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May 26, 2010

Restaurant Review: The Drawing Room




Before I had the marvelous opportunity to eat at the Drawing Room with my friend Jessica, I had solely visited to sip and savor their magnificent cocktails. It seems to be a widespread idea that the Drawing Room is the place for mainly drinks, however after my munch-tastic experience, I know better... The truth; unveiled. Myth; shattered. While their drinks do shine like stars in a fairytale sky, their food shines brighter (that is a fib because they are both really freakin' good but I just like the way that sounds). Unbeknownst to you, I am utilizing this blog as a vehicle to enlighten you by opening the magical door that keeps only two sacred things: rainbows, and Chef Nick Lacasse's sweetbreads. Although The Drawing Room does have delectable--and from a mixologist's standpoint maybe even perfect cocktails, the food also deserves more gold stars than six-year-old Einstein.

My dinner was seven courses while dessert consisted of three, so altogether I had approximately 42 courses... Truth be told, they were all phenom (that's slang for phenomenal). Chef Nick Lacasse definitely spoiled my buds with his never-ending sequence of mouthwatering dishes; since then a standard 3-course meal feels roughly as satisfying as a five-star drive-thru dinner from Arby's. Barf. Thanks a lot, a-hole! As punishment for setting the bar too high, I'm going to tell everyone how splendid your food was. Consider yourself served...

Here I go:
New Jersey Oysters--with Frank's Red Hot caviar and mignonette: fresh, sexy, and delicious with a kick from the faux-caviar.
Spicy Tuna Tartare--with avocado, tempura nori, and hearts of palm emulsion: exquisite combination of taste and texture between the fresh tuna, creamy avocado, crisp nori, and slightly sweet, airy foam.
Veal Nuggets--veal sweetbreads with porterhouse bbq sauce and buttermilk poppy seed slaw: the flawless natural flavor of the sweetbreads (further enhanced by Nick's skills), crispy breading, and the tangy, fresh crunch of the slaw makes this perfect little nugget my favorite.
Fried Guacamole--tempura avocado, tomato, cumin seed, cilantro coulis, grilled key lime: there is something about the crunchy, warm avocado--which melts in your mouth with just the slightest pressure from your tongue, combined with the perfectly complimentary ingredients that elevate this creative interpretation higher than you could ever imagine without tasting it.
Polenta--crispy herbed cake, whipped fontagne, baby spring onions, asparagus, oyster mushrooms, and parsley white wine sauce: first, who doesn't love polenta? The variety of perfectly executed vegetables and simply delicious sauce makes this sophisticated rendition of a classic comfort food even more likable.
Bacon Squared--bacon wrapped braised pork belly with yuzu sunchoke puree: this dish, which screams HOLY SUCCULENT FAT EAT-ME GOODNESS, sounds down-home and unrefined (with the exception of the yuzu sunchoke puree). In reality (aka my mouth), it is remarkably polished and it balances wonderfully with the sweet puree. Sinful is OK when it's this delicious.
Dessert consisted of white chocolate creme brulee, blood orange bread pudding with whipped sour cream, and my favorite (though all were heavenly) whiskey ice cream--a must try because I promise you will like it no matter how much you cringe after taking a shot of Jameson...

So, who's jealous? It sounds like a fabricated fairytale but trust me, there is no need to sugarcoat an experience that is already this sweet. It was simply that amazing.
And for those of you who are wondering, with regard to cocktails I had the Trifecta (Cabana, Martini & Rossi Bianco, three herb syrup, lime) and the One Night in Rio (Cabana, Aperol, Luxardo Maraschino, lemon, basil). Both were very good--complex yet well-balanced, the whole shebang... I'll leave the explaining to the experts.

Moral of the Story? It is rare that the restaurant- and bar-component of a restaurant/bar are on equal playing fields, especially on such a stellar level. But I promise you the Drawing Room does in fact exist, it will make your buds dance, and it's right in the heart of Chicago...
*Photos: The oysters and tuna tartare, the fried guac, the sweet breads, and the bacon squared.

May 3, 2010

Restaurant Review: Sable Kitchen & Bar



Throughout the course of our lives we experience many firsts—there’s the first crush, the first chase and tackle of the first crush to attain the first kiss, the first forbidden sip of your friend’s parents’ booze, the first night spooning the porcelain throne as a result of abusing your friend’s parents’ booze, etc. (You may or may not have just learned a lot about me…) Some of those firsts are obviously more exciting and welcome than others. As I walked to Sable Kitchen and Bar with my friends Ryan and Evan, I expressed the elevated level of excitement that comes hand in hand with a highly anticipated first visit to a new restaurant. Aside from experiencing new food in a unique setting, I always look forward to these experiences because they provide me with blog ammunition. Unfortunately for Sable Kitchen and Bar, my dining experience was beyond sub par while undoubtedly providing me with a wealth of blog ammunition. In terms of “firsts,” I’d say it was the equivalent of discovering my first gray hair, which I actually may have grown while waiting for the bill.

Okay, on to (bitching about) the food and drink… I ordered the bridal shower cocktail, consisting of vodka, campari, rhubarb syrup and soda water. Although we waited an unacceptable amount of time for our cocktails (and water), it was pretty good—tasty with a punch, as it better have! Next, I ordered the ahi tuna tartare tacos to start. They were not special; under seasoned and boring. Ryan had the five spice pork ribs, which I tasted. The hoisin-sesame glaze was delicious but it was evident that the ribs were not slow cooked. Rather than tender meat effortlessly falling off the bone, there was lots of gnawing going on. Evan had the soft pretzels, which again were boring. I don’t understand why pretzels are on any menu other than sports bars’ or ball parks’. Unless, of course, they are sprinkled with dust from unicorns’ horns, they are just pretzels—how good can they be? Next we ordered the bison short rib sliders, which were actually not completely disappointing. My first bite was delicious—the meat was juicy and the crispy fried onions added nice texture and flavor. If only every bite was that good... Some pieces of bison were dry, lacking glaze and ultimately moisture and flavor, while others were tasty. Each bite begged the question “is this bite going to make me happy or sad?” The answer was always a toss-up. The best item of the evening was the braised pork belly flatbread with apples, white cheddar and molasses barbeque sauce. I do actually recommend this. The pork combined with the sweet apple, the tang of the cheese, and subtle barbeque flavor melded well together. Needless to say, after the first few dishes, the three of us were fighting for the last piece of flatbread.

With regard to service, I felt bad for our server. She was clearly flustered and had too much on her plate. I know this because so did I… Our undersized plates had never been swapped out for new, clean ones. NEVER. If you saw the size of them you would understand. My desire to cut my food was not an option without any room on my tiny plate due to space being taken up by rib bones and pieces of inedible, dry short rib. Being the dainty little flower that I am, this was yet another letdown that amounted to a disappointing dining experience...

I do have one positive thing to say about Sable—the décor, specifically in the bar area, is very chic. Aside from the faux fireplace that belongs in a Viagra Triangle frequenter’s bachelor pad, I really like the black high-top tables, marble bar, and bar wall lined with a harmonious array of bottles.

Sadly, my trip to Sable was a disappointment. Although it pains me to be so harsh, I needed to write my first negative restaurant review some time…

Moral of the Story? My experience at Sable is another example of a not so welcome nor exciting “first.” I'm sure you have a few up your sleeve...

*Photos: The braised pork belly flatbread and the bison short rib sliders