The Aviary

 

 

When high-end dining is talked about in Chicago, Alinea is at the top of the list.  They are the pure definition of food as art.  Because of this, while they can do largely anything, in the context of a restaurant, some things can't be done as well.  In order to explore cocktails, the Alinea group decided to open The Aviary, a combination cocktail lounge/chemistry lab/art gallery.  I had wanted to go for a long time, but decided when I bought The Aviary Cocktail Book that it was a good time to go.  I was meeting a friend there, though I arrived first.  Looking around outside, I saw that there was a rail outside the door like many nightclubs and the entrance had a temporary cloth shelter that is common in northern climes.  I walked past to see if I could see into the kitchen/bar/lab and saw the very nice door into the kitchen and was able to see a little.  When I entered though, I was able to get a good view behind a curved metal gate when I was waiting for my companion for the evening.  The work area did very much remind me of a cross between a kitchen and a lab.  There is also a table there for those that want to have a chef's table experience.  Looking into the lounge area, it did look like a lounge, with low lighting, high backed, curved couches, and low tables for drinks and bites.  There was also a Ventilation Hood which extended the similarity to a lab.

 

When reservations are made, there are 4 options:  The Chef's Table, which is 7 courses and located in the kitchen.  That is the most expensive option, but it is also the most limited option, with possibly two seatings a night.  In the lounge, you can opt for a 5 course, 3 course, or a la carte choice.  If you decide to go with a Prix Fixe menu, there are no substitutions, but you can augment your menu if you so desire.  I decided to go with a 5 Course which also came with small food pairings.  We started out with a drink called Return of the MAC, which was a combination of Orange, Thyme, Pimento Dram, Apple Brandy, and Cider Spices.  It was served to us in a vessel called a Porthole that looked very much like an old style canteen.  The canteen acted as an infuser and the flavor and appearance of the drink changed as time went by.  It started red and sweet, but became more red, less sweet, and more spicy as time went by.  Paired with the drink was a very good Takoyaki, a deep fried ball of dough with finely chopped octopus.  It was tender and flavorful with a little spice, and it went well with the drink.

For our second drink, we had a cocktail called Jesus Can't Hit a Curveball which was served with in a Tom Collins Glass with a large green ice cube.  The liquid part of the drink consisted of Gin, Green Chartreuse, Chareau Aloe Liqueur, and Celery.  The ice cube, which was also part of the drink, was a Serrano Ice Cube, which added spice to the drink as it melted.  I liked the flavor of the drink, and the fact that it got spicier as time went by was interesting, but I didn't care for the mouthfeel of the drink.  The Aloe has a slippery feeling and there was a slightly slippery feeling to the drink.  For the food pairing, we were served Crab.  It was a Crab Salad with Roe, served on a Silicone Plate that was vaguely shaped like a hand which we had to hold.  In order to eat it, we basically had to eat it out of our hand without utensils.  Despite the unusuality of it, it was good.

Our next drink also involved ice.  It was served in an Aviary mug and contained a Tequila Cocktail with a Popsicle soaking in it.  The Popsicle was Tequila and Ancho Chili and we could have the popsicle on it's own or soak it in the drink.  I tried both elements individually on their own and found them both good, and it also tasted good together, so I split the difference and had it both separately and together.  For our pairing, we were served a slice of Asian Pear (garnished with a bit of Nori) and a large Batter Fried Shrimp with Togarashi.  I generally don't care for pears, but I did try it, and as far as flavor was concerned, it was a good pairing.  I did not, however, care for the texture.  The shrimp, I liked.  The texture, spice, and flavor all went well with the drink.

There was a little theater with the presentation of our fourth drink.  Our server came out with a small chest, which looked like a pirate's treasure chest and when he opened it, a large amount of smoke poured out.  Our cocktails, which were gin based, had a reddish cast and a very smoky flavor.  As the smoke infused the gin, it became less smoky and more woody and smooth.  It was very good, and the food pairing, Short Rib Tortellini with a savory broth was a perfect pairing and a bite of pure happiness.  It was amazing and one of my favorite bites of food that I have ever had.

