The Bristol - Tasting Collective Dinner

It's funny, while I have been to The Bristol several times, I've never written about their dinner.  I've been here and written about Brunch and events, but never their dinner menu.  While this dinner with Tasting Collective was a group dinner, it did feature kind of a greatest hits selection from their dinner menu.  The plates at The Bristol are meant to be shared anyway, so other than having to serve everything at once, it shouldn't have been a huge difference for the kitchen.  We were seated upstairs in a room that used to be a bar area that served no food, but is now a private dining room and event space (with it's own bar).  For the dinner, there was one long communal table set up and we shared plates with three people sitting close to us.  I started things off with an Old Fashioned, made with Very Old Barton Bourbon, Demerara Sugar (raw sugar from sugar cane), Bitters, and an Orange Rind garnish.  An Old Fashioned, as the name implies, has been around for a long time.  It isn't difficult to make, but the ingredients used make an enormous difference.  This was a very good Old Fashioned that was sweet, bitter, and very smooth.  I am generally not a bourbon drinker, but this was very good.

Our First Course was very much a pre-dinner, cocktail hour-style appetizer.  It was Smoked Catfish Dip, topped with Trout Roe, and served with Housemade Potato Chips.  The catfish dip was ver flavorful and topped with a lot of roe.  It was very good, though the one complaint that I might have had was that we could have used more potato chips which were very crisp and salty and very good themselves.

After our appetizer, we had a classic salad combination:  Roasted Beets with Feta Cheese.  To add to this, there were Honey Roasted Cashews and Persillade (a parsley and garlic sauce).  The beets were tender and had a sweet and bitter flavor, the goat cheese brings a slightly sour creamy flavor, the cashews added a honey, nutty crunch, and the persillade added a green and garlicky flavor.  It all came together in a wild and yet familiar combination of flavors and textures.

After the salad began our savory courses with one of my favorites, Fried Pork Rillettes with Pepper Jam.  Served on a wood board, it was a very simple presentation, but it made it easy for the four of us to easily get one rillette.  They were like breaded meatballs with a very tender interior and a sweet and spicy Pepper Jam that the rillettes were both topped with and sat in.

Our second savory course was a Duck Confit Cavatelli with Shiitake Mushrooms and Mint.  Many might think that this would be my favorite dish.  It had many things going for it, the duck confit, which was plentiful, the mushrooms, which added texture and a nice earthy flavor, and the mint.  It was very good, but I liked the Pork Rillettes better.

Our final savory course was brisket, which I also love, though not as much as the pork rillettes.  The Brisket was Miso Smoked, which added an extra savory flavor and served with Pickled Turnips, Mashed Potatoes, and Mustard Greens.  I loved the brisket part of this and the potatoes and the mustard greens were fine, but I was not excited about the turnips.  They weren't bad, they just didn't get it for me.

The final dish, dessert, is a dessert for which they are fairly well known for, the Basque Cake.  Again served on a board, the cakes were sized for individual consumption and topped with Chantlly Cream as is traditional for a Basque Cake.  It also had a Seasonal Jam, in this case, Blackberry, and a large Pecan.  I have had several Basque Cakes recently and this one still remains at the top.  I really enjoyed dinner hear again.  The food is very high quality and I like the seasonality of it.  The service is also very good and I got to meet the chef.  I have enjoyed it every time I have come here, and I am sure I will enjoy it again when I return.     

Dove's Luncheonette

I have talked about Paul Kahan several times and have raved about every restaurant that is under his umbrella that I have been to (Blackbird, The Publican, Nico Osteria, Big Star).  He is a master chef and a great mentor who is able to find and lead talented young chefs with the many concepts that he has undertaken.  There are some restaurant groups in which most of their restaurants have a common theme and are very similar.  The several concepts run by One Off Hospitality, the restaurant group in which Paul Kahan is a partner, are very different.  The one common theme between the various properties are their devotion to local farmers and seasonal food.  I went recently to their most recent restaurant, Dove's Luncheonette, an old style diner that serves mostly Mexican food and is located in Wicker Park, next to Big Star.  The restaurant is kind of inobtrusive, with the sign painted on the window next to the door.  The building in which Dove's is located is a beautiful vintage building with wood framed windows.  The inside looks as an old diner should, with stainless steel counters facing the windows as well as a dining counter looking into the open kitchen.  The walls are paneled on the lower half and covered in numerous old photos on the upper half.  There is an old jukebox in the corner as well as a turntable behind the corner with a great collection of old blues and soul records.  The menu is one page (both sides listing all meals including the all day breakfast).  In addition, there is a board behind the counter, near the ceiling, that lists the daily specials.  While there were several things on the specials list that looked really good (the Pork Milanese Cemita), I decided to stick with the menu and started with the Pepper and Potato Hash which in addition to the Fried Potatoes and the Shishito Peppers, had Aioli, Charred Scallions, and Queso Fresco.  Shishito Peppers are long and green and look similar to Jalapeno peppers, so while they are sweet, it was a little annerving to see all of those peppers among the potatoes.  I did try a pepper before anything else and found it to be fresh, crisp and sweet and went well with the crispy fried potatoes, and the slightly spicy aioli.  The queso fresco added a little salt and texture to an excellent dish.

