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.

Vajra

 

For a long time, I was intimidated by Indian food.  I am guessing that it was because I had very little experience with it when I was growing up in Michigan.  It is very different from anything that I had had, so I didn't really have anything to base it on.  The names of the dishes, also gave me little to base things on.  Because I didn't speak any of the languages that are indigenous to India, unless I new what something was, I would have no clue as to what I would be getting.  I have slowly built up my knowledge of Indian cuisine, and have found many things that I have liked, though I still like to have a guide when I am dining out at an Indian restaurant.  Years ago, I tried out Cumin, a Nepalese restaurant that had received high praise and I really liked it.  Recently, the manager of Cumin went off and founded his own Nepalese Indian Restaurant, Vajra, and Tasting Collective hosted a dinner there.  I figured that it had some good people behind it and with Tasting Collective, I would be having a curated menu, so it was the best of worlds and I had nothing to lose.  Located in a little used section of Chicago Avenue in West Town, despite the fact that the entrance shelter was black and it was night, it was not difficult to find.  The front of the space has a couple of classic French doors that were closed because it was both cold and dark, but the long narrow windows, easily allowed people to see in or out.  The dining space and bar both had elements playing on the classic and Indian art, which also looked to me to be a bit psychedelic.  The space was both nice and comfortable with a lot of wood, tin ceilings, a nice bar, and a very cool Indian mural on the back wall.  I started things off with a cocktail because a cocktail is a good way to start everything off.  Called The Rubicon, which is decidedly not an Indian name, it was definitely international, containing with Roca Patron Silver Tequila (Mexico), Italicus Rosso di Bergamotto (Italy), Lemongrass (South Asian), and Lime, which was dehydrated.  It was tart and very refreshing and made for a nice start to things.

For our first course, we started with Lobster Momos with Nepalese Spices and Tomato-Szechuan Sauce.  Momos are a steamed dumpling native to portions of India similar to Chinese steamed dumplings.  The lobster was sweet, the dumplings had a nice chew, and the spices added an exotic flavor.  The Tomato-Szechuan sauce was spicy, but only mildly so and added a savory flavor to the dumplings.

After the Momos, we continued with Gobhi Manchurian with Fried Cauliflower Florets and Sino-Indian Spices.  While I do like cauliflower, I was actually surprised at how good this was.  The cauliflower was incredibly tender and the spice added a complex and exotic flavor.  This may have been a favorite of mine of the savory dishes.

 

Our next course started with Naan.  I really like Naan and this was very flavorful.  It was served with Paneer Malal, Spiced Paneer Sandwiches with Creamy Sauce and Rice.  Paneer is a soft, unaged cheese that was served in the sauce.  This was like a spicy and flavorful grilled cheese sandwich (with the naan as the bread) and some very good rice.  It was a little messy, with the paneer in the sauce, but I found the best way to eat it was to mix the paneer and sauce with the rice and to pick that up with the naan.  It made for a great bite.

Our first entree were Farm Raised Goat Steaks with Butter Spiced Brussels Sprouts.  The Goat Steaks were really flavorful and surprising.  They seemed to be breaded and fried, but the meat inside was fork tender and very flavorful.  With the Brussels Sprouts, I was a little disappointed.  They were seasoned well and cooked tender, but we only received one each.  With the food we had received to this point, I would have been happy with three.  I don't think with one that there were enough Brussels Sprouts to complement the flavor of the goat steak.

For our final entree, we were served a classic of Indian Cuisine, Butter Chicken.  It was served in a Tomato-Onion Sauce which was also very good.  The chicken was tender and flavorful and a nice finish to the entree side of things.

Dessert was very definitely not Indian or Nepalese, but I had no problem with that because it was really good.  I say that it was not Indian, it was not, but it did have an Indian twist.  We were served a Black Forest Gateau, a rich cake with Chocolate and Cherries with a Classic Indian Sweetbread Crumble.  The sweetbread crumble consisted of chocolate shavings spiced subtly with Indian spices like Cinnamon, Ginger, and Coriander.  It was also served with Whipped Cream, Cherry Jam, and a large Cherry on top.  It was very good and a very nice finish to what was a very good meal.

I really enjoyed my meal and found it both very good and educational.  While I still might go by myself to a random Indian restaurant, I think that I've learned enough that I could come and an enjoy a meal here.  

