GT Fish and Oyster

I love seafood. A lot. And while Chicago has some pretty tasty seafood, nothing had really knocked my socks off -- in comparison to some places on the east and west coasts. Until now. GT Fish & Oyster swung its doors open in River North on Thursday and changed everything.

Brought to Chicago by the BOKA restaurant group (including such notables as Kevin Boehm) and Top Chef/Girl & The Goat's Stephanie Izard, their newest venture had a lot to live up to -- BOKA, Perennial, Girl & The Goat -- but GT Fish & Oyster does not disappoint.

I was fortunate enough to go with two of my favorite adventuresome foodie friends, Laura and Liz, and we took the seafood-heavy menu by storm. GT Fish & Oyster's menu is dominated by small plates, which are divided into two groups: hot and cold. This does not, however, include the oysters, which are separated into a category all their own. (Check out the current menu and the chef's blog here.)

I arrived a little early and sat down at the bar to enjoy a glass of cava while waiting for two of my favorite redheads to arrive. The service, from the hostesses to the bartender, was friendly and solicitous. I was having a great time already -- all by myself. Soon Laura joined me and we did some great people-watching; there's a lot to see in a new restaurant!

Once Liz arrived and we were seated, we set about the business of trying some of their signature cocktails. Laura and I were both drawn to the Waitlist, a delectable concoction of Grey Goose, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, grapefruit, lime and Peychaud's Bitters. It was perfect. Liz ordered the Clean Break, but ended up with the Highland Daisy. While not what she ordered, the Highland Daisy was breathtakingly beautiful and pretty darn tasty. It's a bright reddish-purple cocktail served with a mint leaf and its ingredients include Oleca Altos Tequila, Mathilda Pear, blackberry syrup and the aforementioned mint. Delightful.

Our server recommended 2-3 small plates per person. We ordered a total of 10. Because, well, why wouldn't we?

On the docket from the "cold" menu: Sunfish Ceviche, Baja Shrimp Bruschetta, BBQ Eel, Lobster Roll.

From the "hot" menu: Stuffed Squid, Clam Chowder, Grilled Mahi Tacos, Fish and Chips, Lobster Macaroni and Cheese and the Alaskan Halibut.

We didn't try anything from the "Oysters" and the "Not Fish" sections because there was too much we were dying to try from just the "Hot" and "Cold"! Next time...

First up was the Sunfish Ceviche, a mix of sunfish, avocado, chimichurri, radish and jicama, served with crispy tostadas on the side. The dish was clearly influenced by the flavors of Mexico -- and I loved it instantly. Great blend of flavors (the sea, chimichurri, spicy radish) and textures (sunfish, creamy avocado and crunchy radish, jicama and tostada). Well-balanced on all counts and truly a joy to eat.

Next was the Baja Shrimp Bruschetta. This bruschetta is beautiful, truly a work of art. (Not that you can tell from my shoddy phone photography below.) What's more is that it tastes as good as it looks. A flavorful combination of shrimp, avocado, grapefruit, toasted pistachio and a sprinkling of cilantro.

And then came the BBQ eel. I'd never had eel that wasn't unagi in the form of a sushi roll or sashimi -- and I have to say that I was equally impressed by the cooked version. GT Fish and Oyster does my favorite form of sushi justice by serving it up BBQ-style atop a delightful potato and octopus salad. Sound strange? It is, a little. But it's a glorious combination of textures and flavors -- the sweet and slightly tangy BBQ is perfectly offset by heat from a hint of wasabi.

Next the waitress brought us the stuffed squid, a dish all three of us had been dying to try. But all three of us were disappointed. After the first three dishes were so incredible -- particularly the somewhat unexpectedly amazing BBQ eel -- we decidedly underwhelmed by the stuffed squid. It lacked the flavor and textural complexity that had been the hallmark of our experience thus far. It could have been great, being that it was fresh squid stuffed with shrimp and chorizo, all sitting on top of a little pile of saffron rice. But unfortunately, the chorizo wasn't spicy enough to provide a foil to the creamy saffron rice and the textures overall were too similar to really pack a punch. Oh well.

