Chicago 2010: Sable

Housed in the Palomar hotel in River North, one of Chicago's newest hot spots is Sable. The restaurant has an open kitchen with edgy and attractive decor, and the friendly service you would expect of a hotel restaurant. But what sets Sable apart is the unique, but oddly accessible, offering of both drinks and cuisine.

The bar area (which opens onto the main entrance) boasts a host of mixologists pouring a menu designed by Mike Ryan (formerly of Violet Hour and MOTO) that has a bible of cocktails that will delight. These range from elegant versions of old stand-bys (a Manhattan with Rittenhouse 101 was my first beverage of the evening) to the inventive "Trust me" page which sports The Most Dangerous Game (Vodka, Fernet Branca, fresh beet juice and Mexican coffee bitters) as well as the Yoino Buta, or "Drunken Pig" (Yamazaki 12 year Japanese Whiskey, housemade bacon bitters and bacon-brown sugar syrup). The service is much faster than many of the other "craft drink" spots that have cropped up across the nation recently, despite being of equal or better quality.

Following our sojourn at Mike's amazing bar, we made our way to the dining room on the East side of the restaurant. The menu in the restaurant is slightly more tame than the bar. A range of unusual preparations of standard dishes - veal meatballs, ham & swiss "poppers", buttermilk fried quail, among others, make decisions difficult. In addition, the portions of the dishes, even though served in a "tasting" style are substantial. I don't think I have ever cautioned my readers about over-ordering; but I must here, as I was tempted to order "one of everything" given the relatively inexpensive panoply of fine dining.

We began with the veal meatballs, which are served with a spicy ketchup glaze. The veal is smooth and tender, and the spicy sauce is truly a crisp glaze. Excellent and served in a cast pot with bamboo toothpicks.

We were mistakenly brought a dish of the mini soft pretzels, with a rich and tasty cheddar cheese dip. We ate them promptly.

The mussels were spicy and of very high quality - served with oiled bread in a cast iron pot - and excellent. The perfect size and flavor. Next came a small basked of corn & scallion hush puppies, with a smoked paprika salt. These were excellent as well.

I snuck in an order of deviled eggs, as the menu description intrigued me. They were orgasmic, with truffle oil whipped with the egg yolks, and topped with a crisped black trumpet mushroom. I really recommend these - I have never been one to order deviled eggs, but it was a standout.

By this time, it had became apparent that we had over-ordered a bit, as we continued to be plied with the delicious yet heady cocktails. Then the BLT sliders arrived. They were made with crispy pork belly instead of bacon. I would change the bread (egg bun) to a firmer bread, perhaps toasted whole grain, but the small sandwiches were rich and excellent.

The tuna tartar tacos appeared suddenly. They were small homemade tacos, with rounds of corn meal and a spicy sauce. These were very good and a lighter, refreshing course.

Having nearly forgotten there was more to go when the prosciutto pizza arrived, topped with oil-soaked olives (I would pass on the olives) and arugula. Well-cooked and excellent with a fried egg on top. Finally, a set of short-rib sliders came to the table. They were good but a little rich (oddly) with some interesting spice.

Overall, this was a great meal and a great experience. You should get to Sable before it becomes to crowded to enjoy - its that good!

Chicago 2010: The Purple Pig

Just to the South of 500 North Michigan Avenue, there is a a grand entrance, wrought of iron, proclaiming the way to the The Purple Pig, through which one passes to the restaurant's spacious outdoor patio before arriving at the door of the restaurant. However, if you approach from the North, you stumble upon a more traditional office building, and hidden away behind the elevator bank, a rustic wood and glass door declares "Cheese, Wine & Swine". It was in this way I entered the restaurant for the first time, having retreated from an art opening and seeking an early Friday evening dinner.

Inside, the place is all hustle and bustle with loud-ish music pumping, which was frankly a bit in contrast with the country-kitchen decor (floral tiles and light wood walls).

