Categories
Restaurant Week

Chicago Restaurant Week 2022: Dinner at ROOH

This is part of a series of posts about Chicago Restaurant Week 2022, held March 25–April 10. To browse past Restaurant Week coverage between 2013 and 2021, click here.

Sweet potato chaat with kale tempura, tamarind, and mint chutney
Sweet potato chaat with kale tempura, tamarind, and mint chutney, in front of green pea & goat cheese kulcha

Best Bite: Restaurant Week seemed like a great opportunity to finally try ROOH’s progressive Indian cuisine. The most exciting bite of the meal was the sweet potato chaat, with the crunchiest kale-puffed rice pieces interspersed with the softer roasted sweet potato and an acidic hit from the yogurt. The entrees were also impressive. The savory layer between the two slices of paneer added depth, and the lamb shank’s mild curry also had great flavor.

Paneer pasanda with red pepper makhani and fenugreek and Bengali lamb shank (kosha mangsho) with pearl onions and cilantro
Paneer pasanda with red pepper makhani and fenugreek and Bengali lamb shank (kosha mangsho) with pearl onions and cilantro

Other notes: The textural surprises continued into the chocolate rum ball dessert with a cookie-dough-like halva crumble, tiny bursts of raspberry, and more crispy chocolate. A colorful marigold-garnished mango cocktail rounded out the meal.

Chocolate rum ball with toasted milk ice cream
Chocolate rum ball with toasted milk ice cream
Shimla Retreat cocktail with Misunderstood ginger whiskey, mango eau de vie, Dimmi apricot and peach flower liqueur, and lemon
Shimla Retreat cocktail with Misunderstood ginger whiskey, mango eau de vie, Dimmi apricot and peach flower liqueur, and lemon

The details: ROOH, 736 W. Randolph St., Chicago.

Categories
Restaurant Week

Chicago Restaurant Week 2022: Dinner at L. Woods

This is part of a series of posts about Chicago Restaurant Week 2022, held March 25–April 10. To browse past Restaurant Week coverage between 2013 and 2021, click here.

Key lime pie
Key lime pie

Best Bite: L. Woods was purported to be a hidden gem of the Lettuce Restaurant You restaurant group, and it lived up to that reputation. L. Woods serves traditional supper club fare, including classic homestyle desserts. The chilly key lime pie had the right level of tartness with a buttery graham crust and crown of whipped cream.

L. Woods is also known for their barbecue, so I went for a meaty entree that was exclusive to the Restaurant Week menu. The texture of the country pork rib was impressively tender, and corn pudding and sweet potato fries are two of my favorite sides anywhere (usually independently), so it was a nice treat to have them together.

Boneless country pork rib with caramelized barbecue sauce, sweet potato fries, and corn pudding
Boneless country pork rib with caramelized barbecue sauce, sweet potato fries, and corn pudding

Other notes: You can’t go wrong with a molten cheese-topped French onion soup, with the savory soaked crouton underneath. And I had to get an old fashioned in true Wisconsin supper club fashion, this one a springy strawberry.

French onion soup
French onion soup
Strawberry old fashioned with High West bourbon, fresh strawberries, and rhubarb bitters
Strawberry old fashioned with High West bourbon, fresh strawberries, and rhubarb bitters

The details: L. Woods Tap & Pine Lodge, 7110 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincolnwood.

Categories
Restaurant Week

Chicago Restaurant Week 2022: Dinner at Proxi

This is part of a series of posts about Chicago Restaurant Week 2022, held March 25–April 10. To browse past Restaurant Week coverage between 2013 and 2021, click here.

Steamed yellow curry custard with jumbo lump crab, curry leaf, and fried bitter melon; Szechuan-style braised lamb dumplings with chili crisp and scallions
Steamed yellow curry custard with jumbo lump crab, curry leaf, and fried bitter melon; Szechuan-style braised lamb dumplings with chili crisp and scallions

Best Bite: Proxi has been on my list to try for a while, and the mostly family style Restaurant Week menu allowed us to try 12 different dishes inspired by cuisines across Asia. The steamed curry custard with generous lump crab on top was the most unique bite, comforting yet elegant. I also couldn’t get enough of the salmon salad, perfectly dressed with coconut, peanut, and heat from the chiles.

Poached king salmon salad with young coconut, smoked trout roe, and peanut
Poached king salmon salad with young coconut, smoked trout roe, and peanut
Shrimp toast with lemongrass and red chili; roasted carrots with berber spice butter and whipped tahini
Shrimp toast with lemongrass and red chili; roasted carrots with berber spice butter and whipped tahini

Other notes: Among the other highlights were the roasted heirloom carrots, well spiced with creamy tahini, and an especially excellent version of shrimp toast where the topping and bread melded into singular goodness. My favorite of the heartier dishes was the wood-grilled pork tenderloin, which came with a smoked peanut mole sauce that I wanted to drink by the gallon.