Following the stuffed squid, we had the clam chowder. It comes piping hot and sealed in a mason jar. And I will say that without a doubt, this is the best clam chowder I have ever had in my life. It is real CLAM chowder, chock full of clams with more than a delicious hint of smokey bacon on the tail end of each creamy bite. It was fabulous. If you go to GT Fish & Oyster, you MUST try the clam chowder. (They offer it in both 4- and 8-oz portions so people can give it a try no matter how many other dishes they're planning to sample.)

And then came the lobster roll, also known as heaven on a bun. Yes, I ate a lobster roll. ONLY because it wasn't drenched in mayonnaise. Instead, it was an obscene amount of shockingly fresh lobster VERY lightly dressed in a sauce that I'm going to pretend didn't contain any mayonnaise. But the beauty of this sandwich was that it was so fabulous with its perfectly toasted, deliciously buttery bread and impeccable, crispy fried Vidalia onions atop the lobster salad, that I was actually able to forget that there was any mayonnaise involved at all. This never happens. And that means that this is an amazing sandwich. Get it.

Ahh, yes. Just when we were pretty positive things couldn't possibly continue at the amazing pace that they were going, the Alaskan halibut arrived. Halibut is one of my very favorite fish: mild, yet substantial and texturally perfect when it's prepared well. At GT Fish & Oyster, it's served on a little throne of yuzu whipped potatoes and with apples. It's an interesting combination of flavors (the citrus from the yuzu with the sweetness of the apples) and textures (the contrast of the apples with the impeccably prepared halibut). Simply put, it works.

But the best was yet to come: and a big part of that best was their absolutely unparalleled fish and chips. Sweet mother of Jesus, I do not know what's in the batter here, but it is out of this world. And the fish itself refuses to be outdone: it's juicy, piping hot, not fishy, just fresh. Coated in a batter that is buttery and crisp without being overly greasy -- the perfect complement to the fish inside. And it's served with thick fried potato wedges that rival the very best of steak fries. This was one of my two favorite dishes that night, which is quite the achievement because I absolutely ADORED the majority of my meal at GT.

My other favorite dish has to be the lobster mac n cheese. Perhaps you've noticed the increasingly frequent appearance of this dish on menus around the city lately. I know I have. And because there are few things I love more than a) lobster and b) macaroni and cheese, I regularly feel compelled to give this ridiculously decadent side a whirl. GT Fish & Oyster's version blows them ALL out of the water. It's luxe comfort food, brilliantly executed. The lobster and the cream and the cheese take you to a place of richness that borders on insanity -- and then the unassuming sweetness of the English peas cuts through the crazy decadence and grounds the dish. In brilliance. I could not stop eating this. And I was already so full I legitimately feared the possibility of implosion or spontaneous combustion.

Unfortunately, the night ended on the grilled mahi tacos, which were just okay. It's hard to accurately assess them after the previous two dishes. But if I had to choose ordering them again or trying something else, I'd probably go with trying something different. Not the strongest dish on the menu.

Was everything about the meal earth-shattering? No. Was a lot of it pretty damn amazing? Absolutely. And this place is fun! I will be back. In the meantime, I highly recommend trying this place. If you love fish -- or even if you only kind of like it -- you need to try GT Fish & Oyster. It is EXACTLY what the Chicago dining scene needed. Big thanks to Stephanie Izard and the BOKA group for recognizing this and making GT happen -- and perhaps a bigger thanks to Chef Giuseppe Tentori for the awesome execution.

Grahamwich is OPEN!!!!

Ladies and gentlemen, thank God. After two long years of limbo, Grahamwich finally opened its doors on Wednesday! Sadly, I was frantically preparing for a business trip, so I couldn't get there on opening day.

However, I do plan to visit next week and promise a full report. And lucky for me (less lucky for my wallet), Grahamwich is located just one short block from where I work! At 615 N. State, between Ohio and Ontario, I can confidently say that it will become a lunchtime favorite of mine.

Sandwiches by Graham, truffled popcorn and flavored sodas, you will be mine. (Don't worry, I promise to actually take some pictures here...)

Has anyone been yet? If you've already made it over, let me know how it is!

