Chicago 2009: Tocco

Ciao Bruno!

It is with some pleasure that I went to try the second outpost of authentic Italian cuisine by Bruno Abate. Housed in a stark, modern space in lower Bucktown, Tocco's interior is a contrast to the trendy, yet reserved Mediterranean hues that decorate Follia, Bruno's original spot in the West Loop. I would deem the post-modern art deco, black and white interior and sharp, clear tables to give the feel of a European club.

We arrived early for our reservation, an our table wasn't ready, but we were offered the communal table if we didn't want to wait. We opted to sit communally and begin our dining experience.

Our helpful server gave us the run down on the menu (which is similar to Follia, but with a few additional wood-fired options including a range of calzone), and left us to peruse the short but well-chosen wine list. Also similar to Follia, the largely Italian wine selections provide for all budgets, from simple Italian staples to reserve selections including an amazing '04 Ornelliaia, which we splurged on.

After sampling the fine wine, we started with one of the appetizers unique to the Tocco menu, fried gnocchi. The fried dough was a little chewy and served with three shaved meats; an amazing tender shaved ham, a light mortadella and fine prosciutto. We also had a Follia favorite, breseola with a small salad of fresh arugula and shaved parmigiana.

For our main dish, we chose to sample some of the house made pastas, and were not disappointed - it was clearly prepared fresh and cooked to perfection. We shared a pappardella simply served with fresh tomato, basil garlic and some fresh pepper; as well as a spaghetti carbonara, which was unexpectedly light but without sacrificing any of the flavor.

As we finished our wine, we tasted the four cheese selection of the day, and enjoyed all of them - parmigiana, gorgonzola, and two other soft cheeses I can't recall, but both were excellent, topped with truffles and honey.

Bruno happened by the restaurant as we were finishing, and like the true restaurateur he is, welcomed us warmly, making even this trendy reclaimed piece of urban jungle feel like an a friend's Italian kitchen.

I think I can say with certainty that Chicago is lucky to be graced with another outpost for real, fresh Italian delicacies.

Chicago 2009: Zealous

Oh, Zealous. How it pains me that my lack of verbosity, or rather frequency, of my own visits to publish my blog have neglected highlighting one of my first, and best, fine dining experiences. Many years ago, my ex-wife and I were a young couple trying to keep up with the trendiest and hottest new spots. I haven't researched it but I believe it was nearly a decade ago that we ventured into Zealous; Michael Taus continues to ply his trade at creating interesting cuisine and seasonal touches with excellence.

I will pretend for the sake of my readers that I haven't visited Zealous' striking, chic space dozens of times over the years, or that I have never stepped foot in one of the most impressive private dining rooms in Chicago. I will forget the memory of the otherworldly bamboo ringed "head table" in the center of the restaurant, or the multi-story glass wine room that serves as the primary wall separating the private dining area from the main dining room and bar. The accents of pale, grey-green that Chef Taus favors. And the fact that the dishware, while now nearly a decade "out of date" is still avant garde for "new American" restaurants, with place settings that cradle the plate of the amuse, and special dishes designed to highlight each course uniquely.

Now that I have forgotten all that, and the neat and quiet bar that one can lounge in waiting for guest to arrive, I will tell you that the space in the former "outpost" neighborhood in River North, currently besieged by yuppie condominiums, continues to impress with its interior.

I had forgotten (shame on me) that the wine pairings with the tasting menu were cheap (by Chicago or other major city standards), and was tricked into ordering a relatively inexpensive 2000 Bordeaux by our crafty waiter this eve. I had never heard of the Chateau (a Grand Cru from St. Emilion), but for the price it was quite a nice bottle (Destieux 2000).

After I got over my foolishness for forgetting about the variety of varietals I could have sampled with one of the Chef's many tasting menus, my guest and I perused the a la carte menu while noshing on the same herbed rolls I had first tasted years prior. While I still wish the butter was salted, this is one place where I am glad most things remain the same.

Having chosen our path with some recommendations from a helpful, but never hurried, waiter, we sampled the amuse bouche, a crab croquette - panko breaded, herbed with mango sauce, but with a hint of curry. Chef Michael seems to have added an Indian flair into many of his dishes on his current menu, and this light, fleeting curry flavor was a taste of what was sprinkled throughout the menu.

For appetizers, we chose the Scallop and Pork Belly, a fine, well-cooked scallop served atop a sunchoke puree and pea foam bed, with a thicker-than-expected slice of pork belly next to it; and "Taco-Dosas", three curried crepes filled with with oxtail and a blue goat cheese (a bit lighted than a hearty cow's blue). Both were excellent and frankly the highlight of the meal were these appetizers.

For my entree, I tried the duck breast, which was well cooked but still pink; I found it to be a little fatty but that is the way of duck. Next to the duck breast were two moo shu pancakes stuffed with good chinese spices, mushrooms, shoots and a duck confit, which was excellent.