There was a large selection of accessible wines (many priced at less than $40), as well as some very nice higher-end vinos (but all very young vintages). They pour by the carafe, half bottle and glass for any of the less than $40 selections, which is very nice for tasting and for larger parties. We selected a bottle of the popular Whispering Angel Rose '08 for this hot early summer evening.

The fresh-baked foccacia (sans herbs) which came out with the menus was not very good, but the service was prompt if a bit hurried.

The menu is all served tapas style, and comes out quickly when ordered. With antipasti such as salt-roasted beets with whipped goat cheese (a great flavored beet, and I really could have eaten several orders, unusual for my carnivore self) and rock shrimp with spring peas (very good and 'fresh' tasting with a touch of lemon), it is hard to narrow down choices. Next up was a decent selection of cured meats (we started with a pile of thinly sliced Jamon Serrano, which was ok, but not to the quality of, say The Publican) and "smears" to spread on crostini (we sampled the bone marrow with herbs, two huge chunks of bone with parsley, capers and fennel, and a salt dish, which was very good but the crostini were over-oiled for such a rich flavor). The cheese is a highlight of the menu, with sampler plates of 3 or 5 types from the broader list of 16 available. We tried a camembert (very nice), a 6-month aged gouda (could have been a 5-year, excellent), and a manchego (not that good). The crisp yet chewy bread served with the cheeses were excellent (perhaps better-suited for the marrow dish as well).

We then got more serious, we decided to skip the list of tasty sounding "fried items" (you know, health reasons) and went with the octopus from the "A La Plancha" menu. Thick pieces of octopus (1 inch radius) were very well grilled with a hash of swiss chard and a small tapioca-esque grain. This was a highlight.

The menu has a salads and a few panini as well, which we did not try.

The atmosphere and decor could use some work. The restaurant has badly-spaced tables and a strange combination of white marble tables, country kitchen walls, dark reclaimed wood floors and red diner banquettes. It needs to make up its mind and space itself out. There is a nice outdoor space, though.

In all honesty, I had forgotten for many months about this restaurant. I recall the opening and a bunch of good PR, but then it dropped off my radar (largely due to location). However, while I would go again if I were in the area, this is not a spot I would make a special trip for - too many pieces missing to make the whole a complete and exciting experience.

Chicago 2010: "Bike & Brunch" - Chez Joel

Chez Joël is a true French bistro set in the heart of Little Italy (there is no "little France" in Chicago). It is simple yet refined. Small romantic tables, French posters and an outdoor area set in a brick walled garden.

Why then would this be a spot to bike to for brunch? After a particularly crazy evening out, I dragged myself out of bed committed to continue this little Sunday morning project. However, by the time we got our act together, most brunch spots had already closed, and I noticed the Taylor Street bistro empty but open at 2pm.

So, terribly under dressed, we locked our bikes to a nearby signpost and gingerly wandered into the restaurant's outdoor dining (fittingly it had an Italian fashion poster on the brick wall, presumably an homage to its Little Italy location).

We gulped some water and sampled hot, fresh-baked bread with butter and jam, which was excellent.

My biking partner ordered what turned out to be a massive "Benedicte Provencal", which was a Benedict without the muffin - rather it was set on a tian of vegetables. I was assured it was quite good.

I opted for the Croque Madame, which was served with shoestring fries (which were not crispy, very tender and excellent). The Croque Madame was very good, and I would definitely order it again.

All and all, a successful second episode of Bike & Brunch.

Dusseldorf 2010: Tanta Anna

Walking through the old city can be a touristy trap or a delightful respite back in time. When I asked for a 'traditional' spot to dine on my second night in Dusseldorf, the helpful concierge pointed me to Tanta Anna in the old city.

