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Travel Eats

Travel Eats, Wedding Edition: Best bites from four fall weddings

This fall was my busiest wedding season ever: in six weeks, I attended four weddings across three states! Here’s a round-up of my favorite tastes from each trip.

Madison, WI

Falafel platter from Banzo in Madison
Falafel platter from Banzo in Madison

OK, technically this wasn’t at the wedding, but it was falafel that the bride claimed was the best she’d ever had, anywhere, so I made it a priority to try some for lunch. The texture of each sesame-heavy falafel ball was completely perfect, and each of the accompaniments were bright and flavorful. It’s a little off the beaten path, but Banzo is worth a stop if you’re in Madison.

Pie and mini Glazed and Infused donuts as the wedding dessert in Madison
Pie and mini Glazed and Infused donuts as the wedding dessert in Madison

From the wedding reception at Nakoma Golf Club, I adored the creative desserts. Several tempting varieties of pie were available alongside towers of petite donuts from Chicago’s own Glazed and Infused. Miniature versions of apple fritters and old-fashioneds? Yes, please.

Chapel Hill, NC

Fried green tomato wedding appetizer at Top of the Hill in Chapel Hill, NC
Fried green tomato wedding appetizer at Top of the Hill in Chapel Hill, NC

This wedding was held at Top of the Hill, a brewpub in the heart of downtown Chapel Hill. Out of several tasty appetizers, my favorite were the crispy fried green tomato wedges topped with sour cream and a bit of caviar – and they also felt fitting for my first time in the area!

Wedding dessert pairing of sweet potato cake and "black & blue" beer
Wedding dessert pairing of sweet potato cake and “black & blue” beer

I also couldn’t get enough of my dessert duo: Southern-style sweet potato cake paired with a Black and Blue that the bartender made with equal parts of Lewis Black Imperial Stout and the Blueridge Blueberry Wheat, both brewed on-site. The beer combination alone was outrageously good, but the fruit and chocolate flavors were enhanced even further by the spiced cake.

Chicago, IL

I was grateful that this wedding was only a cab ride away! I filled up on hefty ham and cheese empanadas during cocktail hour, their flaky crusts worth risking stray crumbs on my dress (sadly, my hands were too full to snap a photo). Both the appetizers and family-style main courses stayed in line with the Argentine and Venezuelan influences of the venue, Ravenswood’s ARTango. The sweetest part, though, was the array of sizable Molly’s Cupcakes that appeared as we hit the dance floor.

Lake Geneva, WI

Pulled pork on a pretzel bun with mashed potatoes
Pulled pork on a pretzel bun with cheesy mashed potatoes

Held at the Riviera, with gorgeous lake views as its backdrop, the reception’s highlight was hearty pulled pork sandwiches on pretzel buns with a tangy barbecue sauce. The mashed potatoes on the side (topped with cheese – it’s Wisconsin, after all) upped the comfort quotient, and dainty root-beer and orange-soda floats rounded out the meal as drinkable dessert.

Congratulations to all four newlywed couples! And yes, I’m done with weddings until 2014.

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Best Bites Chicago

This week’s Best Bite: Octopus skewer and Lima Llama cocktail, Tanta

Pulpo (octopus) with chimichurri, fried garlic, and olive sauce
Pulpo (octopus) with chimichurri, fried garlic, and olive sauce

Why it’s this week’s Best Bite: Nearly three-month-old Tanta is carving a new place in the Chicago culinary landscape for its upscale take on Peruvian food, a type of cuisine that I consistently enjoy. I was immediately refreshed by the Lima Llama (think Moscow mule, but with Peruvian pisco and lots of lime), one of the two cocktails on draft. It was the perfect precursor to one of the best octopus dishes I’ve ever had, right up there with Taxim’s Greek version from earlier this year. Cooked in the style of street-food skewers, the plump tentacles were draped with roasted red pepper, which added its own complementary char and spice. The extra-garlicky chimichurri potatoes underneath were like a more exotic version of hashbrowns, brought together by a briny, brilliantly purple olive sauce. The bright colors were what really made the plate – which seems to be Tanta’s strategy across its vibrant menu.

Lima Llama draft cocktail with pisco, lime, and ginger beer
Lima Llama draft cocktail with pisco, lime, and ginger beer

The details: Tanta, 118 W. Grand Ave., Chicago.

