Chicago conference city

I've been to the windy city several times now just for a conference. I embrace the challenge of seeing a city in a short space of time and ensuring I don't have a bad meal or visitor experience. Here are the highlights from a recent work trip:

JELLYFISH

Start with the lobster spring rolls - 2 long and thin rolls with fresh lobster meat for $7, served with sweet chili sauce which tasted like it was from a bottle but the fresh rolls were so good that they didn't need the sauce.

Try a fun cocktail like the one with Beets but beware beet lovers only need apply! Does this look like a party in your mouth or what? Blood orange liquor and other things lighten this up.

Between 2 of us, we shared 2 special rolls and 1 of their standard ones. The Fire & Snow was the best one - light and fragrant with gentle citrusy flavors. The Smoked Atlantic Salmon was a much stronger which I liked better, given the torched fish on top, the sweet soy glaze on the bottom and the tempura shrimp inside mellowed with avocado and sweet potato! The classic roll we ordered was the comparatively boring Spicy Tuna which was still a lot better than any standard one we'd had.

The seaweed salad was a refreshing delight unlike the usual slimy stuff, $9.

Overall, a fun place to dine at with fresh and tasty sushi rolls with combinations that actually work. Decor is playful, clever and trendy as is the music and service.

ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO

Yes, this place is huge and you could spend hours here gawking at the amazingly vast Impressionist and Modern Art collections. My favorite was the room of Renoir and under-rated and lesser-known works by Munch and Toulouse-Latrec. However, on the back of the gallery guide, they make it easy for those of us with only an hour or so to spare - they set out highlights and where they can be found.

I agree with most of them including this huge and wonderful seated Buddha in the Asian gallery wing:

I would also add this larger-than-life, portrait of Mao by Andy Warhol given his play on propaganda and size. You literally can't miss this!

DIVY

Hire one of these if you really want to make the most of your time!

THE PUBLICAN

Make a booking here, it's worth it! This place is a haven to well and ethically sourced produce, assembled or cooked to enhance those flavors. Between a group of 4 we shared around 6 small dishes and 2 larger ones, plus 2 desserts. Order the grilled octopus with patatas bravas and aioli, spinach salad with pomegranate and hazelnut, gem salad charred with soft and sweet bur rata, mussels in garlicky butter sauce served with a mini loaf of crunchy and hot white bread and then end with the chocolate mousse with baby basil, salty chocolate cookie crumbs and chocolate sorbet. I'd skip the hamachi crude, pork chop with greens and charred cauliflower served (intentionally?) cold.

THE GAGE

More Modern American food - well, why say no when it's done so well around here? The Gage is conveniently located nearly directly opposite The Bean and Millenial Park. It's a gastopub and restaurant with some great lunch deals such as half a sandwich with fries and a small soup for $13. I'm told the chicken soup was great (light broth) with the toasted grilled mushroom sandwich. I ordered the seared scallop butter lettuce salad which came with three juicy pieces just cooked so that they were no longer translucent, nor firm and dry, i.e. perfectly! The lettuce came out in uncut leaves with grapefruit segments and deep-fried onion bits in-between a slightly sweet vinegar. It was great but at $17, quite a pricey lunch that doesn't quite fill you up so I ordered a side of mashed potatoes. $4 for a huge cast iron pot of them that were well-seasoned and ended up complimenting the salad well.

THE BOARDING HOUSE

Yet more Modern American but this is one of the latest and greatest places to open in recent months! I came here with a group booking/function so it wasn't the usual dining experience but the menu items were the same as those on offer. I started with the house made ricotta mezzaluna with truffle, garlic and spinach. The pasta was rolled too thickly so that the edges were a little hard and dry which undermined the entire dish whilst the garlic overpowered everything leaving no real truffle flavor. At least the spinach was tasty.

For my entree, I had the market fish (cod) that was poached in olive oil but this was not as soft and silky as I imagined it should be. Luckily the 'tomato broth' with blistered shishito peppers saved the day as did the potato cake which did a great job of soaking up the delicious juices.

The chosen dessert was the pumpkin cheesecake which was well spiced and sweet with a soft cookie crumb. The other dessert which I managed to also eat was the flour less chocolate cake that was a magnificent blend of dark chocolate ganache, soft and nutty cake and on a base of crunchy chocolate coated biscuit balls. Divine!

XOCO

Now the last meal in a city always counts so I had to end on a high with a guaranteed good lunch - enter Rick Bayless' Xoco, only a short walk from the Mag Mile. The weekday lunch time was not too busy. I got a seat without waiting. You are assigned a table number which you then inform your server of and once you've placed your order and paid, you're taken to your table or seat. The Caldos - soup/meal in a bowl are always excellent and much better than they sound. They're full of spice and flavor whether you get the meat, seafood or vegetable option. I opted for the vegetable one filled with fried onions, black beans, avocado, sliced mushrooms, arugula, zucchini chunks, chili and lime on the side. The potato masa dumplings (around 6 small ones) round out the robustness of this meal. $10.50.

See? There's no time or need for a bad meal or drink even if you're here for a conference or weekend getaway. Chicago, I came, I ate and I left!

 (Painted fire hydrants at the Chicago Fire Station beside Xoco!)

Chic Chicago - Summer 2010

Following on from my weekend in LA, I got to spend a week working from the Chicago office. The last time I was here was in February this year when it was butt clenchingly cold. This time it was the opposite. Anyone who has been to Chicago in late August can testify that they have lived through the searing heat and humidity. I arrived at 7pm in the evening and all throughout that night I could not leave the hotel without breaking into a sweat.

Wholefoods – This enviable institution has a branch not too far from the Mag Mile. It is like Macro in Sydney on steroids. It would rival the giant Woolworths in Northbridge. The difference is that all the food is organic and wholesome. The best part of it is the wonderful and gourmet hot and cold food bars where you can help yourself and then pay for what you have taken by weight. I really had to restrain myself from buying too much here but the freshly-cut mango and blueberry cups with yogurt were delicious.

John Hancock tower – I read in the increasingly redundant Lonely Planet that instead of paying an entry fee of $15 to go up to the viewing platform, you get an equally wonderful view from the Signature Lounge, one floor beneath for the price of a cocktail. I took the lift up 96 floors and was greeted with a feast for the eyes. The night lights of the city were stunning and lined up in rows that look like beams if you squint your eyes. I ordered the Signature cocktail (a blend of cranberry and peach juice with vodka) and a surf and turf (skewers of beef and prawns). Both were disappointing but then again, you don’t come here for the food or drink. Stick to the cheapest drink I say and then go downstairs and gorge at the Cheesecake Factory at the bottom of the same building instead.

Rivers – this café is just off the West Madison Street bridge to the Loop. It sits on the river as you may have guessed and actually serves delicious food, unlike the Signature Lounge that just traded on its view. They have a whole range of café food on the menu including 5 different salads, sandwiches to more substantial main meals. I suggest booking in advance since there were no spare tables around. I had the delicious seared salmon salad and it was perfectly juicy and tender.

Mortons – Locals here talk about steakhouses like they’re a unique dining experience. I think of the Black Stump, which is enough to turn me off going to one. Why would I want a chunk of dead animal on a plate with little done to it other than it being carved and pay for the privilege of it? Why? Well, because there are steakhouses and there are steakhouses. I went to the first real steakhouse in Chicago and probably my last. They cared about the animal, the cut and the meat so much that you get a full story about it in the menu on the website and when the menu is ‘presented’ to you literally by a man with a platter of cold cuts of fillet, rump, strip, etc. I ordered from the smaller sizes menu and had the Cajun rump. It was mind-blowingly good. The Cajun spices had been on for 24 hours and produced a flavoursome meat which was slightly charred and smokey tasting on the outside with the most luscious and juicy meat in the middle. It was served with a massive damper roll fitting for Shrek. The sautéed green beans with garlic were also great.

I placed my Blackberry in the picture so you can get a sense of the size of the damper that had crispy fried onion flakes on top. The bread was crispy on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside.

My last steak, well at least until I visit Morton's again.

De Cero: This modern Mexican joint was on a restaurant strip. It served up strong flavoured margheritas and the usual suspects such as tacos, enchiladas and burritos but the specialty sseemed to be the taco platters that came with 8 of your choice of 4. We had a whole range including the duck confit with corn salsa, the flaked salmon, the black bean with radish and green salad and the pulled pork. The salmon and the pork were the best but all were a little dry and lacking sauce and strong flavours, although that may be my personal preference since everyone else seemed to enjoy it.

Café Baci: This was a quick lunch time destination. It looked like a posh bar from the Wacker Street entrance but once I made my way towards the back, I realised it was more like a canteen. I grabbed a tray and opted for the 3 salad special which I selected. I had the tuna salad, Tuscan bean and antipasto salad. Surprisingly, the canned tuna and mayo one was the best. The others were very heavy on oil. They also offered fresh made to order pizzas, soups and sandwiches, all for reasonable prices. Recommended if you order t he right salad.

