff and I wander over to the host area. The server/host/everything person seems a bit crazed and says to me — several times over the next 10 minutes or so — I see you there I’m not ignoring you really, I see you. Eventually I someone else jumps in and we’re given 2 seats around the corner of the bar. Perfect for conversation but close enough for us to see into the kitchen. Still, -1 for the greeting/seating experience.

Lucky for me, I am sitting below huge blocks of smoked and cured meats. Which of course encourages me to order them. As soon as we sit we are welcomed and offered drinks while olives are delivered to our area. We order a glass of wine (for me) and a beer (for him). Again, there’s a small lapse in time before one of the owners (I think) jokes with us about our server/bartender/food preparer not being attentive enough to us, and then takes our order. Which is:

salumeria plate Really, like I could sit below this and not order it? It was tempting to get the aged pecorino or parmigiana, but we stuck with meat over cheese. This plate had (I think) 3 slices each of:

• proscuitto (really, what can be said. It was shaved thin, tasty, and would make a great sandwich).
• salami something or other (dry aged, tasty, thin round with a thick slice)
• spiced chorizo like salami (smoky, my favorite, thin round with a thick slice)
• cured beef (his favorite. again, shaved thin.

ratatoulle sicilian style. This was incredibly tender and sweet with roasted peppers, pine nuts and raisins. Served with toasts and eventually with a basket of bread. The bread was generous and rustic and served warm.

gnocchi house made with a meat sauce. The sauce in this dish remained piping hot for the night. The gnocchi were delicate and light; the sauce a hearty complement. 

porchetta or pork belly goodness. This came with mashed potatoes laced with cheese? crack? something addictive. One of the best preparations of this dish I’d ever had.

Service to this point was friendly and attentive. Our plates and silverware were exchanged between courses but I had to request a water refill.

And then. The reminder that this restaurant was only 3 days old. We waited. and waited. and waited. and waited. and waited. We thought about dessert. Then thought against dessert after an hour. Eventually we asked about dessert. For the evening they had panna cotta, peach crostada and chocolate cake. Our owner/server person raved about the chocolate cake. Said if we ordered it and didn’t like it he (Claudio I believe) would pay for it. We smiled and ordered the peach crostada.

Out came our crostada with a slice of chocolate cake. So we tried it. It was good. If you were a rich chocolate cake person you might think it was the best chocolate cake you’d ever had. I don’t know — go try it and tell me.

Of course we wait again to get our check (and wait. and wait. and wait. and then remind them) and eventually pay.

Given that we were sitting at the bar and got our food quickly, it’d be surprising to have this meal last over an hour. We were there at least 2 and much of the time was spent waiting.

But.. would I go back again? In a heart beat. This is clearly the best prepared italian food in our neighborhood, and some of the best I’ve had in the city. They don’t take reservations so I’d expect to wait, tho hopefully some of the extra waiting around will get better over time. I will say the staff was charming and friendly and seemed to truly enjoy being there.

Overall thumbs: Up. The location, food and attitude will bring me back.

Tastiness rating: High. House made pastas and expertly prepared pork belly will bring me back.

Service rating: Mixed. Very friendly, professional and competent but highly distracted.

I’ve loved southwestern food since I lived in Denver. The smokiness of red chile and the great flavors of the green. Always a decision I can’t make so I inevitably get my dishes in Santa Fe served christmas style — the red and green chile served side by side.

On my recent trip I was traveling with a mixed group of dining tastes.. Some like it hot (me!) and some did not (mom). Our first dinner was at Santacafe which was tasty and accommodating to the non-spicy eaters. Of course, it left me hungry for my chile!

Enter breakfast at Guadalupe cafe. I had the huevos rancheros and my sister had the casey enchiladas. To say we enjoyed our dishes is an understatement; we returned the next day and ordered the exact same thing!

My dish:

blue corn tortillas with cheese, covered with beans and eggs to order (over had to me) topped with — you guessed it — red and green chile. The red was perfectly smokey; the green was flavorful. I admit the next day I came back and had red only and regretted it. I love the combo of the two.

The service was adequate; people were friendly and on Saturday there was no wait. Sunday (Mother’s day) had about a 15 minute wait. Not bad. 

The casey enchiladas were filled with egg and chorizo. I didn’t get to taste them but again, so good they were ordered the next day.