In a past visit, my partner had had a bite that she wanted me to try.  She ordered a Pork Cracklin' which I visualized as a Chicharron or Pork Rind.  I figured that we would get something like a paper coon and they would be the size of large chips.  I was mistaken.  It was like they removed the skin from the pig as a single piece and went with it that way.  It was huge and in order to eat it, we had to break pieces off.  While it was very light, There was also a lot of it, so it was a little filling.

The menu for The Aviary is pretty large and there were many that we were unable to try.  Despite that, they all had visually arresting presentations.  The couple next to us had cocktails served in glassware shaped like a bird and a glass bottle with a glass ship.  Despite the fact that we were unable to try them, it was still cool to see them.

For our dessert we were presented with more smoke.We were given round bottomed flasks filled with smoke that were set on their sides to allow the smoke to pour out like a liquid.  After most of the smoke poured out, we were given metal straws to finish the liquid within.  Called Easy on the Ice, it consisted of Hazelnut Hot Chocolate with Rye and Cinnamon.  It was sweet, a little spicy, and a nice finish to a very fun evening.  Our dessert was a Cake and Ice Cream with flavors of Tea and Spices and went well with the Rye Hot Chocolate.

We also had a cocktail equivalent of a Mignardise.  Called a Boomerang, it was a sweet shot containing more Rye and Cinnamon and it was a great finish to the night.  Coming to The Aviary is like coming to a Magic Show.  It's cool, a lot of fun and you don't know what to expect.  I would definitely like to return to explore more of the magical menu. 

Bixi Brewery

 

It has been 3 years in the making, but I was very happy to see Bixi Brewery (pronounced Be-She) open recently, so I invited a couple of friends to try things out, which we did a few weeks ago.  Named for Bixi, a Dragon god with a tortoise shell, that supports great weights (like buildings and bridges), and images of which are rubbed for good luck.  The space is a two floor operation with very different designs on each floor.  The first floor has a bar on the left side and looks more typically like a bar.  There is an image of Bixi in front of the Chicago skyline done in black and white behind the long bar, which was done by a former Marvel comic artist.  There is also much table seating with the furniture also white with chrome legs.  The brewing area is in a glassed off area at the front of the bar, near the front.  Going up the stairs, the second floor also has a large bar off to one side, but the space looks more like a restaurant dining area than the first floor with a high ceilings, a large skylight, a rooftop dining area, green walls, and an area that looks like a salon, for a more intimate experiencce.  Having said this, you can eat and drink on both floors.  The bar has a large shelf with liquor on several shelves, with the high ceilings, I have to imagine that a ladder is necessary to get to the higher shelves, though I didn't notice one when we were there.  The tables, walls, and shelves on the second floor were also white, though there was a variation upstairs in that there were more colors involved than black and white (with some chrome).  There was some plant life as well as the green walls, which, although they did look very good, were artificial.  The salon area used green wallpaper with a plant-like design, the furniture looked like vintage 20th century salon furniture, i.e. upholstered couches and chairs with dark upholstery.  While the salon did look comfortable, the portraiture hanging on the walls, like the ape in the robe and flowered headdress were a bit odd.

Owned by Bo Fowler, who also owns and runs, and Owen and Engine, an English-Style Gastropub, and Fat Willy's, a barbecue joint, she decided to go in yet another direction with the food served, that being Asian.  Fowler, who was born in Korea, decided to work on a menu that was closer to her heart when creating this brewery and restaurant.  Most people don't think of beer when eating Asian food, the issue was to create a menu that would pair well with beer and to make beer that invokes the ideas and flavors of Asian fare.  While the menu looked really good and we discussed what we wanted to order, ordering the beer was much easier, between us, we all ordered flights which covered everything.  They had flights of three four and five.  I wanted to try as many as I could, so I had a flight of five.  I was able to try all of the beers, but I only ordered five.  Bixi covers many of the most common ale styles, with a lager also on draft, and augmenting many of their beers with Asian flavors.  The major styles that were missing was the Stout or Porter.  Though the first beer on their menu was a dark ale, it was a dark ale and not a stout or porter, and while it was good and was actually a favorite, it was definitely not a stout or porter.  It used Roasted Wheat, Caramel, Smoked Malt and was augmented with Szechuan Peppercorns.  Unspoken Rule was a Lagered Farmhouse Ale with Pearled Jasmine Tea.  Sanchez Therapy, another Farmhouse Ale was spiced with Cucumber, and had Melon forward aromas.  Against the Cross was probably the most mainstream and undifferentiated beer.  It was a classic American-Style IPA, which really reminded me of Bell's Two Hearted Ale.  My other favorite beer that I ordered for myself was surprisingly a Lager, which I normally find pretty boring.  This was augmented with rice like many American Macro Lagers, and at the front it really reminded me of Miller High Life, but the rice that was used was Jasmine Rice, which gave it a very distinctive flowery rice flavor.  The other beers served were a Summer Pale Ale, a Wit, and a Wheat beer, which were all pretty good.