Wormhole - This little grungy cafe in Wicker Park was recommended to me by Geoff. Why? It has a Delorean in it. I had to look up what that was and bonus point for you, if you realised that it was the time machine in Back To The Future! It is sitting right in the window for all to see. I walked into the cafe and pretended to look for someone (yep, that old trick!) whilst secretly eyeing off the full size car. There were no free tables and it was a pretty basic cafe serving coffee and snacks from what I could tell. I didn't feel like either so I walked out. I did get a photo or two though.

Sunda - This place was awesome. It served delicious Asian food from Chinese to Japanese to Thai cuisines, sometimes blended in various ways. Funky and large interiors. The place was literally buzzing like a hive, there were that many people in there. I ordered the Asian mushroom salad with finely sliced radishes, spinach leaves and dressed with a light, soy and sesame oil dressing, topped with crispy fried noodles to start.

Then I ordered the eel sushi which tasted like fresh eel on a bed of moist and well-seasoned sushi rice and the char siu which was delicious and had more layered and complex flavours than usual. This place was so busy that people queue outside so book ahead or otherwise go in 1 or 2 and you could get a seat at the sushi bar like me. Highly recommended!

Cosi - This is a chain of sandwich, salad and soup joints, one of many including Cafe Baci mentioned above, the Corner Bakery Cafe, etc. I stopped in here for breakfast and ordered the oatmeal which comes with a choice of 2 toppings. I selected strawberries and pistachios. The oatmeal was surprisingly cooked perfectly. It was all gooey, thick and creamy with the natural sweetness of the oats shining through. Yum. Brekky dessert. Otherwise, the rest of the menu and food looked pretty average. I just had to write about the porridge so that I remember it for the next time that I need a quick and cheap fix for brekky.

Mercadito - My last lunch in Chicago, sigh! This is the Chicago outpost of the NYC restaurant of the same name, that dished up modern Mexican to a discerning crowd. The interiors are modern and funky. The Thievery Corporation was probably on the iPod dock or something of that nature. Check out the funky wall of miniature paintings:

It was moderately busy during Friday lunch. I ordered 2 ceviches, 1 of prawn and 1 of monkfish. Both had been cured in orange and lemon juices, herbs, diced tomatoes, etc. Both were so delicious and their house made flatbread was addictive. Highly recommended! I can only dream of what dinner would be like here based on these 2 dishes.

Next stop NYC...

Chomping in Chicago

I happened to have 7 whole days in Chicago and planned not to have one bad meal. Let’s just say that plans never do really go to plan. I did manage a lot of great meals but suffered from the traveller’s curse where you have walked all morning/day/night long and sometimes you just need food and you need it ASAP – leading one away from the foodie path.

Here is a summary of the places I visited for those of you who may be planning a trip to this understated city!

Swissotel – I stayed here the entire time and ate within it 3 times. Breakfast in the restaurant of buckwheat pancakes were good if a bit bland but the coffee was terrible. Dinner in the lobby bar one night of a ‘cob salad’. I came to realize that this was a common salad, much like the ubiquitous ‘caesar salad’ that appears on Sydney café menus. The ‘cob salad’ includes 2 types of meat (chicken and bacon), 2 types of cheese (blue cheese and cheddar cheese), egg (in case you haven’t had enough protein from the former ingredients) and then some lettuce, tomato and cucumber. All this was served bibimbap style, diced up in little pieces and served in separate parts of the oversized plate. Yes, it was as terrible as it sounded! The other dinner in was room service because I was immensely jetlagged and couldn’t bring myself to head out into the minus zero temperatures. I ordered a ‘minestrone soup’. It tasted worse than the tinned soup I had as a kid. Enough said. 1/5 (the pancakes gave them a 1 point).

The Gage – This little bistro is opposite Millenium Park. It is smart, yet old-worldly looking at the same time. Slick service and could be pretentious but it’s not. I had a grilled chicken salad which was delicious. Smoky and crispy grilled chicken was served on the side of a huge plate of well-dressed salad that included grapes amongst other salad ingredients. Moderately priced at $15 a salad. A refreshing and balanced dish. 3.5/5.



Blackbird (dinner) - Eva and Ben came to visit me for the weekend and we chose this funky little hotspot even though it was recommended by Lonely Planet whom I do not trust for their food recommendations usually. We booked ahead (fortunately) and turned up in our day clothes of sweaters and jeans. You could dress up to come here as we discovered or not. The food is prepared with care and some flair. I ordered the grilled char, which is a pink coloured fish with a similar texture to salmon, that was served with shaved fennel and celery sautéed as well as an aioli like sauce. It was delicate and tasty. Eva and Ben’s dishes were also considered and crafted. It’s a little pricier being around $25 a main. 4/5.

