another week (or half one)

So we started on Sunday with lunch at mfk. Jenny & Eric joined us and we had an abundance of wonderful dishes! Starting with the crudo -

mussels

anchovies (a long time favorite)

jamon and manchego

boquerones! another long time favorite

crunchy prawn heads

the aguachile with gambas

a terrific cauliflower dish!

scallop special

fideos! a Phil fave!

albondigas!

and the BEST basque cake in the city -

a yum meal still after eating there a few dozen times - a favorite place for lunch!

Then Monday night brought us to the Chaine dinner for May- at pacific standard time PST

every course was good but the budino and the strawberry salad were worth a return trip! We were seated with buddies Lee & Nick so we won on the table-mate lottery!

Tonight we tried a new place in the hood- called Le Sud.... imagine our surprise when we were approached at the table by none other than our favorite waiter for years - Mark (from Socca)

It was great to catch up with him and catch him up with all the folks from that era (Socca closed in 2013) We did see him briefly at The Blanchard but then lost track of him again... So this was fun to meet up after many moons (as we say in non-specific time)....

So the meal there was worth returning to but had some things that could use attention... the steak of steak frites was excellent but the frites were oily and not well prepared

 
Phil had praise for the duck

We both liked the octopus

despite the look of this plate the bone marrow was good but Phil found the topping a bit heavy on the pickled flavors (I liked it but would have liked a better balance between the pickled onions and parsley which I find a perfect accompaniment to the unctuous marrow)

the chocolate mousse was worthy but the basque cake was a tad over baked - still flavorful and if I hadn't had mfk's perfect rendition just tow days ago I am sure I would have been more impressed -

Lucy was thrilled we finally had a warm day and she spent most of it on her "princess" cushion on the deck!

Tomorrow night we are planning to go by El to Belmont and grab a Blaze pizza before seeing Hannah & Martin at the Theater WIT... then Friday Mike & Leslie are coming over (carryout sushi!)

Then the holiday weekend arrives and we swing into the last week in May with another play, a concert, a magic show in a suite at the Palmer House and dinner at Georges Trois with Ron & Mary.  Thank god we don't have jobs we have to go to in the mornings....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

two new places

so we tried two "new to us for dinner" places this past week... one has been around for twenty years (and I did actually have lunch there prior to our dinner) and the second has been around for a few years but we hadn't gone because of the issue about bringing wine from our cellar (oh and you have to wear a jacket if you are male). 

We met our friend Judy last night at Georges Trois for an exquisite meal in the French tradition but with enough creativity to satisfy both Phil and me. We met Judy years ago through the Chicagourmets - a dining club founded by Don Newcomb and we all also participate in the Chaine here in Chicago to varying degrees.  She is the consummate traveler an is always heading off to one place or another sometimes with friends and sometimes with family but always with a sense of adventure.  At one point last night she was recounting a journey to the southern Sahara on camels for two weeks (she dragged her late husband along with her!) LOL

Anyway that is a story for another time I am sure - maybe when I do a post on "camel rides I have known:"LOL but this post is about last night's adventure in fine dining at Georges Trois. 

As I said - a combination of the jacket requirement and restrictions on bringing wine from our cellar has kept us from going there despite it being "opened" for a couple of years.  This is a restaurant within a restaurant, located in Restaurant Michael's former group dining room.  Last night there were ten guests total. Every guest enjoyed personal attention from the Chef who described every course to each table as it was served.  And my what courses they were....

our wines -

an amuse of chilled soup of melon and champagne

 both these courses were jewels!

these were two favorites - Phil loved the foie gras "french matzo ball soup" with it's decadent rich flavors and I loved the loup de mer with the crispy skin on  abed of chanterelle mushrooms

a pate des fruites that was extremely full of flavor and ever still held the bubbles of the champagne!

the main as it came assembled and then I deconstructed for a photo-

the wagyu beef was well prepared but the squash blossom was the amazing part of the course- filled with spiced lamb - I actually ate it - had no gamey end note that I always associate with lamb - an excellent course

the triple cheese - triple creme fondue of the house served with a preserved peach and toasted brioche - another WOW course

 a terrific souffle that looked simple but had mind blowing flavors of summer melons followed by Chef's take on Tarte Tatin - made with peaches (which of course I liked even better than the original recipe)

a gift bag to take home with some additional truffles (or so Phil tells me - mine remains unopened right now)

Phil raved about the meal the entire trip back into the city.  I think that means we will be going there again before we leave for the winter LOL....

our other "new to us" meal this week was a celebration/collaboration dinner at Blackbird with a guest chef from Husk which is known for southern fare in a few cities in the south...

here is the menu-  the dishes were hit or miss...

these courses were very good -

 

this dessert should have been amazing but was inedible - neither of us could eat more than a few bites - the flavors we sooooo not to our tastes

Phil liked the mignardise better than I did - black walnut fudge -

overall a serious disappointment - although the two mains of the pork pie and the beef were well prepared and very good so overall it was a plus but at similar price points on both nights I would have to say there was a clear winner and a clear loser... doubt we will go back to the "vaunted" blackbird, the dining room was outrageously loud and while the servers were nice the meal was not at all on the service level of Georges Trois....

so there is the report and now it is time to be packing in earnest for the safari trip... #placestogo #thingstoseeanddo  might be a while before you hear from us - but we will be back some time!