Bite Cafe - Brunch

I have liked Bite Cafe every time I have come.  Located next to the Empty Bottle, I knew that they were a good place to get food after a show, but I had heard that they also had a good brunch.  I knew, though, that they were very popular, so I didn't think that it would have been a great place to host one of my brunches, especially considering their small size.  I had something that I needed to do on a weekend morning that was close to Bite, so I decided to stop for brunch.  When I arrived, the place was full, though there was a seat at the counter, so I, luckily, was able to sit immediately.  I like sitting at the counter, because I like to watch people working and it gives me a better view of the specials board.  As I was sitting in a corner, it was also easy to turn around and view the dining room.  The dining room frequently has art from local artists for sale on the walls.  On the day that I went, there were bathing suits on the wall.  I assume that they were also for sale, but as I have no use for a woman's bathing suit, I didn't really look.

I started things off with a Coffee (from Dark Matter) and a large Orange Juice and a Bowl of Fresh Strawberries and Blueberries.  In general, I have found that Dark Matter Coffees seem to be roasted a little on the lighter side.  I prefer my coffee a medium roast, so in general, I have found their coffee a little light.  This coffee, however, was made specifically for Bite and was a darker roast than I had had in the past.  This I liked.  The Orange Juice was also freshly squeezed.  It was sweet and had a good amount of pulp (which I like).  For my first bites, I ordered a bowl of bowl of Fresh Strawberries and Blueberries.  I really like strawberries and blueberries and while I would expect both of these in a summer fruit salad, it was funny and nice to see that it was just strawberries and blueberries being served.  They were very fresh, juicy, and flavorful, and really enjoyed it.

Also on the menu as a side was the Crispy Pork Belly.  Bacon is Pork Belly that has been cured and while I have had my share of bacon, I don't know that I have ever had Pork Belly that was simply pan fried.  When it came out, I saw that it looked like a very thick and crispy piece of bacon and I was looking forward to it.  While it looked like a nice piece of bacon, however, without the cure, pork belly tastes more like ham than bacon.  It did taste good and had the salty flavor of bacon, but texturally, it was more liked well cooked ham.  It was good, though I do prefer bacon to ham.

I finished things off with a Hash.  Most hashes that I have had are a combination of Potatoes, Meat, and Onions, with an Egg on the side.  This hash, however, was a Veggie Hash.  It started with Yukon Gold and Sweet Potatoes, and added Zucchini, Squash, Baby Kale, 2 Poached Eggs, Hollandaise Sauce, and Toast.  While I am a meat eater, I can appreciate a good vegetarian dish, and this was very good.  With the variety of textures and flavors, the meat was unnecessary and I didn't miss it.  The Hollandaise Sauce combined with the flavors of the vegetables and potatoes to make for a very enjoyable dish.  It was a great brunch and I will certainly make a point to return in the future.  

All Together Now - Brunch

 

If you look around Chicago, you will find many ethnic groceries with an attached cafe.  There are also many bottle shops where you can buy beer and wine that also have an attached bar, locally known as a slashie.  To a lesser extent, you can also find restaurants that also sell packaged foods (normally gourmet).  Last year, a place opened up in Ukrainian Village that was both a bottle shop/bar and a cafe/gourmet packaged goods store.  Called All Together Now (and originally Brothers & Sisters), it aims to fulfill many of your quick food and drink desires.  The front is a glass fronted storefront and walking in, the first thing that you will encounter is the Cheese and Cured Meat display counter.  There is a counter behind the cheese and meat display with a cash register on the left, where you place your order, and seating to the right for drinking and dining.  There is a beer refrigerator opposite the counter with a lot of local beers and wine shelves on either side of the beer refrigerator and around a pillar in the center of the room.  Aside from the counter seating, there are tables in the back, next to the beer and wine and a large communal table in the front, where we sat, that was made from a large log.