For my main course, I ordered Enchiladas de Cochinilla, or Suckling Pig which was roasted, shredded and wrapped in Corn Tortillas.  The dish was served in a cast iron pan giving it kind of a homey appearance.  They were served with Mole Verde, Pepitas (fried sunflower seeds), Onions, Queso Fresco, Chicharrones, and Cilantro.  The pork was very tender as would be expected and the dish was a wealth of flavors and textures.  It was so good, that while I try to change what I order when I return to a restaurant, it would be difficult not to return to this.  I liked everything about this place and I will definitely return.        

Longman & Eagle

While I have been to Longman & Eagle several times, I have been there for lunch, brunch, and cocktails, I have never been for dinner.  As it has one of the best whiskey lists in the city and it has a Michelin Star besides, I knew that I was going to have to go one evening.  That evening arrived recently.  While I like the rustic interior, it was a beautiful evening and they have a nice patio so I decided to sit outside.  The menu is divided into Bar Snacks, Small Plates, and Large Plates, many of which are great for sharing.  I ordered something from each section.  For my first plate, my Bar Snack, I ordered the Pheasant Pate, Sourdough Tartines, Pickles (pickled vegetables), and Mustard.  I like pate and I like pheasant but I had never had them together so other than being good, I was unsure what it was going to be like.  This tasted like pate but it had a flavor that was a little more gamy.  I ate the pate like an open faced sandwich, spreading the mustard  on the sourdough and the pate on top of that.  The vegetables used in the pickle were carrots, cauliflower, and peppers and I ate that between bites of pate sandwiches.  As one might expect with the sourdough bread, the mustard, and the pickles, the dish was pretty sour but the sour went well with the pate.

For my appetizer, I got Blue Crab Ravioli with Black Truffles, Fava Beans, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Tomatoes, and Baby Greens, in a Tomato Consomme.  The blue crab was finely shredded and filled the perfectly cooked ravioli shells.  The shells were a firm "al dente" and again reminded  me that most pasta prepared at home is overcooked.  The pasta was topped with thinly sliced black truffles.  Truffles have a distinctly pungent flavor and while the flavor was there, it was much more subtle than I would have expected.  There were a couple of different types of cherry tomatoes, fava beans, and microgreens, which were all very fresh.  The tomatoes and the fava beans were sliced in half which made their flavor more immediate.  While this would have been good on it's own, when it was presented, a tomato consommé, which was very clear, was poured over it.  While the presentation/performance was kind of neat, I really didn't expect much from the consommé and actually expected it to be kind of bland given that it was very clear.  I was happily wrong on that point.  The consommé was warm and had the taste of fresh salted tomatoes which finished the dish well.

I was a little surprised by my entree, mainly because I misread the menu.  I was not disappointed because I liked all of the elements of the dish but it wasn't exactly what I expected.  The dish was a Monkfish Osso Bucco with Clams, Broccoli Rabe, Cremini Mushrooms, and many elements of corn: kernels, silk, and powdered.  When I think of osso bucco, I think of a steak, usually veal, with a cross cut bone showing the marrow hole.  I was expecting to get this in addition to the monkfish and clams.  I was not expecting the monkfish to be the meat surrounding the large bone.  I like monkfish, I was just not aware that there is anywhere on that fish that you would be able to find a bone that big and solid.  The clams, mushrooms, and broccoli rabe went together well with each other and the fish and while the corn kernels were good, the silk and powder were just odd.

You would think that after all of this food, I would be too full for dessert.  While I was satisfied and could have walked away, I am never one to turn down dessert and in this case, I was very happy that I went for it because it was a thing of beauty and it tasted as good as it looked.  My dessert was a  Pralined Pecan Terrine with Caramel & Bourbon, Espresso, Honey Foam, Chocolate, Malted Ice Cream, and Bourbon Panna Cotta.  The terrine was to me like a firm multi-layered custard and was served with some pecan brittle.  It had a layer of chocolate on one side and bourboned caramel on the other.  The interior layers combined pecans with espresso and honey foam.  The malted ice cream was sitting on some powdered malt and was very good.  While the bourbon panna cotta was a little thinner than I expect for a good panna cotta, it tasted good.  The bourbon was subtle but it was definitely there and it went well with the other stronger flavors within the terrine.  It was also garnished with cinnamon which was a good finish.

I really enjoyed my meal here and was glad I finally made it for dinner.  The waiter was friendly and able to answer my questions well and it was nice to sit out on the patio on a beautiful evening and enjoy some really good food.

