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Best Bites Chicago

This week’s Best Bite: Spring pea tart and First Base cocktail, The Dawson

Spring pea tart, The Dawson
Spring pea tart with fromage blanc mousse, garden salad, and almond cracker

Why it’s this week’s Best Bite: Spring peas rank right up there with ramps on the list of spring ingredients I look forward to most, so I jumped at the chance to eat them in tart form on my first visit to The Dawson in River West. The frosty tart layered almond, fromage blanc, and peas into a creamy orb, brightened up by lemon and mint. It was topped with more spring favorites – fava beans, radish, pea shoots – to form a stunningly fresh starter.

First Base cocktail, The Dawson
First Base cocktail with Reyka vodka, white port, white grape, St. Germain, Bittermens Boston Bittahs, and lemon

To drink, I had the First Base, one of the newest additions to the cocktail menu. I rarely order drinks made with vodka, but there was something about the combination of port, St. Germain, and white grape that intrigued me. The drink was crisp, clean, and a little sweet, reminiscent of a boozy frozen grape. It paired well with the chilled tart. The Dawson also boasts a large enclosed patio, with wooden trellises, intricate tile, and even a fireplace centerpiece. Sadly, however, the weather didn’t cooperate, so we had to gaze longingly through the windows. I’ll definitely be back on a warmer evening to nab a seat out there.

The details: The Dawson, 730 W. Grand Ave., Chicago.

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