XOCO

Yesterday, Laura and I decided to return to XOCO, Rick Bayless' popular take on Mexican street food, for lunch. Appropriately enough, XOCO (pronounced "shoh-coh") is Mexican slang for "little sister," which is how the cafe is viewed within the Bayless empire. And although XOCO is Bayless' foray into quick-service dining, the tenets of sustainability and local sourcing that govern both Frontera and Topolobompo apply here as well.

Laura and I have been to XOCO for lunch before, right when it opened and the lines were spanning entire city blocks. So it was nice that there was only a reasonable line inside the actual cafe when we arrived. However, even though the lines seem to be a bit more manageable these days, it should be noted that XOCO's system of ordering food and being seated is a little... different. You walk in, get in line, place an order at the counter. Standard fare, except for one twist. While you're in line, a hostess approaches to ask about your seating preferences (aka tell you what's available -- "Counter service okay?"). After you've placed your food order, you reconnect with said hostess so that she can lead you to your seats.

The XOCO menu is divided into parts: tortas from the wood-burning oven, tortas from the griddle, caldos, salads and sides, pastries and bean-to-cup chocolate. (FYI, tortas are sandwiches -- or paninis in the case of those from the griddle -- which are served anytime after 11:00 a.m. and caldos are hearty soups that are served only after 3:00 p.m.)

The tortas from the wood-burning oven are served on big, hearty rolls that are a little too robust for my liking. The bread is fresh and tasty, but the rolls are so big that they get in the way of managing to incorporate every delicious element of the sandwich in each bite. Also, when you bite into the torta, it's easy to lose a lot of the filling, which tends to spill out over the sides. (This is especially true for tortas like the Gunthorp Chicken Breast torta since the pieces of chicken aren't uniformly shaped and don't really lie flat.)

The tortas from the griddle are like delicious paninis with what is, in my opinion, a much better bread-to-other-ingredients ratio since they're made with thinner bread.

All right, that's enough of the overview. Time to get down to business. Between the two of us, Laura and I ordered the chips and guacamole, the Choriqueso torta, the Milanesa torta, the Mexican chocolate hazelnut cookie and the Polvoron.

The guacamole is solid at XOCO. Nothing crazy or crazy creative, just good solid guacamole. They do stick a couple of radishes in it though, so that's a little something different. But other than that, it's pretty straight forward guacamole served with chips that are perfectly crispy without being overly greasy.


The Choriqueso torta is one that's prepared in the wood-burning oven on the hearty rolls. I know I just talked about how the bread on these tortas is too much, but the choriqueso works much better with this bread than the Gunthorp chicken breast did. Here's why: the ingredients themselves don't add as much volume in addition to the bread. You've got Rick Bayless' delicious homemade chorizo, roasted poblano peppers, artisan Jack cheese and a delicious tomatillo salsa. All of these ingredients lie flat -- and therefore, manage to stay in the sandwich when you take a bite. It's a fabulous blend of spicy, smokey and savory. Great sandwich.


However, I have to say that the Milanesa is my favorite sandwich I've had at XOCO thus far. This little panini-like sandwich is one of those "from the griddle" tortas, composed of crispy Gunthorp chicken breast (nothing but the best for Rick) that's been pounded out so it's thin and manageable in panini form, coated in breading and all kinds of amazing spices then fried, black beans that have been coarsely combined so that they're really more of a spread than actual beans, artisan Jack cheese, pickled jalapenos and the amazing XOCO tomatillo salsa. The sandwich is also supposed to come with cilantro crema, but due to my hatred of creamy condiments that interfere with my heat, I took a pass on that. This sandwich is phenomenal. When I first saw it, I thought "wow, this looks like something a little too fried for my liking" -- as somehow I'd missed the "crispy" description of the chicken in the menu. But it was love at first bite. Every element was in perfect balance and all of the ingredients played off of one another in perfect harmony. I could eat this sandwich every day of my life. For real.


Laura and I closed the meal down with two perfect, albeit very unnecessary, cookies. We had the Mexican chocolate hazelnut cookie and the Polvoron, a Mexican shortbread creation that reminded me of a big Mexican wedding cookie. (People with nut allergies beware -- they're ground up and sneakily incorporated into this cookie.) Both were extremely tasty. I'm glad that Laura suggested making a diversion from our usual chocolate and churros selection. I thought I'd regret it, but I have to say that the pastries do represent at XOCO as well.


