Chicago 2008 - Big Jones

Service is critically important as I evaluate a dining experience, especially for a new restaurant. Big Jones started my Sunday brunch off right, seating me immediately (even though I was the first of my party) and tempting me with a bowl of fresh beignets and one of the largest cups of coffee I have ever seen.

The eclectic 'Coastal Southern Brunch' at the Andersonville upstart is inventive and true to one of Big Jones guiding principals - organic, local veggies, produce and dairy. Don't let me fool you into thinking this is a healthy spot - its organic, but savory and sweet and all things in between.

A wide array of unique selections, from french toast made with classic southern pan bread to a number of egg-based (Kalona Organics from Iowa) benedict-style dishes with exotic ingredients such as lump crab, creole ratatouille, carolina pulled pork and house-made Tasso (smoky-flavored Southern ham), made it a tough decision for this first-time diner. The continuing friendly service helped me narrow down my selection to Eggs Romero (Poached Eggs, Crisp Potato Cakes, Pulled Pork and a tangy sauxe) or Eggs Benedict (Niman Ranch Ham and Poached Eggs served on a fresh popover with Hollandaise). Your trusty foodlover went for the more intriguing Romero, and was excellent. Strong flavors in the spicy Carolina-style sauce, including nutmeg, may turn off more sensitive palettes, but the pulled pork was well-cooked and the eggs paired well with the crispy potato cake. Skip the Lunn toast; it is a bit dry, but otherwise no complaints about the cuisine.

Tea lovers will enjoy the large selection of specialty organic teas, evoking pleasurable feelings by name alone; 'Inner Blossom Jasmine' or 'Osmanthus Rooibos' or 'Dragonwell Green'. The traditional Cafe au Lait is also a house speciality.

Definitely worth the haul north for a casual brunch.

St Louis 2008 - Niche

So, faithful readers, it has been some time since I have posted.  Blame it on the terrible Winter in Chicago, I just haven't been compelled.  I have notes for about 20 new posts, and as I am feeling somewhat more inspired, you should be getting a spate soon with all of these new ideas.  

What has driven me to post (other than the weather, which a loyal reader like SS knows is a favorite topic of discussion) is a truly "sensational" experience I had last night on the cusp of the up and coming independent restaurant scene in St Louis (yes, Missouri).  For the moniker "sensational" I must really hand credit to my London dining companions on this fine evening.  These worldly travelers proclaimed many of our dishes at Niche as such, and I can't think of a better way to describe Ford Craft's new American gastronomic spot on the edge of the Old Soulard neighborhood. 

Fresh off the Food & Wine proclamation of Craft's Niche as one of the "10 best new restaurants in America", I was lucky enough to enjoy a night in the hands of the chef.  All aspects of his celebrated tasting menu were touched over a four hour dinner extravaganza.  I rarely detail each and every course, but this night warrants it, and will do so below.  All of these dishes are served a la carte, and many can be found on the fun and affordable "3 for $35" menu that is available daily.  

What makes a restaurant eligible for Cress_Travel's global top 10 is not just great food - many places have that.  It is a sense of space and an attention and care of the experience that justify such an entry; Niche has all of the elements, executed to perfection.  I am pleased to place this fine establishment in its new spot as the ranking #5 on Cress_Travel's top 10 restaurants to experience.  

In addition to the lavish care put into each delicate dish, the staff is exemplary.  From the front of house manager, Dia, to the knowledgeable waitstaff (Laura, in our case), to the carefully selected but not expensive wine list, Niche is a real culinary treat.  All these factors make a trip to St Louis to experience this fine venue a worthy endeavor - and if you are in St Louis, there is no excuse to not plan on this restaurant as a highlight of an evening.

So, now to the food.  The masterfully executed tasting menu included the following; any and all deserve to be ordered separately and savored.  There was only one dish I would not nominate individually against any other incarnation in any other restaurant in the world - the Thomas Keller inspired butter-poached lobster, which was just not my style.  Everything else would hold its own and then some, regardless of your specific tastes and prejudices.  Here is the tour de force I had that pleasure of winding my way through on a rainy Spring evening in the earthquake-rattled St Louis:

* Olives served fresh with thinly sliced orange rind: I am not an "olive person", but I munched with pleasure at these fine taste bud openers as we enjoyed a very un-chardonnay chardonnay from Lucia in the Santa Rosa valley.

* Amuse bouche of Parsnip, Bacon, Grapefruit foam latte with plump tapioca: Delightful flavor packed into a complex broth with the right amount of texture to make it substantive.

* Kampachi Crudo, Potato Chip, Soy Marshmallow, meyer lemon and pepper puree: Fish was excellent, paired with a salty, tart and savoy combination all in one!  The pinnacle of good execution.

* Roasted Beets, Poached Quail Eggs, Brown Butter Hollandaise, Quail, Caperberries: Sweet and savory, perfect beets.  People should use beets more.  They are the Chilean Sea Bass of 2008.

* Fried brandad, arugula, Quail egg, lemon butter:  I have never liked anything like a fish cake (the term my London-native dining companions use for a brandad). This blew my mind. Salted cod, fresh cod, perfectly cooked, lightly breaded.  If you abhor the idea of a fish cake, or aren't one for crab cakes, try it anyway. 

* Lobster, butter-poached, lobster tapioca, blood orange sauce:  As referenced earlier, I didn't love it, as the texture of lobster produced a mouthfeel that was too soft for my liking, but if this is the worst dish one ever has in a progression, you are close to heaven for a food lover.

* Carrot-Lime Sorbet: Well-executed, great mix, too tart.  Having written the initial reaction, I must go on; taste changes as one savors this break in the progression to quite a crescendo, rewarding the patient palette.

* Sea Bass, Black Rice, Meyer Lemon Puree:  Using sous-vide preparation, this dish took sea bass and turned it into a meat, added texture that highlighted the flavors of the dish.

* Lamb Prarie Grass Sous-Vide, White Chocolate Hummus, Trumpet Mushroom, Raw Garlic Foam, Rhubarb:  Again here, the sous-vide preparation took a solid base of flavors including the unusual white chocolate hummus, rhubarb and garlic foam aspects and combined them with a gamey lamb meat to achieve a great dish.

* "Beef Two Ways": Roasted ribeye and oxtail pie with Brussel Sprout slaw.  The use of Brussel Sprout as a "slaw" was ingenious.  A perfect way to deal with the strong flavor of the vegetable and contextualize the beef.

* Lime ice cream and rhubarb soup: Light and refreshing for another break in the progression.

* Coconut Kulfi: A reduced, thick, indian dessert with granola and pineapple.  Pineapple flavors tend not to suit me, but the kulfi texture was amazing.

* Chocolate Cake: The molten variety, warm in the center and firm on the outside.  As a dining companion noted, it touches the inner part of the inner soul.

Then, after being stuffed like a pig for slaughter, no pun intended, we shared at the table two more of the house favorites:

* Pappardelle with Pork:  So, maybe the pun was intended, but the house made pasta was excellent, firm and moist, with a pulled pork ragu that was not too strong to overpower the dish.

* Fried Pigs Head:  You caught me.  The pun was totally intended.  The somewhat scary name pulled together the cheeks, temple and other head bits into a fried cake with all the sophistication you need to make a dish like this work.  Heavily vinegared flavor cut with a pear. A little punchy, but having been braised in sherry vinegar and pork stock, something even a less-adventurous diner would crave.

To sum up my long and rambling post, Niche is a rare find in an off the path culinary haven.  The chef is truly a student of the art, and infuses this passion in his staff, making the experience a great one.