I became suspicious that I had taken a wrong turn on this pleasant, sunny Spring eve as the pedestrian traffic thinned markedly upon entering the Andreastrasse. It was the kind of evening one imagined in the Spring in Europe; a modest wind cooling the sun in a bright sky to a near perfect temperature. As I reflected on the 65-degree early evening, a decrepit sign loomed large at the corner of the next block, proclaiming my destination was just ahead, and so I paced forward and crept gingerly into the nearly empty dining room shrouded by a heavy curtain.

A rich and well-worn dark wood paneled the room, along with many brass plates, relics and trockenspiel (I will presume my high school German treated me right here). Stained glass windows and script on the walls gave the place a ratskeller-style feel. It overwhelmed the senses a bit, and as I took stock of the ancient bar (Anno 1593 in an historic script on the wood paneling above), I wondered if myself and the two others (both non-natives) had been tagged with a "tourist" sign on our backs. We would find out.

An amuse soon arrived after my order of the chef's degustation menu: a veal liver pate with vegetable salad. It had a, well, veal livery flavor and a crunchy set of vegetables underneath in a white sauce. Decent but uninspired, and doubt crept in that I had been relegated to a place for American tourists.

I take a moment here to note, very out of character, I did not choose the wine pairings. My trepidation was bolstered by the lack of sommelier present and the names of the chosen wines (all German, nearly all whites) printed on the menu next to each course. Too, I wanted to be "authentic" so I figured that after the proffered aperitif, I would switch to a draft beer.

I munched on some house made breads (simple but with different nuts and vegetables inserted, quite nice) and awaited the "traditional" German degustation. As I finished the last of my champagne, the first course arrived to the antique table inlaid with metal pattern:

Course One: Raw marinated scallops with summer truffle, cauliflower mousse and bell pepper fume. What, you might ask, does this have to do with traditional German cuisine? I have no idea, but the scallops were pasty (in a good way, I can't find other words to describe it), and while I will remind my readers that red peppers are not my favorite flavor, the cauliflower mousse and white truffles, combined with a crisp potato "coaster" which balanced said scallops above the mousse, came together very nicely to start the meal. I would note the red pepper fume did detract from the delicate flavor of the truffles, however. All said, a very good start to what I was worried would be a disappointing experience.

Course Two: Clear chervil soup with crispy chicken "lolly". The steaming hot cup of soup had a bit of sweetness to it, and the chicken lollipop (a round of flat, shredded meat on a large toothpick) truly looked like a lolly, and was delicious.

Course Three: Poached halibut with glazed carrots, oyster and pancetta broth. I did not care for this dish. The oyster was wrapped around the halibut, which was dry (particularly for being poached). A low-light of the evening.

Course Four: Fried rabbit with parsley. Lightly breaded and succulent. Served with an excellently prepared scalloped potato in broth. Fried parsley drizzled on top. From low-light to highlight! Perfectly seasoned and hot out of the pan. A dish I couldn't have asked more from - and one that oozed "authentic German".

Course Five: Cheese specialties of maitre Affineur G. Waltmann. This course turned out to be three cheeses: a Rotweinkaese, a Roquefort, and a brie with ash. All quite excellent - an amazingly fine sample of cheeses; the entree course (number four) and this together would have been an outstanding meal alone.

Course Six: Bundt cake with rhubarb, mint pesto and chocolate sorbet. Very nicely done, and the mint pesto was excellent.

As I wrapped up my dining, fearing the raw caloric intake I had just accomplished, I reflected on the meal. While I sat for nearly 3 hours, the wait staff was not slow; they executing with the precision of the French-trained boys over at The Victorian just not the chatting and hovering. They refilled promptly, brought out dishes with perfect timing when I was done enjoying the prior course and another stein of beer. I would also add that the pilsner and the dunkelweiss beer on tap were both excellent.

I discovered too late that my decision to skip the wine pairings was unfortunate indeed - the Tanta Anna is one of the premier and original "Wine Houses" in Dusseldorf. A silly mistake of impressions - three of which befell me on this evening's fine dining, as you will note from above.

