Owen + Alchemy

2355 N Milwaukee
Chicago, IL
http://www.owenandalchemy.com/

I was lucky enough to get invited to the friends and family opening of Owen + Alchemy, the new juice bar -- excuse me, juice apothecary -- in Logan Square. The space is beautiful, as you can see from the pictures in Eater (sorry, it was only after leaving that it occurred to me that this was a good excuse to revivify this blog and hopefully post more often, so I didn't think to document it more thoroughly while I was there). You'd never guess that such a bright, airy room awaits you behind the black and slightly macabre exterior. Spidery looking air plants dangle artfully in alcoves behind the wide counter. There is a giant "alchemical" symbol painted on one of the walls. A large, gorgeous solid wood table rests atop a green metallic polyhedron-type thing instead of legs. The overall look is semi-goth art deco, but with neither the sterility nor the pretentiousness that such a combination implies. It's a very nice room. I wonder if they will add more places to sit, but in the meantime, the irregular edges of the table lead to a subtle sectioning that allows for a sense of personal space in the communal area. Nonetheless, the lack of seating and to-go packaging of everything rather discourages dining in.

The out-of-the-ordinary texture of the disposable plates and forks (and the establishment's obvious commitment to being environmentally conscious) makes me think they are probably good for the planet in some way, but are they really better than reusing silverware and dishes? Definitely, there will need to be a sign to let people know what to do when faced with the landfill, compost, and recycling bins. I was pretty sure that the glass bottle went into the recycling (it would be nice if they'd wash and reuse them instead, as that would definitely be more environmentally sustainable) but had no idea about the rest. The staff surmised that everything else could be composted, except maybe the sticker on the salad container (I don't mind tearing the sticker off, but at the same time...). A quick glance into the bins made it clear that customers had all kinds of different theories on what went where -- or maybe just didn't care.

As you can see from the menu, although the focus is juices, there are also bowls (mostly granola-type things) and salads. They were out of the kelp noodles by the time I arrived, so I had the 3-kale salad and it was fantastic. The kale was torn into pieces of a manageable size, and wonderfully complimented by the radish and fennel, with the almonds adding a pleasing crunch. The avocado dressing was delicious; creamy and tangy, it tied the ingredients together beautifully without being overpowering.

Of course the real point is the juice. I wish I could've tried more than one, but when forced to pick among the incredible array of options, I decided to go out on a limb and taste something really new to me, so I got #57, which is raw almond, turmeric root, raw cashew, cardamom, ginger, and raw local honey. It was good, though I wished it had been a little bit more gingery. The almond was pretty dominant, but the flat salty flavor that can make drinking nut milks (heh heh) a chore was thankfully tempered by the turmeric and honey. I would certainly get it again.

Here's the thing though. The juices come in giant bottles. Or at least they seemed giant; the website suggests that they are 8oz, but that seems awfully small in contrast to the behemoth that I got (the more I drank, the bigger it seemed!). Hmmm. The $9-12 prices are a bit of a shock to the system, but the neighborhood can probably sustain it? In its defense, I will say that I arrived starving, and the juice and salad I had left me beyond stuffed. So you're definitely getting a meal for the price. But I do feel like I might have preferred to pay $7 for a 6oz juice, or $10 for two different 4ozers... There is no doubt that these are high quality juices, and the commitment to sourcing from socially conscious farms -- not just organic, but also committed to fair labor practices -- is certainly worth paying more for... but you have to be able to afford it. However, the website also mentions memberships and subscriptions, which seem to offer discounts. It does not mention actual cost, which makes me suspect that they're waiting to gauge interest before settling on prices.

In any case: I would be surprised if the place didn't take off. It seems like the kind of thing that Logan Square hipsters would go wild over. But the food is also good enough to make it an appealing (and healthy!) lunch option for the less sophisticated as well. And honestly, the juice is so tasty that I could even be persuaded to do the unthinkable and try one of their cleanses...

Estrella Negra

2346 W. Fullerton Ave.
Chicago, IL
http://www.estrellanegra.com/


My friend had walked by this place a number of times and wanted to try it, so we went there for lunch today. Wowzers. Delicious. The interior is indeed funky and bohemian and vaguely hippy-esque, but not in an eye-rolling way. The music, on this occasion at least, was all 90s, all the time, but I didn't really mind. Perhaps the best sense I can give you of the ambiance is that Portishead didn't sound out of place. The food seems to be eclectic Mexican - fresh ingredients, well seasoned, but with some quirks, like the use of muenster, parmesan, and goat cheese.

The menu is tantalizing. I was seriously struggling to make a decision, because everything sounded awesome. I finally settled on the el valiente tacos with chicken - as it describes it, three warm tacos sauteed with bacon, onion and jalapenos, topped with muenster cheese, onions, tomatoes, and cilantro and served with a side of salsa verde. They were out of this world. The chicken was moist and juicy, the tortilla was soft and warm, the salsa was bangin' and the flavor combination was pure bliss. But I have to tell you, it was somewhat eclipsed by the appetizer that arrived beforehand - the pozole (you get to pick a starter). Oh. my. god. It was slammin'. Perfect balance of rich chicken, fluffy hominy, and the tang of lime. Out of this world delicious.

My friend ordered the tamales (one of each). They were good, but not jaw-droppingly so. The masa was light and fluffy, but it still somewhat overwhelmed the fillings (which were quite good). We started things off with some chips and salsa, settling on the Roja. Our server warned us that it was quite spicy, and it definitely had some kick to it, but it wasn't painful. The fresh chips were crispy and light and quite good. My friend also got himself a coffee to go at the end of our meal. They do pour-over, and while I didn't get to try it, it smelled fantastic.

I definitely want to come back. It's a BYO, they serve brunch until 2 (we were there at 2:30 and they gave us brunch menus), and those ceviche tostadas are calling my name.

Bib Gourmand List

I moved from Chicago to Ankara, Turkey in September and completely forgot about this blog! But I'll get back to work. Perhaps someone will be interested in what's good in Ankara...