We ate dinner at Tomasita’s (disappointment!) I wished we’d gone back to Guadalupe Cafe for dinner too. If I’m in Santa Fe again, I know I’ll be heading here again.

We’d been to Axis cafe once or twice before. They’ve got a great patio in back of the restaurant. Weekday service has been order at the counter and wait for service. We drove by with the dogs and noticed they had 2 tables out front. I also remembered reading the patio was dog friendly (even tho you walk through the restaurant).

and.. it is! We arrived 11 or so on a Sunday. I walked in the to host stand and responded to the “how many” question with “2, but we also have 2 dogs”. “Not a problem” she said with a smile. I beckoned to the outside crew and in we went. Through the restaurant! to the wonderful back patio complete with wind protecting walls.

We were presented with a menu with a great mix of breakfast and lunch type items. On this visit I had the oatmeal and he had the bison burger. In the past I’ve tried the soup (great!) and have repeatedly had the tuna/avocado salad. Mmm. still one of my favorite salads.

the oatmeal was a generous portion (half for tomorrow!) of slow cooked oats with currants and pecans and topped with fresh strawberries. A cinnamon stick was buried in for flavor. This was really hearty and tasty.

the bison burger is served on a flavorful rosemary bun with avocado, roasted peppers and garlic aioli. It’s served with a side salad.

The dogs chilled out in the patio completely oblivious to the other dogs chilling out.

I really love the atmosphere here, and the food is quite solid and reasonably priced. Plenty of great options on the menu and really look forward to returning.

Overall thumbs: Up. While the charm in this place really is the patio, the inside is pleasant. 

Tastiness rating: High. Their food is good. Not swoon-worthy, but good.

Service rating: Good. We had a dog water bowl with us that they offered to fill as they sat us. Our server was friendly and efficient and our water glasses were refilled regularly.

Another winner.

We’d been fans of Couleur Cafe in Potrero Hill for the great outdoor patio and consistent food. And while the food was decent, it wasn’t food we craved week after week.

Apparently we weren’t the only ones; the owners revamped Couleur Cafe and reopened it as PizzaNostra. Ahh, a friendly neighborhood pizza place.

We’ve been twice now; once for dinner with just the two of us, and once in the patio with the 2 dogs. Each time our food has been great (and this place has only been open a week!). Friendly service and as an added bonus they had an abundance of dog water bowls.

So far we’ve had:

• burrata with fava bean salad: The burrata here is good. Fresh but not mind-blowingly pillowy. Still, great flavor and a generous portion.
• Eli’s meatballs: really great sauce, dense and flavorful meatballs.
• Grilled octopus salad: served with chickpeas. This was decent. Not enough octopus to make me order it again but was fine.
• Rock shrimp and white bean salad: rock shrimp served over fennel and white beans with a lemony mint dressing. This was really bright and refreshing. 
• Gnocchi with meat sauce: again, a great sauce. tender gnocchi. 
• Pizza caprese: fresh prosciutto parma and arugula. This was wonderful. The pizza is cooked with great cheese and parma, then pulled out of the oven and topped with 2 more types of cheese and tons of fresh arugula.
• Pizza cannibal: with bolognese and a fresh egg. This was our brunch pizza. Definitely a fork and knife pizza but also very good.
• TRONCHETTO NUTELLA AND BANANA. This was a dessert pizza. They also do a tronchetto with savory ingredients. A tronchetto is basically a rolled pizza, but not folded like a calzone. The dessert one is cooked with marscapone cheese, nutella and banana, then dusted with sugar and cocoa powder. It’s very delicious.

While I like all the food here, the stars are definitely the pizzas. A blistered crust with high quality toppings. Our first visit we sat at the counter overlooking the kitchen and chatted with both the pizza chef and the head chef. The head chef is responsible for the phenomenal sauces we had and both of them were incredibly friendly.

I’ve been very pleased with the meals and service here. The outside patio was wide open when we got there at 11:30 on a beautiful Saturday but was fully packed when we left at 12:30. 

Overall thumbs: Up. Extra points for the great dog friendly patio.

Tastiness rating: High. I could live on pizza every day. Especially really great pizza with such high quality ingredients.

Service rating: Very good. We were there the 2nd night it opened and the chef made certain we got the service we needed (waitstaff was a little sluggish that eve). Our 2nd visit had good service.