 

As I mentioned, you place your order at the cash register and pay up front.  You then find a seat with your beverage and your food is brought to you.  It was a warm day when we went, so I went with an iced coffee from Ruby Coffee Roasters.  It was a Central American blend with a medium roast and flavors of chocolate and citrus and a little inherent sweetness (I don't add cream or sugar to my coffee).  It was very good and I think I ended up having a couple of cups.  While I was waiting for my food, I decided to take a look at the cheese and saw something that excited me a lot.  When I was at a fine dining restaurant earlier this year, on their tasting menu one of the courses included a grilled cheese sandwich made with Tomme Cheese which was the best grilled cheese sandwich that I have ever had.  When I saw that All Together Now had Tomme Cheese in their display case, I had to try it again, so they cut me a small sample.  Tomme Cheese is a hard French Swiss-style Cheese made from Skim Milk.  It is light, but despite the lack of fat found in other cheeses, it does have a lot of flavor.  While this wasn't as good as the Grilled Cheese Sandwich (and Fermented Tomato Soup), it was good and brought my memory back to the sandwich.

 

Normally for brunches I will tend to order a sweet course and a savory course.  In this case, I actually ordered two savory courses, though admittedly the first did have some sweetness to it.  I had what was essentially an Open Faced Beet and Goat Cheese Sandwich that was a special.  It had Golden Beets, Heirloom Tomatoes, Chervil, Chevre, and Blue Cheese, on a thick slice of some very good Country Bread.  One of my friends dining with me had another Open Faced Sandwich.  This was Creamed Eggs over Toast with Pork Fat Collards, Pickled Pearl Onions, Lemon, and Aleppo Pepper.  It looked and tasted good, but I liked mine better.  Beets and Goat Cheese seems to be a natural pairing and this worked very well.  I liked the bitterness that the blue cheese added as well.  While I did try to eat this by hand, I quickly saw that that would not happen because everything would fall off the bread, so I enjoyed it with knife and fork.

My main course was a Breakfast Sandwich.  As with most breakfast sandwiches, it was built with an egg, meat, and cheese on an English Muffin.  For this one, the meat was Underground Meats Sorpressata, the cheese was Aged Cheddar, and it was finished with Fresno Chile Aioli on a Housemade English Muffin.  While fairly standard, the ingredients used were very good and resulted in a very good sandwich.  While All Together Now is very casual, the service and the food and drink that they both sell and serve are very good and it is a good option for a stop when I am in Ukrainian Village.  

Comet Cafe - Milwaukee, WI

 

 

 

It had been a long time since I had been to Milwaukee, and it is pretty close so I decided to take a day trip.  There are a lot of Amtrak trains that run between Chicago and Milwaukee, so it was easy to arrange a trip that arrived in the morning and left in the evening that gave me enough time to see what I wanted to see. Milwaukee is much smaller than Chicago, so I could have walked to the different areas that I wanted to go, but there were some legs that would have been pretty long walks, so I decided to employ a shared bike a few times.  There are a lot of good off road bike paths that are able to get you where you want to go, so riding a bike was advantageous.  I was able to see some cool spots that I may want to visit in more depth, like the Milwaukee Art Museum and I was able to get where I wanted quickly and inexpensively.   Milwaukee has been known for beer forever and I was going to try some of that, but I figured that if I was going to do that, it would be smart to eat first.  It was recommended that I try out a place called The Comet Cafe, located in the Lower East Side.  It has been featured on both the Travel Channel and on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, so I expected that the food would be good and even a little offbeat.  The shared bike parking was a few blocks away, but it's a nice neighborhood with a lot of art on the walls and light traffic.  Walking up to the building, I was very happy to see a lot of bike parking which I will have to file for future reference for when I come back on another day trip.  Walking in, it retains its retro look.  The entrance is on the corner of the building and the dining area is L-shaped with a counter/bar on the inside of both sides of the L.  In front of the restaurant is patio dining.  There are tables in front of the window on the inside at the front  and booths behind the counter as you walk toward the back of the restaurant.  There is a Specials Board featuring both savory specials and what cupcakes and pies are on the menu for today.  There were several sweets that sounded good, but as I was already going to have a high calorie day, I decided to wave off and just get brunch.

