Category: Best Bites

Chicago Restaurant Week 2015: Dinner at Michael Jordan’s Steak House

Post author By Hillary Weller
Post date February 6, 2015
No Comments on Chicago Restaurant Week 2015: Dinner at Michael Jordan’s Steak House

This is part of a series of posts about Chicago Restaurant Week 2015, held January 30–February 12. Check out recaps from 2014 and 2013, or browse all Restaurant Week coverage.

Michael Jordan’s Steak House Dinner

Garlic bread, Michael Jordan's — Garlic bread with Wisconsin blue cheese fondue

Best Bite: Ever since my first visit a few years ago, Michael Jordan’s has been synonymous with garlic bread for me. Specifically, theirs is the best I’ve ever tasted, and was the subject of one of my very first blog posts (thankfully, I finally have a better photo). The blue cheese fondue poured over the top was just as luscious this time around, and made a wonderful start to our meal. Fittingly, dinner ended with cheese as well: the mascarpone cheesecake had an enchantingly airy texture, with two kinds of sunny orange to cut the sweetness and a little extra punch from the fresh mint.

Mascarpone cheesecake, Michael Jordan's — Mascarpone cheesecake with blood orange curd, graham crumb, and cara-cara oranges

Other notes: Michael Jordan’s is a steak house, after all, so my sky-high, mid-rare filet was another knockout – though that smoked garlic jus on the plate would even have made a basketball taste good. The salad course was a nice surprise, a healthy wedge of gem lettuce surrounded by heirloom cherry tomatoes, onion straws, and a not-too-thick buttermilk-scallion dressing. The portions were so generous that I took home leftovers, especially because we added sides of parmesan-crusted creamed spinach and fries that were dusted with an addictive sweet BBQ seasoning.

Petite filet mignon, Michael Jordan's — Petite filet mignon with gruyere potato gratin and smoked garlic jus

The details: Michael Jordan’s Steak House, 505 N Michigan Ave., Chicago.

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Tags best garlic bread, chicago, chicago restaurant week, creamed spinach, filet mignon, fries, garlic bread, little gem lettuce, magnificent mile, mascarpone cheesecake, michael jordan's, michael jordan's steak house, restaurant week, smoked garlic jus

Chicago Restaurant Week

Chicago Restaurant Week 2015: “Last Meals” Dinner at Ada Street

Post author By Hillary Weller
Post date February 4, 2015
1 Comment on Chicago Restaurant Week 2015: “Last Meals” Dinner at Ada Street

This is part of a series of posts about Chicago Restaurant Week 2015, held January 30–February 12. Check out recaps from 2014 and 2013, or browse all Restaurant Week coverage.

Ada Street “Last Meals” Dinner

Night Moves cocktail, Ada Street — Night Moves cocktail with cold-brewed coffee, Amer Picon, cardamaro, rum, and cream

Best Bite: As I mentioned in my Restaurant Week preview, Ada Street’s menu was inspired by the last meal requests of famous criminals. Of all the creative options, my favorite actually ended up being the fourth course, a silky after-dinner drink based on the simple black cup of coffee that was requested by serial killer Aileen Wuornos. The top of the drink was frothy and cocoa-dusted, and it immediately reminded me of a dark, boozy version of Julius Meinl’s iced mélange, an all-time favorite of mine.

Roasted pork loin, Ada Street — Roasted pork loin with corn pudding and pickled red onion

Other notes: The pork loin entree had great textural contrast, particularly because of the crunchy pickled onions. This dish was based on the last meal of Rainey Bethea (the last person to be publicly executed in the U.S.), whose request included pork chops, mashed potatoes, pickled cucumbers, and cornbread. I also enjoyed the combination of rustic strawberry jam with juicy fried chicken, meant to resemble the bucket of KFC Original Recipe chicken and pound of strawberries that were both part of John Wayne Gacy’s request. And for dessert, Jeni’s dark chocolate ice cream with a micro mint garnish made a fine approximation of the two pints of Ben & Jerry’s mint chocolate chip that were requested by Tim McVeigh.

View last year’s post about Restaurant Week at Ada Street.

