Cafe Bernard

An old client of mine used to speak very highly of Cafe Bernard, so I'd been meaning to give it a whirl. I finally decided to pull the trigger on Friday, when Jeff and I were looking for a place to have dinner in Lincoln Park.

All in all, it was a very solid dinner experience. The ambiance is interesting. The interior reminded me of an old French farmhouse. It's dark and open and the tables and chairs have a rustic quality that I actually enjoyed. The restaurant, though it's French cuisine, doesn't feel overly chic or stuffy. The experience reminds me more of dining in the South of France, rather than Paris. I couldn't help but think of the experiences Peter Mayle describes in his books, which I absolutely love. (Check out A Year In Provence, Encore Provence and Toujours Provence if you love hilarious memoirs from a British ad man who up and moved from London to Southern France to fully realize and embrace his love of food and a slower way of life.)

Our waiter was wonderful and helped us pick out a nice French wine. It was a Rhone that worked well with both of our entrees, robust enough to stand up to Jeff's entree, but not so full-bodied that it overwhelmed mine. The bottle was a Chateauneuf-du-Pape Domaine Jerome Gradassi, but I'm afraid I can't remember the year. Sorry, winos!

For my entree, I decided to try their signature dish, the grilled North Atlantic salmon in a Cabernet Sauvignon sauce. It was quite tasty. I've never had fish in a red wine sauce before and I actually really liked it. The sauce had just a hint of sweetness that played well off of the richness of the salmon, which was impeccably cooked. The fish was served with some grilled baby Yukon Gold potatoes and a mixture of veggies (carrots, green beans, zucchini) that had most definitely been cooked in butter. All of the elements worked very well together to create a hearty meal perfect in the rustic setting. All in all, I was very happy with my meal.

Jeff tried the roasted rack of lamb in a rosemary au jus. Rosemary au jus is brilliant; it works so well with lamb. The combination was absolutely perfect and served with some whipped potatoes and a buttery mix of vegetables similar to mine.

For dessert, we stepped a little out of our comfort zone by ordering the white chocolate mousse with berries. While we're very familiar with chocolate mousse, neither of us had ever had a white chocolate one. It was delicious. Definitely sweeter than a conventional chocolate mousse, but perfectly paired with the tart blueberries, blackberries and strawberries all layered into a parfait glass. Like the donkey in Shrek, I love me some parfait.

Cafe Bernard is most definitely worth a stop for a good rustic* French meal that's not at all pretensious. I'm very glad I finally went!

*Alas, Cafe Bernard is so dark and rustic that none of my pictures came out. Sorry, peeps. Better luck next time!

Chicago Pizza And Oven Grinder

If I had to pick just one food to eat for the rest of my life, it'd be pizza. Mostly because it's so versatile. Lucky for me, Chicago has amazing pizza in many forms. Stuffed. Pan. Thin. New Haven-style. Neopolitan. Even pizza pot pie.

That's right. Pizza in pot pie form: it does exist! So it's about time that I write about one of my favorite places for less than traditional -- but still delicious -- pizza. That place is Chicago Pizza And Oven Grinder, located in Lincoln Park at 2121 N. Clark Street.

Laura Cavoto originally introduced me (and a host of our former teammates) to this glorious place a few years back and I can't thank her enough for doing that. So naturally, when we strolled past on our way home from work today, we decided to stop in for some dinner. Every time we go, we get an order of the Mediterranean bread, a chef's salad and some half-pounders. (A half-pounder refers to the smaller half-pound version of Chicago Pizza And Oven Grinder's pizza pot pie. You can also opt for the one-pounder, but good luck with that if you're planning on eating anything else that day.)

When you order the Mediterranean bread, you get to choose between regular and wheat. Once you've made this selection, the Mediterranean bread arrives, piping hot, brushed lightly with olive oil and topped with a mixture of herbs, spices and cheeses. It's amazing. (So amazing that we couldn't wait to dig in before Laura remembered I needed to take a picture.)


The Chef's salad is comprised of cold, crisp iceberg lettuce, roasted red pepper, green pepper, cucumber, pepperoncini, red onion, black olives, green olives, and an artichoke heart. (I know, I know, the picture doesn't do it justice. That's because we served it before I remembered about the photos... I am not a food stylist. I just love food. Give me a break.)


It's a great salad. I don't make my salads at home with iceberg lettuce, due to the fact that there are certainly more nutrient-packed options, but iceberg's got a great crunch that I really appreciate every once in a while. The salad is served on chilled plates, along with a pepper grinder, a jar filled with the same spice mixture that tops the Mediterranean bread and multiple delicious salad dressing options.