In the meantime, here's this year's Chicago Michelin Bib Gourmand list!

I'm thrilled to see Tony Yu get some love (though I like Lao Beijing more than Lao Szechuan). I'm happy to see Arami on there, though based on my experience, I have a hard time believing you can get a proper meal there for under $40. I still think Sticky Rice and Deleece deserve a mention, and scoff at some of their choices, but overall, the list is much more respectable this year.

Between

1324 N Milwaukee

Chicago, IL

I impulse-bought a groupon for a prix fixe dinner for two here, and then just as impulsively, my friend Harold and I went in to cash it. I was somewhat skeptical - the place definitely seems to see itself as a lounge/cocktail spot than a restaurant, which always makes me worry that the food will be so-so. As it turned out - the food was mostly fantastic.

The interior is definitely loungy, dimly lit, lots of couches with low tables, and even the more standard dining tables are matched with large red velvet chairs. But it's pleasant, and fairly intimate, even if some of the tables are rather close together. It'd make for a nice date spot, I think. The service was not only extremely attentive, but also very friendly.

There were two options on the prix fixe menu, so we went with one of each and split everything. First to arrive were snacks; plantain chips with a chimichurri type dipping sauce. The chips could've used some salt, but overall, it was quite tasty. It arrived with a cocktail - a guavarita. Tequila, guava nectar, lime juice and basil. Wonderful, especially on a hot summer's day.

Next came a salad; quinoa encrusted chicken on a bed of greens with tomatoes, onions, chunks of cheese and, excitingly, some slices of hearts-of-palm. I was surprised by how delicious it was - it sort of looked like your average salad, but the harmony of flavors was wonderful, in a somewhat counterintuitive way. The other first course was a skewer of meat (veal perhaps) with a potato cake and some large grains of peruvian corn. Wow. The meat was tender and flavorful, the sauce was great, and the corn was big and chewy and neato. Then came two balls of cooked, lime soaked potato with a spoon of some kind of seafood aioli concoction on top. Again, I am generally a big hesitant about fish/meat mayonnaise combos, but this was wonderful. It was accompanied by a bowl of ceviche - fabulous, though the lime was a tad sharp. Then came the mains, which were unfortunately the most disappointing aspect of the meal. A chicken stirfry with onions and peppers on a bed of spaghetti was not bad - it was perfectly cooked, with some crisp left to the vegetables, and juicy chunks of chicken - but it basically tasted like it was marinated in a classed up version of soy sauce. Now, I love soy sauce - I actually eat it by the spoonful, and spaghetti noodles with soy sauce are one of my go-to comfort foods. But it seems a bit... simple. The other entree was a sauteed tilapia. Though the fish was cooked just right, the sauce was pretty bland and uninteresting. If you dredged some rice in it and picked up all the various herbs and such that had sunk to the bottom, it improved somewhat, but in comparison to the rest of the meal, which was so astonishingly good, it seemed like a dud.

Finally, the dessert was a piece of french toast topped with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream, and I must say, it was fabulous. Moist, buttery, and just grand. We each got a cocktail to finish with; I had a Perfect Pair, Gray Goose Poire, Amaretto, and lime juice. I think flavored vodkas, especially pear, inspire mistrust in me. I expect them to taste bad, so much so that I can't even enjoy them, because the first impression is a slightly artificial flavor, which leads me to expect some kind of vicious chemical-y aftertaste. When it doesn't happen, I'm relieved, but not appreciative. In other words, this was actually a pretty good cocktail, but I kept expecting it not to be every time I raised it to my lips (why did I order it, you wonder. I have no idea.), and it sort of ruined it for me. Harold got the Spring Lu Lu, St Germain, Hendrick's, and Prosecco. It was fabulous. I was jealous of him.

Overall, I was really pleasantly surprised by Between, and would definitely recommend it. Looking over the menu, there are some promising options for entrees that would probably be more in keeping with the quality of the appetizers/small bites (the ribeye, the duck, the shrimp). It's a nice place, with well executed food and a pleasant atmosphere. Check it out.

Mandarin Kitchen

2143 S Archer St, Chicago IL

I had tried hot pot a few times before I actually went to China and liked it, but it was after my visit, and celebrating both Christmas and New Year's with hot pot and friends, that I was totally hooked. But I wasn't sure where to get it in Chicago. I tried the one at Lao Sze Chuan and was very disappointed*. Hot pot is an active eating experience, requiring effort and engagement. While it's a lot of fun with a big group, I think I actually prefer it with 2-3 people, because it makes things less chaotic. Basically, you get a giant pot of broth - or two different kinds of broth, one spicy one not - and then order yourself some things to cook in it. As an accompaniment, you get some sauces - generally, one is a salty peanut sauce, one is garlic oil, but sometimes there are others. Mandarin Kitchen has a third one that I couldn't figure out, vaguely fishy in flavor, not bad. The way to do it, in my opinion, is to spoon some of the peanut and garlic into your little bowl, then dunk your cooked goods in that and eat 'em. Delicious.

Mandarin Kitchen is a hot pot restaurant. The tables have built in burners. These people know what they're doing. There's a spicy and non-spicy broth option, and half-and-half on the pot is probably the way to go, though I think I like the non-spicy broth more. It's all-you-can-eat, whatever you want for $18. A fantastic deal. There's a bit of confusion on some things - if you order chinese broccoli, for instance, they bring cauliflower, but hey. I recommend some piles of sliced meats - they cook in like 3 seconds and are delicious, a bunch of vegetables (greens such as spinach and cilantro are especially wonderful), some bamboo, and some tofu - the dried bean curd is actually the best, in my opinion - plain tofu doesn't hold up as well in the cooking process. You can also get some dumplings to cook in there, which are great. Noodles are nice, but kind of a hassle to deal with.

One of the great things about it, to me, is that unlike a lot of Chinatown places, you leave full but not in a total coma (maybe I'm the only one who always overeats at chinese restaurants...). I think the food is pretty healthy - it certainly feels that way.