 

        

Supekhana International

The reputation of this restaurant preceded it.  Born of the long time and very popular popup, Bombay Breakdown, Chefs Yoshi Yamada and Zeeshan Shah joined forces with Jason Hammel to open Superkhana International, a restaurant opened on a stretch of Diversey Avenue that has become wildly international (Tiki bar Lost Lake,  Bakery Cellar Door Provisions, and Fat Rice, an award winning restaurant focusing on the cuisine of Macau).  The stretch is very diverse and an on the surface, an Indian Restaurant would fit right in, the thing about that though is that the chefs do not serve classic Indian food, and don't even serve rice as a dish on it's own.  The menu combines American comfort food with Indian flavors to make some really diverse and creative dishes that make them an even better fit for the stretch of Diversey where they are located.  From the shape of the restaurant and the curves in the interior, my first thought was that the restaurant was located in a former furniture or carpet store.  I was told however that the space was too small for either ind it was actually formerly a crappy pizza joint.  The interior of the restaurant is concealed from the entrance by a colorful curtain.  The bar is located just inside the door which is where I sat.  The bar was light colored stone and the walls of the space were light brick with a lot of curves, though there was another very colorful painting on the wall across the bar from where I was sitting.  I was sitting at the end of the bar and had to look completely across the length of the bar to study it.  In the bar area, aside from the windows, light was provided from hanging globes above the bar.  The drinks served at the bar focused on beer and some reasonably priced Highballs and Spritzers.  I started things off with a Highball, A Gin & Tonic using City of London Gin and E. Imperial Tonic.  I was actually kind of surprised at the size of the drink considering the price.  City of London Gin is a London Dry style and with the tonic, the drink was very dry and crisp.  It was also pretty bitter, so I didn't drink it quickly.

For my food, I started things off with the Beans.  Now Beans do not typically come to mind when thinking about Indian cuisine, particularly Green and Yellow Beans.  These however, were coated with Toasted Coconut, Toasted Almonds, and Yogurt.  This was very good.  The beans were very fresh and crisp with some additional crunch being provided by the coconut and almonds.  The Yogurt tied everything together and made for a great dish.  While this did get me excited for what would be coming next, this was good enough, that I would have been happy for another plate of these beans.

The main course was called Achaari Pork Pao and what it was was essentially a pulled pork sandwich.  It was a Braised and Pulled Pork Shoulder spiced with typical of Indian Cuisine such as Fenugreek, Anise, Cumin, Onion, and Chili Powder, with Tamarind, Fried Shallots, and Lettuce on a Pao (Portuguese for Bread, Pao or Pav is a Soft White Bun).  The food was very flavorful and bright.  Again, I could have eaten a couple of these.  I did not, however, want to eat two of these because there was still dessert to be had.

 The dessert menu was very small, consisting of two items, an Ice Cream Sandwich and Shahi Tookray.  I had no idea what Shahi Tookray was and was told besides that the Ice Cream Sandwich was small, so I decided to try the item, that I had no idea about except to be told that the description doesn't do it justice and I had to try it.  Considering my other dishes, I was sure that the Ice Cream Sandwich was good, but I decided to try to try the Shahi Tookray, which was just described on the menu as a list of ingredients:  Ricotta, Sultanas, and Almonds.  What I received was not at all what I expected, not the least of which was because it had a layer of silver foil on top.  It was was really good and similar to a fruit crisp.  To go with the dessert, I had a digestif called Townshend Kashmiri Amaro which, while I had never seen it before, was really good.  It combined flavors of Indian Chai and Italian Amaro.  It was really good and went well with the Shahi Tookray.

I liked everything about this place.  The place was cute, colorful and welcoming, the service was outstanding with my questions answered well, and the food was outstanding.  I would say that I would return to this place, except that I already have.  What I will do is continue returning and introducing friends to this place that combines Indian Flavors with American Comfort Food.  

