terrific TAUS

Finally, on August 4th, we had a match with a Chicago Gourmets event.  It has been a tough summer for attending their events as our calendar got so full so early. However, it was worth the wait! Last night's dinner at Taus Authentic (not to be confused with Michael's Genuine LOL) was terrific! And i always love it when the place name allows alliteration (small pleasures) lie this one did.

First a bit of background- from their website-

Taus Authentic is named for three Taus generations - my father, grandfather, and great grandfather. All were incredible cooks and helped me develop a love for cooking at a young age. My great grandfather owned a farm in Illinois so growing up he taught me about fresh ingredients. I spent a lot of my childhood in the kitchen with these three great men, and never would have become a chef without them. We wanted to create an environment where guests felt really comfortable, as if they were in a friend's home at a great dinner party.  My wife and I entertain a lot in our home and we wanted that same relaxed atmosphere in the restaurant.  The style is rustic meets modern. Reclaimed wood from old barns and schools was used to create the hutches, dividing wood walls, and tables in both the dining room and bar, and we added modern lighting and dining room seating. 

We have a bit of everything. Our dishes consist mostly of modern French cuisine with global flavors inspired by lots of travels over the last few years. We have a large seafood selection like raw diver scallops with warm truffle vinaigrette, poached quail egg and green apple,  and a striped bass with bok choy in a red coconut curry broth.  We have a variety of meat dishes like a veal cheek 'pot-au-feu' with artichoke, root vegetables, tomatoes and olives, and a flat iron beef with chimichurri spice, radish-fennel slaw, and roasted fingerling potatoes.  I kept the burger I've been cooking the last few years on the menu.  We use a special blend of ground chuck and short rib and serve it with havarti cheese and tomato remoulade on a house made Czech dill roll.  We also have a great fried chicken I make from an aunt's recipe.  

And here are a few visuals to give you an idea of the style of the place-

and here's our menu from last night followed by some (less than excellent) photos which became more difficult as the light waned from outside.  The restaurant lighting is "romantic" rather than photo-ready (unless you use flash which I do not do so as not to disturb other diners)

All the dishes were excellent- wonderful combinations of flavor done with just the right proportions. We can recommend the place unreservedly. It also has a nice sidewalk cafe for the better weather evenings.  All in all - a find!