There's also an a la carte menu, curiously enough. Turns out it has some lovely dumplings on it that make for a very nice side snack. Next time, I might investigate some of the other appetizers too.

Overall, this place is the bomb. Delicious, affordable, and awesome. I wish I'd spent more of the winter there, but hot weather will not deter me from eating here often.

*It was overpriced and not that good. The broth was so-so, they seemed to discourage you from freestyle ordering the things you wanted and instead pushed you towards a massive plate of whatever they felt like, which is no fun, and the sauces were not so tasty. Really, no point in ordering it there - it's not their strong point, and when so much of their other stuff is so great, why bother?

Cafe Ba Ba Reeba

2024 N Halsted, Chicago

I've been vaguely curious about this place for a long time. Better Half has been highly resistant, saying that he'd been there a few years back and it was terrible. But last night, we decided we'd give it a try.

Holy crap y'all. That was terrible. It was honestly atrocious. It might actually have been one of the worst meals I've ever had in a restaurant. It was cheap, service was good, it was a pleasant, lively atmosphere, but oh man - the food was gross. Now, to be completely fair, part of this might be because we arrived at 9:30 pm, and the place closes at 10. We generally try not to do that, and we actually might not have even gone in, except for the fact that the place was packed, so it didn't seem like it'd be that big of a deal. But that might explain some of the quality issues. I dunno though. It was pretty bad.

We started with the short rib stuffed piquillo pepper. It was just that, a lukewarm, meat-stuffed pepper with some cheese on top, sitting on a piece of toast. Perfectly ok, though not all that exciting. Then came some olive oil poached tuna on avocado toast. This again, was not bad I thought, though Better Half thought it was repulsive. The tuna was definitely maligned by its poaching, it was tough and leathery and basically flavorless. But the avocado toast paired well with it, particularly with the addition of red cabbage and a sprinkling of herbs. Next to arrive was a chicken and chorizo skewer. Not so good at all. The chicken was basically like the tuna, tough, leathery, flavorless, the chorizo was so-so, and it came with a pile of roasted veggies which were likewise more pummeled into submission than prepared. Also, the whole thing was lukewarm, on the cool end of the spectrum, which was pretty nasty. We then received one of the special, a steak with green garlic butter and roasted asparagus. The asparagus was revolting, overcooked, mushy, and just awful. The steak was... odd. The green garlic butter was indeed green, but you could easily consume it without ever really knowing there was garlic or butter in it, aside from occasional hints of something like flavor. The steak was cooked just about perfectly - rich, red, and juicy - but was gross. We deliberated for awhile as to why this was. I thought maybe poor quality meat, Better Half suggested it might have something to do with the way the meat was stored. Basically, the texture was just strange. There were occasional mouthfuls of tendon and gristle, which was really unpleasant, but overall there was just something off about it. Then came what was by far the best dish we had, and which would even be acceptable in another restaurant, though admittedly not stellar - the spanish caesar salad. As Better Half pointed out, it did use iceberg lettuce instead of romaine, and I thought the dressing was rather uninspired, but it wasn't terrible, and the serrano did add a nice little spice to it. It was followed, unfortunately, by a dish so bad that we couldn't eat it. I'd been dreading the arrival of this dish since we'd gotten our first few plates, realizing that it was likely to be disastrous, and indeed, it was. The dish was octopus and potato a la plancha, usually one of my favorite tapas dishes (the one at Mercat a la Planxa is incredible). It was a massive pile of stuff - surprising, given that everything else was fairly modest. You know those "breakfast potatoes" you get at IHOP? The brown cubes? So those were the potatoes that came with this dish. They were piled with hunks of octopus was was not only rubbery, but also had an overwhelming, toxic fishy taste. We sent it back in a hurry.

We concluded with a cup of coffee (mediocre) and the bananas dessert, which was to be caramelized banana with vanilla ice cream. Ok, not to be a dick here, but when you say caramelized banana, I envision a banana that gets cooked with some sugar until it, uh, caramelizes. I do not think of a banana dipped in a low quality caramel sauce. But whatevs. Honestly, at that point, I was pleased that it wasn't worse.

Overall - wow. Do not go to this place.

Perennial

1800 N Lincoln,

Chicago, IL

Better Half and I felt like treating ourselves, so we figured we'd go out somewhere for Restaurant Week. We settled on Perennial, and then Better Half caught me completely off guard and suggested we simply order off the menu, rather than getting the prix fixe deal. In the end, he went a la carte and I went prix fixe. Of course, he turned out to be right. Because while the food was absolutely transcendental, my $33 dinner was comprised of such small portions that I wanted to cry. Next time, a la carte, for sure. It actually wouldn't have been that much more expensive, especially because there's no way I would have gotten dessert.

So, what we ate: I had the duck croquettes as an appetizer. They were blissful balls of crispy outside, fluffy, duck-y inside with a wonderfully subtle garlic aioli accompaniment. I could have eaten a basket of them, but unfortunately I only received 4. Better Half had the clam linguine, a bed of pasta with clams, lemon juice, white wine, red chili flakes and arugula. He was pleased with it. I tasted it and thought it was quite good, though the arugula made it taste a bit gray to me. Still, quite nice overall, and a very intelligently sized portion for a pasta course.

I then had the pork belly with braised red cabbage, mustard spaetzle, apple puree and apple gastrique. It was delicious. The apple puree was basically apple sauce, and the mustard spaetzle were perhaps a bit too mustardy - but I'm just not that into mustard anyhow. There was also something green on the plate, perhaps kale? Which was wonderful. The apple gastrique was a fabulous compliment to the pork belly, which was tender and moist (though perhaps just a smidgeon drier than ideal - but that I even noticed that is really only a sign of just how close to perfection it came, because it was actually fantastic) - it was just delicious.