For dessert (my dining companion had a sweet tooth) I tried the seasonal cobbler with vanilla bean beignets. I would say the beignets were good but were not as fresh as they could have been (ie, I suspect the pastry chef made them this morning, not fresh-fried on to my place). The Granny Smith tart with Goldschlager ice cream was excellent.

Lest you think I departed with a "very good not great" feeling from my food review above, I would keep in mind two things: (1) I am bound to be more critical of something I consider to be one of THE institutions of Chicago fine dining and (2) the large a la carte menu is not Chef Taus' speciality or love. I use this one meal to write a review only as I am feeling remiss that I have not yet encouraged my readers to journey to this singular River North spot - the multiple tasting menus (including vegetarian) shine to a degree I cannot express from tonight's relatively simple meal.

In my mind, Michael Taus paved the way from Grant Achatz and Homaru Cantu to do the wonderful things they do in Chicago today; he bridged the "fussy" fine dining gap from the old school of Trotter and the like to the new, fun, experimental cuisine that has succeeded here. If you want to see a chef that really moves things forward, through originality and a sense of space, taste and humility - and yet still is affordable - get to Zealous for a delicious tasting today.

New York 2009: The Perfect Pint

Still many months behind on my posts, I forgot to take notes on a casual dinner tonight, and thus, back in my hotel room, I feel compelled to recordthis occurrence before memory of it slips away.

I ventured to meet two gentlemen at The Perfect Pint, a relatively new outpost of the original spot at 45th and 6th. It was staffed with seemingly authentic young lasses from Ireland, who pointed out with an efficient brusqeness (which seemed very Irish) the best food and drink on their "New York Irish" menu. The "30 beers on tap" is a little misleading, as the excellent Innis & Gunn is only available (as it is everywhere else) in bottles - but both that bottle and the Guiness were well poured and tasty.

I opted for the traditional fish & chips, which were good. Nothing to write Galway about, but ok. In fact, the "New York Irish" cuisine included some great buffalo wings ("Neo Classical Chicken Wings") that were just the right spice and meaty.

Overall, this short post should tell you one thing - The Perfect Pint is a good place for a casual pint (or 10) with some good bar noshes. A nice addition to the fast food and fancy steak in the Midtown East zip code.

Hawaii 2009: Alan Wong

After circling around a block that could be in any city, anywhere, I take the elevator to the 3rd floor of a dingy building. Alan Wong's is old school as it gets, and even though the block that the restaurant sits on could pass readily for 189th and Park, it is a trip to brave, for the foodie in paradise.

The only disappointment was the very good wine list, which was unfortunately, significantly overpriced. Once I got by the sticker shock and ordered some mediocre Spanish vino (which was good - apparently the overpricing issue is regional-specific).

As we finished a few pre-wine cocktails and ordered dinner, I tried two of the house specialities.

For an appetizer, I had a modernized version of the traditional Hawaiian Poke (ahi tuna mixed with onions, spices and sometimes avocado). The chef takes this traditional dish and deep fries it, with large spikes of wonton to make this a "Poke-Pine". It was excellent, albeit difficult to eat.

However, the real treat was the opakupaku; a perfectly texture fish (unusually so), topped with pork hash, evoking a spicy Polynesian fusion. I also had great opakupaku in the hotel the next day - this fish needs to make it back to the mainland.

After dinner, a very cool Hawaiian coffee list was presented with a number of good deserts. I had a decent smorgasbord of creme brulee (5 spoons with various flavors including coffee and mango, among others).

All in all, a good meal at a very special spot in Honolulu. A must-go for foodies when on O'ahu.

Chicago 2009: Farmerie 58

I know, I know - its been ages since I posted. But this will be worth it, even though there are about 20 other spots I should highlight since my last entree (or entry).


I was treated to Farmerie 58 this past weekend by an astute legal eagle friend of mine. I entered the old Republic (pan Asian) spot across from David Burke's and expected anything but what I saw. With limited changes to decor, Farmerie seemed to be a new menu in an old spot. This was further reinforced by the (very) weak wine list, despite a helpful server (who highlighted what we "shouldn't eat" on the menu).


Dear reader, before you write off this restaurant with a local farm focus, know that my dread was completely dispelled by the food which followed. We chose appetizers from the raw bar, including a very nice Hamachi Carpaccio, with a lemongrass & soy sauce. Excellent and fresh tasting. We also shared an "Ocean's Bounty" roll which consisted of a well-executed crispy lobster and salmon.

For an entree, I was again surprised by the Amish Chicken with truffle gnocchi and egg; an awesome example of simple, homestyle ingredients (well, except the truffle) done right. Could not have been more positively surprised by food!

Desserts were also well done. I would try to BYOB, but Farmerie is something to see.

