114 Ponsonby Road

Turns out, we went to a chain place.  Not on purpose, for the record, and unknowingly at the time.  We were looking for a specific burger place, that just happened to be closed for the day (something about they like to party and hangovers) and this was just a few doors down.  Oh well...

So, it's a burger joint.  A burger joint for the hip young kids.  A burger joint with loudish music I don't understand.  A burger joint with a looping video of people doing crazy things (as is the want when you travel in NZ I now have had confirmed).  A burger joint with a pretty steady line at the counter all the time we were there.  A burger joint that does a pretty good burger!

It's shiny and metallic and bright and loud and busy and has poster / magazines / postcards for assorted bands / skating / skiing / thrill seeking all over the place you can peruse or take.  It's not what I'd call my scene, but we weren't made to feel unwelcome (actually it probably never crossed anyone's mind that we were anything other than a paying customer and that we should be treated nicely) and there were certainly many people of our ilk coming and going.  There were non-ilk too...

Walk in, get in line, read menu on wall, get out of line when you realize you're holding up the regulars, read some more, get back in line, read a little more, change mind a couple of times before getting to front of line, order, go find a counter / booth / table (or as most people were doing, stand aside and wait for your to-go order) and wait a few minutes for a happy and loud cook looking dude to deliver your goodies.  It's a burger joint!

Our meal went a little like this:

• Soda 
• Big Fuel Burger (egg, beetroot, relish, aioli) - I prefer a little more run in my egg, but there was enough other runny / juicy things to make sure my hands (and shirt) were sticky.  Tasty.  Note:  What we didn't know until we'd finished trashing ourselves (and watched a pro next to us) was that they actually provide a burger holder.  Yep, a carboard device that when folded per directions appeared to do a very good job of containment - we thought it was a lid for the chips and didn't understand why we'd need one since we were eating in - oops.
• Ford Freakout Burger - (bacon, avocado, relish, aioli) - only marginally less messy.  Equally tasty in it's own way.  Note:  See above...
• Fries - (of the hand cut potato variety) - crispy and pretty good
• Fries - (of the hand cut kumara variety - I guess their nature is they don't go as crispy, but they're tastier, no doubt.  At the time we hadn't learned that kumera more or less equals sweet potato, in case you care...

We wanted a burger, we got a burger so all is well.  We are a little peeved, even a month later as I type, that we were charged a 'holiday surcharge', which is logically, but illogical at the same time, to us.  We won't go back, mostly because it's a chain and we aim to avoid chains when we travel (actually, it's pretty close to having become a firm rule of dining out...) and to be fair, a trip back to Auckland is not likely to happen anytime soon anyway.

Stay JOLLY!
D

1578 N Clybourn

As part of our celebratory afternoon we actually did dessert first A Related Article and that was a good thing, because we easily could have found more to eat here and had absolutely no room left for dessert (assuming shakes don't count as dessert) - which would have been sad on a couple of levels.

It's a pretty large space sort of broken into two areas but I don't think there's any difference other than one side having the bar and the other side having the photo booth - apparently there's some way to get your mug up on the wall over the kitchen.  A mixture of booths and tables and it's all quite brightly lit due to the very large glass windows facing out on to Clybourn.  There's some art work going on made out of what I guess are old signs, but I don't really get it, but it also causes no harm.

We did turn up at a non-traditional meal time due to the pre-lunch dessert we had just had so got in right away, but it was still pretty busy and therefore we're asuming at the 'correct' meal times it's probably really really hopping.

Our Server may have been a bit frazzled when we first sat so we had a bit of a delay getting our beer orders in, but he calmed down and when we were chatting he certainly new both the menu and the beer menu and was able to offer sensible recomendations - apart from trying to talk us into a shake for dessert (but to be fair, he didn't know we'd already eaten a good amount of Frozen Custard Pie).  He certainly didn't rush us, which we always appreciate, he didn't mind putting in the Mac order ahead of the Burgers and he wasn't too far away when we felt the urge for an extra beer.

The menu is easy enough to navigate, with a good range of Burgers and non-Burger type arrangements.  Some thought has been put into the burgers so don't go looking for your basic everyday cheeseburger like ma used to make - you might not be all that happy.  A big beer list, mostly in bottles but enough on draft, that seems like it changes a lot - no bud or miller as far as I can tell, just fun crafty type things which there's a good chance you've never heard of.  They do give descriptions of what you might expect of each beer so you're not going in totally blind.  There's also a shake menu, and they did look pretty good from a far, but we just couldn't do one this day.

Our meal went a little like this:

• Domain DuPage 
• Robert the Bruce - worst case it's just fun to say, but it's actually fun to drink too!  Malty, but not to malty.
• Pulled Pork Mac - definitely mac-y, definitely pork-y.  A tasty start.
• Tur-Duck-En Stacker, turducken patty, arugula, turducken sausage, brie, cranberry / cherry chutney - a lot going on, but not too much.  Take your time eating it and enjoy it all!  And if you don't know what turducken is, well, ask someone...
  
  • Truffle Fries - for a buck extra how could you ever not upgrade?  Not the best truffle fries ever, but better than any other 'ordinary' fry you will ever see.
• Elk Burger, andouille sausage, pepper-onion relish, smoked gouda, chili aioli - a little bit of heat, a little bit of gamey, a little bit of sweet.  A great combination.
  • Sweet Potato Tots - for a couple of bucks extra how could you not upgrade?  A fun version of the classic you know you love.

It's another place that's not overly convenient for us to get too, but we'd be back often if we were clsoe by.  If we're in the neighborhood and in need of a relatively quick and easy meal we've now got a burger place to add to our dog A Previous Article place.

Stay JOLLY!
D 

3651 N Southport

We were off to another tasting event A Related Article at our favorite wine store Our Wine Club Blog and knowing we were doing cheeses with our wines and not starting for another hour and a half we thought Tapas would give us the best opportunity to dine and not over indulge - we managed that.

It's not that big a place, but it's set up to make use of the small patio they're allowed on Southport with a big 'window' that opens up well enough to bring a good part of the outside in.  It was open when we arrived (and we wrongly used it as the front door - sorry about that) but as the sun departed, so did a good bit of the temperature and so it was closed. 

Inside it's fairly small with the bar sort of serving as the host stand too.  There's a line of high tops along the wall opposite and normal type tables out in the back section, which is really just the same room past the bar.  Spanish type music going most of the time, I think, and the decor gives the feel of what we (not just the two of us, but everyone reading) have probably come to expect a tapas place should look like - earthy tones, viney things, low lighting, dark wood, casual.

The menu is quite a bit to work through, especially if you've never done Tapas before.  Everything has it's Spanish name, so that's a bit of a problem for me, but the descriptions are in English to help me out.  With a little bit of concentration, you should be able to see that it is laid out sensibly allowing you to select appropriately.  They've even taken the time to indicate which dishes take a bit longer to prepare - which is a good thing because that means your paella isn't already half cooked when you walk in the door. 

Our Server could certainly answer questions (but we thought we understood the menu well enough so didn't really have any), but he didn't do much more than take our orders, explain that our preferred Sangria flavor was unavailable, and get our follow up orders.  Not a bad thing, especially since there was no pressure to order everything at once, and no concern when we asked for a short break before ordering something else.  The bussers were perhaps a little too quick to get the empties, but they did a good, and mostly unobtrusive, job of keeping the table clear of our little spills - it happens when the plate is in the middle of us, occasionally...