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Best Bites Chicago

This week’s Best Bite: Fresh pappardelle with wild boar ragu, Piccolo Sogno

Tree canopy and lights on the lovely patio
Tree canopy and lights on the lovely patio

Why it’s this week’s Best Bite: This is one of those restaurants that’s been in the back of my mind since I moved to Chicago, but still had yet to try. The day my roommate finished her second Chicago Marathon was finally the right opportunity to make plans for celebratory pasta and wine. As expected, the pasta was excellent. The wide, toothsome pappardelle noodles stood up to the hearty boar ragu, with the spiced, carrot-forward warmth that’s so comforting in a slow-cooked sauce. Getting to dine outside was what really clenched it, though – Piccolo Sogno (Italian for “little dream”) is nearly as well-known for its back patio as it is for its food, and I now see why. The atmosphere is nothing short of magical, its fairy-tale trees stretching over to ivy-covered walls to form a lush, softly lit hideaway. Come spring, I’ll be back for more pasta under the stars.

Pappardelle with spiced wild boar ragu and fresh parmesan
Fresh pappardelle with spiced wild boar ragu and fresh parmesan
Bread basket with house-bottled olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar
Bread basket with house-bottled olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar

The details: Piccolo Sogno, 464 N. Halsted St., Chicago.

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Best Bites Chicago

This week’s Best Bite: artisanal cheese board and Oktoberfest beer, Revolution Brewing

Revolution's German-style Oktoberfest beer
Revolution’s German-style Oktoberfest beer

Why it’s this week’s Best Bite: Of all the great things ushered in by this new season, autumnal beers are near the top of the list. And while I’m always excited to try whatever new offerings are on tap at Revolution’s Logan Square brewpub, this year’s Oktoberfest has proven to be one of my all-time favorites. It had lots of caramel and spice notes without being too heavy, and would pair well with pretty much any fall food. I typically skip over cheese plates when reading a menu, but this thoughtful board was a good reminder to stop overlooking them. The three cheese selections on a recent weeknight were each excellent, especially the smoked gorgonzola (I had to restrain myself from devouring all the pieces on the board). The spiced pears, pickled vegetables, and candied peanuts all offered pleasant contrasts without clashing with any of the cheeses. Between that and the other dishes we ordered, Revolution is continuing to prove that it takes its food just as seriously as its beer.

Revolution Brewing artisanal cheeses
Wild rice gouda, aged cheddar, and smoked gorgonzola cheeses, with pear compote, pickled vegetables, candied peanut, and spent grain crackers

The details: Revolution Brewing, 2323 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago.

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Best Bites Chicago

This week’s Best Bite: Parm #2, Publican Quality Meats

Parm #2 sandwich with breaded chicken cutlet, basil tomato sauce, fried sage, and mozzarella on a Franks 'n’ Dawgs roll
Parm #2 sandwich with breaded chicken cutlet, basil tomato sauce, fried sage, and mozzarella on a Franks n’ Dawgs roll

Why it’s this week’s Best Bite: Whenever I’m at a Randolph Street restaurant and have extra time, especially if I’m with someone who’s new to the area, I’ll wander into nearby Publican Quality Meats, the café and butcher-shop sibling of The Publican across the street. I love browsing all the artisanal pantry items that line the shelves and gazing longingly at the deli case (I have to remind myself every single time that no, I still don’t need to buy four of the ready-to-bake stuffed dates from Avec to eat at home). PQM also makes outstanding sandwiches, and a friend and I decided to finally dine in and savor the last bit of patio weather. The clear favorite was this take on a chicken parmesan sandwich, with richly flavored marinara, melty mozzarella, and crispy sage surrounding the chicken cutlet. And it was a genius move to put it all on the same spongy split-top roll that’s used at gourmet hot dog joint Franks ‘N’ Dawgs – a toasted repackaging of an Italian classic.

The details: Publican Quality Meats, 825 W. Fulton Market St., Chicago.

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Best Bites Chicago

This week’s Best Bite: 11 City French Toast, Eleven Lincoln Park

11 City French Toast, with challah, strawberries, bananas, and toasted coconut
11 City French Toast, with challah, strawberries, bananas, and toasted coconut

Why it’s this week’s Best Bite: South Loop brunch favorite Eleven City Diner recently opened a second location in Lincoln Park, complete with an old-fashioned soda fountain and other charming touches. With so many promising savory options (bagels and lox! Latkes! Egg dishes galore!), I even surprised myself when I went with the signature french toast instead. But now it’s hard for me imagine ordering anything else because it was just. That. Good. The fresh-baked challah is the star, striking that elusive french-toast balance of a crispy, golden crust outside and a super-soft inside without being the least bit soggy or overly eggy. Fresh strawberries and bananas with a dusting of powdered sugar always make an excellent topping, but it was the extra crunch of the toasted coconut that brought the dish to another magical level. It was too much toast to finish on the spot, but the challah held up well as leftovers.

The details: Eleven Lincoln Park, 2301 N Clark St., Chicago

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Best Bites Chicago

This week’s Best Bite: favorites from a 20-course tasting at Elizabeth Restaurant

Chocolate and Caramel with mushroom brownie, meringue, and raspberry
Chocolate and Caramel dessert

Why it’s this week’s Best Bite: For my birthday this year, I chose a 20-course tasting at Elizabeth Restaurant as my celebratory meal of choice. Elizabeth uses the same booking system as Next and Alinea, so instead of just making a reservation, I bought tickets that covered food, tax, and gratuity for a specific date and time – and thankfully, three of my closest friends were willing to chip in and come along for the tasting menu experience. The inconspicuous storefront was tucked away next to a tire shop in Lincoln Square, but inside was a white-hued haven with rustic wooden tables, cozy antique chairs, and woodland knick-knacks. It was just the right setting for what Chef Iliana Regan calls “New Gatherer cuisine.”

The interior of Elizabeth
The interior décor at Elizabeth
Centerpiece with edible "twigs" that we ate during a truffled potato and quail egg course
Centerpiece with edible “twigs” that we ate as breadsticks during a truffled potato and quail egg course

In each course, the simplicity of seasonal ingredients was elevated by exquisite, imaginative presentation. Many courses brought bits of adventure, from sipping a palate cleanser out of a test tube and sampling soil from a terrarium to licking bear meat and its accompaniments off of a rock. Here, I’ve narrowed it down to the dishes that were most memorable for both flavor and creativity. Early on, I was intrigued by several different preparations of zucchini and beans alongside a wonderfully simple beef tartare, bringing the meat and vegetables together seamlessly. Another unanimous favorite was the creamy corn soup, served with a sturdy wheat biscuit and three spreads: thick honey, sweet tomato jam, and smoky pancetta butter. As I rotated between spreads and bites of soup, the flavors at once recalled my Central Illinois roots and transported the corn to a more elegant place. Later, smoked salmon and cucumber were matched with yogurt and dill to create a sort of deconstructed tzatziki, which was again familiar but also sophisticated. I also adored all the textures and richness in the “stew” with venison three ways – loin, sausage, and tiny cubes of heart – and a mushroom sauce underneath.

Zucchini: Tartare and Sea Beans
Zucchini: Tartare and Sea Beans
Corn With Biscuits, with soup, whole wheat biscuit, and spreads of honey, tomato jam, and pancetta butter
Corn: With Biscuits
Smoked Fish and Cucumber
Smoked Fish and Cucumber
Hunter and Gatherer Stew with venison loin, sausage, and heart, and mushroom sauces
Hunter and Gatherer Stew

On the sweeter side, the “cheese” course composed primarily of mascarpone, cantaloupe, and Queen Anne’s Lace was possibly the most revelatory. The delicate, harmonious flavors came in solid, sorbet, and gelée forms, with little dots of dill pickle sauce that added a surprising sour note. I also loved the dessert that followed (shown in the top photo), its petite meringue mushrooms a nod to the actual mushrooms used in the earthy brownies, which were then balanced in flavor and color by a few forms of raspberry. The whole meal was a fantastic way to say farewell to summer.

Mascarpone and Queen Anne's Lace, with canteloupe, sorbet, and gelee
Mascarpone and Queen Anne’s Lace
Menu presented at the end with a cookie to take home
Menu presented at the end with a cookie to take home

The details: Elizabeth Restaurant, 4835 N. Western Ave., Chicago.

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Best Bites Chicago

This week’s Best Bite: Japanese pancake and Feijoada fries, La Sirena Clandestina

Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake) with asparagus, kewpie mayo, bean sprouts, and green onions
Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake) with asparagus, kewpie mayo, bean sprouts, and green onions

Why it’s this week’s Best Bite: La Sirena Clandestina is a South American-influenced restaurant that’s been on my list for a while, but moved up toward the top once I saw their out-of-the-box brunch menu. Faced with too many interesting options, my friend and I split a breakfast empanada to start, then shared two other dishes (and we must have been onto something, because the women at the next table over copied our order exactly). The okonomiyaki was a thick, scallion-heavy pancake with two complementary, umami-rich sauces. This version rivaled the ones I’ve had as appetizers at Japanese and Korean restaurants in the past, but still managed to feel like a morning dish. The fries were what I would imagine Brazilian poutine to be like, generously doused in black beans and gooey cheese with surprising notes from the pickled fresnos and mustard sauce, plus a fried egg to tie it up in a more breakfast-y bow. I loved the whole design of the space, too: turquoise walls, light streaming through salvaged windows, beautiful wood everywhere. To top it off, La Sirena made a spicy, no-frills Bloody Mary with pisco and Fernet that far exceeded the usual brunch benchmark.