Big Star

I have mentioned Paul Kahan before.  The man is like culinary royalty in Chicago.  He is a James Beard nominated and award-winning chef who owns five restaurants and a very fine bar (or four restaurants and two bars depending on how you want to count it) all of which are very different and all of which are very good.  While he is well known in the fine dining world with Blackbird and avec, his last two places, Big Star, and Publican Quality Meats, have been decidedly lower end (The other two places are The Publican and The Violet Hour).  Having said that these restaurants are decidedly lower end however, does not mean that they are any less good.  I went to Big Star recently for some tacos and beer.  Located in the heart of Wicker Park, actually located right next to Wicker Park, there really isn't much to say about the building.  It looks like an auto service garage, complete with two big garage doors.  The walls are cinder block and painted white and there is a big vintage Taco sign with blinking lights on the back wall.  The bar is very large nice and serves on all four sides.  There is a really nice selection of whiskey and tequilas and it has a turntable playing vintage vinyl.  The patio is very large as one might expect of a patio that occupies the former parking lot of a service garage.

The menu is fairly small and features tacos at a very nice price.  While the average person will eat three or four tacos, it is still fairly inexpensive.  While I said that I came for tacos, I also had to get some beans.  They weren't refried beans as you might find in most taquerias but it was really good anyway.  Besides the pinto beans, it had bacon, tomatoes, poblano peppers, onions, and was topped with queso fresco and cilantro.  It was also served with fresh corn tortillas.  It was kind of sloppy transferring it to the tortillas, and it was good eating it straight out of the bowl that it was served in, but tortillas and beans are a natural match.

Of the other things that I ordered in or on tortillas, I had two tacos and a tostada.  I started with the tostada because it was vegetarian and I thought I would start light.  I don't remember what it was called but it had huitlacoche, chihuahua cheese, onions, and arugula.  Huitlacoche is a fungus that grows on corn and has a very short season.  It tastes like mushrooms obviously, but it also has a slight corn flavor.  The arugula was lemony and wasn't too peppery, so I assume it was a new cutting.  It was very good.  The first taco that I had was a Taco de Panza which is a crispy pork belly taco with tomato guajillo sauce, onions, queso fresco, and cilantro.  It was spicy, and crispy, and chewy, and the pork was nicely sweet.  As with any pork belly, it was great.  The other taco was a Taco Al Pastor which was a marinated and spit roasted pork shoulder with  grilled pineapple, grilled onions, and cilantro.  The marinade was kind of spicy but it went well with the tang of the pineapple.

Everything was very good and I really liked it here.  The decor was very low end and the food was cheap but it as very well prepared, and despite the fact that it was pretty loud, the music selection, mostly old country, was also very good.  While there are frequently long lines to get a seat, it is still a viable option for some very good tacos and a drink or three. 

Longman & Eagle - Brunch

It has the name like an English Pub, but looks to me like what I think a modern western saloon would look like. It has a long hardwood bar, hardwood flooring, and wooden tables, chairs, and bar stools. Longman & Eagle even has rooms to stay at very reasonable rates. The main room looks like an old bar with a small open kitchen in one corner and a tremendous amount of liquor on the shelves behind the bar. While they have great beer and wine lists, the have one of the best whiskey lists in the city, including over 100 whiskeys, bourbons, scotches and ryes. While I am not a huge whiskey drinker, I do like the occasional scotch. I had been here once for lunch shortly after it opened and while I liked the service, I was really not impressed with the food. It seemed to have a lot of promise but the one dish I had had (a meatball sandwich with great meatballs, tomato, cheese and pesto but lousy bread) didn't cut it. From what I knew of the chef and the owners and the way the menu looked, I had to think that they were just suffering from opening jitters. Since that time, they have won several awards including GQ Best New Restaurant 2010, one of Esquire Magazine's 20 Best New Restaurants, and a Michelin star. I had been there since then and there had been times when I thought about eating there again, but things hadn't worked out until this last weekend. My brother joined me there for brunch.

Longman & Eagle does not take reservations and it gets pretty crowded on the weekend but there were a couple of places at the bar which also offers a full menu so we sat at the bar. I ordered the Fried Chicken and Waffles. The chicken was well fried and very juicy and the breading was very good. I got two thighs and a leg. The waffles were very crisp but softened nicely without getting mushy after adding the maple syrup which was served on the side. There was also a sweet potato and pork belly hash served between the chicken and waffles which was also very good. The sweetness of the pork belly and the sweet potatoes went well together as did the maple syrup. My brother got what was essentially mac and cheese but it was very good mac and cheese. It started with Orecchiete pasta used a combination of white cheddar, Fontina fonduta, and Gruyere for the cheese adds braised pork cheeks and is topped with bread crumbs. The pasta was very tender and the cheese sauce was heavenly. The pork cheeks just added to the flavor (It has a flavor similar to bacon) and the bread crumbs provide some variety to the texture. There was also a side salad that sort of served as a palate cleanser.

Longman & Eagle has redeemed themselves as I thought they would. The menu offers a wide variety on any given day and changes frequently and the prices are reasonable. While I have eaten here for the mid-day meal. I will have to come here sometime for dinner. Luckily it is close.