It's all about small plates and / or sharing, so please don't try order your own dishes and let your date order theirs...  And be prepared for dishes to come out when they are ready, not in any sort of grouping you may have intended when you placed the order - we're double ok with that.

Our meal went a little like this:

• Mango Sangria - not sure how the mango gets to join the party, but with some extra mixing applied it's definitely mango in flavor. You could call it refreshing too, and if you like chewing on your fruit salad, there's plenty to choose from.
• Mejillones a la Marinera (mussels in marinara sauce) - yummy.  A fun rich dipping sauce, although it was also good to get a scoop with the mussel too.
• Plato de Jamon y Queso (serano ham, manchego cheese, tomato crostini) - very crunchy crostini.  A simple plate, simple flavors, yummy and gone way to quick - and yes, we had some cheese prior to our cheese tasting (we also had wine, if you're going to be picky...)
• Albondigas Espanolas (Spanish meatballs, red wine sauce, saffron rice) - not sure what makes them Spanish?  The rice had that paella sort of crust to it, and the sauce brought everything together nicely.
• Patatas Ali Oli (potatoes in garlic mayonnaise) - actually not what we expected - that'll teach me for bringing past memories to a new restaurant.  If you disregard my mistake the dish was tasty, no doubt, but a little rich for what we were going for this evening.
• Pincho de Pollo (chicken skewers, red pepper aioli) - a nice finish as we got ready to head over the road.  Certainly undid our earlier boo boo.  The aioli, probably the star of the dish.

We enjoyed our dinner, and could easily have grabbed up another dish or two (and a dessert) if we didn't know we were continuing the evening across the road.  Probably not a destination restaurant for us, but if we're in the neighborhood and in need of something that can be quick and low key, Bull-eh-dia will make the short list.

Stay JOLLY!
D

410 W State St

I think we have another enigma A Previous Article...

A place that piqued our interest on Check Please didn't make the To-Do List the list... due to it's proximity to Iowa.  But, having friends living close by we almost made it A Previous Article here earlier in the year.  Alas, the enigma issues kicked in on that evening...  Based on our friends' glowing recommendations and the clear need for people to eat here we added it to our To-Do List and started working on a plan to get a table on (mostly) our own terms.

The place is small, the place is popular, the place is hard to get in.  They don't take reservations, and only start putting names on the wait list about 5 minutes before they open the doors at 5pm.  The enigma is that they are putting out great food (and cocktails) and you really are better off for having given the place a whirl. 

So, we did come up with a plan.  It involved skipping Friday & Saturday.  It involved spending most of the day in the IowaSt Charles / Geneva area with our friends and our bicycles.  It did not include a trip to the hospital*, even though there was one...  It involved getting in line at the traditional Floridian dining time of pre 5pm.  It worked!

They're certainly experienced at handling the rush.  When the doors opened, they didn't seat the whole place at once, taking their time (certainly with us) for what appears to be controlling the orders hitting the bar and kitchen, and having no qualms about leaving you in line.  Once that rush is over they settle down and keep the place turning over and once you're at your table everything runs smoothly.  It didn't seem there was much of a line waiting outside, but we're told that when the line gets too long they'll take a cell phone number and call you when you're up, so we're not really sure how long the wait might have been had we arrived at the time we were leaving.

You'd barely know it's a restaurant from the outside, but the line out front helps you find it.  It really is quite small, but not cramped, and set up so that tables can be joined for larger groups.  There's a tiny bar right in the entrance way (and you can 'negotiate' a seat there instead of waiting for a table but there appears to be a system for that too) where the 2 guys could barely get by each other and were shaking right from the word go.  The kitchen pass is open (and there's a lot of people in a small area again) for you to peek in and it's sort of in the middle of the place splitting it in two.  Our little section was behind the bar, and they have a window that doesn't let you see them shaking, but you do get to see the pretty big range of tequilas they have.  There's also an outside area which we didn't take a look at (and may have been cranky being out there on this warmhot eveningafternoon) and a tiny area that's more like an extension of the bar than anything else out the front with the host stand - I hope she doesn't have to stand out there on crappy weather days!  Everything is neat and tidy and bright and airy and a few simple and appropriate art things on the walls.

Once we got in everything went smoothly, and really, we didn't wait all that long to get in and probably came in under that 30 minute limit we have set ourselves.  We got to sit at the important people's table?  That is, the 5 of us sat at a elevated table (bar height) which if pulled off of the wall could easily seat 8, probably 10.  It seems that they accept people order a number of times, but keep things moving along by making suggestions quite often.  Our Server knows the menu and used this knowledge to gently push us along in the ordering procession - we probably didn't need the suggestions because we had seasoned veterans with us...

There's plenty to choose from and the menu is easy enough to navigate, but if you're a little spicy-hot food averse like me, you'll have to get some assistance from your Server, but I think mostly you'll be fine - I only sulked through one dish.  Food comes out of the kitchen when each dish is ready and not as a complete order.  Certainly no drama when you know that every plate that arrives is going to get passed up and down the table so there's none of that awkward "go on, you can start with out me" stuff.  The cocktail list is fun and I think you'd be missing out on the experience if you didn't try at least one.

Our meal went pretty much like this:

• Limonada 
• Flor de Jamaica (tequila, orange, hibiscus flower & more) - orangy and flowery.
• Cassi-Pica (tequila, lemon, serrano, egg white & more) - looks good in the glass, didn't seem to last long, must be good.
• Ahuacatl (tequila, avocado, agave nectar and more) - mild, but avocado-y, kind of sweet too.
• Mojito (rum, mint & more) - exactly what you'd expect.
• Guacamole del Dia (strawberry) - a fun way to start the meal - it'll probably be different the day you are there
• Ceviche del Mes (shrimp) - a nice sweet tang.  It we ordered a second it would have all gone too...
• Tacos - they all come in 4s as standard and all completely individual.
  
  • Pescado (beer battered tilapia, red cabbage, chipotle-morita aioli & more) - crispy and soft at the same time
  • Hongos (portabello, avocado, onion & more) - vastly different to all the others we had, but no less tasty.
  • de la Costa (beer battered shrimp, napa cabbage, roasted serrano-mango salsa & more) - probably the best sauce of any we had (and I could probably argue it would work on just about all of the other tacos just as well) with the sweet tangy gentle heat thing going on.
  • Pescadillas (shredded shark, avocado-habanero pico & more) - not sure what we expected, but it was almost crab cake in texture.  Everything combined made a great taco.
  • Barriga de Puerco (slow roasted pork belly, adobo, queso fresco & more) - a great piece of pork, almost a shame it was only taco sized.
• Esquites (grilled corn, lemon-aioli & more) - this may be the best corn I've ever had that wasn't still attached to a cob.  Our friends 'made' us order it and we thank them.
• Brochetas (skewers)
  • Pica-Pica (bacon wrapped shrimp, onion, pineapple, chipotle-lime glaze) - fortunately for me the pineapple took the edge of the shrimp.  Tasty!  But right at the edge of my comfort zone.
  • Carne (beef tenderloin, onion, poblano, garlic-avocado salsa) - beautiful tender meat made better with the salsa.

