Good Fortune - Tasting Collective Dinner

 

This will be a story about several people and places and how they came together for a very nice Winter dinner in Logan Square.  Several years ago, there was a restaurant called Honey's in the West Loop, located where Eleven Eleven is now located, which received a lot of critical acclaim.  Despite this acclaim, Chef Charles Welch wanted to run a place of his own,  so he left the restaurant.  In Logan Square, popular cocktail bar Scofflaw opened a Seafood Restaurant next door called Sink|Swim which started out as a higher end neighborhood seafood restaurant, but eventually scaled back and then closed.  Chef Charles set up a long term Pop Up in the Sink|Swim space called Good Fortune, which also featured seafood.  Good Fortune was in the space for almost a year, until they found a permanent space.  The new space, also in Logan Square, was formerly the space of Specialty Gourmet Grocer, Provenance Food and Wine, as well as most recently, Taqueria and General Store, The General.  It took a little while, but Chef Charles' restaurant, Good Fortune, opened last year, pivoting away from a complete seafood menu, and rotating toward a Midwest-Sourced Mediterranean Inspired menu with a live fire grill.  Tasting Collective dined here at the beginning of the year.  The building was always dark colored, but I don't know that it was predominantly black as it is know.  There is no sign sticking out from the building and there is only a stylized logo featuring and intertwined GF at the door.  Lights are on the wall and ceiling and, in the back dining room, also from the open kitchen, which was lighter colored than the rest of the space.  Despite the dark color, the space was welcoming and the staff was friendly.

 

Seated in the back dining room, I started things off with a classic Cocktail, a Tom Collins made with Gin, Soda, and Lemon.  It was crisp and gin forward, but they used good gin, so it tasted good and was refreshing.  Shortly after my cocktail arrived, we received our first course.  Unlike many other restaurants I have gone to with Tasting Collective which have served all of the savory courses Family-Style, at Good Fortune, our first course at least was served individually.  We were served a course that reminded me somewhat of a cross between Ceviche and a Chowder.  We were served Hamachi with Golden Squash Broth, Crispy Black Rice, and Plum Vinegar.  It was light with a full flavor and the crispy black rice added a nice crunch.  The Plum vinegar brought a fruity tartness that tied well with the hamachi and the broth and it made for a very good start.

Our next course was a spin on a Wedge Salad.  Using Little Gem Lettuce, it included Maytag Blue Cheese, Bacon, Tomatillos, Tomatoes, and Chives.  With the exception of Little Gem Lettuce being used instead of Iceberg, and the addition of Tomatillos for some tartness, this was a classic wedge salad.  The lettuce was crisp and slightly sweet, The cherry tomatoes were fresh and very juicy, and Maytag Blue Cheese is just excellent.  The Bacon came as bacon bits on top, and added a salty crunch.

After the salad came the pasta and this pasta was just excellent.  We were served a Porcini Mushroom Campanelle with Black Trumpet Mushrooms, Truffles, and Camembert Cheese.  The Campanelle was perfectly al dente and the mushrooms added a lot of savory and funky flavor which went well with the Camembert.  This was like a high end Mac and Cheese with a stronger flavor and really good.

For our first entree, we had some very good fish.  We were served Poached Cod with Smoked Paprika, Salsify (a root vegetable also known as Oyster Plant for its flavor when cooked), and Brandade Aioli (Brandade is an emulsion of Salt Cod, Olive Oil, and Potatoes).  Every element had flavors of the sea except the paprika which added some smoky heat.  The cod was tender and everything went very well with it.

For our final savory dish, we went extremely hearty.  We were essentially served a cassoulet, a stew of White Beans and Meats.  The kitchen mistakenly first served me a Vegetarian Cassoulet and while it did look really good, I did not order a vegetarian menu and I didn't want to be taking someone's vegetarian meal away from them.  I was then served Pork Sauerbraten with Cassoulet Beans, Celery Root, and Lyonnaise Salad, which was essentially the same thing as the vegetarian version, except with added pork.  The pork was flavorful, hearty, and slightly sweet. The beans added body and depth of flavor to the course, and the Lyonnaise Salad (Frisee, Bacon, Vinegar, and Mustard), added both some green and some tartness.  It was heavy, but it made for a good finish for the savory side of the menu.

