Beatnik - Brunch

 

 

 

 

A Beatnik was the name given to the counter-culture of the late 1940s to early 1960s and those that embraced it.  They were worldly, open, artistic, pushing back against the ideas of the time and embracing many ideas and philosophies from India and Asia.  They were the Hipsters of their time.  The restaurant, Beatnik, in West Town, tries to embrace this aesthetic with it's design, menu, and soundtrack.  I decided to go there for a weekend brunch, just before the lock down started, because I had heard a lot of good things about it and I wanted to get there while I still had a chance.  Things started before I even entered the building.  It was very easy to recognize because of the colorful shelter at the entrance.  The door opens to an atrium with glass walls and a cracked tile floor.  The cocktail lounge is to the left and the dining room which the atrium opens to in the middle of the room is mostly to the right.  The room is large and basically open with antique brick walls, unfinished ceilings, and a lot of plant life and parasols.  Many of the dining areas start with large and heavy wood tables, which was what ours was, and the seating consisted of a lot of wicker and cushions.  There is a large skylight at the front of the room, where many of the parasols are located, with the back of the room lit with large crystal chandeliers and candlelight.  There were several large semi-enclosed booths against the walls, that employed Eastern motifs, that would seat about 12 people apiece and the kitchen was open.  The menu design went with much of the rest of the place, employing paisley/psychedelic design.  The food and drink was very international, sometimes bringing elements from several different cultures into one dish.

 

There was a lot to look at on the menu, so while I was looking, I took a little time and ordered Coffee and a cocktail.  The coffee was served in a vintage coffee cup that looked like something I might see in my Grandmas house.  The coffee itself seemed to be a medium roast, was pretty flavorful, and was quickly refilled.  My cocktail was called a Wake Up Call and it was like a bastard child of and Old Fashioned and an Irish Coffee.  It started with Bourbon, and added Sparrow Cold Brew, Walnut Liqueur, Montenegro, Demerara, Mole Bitters, Coconut Whip, and topped it with Nutmeg.  It was really good.  In addition to the booze and coffee, the cocktail added some sweetness and spice topped with whipped cream and I really liked the Nutmeg finish.  With what was essentially two cups of coffee in front of me, I was definitely ready for the world.

As is typical for brunches, I will look at the pastry list.  While Beatnik didn't have a list, as such, it did have a platter.  While I do typically order multiple pastries for the table to share, with the Platter, it was a given that I was going to need to share.  The Decadent Pastry Platter included a Cookie, a Cupcake, Coffee Cake, and Banana Bread.  As the name suggests, this platter was pretty decadent with many international flavors among the sweetness with a Miso Butterscotch Cookie, a Pecan Pie Cupcake topped with crushed Pecans, Apple Date Coffee Cake, and a couple slices of Tahini Banana Bread.  It was big, very good, and almost too much for my party of four in addition to our regular dishes.

As for my main dish, I noticed on the menu before I even came, a dish with international flavors (and origin) that I will not frequently pass up, though I did look at the rest of the menu before ordering it.  They had Shakshuka.  Admittedly, I had had it recently at my last brunch at Bad Hunter a few weeks prior and had loved that, but that was done in small as a pastry, and this was a complete dish.  As I had mentioned, Shakshuka is a Mediterranean Dish that is essentially Eggs poached in Tomato Sauce.  This Shakshuka was made as a Tagine, a Moroccan method of cooking that uses an earthenware clay cone over it that essentially slow cooks and steams the food inside.  This Tagine Shakshuka was prepared with Duck Eggs  in a Spicy Tomato Sauce, Roasted Marcona Almonds, A Fresh Herb Salad, and Merguez Sausage.  It was served with Pita Bread.  I found the best way to eat this was to stuff it into the Pita (Sausage, Eggs, Tomato, Herbs) and eat it as a Sandwich.  It was good, I enjoyed the flavors and textures, and eating it as a sandwich was different, but it wasn't something that I will have to come back for, like some of the other flavors here.  This was a lot of fun.  I loved both the design of the place and the international flavors.  I will definitely have to return to try their dinner and other cocktails.

