315 West North Avenue

Recently, when we've eaten this early a Collections of Articles... it's been because that has been the only sensible way to get in the door.  This time, it was so we could get a good seat at a show after dinner...  Not so frustrating, but a little more stressful as we had to continually balance the time until the show started with what we thought we still wanted to consume.  Had to be done, the show their site... was awesome, and we would have then had to eat bar food at the show!

Quite simple from the outside, it may be that two stores were combined to make one restaurant because there's a clear delineation (a big hold up the ceiling type wall) separating the side we entered where there's the sushi bar, the yakitori bar(?), the host and a few tables from the side we ate in where it's just a dining room type arrangement.

It's quite brightly lit, it's very neat and tidy and quite generous in spacing out the tables.  There's perhaps 12 or 14 seats at the sushi counter and at least that many in the same area with perhaps 30 or 40 more on 'our' side.  There's also a private room with the sunken (I'm sure there's a better description, sorry) table arrangement, perhaps for 10 - from our vantage point it looked very soothing.  Some interesting wall pieces that comfortably fit in with what it seems they're trying to do.

A pretty quiet evening, although it picked up a little as we left (but they also lost a couple of other diners to the same show as us...), it worked out with how we wanted to order and how much of our Server we got to see.  He was very attentive, knew the dishes and therefore answered our questions quite handily and let us order in our own way, but I suspect we'd have seen less of him the busier the place got - but I don't know that for sure.

Although only one half of us knew in advance we were coming here we were always going to go the yakitori way so didn't spend a lot of time on the rest of the menu, but there's a lot there to choose from and we have no doubt we would have been just fine had we not being aiming so specifically in what we wanted to try.  We ordered in little batches, but probably could have ordered bigger batches and not had the table too overcrowded as dishes came out when they were ready, not as a batch, which suits us just fine.

Our meal went a little like this:

• Blackberry Shochu - it's Japanese Vodka, therefore it's a Japanese Martini, right?
• Plum Shochu - as above but a little less sweet
• Saba Nigiri - we technically weren't doing Sushi this night, but we do like our Mackerel.  Presented just a tiny bit differently to how we've come to expect.
• Sapporo Reserve - it's a lager
• Asahi - it's a slightly different lager.
• Yakitori - mostly served on skewers cooked over a small open BBQ type arrangement just around the corner from us.  You are given a couple of dipping sauces and dry rub type things to apply - some hot, some not.  By and large, we ignored them because some dishes were pre-sauced by the chef and clearly he's smarter than us at this.
  
  • Dark Meat Chicken 
  • Chicken Skin - not quite as crispy as we hoped, but tasty.
  • Chicken Meatball - awesome meatballs!
  • Shiitake Mushroom 
  • Eringi Mushroom - the least 'mushroomy' of the 3 we had.
  • Portabello Mushroom 
  • Bacon wrapped Tomato - watch out, the tomato juices are hot...  A fun, almost palette cleansing bite.
  • Beef Tongue - we weren't quite sure what to expect, but this was really good.
  • Duck Breast 
  • Shrimp 
  • Scallop - sliced thin, they've barely touched the grille.
  • Grilled Garlic - even if it's date night, you've got to try this.
  • Short Ribs - their special of the evening was a great finish and way too big for skewers.
• Tempura Smelt - perhaps shouldn't have waited until the end, but we almost didn't get it and then we would have missed out on the tasty, pleasantly oily (fish, not frying oil!) crunchy dish.

We'll be back, and probably before we feel the urge to get to another show in the neighborhood as we're kind of curious as to how they do all their Nigiri / Maki things after getting a new 'version' of Saba.

Stay JOLLY!
D

500 North Michigan

So, we ate really early again A Bunch of Articles.  Only, this time it wasn't just to get in the door (although the place was hopping and they don't take reservations so 'normal' dinner time on a Friday or Saturday may be a challenge) but rather because we just headed on over after work which was just down the block for one of us and a comfotable & pleasant walk past Millenium Park this evening for the other.

It's not hard to find, but it's a little hard to get to the host - you have to squeeze down a walkway past some overflow cocktail enjoyers and / or people waiting for a table, through the outdoor patio (which is very cramped) and through the door that's hard to open if anyone else is waiting at the host stand.  Once we made it, no further obstacles.  We were initially offered immediate outside seating, but we declined due to the almost gale force winds and high probability we'd need a coat not long after the sun went down (turns out it didn't cool off too much, though).  It seemed like we were in for a wait to stay in side, but the other host appeared and said "no problem right this way".  There were actually quite a few inside seats at this time...