One is their classic Italian, made from olive oil, presumably red wine vinegar and a blend of spices. Then there's also the dynamic duo that is their sweet and sour poppyseed dressing and their sour cream garlic dressing. Now, given my aversion to all condiments that are white and creamy, I have never had the sour cream garlic dressing. However, Laura swears that it's fabulous -- especially if mixed with the poppyseed. I personally like a mixture of the Italian and the poppyseed -- no creaminess required. Just a more extreme and delicious combination of sweet and tart.

And then there are the decisions associated with the pizza pot pie. You can choose between original and whole wheat crust, sausage or vegetarian, and mushrooms or no mushrooms. I like the whole wheat crust and I generally opt for the vegetarian with mushrooms, which are whole Creminis, and which I think add something a little heartier to the vegetarian option.

The creation comes to your table straight from the oven, in a bowl with the round golden top adored by pot pie lovers everywhere. Your server takes a spoon and magically inverts the pot pie to reveal a little pizza! The top of the pot pie becomes the crust and reveals a whole lot of delicious cheese atop a pretty tasty tomato sauce. There are all sorts of veggies in this sauce, which make it flavorful without being overly chunky. (Unless you get the mushrooms, which do add some bulk to the interior. Those are the lumps in the photo below.)


Put simply, Chicago Pizza And Oven Grinder makes me happy. I love to go there with good friends and eat until I can barely move. Whether we're drinking wine or Diet Coke with our little (ok, big) pot pie meals, I always have an amazing time.

Two caveats:
1) CPOG (as we've affectionately deemed it) does not take reservations. It does, however, serve amazing food. This means that there's generally a long wait to be seated on weekends. Just warning you. Come hungry, but not too hungry. Or you'll get crabby. (Ok, maybe that last part only applies to me.)

2) CPOG is cash only. Come prepared. There is, of course, an ATM conveniently located nearby. But for those of us who get extremely irritated by paying up to $6 in ATM fees for not using a Chase ATM, you may want to BYOC. (Bring Your Own Cash)

All in all, though, CPOG is worth it. I love these pizza pot pies, their simple salad and delicious Mediterranean bread to come back again and again. You should, too.

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/.

Berry Moon: Self-Serve Frozen Yogurt

The only thing that I love more than regular frozen yogurt places are self-serve frozen yogurt places. New Berry Moon in Lincoln Park is my new favorite frozen yogurt place in the city.

I have to say that I'm not a huge fan of the kefir/tart yogurt places that have been popping up all over, so I'm really glad to find a place that offers both options -- in a self-serve situation!

Berry Moon offers ten flavors of frozen yogurt (which vary) and tons of options for toppings, ranging from fruit to candy to sauces to Lucky Charms marshmallows and pretty much anything else you can imagine. Some of the toppings are pictured at left and vary as well.

Tonight I tried the cake batter and dutch chocolate frozen yogurt flavors, with a tiny bit of white chocolate frozen yogurt and rainbow sprinkles to top it off. Yes, I am a weirdo. I wanted my yogurt to taste like cake with frosting. And it did!

As usual when allowed to serve myself, I overserved myself. Not surprisingly, I ended up with a very full cup of frozen yogurt and sprinkles. The total came out to almost $5 and it was well worth every penny. My roommates and I all agreed that we'll be back to this place with a vengeance.

Berry Moon is located at 2618 N. Clark Street, between Wrightwood and Drummond Place. Definitely head on over and serve yourself something delicious.

Gemini Bistro - A New French Fave In LP

I've drafted my foodie bucket list and fully intend to blog about every experience as I'm able to check each glorious place off my list, but want to post about some of my current favorite Chicago restaurants in the meantime.

One of them is definitely Lincoln Park's Gemini Bistro. When Old Town Brasserie closed, I was heartbroken. I absolutely LOVED that place. So I was very excited to hear about a promising new bistro closer to my house.

When my mom asked where I'd like to celebrate my birthday with her on a beautiful day in May, it was an easy choice. And we were not disappointed.

Gemini Bistro has a pretty al fresco dining area, a stylish interior atmosphere, great service and most importantly, delicious (and surprisingly affordable) bistro cuisine.

To start, Kath and I both had their Squirtzky cocktails, which were quite refreshing. We kicked off the dining with their creamless tomato soup (which comes with a tiny, but outstanding grilled cheese) and their version of a Mediterranean salad. Both were absolutely delicious and obviously made with high quality ingredients.

We each ordered the steak frites with the filet mignon option -- and they arrived done to perfection. Mine was perfectly medium and my mom's was actually medium-well, which is impressive because many restaurants don't get medium-well right. Our waiter recommended an awesome bottle of Meritage to go with the meal -- and he was right, it was the perfect wine for the job. (I'm not usually a Meritage girl, but the man knew what he was talking about.)

The service was knowledgeable and attentive, but not overbearing... And they finished the meal off with a complimentary skillet cookie compete with two candles. I love this place and will definitely be back!

To find out more about Gemini Bistro, visit their website here: http://www.geminibistrochicago.com/