WoodWind - Restaurant Week

 

 

 

 

It's hard to expect a fine dining restaurant at the top of a hospital.  While Green River occupied the same space  and actually earned a Michelin Star, it did run into the problem of a dearth of customers who didn't think about it because coming to a hospital to eat is not obvious and finding the location after was not made any easier with the fact that there was no signage down on the 1st floor to let you know you are in the right place.  WoodWind, located on the 18th Floor of the Lavin Family Pavilion of Northwestern Hospital, has avoided a few of the problems that Green River had by putting a sign on a pillar on the first floor and also locating a Host Station on the first floor to direct you to the elevator to the restaurant.  Having been there before (to Green River), I knew where the elevator was and knew that the restaurant was on the 18th Floor.  Walking out of the elevator, I immediately saw an impressive wine rack with the host station to my right.  I was led to a table in the middle of the main dining room.  Green River also had an impressive patio with a great view, but it was February and at night, so it was obviously not open.  The dining room for WoodWind remained largely the same as Green River, though the color scheme and theme was different.  While Green River was more green with maps of the Great Lakes area, WoodWind is brown and tan with a wall of plants and many diagrams of plant life.  While the tables in the center of the room were close, it was a good place to see the lay of the land.  The kitchen was open and over my right shoulder.  The bar was in front of me.  I was sitting among a group of high top tables that were all full with low tops and booths off to the left in a corner of the dining room.  While the wine list did look pretty impressive, the cocktail list also looked nice.  I started out, while I was looking at the menu, with The Big Boss, a cocktail made with Bombay Dry Gin, Pear Liqueur, and Mint.  I liked it and it was very good.   It wasn't listed, but it also seemed to have a strong Vanilla flavor.  The drink was very refreshing and I really enjoyed it.

The Restaurant Week offer here was to choose three courses and a common dessert would be served to all.   For my starting course, I started with House Ricotta, Honey, Mish Mish, and Grilled Toast.  The Ricotta was very light and creamy.  Mish Mish is a Lebanese Colloquialism for Apricot.  With the honey and the citrus flavor of the mish mish, it kind of reminded me of breakfast.  It was sweet, tangy, and creamy, and on the crisp toast, it was a very nice start.

My second course was a bit unusual, Sunchokes.  Sunchokes, also known as a Jerusalem Artichoke, are a root vegetable and come from a species of Sunflower.  The Sunchokes were served three ways:  Roasted, as a Fermented Puree, and as Chips.  They were also served with Apple and Parmesan.  I have, in the past, liked sunchokes.  They generally have an earthy, potato flavor, with some sweetness.  This, while it had all of that, also had a funky tart flavor, which came, I imagine, from the fermented puree.  Other parts of this I liked.  I liked the roasted sunchokes and the chips, but with the funky flavor, it didn't come together.

My entree, like many of the entrees that I had during Restaurant Week was fish.  This fish, Smoked and Grilled Sturgeon with Black Garlic, Housemade Creme Fraiche, and Shoestring Potatoes, was very good and came together well with all of it's elements.  The sturgeon was tender with a nice smoky flavor which went well with the earthy flavor of the black garlic and the crispy shoestring potatoes.  The sour flavor of the Creme Fraiche brought in a complementary tartness.

 

      There was one dessert that they were serving everyone, Cashew Gelato.  It sounded fine, but didn't seem exceptionally exciting.  I did notice that they had a nice list of Digestifs.  I decided to excite my gelato with a Braulio Amaro, not to add to it, but to drink it along side the gelato.  The Amaro was very nice, lightly spicy and bittersweet with a lightly minty finish.  It was nice and went well with the gelato, but the gelato was actually very good on it's own served with mint, tangerine, and cashews on the side.

