Kith & Kin

Almost every month, I have dinner with the smart, funny and stylish ladies I worked with during my first PR job after college. They are some of my favorite people -- of course, it helps that they're fellow foodies.

This month, Kelly (also a member of my cooking club and one of the best cooks I know) recommended Kith & Kin in Lincoln Park. Kith & Kin opened at the end of 2009 and specializes in contemporary American comfort food. I was thrilled, since I'd also been wanting to give this place a try.

We started with one of the "crocks," little pots filled with spreads and served with crostini. We opted for the Pimento cheese crock. It was tasty, but served with far too few crostini for the amount of spread. On the plus side, the ever-cheerful staff was more than happy to supply us with multiple refills.

I enjoyed some Albarino wine with my entree, which was seared skate wing with corn and parmigiano pudding, carmelized corn, lime and cilantro. The presentation was beautiful, but the execution was lacking. Although the fish was cooked perfectly, it was way oversalted. So much so that I had trouble finishing it, which was very disappointing. The other elements of the dish were solidly executed. The corn and parmigiano pudding was delicious. The carmelized corn, lime and cilantro were combined in a salsa that breathed freshness into the dish.

Kelly and Erin both enjoyed glasses of Malbec and ordered the tagliatelle pasta dish, with summer squash fresh from Nichol's Farm, bottarga, confit garlic, basil, extra virgin olive oil and parmigiano reggiano. The pasta is handmade in-house and the entire dish had an air of extraordinary freshness. The sauce was like a lighter version of pesto, perfect for a hot summer night. The garlic confit was present, but not overpowering. The dish had a slight seafood element due to the bottarga, which is cured fish roe and commonly referred to as "poor man's caviar." The fish didn't dominate the dish, but it was a delightful complement to the basil. This was my favorite of the dishes we ordered. I'd come back for it.

Geralyn ordered the open-face fried egg sandwich, made with 2 farm eggs, wilted dandelion, lardons and emmentaler on toasted brioche. It was like a higher-end, more complex breakfast sandwich. The wilted dandelion added a hint of bitterness not typically associated with your upscale bacon, egg and cheese sandwich. It was different -- and in this case, different was good. Ger also had a side of the poutine, which were just okay. Poutine is comprised of fries slathered in chicken gravy and topped with cheese curds. The fries seemed to have lost their crispness due to the gravy and melted cheese curds. They were fine, but nothing life-changing.

We also split a side of the salt potatoes, which were both simple and excellent. The potatoes were perfectly cooked, lightly salted and buttered with a sprinkling of chives. They took me straight back to my childhood, since they tasted almost exactly the same as potatoes my dad used to make for us. (And that's a compliment.)

We ended the meal with a slice of the chilled peanut butter pie. We decided on the pie based on the fact that it has a pretzel crust. I'm not sure why more desserts don't have pretzel crusts. It was incredible, especially combined with the peanut chiffon, chocolate sauce and whipped cream. This was a delightful combination of flavors and textures. I only wished there was a little more chocolate sauce on the plate. That said, I liked it. A lot.

I'd go back to Kith & Kin, mostly for the tagliatelle pasta dish and the peanut butter pie. I'd skip the pimento cheese spread and try the eggplant puree crock. And if you're in the mood for a sandwich, the open-face fried egg is a good option.

Kith & Kin is a solid addition to the neighborhood, but won't make my list of Chicago favorites.

To learn more about Kith & Kin, visit http://www.knkchicago.com/.