Decor is pretty simple, tables set up to maximize the number of diners at anyone time, medium lighting, music I mostly couldn't hear (but what I could fit into my comfort zone), they've had some fun using the ends of barrels as a menu board of sorts and a few stray busts of pigs in various goofy states.  There's a part of the kitchen front and center (at the back) but I don't think they're trying to keep any secret that a lot of the stuff appears on the pass from somewhere else.

We weren't given an option where to sit, so ended up at one of the 'team' tables.  As they don't take reservations, I guess it's just luck (or a large tip, perhaps?) that get's you one of the two tops, but that didn't bother us at all.  If you turned up with the intention of a nice cozy date (and didn't bring a big tip for the host), you'd be disappointed, but if you're up for some fun and adventure this is a fine way to dine.  There wasn't a lot of chatting amongst new friends, but lots of looking at what everyone else has and a couple of quick oohs and ahs as part of a recommendation request / confirmation, perhaps some changed menu selections and we actually enjoyed watching the couple next to us who had just finished desert to retreat and grab up one of the Smears they had just seen across the table - good for them, indeed.

There's also seating at the bar, and a couple of seats at the kitchen's pass area - but don't try sitting there without being shown the seat by the hosts.  If it was your only option, it would be a shame to decline the seat and not dine but it's a tight fit on both sides (your dining space and the aisle behind you) and if you're there for anything more than one dish and one drink you might get annoyed with the bumping and activity that seemed to be pretty much non-stop.

Our Server was chatty, friendly, running more than walking later in our meal, but really really clued in on the menu.  We asked him to describe the Cured Meats and he went through the list unhesitatingly - as he did with any of the other questions we asked. 

The menu isn't hard to understand the basics of just about every dish, but there's a decent amount (well... for us) that just needs a further bit of clarification or 'translation' but that was easily solved by our Server, as noted above.

Our meal went a little like this:

• Mionetto "Prosecco" - they thoughtfully allow a whole bunch of their wines to come by the glass, third bottle or half bottle. We thought a half was a good way to start, and it was - a nice refreshing, crisp wine, not too spritzy, not to acidic - but to get a half bottle they fill a carafe and I'm not sure double pouring anything in the champagne type family is a great idea.
• Don Sancho Londono "Cotijo 111" - out of Rijoa it's mostly Tempranillo but with some Garnacha in there too. It really needed some time to waken up once the cork was pulled. Nothing special with the first couple of sips, but a nice rich, full and balanced wine appeared a little later.
• Pig Platter - not sure why you would never get the whole shebang, but if you prefer, all of it comes a la carte too. I could easily go back and grab up this again, perhaps a beer too, and then be on my way. Mostly, make use of your fingers for best results...  Apologies to our Server and the Runner who both did a good job of explaing what was placed in front of - catch is we mostly can no longer match up what we had with their descriptions.  All good, and we pretty much had to arm wrestle to agree on our two most favorites - it was a draw, so no favorite declarations today...
  
  • Catalonian Fuet 
  • Tartufo 
  • Lingua Agrodolce (house made) 
  • Jamon Serrano 
  • Finochionna 
  • Testa (house made) - this one is the head cheese which is a struggle for a lot of people when they understand what it is.  Just enjoy it, I know you will.  It's also the only one you need some help from your knife and fork.
  • Coppa (house made) 
  • Sopressata 
  • Prosciutto Di Parma 
• Cheese Selection - as we ordered it at the same time as the Platter it came on the same board which is a fine way to do it. We're very happy they came out that way.
  • Manchego 
  • Camembert Fermier - tasty, but perhaps could have benefited from some time on the counter before making it to us.
  • Cabot Cheddar 
• Mussels, Pancetta, Creme Fraiche & Marjoram - not the best dipping sauce we've ever had (although we did order more bread for dipping so I'm not saying it was bad!) but the best scooping sauce with a generous helping of the Pancetta being more than enough to combine with every single mussel.
• Pork Neck Bone Rillette & Mostarda - from the Smear section you get to spread it on crusty bread.  Apparently there's an art to making this stuff, and they have this art here.  Looks richer than it really is, really tasty alone, but combine the Rillette (soft pâté like, perhaps is a good description) & Mosarda (a jam, but far better than any jam you've ever had at breakfast, ever) together and you'll be very happy.
• Nutella Panini - if there's just the two of you, don't even think of getting two desserts if this is one of the two.  It's rich, and rich, and rich, and yummy and almost impossible to leave any behind.
• Chocolate Martini 

We would like to go back as we're big fans of the whole sharing a bunch of stuff and taking your time, which they do really well.  But we're not so into the whole no reservation thing that more and more Chicago Restaurants seem to be signing up for.  Not letting me reserve a table takes the place off our destination list and moves it over to the whim list - our destination list gets a whole lot more activity...