For the most part I enjoyed my meal, the service was great, and while I didn't think much of the Sunchokes, I learned that I didn't care for fermented sunchokes.  In many places after the dessert come Petit Fors or Mignardises, which are generally a bite of love, to say thank you.  There was a Mignardise served here, but it was very unexpected.  The waitress came out with a huge mass of Lime Cotton Candy.  I will grant that Cotton Candy is mostly air (the rest being spun sugar), but the sheer size of the mass was a huge surprise.  A lot of cotton candy is incredibly sweet.  As this was Lime, it also had some tartness to it and I really enjoyed it.  It was a very good dinner in a great space.  I hope to be able to return in the future.

Candide - Montreal

 

One of the things that I make sure to do before I go on a trip is to try to find out what the notable restaurants are in the area.  Before I went to Montreal last month, I looked at several lists to try to find out where to eat and Candide kept on coming up.  I noticed that it was in the Little Burgundy neighborhood and was actually located in the basement of an old church.  While they did have a menu, it was simply the menu of what they would be serving on that given night.  Every night, they served a 4 course seasonal menu based on what they could find in the markets.  The only choice that you had to make was whether you would also be doing the wine pairing.  This sounded very much like the thing that I am very much into, so I made sure to make a reservation.  The place was a 40 minute walk from where I was staying and when I got there, I found that not only is it located in an old church, but the church was located in the middle of a park.  While there was an address, the road on the block where the restaurant is located is pedestrian only, so even if I were to have taken a cab to get there, there would have been at least some walking.  The entrance had a large covered porch with strung white Christmas style lights, but it was not yet being used.  I walked in and found a ramp that led (slightly) down to the host station.  The dining room was small, seating about 30 people in total between tables and the counter overlooking the kitchen, where I was seated.  I really enjoyed the counter seat because the chef and his two sous chefs were literally across the counter so I could both watch what was being done and ask questions.  Shortly after I was seated, the Sommelier came by and asked if I would like bubbles.  It is very much both a French and Fine Dining tradition to start things off with a sparkling wine because it opens up your taste buds and allows you to be better taste what you are about to eat.  I said yes and was served a Cava which was dry, very sparkling, and very good.  I also said yes to the wine pairing.

For my first course, which was actually kind of a pre-appetizer, we started with  a simple dish of Asparagus wrapped in Greens and topped with Seaweed Butter.  It tasted very fresh and green and while the butter did add an element of savoriness, the seaweed that it was infused with added to the green flavor.  It was very good and almost as if I was eating directly from a garden.  In addition to the Asparagus, I was served a bowl of Housemade Bread and Whipped Butter which was very good.  I did eat all of the bread and I was offered more, it was just sitting on the other side of the counter,but I waved it off because, while it was very good, I didn't want to fill up on bread.

 

The actual first course was also vegetable based.  I was served Red Romaine Lettuce with Bottarga  Sauce (a sauce made with tuna roe), Pickled Blueberries, and Farmers Cheese.  It was crunchy, creamy, briny, and a little bitter.  It really didn't look like much, but it did have a wealth of flavor and I really liked it.  It was paired with a local white wine called Nibiru Alte Reben, which, while I have never heard of, I liked and thought it went well with the lettuce.

The next course kind of skirted the line between a vegetable dish and an entree.  Also simple (and actually a favorite), it was Crab, Carrots, and Yogurt.  It was very fresh, sweet, tart, and sour, and both creamy and crunchy.  The wine served was another white, Stefan Vetter Sylvaner (shown on the right in the picture below) which was crisp with a very minerally flavor.

The main course also very seasonal.  The star was the Guinea Fowl which was set on a Parasol Mushroom Puree and served with Fiddlehead Ferns and Local Greens.  It was savory, salty, and tasted very fresh.  The mushrooms added a savoriness to the already savoriness of the Guinea Hen and the fiddlehead ferns contrasted that with a green flavor.  The wine pairing was a Methode Sauvage Syrah which was both very rich and savory and very floral.

Dessert, while it was seasonal and fruit forward was kind of unexpected.  Dried Plums (Prunes) were rehydrated with Strawberry Juice and served over Malted Wheat with Sweet Bread.  It was sweet, fruity, and a little tart with the richness of the malted wheat.  The sweet bread was sweet and crunchey and paired well with the malted wheat.  I was actually surprised that the plum, which had started as a prune had not retained any of the bitterness of a prune.  The fruit went well with the dessert pairing, which was a Sauternes.  It was sweet and slightly syrupy and gained from the tartness of the strawberry juice rehydrated plum.