For brunch, I was looking for something hearty and some fruit.  Luckily they had both.  I also had coffee and Orange Juice.  I was very happy with their Fruit Bowl which contained a lot of seasonal fruit, Strawberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, and Bananas.  I was especially happy to see that the fruit bowl contained no canteloupe.  What was there was fresh and goodand involved no picking through (because I really dislike canteloupe).  For the savory portion of my brunch, I had what they called a Commuter Sandwich.  I will guess that it was called that because it has everything that you might want in a good breakfast in sandwich form, which is good for a commuter.  The standard sandwich has eggs, either scrambled or fried, I went for Scrambled, and Cheddar Cheese , on Grilled Multi-Grain Bread.  You could also add Grilled Ham, Sausage, or Bacon, and I added bacon.  The sandwich was also served with Hashbrowns on the side.  This is a little bit of a fail in reference to the commuter, but I wasn't commuting anyway and they were crispy, buttery (actually everything was cooked in butter), and very good.  This was filling, a lot of fun to eat, very good, and I will definitely return, so I can try some of their pie.     

Sauce and Bread Kitchen - Foraged Feast 2018

I like Sauce and Bread Kitchen, the Bakery/Hot Sauce factory/Cafe that does pizza on Fridays and the occasional dinner that you have to be on their mailing list to attend.  I am on their mailing list and have attended several of their dinners, but it has been a while, so I was happy to see their announcement for their Foraged Feast, a dinner where many of the ingredients used in the various dishes were foraged.  Looking at the menu beforehand, things looked very good, so I was pretty excited.  Dishes are served family style, though Sauce and Bread Kitchen is a BYOB, so anything that you want to drink, other than water and coffee at the end of the meal, you have to bring yourself.  Whether you want to share that is up to you.  I brought enough beer that I thought interesting that I was able to share some.  I brought an Ommegang Fire and Blood Red Ale with Ancho Chilies and Jaden James Monkey Butter Porter.  The Red Ale was good with a nice head and the Ancho Chili bite was very light.  The Peanut Butter Porter was weird, but I expected it to be weird.  It had a strong peanut aroma and finished with flavors of chocolate and coffee like many dark bears.  It was like eating a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup for breakfast.

We actually started with an Amuse Bouche, 3 Sisters Crostini with Hominy, Winter Squash, and Chickpea Miso, and Radish, crisped on Pickle Bread, with Ramp Giardinera.  As with all amuse bouches, it was a little bite of wonderfulness.  I tried the crostini with and without the giardinera and it was good either way, though better with the giardinera.

Our first actual course was a Hawks Wing Bao with Smoked Dryad Saddle Mushrooms, Sweet Onion in Peanut Miso BBQ Sauce, Shaved Asparagus/Birds Eye Pepper Salad, Wild Chive, and Chili Peanuts.  It was fresh, spicy, crisp, and crunchy, and was a lot easier to eat than I expected.  I would have expected that trying to hold it together while trying to eat it, might have squeezed many of the vegetables out.  This did happen to a small extent, but for the most part, it stayed in the bun.

After our first course of mushrooms, we continued with another course of mushrooms.  We were served Wild Mushroom Pasta with Chilled Buckwheat Noodles, Ramp Olive Oil, Poached Morels, Sauteed Morels and Golden Oyster Mushrooms, and Fried Pepitas.  This was really good.  It was tender, nutty, and the ramp olive oil acted as a nice vinaigrette.  It reminded me of a vegetarian dish that I make every summer.