Pub Royale- Brunch

When I last went to Pub Royale, the chef recommended that I try brunch.  Since brunch is a thing that I do regularly, it was easy to add to my list.  As I wasn't sure how many people were going to join me, it was a good choice because they don't take reservations.  It was a small group that arrived when they opened.  We sat at in a booth, but had a good view of the bar which is framed with a pair of stuffed peacocks and a motorcycle to the right of the bar (toward the back of the restaurant).  I had mentioned that there were several Indian masks hanging on the wall.  We were sitting next to several of them.  While it is a bar with a great beer list, that changes quickly, many cocktails go down easier in the morning, than beer and that's what I went with.  The cocktails all had similar names, Royal Cups, which is what they all contained, though they all varied as far as base liquor and fruit.  I am not sure what a Royal Cup was made from, though I will guess that it is similar to a Pimm's Cup.  I ordered the Royal Cup #1 which, in addition to the Royal Cup itself, had Gin, Orange, Cucumber, and Strawberry.  It was sweet, vegetal, and bitter, and very herbal and it was very good.

 

As is typical, I like both sweet and savory for brunch, but for this location sweet was easy because there really was only one thing that fit that description, the Naan Doughnut.  As described, it was a doughnut made from naan coated with Chai Dulce de Leche.  It was dense, sweet, and had a little spiciness to it.  I also ordered Samosas for the table.  While they are not sweet, they are really good and I really like them.  While some samosas can have meat in them, the samosas served at Pub Royale are vegetarian, containing Potatoes, Fried Onions, and Peas and served with Cilantro and Tamarind Dipping Sauces.

After we ordered our main courses, but before they came out, we were greeted by Chef Joanna, who I first met when she was chef at Ada Street.  We had some nice small talk and when she returned to the kitchen she sent out a bonus dish that wasn't on the menu, that the waitress called an Avocado Omelette.  While it did have egg and was topped with mashed avocado, it was all sitting on top of some Naan Bread, so it was essentially an avocado toast with egg.  In any case, it was really good and because I had so much other stuff, I ended up bringing most of it home.  It was still good after the trip.

For my main course, I ordered what was called Combo #5.  Why it was called Combo #5, I have no idea because while it was a combo, there were no other dishes labeled combos.  Combo # 5 included Pakora Battered Shrimp, Basmati Fried Rice, Spicy Soy Glaze, Bean Sprouts, Scallions, and a Fried Egg.  While I liked most of this dish, I didn't care much for the shrimp because the flavor was too strong.  Besides the shrimp, it was a good dish and made for a good finish.  While there were many brunch standards on the menu, they all had an Anglo-Indian spin to them which gave it some variety.  It was a lot of fun and I will surely return. 

Mango Pickle - Tasting Collective Dinner

I will admit that while I love food and love trying new foods, Indian food will frequently intimidate me.  This is because I really don't have a strong base to know exactly what is good and what isn't.  The food is so different, I really don't have a lot to compare it to.  Having said that, if I have a guide, I am happy to try it out.  I saw the release when Mango Pickle opened and I was interested but unsure.  When Tasting Collective announced that they would be doing a dinner there, I thought that it would be the perfect opportunity to try it out.  Located in Edgewater, it is on the far north side, though not quite in the Indian neighborhood on Devon.  It is a small place, though they were able to seat between 60 and 70 people and there is a small bar in the back.  The walls are very colorful and their was a lot of mandala art on the walls.  Our dinner was going to be an eight course dinner served mostly family style.  As in previous dinners, there was a small selection of beer, wine, and cocktails, sold cash only (The dinners were pre-paid).  I started things off with the Mango Pickle Gin and Tonic which, like all gin and tonics, had the title ingredients, but also included Cucumber and Anise.  It was pretty good as far as the gin and tonic, but the anise and the cucumber added a fresh vegetal and spicy flavor.

I said that the dinner was 8 courses.  That's how it was promoted, but there were extra things that in other places may have been considered a course in and of themselves.  The first of these was a plate of crunchy, cracker-like things.  There was no description of them on the menu and they were never mentioned, but they were pretty good.  They were crunchy with a little spice and impossible to just eat one.  I kept coming back to them as long as they were at the table.

Our first official course were Paneer Pops.  Paneer is an Indian cheese similar to Ricotta, and these were essentially cheese balls with a crust.  The crust did not seem fried, but it was cooked in some way because the crust had a crunch.  The paneer was served with Cilantro, Ginger, Chives, and Lemon Preserves.  The Cilantro and Lemon Preserves were outside the cheese balls, the lemon preserves holding them in place.  The ginger and chives, I think were mixed into the dough to add flavor.  It had a crisp outside, with a soft and creamy interior with a sweet tart flavor and a ginger finish.

