Categories
Chicago Restaurant Week

Restaurant Week 2014: Homestead on the Roof

This is part of a series of posts about Chicago Restaurant Week 2014, held January 24–February 6. Check out the 2013 recap, or browse all Restaurant Week coverage.

Dinner at Homestead on the Roof

Bread basket with assorted breads, house pickles, honey butter, and tomato-herb oil
Bread basket with assorted breads, house pickles, honey butter, and tomato-herb oil

Best Bite: As soon as the bread basket arrived, with jars of honey butter and tomato-herb oil ready to slather on cornbread and laminated brioche, I knew it was going to be an exceptionally thoughtful meal. Fresh, seasonal ingredients came together beautifully in all three courses, but dessert is the one I’m still thinking about most. The dish was a tantalizing combination of rolled dark chocolate cremeux, tiny crystallized thyme leaves, bourbon-scented powder, a slick of toasted marshmallow, and earthy beets two ways: in thin vanilla slices and as creamy sorbet. I loved everything about it – which I never thought I would say about a beet dessert. See full menu.

Beet dessert with chocolate cremeux, crystalized thyme, and beet buttermilk sherbet
Beet dessert with chocolate cremeux, crystalized thyme, and beet buttermilk sherbet

Other notes: The pan-fried, maple-glazed sweetbreads entree packed richness into a light portion. I’m proud to report that two of my girlfriends were feeling adventurous and ordered the sweetbreads as well – both were first-timers, and both approved! I also loved the whimsical tuft of cotton candy on top of the chestnut dessert, among other creative garnishes. The indoor space had a rustic feel, with reclaimed windows as creative dividers, but I’m looking forward to going back in the spring for the full outdoor rooftop experience.

Maple-glazed sweetbreads with pickled pears and salsify puree
Maple-glazed sweetbreads with pickled pears and salsify puree

The details: Homestead on the Roof, 1924 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago.

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Categories
Best Bites Chicago

2013 Best Bite #22: Fried sweetbreads, Farmhouse

Each day in December, I’m celebrating the rest of the best bites (and sips) that I didn’t get to blog about in 2013, posted in chronological order. Browse all of this year’s Best Bites, or look back at 2012’s Best Bites.

Fried sweetbreads
Fried sweetbreads with endive, capers, and pear mustard

Why it’s another 2013 Best Bite: The server talked me into ordering this sweetbreads special as a snack on an unseasonably warm fall evening, and it turned out to be an excellent decision. The richness of the crispy sweetbreads (which, to be clear, are pancreas or thymus glands) mellowed their bright accompaniments of bitter charred endive and salty capers. A swipe of pear mustard and pink peppercorns on top both added sweetness for balance. The dish was a nice sophisticated alternative to another fried appetizer – although, let’s face it, I’d also make a trip solely for Farmhouse’s incredible beer-battered cheese curds.

The details: Farmhouse, 228 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago.