Epicurean Adventures, The Second Course

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Post by Emily

If I’ve starved your for the continuation of my epicurean adventures, I do apologize. Here’s Part II of my culinary travels.

Chicago:

□       The Weber Grill has secured its place in my eating itinerary for Chicago. I tried it out last year and for a girl raised on a charcoal grill (I will never own a gas grill) this tastes like home. I would recommend trying to sit where you can see the open kitchen. You can watch meals being prepared on huge kettle grills fueled by charcoal that’s prepped in Weber charcoal chimneys (my dad has one). For us single diners, the place to be is at the grill counter where you’re just feet away from all the action. This time around I had the filet with garlic mushrooms, mashed potatoes and a wedge salad and it surpassed my high expectations.

□       From Laura’s blog you know she joined me in Chicago on a training trip and after our TOT (Tufts on Tour) we met up with Laura’s parents for dinner at one of her family’s favorite restaurants: Joe’s. The inside feels like it hasn’t changed since the 1920’s: beautiful hardwood, leather booths and tux clad servers. The menu is packed with classic items like steak and seafood and they feature stone crabs. Crab bisque, tortilla crusted mahi mahi and the Havana cake for dessert helped me see why this is a Shaprio family favorite.

□       The semi-regional Big Bowl- a self-described causal Asian restaurant- didn’t leave an impression for dinner, but the homemade ginger ale and banana egg rolls are worth stopping by.

□       Heaven on Seven has become where I stop for dinner before hitting the AMC Movie Theater on North Michigan when I stay Chicago. The menu is almost intimidating if you’re not well versed in Lousianna chow, but you can’t go wrong if you start with the gumbo which is heavenly. I followed it up with a fried oyster salad and should have followed up with dessert. I had to forego the pie to get to The Informant (which I chose because Steven Soderbergh and it’s location in Decatur, IL).

□       I mentioned in my last post my love of tapas. For small plates of the Italian variety, I recommend Quartino. One of the best Italian meals I’ve ever had and I’ve been to the North End in Boston, a lot. I opted for three small plates: baby spinach with pears and walnuts, skirt steak with garlic and tomato relish and penne a la vodka. Amazing.

□       When I’m feeling like the meals on the road are getting a little heavy, that’s when I go searching for sushi. Lucky for me the sushi restaurant next to my hotel was divine! I have a pretty standard order when I’m by myself: seaweed salad, eel roll, spider roll. Oysy Sushi didn’t disappoint. The sushi was fresh and flavorful and the calm décor was perfect after a busy day of school visits.

□       I had my heart set on checking out a restaurant called Farmerie 58 for brunch on Sunday- my only non-working day while on my three week trip. I’d walked by the restaurant multiple times during my stay in Chicago and was intrigued: the menu looked great and they had a commitment to local, sustainable farms. Caramel French toast with hazelnuts and sour cherries here I come. Sunday could have been the most disappointing day on my trip. When I walked up to Farmerie 58 the windows were covered in brown paper, the lights were off and there was a sign on the door. They had closed the night before! I consoled myself in the banana pecan pancakes at The Grand Luxe Café- which reminded me of The Cheesecake Factory- and mustered enough cheer to check out an exhibit at the Chicago Cultural Center on cartoonist John McCutcheon. The day was salvaged!

□       Next time you’re in Chicago and hungry, go to Greektown. Two years ago I tried Pegasus and loved it. This year Greek Islands gets an A+ for food and atmosphere.  Amidst the waiters yelling OPA! while lighting cheese on fire, I ate my platter piled high with Greek favorites: lamb, moussaka, meatballs, dolmas. If I’d had room, I would have attacked the baklava. I think next time I’ll have to skip straight to dessert or head to one of the many Greek bakeries in Greektown and call that dinner.

□       My last meal in Chicago was a dinner out with the family of a certain Tufts Junior who happens to be studying abroad and blogging about it. They took me to one of their Chicagoland favorites: VTK or Vong’s Thai Kitchen. It was so nice to share a meal with Kyle’s family. VTK has a great family style option and we took advantage of it. The food was fantastic and he company even better. The miso-glazed salmon was great, but I think the panang curry was my favorite.

Left to come: Baltimore (including an all crab dinner) and Tampa! I’m heading back to Chicago this week. Any restaurant suggestions?

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