Feijoada fries with black beans, provolone, pickled fresnos, green onions, sour cream and mustard sauce, and fried egg
Feijoada fries with black beans, provolone, pickled fresnos, green onions, sour cream and mustard sauce, and fried egg
Bloody mary with Peruvian pisco and Fernet Branca
Bloody mary with Peruvian pisco and Fernet Branca

The details: La Sirena Clandestina, 954 W Fulton Market, Chicago.

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Best Bites Chicago

This week’s Best Bite: crab rangoon & Painkiller No. 3, Three Dots and a Dash

Painkiller No. 3, with
Painkiller No. 3, with Bajan rum, Jamaican rum, coconut liqueur, passionfruit, pineapple, and cream

Why it’s this week’s Best Bite: Three Dots and a Dash has been generating buzz ever since bartender Paul McGee announced last year that he was leaving the Whistler to be involved with a tiki concept. The basement bar finally opened in River North two weeks ago, and it truly is a tiki paradise, down to every last swizzle stick. The drink menu is extensive – and fully illustrated, of course – so for a girl who really likes rum, it was a paralyzing task to decide which tropical concoction to order first, even with a significant head-start while I waited for friends to arrive. I was thrilled with my first selection, the Painkiller No. 3, which was a frothy, just-sweet-enough blend of pineapple, rum, coconut, and cinnamon, topped off by a flower and cinnamon stick. It’s worth noting that every drink we ordered came in a different ornate tiki vessel with its own beautiful set of garnishes.

Blue crab rangoon with four dipping sauces: mustard, chili, sweet & sour, and peanut
Blue crab rangoon with four dipping sauces: mustard, chili, sweet & sour, and peanut

The snacks we tried proved to be a suitable match for the outstanding cocktails. My favorites were the crab rangoon, fried golden-brown with a thin, smooth filling that actually tasted like crab rather than a hunk of cream cheese. I also adored the divided dish of four dipping sauces (chili, mustard, peanut, and citrusy sweet-and-sour) that were versatile enough to mix-and-match with our Thai fried chicken and coconut shrimp as well. I have no doubt that Three Dots and a Dash will become a major River North destination, but I’m hoping that at least the alley entrance, marked only by a single tiki torch, might take the crowds a little longer to find.

Bunny's Banana Daiquiri, with
Another great drink: Bunny’s Banana Daiquiri, with Jamaican rum, spiced rum, overproof rum, coconut liqueur, banana, lime, and nutmeg – plus the dolphin garnish!
Greeted by this wall of skulls on the way downstairs into the bar
Greeted by this wall of skulls on the way downstairs into the bar

The details: Three Dots and a Dash, 435 N Clark St., Chicago.

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Best Bites Chicago

This week’s Best Bite: French onion soup and chicken curry crepe, La Creperie

Traditional french onion soup, with bread and melted emmenthal cheese
Traditional French onion soup, with bread and melted emmenthal cheese

Why it’s this week’s Best Bite: Sadly, my first visit to La Creperie was in its final weeks of operation – the classic Lakeview café is closing its doors after 41 years in business. With added urgency, my friend chose to celebrate his birthday over brunch here this past weekend, and I was happy to oblige. I was immediately charmed by the back patio, with red-checkered tablecloths and quaint china atop tables that were nestled between the trees. And while it’s a little rare to order an appetizer with brunch, we’d heard this French onion soup was not to be missed – and am I ever glad we didn’t miss it! The broiled lid of emmenthal cheese was everything you’d want this classic soup’s topper to be: mild and gooey inside, with crispier bits to tear off around the edges of the crock. The deep onion flavor shone through in the broth, accented by thyme and not overly salty.

Crepe filled with chicken in Madras curry with chutney & rice
Crepe filled with chicken in Madras curry with chutney & rice

Although I barely had enough room left, I also enjoyed my variety of the café’s namesake dish. The crepe itself was thin, but hearty enough to hold up to the savory fillings. The creamy madras curry sauce was delicious with the tender vegetables and chicken, and though the rice seemed like more of an afterthought, the chutney added a nice sweetness – so much so that I piled on a little more of my own gingery Major Grey when I finished off my crepe leftovers back at home.

Mimosas on the adorable patio
Mimosas on the adorable patio
The café's sign in its final weeks
The café’s sign in its final weeks

The details: La Creperie, 2845 N Clark St., Chicago (closing, effective late August 2013).