Better Half, however, really hit the jackpot. He ordered the roasted chicken breast with fingerling potatoes, swiss chard, wild mushrooms and chicken au jus. This somewhat surprised me, because I generally figure that it's not worth ordering something so simple when there are more exciting options on offer. But oh. my. god. I had a few bites of his, and it was quite possibly the best piece of chicken I have ever had. It was moist, juicy, slightly crisp, and somehow intensely flavorful, despite being extremely simple. The mushrooms and swiss chard complimented it beautifully. It was divine. I actually mopped up every last bit of sauce with the complimentary baguettes (which I ate a lot of), to Better Half's chagrin.

My dessert, which I don't remember as clearly, was a hazelnut (I think?) cookie slab with a scoop of pistachio ice cream and a scoop of chocolate ganache. This did not seem very practical to me. Better Half explained that the point was to combine the three into one bite, and he quite enjoyed it. I think I'm picky about pistachio ice cream. I dunno. It was fine, I didn't dislike it, but really I just wanted to eat more of that chicken.

I'm a hopeless failure because I unfortunately can't remember the glass of red wine that we split, which is a great pity, because I loved it. I remember (enough to check the menu and reconstruct) that the glass of white we shared with the first courses was a Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc-Viogner, which was very nice. I wish I could remember that red. I want to say it was the Zinfandel, but I'm honestly not sure.

Anyhow: the important thing to take away from all this is that the food was phenomenal. The room is nice but somewhat casual, in that hotel restaurant kind of way. The prices are steep, but the food, oh my, the food. Definitely worth a trip.

La Creperie

2845 N. Clark, Chicago

My bff and I were getting haircuts from Shimi at Carissima Salon (she is AMAZING!) and somewhat randomly stopped in here for lunch, enticed by the sign suggesting hot spiced cider ("Try it spiked!") outside. We immediately ordered two such ciders (spiked please!) and were rewarded with two steaming mugs of deliciousness. I am not always the biggest fan of hot whiskey drinks, or hot alcohol drinks in general. I think the secret is getting the proportions just right - too much alcohol, and you're just drinking hot booze, ie heated alcohol, because all the other flavors seem muted. Too little, and you're drinking hot apple cider that seems to have gone bad. But these were perfect: BFF had the whiskey option, which I loved, and I, in a bid to play it safe, tried the pear alcohol (vodka? whiskey? I don't actually know), which was very tasty.

The interior is all wood, somewhat dimly lit with red accents. Very intimate and pleasant, and romantic, though not in an overdetermined kind of way. You feel strangely removed from the slightly soulless bustle of Clark Street outside. The cutlery and dishes are really lovely, which seems like a minor thing but it gives the place a bit of character.

We followed our drinks up with two bowls of soup - BFF went with the French Onion, and I got the soup of the day, a potato leek. Both were absolutely phenomenal. The French Onion was, quite simply, perfect. Gooey, crisp-at-the-edges cheese, a rich onion broth with that lil' somethin' somethin' flavor that the best onion soups have (white wine? hours of attention?) and blobs of bread. My potato leek was rich and warming and exactly what I wanted. I used some of the soft baguette that appeared on the table to mop up every last drop.

We concluded, somewhat hurriedly, with a coq au vin crepe. The coq au vin filling, again, was a masterful execution of the classic, and it worked surprisingly well as crepe filling. The crepe itself was slightly crisp and very pleasant, enough filling that it sort of squished out as you cut it, but not so much that it became overwhelming or soggy.

Overall, I was really blown away. It was a wonderful place to have lunch or perhaps dinner before a movie at Landmark. I will definitely be coming back. For that spiked cider for sure.

Peels

325 Bowery

New York, NY

We stopped in here for breakfast on a recent trip to NYC, and honestly, expensive though it was, I loved it so much that I have to tell you about it. The interior (downstairs - we didn't go up) is a nice homely white room with massively wide wooden tables. You approach the counter, order your meal, and grab a seat. At said counter awaits an array of absolutely gorgeous pastries. We were in a bit of a hurry to catch our flight, so we both got a build-a-biscuit with meat eggs and cheese - a medium-sized, soft biscuit, with wonderfully fluffy eggs, maybe not quite enough tasty cheese, and then in my case, some phenomenal crisp and flavorful bacon, and in Better Half's case, thin shaved ham that seemed more prosciutto than country. But was very tasty. They came to $9 a pop, which is completely ridiculous, but oh man, I still remember the velvety texture of that warm, wonderful biscuit. I also got a very nice cup of coffee - Stumptown Roasters I think? And each of us got a pastry - he got a pecan sticky bun, which still tasted fantastic when it finally emerged from his bag 6 hours later, having made it safe to Chicago, and I got a slice of spicy ginger cake, which I ate with delight on the plane. It was the most ginger-y of ginger cakes I've ever had - not in an overpowering, unpleasant way, but in a way that made you realize, gosh, isn't this what ALL gingerbread should taste like?

Also, as far as extravagant meals go, yes, it's overpriced. But it's over-pricedness isn't going to set you back more than $20, so hey, in the grand scheme of things... that biscuit is totally worth it.

Arami

1829 W Chicago Avenue

Better Half and I like to treat Time Out Chicago's 100 Best Things We Ate this Year as a kind of to-do list, and Arami had the added bonus of being highly recommended by a friend of ours.

To be honest - the seared fish that Time Out was so excited about was good, but certainly not one of the best things I ate all year. The fish was indeed buttery, the crust was spicy, the dressing creamy with a hint of lemon, and the seaweed salad was fresh and delicious. All of that is true, but nonetheless, I wouldn't say that the combination was somehow mind-blowingly incredible. Still, it was a tasty start. I was drinking a warm cup of sake (yes yes I know, but it was cold out) which was adequate but not thrilling, and Better Half had some wonderful jasmine tea, delicate, floral, and almost too elegant tasting. He also got a bowl of miso, which was very good, and especially to be praised, in my mind, because it was just plain miso. Nothing exciting or fancy. I'm all about culinary innovation, but honestly, when it comes to miso, just do it right. I've yet to taste a "twist" on one (ours has carrots!) that was better than the original.