Many fine dining places will finish things off with Mignardises when the check is brought.  While I was served a sweet surprise, it was actually Linden Honey with Honeycomb.  The check was also served with a little toy hippo which was cute.

Dinner was very good and the experience was great because I had the chefs there to answer my many questions.  It was a lot of fun and I would highly recommend it to any friends who decide to visit Montreal.                    

Jeong

 

Chicago Avenue in Westtown has a wealth of restaurants and even if a favorite restaurant leaves, it is soon replaced by another restaurant equal or greater than that that has gone away.  I was very said when vegetarian fine dining restaurant, Green Zebra, closed.  I became very excited, though, when I found that the people behind Hanbun, which was essentially a Suburban Food Court stall serving amazing Korean food would be coming into Chicago and replacing Green Zebra in their space.  The new place is called Jeong and while the color of the space has changed, Green Zebra was done in greens and Jeong is done in grays and browns, the layout is very similar.  The windows are also different.  The door is on one side and to enter the dining room you walk down a passageway with the glass outer wall on one side and a half wall overlooking the dining room.  We were seated on the side opposite the entryway under a cut in where a stairway is on the other side of the wall.  The menu looked really good.  They have both a Tasting and an a la Carte menu.  While there were several things on the a la Carte menu that looked good, we decided to go with the Tasting Menu.  Before that came our cocktails and wine.  They had what looked like a pretty good wine list, but I decided to go with a cocktail.   The cocktails were all named after key ingredients in Korean cooking.  I got a Gochujang which was a red, gin-based cocktail with, according to the listed ingredients, Junipero Gin, Calamansi Lime, and St. George Raspberry Liqueur.  I also wondered if it also contained Gochijang, because while it had a sweet, tart, and citrusy flavors, as would be expected, it also had a finish that was pretty spicy.  I like spice, but it was a surprise, but the drink was pretty good, despite the surprise.

For our first course we were served Silken Tofu with King Crab, Maesil (Korean Plum Wine), and Chili Braised Fern.  While I have had tofu before and have liked it based on what it was served with.  While tofu definitely has a texture, it essentially tastes like what it has been prepared with.  I would say that that also applies with silken tofu, but the texture is a different animal altogether.  As it sounds, it was very smooth and silky.  The crab was cooked perfectly and was very sweet and tender.  The Maesil added a tartness atop the sweetness of the crab and the chili braised ferns added both a green freshness and a spicy finish.  It was a very nice start.

Our second course stayed with the sea.  We were served Salmon Tartare which was served with Doenjang Yuza Gastrique (mixture of vinegar and sugar infused with a thick Soybean Paste), Bubu Arare (Rice Cracker), and Creme Fraiche.  It had a variety of textures and the salmon was very good.  The gastrique added a tart and savory element to the course which was very nice.

The next course looked pretty simple, but there were still some interesting elements to it and it was very good.  It started with a perfectly Pan-Seared Scallop that was very large, very tender, and nicely flavorful.  Served with it was a Spinach Namul.  I had no idea what a Namul was so I had to look it up.  It is simply a grain or vegetable cooked in a variety of ways and generally served as a banchan.  Our spinach namul was blanched and served, basically as a bale to the side.  The dish was finished with a Clementine Beurre Blanc, a white butter sauce with a nice citrus finish.

Our first entree was a favorite of mine, duck.  It was served rare with a Corn Tea and Soy Glaze and with Yulmoo Rice (cooked with Barley) and a stack of Kimchi.  Served separately, it was easy to try each element individually.  Everything was prepared perfectly and had great flavor and texture.  tried in combination, I found the best way to enjoy everything was to take some rice and combine it with the duck and glaze and finish with a piece of kimchi.