I was unsure about dessert.  It was a Mochi Brownie with Cheesecake Puree, and Coconut Sorbet.  I was unsure about it, because I really don't get Mochi.  When it arrived, though I thought that it looked really good, so I pushed aside my apprehension and decided to try it.  It was really good.  The brownie tasted good and with the cheesecake and the coconut sorbet, I did not notice the unusual texture that is common with mochi, if it existed.  It made for a great finish to an eclectic and very good menu and I would be happy to return.    

San Diego, Day 2 - Brunch and Beer

For our second and final day in San Diego, we made sure to celebrate a successful conclusion to our lightning trip, we decided to find a good brunch place.  We hadn't really looked before driving, but we knew that we wanted to be close to the airport, so that was where we concentrated our efforts.  In our wandering, we came across Liberty Station, a park, commerce, and art center located on the former NTC San Diego which closed in 1997.  It is a beautiful area with a large park and many of the former military buildings being repurposed.  Looking for a place to eat we found that we had several potential candidates located around the twisting roads of the former Navy base.  The first place we came across was a place called Soda & Swine, a restaurant that specialized in Meatball Sandwiches and eclectic sodas in a vintage space.  It looked really interesting but it wasn't quite open when we found it, and as we were leaving in the early afternoon, we really didn't have time to wait, so we continued our search.  We next came across Breakfast Republic, a breakfast place with creative dishes, a good beer list, and quite a bit of buzz.  This sounded really good so we decided to stop and try it out.  It seems though, that it was also very popular, because there would be a half an hour wait for a table.  We didn't really have time to wait, so this was out.  We noticed though, while walking from the car another place that was close called Fireside by the Patio.  We had no idea what to expect, but we also didn't have a tremendous amount of time, so we decided to dive in.  We first walked to what was apparently the rear patio, which was walled off, so we ended up walking halfway around the patio to find the entrance.  From what we could see from the outside, it looked pretty nice, something that was proven when we found the entrance.  The place had two large patios, one on either side of the building. Each was semi-covered with canvas tops, but there were no real walls, so it felt very open.  Fences, hedges, and stacked wood designated the boundaries and showed the entrance, so there was a very specific entrance. There were also several gas torches to provide heat (It was in the 60s, so while it wasn't cold, a little heat was appreciated).  The brick building between the patios, which held a very nice bar, a few tables, and the kitchen, was open on both sides and had a high ceiling, so it felt very open as well.  We were seated on the rear patio, where we approached the restaurant in the first place.  We wanted to sit near one of the torches, so we were seated next to the children's play area which looked so cool, I almost wanted to play there myself.  It had a wooden boat, a large wooden connect four game, a bags (cornhole) game, and what looked like a lot of wooden blocks.  There weren't many kids at the restaurant, so it wasn't an issue, but it did look like it would be a lot of fun.

 (Photo credit to Julia Farmer)

I started things off with a cocktail, that while not very standard, sounded very fresh and good.  As might be expected of me for those that know me, I did order a Gin cocktail.  Called a Liberty Libation, it contained Ford's Gin, Grand Poppy California Amaro, Basil, Cucumber, Lime, and Crushed Black Pepper.  It was very botanical and actually kind of floral as one might expect of an amaro made from poppies.  Cucumber, Basil and Lime are all common mixers with Gin.  I would expect the cucumber and basil to work together, and the black pepper should have and did work well with the cucumber.  What I did not expect was the lime to work well with the cucumber.  The drink was kind of a cross between a gin and tonic and another classic gin drink and they worked well together.  My dining partner had a flight of Bloody Marys which were also very good.  One focused on Cucumber, one on Smoke, and the last was a classic with Celery.  

(Photo Credit to Julia Farmer)

The food at Fireside by the Patio focuses on Grilled and Wood Fired cuisine, even with brunch.  Being in Southern California, there is also a lot of fresh vegetables on the menu.  For my main course, I went with a Pork Shoulder Skillet with White Beans, Roasted Tomatillos, Jalapeno, Onions, Two Eggs Over-Medium, and Corn Tortillas.  This was very good with a lot of very tender pork that was pulled.  The vegetables were cooked long enough to tenderize them somewhat, but not long enough for them to lose their crispness.  The eggs, I requested over-medium, because while I do like some yolk, I also like my white a little harder.  The Corn Tortillas were very warm and fresh.  My only complaint with the entire dish being that there should have been more of tortillas.  We also had an excellent Brisket Benedict with Roasted Corn, Poached Egg, and Foccaccia, and served with Breakfast Potatoes and a Biscuit with Whipped Butter and Jam on the side.