Wood-grilled pork tenderloin with smoked peanut mole and knob onions; wood-grilled prime beef short rib ssam with butter lettuce, pickled daikon, rice, and spicy ssamjang (plus a cameo from chef Andrew Zimmerman)
Wood-grilled pork tenderloin with smoked peanut mole and knob onions; wood-grilled prime beef short rib ssam with butter lettuce, pickled daikon, rice, and spicy ssamjang (plus a cameo from chef Andrew Zimmerman)

All three desserts were outstanding, from the purple corn sorbet with warmed spiced pineapple jam, to the cardamom-laced mango kulfi with a beautiful shortbread tuile, to the coffee-chocolate opera cake with a s’mores-like combination of accompaniments. And it was a bonus to sit at the counter in view of the kitchen, with chef Andrew Zimmerman (also of Sepia) expediting.

Dessert course of mango kulfi with cardamom mousse, citrus shortbread, and frosted pistachios; chicha morada (purple corn) sorbet with pineapple jam and coconut; and vietnamese coffee & chocolate opera cake with chicory streusel, hot fudge, and whipped cream
Dessert course of mango kulfi with cardamom mousse, citrus shortbread, and frosted pistachios; chicha morada (purple corn) sorbet with pineapple jam and coconut; and vietnamese coffee & chocolate opera cake with chicory streusel, hot fudge, and whipped cream

The details: Proxi, 565 W Randolph St., Chicago.

Categories
Restaurant Week

Chicago Restaurant Week 2021: Brunch at Scratchboard Kitchen

This is part of a series of posts about Chicago Restaurant Week 2021, held March 19–April 4. To browse past Restaurant Week coverage between 2013 and 2020, click here.

Chicken biscuit sandwich, Scratchboard Kitchen
Fried chicken biscuit sandwich with pimiento cheese and picked red onion on a ranch biscuit

Best Bite: I’m thrilled to finally post about Scratchboard Kitchen, which has quickly emerged as a favorite of mine in the year they’ve been open in downtown Arlington Heights (even amidst all the pandemic pivots). Their Restaurant Week brunch menu was a chance to enjoy both savory and sweet, plus a well-balanced Bloody Mary to start. The chicken biscuit sandwich, with pimento cheese and pickled onions, was cheffy comfort food at its finest.

Winter citrus toast, Scratchboard Kitchen
Citrus toast with mascarpone, citrus, fennel, pollen, and pistachio
Scratchboard Bloody Mary, Scratchboard Kitchen
Scratchboard Bloody Mary with scratch-made mix and premium vodka

Other notes: The strikingly pretty citrus toast was also a hit, dusted with fennel pollen and pistachios with a layer of creamy mascarpone underneath. The ever-rotating pastries here are always delicious, and these were no exception: a lovely apricot pop tart and banana-chocolate mini loaf with a layer of toasted coconut. The sun started shining onto our patio table shortly after they arrived, which ended the meal on an even higher note.

Banana chocolate mini loaf and apricot pop tart, Scratchboard Kitchen
Banana, chocolate, and coconut mini loaf and apricot pop tart with caramelized honey icing

The details: Scratchboard Kitchen, 5 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights.

Categories
Restaurant Week

Chicago Restaurant Week 2021: Dinner at Gaijin

This is part of a series of posts about Chicago Restaurant Week 2021, held March 19–April 4. To browse past Restaurant Week coverage between 2013 and 2020, click here.

Shrimp okonomiyaki, Gaijin
Osaka-style okonomiyaki with tempura fried shrimp, corn, creole butter, arare, and udon

Best Bite: Esteemed Chicago chef Paul Virant opened Gaijin in 2019 as Chicago’s first restaurant dedicated to okonomiyaki, a Japanese savory pancake. I was excited to make my first visit during Restaurant Week, when five Osaka-style versions were available as part of the four-course menu. Our group of three chose shrimp, octopus, and pork to share, each topped with “dancing” bonito flakes and kept perfectly warm on the teppan griddle built into our table. I loved all three: the tempura shrimp and corn with caramelized udon noodles, the sweet-and-salty octopus with crispy rice, and the breakfast-leaning pork with bacon and a fried egg. The flavor combinations and textural contrasts, all anchored by the cabbage-studded pancake base, were ones I’d go back for again and again.