We’ve heard good things about Gary Danko for years and have always had it on our must try list. A gift certificate helped push us one step closer to going, but we needed a reason to remember to plan 2 months in advance for a reservation. Finally we went last night.

You can choose the set tasting menu or build your own with 3, 4 or 5 courses. You can choose what courses you like and how many from each category (you could, for example, have 5 dessert courses). We went the traditional route but might take a different trip next time around.

We had:

amuse bouche of local crab over grapefruit this was a very cute presentation. It was an odd combination with the crab on a stringbean on grapefruit. If you liked grapefruit and crab you’d probably like this dish (I did). If you only like one (crab, not grapefruit) you’d find the dish a bit astringent. The stringbean was an added texture but an odd accessory.

Appetizer course

Lobster Salad with Persimmons, Pistachios, Chestnut Mousse and Pomegranate Seeds We deemed this the easy winner of the two appetizers and probably one of the most interesting dishes of the night. The chestnut mousse was very unique and was a nice complement to the pomegranate. Really a great dish.

Seared Sonoma Foie Gras with Caramelized Red Onions and Fuji Apples This dish lost the appetizer battle ground. The caramelized onions were a bit too flavorful against the foie gras and overpowering. The foie gras itself needed something with texture to balance against. I wish I’d gone for the lobster risotto this course instead.

Seafood course

Seared Sea Scallops with Parsnip Purée, Maitake Mushrooms and Sauce Maréchal we had a clear tie between these two dishes. The scallops were well prepared but a teensy bit overdone. The mushrooms had hidden bacon which is ALWAYS a bonus. Very tasty.

Pancetta Wrapped Frog Legs with Garlic Purée, Potato, Lentils and Parsley This was served in a sea of parsley sauce. The frog legs were easy to eat and smoky from the pancetta. The lentils were nice. A pleasant dish.

Meat and game course

Herb Crusted Tuna with Crème Fraîche Spaetzle, Toasted Pine Nuts, Belgian Endive and Orange I took advantage of the design your menu how you’d like option and went for tuna instead of meat here. The tuna was prepared exceedingly rare (as requested). The spaetzle was a crunchy delight. I declared this dish a winner; we ended with a split decision.

Guinea Hen Breast with Braised Leg, Chestnut Gnocchi, Brussels Sprouts, Apples and Pancetta The braised leg was the highlight of this dish. The gnocchi didn’t really have chestnut flavor. A well prepared dish, but not overly interesting.

Dessert (we swapped the order between this and the cheese course)

Lemon Soufflé Cake with Crème Fraîche Panna Cotta and Pomegranate Sorbet This was the dessert we both wanted to get and really was the star. The panna cotta was fantastic and the cake itself light. Would definitely get this again.

French Macaroon Ice Cream Sandwiches with Three Sauces Had we been thinking we would have opted for another appetizer course instead of a second dessert. Yes, these were all tasty (3 different flavors of macaroon with different ice cream flavors). But the cake as outstanding and blew this away.

and the cheese course.

The presentation of this is impressive. They roll out with the cheese cart and describe the dozen or so cheeses on it. You get to choose 4 of them (which meant we got 8). While I enjoyed this, I’ve been spoiled enough by eating plenty of great cheese from Whole Foods and Cowgirl Creamery, as well as from Bin36 in Chicago. 

Bonus dessert

Because we were celebrating our anniversary they brought us out a lovely plate of mini desserts. Most of them were chocolate based (so for us only just OK). They also sent us home with pumpkin cream cheese muffin.

Overall thumbs: Up. The combination of highly considerate service and very consistent food make this a sure bet.

Tastiness rating: High. The food was consistently good but nothing was amazing or inventive.

Service rating: Among the best. From the moment we walked in we were well taken care of. We were offered drinks upon seating, a sommelier was sent over as we were making drink decisions, and all of the staff were unobtrusive in helping serve and clear. The only weak spot — our water drinks were close to empty and the non-wine drinker wasn’t asked for drink orders whenever his glass when empty.