The details: Ada Street, 1664 N. Ada St., Chicago.

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Tags ada street, chicago, chicago restaurant week, CRW, dark chocolate ice cream, famous last meals, fried chicken, last meals, night moves, pork loin, restaurant week, strawberry jam, themed menus

Chicago Restaurant Week

Chicago Restaurant Week 2015: Brunch at Knife & Tine

Post author By Hillary Weller
Post date February 2, 2015
1 Comment on Chicago Restaurant Week 2015: Brunch at Knife & Tine

This is part of a series of posts about Chicago Restaurant Week 2015, held January 30–February 12. Check out recaps from 2014 and 2013, or browse all Restaurant Week coverage.

Knife & Tine Brunch

Breakfast sandwich, Knife & Tine — Breakfast sandwich with coffee-cured bacon, fried egg, cheddar, and house mayonnaise with fingerling potatoes

Best Bite: I’m happy to report that my first-ever Restaurant Week brunch was a major success. Knife & Tine’s menu price included an entree, two sides, and a drink, so our group of six ordered strategically in an effort to taste as many different things as possible. I was floored by the sheer variety of rich, creative dishes that eventually hit our table: cheesy grits, smoky pork sausage patties, buttery fingerling potatoes, nutty pumpkin bread, fluffy biscuits with cardamom-scented cara cara orange jam – and those were just the sides! My breakfast sandwich combined many of the best flavors on the table, especially the mingling of fried egg with bacon cured in brown sugar, coffee, and cinnamon.

Salted butterscotch croissant-style donut, Knife & Tine — Salted butterscotch croissant-style donut

Other notes: They weren’t technically on the Restaurant Week menu, but the salted butterscotch croissant-style donuts were fantastic (and helped me understand the cronut craze a little bit better). I also loved the cinnamon biscuit beignets, a plateful of sugary, bite-size rounds with a vanilla bean dipping sauce. As a bonus, our group was fortunate enough to sit at the chef’s table, enclosed by silver-toned wallpaper and a crystal chandelier overhead.

The details: Knife & Tine, 1417 W. Fullerton Ave., Chicago.

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Tags best bacon, breakfast sandwich, brunch sides, chef's table, chicago, chicago brunch, chicago restaurant week, cinnamon biscuit beignets, cronut, CRW, fullerton ave, lincoln park, prix fixe, restaurant week

Best Bites Chicago

This week’s Best Bite: Salted Carame’L’ concrete, Shake Shack

Post author By Hillary Weller
Post date January 23, 2015
1 Comment on This week’s Best Bite: Salted Carame’L’ concrete, Shake Shack

This Best Bite is one of the 20 foods and 15 drinks I’ve set out to taste and document in 2015. View the full list to see my plan and progress.

Salted Carame"L" concrete, Shake Shack — Concrete with vanilla custard, banana, and Glazed & Infused salted caramel old fashioned doughnut

Why it’s this week’s Best Bite: I’ve never had the wear-withal to stand in line at the original Shake Shack in New York’s Madison Square Park (or any other location, for that matter), so I was happy to finally make it to the 2-month-old Chicago outpost. On this visit, I had my eye on dessert; specifically, the creamy frozen custard that’s just as beloved as the burgers and fries. The Salted Carame”L” concrete was spun with sizable hunks of banana and salted caramel doughnut, but still kept the focus on the sublime vanilla custard base. As one of the Chicago-exclusive concrete flavors – which explains its punny name – the doughnuts are locally sourced from Glazed and Infused, and a portion of sales support the Greater Chicago Food Depository. My only regret is that I didn’t snag a few of Shake Shack’s crinkle-cut fries to dip into the custard, Wendy’s Frosty–style, for the ultimate in sweet and salty.

The details: Shake Shack, 66 E. Ohio St., Chicago.

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Tags banana, chicago, concrete, doughnut, food puns, frozen custard, glazed & infused, river north, salted caramel, shake shack, shake shack chicago

Best Bites

Best Bites: 2015 Roadmap

In the spirit of the new year, I’ve decided to do Best Bites a little bit differently in 2015. Instead of blogging about whichever bites I happen to come across over the next 11 months or so, I’m going to use this roadmap to guide my culinary adventures. I’ve intentionally kept each category fairly general, but still hope it will help ensure more variety, color, and creativity in my dining plans.