Our entree was our only dish that actually had meat and that was fine because everything else had been great, thus far.  We had a Choucroute.  Choucroute is the Alsatian version of Sauerkraut (and sausage).  This used a Venison Andouille Sausage.  While venison eaten at home is generally wild, venison found in a restaurant is generally farmed.  For the Choucroute itself, that was pretty wild, using Grilled Escarole and Ramp and Carrot Kimchi (the Korean version of Sauerkraut).  It was tart and flavorful with a little spice, though admittedly, the escarole was a little tough to eat.

For dessert we finished with a Financier Pistachio Vanilla Cake with Rhubarb Sorbet, a Candied Basswood Leaf, and an Edible Flower.  While the ice cream and cake were good, the best part about this was the candied basswood leaf.  It was sweet and very delicate with a lightly crisp texture.  The flower, also very delicate, unsurprisingly tasted like a flower.

This dinner was a lot of fun and I would be happy to see what they come up with next year.  

  

Mabel Gray Kitchen, Hazel Park, MI

 

 

For my last trip to the Ann Arbor/Detroit area, while I started with breweries, food was going to be a major part of it.  I previously wrote about the day in Ann Arbor starting at Zingerman's Deli and ending at Vinsetta Garage.  The next day started with Supino Pizzeria, which I had visited before and liked a lot, but our crowning finish was at Mabel Gray in Hazel Park.  The cinder block building has been a neighborhood restaurant for many years, but it opened as Mabel Gray in 2015 as a scratch kitchen serving local, seasonal, and farm-to-table food with no set menu and a choice of tasting menu or a la carte and it blew up.  It won Best Chef for Chef James Rigato in the Eater Detroit Awards in 2016, James Beard Semifinalist for Best New Restaurant in 2016, and Detroit Free Press's Restaurant of the Year in 2017.  They take reservations one month in advance and on the day that reservations opened, the earliest we were able to get a reservation was 10 pm, but as we had a large lunch, a late dinner was fine.  Located in the north Detroit suburbs, the road was quiet when we got there despite the fact that it looks like a major road.  The neon sign was on top of the awning, which with walls, formed an enclosed entrance/dining area that was open on one side.  Entering, the space is long and narrow with the bar/grill/kitchen taking up one side behind a counter and a banquette on the other side.  It kind of has the appearance of an old diner or cafe. The lighting was a combination of track lighting and lights that seemed to be built from/supported by recycled lab equipment.  The lights above us were supported by a lab stand.  We were seated and really enjoyed the menu because it was hand written.  While we could have gone either with the tasting menu or a la carte, we decided to go with the tasting menu, because we figured that we would be able to try more things and it would be a better value.

After quickly deciding on the Tasting Menu (we had actually pre-decided to do the tasting menu), the next decision was what to drink.  While there was a beverage pairing for the tasting menu, I had to get up in the morning, so I decided I would take a pass on that, though I did look at the cocktail list.  There were several interesting cocktails on the menu as well as a dealer's choice, where given the choice of liquor, the bartender creates a drink for you.  The prices for the cocktails were fairly standard, in the $11-14 range, but the Dealer's Choice was Market Price.  This worried me a little, but I figured that I was splurging a little, I can splurge a little more if necessary.  I ordered a gin drink and was brought a drink with Citadelle Gin, Lemon, Yellow Chartreuse, Grapefruit, Angostura Bitters, and a few other things that I don't remember.  It was complex, but similar to a couple of cocktails that I like already and I liked it as well.  After getting the bill I discovered that it was less than the cocktails on the menu, so it made it even better.

And then the Tasting menu started.  It started simply enough with an Oyster, Hibachi Grilled, with Chipotle Butter, Garlic, and Bread Crumbs.  It was similar to Oysters Rockefeller with less green and more spice and it was a great one bite wonder.  It was cut from the shell, so it was easy to swallow quickly and with the garlic and chipotle butter, it was a taste explosion.