I do think our group was the best size to get the most out of the menu.  Had it just been the two of us we would have so over eaten trying to get a taste of as much as possible, and had the group been larger it's probable things would have been ordered that you missed out on.  But a group of 4.5 matches up really nicely with things that mostly come in 4s!

It's an enigma! 

It's a place we'd love to go back to (there's at least 5 Tacos we didn't get to try), but we're not going to get an ulcer trying to do so.  If the opportunity arises and the planets align up just right we'll be back in a flash, but not to be dining at 5:01 on a Tuesday.  We're certainly happy for Chef Ricardo and how we'll he's doing, but we're also a little sad he's so far away and so hard to get into.

Stay JOLLY!
DPete, Kris, Jersey

* There was some blood letting as part of the day's adventures (and I do mean blood on the sidewalk letting!), but that's a story only our wounded participant can share.

900 Westport

When we knew we had a weekend in KC coming up we started to explore our 'fancy' Date Night options.  Bluestem made the shortlist pretty quick and almost certainly would have won out in the end due to the style of menu offered (it's pretty much a 5 or 10 course tasting), even though it was only 2 blocks from our Hotel.  We're also pretty sure we would have had a grand time at the runners up too...

Unassuming from outside in an almost beat up looking building.  Fortunately the bright blue colors used as part of their logo are obvious from outside so it's easy enough to find.  Inside there's a very casual lounge area with the 'fancy' restaurant bit off to the side and clearly segregated (although we thought it a little odd that the lounge people came through 'our' restaurant to get to the bathrooms - normally it's the other way around).  It's a sort of odd shape due to the shape of the building, but also because it needs a couple of steps down from the lounge.  Perhaps seats 40?  Simple decor, white table cloths, some fun antique type mirrors (that could easily be argued look out of place - but I'm not arguing that at all) made up a good portion of the wall closest to us.

We had a Primary Server (if that's fair) but the rest of the gang all contributed and answered questions as needed.  They were all polite and staid, but not snooty.  If you wanted to chat, they would chat, but they didn't seem to try to come across as chatty.  Although we'd seen the menu we still needed help understanding what was in front of us each time. Who ever was serving gave us the dissertation and although technically accurate it felt a bit like they had learned what to say more than learning the dish - just a feeling, apologies if I'm wrong.  A couple of times we had to ask for a bit of further clarification and anyone who we asked could help out.  We also got a quick chat with half the chef team.  She was walking back to the kitchen (not sure how she got out with out us seeing...), so we just said thanks with no expectation of a chat, but she stopped and did the sociable thing with us.  Thanks chef!  It's always pleasing to know that the chef (or chefs in this case) were actually out the back doing their cheffing best for us!

The designated Wine Server is actually the General Manager - makes sense in a place of this size.  I really like the way he handles the wine, and presented the wine (glasses appear on the table, he comes back with the bottle, pours, plonks it down on the table for your admiration - he doesn't leave the bottle, of course, when you're doing the tasting) and talked about the wine (but we did hear the exact same spiel for a couple of wines a couple of times around the room).  I double really like that when we congratulated him on pairing a red with a fish dish, and then returning to white for the next course that his response was that he pairs the dish with whatever is appropriate (and therefore, I interpret to mean the 'correct' pairing) and sometimes it comes out differently to what most of us have been taught to expect - I'm quite happy having unexpected wines come my way!

I love the way the menu is presented.  4 courses of 2 choices each, and a fifth with 5 choices.  It's offered as 5 courses (pick one from each), or 10 (everything but 1 dessert - perhaps my only gripe (and it's a very very very small gripe) is that we left something on the table) with a quite small note down the bottom that everything can be done À la carte if you prefer.  The wine list is relatively short, but the offer of a paired wine with each course makes the list pretty much irrelevant, and doubly so when the pairings turn out to be so great.

Our meal went a little like this:

• 10 Course Tasting Menu - not hard to argue it was really 14 courses if you count amouse bouches and that we each got a different dessert for each dessert course
  • goat cheese puff - simple and refreshing to get things started
  • salmon mousse - creamy & quite rich and almost the opposite of the puff - opposite in a good way!
  • crispy purple artichoke, asparagus, barigoule aioli, soil - one: purple artichoke was something new, two: crispy was another.  Just a fun dish that surprised us and made us smile.
    
    • Leitz Dragonstone Riesling (Germany) - of the style I look for in a Riesling - not sweet, rounded, a little bit of bite at the front of the mouth.
  • roasted beet, buttermilk lemon, pineapple, champagne vinaigrette - I guess my aversion to beets comes from those canned ones the parents would produce at just about any sort of family picnic / bbq arrangement. But when they come out like this, aversion all gone!
    
    • Wild Rock Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough) - really good.  Our 'guy' spoke highly of it, and we have no reason to disagree.  It's everything you'd want from a Marlborough Sauv Blanc.
  • torchon of foie gras, strawberry mostarda, rhubarb, peanut, brioche - maaannnn, there wasn't enough brioche... Well, there probably was, but it was so good I may have distributed the foie gras inappropriately...  Fortunately we had some extra bread on the table (requested for random sauce mopping requirements) which still let the foie shine.  It was fun to combine it with all the little 'sides', but just the brioche would have caused no complaints.
    
    • Dr Loosen Barren Auslese Mosel (German) - a quite sweet wine that cut perfectly through the richness of the foie.  A clever pairing, bringing out a traditionally dessert type wine so early in the meal.
  • spring pea soup, crème fraiche gelee, lemon, pink peppercorn - a bit of a show to serve it, but better than any pea soup that's ever come my way before.  Something sneaky good having the peppercorns to 'play' with.
    • Scarpetta Pinot Grigio Friuli (Italy) - a funny dissertation from our 'guy' in that he said this is about the only Pinot Grigio he wants anything to do with.  We kind of like it in general, but this one was definitely up the top of the scale.  Crisp, yet full with a long finish.
  • diver scallops, fennel, cipollini, rock shrimp, mussels, smoked tomato sauce - the sauce may have been the star, but a great grouping of treats to go with it.
    • Adelsheim Pinot Noir (Oregon) - perhaps the best pairing of the meal.  No objections to red with my seafood at all, but this wine matched up with the smokey sauce perfectly.
  • escolar, braised bacon, green garlic, aji amarillo, brown butter - you could have just served the fish on it's own and everyone would be happy (perhaps confused, but happy), but when you put it with everything else everyone gets extra happy.
    
    • Gustave Lorentz Pinot Blanc (Alsace) - I admit it sort of a fake highlight, but I really like that they served us a red and then went back to a white.  I think the wine benefited from having the fish around.  A big nose, a gentle even finish.
  • glazed duroc pork, baby bok choy, scallion, wonton noodle, lemongrass broth - we ate some good BBQ while in town, but this was easily the best pork we saw.  The noodle was different, and got our attention as a texture contrast rather than flavor compliment.  The broth was awesome!
    
    • La Garrigue Vacqueyras (Rhone Valley) - no specific memory of this.  I think that means it was a nice safe pairing and that it didn't distract from the yumminess of the pork.
  • duo of vintage beef, asparagus, fava bean, roasted garlic potato, black garlic - two melt in your mouth cuts that would make any meat eater grin.  A fun combination of goodies to go with them.
    