Flora Fauna - Tasting Collective Dinner

The day after I returned from Colorado, I did another dinner with Tasting Collective.  It was a brand new restaurant that had opened in the space formerly occupied by Bohemian House called Flora Fauna.  Located in the same building, it is likely going to look the same from the outside (except for the sign).  The entrance into the restaurant is also very similar, though there is now a very colorful mural of a parrot outside the heavy wooden door leading into the restaurant.  There is a menu outside the entrance that shows that the menu has completely changed.  What was formerly a restaurant focused on Bohemian cuisine (Austrian, German, Czech) is now very much an International restaurant with an eclectic menu focused primarily on the cuisine of Mexico, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia.  I did not get a chance to see the menu of the dinner that we would be served before I came, so I was kind of excited to see what we would be served.  Walking into the dining room, I found the layout largely the same with a large room with a high ceiling and a large bar on the wall opposite the entrance, kitchen in the back, and a large booth in the wall on the same side as the entrance.  There had been a lot of tile on the back wall and a brick wall on the bar side, but the tile had been removed with the wall painted a neutral color and the brick drywalled and given a green paint job.  There were still hanging lights, though the lights were now given a wicker basket cover.  We were seated at the front near the large windows.  After looking over the menu of what we would be eating, I then looked over the cocktails and started off with a cocktail called Basic Beach with Los Vecinos Mezcal, Coconut, Lime, Strawberry and Soda.  It was very tropical and refreshing with a lot of tart fruitiness and a sparkling finish.  I liked it and I thought the carbonation would be a good start because I figured that it would open up my taste buds as champagne does when you drink it at the beginning of a meal.   

We started with a spin on many types of Asian Cuisine, Braised Jackfruit Dandan with Papaya Noodles, Crushed Cashews, and Chili Oil.  Dandan is a noodle dish form the Sichuan region of China, Jackfruit is from Southern India, though is found in many cuisines of Southeast Asia, and Papaya Salad is a standard of Vietnamese cuisine.  As I was not familiar with Dandan, but was with papaya salad, that is how I related to it.  I really liked this.  It was spicy, tart, and crisp, and the jackfruit added a savory and  almost meaty side.  Dandan is frequently spicy, but so is papaya salad, and this was as well, but it wasn't overwhelming and added another flavor element to this dish. 

While I wouldn't call the second course strictly Indian, I will say that that is want it reminded me of, despite the fact that the ingredients used were largely Midwestern.  It was grilled Cauliflower and Broccolini with Goat's Milk Yogurt, and Mustard Seed Chow Chow (a pickled relish with varying ingredients with North American origins that is related to chutney).  The vegetables were tender and tasted very fresh with a lot of spicy flavor from what tasted like curry, though that may have simply come from the chow chow. 

For course number three, I would say that it was a spin Indian Cuisine which was pretty good.  We were served Seafood Fritters made from Octopus, Scallops, and Crab Meat, served with Kerala Curry, Chinese Broccoli, and Coconut Crema.  Kerala is a state in Southern India whose cuisines focus on vegetables and seafood.  The curry is made to go with vegetables and seafood and also includes a lot of coconut.   

The idea of the next course reminded me of Ssam, a Korean dish, or style of eating in which meat and vegetables are wrapped in a Sesame or Perilla Leaf.  In the Ssam that I have had, pork has been used.  This replaced the pork with a Fried Skate Wing and the Perilla with Lettuce.  Included with the Skate wing were a variety of vegetables including Carrots, Cucumbers, Mushrooms, Jicama, Lime, Tamari, and a Scotch Bonnet Vinaigrette.  This was really good and it was fun to see how the different flavors worked together.  The problem was to be able to fit everything on the lettuce leaf.  Many times I overloaded and had to eat over my plate so the vegetables spilling out didn't land in my lap.  The scotch bonnet vinaigrette could have potentially been so hot as to be inedible.  While there was some heat, it was not unbearable and did add some flavor to the fish and vegetables.

