Chicago q

Thank you, food gods, for Chicago q. I love, love, love this barbecue place, located at Dearborn and Division, just steps from another favorite haven of mine. (Cough, Butch McGuire's, cough...)

But seriously. I'll admit that I was skeptical of Chicago q when I first read about it. A barbecue place that was trying to take things upscale? Hmm. In a city that's seen hordes of new BBQ joints in the past year, I may or may not have rolled my eyes at one trying to differentiate itself by getting fancy. Who needs a white table cloth when you're drowning everything you're eating in different kinds of BBQ sauces?

I take back that eyeroll. Chicago q delivers some very delicious barbecue in an atmosphere that is at once stylish, inviting and comfortable. We ended up at Chicago q because it was one of a list of restaurants I suggested for dinner when my good friend, Colette, was in town from San Francisco -- and it was the one place that everyone picked. I am so glad they did.

The first thing I'd like to note is that Chicago q isn't over-the-top upscale, which is a good thing. It's nicer than most barbecue joints, but there are no hand-steamed white linen tablecloths. They do, however, set the tables with cloth napkins. And if you're wearing black, as I was and so often am, they provide you with a black napkin so it doesn't get those little white fuzzies all over your pants! I love this service - and it is just one of many ways that Chicago q seems to cater to their customers in a way that's above and beyond average.

For example, the meal begins with complimentary bowls of homemade pickles and delightfully smoky house-made chips, which we discovered (much to our delight) are endlessly refilled as the meal progresses. Another nice little unexpected extra that serves to make diners smile.

I had read great things about the Hominy Salad at Chicago q, so we ordered two for the group. (Hominy is dried white or yellow corn kernels, from which the hull and the germ have been removed. To provide further context, ground hominy is commonly used to make grits.) In the case of this salad, hominy in its unground form is mixed in with smoked corn, black beans and avocado, then dressed in a tangy and delicious sort of barbecue dressing. The salad was good, but I didn't love it. Realistically, I don't think it has that much to do with the salad itself, but more that I just don't love the texture of hominy that much.

The truly amazing part of the meal was yet to come: the barbecued meats. Most of the ladies at the table, including myself, chose the BBq Flight as their entree. Technically an appetizer, it's comprised of Chicago q's pulled pork, pulled chicken and... wait for it... KOBE BRISKET. That's right. Brisket made from Kobe beef.

Normally, nothing compares to my love of pulled pork. It is my BBQ go-to, but I can't tell you how glad I am that I made the choice to try these three. Prior to Chicago q, I'd just been lukewarm about brisket. It's fine, but not my favorite. That all changed when I tried brisket made from Kobe beef. I loved it. LOVED it.

But I was shocked to find that I loved something else even more: pulled chicken! So much can go wrong with pulled chicken and I've had plenty of super-dry, really bad attempts at this dish. But Chicago q shocked me again with its absolutely incredible pulled chicken. It's perfect. It's juicy and delicious and everything pulled chicken should be. The meat takes on the flavors of any of the three sauces you put on it in a way that few other meats can. (Or if you're like me, you can mix and match to find your favorite blend of sauces -- and it'll take that on, too.)

My least favorite of the three was the pulled pork. It was a little fatty for my taste and kind of a let-down after I was so excited about the two meats I'd originally considered the underdogs of the flight. In the case of my pulled pork, the extra fat wasn't extra flavor -- it was just extra work. As a result, Smoque still has my heart when it comes to my pulled pork obsession.

But the sides also took the meal to another level. The honey butter cornbread is nothing short of outstanding. The bruleed macaroni and cheese was completely amazing. The sides help to make Chicago q comfort food at its best -- they are the perfect complement to a meat-heavy meal.

The service was warm and polished. Throughout the meal, our servers were knowledgeable, attentive and friendly. The only way I could have had a better experience is if I'd had enough room to try one of their fabulous-looking desserts. Definitely recommend Chicago q for some great barbecue with a touch of Gold Coast style.

Mastro's Steakhouse

I feel like a traitor saying this, but I have a new favorite steakhouse in Chicago... And it's an import from L.A. It's also a chain. Ugh, that makes me want to throw up a little bit, but it's all true.

The second Ladies Who Love Steak dinner took place at Mastro's and every single thing was amazing. The meal was pricey, but these people take the very Chicago concept of going big or going home to a whole new level. For example, the ladies who love steak also love cocktails, so it made sense to begin our meal with a round. What we didn't realize is that we'd actually be starting the meal with two rounds -- because when our martinis came, they were served with the shaker. And ice aside, that shaker housed another entire martini. Yeah, I needed that extra Classic Mastro's Martini like a hole in the head. But it was delicious.