    • Marques De Murietta Reserva (Rioja) - perhaps my favorite wine of the evening.  A little bit spicy in the finish, lots of nice tannins up front.  Probably don't want it without something beefy.
  • selection of artisan cheeses with accoutrements - the cheeses them self were nothing super memorable, but paired up with non-standard cheese pairing devices (one was pickled fennel, the other 2 were equally as surprising) made the plate a treat.
    • Ramos Pinto 10 Year Tawny - it's been awhile since I've done the Port / Cheese thing and I might be a little bummed I let it get away from me.  If the Pinot Noir wasn't the best pairing, this was.
  • milk chocolate & black tea pot de crème, almond madeleines, rose water, cream - what?  A lot going on that turned out to all work nicely together.
    
    • Moscato d'Asti (Italy) - nice and refreshing.  Almost sad we didn't get a go at this when the amuse bouche came our way.
  • dark chocolate ice cream float, birch beer, mint whip, fried brownie - for the trivia inclined of us, this would be called a 'spider' back home, but don't ask why.  It may just be the perfect way to unwind after all that came before.
    
    • Strega Cocktail - who said my wine pairings have to be all wines?  I have no idea what Strega is, but I'm glad I got to try it.  I probably should have asked, but I got a sort of pine tree feel about it, but it was a cocktail and not a shot so other fun stuff may have been the reason.
  • lemon chiffon, strawberry, milk jam, rhubarb, candied orange, ginger - fun and light and sweet and it comes with rhubarb.
    
    • Ramos Pinto 10 Year Tawny (Oregon) - sneaky serving it again, technically a sensible pairing, but the least favorite pairing we saw - but that might have been cocktail envy from across the table...

As always we don't really want to rank the dishes, but we all do...  There was no loser, just a couple of slightly better winners.  The Escolar was an easy (and agreeable) #1.  We're not quite agreed on the next couple, but a pretty good compromise is the Pork & Scallop a tie for #2, the Beef and Pea Soup at #4 and everything else pretty much equal at #6 (including the amouse bouches).  An honorable mention to the Artichoke for surprising us so nicely - which probably means it gets the #6 spot on its own.

We're definitely better off for having visited with Bluestem.  A wonderful, relaxed and tasty meal!  We're glad we went the 10 course option and not the 5 option with differing dishes.  Yes we would have seen everything, but not got the full experience by 'stealing' bits and pieces across the table.

We're perhaps a bit worse off for knowing that even though they met in Chicago, they decided to move back to his home and set up the show in KC - we bare them no grudge for making family decisions, but we're sad that it's unlikely we'll get to visit with them again.

Stay JOLLY!
D

339 N Dearborn

And so we come to the end of an adventure... A Collection of Articles  This was the last of the collection of gifts that our Dear Friends hooked us up with. Every one has been a delight, a couple a challenge, and one we never would have found on our own. Thanks guys!

Our last Visit A Previous Article was with friends, but this time it was just the two of us. I got there first so decided we'd try and sit in the wine bar sort of section. After noticing the Cheese Bar last time, I noted I'd probably like to try sitting at it but when push came to shove I didn't think sitting at the Cheese Bar would really be all that fun as there's not really all that much to see as the cheese dude (I know, he probably has a real title...) does his thing.  Certainly a little less formal, but other than that I'm not sure there's any real difference between the Wine Bar section and the Restaurant section in terms of what they offer you.  Yes, they sort of steer you towards wine flights, cheese flights and lighter dishes, but I was able to look at and order from the Full Wine List and we could have ordered anything off the full menu.  I guess it might feel a lot more casual if you were in a booth with a bunch of your buddies, even with the full spread offered?

Otherwise, everything is the same.  Our Server knows the wines and cheeses.  He let us order when and how we wanted and offered opinions when asked.  Other Servers help when appropriate.  The wine list is extensive (what else could you expect from a place called Bin 36?), the cheese list too - both supported with useful descriptions if you don't want to talk to your Server.  There are flights of wine and cheese to give you a great way to sample a few different things, particularly if you don't know your way around the lists all that much.

Our meal went a little like this:

• Bubbles Flight - I admit to being more enthused about wines with bubbles lately so it didn't take long to settle in on this. I liked the range, I liked the bubbles, I was happy.
  • NV Brut Gruner Veltliner (Austria)
  • NV Brut Chenin Blanc (Peru)
  • NV Brut Cava, 1+1=3 (Spain) - I think my favorite.  Definitely fruity, but not too much.
  • NV Brut Cava Rose, Varichon Et Clerc (Spain) - a bit different, and not just because of the color.
• Off the Beaten Path Flight - the overall feeling is that they come in at the mellow end of scale, but none should be avoided in the future.
  
  • 2010 Moshofilero / Roditit, "Notios" (Greece) - the most memorable.  Grab a deck chair and enjoy it outside in the sun.  And perfect to take some cheese with you...
  • 2009 Gruner Veltliner (Austria) 
  • 2009 Favorita (Italy) 
  • 2010 Viognier, Vina Tabali "Reserve" (Chile) 
• The Grand Platter
  
  • Biellese Finochietta (fennel salumi)
  • Housemade Smoked Duck “ham” - quite rich, definitely gamey, absolutely yummy.  Easily could have had more.
  • La Quercia Prosciutto (Iowa) - the best Proscuitto ever?  Probably not, but mighty fine.
  • 10 Year Hook's Cheddar (Wisconsin) - Smokey and rich and moorish.
  • Manchego (Spain, Sheep) - when we don't know what kind of cheese we feel like, there's always room for some Manchego.  Definitely our go to staple.  We did know we wanted it this night!
  • Chevre Noir (Canada, Goat) -
• 2009 Tinta Roriz -
• Steamed Mussels, White Wine, Taragon, Creme Fraiche - We've eaten a lot of mussels the last couple of years.  We're pretty certain this was our favorite sauce ever.
• Housemade Lamb Sausage - comes with a simple salad, but the sausage is clearly the star.
• Cheese Board - it's fun just picking what catches your eye...
  • Humbolt Fog - a slight misreading of the menu meant a not-normally-enjoyed blue came our way.  Actually was pretty good, but probably because it was way towards the less stinky end of the stinky cheese scale.
  • L’Amuse Gouda 
  • Pecorino Sardo - it has that dryness that just says "find me a glass of red", right?
  • Manchego - ok, so we like the Manchego enough to get it twice...

It's tough.  We like Bin 36.  But, we like a lot of other places too that ultimately serve our same needs / wants.  We'll be back, just not sure when...

Stay JOLLY!
D

2728 W. Armitage

We've been before A Previous Article.  We'll go again!  And again, the getting there was a struggle.  We did know exactly where to get to this time, but the bus that google promised us was on time never even arrived... Normally we don't stress too much, if at all, over walking in the door a few minutes late, but this night we got ourselves a little bit wound up because to get in on this evening, we agreed to the more Floridian Dinner type time of 5:30 and feared they would want our table back at a specific time thereby starting the evening with a too bad, so sad - we were right that they needed the table, but they didn't nag us one little bit for being late nor to get our last glass of wine down our throats.

Even with our struggles (and fears) of getting to the front door, Bonsoirée is as close as we've got to having a favorite restaurant.  It's very much a special occasion place for us and we've felt special every time we've been.  We are treated well, we are served well, we are fed well, we are interacted with well.  We sign a pretty big check and not for one second do we feel like we didn't get great value for money.  Sadly, it's just not quite in our reach to get there more often than what we have so far.

