Twain

In November, the dining group that I belong to, Tasting Collective, had a dinner at a new restaurant in Logan Square called Twain.  Run by Chef Tim Graham who I knew from Travelle, it aims to celebrate the history of Midwestern Cuisine.  It is named after author and humorist, Mark Twain.  Being a Midwesterner myself, at first thought, there really wasn't anything about Midwestern Cuisine, that I thought deserved celebration.  The idea seemed rather boring, so I decided not to go to that dinner.  After taking some time to think about it though, I realized that Chef Tim is a talented chef and the menu would be more than casseroles, cheese, and broiled chicken even if those elements may show up on the menu and decided to go later.  It was a cold day and I was by myself, so I decided to sit at the bar.  There was a very nice copper etching above the bar, and retro toys and trains, also above the bar and in front of the etching.  The dining room behind me was big and very open with hardwood furniture and floor, which looked very crafty and old.  It kind of gave me a general store vibe.  The lights were hanging lights below a canvas "cloud".  There was a mural on the wall opposite the bar that ran the length of the restaurant, which was pretty deep that was full of old industry and birds.

The bartender was very friendly and immediately brought me a glass of Prosecco (on the house) for sitting at the bar.  I generally am nit a wine drinker, but it was a very nice and friendly gesture which, I suppose, is part of the Midwestern personality type.  The Prosecco also served another purpose.  Sparkling wine (Champagne, Cava, Prosecco, etc.) is frequently the first wine served in fine dining restaurants because the bubbles are supposed to open up the palate.  In any case, it was dry, sparkling, and very friendly.  Looking at the menu, I saw a lot of references to Midwestern standards.  Something I had heard and read about was Ants On A Log.  The standard ants on a log that every kid knows is a strip of celery filled with peanut butter and topped with raisins.  This Ants on a Log starts with Celery, but then uses a Peanut Butter Foie Gras Mousse and is topped with Bourbon Cherries.It did sound interesting and was definitely a reference to Midwestern childhood, but I decided to order another reference to a classic.  After I had ordered, my Amuse Bouche, the unordered pre-appetizer that is compliments of the chef, showed up.  It was a Wheat Berry Salad with Radishes, Dill, and Pickled Cucumbers.  With the Prosecco, I had now had two things that I had not paid for.  It was welcoming, friendly and very good.  The Salad had a nice texture and a slightly sweet and sour flavor and was very good.

My cocktail, a classic Gimlet, arrived about the same time as my Appetizer, Stuffed Mushrooms.  My Gimlet was listed as being made with Letherbee Gin and an Exotic Lime Cordial.  A classic gimlet is made with two parts gin to one part lime juice.  There are some recipes that call for a splash of soda or simple syrup.  A Lime Cordial is essentially a combination of Lime Juice and Simple Syrup.  I don't know what made this lime cordial exotic, but the drink was sweet, tart, a little herbal, and very good.  The Stuffed Mushrooms were large White Mushrooms stuffed with Smoked Cream Cheese, Caramelized Onions,  and Parmesan Bread Crumbs, sitting on a bed of Arugula.  They were smoky, sweet, and very flavorful, with a salty cheese finish, which I really enjoyed.

Between the appetizer and entree, the bread arrived.  There were four breads on the menu, all of which needed to be ordered.  I ordered Egg Harbor Bread which was served with Pickled Zucchini and Whipped Bacon Fat Butter.  The bread was a small loaf of very soft white bread that reminded me of Wonder Bread.  The Whipped Bacon Fat Butter was soft and fluffy with a light bacon flavor.  The Pickled Zucchini was slightly tart and sweet and went extremely well with the bread and butter.  While I could have eaten it as a course on it's own, I did save part of it for my entree to wipe up the sauce.

The name of my main course was a riff on another old school classic, Pigs in a Blanket.  This, however was called Pigs in a Blanquette which is actually something completely different.  Pigs in a Blanket are Hot Dogs wrapped in Croissant Dough and baked.  Blanquette Sauce is a Roux Sauce made with Cream and comes from the Latin word for white, because it is a White Sauce.  This Pigs in a Blanquette consisted of Braised Tongue, a Dry Aged Pork Chop, Mushrooms, Cauliflower, and the Blanquette Sauce.  It was very tender and flavorful and I was actually happy that it was not the hot dogs wrapped in croissant dough.

For dessert, I had a Butter Cake with Ice Cream, but there was definitely a step up.  It was a Cinnamon Gooey Butter Cake with Carmel Apples, Candied Pecans, and Sour Cream Ice Cream.  It was gooey and buttery, but it had the additional flavors of apple and cinnamon, the crunch of the candied pecans, and the sweet and sour of the ice cream.  It was a very nice finish to a very friendly dinner with a lot of references to Midwestern standards while still staying interesting.