Nonetheless, the dining was top notch, and truly an authentic locale in the old city. Who knew that a brief two day trip to Germany for some meetings would result in such culinary delights - I only wish I had time to sample the more local and bohemian pubs and restaurants I spied on my walk to and from dinner. Make your way there, and catch the rabbit.

Duesseldorf 2010: The Victorian

On a dreary day in downtown Dusseldorf (say that three times fast), with the unseasonable chill of a Spring rain pouring down, I found myself wandering the district in search of a fine dining experience.

My concierge at the esteemed Breidenbacher Hof (recently renovated), pointed me toward the The Victorian, just a few blocks away amongst the high-end shops that litter the Koenigstalle.

I was seriously dragging from my overnight flight into Germany from Chicago, so I tried to secure an early reservation at this "very nice address" [sic - concierge], but it was not open until 7pm. However, as I browsed the nearby shops, I noted the street-level "cafe" of the traditional building (sandwiched between some posh new shops) was indeed open, so I lounged in the more casual bar and enjoyed a Koenig Pilsner (which advertisement graced the facade of building).

When I was escorted to my table at promptly 7pm, I was treated to two amuse bouche before the main dining experience began (indeed, the first even before my menu arrived).

Amuse #1 was a set of three spoons, consisting of a lobster salad; an asparagus creme brulee; and a gelatinous apple curry. This was a delightful mix of flavors to get the palate jumping.

Amuse #2 was truly a surprise (given I had just ordered the nine-course chef's menu). It consisted of a meat ravioli with apple foam; a poached prawn with bouillabaisse foam; and a poached slice of rabbit with an al dente carrot. This was also very good and a fine start to the evening.

As the sun peeked through the still rain-soaked evening, a last gasp at opening the Spring season made its way into the second floor window booth where I was seated. A charming environ with impeccable service, I felt ready to embark upon this nine course chef's menu paired with wines. While I did not realize it until much later, it is of note that the paired wines' bottle was left at the table for further consumption if the pour was not enough for the course - fabulous and tragic that I have never seen done before; the sommelier was a generous and creative man, who clearly knew how to marry food and wine with aplomb.

Note to my readers: next comes a somewhat laborious list of dishes and wines in the pairing - with tasting notes. Skip to the end for the punchline if you are not a devotee of such things....

Course One - Amberjack grilled atop sashimi and in a tartar; with slices of asparagus, asparagus pudding and asparagus ice cream. While somewhat challenging to eat (the shaved slices of asparagus stuck to the simple slate tray), it was a delicious mix of delicate asparagus flavor (tamer than usual presentation) with the fish. Slight shavings of fresh ginger initially surprised me, but their strong flavor cut through the dish in a pleasing way. I would have not added the passion fruit seeds, but it did not detract from an excellent and creative dish.

Wine One - Hofman Sauvignon Blanc, 2009, Rheinhessen: light, sharp with sweet front. Citrus nose and pale white hue. Very nice.

[As typically occurs, about here they bring out some craft breads and a rich, salted house butter from such and such an organic farm in an attempt to make me fail to even complete my multi-course menu - these were quite good (I sampled, to my doctor's chagrin I am sure) three breads and a few tablespoons of the butter. Amazing but I recommend steering clear unless you go to the a la carte menu and have a definition on the meal.]

Course Two: Poached foie gras with rhubarb base, basil and mint dressing. Torn bread pieces around the sides with some spring peas. Very nice and, as noted below, the "lightest" foie gras I have had. A very ample portion.

Wine Two: M Trignon, 2008 Muscat. The wine was a touch heavy with a smoky sweetness when paired with the dish, as the foie gras was very light. Completely appropriate for a normal seared foie, but a bit heavy handed here.

Course Three: Radish, Beet and Pear soup with Mushrooms. Delicate yet strong-flavored.

Wine Three: Korrell Johanneshof, White Burgundy Johannes K, 2009 Nahe. Sharp with a steel-barrel-chardonnay feeling. Clean finish.