Speaking of chocolate and churros, definitely try them. The churros are a level above anything I've had anywhere else in the U.S. They're served warm, crisp on the outside, soft on the inside... and the flavor is perfect. To supplement the churros, Rick also turns out traditional thick, high quality chocolate served hot and in a cup (like hot chocolate, but thicker, richer and infinitely better). There are four options: authentic (freshly ground chocolate and water), Aztec (freshly ground chocolate, chilis, allspice and water), chocolate (a chocolate shot and 2% milk) and Barcelona, which I've never had and which is described only as "thick and rich." My favorite of the options is the Aztec, as I love spiced Mexican chocolate. (Well, really, I love anything spicy.) But I have yet to meet a chocolate at XOCO that I don't like.

Next on my list of things to try there: the seafood caldo, which was recently written up in Chicago Magazine's list of the 30 Best Mexican Dishes in the city. Have you had the seafood caldo? Is there something I haven't mentioned that you think is an absolute must-try? Let me know.

XOCO is located at 449 N. Clark Street (right next to Topolobampo and Frontera Grill), on the corner of Clark and Illinois. (The entrance is on Illinois.)

Gilt Bar

The time has come for me to pay homage to one of my favorite bars in River North: Gilt Bar. As it's conveniently located across the street from my place of employment (and visible from many of the windows in our office if you happen to gaze downward), I've been there a few times since its opening this spring. (I have not, however, been to the downstairs cash-only bar Curio yet. No worries -- it's on my list.)

But every time I go to Gilt, I get caught up in the upstairs and find myself sitting in a banquette, ordering three things off of the menu there: the pork meatballs, the burata on toast and an order of the frites. I'm not saying I've never strayed and that there aren't 100 other items I mean to try, but those three things are staples for me, regardless of the seasonal accompaniments happen to be adorning these dishes at the time. (This varies. Currently, it's an heirloom tomato salad with the burata and a fig glaze and some wilted escarole for the pork meatballs.)

The interior of Gilt is stylish and more than a little swanky. Best of all, it hearkens back to the days speakeasies and the roaring 20s, which gives the bar a solid dose of actual personality instead of being just another run-of-the-mill, relatively upscale scene in River North. (However, this also means the place is a little on the dark side and can get pretty loud. Embrace it. Or consider yourself warned in advance.) And given the fact that the chef cut his chops everywhere from the French Laundry to the Ritz Paris, the owner is a vet of Chicago's own beloved Lettuce Entertain You and the space previously housed the amazing Aigre Doux, this place has some serious cred behind it.

All that glitters isn't gold, but sometimes -- if you're lucky -- you stumble across the real deal. Visit Gilt Bar and judge for yourself at 230 W. Kinzie, across from the Merchandise Mart. Then give me a call and the odds are good that I'll mosey across the street to meet you. And also force you to order (and love) the pork meatballs, even if you claim you don't like pork.

Best Dishes: Carrot Cake at Hub 51

Hub 51 is, without a doubt, one of my favorite places in River North. I love everything about Hub 51: the location, the physical space, the atmosphere and most of all, the menu that so adeptly navigates an impressive array of various cuisines: from solid sushi to awesome Mexican to contemporary American and beyond. And perhaps most importantly, it is home to what is quite literally the best carrot cake of all time.

This glorious creation is called Martha's Special Occasion Carrot Cake and is the best way to end a good meal at Hub. Even if you think you don't like carrot cake, order it. One night, some friends and I had attended a charity event at The Underground and were looking for a nearby place to enjoy a late dinner and a few cocktails. Naturally, I recommended Hub 51. When we'd finished our entrees, I suggested we get the carrot cake for dessert. One of my friends said she didn't care for carrot cake and suggested we order their monster slice of chocolate cake as well. Our group is always happy to order more desserts rather than fewer, so that is exactly what we did.

