Category: Restaurant Week

This is part of a series of posts about Chicago Restaurant Week 2018, held January 26–February 8. View all of this year’s meal recaps, or browse all Restaurant Week coverage from 2013–2018.

Best Bite: Chef Zoe Schor built a tradition of themed Restaurant Week menus in past years at her previous restaurant, Ada Street: female chefs in 2014 and famous last meals in 2015. So she continued the tradition at Split-Rail this year with two five-course menu options: one inspired by Seinfeld, the other inspired by Friends. We shared both sets of dishes, and most of my favorites were on the Seinfeld side – especially luscious beet-cured salmon atop rye toast (to commemorate the episode when Jerry stole a loaf of marbled rye from an elderly woman). On the Friends side, I really liked the winter squash tartlet, inspired by an episode where “tartlet” is repeated over and over by a chef under the influence during Monica’s job interview with him. It was almost like a mini pumpkin pie, but more savory with creme fraiche and pumpkin seeds.

Other notes: The theme extended all the way to the cocktails, with a spin on hot buttered rum to represent the Seinfeld episode where Kramer shaved his face with butter. And it’s not a Seinfeld dinner without a Soup Nazi reference, so we had to try the crab bisque, which had a pleasantly high proportion of crabmeat to broth. So there was, indeed, soup for us.

The details: Split-Rail, 2500 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago.

This is part of a series of posts about Chicago Restaurant Week 2018, held January 26–February 8. View all of this year’s meal recaps, or browse all Restaurant Week coverage from 2013–2018.

Best Bite: I first visited Boka during Restaurant Week 2011 (before I even started this blog!), so a return visit was well overdue. I was excited to finally try the roasted chicken that’s been a mainstay of the menu ever since Chef Lee Wolen took the helm. It was possibly the most perfectly juicy slice of chicken I’ve ever eaten. The roasted carrots were also at just the right doneness, with a buttermilk dressing and lots of sesame.

Other notes: The banana dessert was anchored by speculoos (cookie butter), a combination that reminded me of this Stan’s donut – but elevated with a beautiful presentation of shaved dark chocolate, cubes of sponge cake, and banana ice cream. And the technical expertise required for the slow-poached egg nestled in dense cavatelli and parmesan was truly impressive.

The details: Boka, 1729 N. Halsted St., Chicago.

This is part of a series of posts about Chicago Restaurant Week 2018, held January 26–February 8. View all of this year’s meal recaps, or browse all Restaurant Week coverage from 2013–2018.

Best Bite: The squash soup was the most innovative dish of our meal at this cozy Lincoln Park spot. The brown butter, espresso, and squash came together to create a silky soup, with extra warmth from the chipotle.

Other notes: My other favorite dish was actually from the same course as the soup: the beef tartare on toast, which had tons of salty and sour notes from pickles, capers, and parmesan. It was also fun to see muddy buddies (aka puppy chow) used as the topping for a chocolate pudding dessert – but because we were celebrating a birthday, I was too focused on the candle-blowing to snap a photo!

The details: Willow Room, 1800 N. Halsted St., Chicago.

This is part of a series of posts about Chicago Restaurant Week 2018, held January 26–February 8. View all of this year’s meal recaps, or browse all Restaurant Week coverage from 2013–2018.

Best Bite: Barrio introduced me to a brunch combination I’d never thought possible: churro French toast. Cinnamon-laced churros were layered together like bread pudding, then dipped and griddled like French toast. The dragonfruit and grilled pineapple accompaniments made it even more tropical and exotic.

Other notes: The savory side of brunch was also satisfying, with especially crispy pork belly and scallions dotting egg-topped fried rice. The festive drink menu (including a rumchata-espresso-soft serve concoction) was well worth exploring as well.

The details: Barrio, 65 W. Kinzie St., Chicago.

This is part of a series of posts about Chicago Restaurant Week 2018, held January 26–February 8. View all of this year’s meal recaps, or browse all Restaurant Week coverage from 2013–2018.

Best Bite: If I see skate on a menu, I’ll usually order it (see also: Mexique). This crunch-coated version with lime mayo and pickled onions was still perfect for tucking into tortillas – though I wasn’t surprised that Mexican master-chef Rick Bayless would even make humble tacos high-end.

Other notes: I loved the masa boat appetizer with beef, tomato sauce, and tiny hunks of avocado. And the cleverly named Dos, Tres, Cuatro dessert didn’t just include tres leches (three milks), but also two kinds of nuts and four kinds of chocolate in a s’mores-like presentation.

The details: Frontera Grill, 445 N. Clark St., Chicago.