Chicago, River North

Due to the chaos of trying to work in New Orleans during Mardi Gras last year (which I missed), the trial team decided to vacate the city during that time this year. Meaning… once again, I was *this* close to Mardi Gras in New Orleans, and I missed it. The week before the super bowl (or in my case, right afterwards), we participated in a mass exodus of NOLA, everyone heading to their respective homes for a week and a half, with the exception of my team, who got to go with the lawyers to 20-degree Chicago. That was pretty brutal as well, but I had some killer food! I want to be clear that this is all located specifically in the River North area, and I'm sure is only a small sampling of the amazing food throughout the city.

Shaw’s was seafood heaven! Now, I am not a fan of raw oysters. I don’t like their snotty consistency, and I’m not a fan of the cocktail sauce used to make them palatable. But it’s been years since I had one, and I decided to try again. Shaw’s has an entire raw oyster menu, and we ordered some particularly small ones, which came with a lemony accompaniment quite deliciously unlike cocktail sauce. It was divine! My main entrée was grilled Atlantic swordfish with mustard char glaze, and Brussels sprouts with Dijon vinaigrette. It was one of the best seafood dishes I have ever had.

In an attempt to keep up the enthusiasm I have for Shaw’s, I must tell you about Sunda next. I should really stop throwing around the phrase “one of the best,” but… if it’s true, it’s true. I can’t control these things. So. I will admit that I am not a sushi purist. I love me a creative, completely unauthentic sushi roll just as much as an ultra-fresh slice of lonesome raw fish. This place took a step away from classic sashimi, didn’t quite cross over into fancy roll territory, but took me somewhere in between to a level of sushi creativity I had yet to experience. Their specialty is what they call Crispy Rice, which looks deceptively like a normal piece of fish on a normal piece of rice. My favorite variety, the Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice, was in fact a spicy tuna mix formed into the shape of a slice of fish, and laid on top of a lightly fried patty of rice. Wow. Their other home run that I could not get enough of was called “The Great White Tuna,” and featured my favorite raw fish, escolar (or “super white tuna”) wrapped around a chunk of rice topped with a tiny homemade potato chip and truffle shavings. Guys, seriously. One of the best.

Another stand out on the trip was an Italian tapas bar called Quartino. Having recently been to Italy, I really appreciate finding little gems that actually remind me of the country, which most Italian restaurants do not. The ambiance of Quartino, while inviting, was not particularly authentic, but the food was amazing, and not a thing was smothered in alfredo sauce. Small plates of delicately prepared pastas and risottos, with cheese plates and bruschettes and thin-crust pizzas. Overall, a fantastic meal, which was repeated several times over the course of my week and a half in Chicago.

Bear with me for one more glowing review, of a restaurant called Sable. This place was the epitome of “new American” food, which is kind of my jam right now. Super modern and trendy, with a focus on farm-to-table cuisine. Everything I had was delicious, with some specialties such as truffle deviled eggs, fried kale chips with smoked sea salt, tuna tartar on tempura tostada shells, baked gruyere mac-n-cheese… etc, etc, you get the idea. Also, some of you may recall my discovery of poutine in Canada, which has blossomed into a healthy need to try poutine I see on menu, no matter how much we Americans take liberties with that word. Sable had a Chicken Confit Poutine… I did pick out the chicken, but there was no mistaking the delicious flavorings of chicken fat in this dish, which was impressive considering it’s usually made with beef or pork gravy. Two thumbs up!

The one last thing I’d like to mention is that I was super excited to go to Frontera Grill, the famous restaurant of the famous chef, Rick Bayliss. After all the hype, I was unimpressed. The food was good, but not Rick Bayliss good, or at least what I hoped that would be like. Kind of generic, high-end Mexican food. Sadness.

Well, that was actually much more than I intended to write today. Hope some taste buds were excited!