Everyone tried both when the cakes came around and I must say that both options are brilliant. But the carrot cake is so exceptional that it outshines even the decadent multi-layer chocolate cake. This was almost impossible for me to fathom, given my intense love for a great chocolate cake and the myriad mediocre carrot cakes floating around out there. But this is what happens when you put anything up against Martha's masterpiece.

For those who aren't aware, Hub 51 is a Lettuce Entertain You restaurant run by R.J. and Jerrod Melman, who are the two sons of Lettuce Entertain You mastermind Rich Melman. The illustrious Martha behind the restaurant's mind-blowing carrot cake is none other than the boys' mother, Mrs. Melman.

Truly, this woman has a gift. The carrot cake is impossibly moist and beautifully spiced. The cream cheese frosting she's crafted is absolutely the best I have ever had. It's perfect. It's neither overwhelmingly tangy nor overly sweet. The consistency is flawless -- and Martha ups the ante by gracing the plate with an extra heaping scoop of the frosting and a heaping scoop of fresh whipped cream. The homemade whipped cream is impeccable: fluffy, smooth and created with just the perfect amount of vanilla.

However, all of my praise aside, it's perhaps most telling that my friend who "doesn't like carrot cake" was amazed to discover that she was Martha's biggest fan. We've not been back to Hub 51 since then without a slice of the carrot cake. If you're nervous, order the chocolate cake as well. It is good. But do not forget the carrot cake. Once you try it, you can rest assured you never will.

Sunda

I always root for the underdog. Consequently, I tend to hold a bit of a grudge against the constant powerhouses of the world. I can't stand Duke. I hate the Lakers. (Sorry, Shannon.) I am positive that I will hate the Miami Heat this coming NBA season.

Given that context, I'll admit that when I read the hoards of positive press about Sunda -- yet another venture from Chicago restaurant mogul and resident Big Man On Campus Billy Dec -- I kind of rolled my eyes and went in prepared to dislike it for the same reason I dislike the above sports teams. Billy Dec is all over the Chicago scene and has had his hand in many successful restaurant ventures, including Rockit Bar & Grill and The Underground. Like any powerhouse, it seems all he does is win. (Cue DJ Khaled here.)

The other reason I was a little bit prejudiced against Sunda is that it's a celeb hot spot and a total see-and-be-seen scene. These places usually bug me. Recognizing my prejudice and hell-bent on giving Sunda a fair shake, I decided to visit for lunch with my friend Emily.

You win, Billy Dec. What struck me most (and most immediately) about Sunda was the staff. The service wasn't completely flawless, but I was overcome by the lack of attitude at a place that's gotten a lot of press and has become such a hot spot. (Market, you could take a lesson from Sunda in this respect.) Despite the fact that Emily and I aren't Jamie Foxx or any of the other countless celebs who've been spotted dining there, I really felt like the hostess and our servers went out of their way to ensure that we enjoyed our meal and the experience. That scores big points with me.

Less shockingly, the restaurant's aesthetics are beautiful. The design is modern, filled with clean lines and lots of wood with just the right amount of glass and color mixed in. There's an upscale, hip vibe even during lunch -- but without any pretension. The atmosphere was sexy even during the daytime; I can only imagine what this place is like at night. (Sidebar: I hate the word sexy when used to describe food or anything else unrelated to something that is actually sexy... But it's really the only way to describe the atmosphere here. There's just something about it. The shoe fits. I can't help it.)

Sunda brands itself as "New Asian," a kind of contemporary Asian cuisine. The menu is pretty creative. This place isn't a hack shop; the items that Em and I tried today delivered on all counts. The presentations were pretty and most importantly, the food was good. Really good.

Emily and I both decided to do what the menu calls a Sunda Set Combo, which is a lot like a prixe fixe. For $18, you're allowed to choose an appetizer (miso soup or side salad), an entree (there are seven choices), rice and a 3-piece order of either the spicy tuna roll or the California roll. Be warned: this is a lot of food. Which, of course, I think is a good thing.

I chose the Shrimp and Sea Bass Curry, with the miso soup and the California roll. I was pleased with each element of the meal. The miso soup was standard and didn't feature any bells or whistles. Just miso broth, some cubes of tofu, scallions and a few wilted greens. Solid, but nothing to write home about.

