up and down the scale

So in the last four days - since the Teitur celebration with Ron & Mary- we have had three meals out. they went up and down the scale of dining - with a hole in the wall Moroccan place and a French bistro and on the top of the scale (by far!) our favorite pop-up 2C Chicago!

So let's go from the top- another sublime meal at 2C. There is everything to love here... the intimate setting, the warm and friendly and extremely talented chef - Jeff Dysart, and of course- above all - the food.... we went with friends Ron & Mary and Kevin & Shari - and the group was a complete win for us since we love all of these folks.  The other two couples did not know each other before the evening so it was fun to introduce them to each other.

but the meal- and since every course was stunning in flavor and composition on the "plate", I can go in order - you can read the menu after the snacks course photo-

 

 with the corn soup-

 before the reveal- LOL

voila! oh ad the smoke didn't make the photo but the flavor and scent of it was captured in the dish! 

while it is hard to pick a favorite the pancakes with foie gras and maple syrup pearls certainly makes my list of dishes before the guillotine LOL

 before and after saucing...

 the wine line up for the evening -

Now we are trying to figure out how to get back before I leave town - and good luck with that!

if you are interested here are my two prior posts on the pop-up 2C Chicago-

 http://blog.semifreelife.com/2018/07/tremendous-two.html

http://blog.semifreelife.com/2018/05/new-fun-find.html

*******

working our way back in time from last night's outstanding meal- we tried a new to us French place west of the loop called La Sardine...Phil liked it -but I not so much.  The service was inattentive and I found the food lacking. To be 100% honest I didn't really feel like going out and wasn't hungry so I only had part of the charcuterie and a bowl of the onion soup (it was NOT exemplary- too cheesy) and watched Phil eat.... we did have an excellent half bottle of Olivier Leflaive wine (2015 Puligny) and then one of our own Corton Renardes from Delarche an fabulous 1996 red burg that we paid the $50 bauck corkage for (which I thought was rather steep given that we purchased a very expensive white - at $80 for the half bottle) - the wine list is good but not as good as our cellar...

 Phil had the steak frites and the chocolate souffle - the frites were first rate- I will give them that-

so while Phil may go back while I am out of town I probably won't....

then two nights before 2C we had dinner with Mike and his uncle at a hole in the wall Moroccan place called Shokran- near the Irving Park EL stop for the Blue line...

 Phil and Uncle Walt had the mixed grill

 I had the kefta kebab which was supposed to beef but tasted of a lamb and beef mix-

 Mike had the lamb tagine

no photos but the Bastilla was authentic and good - Phil seemed to like his shrimp and Uncle Walt had the Harira which he liked as well.

I would go back when in the mood for that type of food but order carefully.  If you are a lamb lover this would be a good pick but if you feel about lamb the way I do you may want to be picky about your choice of a main... probably should have ordered the chicken kebab...LOL

anyway- it ran the gamut this week- starting at the Casino Club and then Teitur with Ron & Mary and then three more evenings out... maybe even I have reached my limit on social plans.... LOL- I know Phil has not...  as he left for an evening of music with friends to be followed by a full day of music and festivities around the anniversary of WFMT's Folkstage with a special afternoon concert.

Next week we start off with an event for charity "Pause for the Cause" with a collaboration dinner of the chef's from Oriole and S.K.Y.  Then we have a visit from brother Larry (we have booked one night at El Ideas) - he hasn't yet seen our condo in Chicago as Hurricane Irma disrupted plans to come... so here we are in our third summer finally being able to host him!

Burgers for Teitur

LOL - well not exactly - but we did have burgers on September 18th at Edzo's Burger Shop in Evanston with friends Ron & Mary. And Mary's calendar (which lists all US holidays) did say Teitur for the same date.  And since her calendar had pointed out Ashura near the same date she assumed it was some religious holiday unknown to her. 

It turned out that the event called Teitur on her calendar was actually a concert we had bought tickets for the four us to attend! so Happy Teitur or Merry Teitur or Joyous Teitur - LOL whichever you wish...

so we decided since the concert was at Evanston S.P.A.C.E. we would grab a burger before the concert at Edzo's -

the warm up act were sisters from Alaska/Chicago/Ireland (LOL) really - called Maeve & Quinn -

from their website-

maeve & quinn is the duo of Maris Maeve O'Tierney (voice, guitar, piano) and Bryce Quinn O'Tierney (violin, voice, piano), musician-composers and writers from Anchorage, Alaska. As twin sisters and collaborators, Maris and Bryce have been making music together for most of their lives, sharing a classical music background as well as an improvisational language that informs their songwriting. Their project as maeve & quinn has evolved with their relationship, an intimate conversation that translates to their live performances. Weaving influences of indie pop and folk, as well the melodic emotion of Irish traditional, the music of their cultural heritage, maeve & quinn builds a sonic atmosphere evocative of their dynamic, expansive home-state, Alaska. What the listener hears in their music are the highly attuned ears and eyes of storytellers observing the world around them, and the push-pull of the human heart.

followed by the main act Teitur-

Teitur; born Teitur Lassen 1977 is a Faroese musician, composer, singer-songwriter and producer. He is a winner of multiple Danish Music Awards and has toured globally since his debut release, Poetry & Aeroplanes, in 2003. Since 2001 he has dedicated himself to playing and writing music in English full-time, and has released six studio albums as a solo artist. He has additionally produced, written for, or worked with multiple international artists including Seal, Corinne Bailey Rae, Netherlands Wind Ensemble, Emilie Simon, International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), Holland Baroque Society, Nolwenn Leroy, Nico Muhly, and Ane Brun. His songs have appeared on major motion picture soundtracks and numerous compilations. In 2010 he was invited to perform for the Queen of Denmark's 70th birthday celebrations and in 2015 Teitur was a speaker at the TED conference in Vancouver. (from Wikipedia)

and while I liked all three performers, I really wanted to LOVE them and didn't.  His music because he was very lovable -as were the ladies, but last night I just never found the songs that wowwed me... felt the same way about the young ladies- just didn't get hooked by anything.... but it was a lovely evening with friends anyway and a nice celebration of "teitur" a holiday now ensconced in our calendar for next year LOL!

the season begins

Ah- back to school time and the cultural world's season begins with opera, theater, symphony and food...yes food.  The season opening dinner of the Chaine des Rotisseurs was held last night at the Casino Club in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood.  I have probably been by this building a hundred times and never knew it existed LOL- probably because I don't travel in such "high society' that I would know.

here is a bit of background on the club-  from the invitation-

The Casino was founded by Lucy McCormick Blair in 1914, down the street from its present site.  Though called “The Casino,” the club is not a gambling place.  It derived its name from the original Italian term for a “country house used for social gatherings and entertainment.”  In 1928, The Casino moved to its current one-story, green and black Art Deco building designed by Chicago Architect Walter Frazier.  Rue W. Carpenter, founder of the Chicago Arts Club and widely considered as the “arbiter of good taste” of her generation, oversaw the decoration of the entire interior space featuring the then new style “avant garde,” long before the term became part of the local lexicon. 

and it was actually quite lovely in a dated sense - if it were a hotel I would say it was in need of a refresh but since it was a club and was supposed to feel "homey" I think it met that standard...

so the season begins.... and a shout out to Lee for being my coat and tie wearing escort for the evening- you look great in Hermes! LOL