The food menu (as well as the mural going up the stairs) was created by Kimski chef Won Kim.  While Chef Fowler and Chef Kim are both Korean, and the menu does include Korean food, it also includes, Vietnamese, Thai, and Chinese, as well as American with Asian influences.  We started out with Oysters, which can't really be put into one menu except for seafood.  They served two different types of oysters each from East and West Coast.  We all ordered different Oysters, I ordered a Beausoleil Oyster, which is an East Coast raised in New Bruinswick.  I normally like raw oysters, and my dining partners liked theirs, but I apparently picked wrong, because I found it a little on the strong side.  For our other appetizers, we went with Kimchi Mandu with Mushrooms and Leeks, Momo with Chicken and Curry Spices, and a Chicago Beef Bao, which were all served at the same time.  All were very good with a lot of good flavors, though I think that I favored the Kimchi Mandu best.

Our main course was a Ssam Plate.  It was offered as a half or full size.  Because three of us would be sharing, We decided to get a full order and were still surprised by the size. Ssam means wrapped and it is generally meat wrapped in leafy vegetables.  For this plate we were served a lot of Leafy Vegetables, Scallion Pancakes, Char Siu (Korean Barbecued Pork), Asian Pears, Carrots, Peppers, and Bao.  It reminded me of the Korean version of Fajitas.  It was fun combining different things and tasting the different flavors.  There were several different types of greens with different flavors and it was fun to try different combinations.  I was generally taking a piece of char siu, a piece of pancake, some greens, some vegetables, and pile it all into the bao.  While I probably wasn't eating Ssam correctly, I was able to try the different flavors and textures, together and individually, and it was all good.

Bixi is a very nice looking space, and while they don't do groundbreaking beer, it is good, and it goes well with the food that they serve.  I will have to return to try more of the menu.

Mi Tocaya Antojeria

 

 

When most people think about Mexican food, they frequently think of street food like tacos, burritos, and tamales.  Mexican restaurant that serve these in Chicago are ubiquitous and are almost as common as the hot dog joints which are almost on every corner.  All of these things are Mexican, but Mexican food is much more than this as can be seen in places like Rick Bayless' places, Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, and other restaurants like Chilam Balam and Dos.  Mi Tocaya Antojeria, located in Logan Square, aims for a place that, while not quite fine dining is definitely much more than street food.  Mi Tocaya is a Spanish term of endearment meaning "My Namesake" so, Chef Diana Davila named her restaurant after herself in a backhanded manner.  An antojeria is a place that serves antojitos.  I was first introduced to antojitos when I was visiting Peru.  There, antojitos were grilled skewers of meat or vegetables, some of the most popular of which were the beef hearts and the alpaca.  When I was there, I thought that antojitos were specifically grilled skewers, but I have since learned that antojitos literally means "little cravings."  Mi Tocaya Antojeria is Chef Diana's namesake and serves small plates.  Located on the boulevard near the square, it's small and very much a neighborhood restaurant.  It has a great patio in front (behind a steel gated fence) over looking the boulevard that would be great to enjoy a summer afternoon or evening, though it rained on the day that I came, so sitting on the patio wasn't really an option.  I walked in and sat at the bar overlooking the grill where Chef Diana was working.  The place is very colorful with murals and framed art hanging throughout the restaurant.  Notable to me was the painting of Wonder Woman surrounded by several other paintings done in various abstract styles, and the neon sign of Mi Tocaya hanging on the rear wall.  The drink menu has beer, wine, and cocktails, the beer focusing on Mexican Lagers with a few local craft beers, the wine having a Spanish Red, White, Rose, and Cava, and the Cocktails focusing on Mezcal and Tequila.  Looking over the cocktail list, I saw something that I had to order simply for the name of the Mezcal used, though looking at it again, I see that it was also a spin on my favorite cocktail, The Last Word, so it was a double win.  The name of the drink was Chicana 2.0 and it contained Peloton de La Muerte Mezcal, Finn's Gin, Yellow Chartreuse, Maraschino, and Lime.  In bike racing, the peloton is the main group of cyclists who are riding together and jostling for position, so Peloton de la Muerte is the peloton of death.  The Last Word is Gin, Green Chartreuse, Maraschino, and Lime.  The drink was essentially The Last Word with Mezcal added.  Having compared it to The Last Word, it definitely does not look like The Last Word.  Served on ice as opposed to the Last Word being shaken over ice and served clean, it was red as opposed to The Last Word's yellow-green color.  It was tart, sweet, and a little savory, with a slightly smoky finish from the mezcal.