The Shrimp and Sea Bass Curry was delicious. It's amazing shrimp and perfectly cooked sea bass in a green curry sauce with lemon grass, pineapples and red peppers. I thought that the description sounded interesting and the dish definitely was -- in a very good way. While I don't know that I'd throw pineapples in my green curry all of the time, it was a pretty cool idea and I think it worked. I really enjoyed the curry and the seafood was brilliantly executed. The red peppers and the green curry were a great combination and really added to the dish. Overall, the plate (err, bowl) was well-balanced and very flavorful.

The California rolls were just okay. It's not to say that Sunda doesn't have good sushi, but it's a relatively boring roll anyway and it probably just paled in comparison to all of the rest of the outstanding fare we tried. I definitely plan to go back for dinner and would like to try some different sushi options.

Emily opted for the side salad and loved the vinaigrette. For her main dish, she chose the Charsiu BBQ Pork, which is glazed pork served artfully over a row of baby bok choys. The glaze on this pork is the bomb. It's complex and not too sweet and it plays perfectly with the pork, which was done to perfection. I tried some of Emily's at lunch and will also admit to eating her leftovers for dinner... Since she had to catch a plane out to Seattle after our lunch. (I am not a pig... I am not a pig... I am a pig.) She also got the California rolls, so no need to elaborate on that further.

We also really wanted to try the "Duck...What?...Pork" appetizer. Kind of a funny name for some baos. For those of you who haven't experience the craze that is Wow Bao, a restaurant that specializes in "baos" and more or less introduced them to downtown Chicago, they are Asian buns that have a meat and/or veggie filling inside. At Sunda, you can choose between duck or pork belly baos. We chose pork belly. And these baos beat the pants off of the baos at Wow Bao. They were absolutely amazing and they arrived in a little bamboo steamer that was really cute. Loved the presentation, but loved the fact that they tasted every bit as wonderful as they looked even more.

Based on my extremely positive lunch experience, I definitely plan to return to Sunda for dinner. Next time, I really want to try the loompya appetizer, the rock shrimp tempura and about 100 other things -- including their cocktails. (Since the days of Mad Men are long gone, I stuck to Diet Coke during my lunch today.)

Sometimes the big names get a lot of undeserved hype and fail to live up to it. But sometimes they absolutely deserve every word. Sunda, that's what's up. I would absolutely recommend this place to anyone and everyone.

To find out more about Sunda, located at 112 W. Hubbard in River North, visit their site: http://www.sundachicago.com/. FYI, Sunda is also one of the restaurants featured on FineDineDeal, so you can also experience the restaurant with an affordable prixe fixe option if you'd like. Either way, this place is worth a try.

Best Dishes: Rigatoni Alla Buttera at Coco Pazzo

Every week, readers of The Chicago Tribune's Play section tell the editors about their favorite dishes in Chicagoland restaurants.

As I was perusing the options this morning, I noticed that it features one of my all-time favorite pasta dishes at one of my very favorite Italian restaurants: the Rigatoni at Coco Pazzo.

I was going to write about Farmers' Markets in Chicago today, but the thought of the Rigatoni alla Buttera stopped me cold. I knew what I had to do: talk about Coco Pazzo.

Coco Pazzo is a River North restaurant that serves Tuscan cuisine -- both contemporary and traditional -- and places a strong emphasis on freshness of ingredients. This focus is evident in their dishes, which take everyday Italian well above and beyond the familiar. Their bread is baked in-house daily; their pastas are all handmade fresh each day. The menu changes frequently in order to enable the chefs to use the freshest ingredients possible.

However, one menu staple is the Rigatoni alla Buttera... And thank God. It is so wonderful. Every time I'm there, I have to order at least an appetizer portion of the Rigatoni. (If you'd like, you can create a main course of 2 or 3 appetizer portions of their pastas. I've been known to do this on at least a few occasions.) But I digress. Back to the Rigatoni.