We finally dragged ourselves out in the sunshine today for an urban hike and errands. Up Powell (you need one steep hill to hit an urban hike) we started looking for outside seating for lunch. We wandered past Danilo Bakery’s BaoNecci, and I remembered I’d read good things about this place. In we went.
You order at the counter here so we order two of the daily specials and a focaccia sandwich. We had:
Cannelini soup A mostly pureed white bean soup served in a substantial bowl with a drizzle of olive oil. Really nice comforting flavors.
Roasted pork with white beans There was an option of potatoes or beans with this dish. A good lunch sized portion of thinly sliced pork. Incredibly tender served in its own juices.
Proscuitto and fresh tomato focaccia sandwich The focaccia is thinly sliced and crispy. Really delicate flavors with just a touch of olive oil.
All in all, a really satisfying lunch. They also sell pizza whole or by the slice. While we were there a table near us had a pizza made to order. It look fantastic with a crispy thin crust. Would definitely go back to try the pizza. Glad to know they are open on Sundays but daylight hours only.

Overall thumbs: Up. The service was warm and friendly, the food excellent, and the atmosphere bustling. I  look forward to going back.

Tastiness rating: High. Really great lunch. Not too filling or rich but just good honest food.

Service rating: Good. Very warm service. You order at the counter and they bring food to you. We bought some desserts to go and paid for everything as we were leaving.

On a recent visit to Chicago we were lucky enough to score a reservation at Schwa. If you’ve ever tried to get a reservation here, I’d say don’t give up! We called about 6 weeks in advance and left a message, then played telephone tag when the return call came 3 weeks later. Each time Michael (the chef!) called he was incredibly nice and just, well, cool.

We’d have a few recent letdowns in Chicago at both Avec and Volo so it was with hopeful expectations we arrived at Schwa on Saturday night. Walking in the door the small — 26 person — dining room felt like we were intruding until we were warmly welcomed and shown our table. Schwa is byob and they took away our wine to open and our beer to chill, then asked us if we were open to trying some other wines and beers their friends had dropped off. We were happy to try whatever they suggested.

From the Schwa website, let me list the current tasting menu.
amuse: this was white anchovy and I can’t remember what else (oh! grapefruit) served on a cube. Single shot. Incredible. I restrained myself from taking photos which means that you’ll have to imagine the white anchovy as almost a light mousse with other flavors. A great start to the meal. They poured me a nice sparkling wine.

henricks gin: cucumber, rose, coriander. So I admit I had low expectations of this. I thought it’d be a gin tasting shot — and I don’t even like gin! Instead this was a rectangular plate spread with a delicate gel. This was topped with cucumber and “gin” balls about the size of large fish eggs. Baby coriander sprigs as well as cucumber flowers filled with other flavors. This was fantastic (so I’ll keep saying about each course we had). This dish was delicate with a great infusion of deconstructed gin flavors.

Somewhere, either with this dish or the one after it, I was given a sparkling french cider.
french onion soup: again, this was a dish I was thinking would just be OK because too many onions do me in. But again, I was greeted with a delightful surprise. A small container of a hearty onion broth. The side was a gruyere crouton and I wish I could remember what else was on the plate. Also perfect flavors.

phad thai: the noodles in this pad thai were jellyfish. An inventive take on a traditional thai dish. Again, you guessed it, fantastic.

Surprise Dish!: Not on the menu (and I can’t remember exactly when it arrived). This was a dish I’d read about and hoped we’d be lucky enough to receive. Quail egg ravioli in a white truffle sauce. Eat in one bite. And oh, what an amazing bite it was. I do think this will go and remain on my list of top 10 bites ever. 


whitefish roe:white asparagus, black garlic, bacon. The white asparagus was presented as a spear as well as julienned. The bacon was both in puree smoky form as well as paper thin crisps. The plate arrive with artful smears of bacon, black garlic, and salmon colored roe. Again, an amazing combination

At some point I had a glass of vouvray (sp?) white as well as a glass of the Bogle phantom red I brought. Oh, and a cab, I think. I won’t try to remember the pairings.


cobia: smoke, watermelon, red pepper. This was great. The watermelon was an agua fresca-like shot. 


pickled beef tongue: fig, natto, tea: Great flavor of fig. The fermented natto added a nice balance to the pickled beef tongue.
 

