Category Archives: great for date

May 26, 2010 · 12:05 am

Pegu Club

Not a mystery post, the window grates at Pegu Club

Continuing on, the journey continued to Pegu Club, a Indochine-inspired speakeasy I have heard about and had been strangely captivated by ever since I interviewed mixologist extraordinaire-owner Audrey Saunders. The place is the epitome of hidden, tucked away on Houston street, it’s dark, narrow and full of surprises, the first being how totally amazing the smoked trout deviled eggs were..

Smoked trout deviled eggs

Deviled eggs. I mean, really, can they be passed up? But wait, we are sitting at a dark temple of mixology where bitters and tinctures linger behind the bar, Kold-Draft ice cubes clink in glasses, and rye, gin and whiskey meld with fresh fruit juices, fruit liqueurs and more in elegant glasses!! The drinks are fantastic, but the smoked trout deviled eggs snack more than deserve a shout-out. Hickory-smoked rainbow trout is whipped into the yolk along with curry mayonnaise, and thin crunchy slices of almond and tiny chopped chives are sprinkled on top. I could’ve eaten an entire tray for dinner, but we had drinks to try …

The Plum Lady and the Scofflaw

I ordered the Plum Lady; gin, plum wine, lemon juice, Peychaud’s bitters, plum brandy and cherry liqueur with a skewered dried plum as a garnish. It was a stronger than I thought it would be, but not too sweet or overly fruity, and perfectly balanced so that one spirit didn’t dominate, rather they comingled perfectly in the glass, with the help of a bit of sugar and touch of lemon juice. My companion went for the Scofflaw; rye, vermouth, Grenadine and lemon juice garnished with an edible flower. A mix of tart and sweet, it was similar to a Sidecar, but softer, and in his words, “like whiskey in slippers.” It, too, went devilishly well with the eggs. Pegu Club, 77 W. Houston, NYC

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May 21, 2010 · 12:05 am

El Quinto Pino

Ok, so I have somewhat recovered from a whirlwind eating-playing-shopping weekend in NYC, and just getting back to blogging. With a the help of a diehard foodie friend and native New Yorker, I was clued in to a few random, but totally delicious items hidden around town, and we made a weekend of trying to stuff as much as we could in without getting kicked out for ordering just one dish (no lie, it happened). So the next few posts will reveal just a few of our best bites. I adore the lighting in pretty much every NYC restaurant, deli or cafe, but it’s not totally conducive to food photography, so bear with the mood-setting glow on some of these..anyway, we start with the uni panini at El Quinto Pino…

Uni panini

It’s not a new dish, but intriguing all the same, an uni sandwich, can you go wrong? I’ll admit, I had never had uni (sea urchin), and was told it was a love-it-or-hate it situation. I loved it, soft, almost mousse-like texture and all, but this sandwich? Not as amazing as it sounded. I did like the presentation, and the skinny baguette was cute, crunchy on the outside and chewy inside, and appropriately buttered. But it almost overpowered the somewhat sparse spread of uni inside. Did it need more heat? Something green? I didn’t know. But what did save our trip to this adorable little hole-in-the-wall restaurant was this..

Gin-basil-lemonade slushie

Written cleverly on a round pole that held the place up was a list of frozen drinks spiked with gin, basil, lemon and I had to have one. It was sweet, tart, refreshing and went down a little too easily. It was the highlight of our two-item stop, but the rest of the menu looked more enticing, from Castilian Cracklin’s to house-cured pork loin with cheese and piquillo peppers. But alas, we had to save room for more stops… El Quinto Pino 401 W. 24th Street, NYC

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April 27, 2010 · 12:05 am

Mojito in motion

Raspberry mojito captured in motion at Cafe 28. Forgot how rockin’ this place is…from the jalapeño-honey-soy-sauce marinated pork chops to the sangria..and of course, fresh muddled mojitos! So I was fumbling to get my camera out and missed the best mint muddling shots (damn!), but I did capture the pre- and post purée action. Cafe 28, 1800 W. Irving Park, 773.528.2883

Mojito line-up...(no Bacardi love intended)