The fresh Rigatoni pasta (my favorite shape for its propensity to pick up the perfect amount of sauce -- and peas, in this instance) is served in an impeccable tomato cream sauce with fennel sausage and peas. I know, I know, I talk about balance a lot, but I do believe it's so much of what makes a truly great dish. Not surprisingly, you've got it here. Pasta and tomato cream sauce is always a beautiful combination, with the acidity of a typical tomato sauce playing nicely off of the richness of a hint of cream. However, when you throw in the spice and depth of some fennel sausage and the sweetness of peas, it's really taken to the next level. Texturally speaking, this dish is flawless. The pasta and sausage provide substance, the peas a pop of freshness and there is just enough smooth, rich sauce to tie the entire dish together flawlessly.

Eat this. Immediately. And while you're there, don't hesitate to try the gnocchi and the risotto of the day. Both are always spectacular (and frequently make up pasta options 2 & 3 on my plate).

While you're dining, don't hesitate to sample their award winning 200+ wine list. I can't tell you how many delicious bottles I've tried here. Their servers are extremely knowledgeable in the fine art of wine pairings and can definitely assist your table in finding the perfect fit(s) for your meal.

Their desserts are also awesome. My favorites (and at this point, I've tried almost the entire list) are the panna cotta, the travoletta and the fondente. The panna cotta is an eggless vanilla bean custard, served with caramel sauce and fresh berries. And it's out of this world. The travoletta takes richness to a new level with Gianduja mousse, flourless chocolate cake, chocolate hazelnut crunch and raspberry coulis. The fondente is a warm flourless chocolate cake served with cappucino gelato. Unbelievable. That said, every dessert I've had here has been great, these are just my top three.

Also not to be missed is their selection of gelatos. Truly amazing. You get a little trio of flavors, so you don't have to pick just one. These vary, but my favorite is the stracciatella -- just as it was when Jenny and I were traveling through Italy and making up to 3 gelato stops daily. (BTW, stracciatella is similar to chocolate chip ice cream.)

The only dessert on the menu that I haven't tried is the dolce limone, which is described as candied lemon cream, amarena cherries, marscapone sorbet and amaretti crumble. Suffice to say, I'll be giving that a whirl next time I'm there.

Oh my gosh, Coco Pazzo. You make me so happy.

To learn more about Coco Pazzo, visit http://www.cocopazzochicago.com/coco-pazzo.html

To check out The Chicago Tribune's Must-Try Dishes for this week, visit http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/dining/chi-100224-chicago-best-dishes-pictures,0,7166686.photogallery

GRAHAMWICH?!

Graham Elliot Bowles is opening a River North sandwich shop, which will be called "grahamwich." Hilarious. This is one of many reasons I love Graham Elliot Bowles. (The others have to do with his fondness for taking the pretension typically associated with fine dining down about 400 notches by inserting subtle humor and incorporating novelties and childhood faves like Cheese Nips into his incredible culinary creations. And also his appearance on Top Chef Masters, where he came off as hilarious, humble, creative and completely down to earth. Hmm, Anthony Bourdain and Man vs. Food had better watch out; I think there's a new food man making his way into my heart.)

I have been dying to go to graham elliot -- and am counting down the days until Lollapalooza this year in part because I missed out on last year's lobster corn dogs that sold out at his booth EVERY DAY -- and now will add grahamwich to my list as well. Unfortunately, there's not much info out on the new place, which was slated to open in late May/early June. You can visit the website, which is cute but won't tell you much, here: http://www.grahamwich.com/

According to The Stew, we can expect street food and sandwiches at grahamwich, along with homemade sodas in five flavors from hand-pulled tabs. Also look for seasonal soft serve (!!!!), such as a roasted butternut squash ice cream with marshmallow in the fall.

Grubstreet reports that he's shooting for a mid-July opening (we shall see... I hope this is not another Girl & The Goat hoax), but also that he's working on a beer with Goose Island. Clearly, I will be sampling this as soon as it's released.

If you're curious about the new place -- or you just love Graham Elliot like it's your job -- check out the Hideout at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow night when he's interviewed by the Red Eye funny man Mark Bazer during "The Interview Show." For more information, visit http://www.hideoutchicago.com/writeups.html#INTERVIEW

Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend, which makes me sad because of my love for Graham, but also because Mark Bazer's column in the Red Eye is flipping hilarious. If you're able to make it, PLEASE let me know how it goes!