We decided that we needed some appetizers to soak up our double-sized drinks... STAT. So we ordered the shrimp cocktail and the lump jumbo crab stuffed mushrooms. The shrimp cocktail was served on an elaborate tiered structure, with lots of ice and lemons and random olives -- and something in it was making the top of the tower emit some sort of steam. It was very dramatic and even more delicious. The shrimp were enormous and fresh and perfect.

And then there were the crab-stuffed mushrooms. They were phenomenal. Perfectly cooked, not overly greasy and chocked-full of gigantic pieces of crab. I would eat them every day of my life if I could make them myself. Just awesome.

Moving right along, almost every single person ordered what our waiter cited as the Mastro's specialty: bone-in filet. Most ordered it medium, but Kim -- the mega badass that she is, went ahead and ordered it RARE. Awesome. I have never seen a woman order her steak rare and I am mentally tipping my hat to her as I write this.

However, what I love about Mastro's is that when you say how you'd like your steak done, they confirm that your expectations are in line with their definition of the terms. This is great, because I've definitely ordered my steak medium at places and had it be outright RED in the center or barely pink at others. AND they offer something called "medium-plus," which is slightly better done than medium but not quite medium-well. I mean, I'm a medium girl myself, but that's brilliant.

Multiple people at our table remarked that the steak we ate at Mastro's was the best steak they'd ever eaten. And I'd have to agree. The bone-in filet had more flavor than any filet I've had before -- and it was impeccably seasoned. Simple, flavorful, delicious. Perfectly cooked. I laughed when the waiter asked me if I wanted the 12-ounce or the 18-ounce version and ordered the 12-ounce... But I really honestly believe that this steak was so amazing, that I would have eaten every last bite of the 18-ounce version if I'd ordered it -- and I kind of wished I had. Completely outstanding.

As you can see in the photo above, we also tried a few of the side dishes at Mastro's. We ordered two of their special sides: black truffle macaroni and cheese (unbelievable), their lobster mashed potatoes (completely over-the-top, but awesome) and their classic creamed spinach (pure excellence). The two side specials were crazy rich and impeccably prepared. But the creamed spinach was actually my favorite -- I'm a total sucker for steak with a side of creamed spinach.

But little did we know... the best was yet to come. Dessert at Mastro's is completely unbelievable. We ordered a trio: the Mastro's Signature Warm Butter Cake, the Chocolate Sin Cake and the Crème Brulèe. And to add to the magnificence, the three desserts were served with a large bowl of phenomenal fresh whipped cream.

The crème brulèe was incredible. It was sweet and creamy, with a perfectly caramelized sugary layer on top. Above and beyond, all the way. It seems to be a theme at Mastro's. Predictably, I LOVE it.

The Chocolate Sin cake was rich and decadent, packed to the gills with robust chocolate flavor. It lived up to its name. Anything that tastes that fabulous has to be terrible for you. Who cares? I'd order it again in a heartbeat.

But I am not exaggerating when I say that the Warm Butter Cake is the best dessert I have ever had in my life. It is so wonderful and makes me so happy I hardly know what to do with myself. In fact, it makes me happy just thinking about it.

Mastro's Steakhouse, I'm a firm believer that Chicago has the best restaurant scene in the country. But I have to acknowledge that the presence of this L.A. import has made it infinitely better. I am obsessed. See for yourself at 520 N. Dearborn Street.

Sprinkles Cupcakes

Sprinkles Cupcakes invaded Chicago earlier this year with its cute-as-a-button name and logo. Heralded as one of the originators of the cupcake craze, the cupcake fans in this city went wild when the L.A.-based Sprinkles opened up shop in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood.

It seemed pretty gutsy to open a store in an already cupcake-crazed -- and arguably, cupcake-saturated -- market, but people seemed to be completely obsessed with the new shop. When I expressed skepticism as to whether Sprinkles would bump my cupcake favorite (Sweet Mandy B's) from my number one spot, I was assured by a Sprinkles fanatic that I'd become a believer after trial. So I was pretty pumped to see for myself what the hype was all about.

It took me a little longer than I'd have liked to investigate. But after spending a lovely afternoon at The Spa on Oak, Kath and I decided to round the corner and stop into Sprinkles for some cupcakes. Predictably, Kath got the Double Chocolate, a Belgian dark chocolate cake with bittersweet chocolate frosting. It was tasty -- definitely an excellent pick for a dark chocolate lover.

Since they didn't have an option for yellow cake and chocolate frosting today, I opted for the Black & White, a Belgian dark chocolate cake with vanilla frosting and chocolate sprinkles. It was a solid cupcake.