We always feel just a little bit more warm and fuzzy when we know for sure that the chef is out the back chefing away.  The kitchen is open (and very quiet!) and we saw the chef on the front line.  There you go, more warm and fuzzy...  We've actually seen him each time we've been, but just not right up the front.  There you go, always more warm and fuzzy!  Thanks chef!

We had the same 2 person Serving Team we've had each time and they again did a great job.  They know the dishes intimately, never having to return to the kitchen to answer a question and never hesitating during the dissertation on what you are getting.  They pass on recommendations on how each dish should be eaten.  They keep an eye on you.  They chat if you want to chat, even participating in our silly little games - we played 'Married or Dating?' seeing every table in the place was a 2 top this evening.  They know their job, they work well together and we're better off for having their great service.

Our meal went exactly like this:

• 2009 Chateau Grande Cassagne A Wine Club Selection - I'm always a bit wary of Rosés, but considering the source we thought it worthy of joining us this evening.  Definitely a very light Grenache with just enough fruit and acid to keep us happy.  We actually saved a glass for dessert which turned out to be the right thing to do.
• Kumamoto Shooter, Plum Wine Reduction, Juniper Pickled Ginger - a fun way to start, almost in place of a cocktail.
• Five Kinds of Mushrooms, White Truffle, Umami Sauce, Apple Gelée - yep, there were 5.  Earthy and yummy and rich and yummy.
• Thai Curry Lobster Bisque, Thai Basil, Seared Scallop, Lobster & Asparagus Salad, Honey & Key Lime, Osetra Caviar - a great scallop, a great salad, but the bisque was clearly the star.
• Crispy Suzuki, Uni Sauce, Takoyaki, Kabakyaki Glaze, Yama Imo Pearls, Japanese Chillies - no, not part of a motor bike but Japanese Sea Bass if you want a translation.  Lots of little things going on that was fun to eat mostly separately dipped in the sauces.
• 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon - this is a wine from our very personal collection - an Anniversary gift with our mugs on the label.  Always a lottery with a re-labeled bottle, but this worked out just fine.  At the smoother and softer end of the Cab Sauv scale but full of fruit and easy on the tannins.
• Wagyu Beef, Duck Confit & Fennel Ravioli, Pickled Veal Cheeks, Orange, Marsala and Parsnip - an amazing combination, all so tender and juicy and differing flavors that worked so well together.
• Foie Gras & Ginseng, Goji Berry Panna Cotta, Toasted Almond Crust, Pomegranate Syrup - sort of a pre-dessert.  Rich and sweet, but rich and gentle at the same time.  Don't leave any syrup behind!  Don't leave any tea behind!
• Sakura Cheese, Snow Cherries, Crispy Garlic - Ever had a shot of cheese before?  We have now!  How does the chef know to put garlic and cherries with this cheese?  How?
• Eight Chocolate Presentations - The best dessert ever! Almost like we got a whole new set of 8 courses...
  
  • Chocolate Chip Cookie
  • Macadamia Nut butter & Chocolate Ice Cream
  • Raz El Hanout Lava Cake
  • Raspberry & Chocolate Pinwheel
  • Boston Cream Beignet
  • White Chocolate Truggle
  • Cocoa & Star Anise Marshmallow
  • Lime & Chocolate Mouse, lime salt & preserved strawberry

Reluctant ranking as always...  For the first time in a long time we have a no brainer 100% agreement on our favorite - keeping in mind that there's not much between 2nd & 8th even if we could get agreement and 2nd isn't really all that far behind the Chocolate Presentation.  Probably the Beef and Bisque come in a close 2nd.

So, we ended up getting back sooner than we thought we might be able to and we're thankful for that.  Hopefully we can keep to our now 9 month schedule and get back before the year is out!

Stay JOLLY!
D 

I didn't really have much else to do so I arrived early, very early.  I was seated in the Lounge area (the Bar was closed this evening) where I chose to enjoy a pre-dinner soda and watch the fights that were on the TV in the corner.

The chef was busy cheffing away in the Kitchen, but could frequently be seen working away in the Dining Room making sure everything was just so and even visited the Lounge a couple of times - I guess to see who was beating on whom - but also said hi to me and any of the other 3 guests who came and went.  The open kitchen meant that I got to enjoy the pre-dinner sounds & smells (I probably could have looked in too, but I chose not to so that my meal was still mostly a surprise) of my soon to be dinner - a nice bonus.

The Lounge has a beautiful window, although the view is only of the back alley.  There's no real delineation between the Lounge and Dining Room other than the change in furniture.  The decor is simple yet effective and the chef has chosen to have a number of her personal pictures and trinkets set up throughout the Lounge and Dining Room with the highlight taking up a good part of the window.

When given the choice, I'll take a window seat every time, but the Dining Room doesn't really have a window (if you don't count looking through the lounge & past the TV).  As it turned out, being sat right by the Kitchen was a wonderful experience!

You occasionally will see the Chef come out and talk to the guests.  Even less often do you see them bringing out the food.  But tonight, the only Server who took care of me was also the Chef.  A very enjoyable experience, especially since I had decided to go with the Chef's choices for my complete meal (and wines) and I was now able to get first hand details on what was placed in front of me - although I was given a Menu in the form of a word jumble of which I only half succeeded in solving.

The meal went a little something like this:

• 2008 Tangent Sauvignon Blanc A Wine Club Selection - a little bit of acid on the palette that softened into a fairly crisp and dry wine.
• Shrimp, Asparagus & Lemon - a wonderfully elegant start, just the right amount of everything.
• Tilapia Tacos, with Arugula - not Taco looking, but certainly gourmet Taco tasting!
• Steamed Mussels - just enough crispy bread to enjoy with the yummy White Wine and Thyme Broth
• Brussels Sprouts & Smokey Onions on Cheddar Toast - who would have thought Brussels Sprouts could be part of such a wonderful bruschetta type experience?
• BLT & P Soup (Bacon, Leek, Tomato & Potato) - deceptively complex for such simple ingredients.  Could easily be a meal in itself.
• 2007 Dexter Lake A Wine Club Selection - took a bit to open up, but once there a rich balance of fruit and tannins.
• Sweet Potato Gnocchi, Maple Cinnamon Sage Brown Butter - perhaps the ugliest Gnocchi I've ever seen but absolutely no where near the worst I've ever tasted, perhaps in the top 3 all time best.  Don't judge a book... 
• Orange Glazed Duck - cooked just perfectly, a tender cut with just enough richness added from the sauce.
• Java Steak, Stout Glaze - if I was able to have this again, I'd request a little lighter on the Java, just a little.  Cooked as I like with just enough glaze to not be distracting.
• Chocolate SouffléA Daring Kitchen Experience - A treat in that after retiring to the Lounge for Dessert the Chef invited me into her Kitchen to help make the Soufflé.  A challenge to all but the finest, but a result to be proud of.

As I've found previously, it's hard to rank the dishes in order of preference, but it's also hard not to.  I'm going to go with the Gnocchi at #1, the Soup at #2, barely ahead of that Taco and Duck tied at #3.  Then we pretty much have a 5 way tie for 5th.

What really makes this the best dinner ever?  Easy!  And we all know the answer, we just probably don't get to experience it all that often, if ever.  The answer is, Love.  This whole meal was prepared, presented and enjoyed with an extra special double quadruple helping of love.  Without the Love this would have been a pretty good meal, but with it, the best dinner ever.