The food menu is broken up into "Antojitos", small bites, Tacos, and "Antojos", what are essentially medium plates.  I went for a sample from each category, aiming for what might be considered some of the most challenging items, starting with Peanut Butter y Lengua, which was exactly what it sounded like, peanut butter and beef tongue.  The beef tongue was peeled, sliced into large pieces, like something I might expect to see on a skewer, and topped with Jamaica Pickled Onions and Grilled Radishes. The beef was tender, the onions were tart and sweet, and the thinly sliced radishes had a nice crunch to them. The peanut butter was spread around the plate, so you could avoid much of it if you wanted to.  It did have some spice, so the combination of beef, onions, and spicy peanut butter kind of reminded me of Thai food.  While I assume it was hoped that the beef and peanut butter would be eaten together, I did try them separately to get individual flavors.  Everything was good on it's own, but it was also very good all together, and I did make sure to eat most of the peanut butter.

For the tacos, there were some standards like the (beer can) chicken and the cochinita pibil, but they also had an oyster taco that really looked interesting and I would have gotten if it were not for the Milpa Taco, what was essentially a veggie taco similar to something that my grandmother used to make.  It was Grilled Butternut Squash, Chiles, Pinto Beans, and Corn Crema, on a Corn Tortilla.  My grandmother's version added zucchini and pork, but the same flavors were there.  It was very good and brought back some nice taste memories.

My main course was the most complicated to eat (and pronounce).  Called Tuetano con Sabores de Caldo, it was Roasted Bone Marrow and Short Rib (with microgreens and carrots) served on a Homemade Flour Tortilla.  I like roasted bone marrow, it's essentially beef butter, but it does some work to eat it because it has to be scraped out of the bone.  With this, the bone was presented on top of the tortilla and kind of buried with the short rib, greens, and carrots, so I had to unbury it because eating it in the bone would have been impossible.  After digging it out and rearranging things so I could eat it, it was very rich and good.

The dessert list was very short and hit a couple of Mexican classics, Flan and Tres Leches Cake.  Flan is very similar to Panna Cotta, and while I like it, I will never turn away a tres leches cake, a cake soaked in three milks, cream, condensed milk, and evaporated milk.  This tres leches, called Kristoffer's Tres Leches Cake, is made by Kristoffer's Bakery in Pilsen and has been name checked by Rick Bayless as his favorite tres leches cake.  This cake was very heavy with cream and milk and covered with a light chocolate frosting and served with an edible flower.  It was very rich and good and made for a great finish to a very good dinner.  It was a lot of fun and I will definitely return.  There is a lot more to try on the menu.    