And so I present, in no particular order, 20 foods and 15 drinks that I’ll be documenting in 2015:

20 foods…

1. ethnic food I’ve never tried before, northern hemisphere
2. ~~ethnic food I’ve never tried before, southern hemisphere~~ // South African cuisine, Nando’s Peri-Peri
3. something stuffed
4. ~~savory dessert~~ // Pecorino cake, Sink|Swim
5. vegetable I’ve never tasted
6. ~~egg-centric~~ // Beef tartare with quail egg and Cameo Kirby cocktail with egg white, Cherry Circle Room
7. dim sum
8. whole roast (meat or fish)
9. ~~something pickled~~ // Fried giardiniera, Parts and Labor
10. vegan entree
11. ~~fried dough~~ // Salted Carame’L’ concrete, Shake Shack
12. same ingredient, three ways
13. ~~something smoked~~ // Smoked fish sandwich, Fahlstrom’s Fresh Fish Market
14. something slimy (oysters don’t count)
15. single-bite stunner
16. ~~unique bread and butter~~ // Staff meal, Cellar Door Provisions
17. all-you-can-eat format
18. ~~tongue as main protein~~ // Wagyu beef tongue, Momotaro
19. something exceedingly spicy
20. home-cooked comfort food

…and 15 drinks:

1. spirit I’ve never tried before
2. ~~over-the-top tiki drink~~ // Ripples on an Evaporated Lake and Pool Rules cocktails, Lost Lake
3. green/plant-based beverage
4. creative coffee
5. something sour
6. ~~beer cocktail~~ // Alice Fay draft cocktail, Tippling Hall
7. fancy soda
8. ~~liquid dessert~~ // Mango lassi, Pub Royale
9. tea with a twist
10. party punch
11. cider
12. pickleback shot
13. perfect wine pairing
14. ice cream float
15. smoothie (most likely made with my new Magic Bullet!)

I’ll be updating this post throughout the year as I complete each item on the list, so keep checking back!

Tags 15 drinks, 20 foods, 2015, 2015 goals, best bites, food roadmap

Best Bites

Recap: 30 More Best Bites of 2014

Post author By Hillary Weller
Post date December 31, 2014
2 Comments on Recap: 30 More Best Bites of 2014

For the third year in a row, I’ve spent all December celebrating the rest of my favorite bites and sips from the past year. These are all dishes from 2014 that I didn’t have a chance to cover as Best Bites when I originally enjoyed them. You can check out all 30 below, listed in chronological order.

Chocolate with olive oil, sea salt, and toast	Iced mélange	Paratha tacos	Banana biscoff pocket and coffee	Savory almond crepe
Grilled cheese flight	Blue Cubby Crunch ice cream	Mapo tofu	Spring vegetable orecchetti	Fried chicken and waffles
Goat cheese and fig jam crostini	Smoked salmon bagel plate	Potato pancakes	Salted caramel pretzel shake	Breadsticks and goat cheese
Elotes	Bone marrow	Portobello & avocado tempura	Passionfruit beermosa	Tagliolini nero
Red chile enchiladas	BBQ jerk chicken with mac & cheese	No. 21 juice	Skate wing	Southern Tier Crème Brûlée imperial stout
Turkey pot pie poutine	BBQ brisket bibimbap	The Gobbler burger	The Grill Club	Fried brussels sprouts

Here’s to another great year of eating and drinking!

As always, thanks for reading – see you in 2015!

Best Bites Chicago

2014 Best Bite #30: Fried brussels sprouts, The Radler

Post author By Hillary Weller
Post date December 30, 2014
No Comments on 2014 Best Bite #30: Fried brussels sprouts, The Radler

For the third year in a row, I’m using each day in December to celebrate the rest of the best bites (and sips) that I didn’t get to blog about in 2014, posted in chronological order. Browse all of this year’s Best Bites, or look back at year-end Best Bites from 2012 and 2013.