In addition to my excellent skillet, I saw something on the sides list that I had to have.  It was a Peruvian Potato Salad with Charred Green Beans.  Peru has over 3000 types of potato, but what is referred to as Peruvian Potatoes when they show up on a menu are purple potatoes, which is what these were.  They were cooked, like the vegetables, long enough to achieve some tenderness, but not long enough to let them lose their fresh crispness.  The beans, however, were very crisp, with a good char flavor.  I have to think that they were grilled very quickly on a very hot grill just long enough to get some solid grill marks.  They were mixed together in a typical mayonnaise based sauce and it was very good.  (The Brisket Benedict can be seen in the background with the Breakfast Potatoes).

After this good and hearty brunch, it was time to get to the airport, for our return.  We made it through everything very quickly which left us with over an hour before our flight was to leave, so we decided to finish things off at Stone Brewing's Airport Outpost.  The good thing about visiting a brewery's local outpost (as opposed to finding it in a store or in a bar) is that it will likely be fresher and you will likely find something that you wouldn't be able to find anywhere else.  We finished things off with a Collaboration Beer between Stone and Maine Beer Company (a collaboration in which I would be very interested in finding out how that happened) called Dayslayer India Pale Lager and a hoppy Lager called Who You Callin' Wussie? made by Arrogant Brewing, a side project of Stone.  It was a great finish to a to a good and quick trip.  I am definitely going to have to find a reason to return so I can explore some more.

     

Dining in Cusco, Peru

 I recently made a trip to Peru and spent three days in Cusco.  While all of my breakfasts were covered, as was one buffet dinner, there were a few restaurants (recommended to us if not brought  there by our tour guide) where we ordered on our own.  While Cusco is a fairly large city, most of the main places to see were on Av El Sol and Plaza de Armas (the public square).  Our hotel was on Av El Sol so most of the stuff that we would want to see was within walking distance.  The first two restaurants that we went to Limo and the Inka Grill were small second floor restaurants on the square.  Limo, the first restaurant we went to, was a Peruvian restaurant that focused on the Asian side of Peruvian cuisine.  The space was both rustic and Asian, with a lot of wood and the food focused a lot on seafood.  I started out with an Octopus Tiradito, octopus marinated in lime juice to make it tender and served with corn, sweet potatoes, and served in an olive sauce.  It was a very nice presentation with tender, octopus, crisp vegetables, and a very sour flavor and I really liked it.  For my entree, I went to the Chinese side of things and had a Chauffa which is Peruvian Fried Rice which had vegetables and shrimp and was seasoned with sesame.  This was very good and flavorful, but after the tiradito, it left me very full.

 Limo we went to for lunch.  For dinner, while I didn't really need it, I went out again to a restaurant that featured a menu that was very whole animal and farm to table, the Inka Grill.  I decided to eat light and ordered a couple of skewers, Alpaca and Anticucho.  They were served on banana leaves with Potatoes, Peruvian Corn, an Arugula Salad and a Yellow Pepper Sauce and while they looked similar, they were very different.  The Alpaca, texturally was like any other grilled meat.  As far as flavor was concerned, it reminded me of lamb or goat and I liked it.  The Anticuchos, being marinated beef heart was very different texturally.  It wasn't as fibrous as regular steak was and was pretty dense and firm.  As far as flavor was concerned, it did have a bit of a minerally iron flavor, but it wasn't nearly as strong as liver is.  I did really like it and while I could see that it might be an acquired taste, I would definitely have it again.

On the last day we were in Cusco, we were brought to Valentina's for lunch, which was on the other side of Av El Sol.  At the beginning of our meal, we were given a demo of how to make a Causa, a mixture of Mashed Potatoes and Shredded Chicken covered in a Yellow Pepper Sauce which we were served for our appetizer.  My entree was Lechon, a Fried Pork Leg, which was served with Stuffed Yellow Peppers, and a Cheese Stuffed Tamale.  We were also served a side of Choclo, or Peruvian Corn.  While we were eating, a Peruvian band came in to play and entertain us.  All of our meals were very good and I really enjoyed them.  The food was definitely a good part of our trip in Cusco and I would definitely return to any of these restaurants.   
    