With fresh raspberry purée, summer in a glass

Muddle, mix sip..repeat

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April 23, 2010 · 12:05 am

Not known for: Smokin’ pumpkin maki at Coast

Smokin' pumpkin maki

Unless I am a Macku, I rarely consider the maki specials at sushi restaurants. But a rare visit to Coast last night helped me discover that just because a sushi spot actually writes their specials in a chalkboard affixed behind the sushi bar, doesn’t mean they aren’t worth a try. Coast’s special maki rolls for the night included a basil-leaf wrapped super white tuna ginger, something called the moo, and the smokin’ pumpkin, which made me think of autumn with its creamy, earthy pumpkin, smoky salmon and various hues of orange. Tempura pumpkin is rolled in rice and topped with a thick piece of smoked salmon, a drop of masago mayo and sweet tiny orange fish eggs. It was sweet, salty, crunchy, smoky, and worth a place on the permanent menu. Coast, 2045 N. Damen, 773.235.5775

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April 21, 2010 · 12:05 am

Terragusto

Chef Theo Gilbert in the tiny kitchen of the new Terragusto

Like Mia Francesca and Manny’s Deli, Terragusto always felt like one of those staple restaurants around town that everyone and their proverbial mother had been to, but, well, me. A close friend raved about it for months, and finally got a small group together to check it out. It’s the kind of Italian food I love, fresh, daily homemade pasta, bright flavors, fresh, sustainable seafood and meats, quaint, simple room (without cheesy murals or wicker-wrapped chianti bottles stashed in every open corner), and plenty of food for a good price. We ordered the chef’s tasting (available at the new Terragusto location), a prix-fixe selection ($48) where a parade of antipasti, salads, starters, entrées, desserts and coffee are sent your way at the chef’s whim. You share everything with your tablemates, from the trout salad and white bean purée smeared crunchy crostinis, to the spinach custard flan, Rushing Waters Trout and Wagyu beef. But the highlight of our momentous meal was by far the cuttlefish ink pasta dotted with fat, buttery shrimp. Cuttlefish is more sustainable than squid, and when its ink is used to make the silky pasta ribbons, a briney, delicious treat ensues. The shrimp add bursts of color and sweet-salty touches to the perfect pasta dish.

Cuttlefish ink pasta with shrimp

Rushing Waters trout with potatoes

Besides the inky delight, I also loved our antipasti course, a melange of watery buffalo mozzarella slices, pickled veggies, egg salad, bright beet salad and cheese filled pastries.

Antipasti platter

Dinner continued with dessert, the best being a dark chocolate mousse with caramel and berry pannacotta. We left happily full, nothing compared to those stumbling out of Geja’s, nestled just below the restaurant. I’ll be back to give the chef’s tasting another go, and now to get to Manny’s and Mia.. 340 W. Armitage Ave. and 1851 W. Addison.

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Filed under Best bite, great for date, I like to eats

March 24, 2010 · 12:05 am

On the table: Sprout

Dale Levitski's restaurant will undergo a renovation, but I hope they don't touch the elegant tabletop setting

2 plates, 2 napkins, 1 votive, vase with leaf. 1417 W. Fullerton, 773.348.0706

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March 5, 2010 · 12:05 am

On the Table: The Purple Pig

Deliciously great new addition to the Michigan Avenue dining scene.

10 wine glasses, 10 plates, 10 cloth napkins, 10 forks, 10 knives. The Purple Pig, 500 N. Michigan Ave., 312.464.1744

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February 23, 2010 · 12:05 am

Herb garden at Quince

As what seems like the 10th snowstorm of the year blankets the city, I’d thought I add a bit of green to the blog today with this shot of the basement herb garden at Quince at the Homestead. Chef Andy Motto grows his own microherbs like baby mizuna, micro purple rutabega and komatsuna to place atop and around his seasonal, elegant dishes like skatewing roll and lobster with quinoa (I’ve gushed about this combo before), roasted duck with cannelloni, spinach and celery root purée and octopus with heirloom tomato compote. Come summer, he hopes to transfer the mini garden to the rooftop of the Homestead. And speaking of green, I’ll be traveling to Temecula, Calif. for work this week to learn about all things citrus. Be back blogging in a few! 1625 Hinman Ave., Evanston, 847.570.8400