rabbit peaches, gumballhead, wheatgrass: We learned that gumballhead is made at an amazing 5 person brewery in Indiana. Oh, and it’s a beer. This plate came with the peaches mandolined and spread across the bottom. The rabbit shaped in a perfect disc as well. It’s incredibly tender and inventive. (the entire meal of course is inventive)


cheese: this is creamy and is served with a spoon. I remember really loving it. But by now they’ve poured me a lot of wine so as much as I could tell the flavors while eating it I can’t quite recall them now.

another surprise dish! this was a green curry ice cream with a cone made of um, I can’t remember. Really great and bright flavor. A lovely surprise.


dessert: and this why I can remember nothing else. The dessert is also in my top ten things ever. Candied sweetbreads served with parsnip in a rectangular almost gelatin form. Candied sweetbreads. They were unforgettable. All I thought about on my way home.


Throughout the night the chefs who brought us our food were incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, and just cool. You can tell they love what they’re doing and we so loved the experience.

If you can get reservations here DO. It will be one of your most enjoyable evenings.

Overall thumbs: Up. The highest up I can imagine.

Tastiness rating: High. By far the best tasting menu I’ve ever experienced. The first time I can think of where every item was perfectly conceived and executed.

Service rating: Great and very cool. Everyone had time to stop and talk to us. The pride in their menu shows with every conversation about it and everyone — absolutely everyone — was someone you’d want to hang out and chill with. 

My highest recommendation.

Since our first visit to Orson we’ve heard it going through some ups and downs. I’ve now gone back 2x and have to say, I’m impressed.

Our first visit was for drinks and appetizers with an out of town guest. We had a fun time in our neighborhood—oysters and drinks at Bacar, drinks and snacks at Orson, more drinks at Tres Agaves, and then dinner at Coco500. We do live in a great dining ‘hood. I went back again with a friend who moved out of the Bay area and needed a good meal when she returned.

For drinks and snacks, we had:

• pork belly, pizza, & tempura egg.

I’ve been educated on the wonders of Vienna beef over the past decade. I was hailed as a hero when I discovered (the now defunct) Chi-Dogs in Santa Clara and have facilitated treks out of SF to find the coveted Chicago dog and italian beef throughout the Bay area.

Imagine my glee when I received my latest Tablehopper newsletter telling me about Da Beef. Not only is it in SF, but it’s blocks from our house. Bummer is it’s only open M-F until 6, and on Saturday until 5.

We walked to Rocco’s for dinner on night and start looking for Da Beef. Tablehopper and Da Beef’s web site said 300 7th street. Um, that’s an Oil can henry’s. We were confused until we looked into the garage of Oil Can Henry’s and saw a hot dog cart.

A hot dog cart! This new food find, this restaurant carrying the highly sought after vienna beef is a hot dog cart! This could be good news (low overhead) or bad news (they might move out of our neighborhood at any time).

Either way, we decide to give them a shot. The web site said they will be carrying italian beef shortly, so we headed over to get some chicago style hot dogs. Made with vienna beef.

The good

• the dogs are Vienna beef. Be warned they are the jumbo size (why oh why is everything super-sized!)
• the buns are imported from chicago. They are steamed and perfectly prepared.
• the have nuclear green relish!
• they use celery salt, have chopped onions, pickles, sport peppers and mustard
• they were giving out free samples of the soon to be available italian beef
• the dogs were prepared perfectly; definitely solved a chicago dog craving.

The “needs improvement” (I’m not going to say bad. This is what’s preventing Da Beef from being perfectly perfect).

• no tomatoes! They aren’t currently set up to have fresh cut tomatoes but it’s coming
• no official italian beef yet. Because they don’t have the sweet peppers or the giardiniera, they are waiting before they sell this. Good move. We also thought the italian beef could be “wetter” but again, it was a free taste.
• they need better hours! I’m not sure which crowd they are catering toward yet. I hope they get enough business to stay in business but it’d be great to be able to swing by there after work.  ‘course maybe it’s better for me—healthwise—that they aren’t :).

Overall thumbs: Way up! There were 3 of us and we all thought our dogs were great.

Food tastiness: Perfect.

Service rating: The two women who run this cart are friendly and knowledgeable. They definitely researched the market and area and knew all the places we knew they served vienna beef. We only wish they had lawn chairs or something to sit in while we ate.

WW points: Do you really want to know? The jumbo vienna beef dogs are 7 points (bun not included). I need to lobby the Da Beef folks to include the regular size…