Next were the Taro Root Pakoras served with Fennel, Cucumber, Red Onions, and Tomato.  Taro is a bulbous root vegetable that is grown throughout the world and is similar to yuca where tapioca comes from.  Pakora is essentially a fritter.  In this case, the taro root fritters were served as part of a salad with the fennel, cucumber, onions, and tomato, and providing it with a crunch.  The vegetables were very fresh and flavorful adding some flavor to an otherwise neutral flavored fried root.

From the salad, we proceeded to Tomato and Garlic Rasam with Tamarind, Curry, Cumin, and Mustard Seeds.  This was essentially a spicy tomato soup with a strong tamarind flavor.  This was served individually in a small glass.  The flavor of this wasn't bad, though it was strong.  It wasn't bad, but it wasn't my favorite, though it was finished quickly.

 I did not notice while I was dining, and I didn't really expect it, but the course progression was very similar to western course progression.  I am not sure if this is authentic in Indian cuisine, or done because that is how Western diners expect to eat.  After our appetizer, salad, and soup, we started with our entrees with fowl, and specifically Butter Chicken served first.  It was served in a sauce of Cinnamon, Black Cardamom, Cumin, and Ginger.  It was very spicy and had a flavor similar to what many people expect of curry.  It was served with Naan, which was hollow like Pita Bread so the butter chicken could be eaten in the pita like a pocket sandwich.  It was very good and seemed to be a favorite of the diners.

The next entree was seafood and I will admit that when I think of Indian food, I don't think of seafood.  Called Siolim Kalwamchee, it had assorted seafood including mussels, scallops, and shrimp served in a Coconut Tamarind Broth.  It was also served with these interesting crackers similar to Shrimp Toast which couldn't easily be eaten with the mussels, but went well with everything else.  It was very good and flavorful and I think one of my favorite dishes, even if I couldn't pronounce it.

Our next entree was vegetarian, which, while it may seem to be a step in the wrong direction was actually very savory.  Called South Indian Pulao, it was the Indian version of Rice Pilaf and was served with Yogurt, Mustard Seeds, Raw Mango, and Curry.  It also had something that brought immediate dread upon me when I saw it, Chinese Eggplant.  When I had Chinese Eggplant years ago, I had no idea what it was and it was prepared in a dish, so I had to do some research to figure out what it was that I ate that I disliked so much.  It is incredibly bitter without much to temper it.  Despite the fact that I saw the Chinese Eggplant, I did try it.  The dish itself was pretty good with a lot of flavor and spice, and many textures coming from the rice and vegetables.  The Chinese eggplant did add some bitterness to the   I liked the dish, but I think that I might have liked it more if the Chinese eggplant.

Our final savory course was Ghee Braised Lamb with Bottle Gourd and Ten-Spice Masala.  The bottle gourd used in cooking is a thinner skinned version of the gourds (that are used as water holders when dried) and is similar to squash.  Ghee is an Indian version of Clarified Butter made from Yogurt.  As such, it makes the lamb very tender.  A masala is simply a spice mix, so the ten-spice masala is simply a ten-spice spice mix and the one used on the butter braised lamb added a lot of spicy flavor.  This was also one of my favorite dishes.

For our dessert, we did step away from strictly Indian cuisine and were served a Pot de Creme with Chocolate and Candied Pineapple.  A pot de creme is a custard prepared and served in a small dish and is similar to a panna cotta.  The custard itself had a nice and delicate flavor and was good without the chocolate or pineapple.  I enjoyed it and it was a good finish to a very good meal.

After coming here, I am less intimidated than I am in the past, but I would in no way call myself an expert.  The menu changes frequently and the names of dishes are not common in western cuisine, so I still might wonder exactly what it was that I might be ordering when I order something.  The food that I had was very good, so I would be confident that I would probably like what I got even if I didn't know exactly what it was that i was ordering to begin with.             
   