Fort Willow - Brunch

I went to Fort Willow recently for dinner and enjoyed it.  When it opened for brunch, I decided to check it out to see how they do in that respect.  I think that I noted when I first posted that there was a design on the corner of the building, but I didn't really take a close look at it.  When I arrived, I noticed that the design had changed, it was actually been changed to Fort Willow with an arrow pointing to the entrance, so I decided to take a look at it.  It seems that the corner of the building was covered in plate steel and the things making up the design were refrigerator magnet letters, so the design could be changed quickly and easily by anyone.  As I noted before the entrance to the  restaurant is at the back with a neon sign pointing to a large black door.  Walking in, you walk past the kitchen, a communal high top table, a tree swing, and the large tree made from lumber, next to the bar.  I sat at the bar with my friends that had already arrived, and was greeted by Scott, the manager of Ada Street (Ada Street and Fort Willow are part of the same group).  I was surprised, but apparently he covers for the Fort Willow manager on Sunday.  I ordered a drink, a Paloma, which was made with Tequila, Texas Pink Grapefruit, Agave, Lime, and Togarashi Spice.  Except for the Togarashi Spice which was used to coat the side and give it some spice, it was a fairly standard Paloma and pretty good.

While I was enjoying my Paloma, I perused the menu.  The standard menu is made up mostly of small plates which are easily shared.  The brunch menu is also made up largely of small plates, which is a little unusual when it comes to brunch places, but not really surprising.  For the main menu, the one non small plate is a large plate grilled cheese sandwich, but it is easily shareable.  In the case of brunch, there is one dish that does not really fall under the definition of small plate, although it is small, and it isn't really shareable.  This would be the Oyster Shooter.  I like Oyster Shooters, and so did one of my dining partners, so we ordered two.  This Oyster Shooter was made with Fresh Tomato Juice and Sriracha (as well as the oyster).  It was sharp, tangy, went down quickly, and was a nice start.  In some cases, the oyster will go down in one swallow.  With this, the oyster was big enough to warrant a few chews, which released it's briny oyster flavor.

Our first shared course was French Toast Bites with a Maple Bourbon Dipping Sauce.  This was perfect for sharing and also really good.  The French Toast was crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and covered with powdered sugar.  The dipping sauce had nice flavors of maple and bourbon as would be expected from something labeled a maple bourbon dipping sauce, but it was also vernice and buttery.

The next choice was mine and I got a little bit of a hard time for picking the most hipster thing on the menu.  I didn't care though because it sounded good.  We had Avocado Toast with Whipped Goat Cheese and Fresh Herbs.  Served on dense dark bread, the avocado was both mashed and chunky, the goat cheese was really creamy, and the herbs were crisp and added both a nice flavor and aroma.  I am not sure what all of the herbs used were, but there was some sage, cilantro, and parsley, and it was all really good.

Continuing with the bread-based courses, we went with an Egg in a Hole.  A standard egg in a hole has a an egg fried in a hole in buttered toast, also being fried.  This was also topped with Spicy Cheese and Bacon, which sort of made it an open faced breakfast sandwich.

Arriving about the same time as the last bread was a brunch favorite, the Eggs Benedict.  Built on an English Muffin, this also had Ham, a Poached Egg, and a Harissa Hollandaise Sauce, which added some spice.  I like Benedicts (though they are a little harder to share because of the poached egg), but the Harissa added some spice that you don't frequently find in Eggs Benedict despite the enormity of flavor that comes from the Hollandaise Sauce and it was nice.

At this point I added another drink about the same time that our last course showed up.  My drink was called a Screwball and was made with Pisco, Orange Juice and Falernum.  With the orange juice and the flavors of almond, vanilla, and ginger from the falernum, it was definitely a breakfast drink and it gave me the juice that I frequently order for brunch, even with the alcohol.  Our last course was called a "Frito" and it was essentially Chilaquiles, containing Fried Tortilla Chips, Salsa Verde, Cheese, and an Egg.  The only reason that I can think that it wouldn't have been called Chilaquiles is because it's harder to pronounce than "Frito".  It was a nice finish to a good brunch and it is a place that I will continue to frequent. 

