Funkenhausen - Tasting Collective Dinner

I had previously gone to Funkenhausen for brunch, so I was very excited when it was announced that Tasting Collective, the dining group to which I belong, was going to do a group dinner there.  I had previously experienced Chef Mark Steuer's cooking the first time I went to Mindy's Hot Chocolate, where he was the chef for the savory side.  He then went on to open The Bedford, a spin on supper clubs from the 40s that was located in a former bank basement and included a vault, and The Carriage House, a restaurant that more explicitly focused on Southern cuisine.  I really liked the food at each of these restaurants and tried these restaurants, because Chef Mark was the chef.  With the Tasting Collective, not only do we get a multi-course dinner, that in many cases is a menu sampler, we are also introduced to the chef, who explains what the restaurant is about and will answer questions at the end.  As I had enjoyed his food at the other places, and at Funkenhausen for brunch, I was excited to "meet" the chef.  Funkenhausen is an American restaurant that looks like a German Beer Hall that does a Southern Spin on German cuisine.  As is typical of Tasting Collective dinners, the first half an hour after the doors were opened was a drink service to allow people to get settled before dinner service starts where they offer a selection of beer, wine, and cocktails.  I ordered a cocktail called Less Is More, which came with Vodka, Strawberry, Lemon, and Bubbles.  It was sweet, fruity, and had a nice sparkling finish.  While it probably would not have been my first choice given a larger cocktail selection, it was good and very drinkable.

The first course of dinner started with something that is one of those dishes that you would expect at a German Beer Hall, Pretzels, served with something pretty Southern, Pimento Cheese.  The pretzels were large, hot, and soft, with a salty pretzel crust.  They were easy to tear apart, which made it easier to apply the cheese on them.  It was good and a nice start for the dinner.

The second course followed the standard multi-course progression and proceeded to the vegetable course.  We were served Asparagus with Sauce Gribiche, a Mayonnaise-style Cold Egg Sauce with Mustard, and topped with Crab, Fennel, and Radish.  I like asparagus and this was very fresh and crisp, but I had never had (that I know of), sauce gribiche.  It was thinner than mayonnaise, but it was it had a creamy texture, and an eggy mustard flavor.  It reminded me of a semi-liquid deviled egg.  I also don't think that I have ever had this much fennel at once.  I have had fennel many times and in many forms, though not featured so prominently.  It was both tender and crisp with a light licorice flavor.  With the variety of flavors and textures, it came together well and I really liked it.

The next course kind of fell into a pre-entree, it also featured more Fennel (I'm going to guess that Fennel was in Season) and Mustard, though was completely different from the previous course.  We were served Boudin Noir Balls (Blood Sausage meatballs) with Fennel, Fava Beans, Crawfish, and Creole Mustard.  It was meaty and spicy with the fennel which was both tender and crisp.  The fava beans added texture and body, and the crawfish added a southern flare.

Our first entree was very definitely a Southern thing, specifically an Alabama thing.  We were served a couple of Spare Ribs which were well smoked, tender and very flavorful.  They were topped with a White Barbecue Sauce that is specific to Alabama.  It is a Mayo-Based Sauce with Vinegar, Horseradish, Apple Juice, Black Pepper, and Cayenne.  It's like a spicy ranch sauce and goes well with anything (though is frequently used with chicken).  I don't know that I had ever tried it with ribs, used subtly though, it complemented the flavor of the pork, instead of potentially overwhelming it.

Our second entree was a Dry Aged Pork Chop with Ramp Salsa Verde and English Pea Succotash.  It had a nice fresh flavor from the ramps and the succotash and a little spice from the salsa verde that the ramps were a part of.  The dry aging of the pork concentrated the flavor and everything went together well.

To finish things off, we went with a German classic, Black Forest Cake.  The classic Black Forest Cake is Dark Chocolate Cake with Cherries.  This also included a White Chocolate Ganache and a Candy Topper and was served on a plate with an Old World Design.

 Generally, during dessert, the chef will come out to answer questions that diners have pre-written.  I didn't have a question to ask, but I did introduce myself at the end of dinner.  I really enjoyed dinner here, the food was good, as was the service, and it was very nice to meet the chef finally.  I will definitely return.
 