Our second entree and final savory dish was the height of savory.  We were served an A5 Wagyu Bavette (Flank Steak) with Sunchoke two ways, Whipped and as a Croquette, and a Truffle-Kimchi Emulsion.  As might be expected, the steak was very tender, though not the height of tenderness because flank steak is more prized for it's flavor than for it's tenderness.  It was very flavorfull and with the truffle kimchi emulsion, it was like an explosion in my mouth of savory funk and spice.  Sunchokes are from the root of certain sunflowers and remind me of a flavorful potato.  I preferred the croquette to the whipped sunchoke, but the flavor of both was very good.

For our first dessert, we had a Bokbunja (Raspberry Wine) Granita with Ginger Tea Crema and a Ginger Shortbread Cookie.  The granit awas served in the center of the shortbread cookie on top of the ginger tea crema, which was similar to custard.  As a whole, the dish reminded me of a Creme Brulee with the shortbread cookie acting as the crust and the granita as the fruit garnish.  It was very good and I liked the ginger and raspberry flavor combination.

To finish things off, we had what they called a Chestnut Financier.  Generally, I would say that you could eat a financier without silverware because it's basically a sandwich cookie.  This financier, though, while the shape of the cookie was the same, was essentially deconstructed.  There was the oblong Chestnut Cookie that was served with Doenjang Caramel, Smoked Chestnut Cream, and Chocolate, served both as nibs and as a custard.  While utensils were necessary to eat this, it was rich, sweet and savory, and a very enjoyable finish.

While Green Zebra is no longer and I can still see it in the design of the space despite the fact that the furniture is changed, I really enjoyed my meal and my time here and would happily return.           

Temporis

 

I like tasting menus.  They give you the opportunity to try a lot of different flavors and give you an opportunity to see what the chef can do.  There are a lot of restaurants in Chicago that do Tasting Menus and it would be great to be able to try all of them.  Even if that were to happen, there would always be new places opening, so it's a moving target, but I do what I can when I can.  I visited a place recently that is one of the lesser known places, Temporis, though still very good in it's own right.  Located on a side street in Westtown, it has an unobtrusive storefront as do many other Tasting Menu places.  The door opens into a slight passageway that leads to the host station and coat check.  I checked my bag and was seated at the front of the dining room.  The room was carpeted and there was no bar.  The room was very modern and the twisting lines on the wall reminded me of a circuit diagram.  The tables reminded me of conference room desks, with a spot in the middle of the table that looked like it was a place, to plug in a laptop.  I found shortly after I was seated that the center area was for an edible centerpiece which was placed in my table shortly after I was seated.  It contained 5 day Mustard, Radish, and Cabbage Greens that were grown in house, and while I was told that I was free to sample the centerpiece, it would be used in a later course, so be sure to save enough to be used.  I had seen something like this in a couple of other places, so I was both interested and excited.

 

There were two wine lists, a standard list and a reserve list, as well as bottles and cocktails.  I decided to go with the standard list, because while I do like wine, I don't think I have the knowledge to truly appreciate the reserve list.  I would find out about this later.  We started out with bubbles, a brut Champagne, from Reims, that was paired with the Amuse Bouche.  The Amuse Bouche was interesting.  It was a Savory Cheese-Filled Doughnut wrapped in Mangalica Ham (the Spanish version of Prosciutto) with Dill and Kombu.  It was very good.   I liked it a lot and it paired well with the Champagne which, with the bubbles, opened up the taste buds and created a sharper flavor.

 

The first official course was a favorite, but pasta is easy to be a favorite.  It was a Lobster Cappellini with Beech Mushrooms, Champagne Foam, Gooseberries, and augmented with 5 grams of Osetra Caviar.  The wine was a 2017 Eladio Pineiro, Envidiacocchina Tete de Cuvee, Rias Baixas, Albarino.  Other than it being an Spanish white and that it was pretty dry and good, I couldn't say a lot about it.  The Cappellini on the other hand was very savory, had plenty of lobster, and the caviar gave it a briny pop.