Course Four: "Seawater Jelly"; distilled asparagus foam with creme fraiche and caviar, and shaved green and white asparagus. Very interesting and tasty. Loved it.

Wine Four: Fritz Haag, "Grand Cru", Brauneberg Juffer Sonnenuhr, Riesling '08. Sommelier claimed "the best of German Rieslings", I found it a bit tart but well bodied. The Sommelier, to note, was excellent and helpful throughout.

Course Five: John Dory with Cauliflower. Very nice, a little overcooked but flavorful - particularly given the cauliflower, which I generally detest.

Wine Five: Jean-Marc Vincent, Les Hautes, Auxey-Duresses 2007. Smoke and rubber. Clean white with blast of industrial terrior. Very interesting wine.

Course Six: Smoked eel wrapped in cucumber topped with pineapple. Very interesting mix of flavors, a nice "bite", but nothing I would want much more of.

Course Seven: Spring Lamb and Octopus, with red pepper stuffed octopus ragu. Lamb served both braised and broiled (the former with more fat, the latter a salted leg meat). The poached octopus was also excellent. While the red pepper is not my favorite of flavorings, the execution and balance was flawless! The crispy baby eggplant quarters and bean hash alongside was also a good match. A triumph of a dish for the main entree.

Wine Seven: Chateau Montus, Masiran 1995. Smooth, well-integrated, strong but not sharp or too "punchy". I immediately asked my local wine broker to seek out a case of this - much recommended.

Course Eight: If you are like me, you have not had Woodruff before. Or even hard of it. And the repeated attempts of a native German waiter to explain what it is are likely more confusing than not. Well, according to the Wikipedia (which the kids all use these days), The Sweet Woodruff is a plant that grows in the woods and has small flowers set on a tender stalk - the plant is perennial, which explains the repeated attempts of the kindly German server to elucidate the seasonal nature of its scent. Anyway, a punch of this Woodruff, with a sorbet of yogurt and fried apricot madelines, sweet honeycomb, raspberries, jellies of woodruff and cantelope, can be quite pleasing, interesting and refreshing!

Wine Eight: Rose Champagne Gosset. A nice, clean rose.

Course Nine: Valrhona Chocolate Bread Pudding with Raspberry gelato

A fine meal, with great service above all.

As I stepped onto the Koenigstrasse, it occurred to me, having had numerous dozens of similar meals in various cities, rarely had I left one sated, but not gluttonously overfilled; tipsy, but not drunk; poorer, but not poor. Danke Schoen, Victorian, Danke Schoen.

Chicago 2010: "Bike & Brunch" - Demitasse

In a new series on my ever-evolving (or devolving given my rate of posts?) I am instituting a "bike and brunch" segment for local Chicagoans. I will endeavor to find new and interesting weekend brunch spots using only my bike and keen sense of both direction and smell.

The first location on this new initiative is Demitasse, a coffee shop/diner in the near south loop. I use "diner" with some reserve; the chef and baristas are craft in nature....nothing artificial or frozen here. It is really more of a coffee shop with a great kitchen. Fresh, finely chopped potatoes are sauteed in oil and served aside fresh baked "frittata" (really an unfolded omelet) with various ingredients. I opted for bacon, mushroom and cheddar and it was perfectly cooked and each bite bursting with ingredients. The side of "Italian-style toast" was also delicious - and unsurprising given the Taylor Street locale.

I am rather particular about my coffee, and another reason "diner" is an inappropriate moniker despite the black and white checked floor and the cliche booths and tables. They roast their beans in-house, and the house coffee mixture is dark and strong without being bitter. Importantly, it is also served in mugs that hold the heat and aren't too small or large - just right.

My dining and biking partner sampled the buttermilk pancakes, and while "not as good as Ina's", they were very tasty.

Bike there soon!

Note: American Express is not accepted (but hopefully will be soon).