Green Street Smoked Meats

 

 

 

I really like Barbecue and, for the most part, will try to visit barbecue places that I have heard were good and are relatively close.  Having said that, I have a bias against restaurants that seem to focus on the scene more than they do the actual food.  In my experience with Hogsalt, the restaurant group that Green Street Smoked Meats belongs to, I found that their places are run as much on hype as they are the actual food and service.  After a poor experience at another of their restaurants, I have had a bias toward their other restaurants, and have leaned against going to any of the others.  I will occasionally go to a Hogsalt restaurant, but with my admitted bias, they do have to sow a straighter row to meet my satisfaction.  I had heard a lot of good things about Green Street Smoked Meats, but I hadn't gone.  I was, however, in the area relatively recently around dinner time on a day when the weather was less than good, so I went both because I was close and to get out of the weather.  The entrance into the restaurant was interesting as it was in and alley.  The alley is blocked with a half wall labeled with Green Street Smoked Meats which shields a tent covered patio with picnic table seating and a cobblestone deck/walkway.  There were two doors into the building although the the main entrance was at the back of the alley.  While the other door could be used as an entrance to Green Street, it is more used as an exit (and as an entrance to another Hogsalt Property, High Five Ramen, which is located in the basement).  Sawada Coffee is also located in the building, in an open and raised area at the front of the building open to the Green Street Smoked Meats Dining Room.  In order to get to the ordering area from the front door, you would have to walk through the dining room and by the bar, which can be a little tricky when the space is crowded.  The rear entrance has tape trails on the floor that lead you to the ordering counters.  You actually have to visit two counters to order and pay and then the bar if you want a drink (there are coolers of water on the corners of the bar that you can easily serve yourself if you are not interested in having a drink).  The menu is on a large elevated chalkboard behind the first counter where you order your meat (or meats).  There was some objection when Green Street opened about the fact that the meats are sold by the half pound.  Considering the visual size of the serving and the prices, I would say that it's pretty close to what other barbecue joints serve and it isn't an issue.  I will say that the weight does give the illusion of being smaller than it is, so people may order more than they can eat (in one sitting).  After the meats are ordered, you are directed to a second counter where sides are ordered, you pay, and wait for your meal.  All seating in the space are first come, first served.  For seating/eating spaces inside, there are more picnic tables, a large bar, a counter along one wall (where I ate) that provides standing room and a bleacher area below the Sawada space.  The space itself is large and very open with high ceilings and strings of white Christmas lights.  Past the service counters, there was a counter with silverware, napkins, and boxes for takeout.  The bar is in the main dining room, and while it is off to one side, it is possible to sit on all four sides.  There is also a cowboy skeleton standing above the bar on a corner of the bar on the same side as the standing counter, and the walls are a combination of corrugated tin, and brick with peeling paint.  The look is very rustic and shabby, similar to what you might expect in a Texan barbecue shack and it works, because it looks like a place where you might get barbecue.

While I was hungry when I came in, I also ordered more than I could eat in one sitting.  I did however, have pretty good idea going into it, that I had ordered too much, so it was fine.  There were several things that I wanted, so I ordered all of them.  There was also so much meat that I was going to feel guilty if I didn't have any vegetables, so I ordered that too.  I ordered Brisket, Ribs, Frito Pie, Elotes, and Broccoli Salad, with a Schnickelfritz Hefeweizen from Urban Chestnut.  which really, was enough for two people to have a very full meal.  I did end up eating the Elotes and the Broccoli Salad there, because, I figured that the vegetables wouldn't travel as well.  I also ate the Ribs there, because they were ribs, though I also tried the Frito Pie and the Brisket.  Everything was very good.  The vegetables tasted very fresh, and the broccoli was very crisp.  The ribs were pull off the bone and the chopped brisket was very tender.  While I did like what they called a Frito Pie, I would have called it a Walking Taco, but that's a semantic thing.  While the space was crowded, the staff was friendly and the food was good.  While it isn't my favorite barbecue joint, it is good, and I would be happy to return if I was in the area.    

Range

I had seen this restaurant many times when passing in Lincoln Park, but circumstances fell in a way that I was here at dinner time and I wanted to eat, so I decided to try Range out.  From the outside and not knowing anything about it, I guessed that it was going to be a golf-themed restaurant.  The building was white and looked similar to a golf clubhouse and the sign above the entrance was covered in Astro-Turf with Range off to one side as it were a driving range.  After I entered, my mind changed.  The space had a hardwood floor, an unfinished ceiling, white walls, and a lot of wooden furniture.  The place had the vibe of a neighborhood restaurant and the menu was very veggie-friendly.  I sat across from the bar and overhearing conversations, I heard a lot of talk about tennis and biking.  I decided to start things off with a cocktail called Space Cowboy which was made with Yuu Baal Mezcal, Calle 23 Tequila, Pur Pear Liqueur, Strawberry, Serrano Pepper, Lemon, and Mint.  There was a lot going on with this drink.  It did have a smoky aspect from the mezcal, but their was also a lot of fruit and citrus flavors, and both a spicy and minty finish, which I wouldn't have expected to work, but it really did.

