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.
 

Funkenhausen - Brunch

 

While the odd name and cuisine combination were kind of a draw, I knew, before I came that I would enjoy Funkenhausen.  I first encountered Chef Mark Steuer when he was working the savory side of the restaurant at Mindy's Hot Chocolate.  There, I had the best Shrimp and Grits that I had ever had.  He then went on to open The Bedford and The Carriage House.  When I later went to The Carriage House, I did not remember until I had the shrimp and grits that the chef there was the same chef as the one I first encountered at Mindy's Hot Chocolate.  Through these three restaurants, I saw that Chef Steuer did some excellent Lowcountry Southern food.  With Funkenhausen Chef Steuer decided to combine the Southern food that he grew up with with the German food which relates to his heritage.  I like both Southern and German cuisines, though there didn't seem an obvious connection between the two, especially with brunch.  With German food, I think of a lot of meat and starch.  Southern food uses different starches and seafood.  Before having the food, I was thinking, possibly that gravies and sauces could make the connections, but I would have to see.  The space is very large and open with a bar on the left side, an arched ceiling, and a half wall dividing the space in the middle.  The arches in the ceiling, gave the space an Alpine lodge look.  The wall behind the bar was covered in green tile that was laid out in a chevron pattern  On the wall was a Cuckoo Clock and the bar taps were decorated with antlers emphasizing the German Alpine feel.  The back wall also was tiled, though it was tan instead of green.  On that wall was a sign that said, "Wine, Stein, Dine".  Below the sign, a Boar's head was mounted, which could be either German or Southern.  In addition to all of this, the soundtrack was old school funk, which was a lot of fun to listen to and was a throwback to the name.  I sat at the bar and had a coffee (from Metric), which is kind of universal, served in a heavy rustic mug.  The coffee was a medium roast and tasted pretty good.  It was a good way to start things and I was excited for the food.  I was obviously seeing German elements in the design, I was wondering if the Southern would show up in the food.

The brunch menu had German elements, but was not strictly German.  The menu looked fun and didn't take itself exceptionally seriously.  I like to go both sweet and savory with brunch.  I started with sweet and a doughnut.  In this case, it was a Black Forest Doughnut, A Dark Chocolate Doughnut with Chocolate Glaze, Amarena Cherries, Vanilla Buttercream, and Powdered Sugar.  This was very definitely a very whimsical take on a Black Forest Cake.  It had the flavors of Black Forest Cake, Dark Chocolate and Cherries, but it wasn't overwhelming.  It was a little messy, but it was very good and a lot of fun to eat.

When I think of breakfast pasta, I think of Pasta Carbonara, a combination of Parmesan, Bacon, and Eggs (sometimes with a white wine sauce).  The ingredients combined with the pasta are breakfast regulars, so it just makes sense if pasta is gong to be served for breakfast, Carbonara would be served.  Funkenhausen did do a spin on Carbonara, using Spaetzle, a German hand-rolled pasta, with Parmesan, Bacon, Red Onion, Peas, and topped with a Soft Boiled Egg and lots of Pepper.  It was very similar to a good Spaghetti Carbonara, the Carbonara was what you would expect from a good Carbonara, but the Spaetzle was thicker than spaghetti and more chewy.  The soft boiled egg, served on top instead of being mixed in, was a good reference to breakfast.  Because it was soft boiled, it was easy to break up and mix in which provided enough moisture to the other tasty ingredients.

This was a lot of fun.  There were no obvious Southern dishes, but it definitely was not strictly a German restaurant.  The food was very good, the space was nice, the staff was friendly, and the music was nice to listen to.  I will have to return again to try out dinner sometime, and possibly return for brunch.        