But as you may be able to tell, I'm not racing to jump on board the Sprinkles bandwagon. Sprinkles is a nice addition to the robust Chicago cupcake scene. If you're in the neighborhood, stop in and try a few.

But for me, the reigning cupcake queen of Chicago is still Sweet Mandy B's for the following reasons: I prefer Sweet Mandy B's cake-to-frosting ratio (Sprinkles has less frosting) and think that the Sweet Mandy B's frosting itself is better, as I prefer both the consistency and level of sweetness. Sprinkles' vanilla frosting was too sweet for me (even paired with the dark chocolate cake) and while the bittersweet chocolate frosting was good, it still doesn't compare to the chocolate frosting at Sweet Mandy B's.

Sprinkles is good, but as usual -- the advantage goes to my favorite hometown hero: Sweet Mandy B's.

Henri

First, I am woefully behind in posting. My apologies. I'm going to try to catch up on some of these posts, starting with Henri.

Jeff and I ate at Henri a couple of weeks ago and had a fabulous experience. The service there is phenomenal. Everything about it -- starting with the call from the maître d' to confirm our reservation and to see if we had any dietary restrictions or allergies -- was flawless. And completely unpretentious. Which is even more refreshing in the context of such a supremely elegant and tasteful space.

The dining room at Henri is both sophisticated and gorgeous. (Far too dim and elegant to take many pictures on my phone, peeps. Sorry! Check out some daytime photos on Yelp here.) The atmosphere is one of hushed refinement, but the service is friendly and unassuming. Love it! The approachable service makes the small dining room feel infinitely more cozy.

What's more, the food is good! It's fairly pricey, but it's a great place for a special occasion. And they are aware of that fact, because it's one of the questions the maître d' asks when calling to confirm a reservation. Jeff's and my "occasion" was really just that it was a new French place I'd been dying to try and it's very close to Symphony Hall, where we were heading after dinner that night. But if you do have something special planned, Henri's the perfect spot and the staff will most definitely go out of their way to ensure that you leave very pleased with your decision to dine there.

Jeff and I both started with cocktails. He had a Manhattan (nothing shocking there) and I switched things up a little by ordering a Champagne cocktail, which was mixed tableside. And by "mixed," I mean that the bartender came over and poured the Champagne into my glass, over a cube of rock sugar, some house bitters and a raspberry or two. It felt appropriately sophisticated in the space and was a perfect pre-dinner drink, but probably too sweet to drink more than just one.

Our dinner began with two orders of the consommé of rabbit, which was a light and delicious broth hand-poured by our server over rabbit agnolotti and winter squash. Normally I'm against two people ordering the same thing, but it's really hard to "share" soup -- and it was freezing outside that night! And I'm glad I didn't just get something else for the sake of getting something different, because this was quite tasty.

I had been debating between two dishes (again, unsurprising): the Fig Glazed Duck Breast, served with a goat cheese “tart” with fig and grape, and the Roasted Florida Snapper, with squash, Parisian potatoes, sage and allspice. The fish was tasty, but in the end, I wished I had gotten the duck. It just seemed like the more interesting and unique choice. But that's my own fault.

For his entreé, Jeff chose the NY Strip Steak, which is cooked in their stone oven and served with cheddar potatoes. I had some food envy; I'm not going to lie. Even though he ordered his steak medium-rare instead of my hallmark medium, my fork was still finding its way onto his plate. (He loves that...)

For dessert, we had the AMAZING dark chocolate tart. It was really delicious. I'm loving it all over again just thinking about it. Their dark chocolate tart experience epitomizes the entire restaurant's understated elegance: it's simple, chic and unbelievably wonderful all at once.

I will most certainly be back to try the runners-up to my entreé and dessert: the Fig Glazed duck and the very promising Paris Brest. (I've been obsessed ever since we had an amazing version of this dessert at The Elysian's Balsan.) Can't wait for a return trip to Henri!

Plan your visit here. Henri is located at 18 S. Michigan Avenue, right nextdoor to its sister restaurant and one of my favorite pubs, The Gage.

Grand Chefs Gala & After Party

What's a Chicago foodie to do on a Friday... Specifically this Friday?

I am extremely excited to report that I'll be attending the 14th Annual Grand Chefs Gala at The Fairmont Chicago as a guest of our dear family friends, the Conways. The Grand Chefs Gala benefits the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and touts an impressive line-up of many of Chicago's best chefs: Curtis Duffy of Avenues, Jason McLeod of RIA, Stephanie Izard of Girl & The Goat, Jimmy Banos Jr. of The Purple Pig... the list goes on and on. (See a complete list of the hors d'oeuvres chefs here.)