Octopus okonomiyaki, Gaijin
Osaka-style okonomiyaki with octopus, hot sauce, honey gastrique, bonito, and crispy rice
Veggie yakisoba, Gaijin
Veggie yakisoba with spinach, mushrooms, sweet corn, cabbage, scallions, carrots, sauce, and sesame

Other notes: The yakisoba in the second course was a delicious tangle of well-cooked vegetables and umami-coated noodles. And I loved the mochi donut, reminiscent of funnel cake but with chewiness from the rice flour, and topped with a coconut and pandan leaf glaze. This also happened to be the best Restaurant Week value I’ve seen in a long time: four generous courses at the lower-tier dinner price.

Pandan-coconut mochi donut, Gaijin
Pandan-coconut mochi donut

The details: Gaijin, 950 W. Lake St., Chicago.

Categories
Restaurant Week

Chicago Restaurant Week 2021: Dinner at Girl & the Goat

This is part of a series of posts about Chicago Restaurant Week 2021, held March 19–April 4. To browse past Restaurant Week coverage between 2013 and 2020, click here.

Wood oven shrimp and Gotham Greens salad, Girl & the Goat
Wood oven shrimp & Gotham Greens salad with avocado, pomelo, pickled veggies, quinoa crunch, and limey-herby dressing, Girl & the Goat

Best Bite: This year, Girl & the Goat participated in Restaurant Week for the first time in its almost 11-year history. As I went through the revolving door and took in the restaurant’s trademark wood-burning scent, I felt a range of emotions as I considered what one of my very favorite restaurants, and so many others, had gone through in the past year.

Roasted oysters, Girl & the Goat
Roasted Bosu oysters with yuzu-harissa butter, shio kombu, and finger lime, Girl & the Goat

But on to the food itself: of the 7 shared dishes, the most unique were the roasted oysters, with yuzu punch and gentle heat from the harissa; the wood-oven shrimp with quinoa crunch that elevated a well-balanced salad; and the dessert, a crumb cake served with caramel whipped cream, citrus marmalade, and cheesy ice cream in Stephanie Izard’s characteristically savory dessert style.

Buttery cheesy cake, Girl & the Goat
Buttery cheesy cake with citrus marmalade, Montamore ice cream, and caramel whip, Girl & the Goat

Other notes: The menu also involved some of the classics, like the green beans (still my favorite green beans anywhere) and the goat liver mousse (this time with brioche instead of crumpets). I’d had the crispy short ribs last summer as carryout, but they were even better this time around, fork-tender with bright bursts of grapefruit mingling with creamy avocado, herbs, and chiles.

Crispy beef short ribs, Girl & the Goat
Crispy beef short ribs with avocado and ruby red grapefruit chermoula, Girl & the Goat

The details: Girl & the Goat,  809 W. Randolph St.Chicago.

Categories
Restaurant Week

Chicago Restaurant Week 2020: Brunch at Café Ba-Ba-Reeba

This is part of a series of posts about Chicago Restaurant Week 2020, held January 24–February 9. View all of this year’s meal recaps, or browse previous Restaurant Week coverage from 2013–2018.

Cubano bocadillo, buttermilk waffle, and citrus French toast, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!
“Spanish Cubano” bocadillo with braised pork shoulder, mustard aioli, and housemade English muffin; buttermilk waffle with Marcona almond Nutella and bananas; and citrus French toast with goat cheese butter, honey, and berries

Best Bite: The best part of going to a tapas restaurant is getting to spread the meal across many dishes, and Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba’s Spanish brunch offering was no different. With four of us participating in Restaurant Week, we sampled six breakfast-y plates and three desserts. For my best bite, I’m torn between either the Marcona almond-flecked Nutella that came with the waffles, or the toasted Cubano-style breakfast sandwich with braised pork and mustard sauce.

Sausage fried paella rice and jamon serrano eggs benedict, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!
Sausage fried paella rice with poached egg; and jamón serrano eggs Benedict with hollandaise and housemade English muffin

Other notes: I was glad to see paella factor into the morning menu, made even better after mixing in the poached egg; same with the twist of using Spanish jamón in eggs Benedict. Included in the menu price was a glass of sangria, a mimosa, or a trip to the DIY Bloody Mary bar, all of which definitely bumped up the value. This was technically a Restaurant Week repeat for me – I first went for lunch way back in 2013, when I was apparently just as impressed with the value (and the use of Marcona almonds).

The details: Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba, 2024 N. Halsted St.Chicago.

Categories
Restaurant Week

Chicago Restaurant Week 2020: Dinner at The Loyalist

This is part of a series of posts about Chicago Restaurant Week 2020, held January 24–February 9. View all of this year’s meal recaps, or browse previous Restaurant Week coverage from 2013–2018.

