Despite the many recommendations to hit The Violet Hour when I was researching places to go in Chicago, it was only due to serendipity that a visit occurred. However, this elegant space with an old-world flair charmed me the moment I stepped through its heavy velvet curtains.
Unable to make the Maxwell Street Market that morning, I sub-in a quick bite at Big Star instead. I had heard that there were long lines, to be aware that there was an alternate take-out line, that the patio was always packed, etc. Well apparently, noon on a Sunday is a good time to go – the minute it took to be carded was the most trouble we had getting into the place.
On a whim, we changed our plans and decided to have dinner at Mado on our last night in Chicago. Having enjoyed the talk and time spent during a pig butchering demo (more in a later post!) earlier in the afternoon at the restaurant, we thought it would be nice to check the actual dinner service out.
In a nutshell, molecular gastronomy is the application of science principles to food preparation and presentation. We see this in full-effect at moto in Chicago, where food and science meet in a playful frolic across your plate. We went all-out and opted for the GTM (Grand Tour Moto), a 20-course, 5-hour extravaganza. At times, it was a phenomenal mix of fantastic food and showmanship, sometimes less-so. But it definitely resulted in an interesting meal at the end of the night.
I have a sweet-tooth. I know it. So when I heard there was this dessert tasting-menu at TRU in Chicago, I got all excited. Then I read the dress code: gentlemen must wear a jacket in the dining room. We like traveling light and it just didn’t make sense to haul a bulky jacket just [...]
Mercat A La Planxa has some great dishes, and we found everything out of the kitchen to be well-prepared and again, proportioned for more than two people. We ordered eight dishes and that was too many. We could have stopped at six, due to both stomach space and time. But what we ordered? Good stuff.
We continue our Chicago saga with one of Chef Paul Kahan’s popular restaurants and we choose from a short-list of three: Avec, The Publican, and Blackbird. At one point during scheduling this trip, I had all of them in, but in the end, I went with Blackbird and it’s ridiculously reasonable $22 lunch prix-fixe. Though [...]
Our first night in Chicago brings us to The Purple Pig where charcuterie, cheeses, and tapas-like dishes dominate the menu. Large communal tables run down the centre of each arm of this L-shaped, loud, and boisterous room. It’s about 8:30 and it’s packed. Our drinks are set up and we’re ready to roll down the [...]
Newly opened for brunch, I thought I’d stop by for a bite at Beast the other day while wandering Queen West. You know, before I had some random ice cream and a late lunch with friends over at The Hoof Café not two hours later. But that’s another tale.
Origin‘s the new resto from Claudio Aprile and I really like the space. This room exudes a very polished form of trendy and the open central kitchen provides some interest. It’s a cool place where you’d want to take a group to hang out. With that in mind, it’s definitely more of a photo post [...]