Next up was a mushroom salad. Big, buttery slices of grilled mushroom in a delicate citrus and sesame dressing. It was delicious, though if one really, really wanted to nitpick, I'd say that the flavor balance wasn't quite right - the citrus was basically lost in the earthiness of the fungi. Which wasn't a problem, but how exciting it could have been if it were more pronounced. Overall, it was good, but not something I'd have to order again if I came back.

Next up was the sashimi. Oh. my. god. Better half had a few pieces of nigiri - yellowtail, salmon, and the medium fatty tuna. I had the Madai, which is like a red snapper, and the Suzuki, which is a sea bass (both were specials for the night). Wow. The pieces were teensy, but the fish was out of this world. Tender, rich, and phenomenal.

But the real treat was about to come - the Hirame spicy Tako roll, with fluke, octopus, and ginger apple dressing. Thsi was, quite possibly, one of the most delicious pieces of sushi I have ever had in my life. It was absolutely mindblowingly incredible. The fish and octopus were of top quality, and the overall texture was silky smooth, but the flavors! So delicate, so wonderfully complimentary! So absolutely amazing! Seriously - you HAVE to go and try some of the rolls.

What came next was kind of the slow come-down after the peak. The braised short rib donburi was pretty good - the short rib was so tender you could pull it apart with chopsticks, and it tasted great, particularly with bites of the hot pepper and pickled asian pear garnish. But the sauce on the rice was rather too salty, and just not as good. Then came the arami ramen, which Time Out's critic had also raved about, and which we decidedly did not enjoy. The broth was not only a salt mine, but the flavor was just, I dunno, not appealing. The noodles were slightly hard? Maybe they are supposed to be that way? But it does not make for pleasant eating. The pork belly was fine, but for me at least, the broth kind of threw the whole thing.

I had been hoping for some kind of exciting desert to top it all off, but alas. They have mochi and gelato (one of the flavors is blood orange sake) which both sound great, but not when it's -10C outside.

The check was not exactly a pleasant sight when it arrived - the meal set us back $100 plus tip. Yowzers. But honestly, I don't think we could have done it for much less. We could have skipped the drinks, of course, but food-wise, that's kind of the amount you need. I think if we come back - and I hope we do, because seriously, it's amazing sushi - we'll try some of the other appetizers (the mussels, salmon, and scallops all call to me), invest in a chef's selection of sashimi, and get a couple of rolls. It will not be cheap, but I bet it'll be fantastic.

Pollo Express

1315 W 18th St, Chicago

Pollo Express does one thing, and it does it very well, and that thing is pollo. Specifically, char-grilled pollo. When you walk in, you see the birds spread-eagled and stacked on the grill, and you know that todo va bien. The smell is fantastic. You can get a whole one or a half of one. There are side dish options of rice and beans, but you do not need rice and beans. Listen carefully: what you want is some guacamole. Place your order and sit down. Oh, before you sit down, get yourself a drink. I recommend the peach Boing, which is as delicious as a peach nectar as you could ever desire. Sit down. The nice person will bring you a basket of chips, some picked red onions, and two salsas, one tomato one that somehow manages to be fiery hot yet wonderfully cool, and a second one that is warm and smoky, but with a definite kick. Both will leave your mouth burning. Then the guacamole will arrive (you will have noticed a man walking by with two avocados in his hands). Then, the chicken, and a basket of corn tortillas. If you ask nicely, they will also bring a little bowl of limes. The limes are not like normal limes - they are pale globes with seeds inside, and a much more intense citrus flavor. First, you will snatch up a drumstick and devour it, and it will be juicy and flavorful and delicious. Then, you will unfurl a tortilla onto your plate, slather guacamole onto it, squeeze some lime juice, add some onion, then some chicken hunks, then some salsa. You will eat it, and then eat many more just like it. It will be wonderful. The total cost of this meal (for two people, including the Boing), will be $17. Notice that if you are desirous of a meal to go, you can buy a whole chicken with two sides for $12.99, and they will throw in a half chicken for free. That's a meal for three people, friend. Personally though, I think it is nicer to dine in. You can watch soccer on the tv.

Oh, it is delicious. Pollo Express is a wonderful place.

Lao You Ju

2002 S Wentworth Ave, Chicago

There's been surprisingly little buzz about Tony's latest endeavor, a small plates lounge style place, but given how much I adore Lao Beijing, of course I had to check it out. I get the sense that it's still very much a work in progress, and I'm curious to see how it develops. So, here are my thoughts:

The interior is swank. It's classy, it's mellow - it's a sexy little lounge. Good music, too. Everything looks fantastic, down to the chopsticks. Very nice.

The menu is much smaller than his other spots, and more elegant. However, I found myself somewhat confused - I was expecting this to be a small plates place, with different food from the other restaurants, and, um, lower prices. A lot of the menu is familiar to anyone who eats at Lao Beijing, and it's only a dollar or two cheaper. So we asked our server how many small plates we should be getting, and he clarified that the plates aren't actually that small. He said that 4 should be good for three people, especially if you add some appetizers. That's what we did, and we were still somewhat peckish at the end. Though we're also accustomed to stuffing ourselves like gluttons and being utterly immobile after any Chinatown dinner, so this was probably much better for us.

Still though... I was somewhat disappointed to realize how much of the menu was basically the same. Aside from, perhaps, the House Specialties - but I can't really afford any of those. HOWEVER - my boyfriend pointed out that the food isn't actually the same. To begin with, the presentation is seriously classed up. It's not a pile of food on a plate - it's elegant. It looks like something you'd pay a lot of money for. A lot of people may not appreciate that, or may find it obnoxious ("it's the same food, it's just that someone took an extra minute to pile it - less of it - onto a plate") - and this is not the restaurant for them. But it is a relevant point. Boyfriend was also of the opinion that the food was prepared with a bit more care. Of course, the presentation contributes to that impression, but I think he's right. It's a little more, hmmm, fancy? subtle? on point? I dunno. Less grease, more spice - we got the kung pao chicken Chengdu style, and there were little grains of herbs and chunks of garlic, and much less sauce, as opposed to the usual lovable pile.