Pittsburgh 2010: A Weekend in Steel City

This past weekend, a group of friends and I descended upon Pittsburgh to visit with two friends who had recently made this hilly land of steel makers and amphibious antarctic birds their home. Officially, the theme of the weekend was "how good it is to be with friends", but as my readers know, my own secret, unofficial theme was "where is the good food in Pittsburgh".

Separately, I had not eaten any meat for nearly a month (on a bet, not for religious or health reasons) and had been desirous of ending my stand-off with bovine, fowl and game with a "Pittsburgh Rare" (blackened outside, bloody center) steak. One might imagine my great surprise when, on the one night we were going out for a nice dinner, I discovered our hosts had booked a restaurant called "Umi". In my initial optimism, I thought that perhaps Umi was set in the picturesque vista of Mount Washington, overlooking the Allegheny or the Monongahela and was Native American for "cow".

Unfortunately, my cognitive dissonance did not pan out into a succulent piece of the Midwest's finest cattle. Umi, located within the hip strip of bars on Ellsworth in the Shadyside neighborhood, is what it truly sounds - a Japanese restaurant focused on sushi.

Despite my misgivings, our party of 13 was seated upstairs near the sushi bar following a few cocktails at neighboring Soba. Luckily, the group was all adventurous and opted to choose the Omakase menu compiled by Mr. Shu, the chef.

As we waited for our first course, we chose some bottles from the sake menu. While the menu was limited, there was a substantial range of choices. Over the next three hours, we sampled the setsugetsubijin junmai ginjo (good but buttery), chokaisan junmai daiginjo (good, with an anise flavor), rihaku nigori (unfiltered and solid), and an excellent yuki no bosha junmai ginjo.

We commenced the Omakase with a salmon, flash seared with sesame oil and sweet soy, which was excellent. Next came a rash of fluke sashimi, topped with a ponzu sauce and citrus, sprinkled with torachi. The yellowtail tartar, made with a touch of garlic, some wasabi and sume (sweet soy), was okay but not great. The fourth dish was an amazing creamy rock shrimp tempura (in the style of Nobu but with more spice). A buttery white tuna was next, and very good. We added a "special course" of Uni and Otoro - the Uni was okay and the Otoro good, but too heavily sauced. The "entree" course was a miso-glazed black cod with citrus sauce - a dense and flavorful piece fish. To end, we had a sashimi sampler, consisting of Otoro, red snapper, salmon, toro and spanish mackerel. We ended the night with a pleasant cashew dessert (which was okay) and a flight of ports and dessert wines. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the experience, particularly if you are looking for a non-steak opportunity in Pittsburghian dining.

Unfortunately for my readers, most of the rest of the long weekend's dining was done at private residences. We did have a good diner breakfast at the local chain Pamela's, which I would recommend for its prompt, unfussy service and greasy food. Note, however, that it is cash only and busy in the morning.

For late night dining, Ritter's seems to be the spot to head at least on the Shadyside/Pitt/CMU side of town. Ritter's serves up a wide array of fried and homestyle foods.

The ladies of the group had a nice light lunch at the Grandview Saloon (while the guys indulged in hot dogs and fries at the Pens / Flyers game, nothing of culinary note there).

We checked out the evening scene extensively over the long weekend, and would recommend both The Harris Grill and Spin on Ellsworth for higher-end cocktails, as well as Cappy's on Walnut for a more "college scene" (local beers and karaoke).

A real find of the weekend was The Inn on Negley, a charming B&B, conveniently located near our friends in Shadyside and steps from both the nicer nightclub/bar scene and the "Madison Avenue of Pittsburgh". Their staff was great, and the second B included real fresh baked breads (muffins, scones, etc) and both sweet and savory breakfast choices.

In summary, the entire weekend was a pleasant surprise culturally, and I would recommend Pittsburgh for both its cultural and sports opportunities, as well as a few gems of dining and nightlife.