Oh, did I mention that the chef is my very triple extra clever wife!  And that the Lounge is the same one in which I watch Mike & Mike over breakfast every morning.  And that the Kitchen is where my lunch I 'drag' to work each day begins it's life.  And the Dining Room doubles as our mail sorting and laundry storage area.

Thanks Sweetie for an AWESOME Birthday Dinner! - aka THE BEST DINNER EVER!

Love, me

339 N Dearborn

It wasn't all that long agoA Previous Article that we were here and seeing that our friend who joined us last time was joining us again and she liked it so much combined with how easy it was to just hang out and chat it seemed like a no-brainer to return.

The Space hasn't changed, and it was perhaps a little busier than last time.  Both in the Restaurant Section and at the Bar, and the (what we assume to be) Private Party area upstairs was also occupied. They've added a Cheese Bar just inside the door which I didn't see anyone at, but it's something I think I could give a try one night after work - perhaps sooner rather than later?  We had asked for a window seat, but arriving at 8pm there was not one available - initially we were a bit down on this as we'd half thought it would be fun to check out the costumes passing by, but I don't think we would have had time for this side activity due to how engrossing and fun our little group turned out to be.

We were told the Menu changed in just the last couple of weeks but I have no idea how much of it actually changed and it definitely has the same design / concept that we saw last time we visited.  I again enjoyed looking through the Wine List which was deferred to me unnecessarily as the first pick made by our friend was anything but bad or inappropriate for what we ended up selecting.  The List is big, and could easily be seen to be scary (especially on this Halloween Eve) but it's not - it's separated out into sensible sections and each wine has a description to help get you in the ballpark of what you're after.

Our Server was of the perky, but not annoyingly so type.  She seemed really happy to be there and helping us out.  She was full of energy, but perhaps stretched a bit on the floor because we 'lost' her for a bit a couple of times.  She recognized this herself, because she managed to send someone over to get an order from us.  Not the end of the world on an evening that was more chatty than eatty.  We managed to navigate (and satisfy) ourselves through the menu and wine-list but I'm quite certain she could have helped out had we needed it.

Our meal went something along the lines of:

• Eola Pinot Noir, Orgegon- smooth and almost elegant.  Worked well with the richer cheeses.
• We ♥ Italy - I forget which is which, but there was a Sheep, Buffalo, Goat and a mixture.  A great variety from soft to hard, and acidic to amost meaty.  Some fun sides.
  
  • Caprino Naturale
  • Robiola Tre Latti
  • Quadrella di Bufalo
  • Pecorino Sardo
• Mudhouse Pinot Noir - Much richer than our first, more of the toastyness you often see in a Pinot.
• Cheese Board 1 - We picked our own flight.  We picked 1 cheese each and without consultation came up with a good mix of hard v soft, 'plain' v something added, strong v mild (admittedly, we all stayed away from the blues).
• Cheese Board 2 - And again...  A different cheese each again, and again we managed to mix them up nicely.  I think it would be hard to go wrong given the 50 or 60 you have to choose from, and if it's too over-whelming, just stick with the flights.
• Cripsy Fries, (Tabasco Aioli, Horseradish Mayonnaise, Romesco Sauce) - a nice variety of dipping sauces, 1 with a kick and 1 with a smaller kick.  And yes, the fries were crispy.

Bin 36 is definitely designed, and run, to allow you to nibble and drink and chat.  We chatted a lot, we only nibbled and we drank just fine.

Stay JOLLY!
DHeather & Sherri

3734 N Southport Ave

We'd just left the Cubs game (stupid Cubs!) and weren't ready for dinner but did need a snack of some sort.  We didn't have any interest in joining the post game crush at the nearby bars and seeing our friends' car was parked on Southport, that's where we headed.  We've all been to Blue Bayou before so it seemed like an easy decision.

We were kind of surprised how quiet it was seeing it's not really that far from Wrigley, but it suited us giving the opportunity to easily chat.  It's a fairly dark room, really just a bar with some booths and table, with lots of dark wood and lots and lots of mardi-gras beads and trinkets through out.  I'm pretty sure there is an upstairs section because they advertise live music and I couldn't really see it fitting in to the bar area downstairs.

So, our Server seemed ok.  She managed to figure out we were waiting on one person and came back to get their drink order.  She took our simple order correctly and delivered it correctly.  She didn't talk much, but we didn't have much to talk about.  But, she can't count and managed to blame the error on the computer.  We asked to split the check on two cards, and she managed to come back with 2 cards with the same amount, but when added up a little bit more than the value of the check.  Oh well, mistakes happen, but she couldn't wrap her head around our concern and had to get her manager to sort it out - which took far longer (and a far odder solution) than we thought it should take.  I don't think it would be fair to ban returning based on this, but we will ban splitting the check over multiple cards...

From my limited expertise in this matter, the menu seems to contain all the staples you'd expect on a Louisiana styled menu.  We weren't aiming any higher than an appetizer to didn't look much further than that section.  Easy enough to navigate and understand the descriptions.

Our Meal went a little something like this:

• Corona Light
• Abita Purple Haze (draft) - It's purple because of raspberries.  Exactly as described, fruity aroma and tart sweet taste.
• Soda
• Artichoke Au Gratin - a bit spicier than we're used to, but exactly what we should have expected
• Jumbo Chicken Wings (buffalo) - finger lick'n messy
• Louisiana Sliders (pulled pork) - nothing special, nothing bad

Apart from a Server who can't count, everything was as expected and no reason to think we won't return - probably after a Cubs game (stupid Cubs!) will suit us best.

Stay JOLLY!
DRon & Diane

2728 W Armitage

We almost didn't make it.  Well, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but we were CTA'ing it there and although we knew which Bus to end up on one of us forgot to actually write down the number and guessed a bit wrong.  The number is in big bright lights, but there is no sign over the door.  We think we get the logic, because it's a small place that doesn't take walk-ins they don't want to be too attractive...  If we hadn't been before we may have been in trouble, but having at least a soft memory of the outside helped us locate it.

The place is clearly about the food.  It's a small place (maybe 30 seats?), simple but tidy decor.  The food pass through area into the kitchen is visible to about 5 tables if you like to keep half an eye on what's coming out and the quiet cooking business being performed... No host, no bar, no cocktails, no wine list.  Actually, there's no menu either.  They offer a 4, 8 or 13 course meal as part of their weeknight menus.  Saturday is the 'Underground' which sounds secretive and you can only get in if you're on the 'list'.  Perhaps when it started it was super exclusive but we got on the list awhile back and from what we understand there's like 2 or 3 million names on the list (ok, maybe not that many...).  Sunday is their 'no-menu' night, which we think is the way that they get to test out new dishes. 

As there's no wine list it's 100% BYO.  And, it comes with no corkage charge. We take in two bottles, but we saw a table of 4 come in with about 6 and then ask the Server for their thoughts on which wines to consume.  Then they just took the left overs home.  We probably will stick with just the 2.  The glass-ware that is provided is functional but arguably not that practical if you really want to get the most out of your wine.  We noticed a table with 'fancy' glasses and as we opened up our red asked for the same.  We were told the table brought in their own glasses.  Who would have thought you could BYO your glass-ware?  A nice option, but I don't think we have enough wine snobbery in us to be schlepping our own glass-ware around.  We do have enough wine snobbery to be sad that the other table had great glasses and we didn't but we still found our wine (and meal) just wonderful.