 

 

When the next course came out, it initially reminded me of a terrarium.  It was served in a glass dish with what looked like mulch and flowers.  It was obviously not this, but that's what it reminded me of.  When a light colored soy sauce was added, that dispelled any idea that it was a terrarium.  It was a Scallop with Fermented Pineapple and XO Sauce with New Soy Sauce added upon presentation.  The flavors were sharp and tart and the soy sauce, while tasting like soy sauce, also had a brightness to it.  The wine was a 2014 Domaine Thillardon, Chenas Les Biemonts, Cru Beaujolais, Gamay.  It was a savory red and went very well with the course.

As I was finishing the Beaujolais, the wine server poured me a taste of the third wine on the reserve list, a Tempranillo that was just incredible.  It became paired with my next course, a Portobello Omelette with Rye and Sunchoke, that was topped tableside with a healthy amount of Black Truffles.  The omelette was very tender and delicate.  The portobello and the truffle gave the dish a savory funk, which when paired with the Tempranillo, was just incredible.

 

 

 

After the omelette, a server came out and brought what looked like surgical tools.  They weren't explained and my wine server came to bring me out my next wines.  I say wines because in our conversations, I apparently impressed her, so she again brought me a (large) sample from the Reserve list.  She poured me a 2016 Clos Figueras, Font se la Figuera, Priorat, Grinache & Carignan and a Rioja from the Reserve list (I don't have the details from the Reserve Wines other than type, because I didn't have the list).  I will say that the Reserve wines were definitely a step above the standard wines, though the standard wines were very good.  My next course was then brought out and I found out what the instruments were for.  I was served a Rabbit Meatloaf with House Miso, Blue Cheese, Chasseur Sauce (a base demi-glace sauce that often uses mushrooms and shallots), and Pickled Corn.  The server than took the instruments then began trimming the centerpiece (that I had sampled and enjoyed several times), to top the meatloaf with.  The course was very savory and with the blue cheese and pickled corn, kind of funky, but the centerpiece a freshness was added.

 

Our next course was my favorite course.  In fact, it may be one of my favorite courses of all time.  It was simple and referenced comfort food, hitting all of the right notes.  At it's essence, it was Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup, but the Toast was Sourdough, the Cheese was Comte, in the bowl was Tomato Sorbet, Balsamic, and Thai Basil, into which was added a Fermented Tomato Soup.  It was incredible and almost brought me to tears.  I don't know if I would eat this for the rest of my life, but if this was the only thing on the menu when I went somewhere, I would happily eat it.

My last savory course was an A5 Wagyu.  A5 is the highest grade of Wagyu and this was like butter.  It was served with White Asparagus, Red Wine, and Nasturtium.  It was savory and rich, but texturally, it was very light and was very good.

After the last entree, as in many multi-course meals, there was a palate cleanser/pre-dessert.  I was served a Meyer Lemon Sorbet, with Poppy Seed, Gin, and a small Buckwheat Pancake on top.  It was light, bright, tart, and very much did it's job as a palate cleanser.

The first dessert was actually kind of surprising because it generally plays on the savory side of the menu.  The course was primarily Foie Gras with Bacon.  It was presented as a Foie Gras Waffle. Foie Gras and Bacon Sorbet, Maple Syrup. and Lemon Balm.  It was very much like breakfast with the bacon and maple syrup flavors.  It was sweet and rich with an interesting savory twist and I did like it.  The final wine pairing was a sweet white from the Loire Valley, a 2011 Domaine Baumard, Coteaux du Layon, Clos de Ste. Catherine, Loire, Chenin Blanc.

 

Our final course celebrated Termporis' birthday.  They had been open for 3 years, so they presented us with a "Birthday Cake".  Presented under glass with a lit candle, it was allowed to build up smoke to infuse a smoke flavor.  The Birthday Cake had many tropical flavors like Coconut, Mango, Pomegrate, and Passionfruit with a Coconut Granita and Passionfruit Creme Anglais,  There were lots of flavors and it was a great finish to a great dinner.  There were a few courses like the grilled cheese that will live in my memory, and I would be happy to return.