The bill was a bit more, but not nearly as much more as you'd expect from the upgrade in classiness. Overall, to be honest, I still prefer Lao Beijing. I appreciate the idea behind fancy, upscale Chinese food (Opera strives to do the same), but ultimately, I'm just kind of less interested in paying more and having it be classed up. But I'm glad it exists. I do think that Lao You Ju will ultimately fare better if it goes further in the direction of small plates - make the plates smaller, so that people order a lot more of them, and drop the prices by a buck or two. $4-$5 plates will add up fast, but they won't feel that expensive. And it'll make the dining experience more noticeably different from what you can get at Lao Beijing - the possibility of not only having everything classed up a notch, but also of getting MORE dishes, which is something I always kind of want to do, simply because I love them all so much and have a hard time picking between them. If I could have a real small plates adventure, especially in that lovely room, I would definitely be coming back more regularly.

Zocalo

358 W Ontario St, Chicago

Once again thanks to Groupon, my friend Dustin and I hit Zocalo for dinner last night. Upon arriving, our senses were assaulted with some kind of viciously potent Pine-Sol smell, which our server told us was emanating from upstairs. Also, there was a dude giving salsa dancing lessons (and ONE and TWO and ONE and TWO), which was seriously obnoxious.

BUT! The margaritas were $5 (Monday night special) and they were quite nice, though on the sweet side, and rather potent. We didn't go for a tequila flight, which was probably a mistake, because they have an absolutely gorgeous tequila list.

We progressed on to the ceviche sampler - both of us loved one, liked another, and didn't like a third. Luckily, our latter two categories were not overlapping, so it actually worked out perfectly. I totally dug the scallops with mango, but Dustin found it too sweet, and I was unimpressed with the swordfish, which he enjoyed. The tilapia was basically your standard lime and cilantro ceviche, and it was great.

For dinner, we shared the Carne Asada Norena, a tequila marinated skirt steak that was tasty though slightly overcooked, served with some very nice black beans and a pile of chiles that looked like something the cat coughed up but tasted great, and the Tinga Poblana. The Tinga Poblana was a grilled chicken breast - good but not amazing - served on top of this absolutely incredible combination of crumbled chorizo, potatoes, and poblano peppers and surrounded by a "cool avocado fresca", which was indeed wonderfully cool tasting and quite delicious.

Overall, a very nice meal. I definitely want to go back.

Response to the Michelin

The Michelin star ratings dropped today. I have to say, I'm unimpressed. I almost think they did a better job with the Bib Gourmand list, and I'm pretty salty about that one too.

So, the places I've been to, and my thoughts, in brief:

3 stars:

Alinea - deserves it all the way. One of the best meals I've ever had.

L2O - leaving aside the whole issue of the chef having just left, honestly, I was pretty underwhelmed by this place. We did the 12 course, I think, and as I recall, 4 courses were mindblowingly incredible, 4 were pretty good, and 4 were completely uninteresting. Maybe it got better in the interim, but now that the chef is gone, no way in hell am I spending the money to find out.

1 star:

Blackbird: I've only been once, and I pretty much hated it. It was weird. I genuinely didn't like almost all of the food I got. But I think it might have been some kind of weird fluke. Part of me wants to give it another chance, the rest of me thinks that I can have a perfectly fantastic dinner at Avec for less money so why not do that?

Bonsoiree: Good, but I wouldn't say it was really star quality. But I did very much enjoy the meal I had there, and being BYOB helps a lot.

Longman and Eagle: I've written about their brunch before, and actually, looking back at my review I'm upset with myself for not updating it after return visits. Because their biscuits and gravy are seriously awesome. I've also gone for dinner, and the wild boar sloppy joe is pretty effin' incredible. I think it deserves its spot on the list.

Schwa: Any ranking that puts L20 over Schwa is pretty much bankrupt. Schwa is an incredible dining experience. Yes, it's a pain in the ass to make a reservation, but the food is out of this world. Except for the one fish course with cotton candy that seems to be on the menu in some form every time I've gone, that I didn't really love, despite trying to every time. But everything else is seriously amazing. The fact that it's BYOB, the unbelievably attentive service - how often does the chef come out to tell you about your meal? For every gdamn course? Honestly, I loved Alinea, but Schwa is hands down the best dining experience in Chicago.

Sepia: I'm stoked to see Sepia make the cut. I've only had lunch there, but it was phenomenal. I'm looking forward to doing dinner. But I'm biased, because I'm in love with one of the servers.

Takashi: I've written about in detail already. What it does right, it does superbly, but there's also a lot that's kind of forgettable. I actually do forget about the place - it pretty much never comes to my mind when someone asks me for recommendations for amazing meals.

Ok, less detail for the Bib Gourmand, because I grow weary of this process, heh heh.

Bib gourmand:

The Bristol, Gilt Bar, Lula, mado (though they just got a new chef), Urban Belly - yes, most definitely.

Girl and the Goat probably deserved a star. Also, I'm skeptical of the idea that you can do it for under $40. The Publican also should've gotten a star

The Purple Pig, yeah, probably deserves its spot.

Nightwood I've only done for brunch, but it's frickin' awesome.

The Paramount Room - really? I mean, I love the poutine, and the cocktails are great, but... let's not go overboard. Not least because it's a tiny menu. Hopleaf also - I mean, they do have an amazing beer selection, and the food is good, but it's not exactly an extensive menu. If you're going that route, why not the Skylark? Or In Fine Spirits?

Veerasway - I LOVE the cocktails. They might even be my favorite in town. The food is completely unexciting and is wildly overpriced. I'm slightly offended to see it on the list, especially with not a single place on Devon making an appearance.

Han 202 - also irks me, especially given that Lao Beijing and Lao Szechuan aren't mentioned, and both are probably some of the best Chinese food you'll ever have in your life. Han 202 is fine as far as $20 5 course dinners go. I don't know of any other place where you can get a 5 course dinner for $20. But personally, I'd rather spend the $20 on fewer courses of higher quality somewhere else.