Our entree was largely Caribbean with the accompaniments reminding me of Cajun cuisine and the protein itself, Quail, North American.  We were served Jerked Quail with Dirty Ancient Grains, Braised Greens, and Mushrooms.  Jerk is a method of meat preparation native to Jamaica in which the meat is dry rubbed or wet marinated with a hot spice mixture including allspice, Scotch Bonnet Peppers, Cinnamon, Ginger, Thyme, and Garlic.  The dish was spicy, but it was also very good and while quail are small, there was enough meat and vegetables to go around.

We finished off with a Mexican favorite, a Chocolate Taquito with Korean Chili and Tangerine Whipped Cream.  I love the combination of sweet and spicy and Mexican and Korean cuisines seem to go together well, so this was a great combo.  The tangerine whipped cream added a hint of tang to the whole thing and made for a great finish.

I enjoyed my meal here and liked the combinations.  When we came, the chef mentioned that they were brand new and were still trying some things out.  A few of the dishes that we had are still on the menu, so I assume that it was found that they work.  I would happy to return to see what other combinations that they do.

Sunday Dinner Club Takeout Night

There are many Underground Supper Clubs in Chicago.  Many do not have a concrete location and will change locations from month to month.  Some clubs also vary chefs from month to month.  What they all do is have an ever changing menu.  Some Supper Clubs, like Sous Rising and One Sister have become so popular that they have opened a brick and mortar location (42 Grams and Elizabeth, respectively) and one, Sunday Dinner Club, both opened a brick and mortar location and maintained an enormously popular Dinner Club.  The location of the supper club is in a constant location, on the second floor above their very popular Honey Butter Fried Chicken, which was invented at the supper club.  Sunday Dinner Club is very popular.  In order to go to one of their dinners, you have to get on their mailing list and in order to get on their mailing list, you have to know someone on the mailing list.  I have wanted to get on their mailing list for several years, but this year, I finally found out that I knew someone on the list who was nice enough to add me.  A few dinners were announced where I was already busy or it sold out before I moved, but they recently decided to do a Takeout Night (or as they called it, TriBecca's Cubano Cubano Takeout Night at HBFC).  There were know reservations to this event, if you were interested, you came to the rear of Honey Butter Fried Chicken and bought a dinner (sandwich, side dessert) for a very reasonable price, with alcohol (which was consumed at HBFC) extra.  The menu sounded good, so I decided to show up.  I ordered my meal and decided to order the cocktail special, a Cherry Cuba Libre, while I was waiting.  A Cuba Libre is one of the simplest cocktails ever, consisting of Rum, Coke, and a Lime garnish, so a Cherry Cuba Libre is a Rum and Cherry Coke.  The bartender was very generous with the rum which is nice as far as amount of alcohol per price paid, but when rum is not your favorite liquor, it's not so great.  I did drink it, but I would have preferred a drink a little lighter on the rum.

Dinner was served in a bag, so after I finished my drink, I went on my way.  In the bag, I got Executive Sous Chef Becca's Cubano with Mojo Pork, Neuske's Ham, Swiss Cheese, House Made Pickles, Chipotle Mayo, and Mustard Butter on a Ciabatta Panino.  For a side, I got a container (about 12 oz) of Rice and Sour Orange Black Beans, and a Mini Funfetti Rum Cake for dessert.  The sandwich was excellent.  The pork and ham were tender and flavorful.  The cheese was perfectly melted, the pickles were crisp, and the butter and mayo provided some good spice flavor to the sandwich.  The ciabatta panino had a nice crunchy exterior and a chewy texture and was substantial enough to hold the plentiful meat and cheese that was piled on.  Black Beans and Rice are good in any case, the sour orange flavor added a tart citrus flavor which made them even better.  The rum cake, though small, was dense, and had a lot of sweet rum flavor, in addition to the sweetness from the funfetti.

This meal was my introduction to Sunday Dinner Club (aside from a few trips to Honey Butter Fried Chicken) and I really liked it.  While I didn't see the normal space in which Sunday Dinner Club happens, I was able to experience the excellent quality of their food.  I will definitely return for other dinners.      

