{"id":2946,"date":"2014-07-15T08:12:29","date_gmt":"2014-07-15T13:12:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hillaryproctor.com\/blog\/?p=2946"},"modified":"2017-06-17T20:59:00","modified_gmt":"2017-06-18T01:59:00","slug":"this-weeks-best-bite-bag-of-crisps-eggs-and-grilled-octopus-housemade-spam-bottlefork","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.hillaryproctor.com\/blog\/2014\/07\/15\/this-weeks-best-bite-bag-of-crisps-eggs-and-grilled-octopus-housemade-spam-bottlefork\/","title":{"rendered":"This week’s Best Bite: Bag of crisps & eggs and grilled octopus & housemade spam, Bottlefork"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Grilled<\/a>
Grilled octopus and housemade spam with brussels sprout kim chee and sugar snap peas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Why it’s this week’s Best Bite:<\/strong> A friend suggested Bottlefork for a long-overdue get-together, and we were able to duck in early on a weeknight. I was excited to be able to order Goose Island’s Devon Ave. Pale Ale on draft, an addictive limited release that’s brewed with chai tea, cardamom, and other Indian spices. Out of all the small plates we shared, the grilled octopus was my favorite. Tender octopus and well-spiced cubes of housemade spam \u2013 which thankfully bore little resemblance to its canned counterpart \u2013 soaked up a funky, acidic sauce that also contained sugar snap peas and fermented brussels sprouts. The eclectic combination of ingredients kept me going back for another spicy, vinegary bite.<\/p>\n

\"Bag<\/a>
“Bag” of crisps and eggs with malt vinegar powder<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The biggest surprise, though, was the first bite of the meal, which was listed on the menu as “Bag” of Crisps and Eggs.<\/em> The seemingly unnecessary quotation marks actually hinted at the unconventional tableside preparation: the server arrived with a small brown bag full of chips and a soft-poached egg in a separate container; he then slid the egg into the bag, shook the bag vigorously, and poured the bag’s contents out onto a plate. What looked like just a pile of soggy, glossy potato chips turned out to be incredibly delicious. Somehow, the mixture of egg, potato, and zingy malt vinegar powder made the not-so-crispy texture work in the dish’s favor. <\/p>\n

The details:<\/strong> Bottlefork<\/a>, 441 N. Clark St., Chicago.<\/em><\/p>\n