Nana (yes, I realize these are in no particular order) - I've had brunch there, it's pretty good. I definitely wanna try the dinner.

I'm surprised that Kuma's and Hout Doug's didn't make the cut (though the lines at Kuma's annoy the hell out of me). Personally, I think Province, Gioco, and maybe Deleece deserved a spot on the Bib Gourmand for sure. I'm downright angry that Lao Beijing isn't mentioned. I think Sticky Rice deserves a spot, but I acknowledge that it's not so well known. Overall, ethnic restaurants should've gotten more attention, but it's not surprising that they didn't get it.

Overall overall - meh. I'm unimpressed.

Sticky Rice

4018 N. Western Ave., Chicago

This is not only one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago, it's also one of the best thai restaurants I've ever been to. What sets it apart is the extensive menu, which features a multitude of dishes I've never heard of. Yes, they have classics like pad thai, panang, mussamun, etc but if you go, broaden your horizons and try something new* - the menu is extensive, and, unless you've spent some time in Northern Thailand, I guarantee that a lot of it will be unfamiliar. I say this, but I also have to admit that every time I go, I order the same thing - the Pad Noor My Phew, ground pork with sour bamboo shoots and hot peppers. The level of spice varies from titillating to excruciating (and I'm never entirely sure why they decide to lean a certain direction), but there's always the amazing, delicious flavor of the sour bamboo, which I've never experienced anywhere else, and which I absolutely adore. But honestly, almost everything I've tried there has been fantastic - the only other entree I ordered was some kind of red curry with pork hox (I think that's what they're called in English? The knuckles? Very tender meat?) that was very nice, and I've tried bites of friends' entrees, which have all been lovely. The salads, soups and appetizers, I can say more about - the beef salad is fairly typical but very good, meanwhile, the banana blossom salad is a wonderful combination of chicken, shrimp, banana and hearts of palm, light and refreshing even though you can't stop eating it. The soups are all good, and have a kind of hominess to them, roughly chopped ingredients, etc. The Eastern sausage is the best I've ever had (I prefer it to the Northern sausage they also have), served with hunks of cabbage and a pile of fresh cilantro and ginger. The shrimp-in-a-blanket are succulent shrimpses encased in a lemongrass curry paste and won ton wrapper and then deep fried, and they are heavenly. The satay is satay, but a very delicious example thereof. The deep fried banana in won ton skin is perhaps less exciting than you might hope, but still quite pleasant. The fried quail are flavorful, even if the bones are somewhat cumbersome. I really enjoy the bamboo stuffed with pork, but I'm kind of a glutton for bamboo.

Did I mention that the place is super cheap (and BYOB)? I don't think I've ever spent more than $20, and I've never left without feeling like I'm about to pass out from eating so much. The room is nice, though small and not especially intimate. Service is brisk and pleasant. There used to be a bit of a wait, but then they closed down for awhile (I think the health dept shut them down briefly?) and since then, I haven't encountered a line. They're open later than most places - I think until 10 or 11 on weeknights? And parking is always readily available, though crossing Western does make you feel like you're playing frogger. Seriously though, this place is, quite simply, phenomenal.

*A friend of mine ordered the fried worms once. And you know what? They were good too. Though I dunno that I'd be able to get through a whole plate of them. My mother ordered the curry with pork blood, and if you're wondering, in look and texture it resembles a dark maroon tofu.

Demera

4801 N. Broadway, Chicago

Demera has some of the most delicious Ethiopian food I've ever eaten, and the prices are just awesome. The service leaves a lot to be desired, but I'm totally willing to deal with it just to get more of that tasty tasty food. I'd say it makes a great precursor to a show at the Riv or the Aragon, but it doesn't, because the itis is not conducive to live music experiences. But you should totally go.

While you can order a few dishes, the way to go is clearly the messob, which gives you a giant platter with a variety of things (that you pick). A two person option costs, at most, $32.50 - TOTAL. It's an unbelievable bargain.

We didn't try any of the cocktails, which I somewhat regret - incidentally, I think they're also byob? But I'm not sure. - but we did get the Ethiopian tea, which was wonderful, spicy and warming.

Food wise, we did:

ye-misir wot, ie, red lentils. This was pretty much the standard version you'd get anywhere, which isn't to say it wasn't delicious, because it most certainly was.

gomen - collared greens with onions, garlic, ginger and jalapeno. Fantastic.

ye-doro tibs - chunks of chicken sauteed in lemon and garlic, cooked with onions, tomatoes, jalapenos and rosemary. Absolutely fabulous, spicy and flavorful.

kitfo - Ethiopian steak tartare. We got it raw, and I must say, it was unlike any steak tartare I've ever had. If you're intimidated by the idea of raw ground beef, this is the place to start - in both texture and flavor, it's not much like raw beef at all. It's soft and chewy, yes, but not in that distinctive raw meat way (that I happen to love). Flavor-wise, it's wonderfully lemony and you mostly just taste the various herbs it's flavored with.

We also got a cooked beef of some kind and some shrimps, but unfortunately, I can't remember which ones. I can tell you that I loved both of them, and that the shrimp were perfectly cooked.

Definitely, definitely check this place out, just remain calm when you don't see your server for 20 minutes. It's a little frustrating when you're trying to get more injera, but the food is so good that you'll find yourself picking at it with your bare hands anyhow, clumsy as the process may be.

90 Miles West

2540 W Armitage, Chicago

I really adore this place. It's BYOB and extremely affordable (entrees are $10-$13), it has a huge, awesome heated outdoor patio so that you can have a little outdoor experience even in the winter, and man - I really like the food. It's not the best Cuban food you can get in town, but it's quite good. I always get the Bistec, a steak with chimichurri served with plantains, rice, and a bowl of black beans. My friend Ruchama always gets the Ropa Vieja, and it's great too. Kelly got the chicken last night, and whadya know, it was great too.