Fried brussels sprouts, The Radler — Fried brussels sprouts with apple mayo, butternut squash puree, gingersnap cookie, and candied ginger

Why it’s another 2014 Best Bite: In its first year open, modern beer hall The Radler has been a welcome addition to Logan Square. While the house-made sausages are certainly delicious, I more often pair my stein of beer with these crispy fried brussels sprouts. Sweet and gingery from crushed gingersnaps, squash puree, and candied ginger, they’re like none I’ve had anywhere else and let me enjoy the flavors of fall year-round.

The details: The Radler, 2375 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago.

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Tags apple mayo, best brussels sprouts, brussels sprouts, candied ginger, chicago, fried brussels sprouts, ginger, gingersnaps, logan square, the radler, veggies

Best Bites Chicago

2014 Best Bite #29: The Grill Club, Standard Market Grill

Post author By Hillary Weller
Post date December 29, 2014
No Comments on 2014 Best Bite #29: The Grill Club, Standard Market Grill

Why it’s another 2014 Best Bite: This sandwich came as sustenance after a few hours of walking around BrewLights at the Lincoln Park Zoo (holiday beer samples in conjunction with the zoo’s annual light display). It was the little lavish details that made it go above and beyond a typical club sandwich: brie cheese, roasted tomato, avocado, and of course a toasted everything bagel instead of bread. A side of top-notch sweet potato fries also didn’t hurt.

The details: Standard Market Grill, 444 W. Fullerton Pkwy., Chicago.

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Tags avocado, brie, chicago, club sandwich, everything bagel sandwich, grill club, lincoln park, standard market grill, sweet potato fries

Best Bites Chicago

2014 Best Bite #28: The Gobbler burger, DMK Burger Bar

Post author By Hillary Weller
Post date December 28, 2014
No Comments on 2014 Best Bite #28: The Gobbler burger, DMK Burger Bar

Why it’s another 2014 Best Bite: In the sea of Chicago restaurants who specialize in burgers, DMK consistently serves some of the very best. I’m also a sucker for any Thanksgiving-themed special, so ordering The Gobbler was a no-brainer on this visit. The crunchy celery and tart cranberry squished into a mound of mashed potatoes, all atop sage-laden stuffing and turkey patties. With a side of DMK’s sweet potato fries – which are delicious in any season – this burger felt as festive and filling as the holiday meal itself, and made a fitting prelude to the real feast three days later.

The details: DMK Burger Bar, 2954 N. Sheffield Ave., Chicago.

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Tags burger specials, celery, chicago, cranberry relish, dmk, dmk burger bar, gravy, lincoln park, mashed potatoes, stuffing, thanksgiving burger, the gobbler, turkey burger

Best Bites Chicago

2014 Best Bite #27: BBQ brisket bibimbap, Smalls Smoke Shack & More

Post author By Hillary Weller
Post date December 27, 2014
No Comments on 2014 Best Bite #27: BBQ brisket bibimbap, Smalls Smoke Shack & More

BBQ brisket bibimbap, Smalls Smoke Shack and More — BBQ brisket bibimbap with soy/maple/sesame glaze, assorted vegetables, steamed rice, fried egg, kimchi, pickled daikon, and Korean chile paste

Why it’s another 2014 Best Bite: Much like yesterday’s post, this dish represented a partnership between two foods I’m crazy about: Korean bibimbap and BBQ beef brisket. The brisket came glazed with a umami-rich blend of soy, maple, and sesame, and was joined by pickled veggies, crunchy kimchi, and the healthy dab of gochujang-style hot pepper paste that’s always necessary when mixing bibimbap together. I was just as impressed by the other side of the tray: the rice was flavorful and pleasantly sticky, and the egg on top may have been the most perfect consistency I’ve ever had on bibimbap, with a soft, well-seasoned center and lots of crispy pieces around the edges.

The details: Smalls Smoke Shack & More, 4009 N. Albany Ave., Chicago.

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Tags avondale, bbq brisket, bibimbap, smalls chicago, smalls smoke shack