This marks the end of my second year of Chicago Restaurant Week coverage. I’m happy to report that I enjoyed eight meals between January 24 and February 6 that were part of the annual dining promotion – and yes, that’s one more than in 2013, because that’s how I am.
Here are all of this year’s posts, listed below in chronological order.
Best Bite: Technically, I had two out of the three available options as my third course: a slice of cake that was gooey and sweet, just as it should be, and a revelatory dessert cocktail with round flavors of vanilla and lemon that were superbly balanced with bitters. In fact, that course was representative of the whole meal. All the dishes were thoughtfully composed, but the cocktails ended up stealing the spotlight – I tasted three others made with in-house spirits, each one more complex and interesting than the next. At a distillery, though, I’m perfectly OK with that pattern. See full menu (third course is outdated).
Gooey butter cake and The Travel Agent dessert cocktail, with CH vanilla-infused rum, limoncello, lemon, and peychaud’s bitters
Other notes: The sweetness and spices in the butternut squash soup reminded me a lot of this one, adapted from a Rick Bayless recipe – which was definitely a good thing. For the gravlax entree, buttery salmon was cured with CH gin, which added citrus and floral notes, and beets, which gave it a burgundy hue. The fish, joined by lemon, dill, and a cracker-like flatbread for crunch, was a perfect complement to the cocktails. I really loved the space, too, from the glowing bar and fiber-optic lighting to the clear view of the gleaming stills and other equipment.
Butternut squash soup with creme fraiche
The details:CH Distillery, 564 W. Randolph St., Chicago.
