217 W Huron St.
Chicago, Il 60654
312.624.9975
A trip to any major city isn't complete without visiting a restaurant headed by a "Top Chef Master". So in our brief holiday to Chicago, we searched the local restaurant directory and came across Chef Graham Elliot's flagship eatery. Without dinner plans for this weekday night, we were able to score last minute reservations. Our party of four was not terribly hungry so we opted for an impromptu "tasting menu" where we ordered a variety of a la carte items from the menu and split it four ways.
Cheesy "cream puff-like" gourges are always a good way to start a meal. They were served luke warm (preferred if they were hot) and therefore, the outer crust was a tad on the stale side.
1. Caesar, romaine, brioche, parmesan, anchovy - A very clever way to "deconstruct" your typical Caesar salad. Whether or not you like this dish depends on how your palate takes to anchovies. I tend to like the salty, fishy oceaness of these little swimmers. Incorporated with the romaine and the crouton substitute with crunchy brioche, this was one of the better salads we've had.
2. Mochi, fig, honeycomb, chestnut, balsamic - This sounded a lot tastier than it actually was. Each ingredient on its own would have been a delicious mouthful, however, put all together, we failed to realize the chef's vision. The textures and flavors didn't seem to compliment each other well, resulting in one of the least favorite plates of the night.
3. Pumpkin, crust, pepita, cinnamon, marshmallow - The flavors of the Fall and pumpkin pie in a soup! The broth had a nice, intense sweetness to it. The pumpkin seeds added a nice texture and a bit of aroma.
4. Foie, huckleberry sorghum, barley - Foie gras never fails to please. The creamy foie was nicely complimented by the slightly tart huckleberries. The sorghum (a grain) and barley served as textural contrasts. The bits of microgreens helped lighten up the typically heavy foie.
5. Hen, maple, mastutake, kale, pine - This perfectly cooked piece of foul was one of the highlight of the meal. The dark meat was given some added richness with the maple sauce - made for thoughts of chicken and waffles, only without the waffles. Simple and delicious.
6. Pork, plantain, coffee, cashew, cilantro - The loin was cooked to a light medium rare. Texturally, the meat was well executed, but the coffee and cashews didn't feel like they belonged. A good dish, but not very memorable.
7. Rhum, currant, pecan, butter, caramel - A play of the old fashion "rum raisin", a classic ice cream flavor. The bits of shortbread were covered with a caramel rhum sauce and delicious with each spoonful of ice cream. Lots of different flavors and textures in the dish.
8. Chocolate, caribe, ivoire, nib, coconut - Chocolate and coffee are natural partners and they paired well together here. The coconut ice cream was surprisingly good and like the previous desserts, there are alot of different flavors and textures in the dish that we've come to love with our desserts.
House meringues
Chef Elliott takes two seemingly conflicting styles and seems to melt them together. On one hand, there are a lot of techniques involved in his creations but at the same time, he allows for the ingredients to shine. The restaurant was considered Chicago's very first "bistronomic" establishment when it first opened in 2008, where fine dining fare is served in a casual, bistro-like environment. From our discussion with our waiter, bistronomy apparently wasn't appreciated too greatly by patrons and the menu and food prices had to be adjusted accordingly. Although not one of our favorite meals in Chicago, we can definitely appreciate what Chef Elliot trying to accomplish.
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