Boeufhaus

When I go out, I will typically choose a place that does something new or exotic or different.  I generally choose a steakhouse because, while I like steak, there are any number of places where you can get a good steak so it isn't usually that exciting.  Never mind the fact that a good steak can be pretty expensive.  Sometimes though, I just want a steak, so I recently went to a relatively new place that opened up in Ukranian Village called Boeufhaus to see what they do.  Located in a small storefront that used to be a butcher shop, Boeufhaus puts a French and German spin on a steakhouse.  It is a small space, seating about 40 including the bar, and has kept a lot of elements from the butcher shop like the display case at the front where the host station now is and and big, heavy looking freezer doors behind the bar.  The space has a hardwood floor and bar and tin ceiling tiles with hanging lights that focus on the tabletop.  While the dining room is generally dim, the tabletops are bright enough that a flash is unnecessary.  While Boeufhaus bills itself as a steakhouse, and I am sure that is what most of the orders are, the snacks and appetizers French and German inspired and there is also some seafood, duck, and pork on the entree menu.  While several of the entrees did look good, I figured if I was going to be at a steakhouse, I should really have the steak.  Before that though, a good appetizer was needed.  While looking at the menu, there were several things that excited me including the Tarte Flambée, a caramelized onion tart with bacon and white cheese, but there was also on the menu one of those things that didn't look like it made a lot of sense so I had to order that.  What I ordered were the Short Rib Beignets.  I like short ribs and I like beignets, but in my mind they don't seem to be two things that should go together.  Beignets are a light and yeasty fritter that are generally topped with powdered sugar and eaten at breakfast.  Short ribs are the beef version of spare ribs.  For this dish, the meat was braised and stuffed into the beignets, which were not covered in powdered sugar.  They were light and airy with a small piece of short rib wonderfulness in each one.  The braising liquid was reduced and used as a dipping sauce.  It was very good, I enjoyed it heartily, and it was a good opening for what I expected to be a very good steak.

As for their steaks, Boeufhaus has a relatively short list:  two dry aged ribeyes, 35 day and 55 day, a New York strip, a filet mignon, and steak frites, a hanger steak and fries.  I decided to go with the top of the line and ordered a Medium Rare 55 Day Dry Aged Ribeye with an order of Bordelaise Sauce on the side and a Side order of Roasted Mushrooms.  I was actually a little surprised when it came out because the way it was sliced and presented, it looked to me a little smaller than I expected.  It was a 22 oz steak (with bone) which would be a pretty big steak as one piece, but didn't look as big sliced.  Having said that, it was about an inch and a half thick with five slices plus the meat on the bone.  The steak was very good.  Aged 55 days, it was tender (although not fork tender) and had a blue cheese funk to it.  The funk wasn't strong, but it was definitely there and it went well with the stronger beef flavor that comes with the aging.  The Bordelaise Sauce was good, but it really wasn't necessary as the steak had enough flavor on its own.  It was a little darker than other Bordelaise sauces that i have seen and it did have a good beef flavor.  The mushrooms, though, were a nice addition.  It was a mixture of Shiitake, Maitake, Trumpet, and Portabello Mushrooms combined with Fresh Thyme and Vinegar.  The mushrooms added a variety of texture to the steak and the meaty flavor along with the vinegary bite added to the flavor.

With the appetizer and a large steak, I was a little surprised that I could handle dessert.  Even though I was a little full, there is always room for dessert.  I ordered a Brown Butter Almond Cake with Toasted Coconut and Lemon.  There was nothing about this that I didn't like.  It was sweet, but just slightly and very nutty.  The toasted coconut was added both as a chip on top and a garnish and the lemon was a sauce that went well with everything.  It was delicate and a great finish to an otherwise pretty heavy meal.

I really enjoyed dinner here.  The space has a very nice vintage look, the staff is friendly and helpful, and the steak, of course, was very good.  I will definitely consider it again when I am in the mood for a good steak.      