The Loyalist cheeseburger with onion 3 ways and fries, The Loyalist
The Loyalist cheeseburger with onion 3 ways and fries

Best Bite: I usually don’t pick a Restaurant Week destination because of a cheeseburger, but I’ve been intrigued by The Loyalist’s version ever since it dethroned Au Cheval’s legendary burger a couple of years ago, according to Bon Appetit. Nicknamed the “dirty burg,” it’s an appropriately indulgent affair: the patties are a blend of short rib, chuck, and bacon, and they’re smothered with caramelized onion, thin-sliced pickles, and cheese that oozes over the side of the bun. Considering the richness, two burgers were plenty to share between three of us. Accompanying the plentiful crispy fries were two great dipping options: extra-garlicky aioli and, our group’s surprise favorite, pickling liquid.

Butterscotch pot de creme, The Loyalist
Butterscotch pot de creme

Other notes: While I’m usually satisfied with any creamy butterscotch dessert, this pot de creme was particularly lovely with its salted streusel and dollop of sweet cream. We also made it time to take advantage of some happy hour cocktail specials from our cozy corner booth, and even peeked upstairs at The Loyalist’s upscale tasting menu counterpart, Smyth.

The details: The Loyalist, 177 N. Ada St.Chicago.

Categories
Restaurant Week

Chicago Restaurant Week 2020: Dinner at Galit

This is part of a series of posts about Chicago Restaurant Week 2020, held January 24–February 9. View all of this year’s meal recaps, or browse previous Restaurant Week coverage from 2013–2018.

Mezze of carrots with cuminy-orange glaze, Bulgarian feta, hazelnut duqqa; kale tabouli with pepitas, delicata squash, apples, garlicky-lemony (with nutritional yeast), Galit
Mezze of carrots with cuminy-orange glaze, Bulgarian feta, hazelnut duqqa; kale tabouli with pepitas, delicata squash, apples, garlicky-lemony (with nutritional yeast)

Best Bite: Galit has drawn crowds and received national attention for its modern take on Middle Eastern food, so I was thrilled to snag an elusive Saturday reservation, especially during Restaurant Week. Our dinner was all about texture, perhaps best demonstrated in the kale tabouli. Snappy apples and pepitas mingled with dressed kale and soft roasted squash, all showered with nutritional yeast (an ingredient that’s on the rise as part of the shift toward plant-based diets).

Salatim of labneh with hyssop, sumac, and sesame; cipollini onions a la Grecque with coriander and Bulgarian feta; ezme with Turkish tomatoes and peppers, walnuts, chives, and hot garlic; pumpkin terahi with urfa bieber, cumin, garlic, nigella, and cilantro; pickles (Yemeite, Bulgarian, Israeli); masabacha hummus with chickpeas, herby tehina, and aleppo; plus pita and crudités, Galit
Salatim of labneh with hyssop, sumac, and sesame; cipollini onions a la Grecque with coriander and Bulgarian feta; ezme with Turkish tomatoes and peppers, walnuts, chives, and hot garlic; pumpkin terahi with urfa bieber, cumin, garlic, nigella, and cilantro; pickles (Yemeite, Bulgarian, Israeli); masabacha hummus with chickpeas, herby tehina, and aleppo; plus pita and crudités

Other notes: I loved mixing and matching all the spreads, dips, and salads, collectively referred to as salatim in Israeli cuisine. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be the sweet-and-smoky ezme with tomatoes and walnuts. Even the seemingly familiar dishes deserved every superlative: the hummus was outrageously smooth and luscious, crowned with olive oil and herb-tahini sauce, and the warm pita’s blistered outside and fluffy inside made it the perfect vehicle for dipping.

Altogether, the four colorful courses were a substantial amount of food for our party of three (even including seamless accommodation of my friend’s dietary restriction), so I’d consider it an especially good value for Restaurant Week.

The details: Galit, 2429 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago.

Categories
Restaurant Week

Chicago Restaurant Week 2020: Lunch at Shaw’s Crab House

This is part of a series of posts about Chicago Restaurant Week 2020, held January 24–February 9. View all of this year’s meal recaps, or browse previous Restaurant Week coverage from 2013–2018.

Mini New England lobster rolls with french fries, Shaw's Crab House
Mini New England lobster rolls with french fries

Best Bite: I was instantly taken with this duo of pint-sized lobster rolls – large enough for the full toasted bun experience, but small enough for a high lobster-to-bun ratio. The piping hot fries paired with the cool, chive-studded lobster were almost enough to transport me to a seaside seafood shack.

Mini key lime and chocolate cake desserts

Other notes: The miniature theme continued into dessert, and my dainty portion of key lime pie was just the right citrusy finish to our rich lunch.

The details: Shaw’s Crab House, 1900 E. Higgins St., Schaumburg.