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.