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
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
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.
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
Everything wings glazed with soy, jaggery and dried chilis, tossed with sesame, poppy seed, fried shallots, and served with tzatziki
Why it’s this week’s Best Bite: Mott St. is the second venture from Chef Edward Kim and his team, whose first restaurant, Ruxbin, earned a nod from Bon Appétit as one of the 10 best new restaurants in the country (I had a killer clambake there two years ago). When I heard that Mott St. would have more of a night market vibe, I was definitely in – and our meal delivered, one dish after another in a parade of intriguing, unexpected flavors. The everything wings had drawn comparison to the huge, sticky ones at Pok Pok, which I tasted in February, but I found them to be entirely different. These chicken wings seriously tasted like an everything bagel (hence the name), with a slightly sweet glaze and generous dusting of sesame and poppy seeds, plus subtle heat from the chilis. The bagel comparison drew even stronger when you added the creamy, dill-heavy tzatziki dipping sauce. As with most good wings: messy to eat, but worth it.
The theme continued with the stuffed cabbage, which surprisingly recalled comforting lasagna from the very first bite – just lasagna that was layered with zingy kimchi, crispy rice, and pork instead of ricotta and red sauce. The flavors married especially well in this dish, everything extra-seasoned by the kimchi broth at the bottom. And as our server enthusiastically promised, the ice cold noodles made a lovely palate cleanser after the rest of the savory dishes. Between the chilly temperature and mellow flavors, it was an incredibly clean dish, with the tender beef and quail egg adding just enough richness.
Napa kimchi cabbage rolls stuffed with pork butt and sticky rice, pan-seared and boiled in kimchi brothIce cold noodles, with buckwheat noodles, beef brisket, and turnip top kimchi broth
The details:Mott St., 1401 N Ashland Ave., Chicago.
Negroni slushy with letherbee gin, luxardo bitter, sweet vermouth, and citron
Why it’s this week’s Best Bite: This novel Negroni slushy has appeared in basically every Chicago summer/cocktail/patio/drinking article since Parson’s Chicken and Fish opened in mid-May, even called “the coolest Negroni in the world.” The fanfare is justified, though: it’s an excellent Negroni in a fun format, avoiding the watery or overly sweet fate that befalls most frozen beverages. With locally made Letherbee gin and citrusy Luxardo bitter, it’s mellow, refreshing, and just bitter enough.
Toast with pimento cheese, charred radishes, and pea shoots
Snack-wise, I was torn between the shrimp and pimento toast, and though I still plan to try the seafood variety next time, I was more than satisfied with pimento. My Midwestern upbringing didn’t involve a lot of pimento cheese, but especially as Southern-influenced cuisine becomes more popular in Chicago, I’ve now tasted several knock-out versions (including Zingerman’s, my favorite to have at home) and am starting to understand its following. At Parson’s, the pimento spread is smooth (no coarse shreds) and ultra-cheesy atop buttery toast. The sourness and acidity from pickle relish and charred radishes beautifully round out each bite, punctuated by the pea shoots. I also appreciated the portion of three moderate slices, enough to share easily.
Of course, I liked the fried chicken, too – though I found it to be best on its own, without any of the housemade sauces – and the mezcal margarita gave the slushy a serious run for its money. Check out more photos below of the food and atmosphere.
Menu and a margarita, another standout cocktail with el buho mescal, torres orange brandy, orange & lime juice, maguey sweet sap, and a sour patch rimThe interior bar at Parson’s, with the negroni slushy machine in the centerThe namesake fried chickenFunnel cake with honey, brown butter, and green peppercorn brittleStriped umbrellas & picnic tables on the spacious patio (prepare to wait on weekends)