Dusek's

If a restaurant is outside places that I normally travel, it can sometimes take some time to get there even if it's a place that I really want to got to.  I was interested in Dusek's when I first heard about it.  Owned by the group that also owns Longman & Eagle, Parsons Chicken and Fish, and The Empty Bottle, I knew that it was going to be a hit, but it's in Pilsen, which while in Chicago, is a little farther than I normally like to bike.   I decided one nice summer evening however, that it was a place I wanted to visit and the weather was great, so it was time to visit.  Dusek's Board and Beer was originally founded by John Dusek in the 1890s as a bar and boarding house in Thalia Hall.  It was refounded after several years dormant at the same location as a three part operation, Dusek's, a beer focused restaurant influenced by the original German, Czech, and Eastern European settlers in Pilsen, Punch Room, the basement Cocktail Lounge, and Thalia Hall, the music venue.  The restaurant space is divided into two large rooms, with hardwood floors, brick walls, and prints and photographs from the 1890's.  The big windows in the front provide a lot of natural light with additional light provided by chandeliers with Edison lights.  The bar serving beer and liquor is at the bar in the front room, but there is an additional bar in the other room which is used for preparing charcuterie and cheese boards.  I was seated next to this bar in an area with a lot of natural light.  While the ham plates and the cheese plates both sounded really good, I started things off with Chicken Fried Veal Sweetbreads which were served with Blue Cheese Gnocchi, a Barigoule (a vegetable dish from Provençal, typically made with artichokes, braised in a seasoned broth of wine and water) of Carrots and Celery, Aerated Ranch, Hot Sauce Gel, and Dill Pollen.  Many people are put off by the idea of eating sweetbreads, which are an animals' thymus glands.  I have little fear of trying something new, but I remember once, a waitress comparing them to chicken nuggets.  With the fact that these sweetbreads were breaded and chicken fried, the comparison was very apt.  In fact, with the hot sauce, the ranch and the blue cheese, this was like boneless buffalo wings.  The carrots and celery added a vegetable flavor to the dish which also enhanced the comparison of the sweetbreads to chicken.  The ranch was aerated to thin it somewhat and the hot sauce was gelled to thicken it so that the sauces had similar consistencies.  Everything worked together very well and it was a great starting dish.

I decided, with my entree, to try a dish that honored the ethnic background of the original settlers of the neighborhood.  I ordered Choucroute, the Alsatian version of Sauerkraut and Sausage, which was served with Sauerkraut, of course, but also with a Duck Confit Leg, Pork Belly, House Garlic Sausage, Confit Red Potatoes, Caraway Pickled Apples, and a side of Country Mustard.  I like sauerkraut and sausage, but this went one step beyond with the addition of the additional meats.  It was all very tender and flavorful and I liked the fact that it was served on an antique-style plate.  Everything was very good, but the surprise of the dish was actually the apples, which were served as little balls.  The pickling added a sour flavor to them, with a little nuttiness from the caraway, but their flavor was completely unlike a normal apple.  The texture of the apple, however,  remained which added some textural variation to the dish.

While my entree honored the original settlers of the neighborhood, my dessert honored the people who are here now.  I ordered  Roasted Chili Churros with Dulce Cream, Bittersweet Chocolate Sorbet, Candied Mango, Sweet Chili Lime Oil, and Mango Gel.  The churros were served warm which provided a hot-cold juxtaposition between them and the rest of the dish.  They were sweet and spicy while the sorbet was bittersweet, and the dulce cream was sweet and sour with a little spice with the candied mangoes and the chili lime oil.  It was a great dish that was well presented, tasted great, and honored the history of the neighborhood.

While it is a little further than what I normally like to travel (on my bike) for dinner, it was very good and I really enjoyed the space and the food.  I will definitely have to return in the future.
 

The Radler

Most of the time, when people think of German food, they think of beer, sausages, and possibly sauerkraut.  Growing up in Michigan near the Bavarian village, Frankenmuth, I also found out about the fried chicken at Zehnder's.  In any case, what most people think of German cuisine is not something that you can really build a sit-down restaurant around especially if it is not surrounded by other German restaurants.  Logan Square, however, would be the exception to that rule.  Formerly  a neighborhood where you might go for Mexican, Puerto Rican, or Cuban cuisine (plus Lula Cafe).  In the last few years, the area has been becoming a locale for international cuisine with Japanese (both sushi and otherwise), French, Barbecue, Burgers, a Brewpub, some very good Cocktail Lounges, and now German food with The Radler.  People that know the name Radler will think of the German beer cocktail that is half lemonade and half beer (equivalent to the English Shandy).  Radler literally means cyclist and the drink was first pitched as a sports drink.  While The Radler does serve Radlers, the name is also appropriate because the restaurant is located on the "Hipster Highway".  A road that has a large amount of bike traffic.  The front of the restaurant has large windows framed by black painted wood.  The dining room is large and open with several communal tables in the center of the room and smaller tables along the wall and near the kitchen in the back.  The kitchen is fairly open and will be home to D.A.S. a small German fine dining restaurant serving tasting menus with beer pairings.  There are several pillars in the dining room that have coat hooks so people can hang their coats.  The side walls are old bricks.  The wall behind the bar on the left side of the dining room has what looks like an old German beer ad.  The left wall has a couple of large paintings in sort of a graffiti style of wolves.  The menu was divided into Snacks, The Best (a selection of plates from small to large), The Wurst (housemade sausages), and sides.  I started with a salad (out of The Best section) which had Honey Crisp Apples, Caramel Roasted Granny Smith Apples, Brandied Raisins, Butter Lettuce, and Burnt Sugar and Hard Cider Vinaigrette.  I like apples and there were a lot of apples in this.  It was crunchy, crisp, tart, and sweet.  The Honey Crisp and Granny Smith Apples brought different apple flavors and went with the lettuce well.

For my snack, I had Confit Brussels Sprouts, Duck Fat, Candied Ginger, Gingersnaps, Butternut Squash, and Apple Cider Mayo.  The brussels sprouts were tender and crispy and had a roasted cabbage flavor.  The candied ginger and gingersnaps added a sweet and spicy flavor that brought out the flavor of the brussels sprouts and the mayo and squash were creamy and brought a slight tartness to the dish.  I like brussels sprouts but these were some of the best brussels sprouts that I have ever had.

For my Wurst, I got the Seared Boarwurst which was served with Carmelized Onions and Cocoa Nib Relish, Beet Puree, Golden Raisins, Spicy Housemade Mustard, and topped with Charred Frisee.  I had never had boarwurst, but as I gathered it was pork, I figured it couldn't be bad.  It was a like your typical German style sausage.  It was mild and was not as peppery as a brat but it was pretty good.  The onion and cocoa nib relish was tender and sweet.  The spicy mustard tasted as if it made with red wine  so it was sweet as well.  The sweetness of the beet puree tied everything together.

For my dessert, I went with a Pretzel Bread Pudding that was served with Roasted Apples and Fig Jam with Powdered Sugar.  This was actually kind of interesting.  The Bread Pudding was a bit more firm and while it was soft, it was firm enough that it was served as a couple of slices.  The roasted apples were sweet and juicy and the fig pudding was full of sliced figs.  The salty sweet of the bread pudding went well with both the apples and the fig jam and it was all very good.  The Radler was friendly and casual and seems to be pretty popular.  The food was very good and I will definitely be back.

Kuhn's Delicatessan

My coworkers and I have traditions about where we go for lunch in certain times of the year. In February we go to a Mexican Restaurant, Paradise Pup in the summer time, and in December we go to Kuhn's Delicatessan. Located in a strip mall in the suburbs, it looks like an ethnic grocery in the front with a deli counter in the center, containing all manner of German sausages and meats and coolers on the side walls containing lots of German beer. While some of this stuff does look pretty good, we come here for lunch for good German food that has already been prepared and that's on the cafe in the back. The place is kind of small and could seat about 40 or 50 people. It doesn't look like much but we don't come for the aesthetics but for the food. They serve several hot sandwiches including a really good reuben but when we come, I usually go with the schnitzel which you can get in veal, chicken, or pork, or the goulash. Served with spaetzle or german fries and rahm sauce, if you eat one, you probably won't need to eat dinner. I decided when we came last week that I wanted something a little different and went with the schweinhaxen which was served with potatoes and sauerkraut and horseradish on the side. I didn't know what schweinhaxen was when I ordered it except that it came from a pig (schwein) so I had to ask. It was a braised, bone-in pork shoulder with the joint. It came with the skin on which was nice and crispy and the meat was very tender. It was also so big that it served me for several lunches.

While the food here is very good, it is a good thing that we don't eat here regularly otherwise I would just roll home. I enjoy Kuhn's and we could probably come more often than once a year but I do enjoy our December trips.