Sauce and Bread Kitchen, The Stew - Stuff Stuffed in Stuff Dinner

I have mentioned that I like going to dining events.  It allows you to experience something new in a familiar space.  I went recently, to Sauce and Bread Kitchen's supper club, The Stew in Rogers Park for their Stuff Stuffed in Stuff Dinner.  The idea sounded interesting and the preview menu that they posted looked really good, so I decided to attend.  Sauce and Bread Kitchen is a Coffee Shop/Breakfast place during the day, so the space is small and simple with a counter to one side and tables on the other side and in the back.  While the bar and furniture are nothing to write home about, there are a lot of decorations hanging and sitting on shelves.  There is also a very cool map of the midwest on the wall behind the counter with labeled pins showing where all of their food comes from.  I arrived just before 7 pm, when the dinner was supposed to start, and waited outside because SBK is not normally open at this time and it is kind of small.  When the doors opened, we were checked in and found our own seats.  I again sat at the counter, because I like the view from there.  As things started, the hosts/chefs came out to welcome us and introduce themselves and the first course, which was actually an addition to the menu.  The head chef would come out before every course to introduce and describe it.  We started out with a large spoon (big enough for one bite) with Coppa di Testa, something that they described as Pork Pate, but which more accurately could have been called Head Cheese, which was served with Cracklin (also known as a Pork Rind or Chicharron).  It was a big meaty and porky bite that was a great start.  It was simple, something that could not be said about later dishes, but it was simple done very well and it was a great start.

The first official course was Bao, a Chinese Steamed Bun, which was stuffed with a Shrimp and Pork Sausage, a Red Onion/Turmeric Pickle, Celery, and Aji Sambal Mustard (a hot mustard with fish sauce).  I love Bao.  They are soft and slightly sweet and are a good complement to whatever are put inside them.  The shrimp and pork in the sausage were both easily tasted and went together surprisingly well.  The celery added a crunchy texture that would have otherwise been a very soft dish, and the pickled red onion and the sambal mustard added both spice and a little fishiness which went well with the shrimp in the sausage.

The next course was Carpaccio and admittedly, I thought it a little odd, but not in a bad way.  I would also say that while I did like it, I would not say that anything was really stuffed anywhere.  It was a Seared Strip Loin served with Koji Cured Egg Yolk (Koji is the fungus used to cure soybeans to make Soy Sauce), Jalapeno Ice, and Pink Peppercorns served with Heirloom Lettuce.  While the cured yolk and jalapeno ice were on top, the strip loin and the lettuce were arranged such that either could enwrap the other and it could all be eaten like a taco.  The yolk in this "taco" had a consistency like gel and the jalapeno ice was just that, shaved ice flavored with jalapeno, so the entire thing was cold and spicy with a nice crunch from the fresh lettuce and the flavor of very good beef.

From Charcuterie to Asian to Italian, we then went to Jewish with a Matzo Ball Soup.  The Matzo Ball was stuffed with Duxelles (Mushrooms, Onions, Shallots, and Herbs) and floated in a Porcini Mushroom Broth.  It had a strong savory and funky mushroom flavor with some spice in the broth that gave it some heat.  I like mushrooms and this definitely had a lot of mushroom flavor.  The spice saved it from being a one note wonder.  It was a good dish, but it didn't speak to me as it did to some other people I noticed in the restaurant.

The dish that did speak to me were the Stuffed Beets.  We were served one Red and one Golden Beet, Roasted, and stuffed with Garlic Ricotta, topped with Peanut Miso Powder, and Lime Chili Peanut Crumble with Micro Greens on the side.  This tasted fresh and bright.  The beets were tender and sweet.  The peanut miso added some savoriness, the ricotta added a depth of flavor, but the chili lime peanut crumble was a flavor explosion.

We finished things off with a Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta between layers of Blood Orange Gelee and served with a Candied Blood Orange Chip and topped with Chocolate Crumbs.  Served in a small glass cup, it was a sweet and colorful finish to a menu that went all over the map.  The Blood Orange Gelee was sweet with a slightly tart finish that played off of the sweetness of the panna cotta.  The chip was chewy and bittersweet, with a little more tartness, and the chocolate provided a bitter contrast to the sweetness of the blood orange and vanilla panna cotta.  I really enjoyed dinner and I will definitely do it again.