Each chef attends and prepares hos d'oeuvres for the Gala -- so it's bound to be a culinary extravaganza of epic proportions. Since the event's "black-tie preferred," I suppose I'll have to leave my Thanksgiving pants at home and exercise some form of relative self control. But I promise to try and report on as much as I possibly can!

However, the fun doesn't stop there. After a delicious dinner provided by the chefs at The Fairmont Chicago, the party kicks into high gear with desserts and drinks from more Chicago masters of the culinary and cocktail arts. If this sounds like something right up your alley, come join us!

At the Grand Chefs Gala's After Party, you'll enjoy desserts from some of the biggest names in Chicago sweets (Sarah's Pastries & Candies, More, The Bristol and lots more) as well as cocktails crafted by some of the city's finest mixologists (Brad Bolt from Bar DeVille, Fred Sarkis from Sable Kitchen & Bar, Steven Cole from Violet Hour and more).

The After Party runs from 9:30 - midnight and tickets are $60 per person. There'll be live music, mingling and general merriment in support of a fantastic cause. The party's bound to be a blast -- but it's also a unique opportunity to try some of the best libations and treats Chicago has to offer, all under one roof! Come, enjoy food and drink, and support a great cause. Purchase your ticket here.

Due Lire

There are few things I love more than good northern Italian food. The flavors are brilliant, simple and fresh. The cooking is thoughtful, but without pretense. Plainly put, it's just delicious.

Lucky for me, Lincoln Square now has a solid, authentic northern Italian restaurant option. Due Lire is a recent addition to the neighborhood -- so much so that it's still B.Y.O.V. (Bring Your Own Vino) until the liquor license arrives.

Jeff and I wanted some delicious Italian food, but didn't feel much like traversing the city this frigid Wednesday night. We were having our usual "where to eat, it's already getting late" debate when I remembered two things: 1. A month or two ago, we'd noticed that a place called Due Lire was set to open on Lincoln, near his place in North Center and 2. It had just been listed as one of the restaurants featured in "The Hot List" for the February issue of Chicago magazine.

As a result of the latter fact, we decided to call the restaurant and were thrilled to learn that they could accommodate two people at 8 pm. Perfect. We grabbed a delicious bottle of Burgundy Jeff had on hand and headed out to meet the new neighborhood Italian.

The place was bustling -- on a Wednesday. Clearly, this little neighborhood spot is benefiting from both the heavy foot traffic on Lincoln Ave (located right near Tank, the popular Lincoln Square sushi spot) and its debut in Chicago Magazine. As we waited for our table with a few others awaiting seats, a patron leaving assured us that it was "well worth the wait." That's a good sign.

Neither Jeff nor I was particularly starving, so we ate pretty lightly. I started with the rucola salad, comprised of arugula, grape tomatoes and sharp parmesan cheese. It was very tasty.

For his entree, Jeff ordered the ravioli rustici, which is ravioli that's been stuffed with short rib and served in a flavorful mushroom-laced ragu. It was very good. Smallish portion by typical American standards -- definitely meant to be a starter plate followed by a meat course, but perfect for us this evening.

I had the gnocchi in a Bolognese sauce. The gnocchi was perfect. And as someone who's worked very hard to perfect homemade gnocchi, I know firsthand how hard it is to get it right. (Too much flour and the "pillows" sink like lead. Too little and they're gummy and gross. Gnocchi done well is truly an art.) The Bolognese sauce was good -- a little salty for my taste, but I certainly acknowledge that I am overly sensitive to that sometimes. Most people would probably think it was perfect.

Lastly, we had the cioccolatissimo! for dessert. That's a chocolate lava cake with delicious homemade whipped cream and a touch of amarena cherry sauce drizzled on the plate. It was quite tasty.

At Due Lire, a meal is definitely meant to be a multi-course experience so the portions are manageable. Our experience isn't typical -- on most days, we'd have needed to order (or at least split) a meat course as well to ensure that we left with full stomachs. And I can't wait to go back and do just that because the meat courses looked amazing. I especially want to try the filetto manzo, a pancetta-wrapped fillet with sauteed mushrooms and a red wine reduction.

For a salad, two pasta dishes and a dessert, the bill came to $49 with tax. (This also included a $5 glass fee.) As I noted, we'd need more food to feel satiated on a normal day, but it was perfect for tonight. Overall, Due Lire was quite reasonable... and quite tasty.