The use of the hibachi continued with the second course as well.  We got Hibachi Grilled Asparagus,

Fermented Chile Mayo, Green Almonds, and Fried Lemon.  I like asparagus and the grill added a nice char flavor.  The fermented chile mayo was interesting.  It had the spice of chile peppers, though softer and with a tartness.  The green almonds were also very interesting.  I had never had them before.  They are unripened almonds and apparently have a very short season when they taste good.  After that, they get a woody flavor and it's better to eat them after they're ripe.  These have a slightly tart and green flavor with a texture that is much softer than ripe almonds.  The fried lemon contributed both lemon tartness and a char flavor.

The next course stayed vegetarian with Artichoke and Kimchi Salad with Black and White Sesame Seeds, and Sour Cream. I hadn't though about it before, but artichokes and kimchi pair pretty well together.  Artichokes have a tartness (with a little woodiness) and the kimchi is very sour and spicy. The Black and White Sesame contributed to the Asian flavor, and the sour cream contributed to the tartness.

From a Korean-ish flavor, we then wandered over to Japan with a Hamachi Crudo with Shishito Peppers, Grapefruit, Ramps, and Grilled Taro Root.  The hamachi was very tender and flavorful.  Shishito peppers are funny. 90% have no heat at all and taste like slightly sweet bell peppers, but the other 10% have some heat.  It isn't a lot of heat, but there is enough to surprise you.  It is fun to eat them because getting some heat is like hitting the lottery.  My Shishito remained mild.  Ramps are wild onions and have a flavor between a green onion and garlic.  The grapefruit added some bitter tartness and the taro root was similar to a corn chip which added a little texture and a vehicle with which to eat the softer components of the dish.

The next course was an Aged Goat Cheddar Dumpling, which was similar to a Tortellini.  It was served in a Benton's Ham Broth with Chili Oil and Greens.  The broth had a significant amount of Chili Oil, so it had a bite in that respect, but it also had a huge amount of ham flavor and it was like drinking liquid ham and all together, it was like a ham and cheese sandwich presented differently.

Normally, palate cleansers are served after the last savory course and before the dessert.  I do however, understand the logic behind serving a palate cleanser after the previous dish.  It was so savory, it may have overwhelmed any more delicate flavors that came after.  For our palate cleanser we were served a Strawberry Rhubarb Granita (a semi-frozen ice dish similar to a sorbet) with Sesame and Mint.  It was simple, tart and sweet, and very good, both with its taste and the ability to clear the palate.

A dessert would normally follow a palate cleanser, but as I said, the dumpling and broth would have overwhelmed the flavors of the next dish, Quail with Polenta, Fried Green Tomatoes, Greens, Benton's Ham, and Parmesan.  The quail was breaded and the body was boned, with only bones in the wings and legs remaining.  It was good, but I am glad that it was mostly boned, because it is so small that it would have been a lot of work to get the beet off of the bones.  With the breading, the greens, the tomatoes, the ham, and the cheese, the flavors were similar to a club sandwich.

And then we came to dessert.  We were served Chocolate Ganache with Founder's Stout Caramel, Raspberry, Fennel, Graham Cracker Crumbs, and Meringue.  The chocolate was very dense and on the dark side which made sense for the caramel which had a bit of a bitter flavor from the stout.  The fennel added a light licorice flavor, the raspberries brought in a little tartness and the toasted meringue added some lightness.  It was a great finish to a creative and very good dinner.  I'm glad that I had the opportunity to come here.

        

