Clever Rabbit - Tasting Collective

 

In recent years, I have been looking at restaurants by how they do their vegetables.  Most restaurants you can expect to do steak well,  As well, most places can do good pasta or potatoes and you can find a good burger at many higher end restaurants.  The vegetables at many places are going to be very fresh, but how creative is the dish that they are in and does it keep the focus on the vegetables?  In that vein, I have been interested in going to Clever Rabbit, a vegetable-focused, though not vegetarian, restaurant in Wicker Park and I was very happy when Tasting Collective hosted a dinner there.  Located in a row of bars and restaurants on Division, it does have a great patio with a sign above the patio entrance, but the building is painted gray and the sign/lettering is kind of unobtrusive.  The bar and dining room are done in neutral colors, though there were David Bowie/Ziggy Stardust and LCD Soundsystem prints in the back of the dining room and the soundtrack was classic Pink Floyd.  While I mentioned that the menu was vegetable focused, it followed both in both the food and beverage menus.  The cocktail that I ordered, Spanish Moon, contained, in addition to Prairie Organic Gin, Strawberry, Lemon, Mint, White Balsamic, and Q Tonic, and was garnished with Juniper Berries.  Similar to a standard Gin and Tonic, it was was more tart and fruit flavored with an evergreen finish provided by the Juniper Berries.  I like Gin and Tonics, but with the quality of both the Gin and Tonic used and the fruit added, this amped things up and I really liked it.

The food menu at Clever Rabbit, while vegetable focused was also literally all over the map.  There were dishes inspired by cuisine from all over the world.  We started our journey in Mexico with Summer Squash Sopes with Tempura Blossoms, Black Beans, Honeysuckle, and Cotija Cheese.  The Squash Blossom was delicate, flavorful, and had a nice crunch.  The Black Beans gave the dish some heartiness, and the Sopes themselves were thick and crunchy with a nice corn flavor.  It was a very nice start and a good way to bring anticipation for the rest of the meal.

From Mexico we went to South Asia with Sweet Pea Paratha with Carrot Curry and Goat's Milk Curry.  Paratha, like Naan is a flatbread, though Paratha is fried vs. Naan, which is baked.  The Goat's Milk and Carrot Curries were served together and had a tart and spicy flavor which was very good even without eating with the bread.  The bread was soft and fluffy with a nice hollow inside which could be filled with the curry, but it could easily enjoyed on it's own.

From India we came back to the United States (or France, depending on how far you want to take it).  We were served Chicken Liver Mousse on Rye Shortbread topped with Raspberry Jam and Spruce Tips.  This was a really interesting combination that I would never have thought of, but worked really well.  The rye shortbread provided a firm foundation and a bitter base from the rye that actually complemented the Chicken Liver Mousse.  The Raspberry Jam brought a sweet tartness that brought out the sweetness of the mousse.  The Spruce Tips were sweet, bitter, and herbal and tied everything together (as well as going with my drink).

After our trip back to the United States, we returned to Europe, Italy specifically, for some pasta.  We were served Buckwheat Pappardelle Noodles with Porcini Mushrooms, Spigarello Broccoli (an heirloom broccoli considered the parent of broccoli rabe), and Pepperoncino.  It was very savory and hearty with a nice spicy finish and I really liked it.

From Italy, we returned to the United States to times past for a Meat and Three, a Meat entree served with three sides, though as far as the dish was concerned, it was very Mexican.  In this case, the meat was a Goat Barbacoa served with Fry Bread, Pickles and Radishes, and Braised Greens.  Things could be eaten separately or in any combination, though admittedly, the pickles and radishes were better with the meat.  All of the elements were very good and could make for a very good open faced sandwich, though it would stack high and be a little messy.  I found the best combination to be the barbacoa on bread with the radishes and pickles and the greens on the side.

After our journey we finished with dessert which was essentially American, but there was a bit of a an Asian spin on it.  It was a Cherry Cheesecake with Dark Chocolate, Sesame, and Marcona Almonds.  The Cheesecake was fairly standard, but good, though the Sesame did add an interesting flavor.  It was also served on a very cool rabbit plate.  The food here was very good, the vibe was very relaxed, and the soundtrack, which was vinyl, was pretty great.  I will definitely have to return.