 

Jianna - Greenville, SC

 

The last meal out that I had on vacation was at an Italian place.  Now the stereotypical Italian place is a pasta and red sauce place with a rustic look.  Many that I have been to have paintings on the walls that make it look as if the place is very damaged with cracked walls, and an open ceiling.  While Jianna does feature pasta, the space has a very modern and clean look, located in a second floor space with a balcony.  The walls are white, and while there is some trellis work around the bar, which occupies the center of the dining room, the trellises are not decorated with grape vines.  The food would be familiar in many Italian restaurants, though the dishes are frequently treated with a modern twist and many are served as small plates.  I was with a large party, so we ordered a large number of appetizers to share, though our entrees were eaten mostly individually.  Most of our appetizers would easily be recognized as Italian, but there was also a raw bar that featured oysters and fish.  From that selection we went with some Tuna with Lemon Gel, Hazelnut, Arugula, and Olive Oil.  This would look familiar in a sushi joint, but it did have an Italian twist.  It was tender, and flavorful with some great flavors from the lemon, arugula, and olive oil.  The Ciabatta served with the appetizers was grilled, so it had a nice crispy exterior with a nice airy interior.  Also on the appetizer list was Gnocchi with Smoked Bacon, Tomato, Chives, and Parmesan Brodo (broth).  The gnocchi was soft and had a rich flavor added to with the bacon, chives, and tomato, and the Parmesan broth.  grilled Octopus was served with Arugula, Potato, Guaciale, Pistachio, and Sherry-Lemon Vinaigrette.  I love octopus and this was very good.  The Italian Cheese plate came with three cheese as well as Grapes, Pickled Radishes, Fig Jam, Almonds, and Ciabatta Toast.  It was simple as cheese plates usually are, but as long as the cheese is good, which these cheeses were, it fulfills its purpose.  Generally when a cheese plate is ordered, a charcuterie plate is as well.  The plate that fits this bill is was the San Danielle Prosciutto, a sweeter version than the di Parma version.  The last of our appetizers was the Polpette, Veal and Pork Meatballs, with Polenta, Tomato Sugo (sauce), and Parmagiana.  They were very tender and flavorful and very good meatballs, but of our appetizers, I think my favorite was the Octopus.  They had a very good wine and cocktail list, but I decided to take it easy with a Lonerider Shotgun Betty Hefeweizen (from Raleigh, NC).

In many Italian places, the menu is divided into antipasti (appetizer), Secondi (pasta), Terzi (large entrees), and Dulci (dessert).  The menu at Jianna was divided in the same manner although it was written in English.  Generally, if you order pasta, you won't order from the entree section, and this was the case as well.  Our group seemed to split fairly evenly between pastas and entrees.  I went with a pasta.  After the large number of appetizers, I was looking for something a little lighter, so i went with the Casarecce, wich is similar to a rotini that has been more loosely rolled.  The casarecce was served with Lump Crab, Corn, Peas, Lemon, and Chili Flakes.  It had a lot of crab and vegetables, but it was pretty light.  The lemon gave it a tart flavor that really did away with a need for any sauce.  It was very good and I liked it a lot.

To finish things off, it seemed that after our large meals, we were going to wave off dessert.  While I do like dessert and I thought the food we had been served thus far had been great, I had eaten enough that I would have been fine to go without dessert.  Despite this thought, we still ordered several desserts to share among us.  We started with a New York Style Cheesecake with Blueberries, continued with a Honey Lavender Panna Cotta, and finished with a Salted Caramel Semifreddo.  The cheesecake was simple and straightforward and was quickly gone.  The Honey Lavender Panna Cotta (a panna cotta is a sweetened cream dessert thickened with gelatin) was sweet and floral with a nice bit of tart sweetness from the strawberries.  I thought it sounded good, but there were a few that seemed at first to be a little intimidated by it.  After everyone tasted it, they joked that they would leave the rest for me.  I had a few more bites, but then left the table before finishing it and was happy to see it was mostly gone when I returned.  The last dessert, the semifreddo (semi-frozen) was served with Biscotti Crumbs, Caramel Sauce, and Shaved Chocolate.  It had the texture of a frozen mousse and a fantastic flavor and was an easy sell.

I really enjoyed my dinner here.  The food was fantastic, the service was very good, and it was an interesting spin on an Italian restaurant and Italian food.