Cellar Door Provisions

I have been very interested in Cellar Door Provisions since it opened a couple of years ago.  The problem is that as it a breakfast/lunch place, I can't get there during the week and as it is very popular, I can't get in on the weekend.  Recently though, something happened that gave me a free morning during the week, so I decided to check it out.  Having looked at the menu before hand, I expected a small place with a coffee shop cafe feel.  Located on a corner, it has large windows on two sides and looks like a neighborhood coffee shop with a handwritten menu on paper in the window.  Walking in continued the coffee shop vibe with a small cafe.  There is art on the wall (for sale) and seating is with banquette and tables on both sides of the room.  There is another chalkboard menu at the back of the room on one side.  There is a counter at the back of the room that abuts the open kitchen where yet another menu is available if you hadn't seen the other two. The counter contains a display case showing their available pastries, most of which run to the savory side.  The pastries all looked very good and while I recognized the Caneles and the Croissants, which I ordered, there were several pastries that I did not recognize, but still looked really good.  Caneles are small French pastries about two inches tall that look like mini bundt cakes.  They are made with vanilla and rum and have a crispy outside crust and a firm custard center.  While they do have a sweetness about them,  they are also pretty savory.  For the one that I ordered the crust was very crisp and the inside was like a solid egg custard.  there was some sweetness, but it was also salty and savory.  I liked it so much that I had to buy another one for the road.  The croissant was flaky, buttery, and crisp, and while it was pretty big, it was also very light.  With these, I had an iced coffee.

While the pastries were very good, I wanted to try some of their "real" food.  This is not to say that their pastries were bad, in fact, they were pretty fantastic.  Substantial might have been a better word.  Their cafe menu is pretty veggie friendly although they do have some dishes with meat as well.  I went with something that was not strictly vegetarian, but it was pescatarian.  I got Cured Trout with Whipped Cheese, Ponzu, Bok Choi, Soft Boiled Egg, and Seared Bread.  The trout was very tender and flavorful in a flavorful broth with whipped cheese.  The cheese was a bit tart and kind of tasted like goat cheese (although I am not certain of this) which paired well with the trout.  The ponzu and bok choi were served on top and were very crisp and fresh.  The soft boiled egg was cooked well with a solid white and thick but liquid yolk.  The bread was crisp and tasted like it had just been baked.  It was very good, but it came in very handy to soak up the broth and yolk.  This also was pretty fantastic.

I really enjoyed my breakfast here and now understand why it is so popular.  I will definitely return if I happen to have another free weekday for the pastries if nothing else, but the cafe menu will certainly deserve a look.        

Between Peruvian Cafe and Lounge

While it has been on my radar for years, and it actually changed formats since I first noticed it, I have not actually made it to Between.  Details arranged themselves in such a way that I family was able to go there recently.  When it first opened, Between called itself a boutique lounge and served an Indian-Latin fusion.  It has since changed to purely Peruvian cuisine.  While it is located in a high traffic area, the storefront is actually kind of narrow so it is kind of easy to miss which is kind of funny because you would think that the bright pink and purple trim might make it more noticeable.  The pink and purple trim follows inside in the curtains that act as dividers between dining areas and some of the lighting.  The floor is hardwood and the walls are old brick making the space look kind of old but the lighting is very modern.  The lighting is provided primarily by several white hanging lamps that were spiral shaped and very modern looking.  We were seated near the front of the restaurant which was a slight issue because despite the fact that there was a shelter around the door, it was cold outside and the front of the restaurant was definitely cooler than the interior.  It wasn't a huge issue but there were members of my party that felt cold.  As most of the population of Peru is located along the coast, the interior of the country is very mountainous, much of the country's cuisine revolves around seafood which is where my dinner started.  I ordered a Ceviche Classico, a seafood dish that is technically raw but is tenderized with the use of a lot of lemon juice.  The Ceviche Classico contained "Lechon de Tigre"-Tiger Shrimp, Cilantro, Red Onion, Glazed Sweet Potato, and Andean Corn.  As one might expect, this had a very strong flavor.  While there wasn't a lot of liquid in the dish, there was a very strong flavor of citrus in the dish.  There was also a strong flavor of onion and cilantro.  While everything was very tender, it was also still technically raw and so the strong flavors of the onion and cilantro, which are normally toned down by cooking were still at the forefront.  Everything was very tender although their was enough textural variety that it was not all mush.  It tasted very fresh, very bright, and very strong.  I liked it although I do like strong flavors and I could see where someone who does not may have a problem with this.