Oh, and no matter what, get one of the Smears somewhere into your selections!

Stay JOLLY!
D

837 W. Fulton Market

We got a hint of what the Publican was about from Anthony Bourdain, got a good view from Check Please and when we saw a rerun of the former it all made sense. There was no doubt we had to get ourselves over there as soon as sensibly possible and we were pretty certain a group of more than just the 2 of us should be the preference.  Our group of 5 worked out perfectly, and although we did miss the others originally planning on joining in (we'll start working on our next together soon to correct that!), hindsight suggests 7 of us wouldn't have worked out quite as well as the 5 did in the Publican environment.

It's almost invisible from the outside.  It's clearly a restaurant with a smallish patio section open and moderately full even at the almost Floridian (yep, we chose to eat super early again A Previous Article so as to get into a place - but on the plus side they take reservations here) dining time of 5:30, but I totally missed anything that indicated the name of the place - I may have been concentrating on crossing the street at the time, so I won't be swearing anytime soon that there is absolutely not a sign out front.  Therefore, it's possible it's not really invisible.

Inside there's a small entryway with the host stand but once past the host it's one big open room with the open pass area and the kitchen in one corner, a big communal table taking up most of the space is set up in a big 'U' (ahhhh, Conference Centre Set Up Flash Backs...), some cattle boxesbooths along the wall (I get booths, I like sitting in them, but I don't get the logic of these boxed in booth things), a few regulation two tops by the front window, no bar and a few high-top type standing only tables inside the communal table which serves as a wait-for-your-party-and-grab-a-beer area (no sitting before you're all here at this place!) but we did see a couple of people eating there too - wouldn't be my first choice for a place to eat. 

If there was music playing when we got there it didn't take long for the crowd noise to drown it out - not obnoxious noise, just people talking to their friends in a restaurant noise, but at times I couldn't make out what was being said at the other end of our little group (and had we had a group of 7 that would have happened more often).  The place is well lit and there are only a couple of large hog paintings up as artwork.  The bathroom area is not your standard presentation, but works adequately - the first description made it out to be Aly McBeal like, but it's not exactly like that.

It seems they do a good job of managing the seating around the communal table in that once the place was full, it was full with not a stray seat left anywhere.  Well done!  You're close to your neighbors, but not too close.  There's certainly lots of looking at what your neighbors are getting and a little chatting goes on too.  If you're on a Special Date, I'm not sure what you'd need to do to get one of those few 'real' tables by the window, but I think you might feel a little less special on the big table.

Our Server took great care of us early on (actually, to be fair the whole night), but as the place turned from busy to really jamming we didn't see as much of her - no drama in our situation because it sort of kind of gave us the opportunity to hang around a bit longer than we thought we would be allowed based on our early (only option) starting time.  She explained how things worked (our kind of place - menu designed for sharing, some dishes come in small and large, and dishes come from the kitchen as they're ready), she knew the menu well enough to guide us through it and she answered all but one of our questions without assistance, but that's ok as it's a pretty big menu and it could be argued a pretty obscure question.  She bulliedtalked us into ordering everything we thought we would want at the same time (I think you know by now that the two of us really prefer to order a dish or two, enjoy it and then order more) and that she would make sure it didn't all come out at once.  It started off that way, but we got a crowded table to finish up - not a deal breaker by any stretch. 

She was perhaps more knowledgeable with the Beers (or maybe she just really likes her beer?).  Armed with her knowledge and wanting to make sure we knew all the facts (which we appreciate, really!), she almost talked us out of ordering what turned out to be my favorite Beer of the evening.  They do have a wine list, one with not many things most of us would recognize straight off the bat, but I'm sure your Server could help you through it.  And, although I strongly subscribe to wine with just about everything, the Publican just feels to me like a place you should grab up a beer instead - especially with the fun range of beers (and knowledgeable staff) you won't see every day.