We probably would prefer to be here on a Saturday, but we'd much more prefer to work our way through the 13 course menu so Friday it is.  As you'll see in a second, there's so much fun stuff coming out of the kitchen we just feel we have to try as much as we can.  They suggest you allow 3½ hours for the 13 courses and yes, you need all of them.  But, not for one second did we feel like we'd been there too long.  Everything just flows along nicely - no stress, no rush, time to chat, time to chat to your Servers, time to just enjoy a great meal.

Our Servers were great!  The 3 of them work by Committee, which works wonderfully, and there are no Bussers.  All of them could answer our questions (although you don't get to ask for recommendations, because you don't get to choose off a menu...), all of them are always available, all of them keep an eye on you, all of them are very sociable.  Because there's no menu, you don't know what you're getting.  When each dish arrives you get a detailed description of every thing on the plate (with useful finger-pointing because sometimes they say something like "Shemeji Mushroom" when there are at least 2 mushrooms on the plate...) and a recommended way to eat it.  Sometimes the recommendation is just which piece of silver-wear to use, but sometimes in what order and sometimes when to combine things together.  And they know the dishes, they really do.  As they go through the describing part of the service it's very fluent - they're not going through some sort of mnemonic in their heads to make sure they tell you everything, they just know it and talk to you about it.

Our Meal went a little something like this:

• Atio Albarino A Wine Club Selection
  - a bit of acid right at the start, fruity with a short palette. Probably not as good with the Duck dish, but just fine with everything else.
• Hiramas Sashimi (Fresh Wasabi Root, Tamari Gastrique, Masago) - A wonderfully simple and tasty way to get things started.
• Lobster  & Octopus Salad (Chocolate Watermelon, Pickled Veggies) - Wonderfully tender Octopus. How do you make Watermelon taste Watermelon-y and Chocolate-y at the same time?
• Scallop Moto (Torched Ponzu Aioli) - Really really creamy. 
• Corn Vichyssoise (Umami Paste, Maiitake & Shemeji Mushrooms, Scallion Salad) - So many interesting flavors and textures going on.
• Crab Risotto (Salt Baked Chioggias) - Very rich looking, but not so rich on the palette.
• Trio of Duck (Duck Breast, Duck Confit, Foie Gras) - Each on it's own could be a wonderful dish, but together...
• 1991 Penfolds St Henri - yum!  It's an old wine that over the years has at times been stored great, and not so great so it was a bit of a lottery.  We won the lottery.  A bit slow to open up, but it came good and was great with all the dishes we had with it, including the fish.  Rich, smooth, strong fruit, no tanins. 
• Grilled Escolar (Sherry Beurre Blanc) - It's a quite dense fish with a simple flavor but the texture really makes it interesting.
• Grilled Pork Chop (Popcorn Pesto) -The Popcorn Pesto was perhaps our favorite individual component of any dish.  The Pork cooked just right and oh so juicy.
• Seared Barramundi (Maple Negy Yaki, Churro Style Biscuits) - The Biscuits make for a wonderful contrast in texture but it wouldn't be hard to enjoy the fish on it's own.
• Grilled Wagyu Beef & Braised Beef Tongue (Burgundy Soaked Shallot Gratin) - Two vastly different yet equally melt in your mouth meats.
• Huckleberry Slushy (Lychee Gelee, Margarita) - Who doesn't like a slushy and who doesn't love one with Margarita?
• Milk & Cookies - Not your regular glass of milk.  Not your regular cookies!
• Brownie (Razel Hanout & Sansho Button) - The Sansho is a treat of a different type and absolutely has to be the last thing you eat.  It's a sensation you have to experience to understand.  Yes, sensation more than taste.

A part of you always tries to find your favorite and rank the others when presented with a list like this.  And yes, we tried.  But it is hard.  Ultimately we could get consensus on our top 4 (although not the same order) and then it was pretty much a 9 way tie for 5th.  The four are Lobster & Octopus Salad, Pork Chop, Corn Vichyssoise and Scallop.  But again, these four are only marginally above all the others.

We also got a kick out of the vast array of dishes used to present the food.  We were almost upset (well, not really upset at all, just something we noticed) that one dish was used for 2 courses but if that's the worst part of a 13 course meal you can't say anything other than you had an awesome meal.

We'll be back, but probably not for awhile.  For us it's a great experience but it very much falls into the double extra special occasion evening and we don't really have that many of those.  It's a treat indeed and we're very glad we found and have enjoyed a couple of meals with the team from Bonsoirée.

Stay JOLLY!
D

339 N Dearborn

Arriving a little early and without our complete party it was refreshing to be offered our table with what seemed like the air of 'we do it every day' - thanks nice hosts and restaurant policy maker(s)!  Being on Dearborn and scoring a window seat we were entertained quite nicely while waiting for our friends watching the what we assumed to be the mostly House of Blues crowd go by.

Although not fall down laughing funny, the space to me seems a little bit funny.  There's the wine store right at the door, there's the bar in the middle, there's the restaurant part we were in at the back (with another section above us closed off) and a wine bar sort of area behind the store section next to the bar. Not unworkable no matter how you keep score, but to me, a little funny.

All in all the place was quite loud with people noise, part of which I have no doubt our table contributed to, but I don't think we had any trouble with our own conversation.  I don't recall hearing any music, but that doesn't mean there wasn't any...  The whole space is quite bright but not 'go-home-the-club-is-now-closed' bright by any stretch of the imagination and somehow all the street noises are kept out.

Our server took great care of us, and not once during the over four hours we were there (it was a haven't seen our friends for too long catch up dinner) did he put any pressure on us to order nor did he forget about us.  He was around just enough to be available but not intrusive.  He was able to answer all our questions regarding the menu and wines (awesome list, in case you were wondering with a great range and many things at every price point) and even was happy to postulate with us on some non-dinner, but wine consumption related questions we had.

Our meal went something along the lines of:

• A Riesling from Marlborough - very much at the dry end of the scale and pleasant enough with the cheeses
• Cheese Flight (a Cow, a Sheep, a Goat & a Buffalo Walk into a Bar...)
  • Pleasant Ridge Reserve
  • Manchego - a great firm cheese that works with the berry sauce.
  • Sofia - only a touch of the quite mild blue made it.
  • Buffalo Mozzarella
• A Pinot Noir from Oregon - quite soft and great with both the cheeses and charcuterie.
• Cheese Board (we picked one each)
  • Pecorino Toscano
  • Cocoa Cardona - the cocoa worked surprisingly well.
  • Persian Feta
  • 10 Year Cheddar
• The BIG Salumi
  • Prosciutto, from Iowa, Italy or Spain - we may have got a bit of each?
  • Speck, infused with juniper - first time my way. Enjoyable, but not sure why all the TV chefs think it's the best thing ever.
  • Toscano Salami, loaded with garlic & black pepper - loaded is relative, but a nice off set compared to the other selections
  • Salame Rosa, classic Bolognese salumi
  • Duck Prosciutto, cured in house - my favorite, but not everyone's. Possibly due to it being much heavier (or gamier, perhaps?) than 'regular' Prosciutto.
• A Malbec from Italy - our biggest wine, but with a sweetness of the berry variety rounding it out.
• Steamed Mussels - another great broth requiring extra bread and the occasional french fry.
• Spanish Mac & Cheese, with Chorizo - not being a fan of hot spicy things Chorizo is always on my radar as be careful.  In this case just the right amount for me, perhaps a little more needed for 'normal' people.
• Duck Fats Pommes Anna & Garlic - if you didn't tell me about the duck fat, I probably wouldn't have known why it was so tasty.
• Crispy French Fries with 3 Dipping Sauces - the horseradish one was best by far.
• BIN 36 Chocolate Tasting for Two - arguably too much for 2 people, perfect for 4 and a great variety of textures.
• Chocolate Martini (2)
• Jack & Coke

We have every reason to go back, especially since we didn't partake of any entrees and we do like to try as much as possible - partially because we were very slow, but mostly because what turned out to be our five courses proved to be just about the right amount of food.  We also may find our selves back when we need a place to meet and a glass of wine and some yummy cheese and charcuterie would be a useful way to start the evening.