Pub Royale

While I have been told that I am a pretty adventurous water, I am a little intimidated when I don't really know what the food will be like.  Indian food uses so many unusual spices that are not used in other cuisines, that I have been a little intimidated to dive in.  There are things that fall within the realm of Indian cuisine that I really like, but my knowledge base of Indian Cuisine is small so it is generally not a go to for me.  India, however, was a colony of the British Empire and Anglo-inflected Indian cuisine is popular in England, so if Indian Cuisine is put through an English lens, this makes it easier for me to try.  If a restaurant putting out Anglo-Indian pub fare hores a chef that I know and like, that makes it easier for me to try.  Pub Royale, a gastropub with a really good beer list serving Anglo-Indian cuisine recently hired Chef Joanna Stachon, formerly of Ada Street, a restaurant I have come to love, so I decided that it was time for a visit.  The sign over the door looks really weathered with the lettering giving an exotic Indian feel and green neon signs above the name announcing food, beer, and brunch.  Inside, the space is narrow with the bar running along one side.  The walls are brick with Indian masks hanging on the brick walls and hanging globe lighting.  There is a large mirror behind the bar framed by a couple of stuffed white peacocks.  The glassware is kept hanging or sitting under the shelf holding the liquor and there is an old BMW motorcycle hanging on the wall behind and beside the bar.

While there is a printed beer list, the most up to date list is on a digital screen at the back of the restaurant.  I didn't actually notice the list until I had already ordered and received my beers off of the cardboard menu.  I ordered Odell Pyrus and Prunus American Wild Ale and Prairie Twist Farmhouse Ale.  The Odell was very tart.  While I liked it, it was a sipper as opposed to something you might put down quickly.  The Prairie was a hoppy and funky saison.  It had a pronounced flavor, but I had never had a high alcohol sour before (the Odell was 9% ABV), and I liked that more.  Having said that, while I did like the Odell better, the Prairie was better with my food.  

As for my food, I started with something I will almost always start with when I eat Indian food, Samosas.  They had a crispy outer shell as a good samosa is supposed to and was filled with Potatoes, Peas, and Onions, and was served with Cilantro and Tamarind Chutneys.  The samosas were good without chutney.  The crust was like a fried wonton with steamed potatoes, peas, and onions and the flavors that they provide.  While they were good without the chutney, they were better with, thiough I will admit that I did prefer the tart and bitter flavor of the tamarind to the green flavor of the cilantro chutney.

When I looked over the food menu, I saw something else that there also was no question about ordering.  At Ada Street, Lamb Ribs had made a showing on the menu and they were a big favorite among my friends and I.  They were also on the menu at Pub Royale with an Indian twist, adding Pomegranate Seeds, Cilantro, Pistachios, and Crispy Rice.  The ribs themselves were tender and flavorful, but required a little pull to remove from the bone.  The pomegranate seeds provided a bitter sweetness, and the crispy rice had a light fried flavor and added some crunch.  While it was a little different from that that was served at Ada Street, it was still very good.

My next course, while vegetarian, could very well be considered a main course.  It was Butternut Squash Dal with Red Lentils (the dal), Broccolini, Saffron, Pumpkin Seeds, Lasanachi Chutney (Garlic Chutney), and Crispy Kale.  This was very rich, flavorful, and spicy, and the Kale was very light and crispy with the lentils and squash being very creamy textured.  While I expected that I would like this, I was surprised at how much that I did like it.

While I was enjoying the dal, Chef Joanna came out to greet me (I asked if she was in and when told who was asking, she said that she would come out and say hi).  We exchanged pleasantries and caught up a little and shortly after she returned to the kitchen, I received a bonus course that was not yet on the menu:  Charred Rainbow Carrots with Lemon and Honey Greek Yogurt, Smoked Pistachios, and Sherry Golden Raisins.  I really like carrots and these were cooked to a perfect tenderness.  They were lightly sweet which the raisins paired well with.  The pistachios added a crunchy textural variety and a nutty flavor and the yogurt provided a tart counterpoint.  It was simple and complex at the same time and I really enjoyed it.

There is one thing on the menu that could qualify as dessert and that was the Naan Doughnut with Chai Dulce de Leche Sauce.  While most doughnuts are finger food, this, because of the Dulce de Leche Sauce needed a knife and fork.  The doughnut itself was pretty dense and powdered with sugar, making it lightly sweet.  The Sauce provided the sweetness that you would expect of a doughnut and the chai spices added a sweet spiciness to the whole thing.  It provided for a very nice finish to a good meal.

 I really enjoyed my meal here.  The food was really good, and while a little exotic, not inaccessible.  The staff is very friendly and helpful and the place has a nice design.  I will definitely return and will probably bring friends.