It's a fun menu.  Pork focused for sure, but not completely.  Some of the 'nasty' bits available - I've become a little more adventurous on this front but not a lot this night.  Oysters Oysters everywhere.  Plenty of seafood in there too.  There's no delineation between Starters and Mains, but they present the menu in increasing size of dish so if you really really had to have a regulation 3 course meal you'd be able to figure it out.  As it turned out, everything we ordered split up nicely 5 ways - perhaps half of them would have been a struggle to get 7 shares out of.

Our meal went a little like this:

• Dragon's Milk Oak Barrel Ale (Michigan) - an old time favorite ordered with no hesitation.
• Belhaven Scottish Ale (Scotland) - The memories of Scotland A Collection of Articles are still very fresh and this was one of our favorites.  Not quite the same coming out of a can instead of a pump, but a creamy treat that is just nice to have in your hand.
• Domain DuPage French Style Country Ale (just up the road...) - quite light, easy on the head, went down easily and quickly.
• Broederlijke Liefde (Michigan) - I swear I've spelled that correctly!  I didn't get a taste, but there appeared to be happiness.
• Gin & Tonic
• charcuterie plate
  • pork pie - really yummy, but make sure you get a scoop of the saucy thing with it.
  • guinea hen mortadella galantine - not sure what I expected, but missed it when it was gone.
  • head cheese - not for everyone, rich.  No need for mustard or anything else.
  • black pepper salumi - the strongest flavors on the plate
  • morteau
  • pickles & mustards - thanks for being there...
• sardines, cranberry beans, peanuts, picked shiro plums - it's possible I preferred the ragout type thing with them, and don't expect to see anything like what you get in a can
• boudin blanc, potato pancake, aged balsamic, goldenrod grapes - a great sausage made better with everything else joining in.
• country ribs, melon, mojo verde, cherry tomatoes - really tasty.  Juicy and tender and could have come on their own.  The melon was different because it was compressed somehow and I enjoyed it more as an end to the dish rather than with the ribs
• peaches, burrata & pistachios - perhaps the surprise dish of the evening.  Really really tasty.  It's possible the cheese was made with fresh ripe peaches in mind?
• bouchot mussels, geueze, bay, celery, butter, garlic - a yummy beer sauce.  A toasty crunchy bread for sauce dipping.
• Brouwerij Lindemans (Belgium) - the same style of beer as the one that came with our mussels.  Very spritzy, almost champagne like (which is consistant with it coming in a champagne style bottle - I think it had a cork?).  Quite dry.  Sour was the warning we were given, but what sour we found was pleasant.  It worked ok with everything, surprising well with the peaches.
• Brasserie Thiriez (France) - quite hoppy.  Actually, a lot hoppy so not as popular amongst our anti-hop preferring consumer.  Quite light and somehow was a good match with the cheeses.  Massive head - take it easy on the pour.
• Taste of Three Hams - I have no reason to disagree with the descriptions provided.
  • serrano (Spain) - rich, wild
  • la quercia amercano (Iowa) - mild, smooth
  • edward's country (Tennessee) - smokey, young. I was a bit surprised to find this my favorite.
• blueberry fool - a pork heavy place can't skip having it on dessert menu.  This is the place.  Not a big bacon flavor going on, but you know it's there and it's that good salty / sweet thing going on.
• bitter coffee & dark chocolate - tasty.  Gone in a heartbeat.  Rich.  I could argue too rich if you were not sharing it 5 ways.
• cheese plate - no shortage of bread, fun accompaniments with each cheese
  • black sheep (sheep) - didn't know it was a blue, but that's a good thing because we would have skipped it and missed out on a pretty good cheese.
  • 3-year bandaged cheddar (cow) - rich, sort of dry but sort of creamy too.

We're very glad our TV shows steered us this way!  The place is so popular I'm sure it would have gotten on our radar some other way sometime soon, but sooner is definitely better than later.  We'll be back, and probably pretty quick. There's a couple of dishes we really want to have a go at that didn't make the short list this evening.

Do yourself a favor.  Get to the Publican, please, and try something fun!

Stay JOLLY!
DKate, Pete & Kris

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.

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 

2900 W Belmont Ave

Kuma's is an enigma!

Do they make the best burgers ever?  Probably, yeah!  Are the Burgers so good and Kuma's so popular that a short wait is only 90 minutes?  Definitely!  Is it really hard to stand around (probably outside for a good portion) for 90+ minutes for anything?  Yep!  Did we just do this?  Yes, yes we did!

Kuma's is an enigma!