For my main course, I went with more seafood, this time in the form of Paella. Called Arroz con Mariscos, literally Rice with Shrimp, this dish contained Aji Panca, a mild red pepper, Aji Amarillo, a yellow pepper, Corn, Shrimp, Octopus, Squid, Scallops, and of course the Yellow Rice that is a standard of all Paella and topped with Salsa Criolla.  This is a mixture of thinly sliced Red Onions and Jalapenos with Cilantro mixed with a little Lime juice.  This again had a citrusy flavor from the Salsa Criolla but it was also kind of spicy and the seafood in all of it's varieties was very good.  In some paellas that I have had, there has been some rice that was crisped from being at the edge of the pan.  This adds an extra level of texture and flavor to the dish.  This paella however, did not have the crispy rice.  The rice was cooked to a toothsome texture (instead of being cooked to mush) and between that and the cruch of the vegetables on top, there was a good amount of crunch to this dish.  It was a good dish despite it's overt spiciness.

For dessert, I had breakfast.  It was called French Toast Sabores a Picarón.  This was French Toast with Vanilla Ice Cream and topped with Honey.  It was a little unusual in my mind but it really worked.  The French toast was thick with a crispy crust and soft interior.  It had a slightly savory flavor to it and the Ice Cream and Honey brought it back to the sweet side.  While I do like French toast, I wouldn't normally think of it as dessert even with the sweet maple syrup that is normally served with it.  Ice Cream though, is obviously dessert and with the honey, it made this a nice finish to the meal.

While I enjoyed the food at Between, I feel like I missed the restaurant's prime.  The place looked nice but there was some wear around the edges and while the waiter was friendly when we saw him, the place felt understaffed.  He also acted as a bartender and was serving the entire dining room which, while not incredibly large or full, it was a lot of work for one person.  It sometimes took a while to get some service.  I really want to like this place but there were too many little things to overlook and while the food was good, it wasn't good enough for me to overlook everything.          

Wellfleet-The Fishguy Market

The Mayfair Area of Elston Avenue is largely an industrial area.   There is some residential but it is mostly  garages and construction businesses.  This is not an area you would think of for fresh seafood.  Just north of Montrose though, is a seafood market called The Fish Guy.   This market carries carries all manner of seafood including lobster, shrimp, scallops, oysters, and when I visited, langoustines as well as salmon, sturgeon, and other sea fish and sells to restaurants as well as walk-in buyers.  There is also a small cafe that will seat about 16 people between the counter and the tables located inside the market called Wellfleet.  The market (and cafe) are done in white tile and the table and counter tops are stainless steel.  There is also a skylight so between the white tile walls and floor and the stainless steel counter and table lights, they make good use of the available light.  The menu is small and is on a clipboard at every seat when you walk in.  There isn't a lot of description to the things on the menu but the kitchen is right behind the counter and the cooks and chef are very friendly (and right there) and encourage you to ask questions.  When you are ready to order, it's easy enough to order all at once or as you go.  The menu items are fairly simple so it doesn't talk an extensive amount of preparation after ordering and everything is right there so if you will not experience a significant wait if you order one course at a time.  I wasn't sure how much I wanted to eat when I came in so I only ordered a main course and a drink.  As I was waiting, they brought me an Amuse Bouche consisting of Salmon Tartare with a Garlic Lime Aioli.  It was a spoonful of awesome and I thought it boded well for the rest of my meal.  The salmon tasted very good and the aioli both held it together physically with it's creamy texture and complemented the flavors with the savory garlic and the sour of the lime.

For the course that I actually ordered, I ordered the Pan Fried Langoustines in a Garlic Butter Sauce.  I thought that I had had langoustines before and thought them similar to shrimp.  When I received them, I saw that they are a bit similar to shrimp but are more like small lobsters.  I also saw that I had never had them before and I really had no idea how to eat them.  They were served with a sliced lemon and a couple of slices of baguette to soak up the garlic butter sauce.  After the cooks saw me puzzling over how to get the meat, they quickly told me that the best way to get to it was to grab one and to split it along the back and the meat would come right out.  I tried it and while it was messy, it did work well.  The meat was very light, tender, and was slightly sweet.  The flavor actually reminded me more of crab than shrimp but it was really good.