Stay JOLLY!
DHeather & Kris

4111 N Lincoln Ave

Our group was coming from various parts of town so we were never going to arrive at the same time.  No drama as a drink at the bar is rarely a bad way to start the night, but on a night when the restaurant was never full we, as the first to arrive about 10 minutes early, were not given the option to sit at our table - which as it turned out was just sitting there waiting for us - until our party had arrived.  Whatever!

A relatively unassuming place from the outside which kind of matches the feel of the menu. There's a small outside area that probably doesn't suffer too much from the traffic, but not an option on a rainy and coolish Spring evening.  Inside the decor is neat and tidy, but relatively simple.  The bar at the back seemed too tall, but maybe the chairs were just a little short.  And they've been doing ok with awards so there's a section with them all proudly displayed.  We were seated right by the kitchen, but never was bothered by kitchen noises or the staff traveling back and forth.  It's interesting how that worked out because that is not always the case...

We were in absolutely no rush being with friends we don't see quite often enough.  Our plan was to order some 'Smalls' to share, maybe order some more then move on to the 'Bigs' - a plan that has served us well many times.  We got a sort of lecture from our Server that the Kitchen prefers that we order everything and that things might be delayed.  She clearly was not happy when we declined her 'advice'...  She was back trying to get our 'Bigs' before we'd finished our first round.  We did eventually order a second round of 'Smalls' but against my (and really only my) objections we also gave her our 'Bigs'.  For the record, there were no delays other than perhaps how long it took her to get a replacement bottle of wine - and had she not been bothered by our ordering preferences I probably wouldn't have noticed.  And for the record part 2, had we relented at the beginning and order 'the correct way' we would have missed out on the treat of the Stinging Nettles Tagliatelle!

Everything tasted wonderful.  They're very much about sustainable and local product and proudly display their suppliers.  Most would argue this adds to the goodness of the tasting, but I'm not convinced - yet.  Cooked right, presented nicely, matched up with the accompaniments finely!  It all came in a timely manner that suited our mood for chatting slightly more than eating.  We just felt a little rushed in regard to getting the order in, and on a night that our table was never at risk of needing to be turned.

The chef (no idea where he sits in the hierarchy) was out on the floor, but not to visit us.  There was a table of 12 or 14 where we saw him a couple of times and there's no way to know if he usually wanders around or if there was a relationship there - which is of course fine as we've been on the chef-loves-you-more-than-his-other-guests-this-night table and it's nice.  Hopefully he's the chef because it's always nice to know that the chef is in the building and if not actually cooking for you, at least keeping an eye on what is leaving his kitchen!

Out Meal went a little something like this:

• glass Robert Mondavi Chardonnay
• Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc - some glasses turned into bottles - we liked it and it worked well enough with everything ordered.  
• Pommes Frites - The Gruyere Fondue worked really well, but we found the extra broth of the Mussels works just as well.
• Mussels - Cooked up just right, but the broth was by far the best part - we got a lot of extra bread to make sure we got it all.
• Stinging Nettle Tagliatelle - The Nettles used as a herb are actually in the pasta. 
• Idaho Golden Trout - Boned for your convenience, tasty for your pleasure.
• Lamb Rack - Great sauce!  Cooked just right.
• Canadian Walleye - Must have been really good as it was the first clean plate...
• Pork Chop - Cooked just right, but the Risotto night have been a great dish on it's own.
• Rhubarb Pie - Surprising not served warm, but once we got the hang of it really quite yummy.
• Black Cow - Sharing a Root Beer Float is a nice way to end the evening!

I don't think we can place Browntrout high on our return visit list, but it's probably not fair to take it off completely - we really did enjoy what we ate!  We find it really hard to understand how a restaurant that is putting out great food doesn't match up the service levels.  The Host and Server weren't acting on a whim, so what caught our attention has to be a policy decision, right?

Stay JOLLY!
DKate, Ron & Diane

3950 Las Vegas Boulevard South (Mandalay Bay)

Our decision to Dine at Burger Bar was based pretty much on two simple criteria - we'd be in Vegas and Hubert Keller is the chef.  Perhaps a lot of people used the same logic because we had a half hour wait for a table (out on the concourse because even the bar was full) on a Monday at about 2pm?  We rarely would wait when told it's a half hour, but we like what we've seen of Hubert on TV so decided to break with that tradition and persevere.

Bar is probably they keyword.  Our Server clearly was 'trained' to get us in and out and 'encouraged' to show some skin thanks to the uniform provided.  We were in anything but a rush so her 'training' went to waste...  Ordering one course at a time was allowed, but not enthusiastically accepted by her.  The bar area was as busy as the restaurant, but we couldn't tell (and didn't try hard to figure out) if that was just where people who couldn't get a booth were put or if it's treated differently.  Although to be fair, the very fresh decor did suggest a feeling much closer to restaurant than bar.

The Menu basically has 2 sections.  Ultimate Burger Experience & Chef's Burgers.  The Experience gives you the opportunity to build your own burger with a pretty good list of options.  Catch is, we want to enjoy what the Chef has constructed / created / imagined / dreamed, therefore we went with the Chef's Burgers.  [On a slight side note, is a Build your Own Anything in a Restaurant a cop out??]  There's also a list of Dessert Burgers that looked appealing, but by that time of the Meal we just weren't up to it.  Our Server did a fine job making sure we knew what options we had with the different things, but didn't offer anything to help us make selections.

A nice list of beers, especially if you know your beers.  Perhaps 20 drafts and at least that many bottles.  We just played the lottery and picked 2 drafts that sounded fun.  No reason to be upset with what we chose, but we've had better beers.

Our meal went something along the lines of:

• 2 Drafts - Not memorable in terms of the names, and one of them was much more suited for burgers than the other
• Onion Rings - big and crunchy.
• Burger Bar Sliders (Buffalo, Angus, and Country Beef, each with different toppings) - the one with Onion (perhaps Buffalo) by far the best, the one with Bacon (perhaps Angus) nothing special.
• American Classic - crispy bacon, tasty bun and a whole lot of 'skinny' fries.
• Chocolate Shake - although not the plan at the time of ordering, a great substitute for dessert.

By no stretch of the imagination could we say we were displeased with our meal and experience.  If somehow we were in the neighborhood and someone invited us to join them for a revisit we would (maybe our as-yet-unknown-hosts could spring for a Kobe Burger?), but ultimately it was just quite good burgers with a really really good chef's name on the door.

Stay JOLLY!
D