Saturday, February 25, 2012
Bistronomic
Another high energy location ( the table of girls and table of guys across from us were swapping phone numbers), but at least we weren't the only ones over 50 . We ate later at Bistronomic than usual since we went after a great rendition of Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Midsummer's Night Dream. Service was very attentive. My husband was very tempted to order from the regular menu because it included a lot of his French favorites but we kept with the Restaurant Week menu since the offerings also sounded good and were only $33. The starters were lovely: parmesan gnocchi with rock shrimp in a lobster tarragon emulsion and the duck terrine with fig marmalade , mizuna salad and roasted hazelnut was especially good. My coq au vin wasn't traditional but it was delicious. The duck was fried separately and then added to this wonderful red wine reduction. My husband also loved his fish dish. We paired it with a nice sparkling rose brut. The desserts were fine, especially the Blanc Manger, but we intend to try one of their fantastic sounding cheese courses next time. The good news is that they have extended their Restaurant Week menus through March 4, so there is still time to try these specials. To learn what other restaurants have extended their deals check out the Chicago Tribune article. We are off to another Restaurant Week dinner tonight.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Restaurant reservations are easy to snag on Super Bowl Sunday
Restaurant reservations are easy to snag on Super Bowl Sunday, provided the restaurant doesn't have a big screen TV visible from the dining room. We wanted an early reservation after a matinee show. We chose Boka Restaurant Group's GT Fish and Oyster http://gtoyster.com/.
We sat in front of large windows which I think must open on the sidewalk in better weather. We got our own show that way. Four girls from some college pushed a large rolling laundry basket into Binny's and eventually came out with it full of ice. We watched as many 20 somethings struggled to get their beer and food out of taxis and into the nearby apartment building for Super Bowl parties. And a homeless man stole the valet's energy drink outside while the valet waited inside to stay warm. The street scene would be even more interesting in the summer. The dining room itself is very dark and sleek. The bar area is brighter and has long, high tables for groups who want to come and share the food. There is lots of on street, pay at the box parking and also a valet.
As for the food, it was wonderful. It is served tapas style. However this is not the place to take a date that eats light. I am pretty sure there wasn't a green salad on the menu that night and the vegetable dish we had was coated in chick pea flour. It is a very fish, meat and carb centric menu. You can definitely come in under the Bib Gourmand $40 maximum by choosing wisely but we went way over in order to try more things. My husband had oysters which were half price that night (I don't eat them) which was a treat for him. Other dishes included bigoli (pasta) with clams, scallops with green tea soba noodles and a miso broth, cauliflower with chick pea and yogurt coating, duck confit with chickpea harissa stew and BBQ eel with wasabi, potato and octopus salad. It all went well with the delightful California Albarino we ordered. We probably ordered one dish too many and didn't have room for desserts that are reportedly great. As you can see from the descriptions the flavors cross many cuisines (Japanese, Italian, Moroccan, French) and all are executed well.
My only gripe is that they don't provide serving utensils with the dishes. If your main concept is plates to share, then you need to provide serving utensils. Even the scallops dish with the wonderful broth didn't come with a spoon and spoons aren't a part of the table silverware. However, needing to ask for more silverware is a small annoyance when the food is this good.
We sat in front of large windows which I think must open on the sidewalk in better weather. We got our own show that way. Four girls from some college pushed a large rolling laundry basket into Binny's and eventually came out with it full of ice. We watched as many 20 somethings struggled to get their beer and food out of taxis and into the nearby apartment building for Super Bowl parties. And a homeless man stole the valet's energy drink outside while the valet waited inside to stay warm. The street scene would be even more interesting in the summer. The dining room itself is very dark and sleek. The bar area is brighter and has long, high tables for groups who want to come and share the food. There is lots of on street, pay at the box parking and also a valet.
As for the food, it was wonderful. It is served tapas style. However this is not the place to take a date that eats light. I am pretty sure there wasn't a green salad on the menu that night and the vegetable dish we had was coated in chick pea flour. It is a very fish, meat and carb centric menu. You can definitely come in under the Bib Gourmand $40 maximum by choosing wisely but we went way over in order to try more things. My husband had oysters which were half price that night (I don't eat them) which was a treat for him. Other dishes included bigoli (pasta) with clams, scallops with green tea soba noodles and a miso broth, cauliflower with chick pea and yogurt coating, duck confit with chickpea harissa stew and BBQ eel with wasabi, potato and octopus salad. It all went well with the delightful California Albarino we ordered. We probably ordered one dish too many and didn't have room for desserts that are reportedly great. As you can see from the descriptions the flavors cross many cuisines (Japanese, Italian, Moroccan, French) and all are executed well.
My only gripe is that they don't provide serving utensils with the dishes. If your main concept is plates to share, then you need to provide serving utensils. Even the scallops dish with the wonderful broth didn't come with a spoon and spoons aren't a part of the table silverware. However, needing to ask for more silverware is a small annoyance when the food is this good.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Back to Bib Gourmand
Life got complicated but back to blogging about Bib Gourmand. Kicked off Chicago Restaurant Week with dinner for four at Gemini Bistro in Lincoln Park. Husband and I got the $44 dinner and our friends got the $33 dinner. We both had short ribs with sort of scalloped potatoes with squash: excellent and perfectly cooked. I started with a mushroom risotto that was delicious but a bit too filling for a starter. Other starter were beet salad and tomato soup: all enjoyed. Our friends had roasted salmon with cabbage and bacon and short rib ravioli: both were decreed great. Of the desserts, the creme brulee got the rave reviews. Wine was good with nice selections by the glass. It's a pretty young crowd at Gemini Bistro but we felt comfortable there. They do have valet parking but no sign for it because they are on a corner. We have three more restaurant week reservations at Bib Gourmand restaurants, so stay tuned. I will also try to catch up on other restaurants we tried while I went dark
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