Again, it took a conspiracy A Previous Article of sorts to get us to a place we do know, we do enjoy, but really struggle with the wait times.  This was actually the third A Previous Article of our collection of gift cards from Dear Friends who are very thoughtful.  Some might call them evil geniuses as they quietly snicker to themselves over our tribulations of using these gift cards, but they are thoughtful.  We had planned to use this card in the Summer but when the line was out the door and down the street (on a potentially stormy afternoon) we barely made the effort to get out and find out how long the wait was.  This time, it took us all day to get our wonderful burgers.  We thought a midweek lunch would give us a good chance at a sub one hour wait.  Not even close.  The line was probably longer than the one we saw during the Summer so we didn't even get out of the car.  We negotiated amongst ourselves and decided we'd try come back again at a non-meal time (4:30ish). 

Almost no-one out side!  Perhaps the stars had aligned?  Name goes on the list, 1 hour 25 minutes is the wait.  Drat!  One of us (ok, me) really really really struggled hearing that, but the options ultimately were stand it out or give the Gift Card back as clearly it would take a lot of luck and a lot of failed attempts to get the sub 60 minute wait we thought would be acceptable (30 minutes is really our limit, but for Kuma's...).  On the plus side, it was only medium cold outside which we dealt with for about half an hour that kind of went pretty quick.  We then squeezed inside, almost fell into a bar seat (first bum in the seat wins it...) but managed to get some room to get our coats off and a beer to get things started. 

It was probably more than the advertised wait time in the end, but it did go quite quickly with people watching (I think we were pretty calm throughout our wait, but some people were clearly wound up worrying that the host would forget them or seat someone else out of order) and by rule they never put 'the game' on so we got to watch subtitled 30 Days of Night.  We may have lucked into a slight bumping up the list by asking the host how long she thought we had to go at about the same time she was having trouble finding some of the people ahead of us (I suspect that every day people get a bar seat while waiting and just eat there meaning the host gets to move people up her list).

So, now that we're in...

The music is loud, but not obnoxiously loud - actually it's the 15,000 people jammed in the place that makes the place border line obnoxiously loud and probably the same 15,000 people that keep the place heated to the nice toasty level we found it.  The music is also metal!  All metal, all the time.  I have no idea how to classify what kind but for someone who has never felt the urge to go to a 'metal' concert or pick up a 'metal' CD it's actually not unpleasant to be around for a couple of hours.  There's a small collection of art work, probably all by one artist, that I would classify as being at the erotic bondage end of the scale - not something I'd hang at home, but nothing to be upset about by any stretch of the imagination.  Outside there's no flashing lights, just a simple sign on a simple old(ish) brick building with a bunch of people waiting patiently for their turn.

The Beer List proudly supports local and small producers and has a few fun imports too.  The menu has a couple of appetizers, mac & cheese of your own design and perhaps 30 burgers to choose from.  A burger and fries (waffle cut fries!) really is enough food, but the mac & cheese is also awesome so we extend ourselves knowing that there's a 100% chance something is coming home with us.  The burgers really are well thought out so you should never have to substitute or eliminate anything (they have a hassle charge if you do).  All come on pretzel bread which probably contributes significantly for the need to take something home with you.

If you judge books by their cover, you're probably not going to like the staff.  But if you judge your books by how they treat you, keep an eye on you, get your order right, answer your questions, know the Menu, know the Special, know the Beers, are polite and considerate then you're probably going to love the staff.  It's loud and busy, so it's extremely unlikely they'll stop and just chat but if you need something or have a question they're available and useful.  Thanks Kuma's staff!

Double thanks to the Kuma's staff (and probably ultimately the bosses) for not rushing us out.  For all the people waiting to get a Burger after us, we had finished eating and almost finished our beers when we were asked if we'd like another beer.  We declined, but although this philosophy probably increased our wait somewhat, it shows that they are not a 'turn & burn' type place.  I think it shows that they care about our dining experience.  Thanks again!

Our meal went a little something like this:

• Three Floyds Gumballhead - a wheat beer, perhaps citrusy?
• Brown Shugga - definitely brown sugar going on here, sweet but not crazy sweet.
• Three Floyds Alpha Dog - at the hoppy end of the scale, perhaps?
• Make Your own Mac & Cheese (Prosciutto, Corn, Sundried Tomato) - it's hard to actually stop from finishing the whole thing.  We did and now we have a yummy lunch for today.
• Kilt Lifter - not actually from Scotland.  The label suggested letting it warm up (actually didn't have a choice in our Toasty Bar) and it did open up kind of like a wine.
• Bellhaven - from Scotland.  In a can with one of those little bubble widget thingys.  Smooth and almost creamy.
• Led Zepplin Burger (pulled pork, bacon, cheddar, pickles) - Not a pulled pork sandwich!  The pork is one of the condiments!  Yummy and relatively not messy!
• Black Oak Arkansas Burger (red wine BBQ sauce, bacon, aged white cheddar, Alpha King battered fried shallot) - great BBQ sauce, great shallots.  Yummy and a little more messy...