The appetizers are pretty good too. I like the empanadas, though again, they're not the best you've ever had, but they're tasty nonetheless. The yucca fries come with a bowl of garlic and oil that is just awesome. The calamari are kind of peculiar, it's a bowl of tomato sauce with 4 pieces of toasted cuban bread stuck in it. The calamari are floating in the sauce somewhere. Not exactly what we expected, but the sauce is flavorful and the calamari were cooked just right.

The owner is often around and will stop by and ask if you had a good time - they seem to be working really hard to promote the place, and while it was a little overwhelming, I'm glad to extend my assistance. Go check this place out. It won't blow your mind, but you'll have a very pleasant dinner.

An awesome restaurant blog

We can't all live in Chicago. A friend of mine just alerted me to this awesome Seattle blog, Sassy Food. The author blogs about restaurants, but with a twist - she also occasionally approaches fellow diners and asks to taste some of their food. It's a fun blog, with great photos - definitely worth checking out.

Mercat a la Planxa

638 Michigan Ave., Chicago

The boyfriend and I had been here awhile back and liked it, and then when we were in Philadelphia in the Spring our friends took us to Amada, one of the chef's other restaurants, and we loved that, so we were excited to come back to Mercat. My mom was in town, and we'd gone to see The Weir (an amazing play which was done quite well by Seanachai Theatre Company) and we - as per usual! - looking for a place open past 10 on a weeknight, and Mercat was it.

Oh man. The food was phenomenal. Seriously, every single dish - and we got a lot of them - was impeccable. We had the pulpo con patatas, perfectly cooked octopus, oily and lemony and spicy and fabulous; we did the rice with morels and lemon, a rich, densely mushroomy risotto with a hint of truffle (Jose Garces is a fan of the truffles, and I love him for it); the braised rabbit agnolotti with brandied cherries (which rivaled the veal heart papardelle from Schwa in terms of quality - it was absolutely gorgeous); the pork belly with apple cider glaze and green apples oh wow, the sweet cider glaze and the wonderfully creamy yet firm pork belly; the flatbread with shortribs and greens and an intriguing hint of horseradish; some cheeses, a bottle of wine, oh, and the chocolate croquettes for dessert - we didn't think we had room for them but we managed, and it was so worth it.

I can't say enough about how pleased I was with the place. It's a lovely room with classy decor; while the tables are somewhat close together you don't feel cramped at all. The cocktail list is quite appetizing, the prices are high but not totally out of control, and the food. is. fantastic.

Girl and the Goat

809 W Randolph, Chicago

We happened in here at 10pm on a Wednesday and discovered, to our delight, that it's open until 11pm on weekdays. He-llo! Immediate points in my book. Of course we'd been wanting to check out Top Chef champion Stephanie Izard's spot, but we were sort of waiting for the early buzz to fade. But given how delicious our dinner was, I doubt that it will anytime soon.

The room is pleasant but not overly elegant or stuffy - it's somewhat bustling, though you're not in close quarters with people the way you are at Avec or the Publican. The decor is dark but there's plenty of light inside to see your food and your partner, and you can see the line where the food is being prepared, which is kind of fun.

Girl and the Goat is a small plate restaurant, with 10 meat, 10 vegetable, and 10 seafood options. Despite the small menu, we had an unbelievably difficult time making a decision, because everything looked fantastic. We were going to get 4 things - we got 6. And a bread.

The bread came with liver. I'm not sure which creature donated its liver to our meal, but I would like to take this opportunity to thank it for doing so, because it was quite tasty.

Our first vegetable was the pan fried shishito peppers with parmesan and sesame. They turned out to be one of my favorite dishes. The sesame didn't really come out strongly, but the flavors were delicious nonetheless, with just a touch of heat from the peppers. Our other vegetable was the strongly recommended green beans with fish sauce and cashews, which I also loved. The fish sauce was aioli-like, which I didn't expect but didn't mind at all. The green beans were crunchy and delicious.

Our seafood were the scallops with veal stock and almond butter and the softshell crab with sweet corn, lime and chili aioli. The scallops were perfectly cooked and very tasty, beautifully set off by the meatiness of the veal (though I admit that I couldn't much taste the almond butter). The softshell crab (which we couldn't resist getting because, as our server pointed out, the season is almost over!) were breaded and fried, which to me seemed like kind of a pity, because although the breading was light and crispy, it still made the crabs a little heavier and greasier feeling than they would have been otherwise. The lime and chili aioli was a nice compliment, zesty and delicate.

Our meats were the rabbit rillete with crisp rice crepe and ginger giardiniera and... and... another dish that doesn't seem to be in any of the online menus! A combination of meats (I want to say goat, veal and beef?) served over papardelle with a berry... gooseberry? No. I want to say it started with a c. Argh. Well! The rabbit, I have to say, was not that exciting. This may be partly because it was one of the last things we got and I was horrifically stuffed (people! 4-5 dishes is MORE THAN ENOUGH for two people!), but I suspect it was just not as amazing as the other things we had. It was basically a crispy crepe - fine enough, but not especially tasty - rolled around the rillette and floating in a nice sauce. So texture wise, it was kind of odd. The crispy crepe started to go soggy pretty fast, and the flavors didn't really sing together.

BUT the papardelle! Oh my goodness! It was incredible! I am generally not that excited about savory things paired with fruits, particularly meat and fruit. But wow, this knocked my socks off. It was so fantastic. I loved it so much that I saved it for last, which, as my boyfriend pointed out, was not a very bright idea, because it wasn't as good cold. But oh man. It was delicious.

We were skimpy on drinks and only got a beer and a glass of wine. But the beer list is impressive for sure, and the wine list certainly seemed fine to me, who is quite ignorant about wine. But I very much enjoyed the glass of riesling I had, and it paired beautifully with the food.

The meal, overall, set us back $120 ($100 without tip). And I'd say that's to be expected for 2 people - while you can certainly get less food than we did (I'd recommend that you do, seriously), you will probably want to get more than 1 drink each. And you might find room for dessert as well.

Anyhow, overall - definitely recommended. It was really delicious.