After I fought my way through the langoustines and soaked up the garlic butter sauce, I decided that this had been very good and I should order a dessert.  They had a Tortuga Rum Cake on the menu so that's what I ordered.  A Tortuga Rum Cake is a bundt cake with bundt cake with walnuts that is soaked in Tortuga Rum.  It was sweet, dense, and slightly rum flavored although not overwhelmingly so.  The chef suggested having it with whipped cream but I decided to wave that off because I didn't want to be overwhelmed with the whipped cream and wanted to actually taste the cake.  I probably could have ordered a little on the side but I didn't think about it.  In retrospect, I do think it would have gone really well with whipped cream but it was good as it was.

Wellfleet-The Fish Guy is a small operation but they do some very good stuff.  It does surprise me that they are not located in the West Loop where there are a multitude of specialty food businesses and warehouses and fine dining restaurants but if they can do a good business in their location, good for them.  It is actually to my advantage that they are located where they are because I travel near their location frequently and would not have to make a special trip.  Admittedly, I don't cook a lot of specialty seafood but as it is close to a route I travel frequently, I do see myself stopping in again.          

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.

Lula Cafe

Years ago, when I lived in the suburbs, I heard about this cool little place in Logan Square called Lula Cafe. It sounded cool and it went on my list of places that I wanted to go but I never actually made it there until I actually moved into the neighborhood. It immediately became one of my favorite neighborhood restaurants. They have a frequently changing seasonal menu and serve both brunch and dinner. In addition, they "dress up" for Halloween, an event that is enormously popular. While they do fine dining very well, they also have a very good cafe menu which is less expensive. You can actually order from both menus during the same meal. They recently expanded and I haven't been there in a while so I decided to go for dinner. The restaurant used to be divided into two small rooms a long narrow bar that had a few tables, and a cafe that is entered by walking through the bar. The bar area has expanded, basically doubling in size adding a bigger bar and more tables. The design of the room is both kind of classic and worn and the background music was a mixture of classic jazz and avant garde. I hadn't been to Lula since they had opened up the new space and seeing it, i have to say that I really liked it.

The appetizer I started with would surprise no one. I had the duck breast. It was very rare and served with a savory tarte tatin (an upside down apple tart), Japanese Turnips, Mustard Streusel, Wild Arugula, and Hazelnut Jus. While the duck was good, I think I would have preferred it cooked a little more. While everything went well with the duck, I was actually surprised how well the mustard streusel and the tarte tatin went together. It was a pretty good start.I was not completely certain what I was getting when I ordered my entree. I ordered Strozzapreti with Venison Ragu, Matsutake Mushrooms, Fennel Cured Olives, Pecorino Romano Cheese, and New Potatoes. I knew that what it had in it sounded really good but I was not sure what Strozzapreti was. It turns out that it's a flat pasta that is hand rolled originating from Tuscany and the name literally means priest choker (possibly due to a fat priest choking on it or hope of a priests tenant farmers that he would choke on the past that was partially used for the rent). In any case it was all very good. The pasta had a nice chewy texture and the flavor of the dish was very robust with all of the ingredients working well together.The dessert that I ordered was very creative and actually kind of surprising. It started with some sticky gingerbread and had a hazelnut tuile, a thin curved cookie that is sort of shaped like a roof tile. It was also served with a key lime ice cream and sauce. While I could see before I tried it that hazelnut and gingerbread would go together well, while I like lime and gingerbread, I wasn't sure how they would work together. The hazelnut actually brought them together.

Overall, my meal was very good and I am very glad that I live close to Lula so it's easy to visit. I will certainly be back again soon.