For my appetizer, I was interested in a Parsnip Hand Pie, but they had run out, so I went with something that I was also very interested in, the Beet Tostadas.  While I like the ideal of Tostadas, they have a tendency to be pretty messy.  Having said that, I really like beets, so I would be fine with having to deal with the debris after eating the tostadas.  In addition to the beets, it also had Black Beans, Cilantro Pesto, Red Cabbage Slaw, Sour Cream, Sunflower Shoots, and Queso Fresco.  It was sweet and earthy, with a very fresh botanical flavor and a crunch from the tostada shell.  It was really good, even if I did have to use a fork to eat what was left after eating it by hand.

For my main course, I could have gone with a variety of burgers, sandwiches, or flatbreads, but The range platter just sounded too ridiculous not to try.  It had seven cheeses and four meats from some very good vendors, such as Zingermans, Great American Cheese Collection, and Smoking Goose, plus Raspberry Serrano Jam, Sliced Apple, and Baguette Toast from Hewn.  I could and did try things individually and in combinations and it was all very good.

There didn't seem to be anything exceptional on the dessert menu, Ice Cream, an Apple Fritter, and a Cake, though the cake was a bit odd, so I had to try it.  It was a Parsley Mint Cake with Lemon Whipped Cream, and Microgreens.  It was green, tasted very botanical (in fact, it kind of tasted like grass), and was a bit dense.  While I did eat it, I have to say that it was my least favorite dish.  The Lemon Whipped Cream did help, but I could have done with a wider range of flavors in the dessert.

I enjoyed my time here.  The drinks were very good, the staff was very friendly, and the platter was ridiculous, in a good way.  I will keep my mind open for Range as an option if I happen to be in the area.    

etta - Brunch

 

  

 

A recent brunch brought me to a location that I had visited a few times before, though not to this restaurant.  etta is in the former The Southern location, though there was a complete redo of the space.  The Southern had a small, but very open dining room on one floor with the door on the west side and the bar on the east (North Avenue was south of the building).  There was also a large patio with a fireplace.  With etta, the entrance is now on the southeast corner, facing North, the bar is on the south wall, with its back to North, there are two floors, the main dining room is much bigger, and there is no patio.  I was by myself, so I sat at the bar and talked to the bartenders.  I started things off with a cup of coffee because it was a cold and wet morning.  I then followed with a spin on a brunch cocktail classic, a Bloody Mary made with Gin (actually called a Red Snapper, but I will go with Gin Bloody Mary).  It was served with a Miller High Life Side Car and garnished with a variety of bites without going completely overboard.  It was garnished with an Olive, Mozzarella, Ham, Bacon, a Pickled Pepper and a Lime.  Gin plays well with Bloody Mary mix with its botanicals complementing the spices in the mix.  The tomato juice tasted very fresh and the spices and botanicals made for a very refreshing drink with the Miller High Life acting as a palate cleanser for the food.

There were several pastries that looked really good, so it was going to be a bit of a choice to decide what would go on the sweet side of my brunch.  There was a basket available, but I wanted to eat something other than pastries, so I had to make a decision.  I decided on a pastry I discovered earlier in the year that has become a new favorite, a Kouign-Amann.  A Kouign-Amann, literally a butter cake originating in Breton, France, is made with a dough similar to puff pastry and is like a Muffin-Shaped Caramelized Croissant.  Sprinkled with sugar, it was sweet, flaky, buttery, and very good.

 

For the savory side of my brunch I had an Elysian Tart Flambe and a side of Crispy Potatoes.  The crispy potatoes were exactly as described.  They had a nice crispy exterior, but from the texture on the inside, I have to guess that they were boiled first.  They were good in any case.  The Elysian Tart Flambe was essentially a breakfast pizza that had been cooked over an open flame.  It was round with charred and bubbly edges and topped with Uplands Cheese, Bacon, Onion, Creme Fraiche, and Egg.  It was salty, savory, and with everything else made for a filling and satisfying finish.

I ate and drank a lot at etta and really enjoyed what I had.  My bartenders and servers were very friendly and helpful, and I would happily return.