We'll definitely be back -- and I'm looking forward to it already.

grahamwich: a mixed bag

grahamwich, I wanted to love you. You know I did.

graham elliot remains one of my absolute favorite restaurants in Chicago and I still think that Graham Elliot Bowles is a genius. But I was underwhelmed by grahamwich.

Not because it was cash only. And not because the sandwiches were $10 apiece. Nope, neither of these fazed me. I will pay whatever amount of money however the chef wants it delivered as long as the food, or even the experience, is fabulous.

The restaurant was cute and the staff was nice. Until I asked if it was possible to order the turkey confit sandwich sans sage mayo. The hipster behind the register told me she'd strongly recommend against it. (I then remembered the "no substitutions" rule I'd read about at grahamwich.) I'm not a picky eater, so normally "no substitutions" isn't a huge deal for me. But Graham, crafty bastard that he is, managed to stick mayonnaise of some sort on virtually every single sandwich on the menu.

I explained the situation about my EXTREME aversion to mayonnaise (one of only four things I don't like, mind you) and the girl looked at me like I had four heads and was some lower form of foodie life. This bugged me. Fine, tell me I can't make substitutions. But don't judge me. I know for a fact that some of the most well-known chefs in the city share my aversion to mayonnaise. We know it's one of the mother sauces. We can't help it. We don't like it.

She tried to explain that without the mayonnaise, it'd be dry... and I'd miss out on the sage. I get that. It happens every time I order a sandwich without aioli or mayonnaise or whatever alias it's going by that day. I'm okay with the dryness. I hate mayonnaise THAT MUCH.

Ok, I said. I'll get the jibarito press, which are comprised of pork shoulder, pickled mango, queso fresco, habanero mustard and crispy plantains. No mayo there. Well... that was true, but instead of the crumbly queso fresco I'm used to... I got sneak attacked with some form of creamy white business that seemed to be a sour cream/mayonnaise deal in disguise! Sneaky, Graham. Very sneaky. I was unimpressed with the jibarito press. The idea was great, but the flavors were lacking.

Habanero mustard? Complemented by pickled mango? And succulent pork shoulder, offset texturally by crispy plantains? Genius. I thought for sure this was going to be a flavor fest. But it wasn't. Everything kind of blended together and what I tasted most was the element I didn't want: creamy white stuff. I understand that asking that a restaurant omit an ingredient affects the flavor and upsets the carefully crafted balance that the chef worked so hard to concoct. But if you hate one of the elements of the sandwich, you never get the balance the chef intended. Because the ingredient you taste more than anything else is usually going to be the one you hate. This was the case for me, but in truth, the rest of the tacos didn't blow me away either.

Cavoto had got the turkey confit, since she's not afraid of a little sage mayo. (Or anything, really.) It was good; but there was a lot of mayonnaise on that sandwich. I will say that since the turkey is shredded, it would have been a mighty dry sandwich without that mayo and it did impart some sage flavor. However, I couldn't eat more than few bites of my half because the mayonnaise tang was too overwhelming -- for someone who hates mayo. Otherwise, it was good. The rest of the elements included candied yams, stewed cranberries and field greens, all piled onto hawaiian bread with turkey confit and sage mayo. If you like mayo, chances are that this is probably a good sandwich.

The truffle popcorn made famous at graham elliot is a lot better at graham elliot. Too much truffle oil on the popcorn at grahamwich. I reeked of it for the rest of the day and I think I'm going to have to wash my coat because it still smells like truffles two days later. The popcorn at grahamwich is good, but it doesn't do the original justice. And don't wear anything down when you eat it.

grahamwich also offers housemade sodas, as they call them... I personally think of them as "pop," but whatever. Cavoto and I both had root beer and it was pretty tasty. Enjoyable, but nothing unusual.

And then there was brilliance. The cinnamon stick frozen yogurt is a gift from God. It is perfect in every way, shape and form. Flavorful (but not overpowering) cinnamon yogurt is topped with sweet roasted apple, lots of salted caramel and crumbled pie crust in some sort of parfait-like concoction. It's messy as all hell, but it's so delicious that you couldn't care less -- save the fact that you have to waste a precious drop of this fabulousness. grahamwich home run! I'd go back in a heartbeat for the cinnamon stick yogurt.
All in all, I was underwhelmed. Maybe my expectations were too high. But since I work a block away, I'll be back for the cinnamon stick yogurt. And while I'm there, maybe I'll try the grilled cheese. Doesn't seem like there's any creamy white condiment lurking there. But... you never know!

If you want to get a sense of how great a chef Graham Elliot Bowles is, go to graham elliot. If you're around 615 N. State, don't have a strong aversion to creamy white condiments and are looking for a sandwich, give this place a whirl.