Milk and Honey – We all made it out to Wicker Park the next morning well before the local residents were up. The main street was dead except for inside this buzzing little Surry Hills-style café. The menu is extensive and has a home-made feel to it. I ordered the oatmeal with dried fruits, nuts and brown sugar, whilst the others had waffles with raisins and banana embedded pancakes (ok, I added the word ‘embedded’ cause they were!). I enjoyed mine but it didn’t dazzle me. I think the others felt the same. I still loved the café though. Their home made baked goods looked amazing and were possibly the big drawcard to this place. Mega sized lattes too. Dishes under $10. 3.5/5.


Eva and Ben with banana pancakes and sultana waffles

Potbelleez – This was our first chain food store. Here they serve huge salads and sandwiches in varying combinations. It’s a cross-between Subway and Sumo Salad. My ‘Italian’ salad was huge and came with chickpeas and 2 types of ham over the usual salad ingredients, grated cheese and croutons for around $5. Come here if there’s nothing better around. 2.5/5.

The Corner Bakery Café – This is a small bakery chain that also serves soups, salads and sandwiches. I had breakfast here a few times. Reasonable coffee. They served this apple and raspberry granola oatmeal which I tried. Who would have thought of sprinkling oats on oats? Kinda worked with the contrast of crunchy granola over the soft porridge. Bagels were good here too. Breakfast for $5 - $10. 3/5.

Grand Lux Café (dinner) - This restaurant is huge and based right on the Magnificent Mile, in fact it overlooks the mile itself. See if you can get a window seat or one in the round atrium. It's a perfect place to rest your feet after a day and/or night of shopping! I did so myself. The servings here are large but delicious. I had the Vietnamese rolls as an entree (it came with 8 large pieces!) and then a barley and vegetable soup for my main which was also large. Decent wine list. 3.5/5.


Vietnamese rolls filled with chicken and veges


Inside the round room of the Grand Lux Cafe

Shanghai Terrace (dinner) - This restaurant is highly-rated by critics and it was recommended by a local. It is a refined Chinese restaurant based in the posh Peninsula Hotel. The setting is lovely. It is peaceful and serene and the pristine service adds to this ambience. The food is also polished and the flavours. I had a lobster consumme (very small serving) and a tasting plate for my main. Beautiful. 4/5.


Inside the elegant Shanghai Terrace

Chipotle (lunch) - In contrast to the Shanghai Terrace, Chipotle is a chain eatery where they custom made burritos. You select your flavoured meat, rice, varieties of beans, veges and sauce. Delicious, cheap and very filling. 3.5/5.

Cheesecake Factory (dinner) - I went to this Chicago institution with another out of towner. The fit out is trippy and fun. Everything is curved. The menu is extensive and the servings massive. I had the grilled salmon with a miso and teriyaki glaze. I requested that it was cooked medium-rare but the waiter didn't think this could be done and looked a bit confused. It was not done medium-rare but rather well-done. We managed to fit in dessert but not cheesecake since the servings of them were gargantuan! We shared a small bowl of ice cream and were told that you get 3 scoops. A giant pasta bowl came out with 3 huge scoops, a mountain of whipped cream and sauce. We were finished for the night! 3.5/5.


The Swirly Surrounds of the Cheesecake Factory

Thai Urban Kitchen – This downtown Asian eatery has a slick feel to it and serves up similarly well-presented Thai and Japanese dishes. I ordered the Sushi Maki Lunch Set that included miso soup and 3 types of sushi (raw tuna, spicy tuna and California roll). I expected 2 pieces of each but no I got 6 pieces of each type, so that I had 18 pieces of sushi for 1 person! Needless to say, I only ate half of it. Lunch set was $15. 3/5.


The very generous lunch set plate


The only thing I missed catching in Chicago was a gig. I had 2 choices, Cold War Kids or La Roux but neither of them were that appealing to me. The draw of food and shopping got me instead! One honourable mention goes to Garrett's Popcorn. This store is located just off the Mag Mile and fuelled my popcorn addiction. Here locals queue up in this shop for a serving of flavoured popcorn. You can choose from butter, cheese, caramel with pecans, caramel with peanuts or a range of other flavours. I understood why people queued up in the freezing cold for this stuff. Worth the wait? When in Chicago...as they say!