Standard Market/Standard Grill

While you won't see a restaurant in a grocery store often, it really isn't that uncommon.  Most groceries of any size have a deli section (without a dining area),  and a lot of Mexican grocery stores have attached taquerias.  Whole Foods also has a deli and a bar with a dining area.  In Westmont, there is a specialty grocery store called Standard Market.  From the outside, it looks a little odd.  While it is on the main drag (Ogden Ave.), it looks either like a large white barn or a funeral parlor.  The interior though, looks as one might expect of a specialty grocery with sections for fresh, local produce, cheese, beer, the bakery, meat, and some prepared dishes.  Located off of the produce section is the Standard Grill which features burgers, sandwiches, salads and pizzas.  They also feature a variety of rice bowls (called Buddha Bowls) for lunch and grilled chicken, pork, fish, and shrimp for dinner.  The order counter is at the front of the grill with the menu above the counter.  After ordering (and paying with a credit card because this establishment doesn't take cash), you seat yourself, and your order is brought to you when it is ready.  The dining room is set up like a nice cafeteria with several round tables and a few high tops.  There is also an outdoor dining area that didn't seem to be open when I was there.  As one might expect of a food establishment associated with a grocery that specializes in local, organic, and artisanal foodstuffs, the ingredients used in the food on the menu is of the highest quality.  The meat used in the burgers is ground daily, the cheese is from local dairies, and the produce is organic and local.  I ordered a Bacon & Blue Burger which other than the very juicy burger, contained Neuske's Bacon, Danish Blue Cheese, BBQ Sauce, Oven-Roasted Tomatoes, Bibb Lettuce, and Sweet Onions on a Sesame Seed Bun.  The burger came with a choice of French Fries, Cole Slaw, Market Salad, or Sweet Potato Fries which is what I ordered.  It also came with a small dish of honey mustard served on the side.  The burger was light on the BBQ sauce but it was okay because it was juicy and flavorful enough as it was.  The bacon was cooked not quite crisp so it still had a nice chew to it and the blue cheese added a nice sweet bitterness to it.  I did add some of the honey mustard to provide a little tartness to the burger.  As simple as it was, it was still very good.  The sweet potato fries were cut thick and were tasty although admittedly, they were a little more droopy than I like fries.

While this isn't a place that I would go every day, both the grocery and grill are nice with a variety of fresh and artisanal foods.  I will definitely be back when I come to the area.

Melanthios

While I do like the Greek food that I have tried, I would definitely not consider myself an expert.  Most of the time when I go to a Greek place, if I don't get a Gyro or Souvlaki, I will go for a Pastitsio.  There are other standards that sound good but, as I said, I haven't really tried it much, if at all.  I went to Melanthios Greek Charhouse recently and decided that I was going to step out of my comfort zone and try some of those things that have sounded good but I don't have much experience with.  Arriving at the restaurant, I noticed that they had a large outside dining area in the front and at the side of the restaurant.  It was a warm day so the outside area was pretty popular.  Coming without a reservation, I expected that the odds of my dining outdoors would be pretty slim.  It was okay though because I didn't have my heart set on dining outdoors and it would give me a look on the inside.  I walked in and saw that it was a very open space.  There was a walkway with half-walls from the door to the hostess station so you could see the entire dining area.  There was an unfinished ceiling with ventilation ducting and hanging lights with additional illumination provided by tabletop candles.  The floors were dark varnished hardwood as were the rails and furniture.  All of the tables in the restaurant were large four tops although there were some two tops outside along the side of the restaurant.  The kitchen was in the back and was open and there was a small bar across from the kitchen.  On the side of the restaurant that had the bar there was a bench backed by the side window that had several large pillows for comfort.  I was seated on the bar side of the restaurant and sat on the very comfortable bench. 

I started my meal with something that I have seen many times but amazingly have never tried, Saganaki.  I have always thought that the presentation was entertaining and have thought about ordering it when I have seen it but there was always something else.  Saganaki is very simple (at least the saganaki that most people are familiar with).  It is simply a sheep cheese that is doused with brandy, lit on fire, and then extinguished with the juice of a lemon.  The tradition of the waiter shouting "Opa!" when he lights the cheese actually comes from a Greek restaurant in Chicago in the 1960s.  What, if anything, it means, I don't know, but it is entertaining.  The dish was crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside, salty, sour, and very good.

While what I ordered I have never ordered in a Greek restaurant, what I ordered for my entree was not completely alien to me.  While I have never ordered skewers before, what was on the skewers were very familiar.  I had Scallop Skewers with Zucchini and Summer Squash that were served with rice.  The skewers were grilled and were very good.  Everything had a nice smokiness but the vegetables were still nicely crisp.  The rice was long grained and had spices and other things was also good.  While I would have been interested in dessert, I was full.  I enjoyed my dinner here.  The food was good, the service was friendly, and the space looked very nice.  I would be happy to return if I am interested in good Greek food.