Los Angeles 2009: Katsuya

While I am still a bit behind on finishing of my Hong Kong posts, I had an amazing meal in Los Angeles last week. My friends suggested we try one of Los Angeles-based SBE group's outposts of Katsuya "by Starck".

We met at the Hollywood location, and when I arrived to meet my LA-based friends, the paparazzi were already swarming. I didn't know how popular I had become with this little blog. In all seriousness, the photogs were out to click shots of the star-studded table next to us (Liv Tyler, Orlando Bloom) lounging with their crew in the sharp, Philippe Starck interior.

We noshed on a huge bowl of edamame while we perused the menu and allowed the helpful and knowledgable waitstaff help us to choose a number of delectable courses from the menu.

Our party sampled about seven different dishes; unlike most sushi retaurants, food is served "family style" - and the portions always included one or two pieces per person. The highlight was the crispy rice with spicy tuna, a fried rice cake (almost a bun) topped with finely chopped and well-spiced raw tuna. It was really a unique taste and texture. We also had a nice albacore with crispy onion topping; a refreshing yellowtail with a mint, cilantro and cucumber combination; and a crab roll (which was my least favorite of the meal, decent but too salty). My other favorite dishes included the creamy shrimp tempura (an awesome crispy fried rock shrimp with a smooth, creamy sauce reminiscent of Nobu), the grilled halibut cheeks, which were very firm with good flavor and the kobe beef with foie gras (delicate and smooth).

I will definitely return to this excellent (if a bit overrun by stars) sushi spot in LA.

Hong Kong 2008/2009: Series Post 4 (Petrus)

Taking a short respite from the traditional Chinese dining options in Hong Kong, I secured reservations at the Restaurant Petrus. Perched at the top of the Island Shangri-La hotel, this restaurant exudes an elegant feel, reminiscent of a French fine dining experience in Paris, but without some of the attitude. The views are magnificent (ask for a table by the window, but in reality the whole restaurant is laid out in a thoughtful way that gives nearly every table an amazing view).

The service was impeccable, although there was a bit of hovering. Pleasant live music from a pianist played at just the right level.

We elected to go a la carte (rather than one of the several tasting menus - which, incidentally, were quite reasonable even when paired with wines versus many cities with this type and quality of restaurant), and I personally chose to indulge in the seasonal white truffles, which they had crafted a few dishes around.

But first things first - the wine list. Very impressive. A 10,000+ cellar (including, of course, several pages of carefully selected verticals of Petrus) with both inexpensive and exorbitant wines. I opted to sample a Bordeaux I was unfamiliar with from the spectacular '82 vintage - Chateau du Tertre. I would record it a bargain (but it did end up comprising a plurality of the total bill) versus its comrades from that year; solid earth tones, and opened up nicely. We also had an inexpensive (about $150 US) 2002 Heitz Zinfandel after we finished with the French splurge, which was quite nice.

Once we placed our orders, we were treated to a wide selection of rolls (which were not of the caliber of the place - good, but not great) with an interested array of salts to sample with the unsalted fresh butter. This was a fun aspect of the bread service, with six sea salts and two types of butter to mix and match.

The amuse bouche was a very nice lobster ravioli, served on a spoon with some savory broth. But I was already clamoring for my truffle special.

The waiters arrived and unveiled in the formal way our silver-capped plates, and I was shocked to see the very generous portion of white truffle that had been shaved onto my risotto. The risotto was cooked plainly, with no special flavorings or spices, but was perfectly al dente and smooth. It highlighted what must have been a half of a good size truffle, whose thick shavings tiled across the entire wide bowl of risotto. I was almost distracted from the taste by concern that my credit limit would be exceeded for such a dish when it came time to pay!

For an entree, I had a wild duck with roasted vegetables. This came in two services, the first the duck breast, which was gamy but excellent. The second even better - they had taken the duck (which had been filleted table side) and confited (is this an acceptable verb?) the legs. Delicious.

My dining companions were also gracious enough to share a bit of their choices: a Wagyu sirloin, with a strong salty flavor and buttery texture (but not too fatty as you sometimes see in the Asian market) and a large veal chop, crispy outer skin with a delectable meat inside. Both were excellent and I would probably go with the Wagyu on my next visit.

To end, we sipped some 1977 Port (which they were nice enough to pour by the glass, despite it being sold bottle-only) and noshed on a selection of five fine cheeses. My only complaint with the end of the meal is I never got my hands on a dessert menu; I think our greedy eyes betrayed us when the cheese trolley came by, and our Chinese waiters couldn't imagine anyone taking a further dessert course.

Petrus is a very fine experience, and my compliments to the chef Frederic Chabbert for creating a restaurant that clearly stands up to any of the Paris elite in terms of quality, service and atmosphere. Interestingly, any members of the Shangri-La club receive 15% off dining - an amazing deal as they take this off not just the food but also the wine. Hard location for a foodie in Hong Kong for longer than a day or two to miss.