Would we do it again?  It's an enigma!  When you pull up and see the line it's a definite bummer.  When you put your name down and they say 90 minutes, that's a double bummer (although while we were waiting by the bar not long before our number was called we heard the host saying three and a half hours - and people said ok.  Really, they said ok.  But how big a bummer would that be?), but when you get your frosty non-Supermarket-Case beer in your hand and have decided on your Burger all is pretty good with the world, and when the Burger arrives nothing much else matters.  It's an enigma!  So, the answer is yeah, we'll almost certainly be back one day and go through it all again.

Stay JOLLY!
D

1655 N Sedgwick

We've been here a few times over the years, but it's been quite a few since our last visit and it did take a bunch of things conspiring together to get us back, even though we've never had a meal we didn't enjoy.  Twin Anchors does really well, both with locals and tourists and as such they work with a no reservations policy, which is of course totally fine.  But for us, the lottery of arriving with no reservation and maybe getting lucky with being told it's only a 30 minute wait (which is probably understated...) is not the way we want to start our evening.

The conspiracy that came together included a Gift Card from dear friends, a day in which we were kind of forced into a really early lunch and we were getting hungry again at 4ish, we had no other plans, and we had a hankering for ribs.  We figured we'd take a chance and arrive at possibly the earliest we've ever walked in to a restaurant for dinner, 5:45.  It paid off in that we got a table with a zero minute wait!

The place has history, more than 75 years.  The place has had a couple of movies shot there relatively recently.  The place has done a good job of attracting celebrities and there are posters celebrating the oldest (and apparently most frequent) of them.  The place has people who come to see one or more of these things.

It's actually a simple room with bar and some booths at the front and the 'restaurant' at the back.  The menu notes that there's a juke box but it seemed we were not the only people who didn't think to bring quarters - we're pretty sure not a tune sprang from it all night.  The posters are kinda fun to take in, but we're not sure why the Christmas lights are still up.  Apparently there's an outside area, but with no windows we didn't see it and forgot to look when we left - not a big deal because it was a little too humid for us to be outside when we arrived.

Our Server was happy and polite and available.  She didn't offer anything insightful regarding the menu because there are no specials and only a half dozen items in each section (actually, only 1 in the dessert section) - not hard to figure out at all.  Lots of beers to choose from, both bottled and draught, but with quite detailed descriptions we didn't feel we needed our Server's help.

Our Meal went a little something like this:

• New Holland Golden Cap
• Allagash White
• Mini Barbeque Pork Sandwiches - yummy, and really didn't need the 'zesty' barbeque sauce provided as a side.
• A Frosty Draught (something from Michigan)
• A Frosty Draught (something Belgian)
• OUR FAMOUS RIBS - I'm probably more a fan of the dry rub variety which these are, so are they enjoyable ribs? Yes. Are they the best ever? Probably not.
• 1960’s Style Fish Fry - tasty, but I'd be very surprised to learn they are made in house. I really liked the tartar sauce and so did my fries.

Yes, we ordered fish at a place known for it's barbeque.  Our logic turned out to be sound, we thought it a good way to not eat too much food.  We shared, so neither of us missed out on the ribs and two slabs of ribs, or a slab and half a chicken would have put us way into the glutenous end of the scale, and even with the fish we weren't that far off.  Having said that, had there been more than just cheese cake in the one item dessert list (although 2 varieties of cheesecake...) we probably would have picked something to share because, well, there's always room for dessert.... We thought we might stop for ice cream on the way back to the el but didn't bump into anything so ended up here A Related Article due to it's proximity to the el at the other end.

We'll probably return sooner rather than later now that it seems a pre-6:00 time gets you in quick, but we're not 100% convinced zero minutes will come our way again seeing that this night there was also the Taste of Chicago going on, and the Cubs v Sox evening game for which one or both may have played a part in our rapid seating...  Our return may involve trying to round up a posse of some sort so that we can get more on the table and literally be able to try everything offered.

Stay JOLLY!
D