Street Food in Lincoln Park

As is the trend at mid-priced, popular restaurants in Chicago, The Peasantry doesn't take reservations. So when we arrived with a group of six on a Saturday night, we expected to wait a while. What we found, however, was a very welcoming hostess who went out of her way to find us a table as quickly as possible. We waited about 15-20 minutes while we sipped our drinks at the bar. And the hostess assured us our wait would be shorter "once the basement is open," which should happen soon.

Once we arrived at our table, we started with Poutine with Duck Confit and completed our first course with an order of Truffle Fries and Roasted Beet Flatbread. The fries are waffle fries, which automatically makes them taste better. Not that they needed much help. Aside from a bit too much grease on the fries, everything in that course was delicious.

Z ordered the Beef and Bone Marrow Burger for his entree, while the Baby Octopus Gyro caught my eye. Turns out my choice won. The burger was good, but in a town full of excellent burgers, it doesn't stand out. While my gyro was flavorful, not at all chewy, as is the risk with octopus, and appropriately light. The Chicken and Corn Pancake Gyro was another popular dish at the table.

We finished our meal with an order of the churros, encrusted with macadamia nuts and accompanied by a white chocolate hibiscus anglaise sauce. The churros had a lovely flavor and crunch, while the sauce fell a little flat.

I'm already planning my next meal at The Peasantry. Assuming it's not brunch, where the Pancetta and Chocolate Waffle would get my vote, doesn't the Pickled Lamb Tongue Flatbread with red wine marinated feta, arugula and sous vide artichokes sound delicious?

Chic Cuisine in River North

We went to Paris Club once before, more than a year ago, before it was the small plates hot spot in River North. Now, about a year-and-a-half after the French-themed Lettuce Entertain You restaurant opened in the former Brasserie Jo space, this post isn't telling you anything you don't already know: If you can get past the tables full of 20s and 30s-somethings dressed to the nines for girls-night out and guys-night out, the food is really good. It may even be worth putting up with a club-like atmosphere while you eat your meal.

On our visit a few weeks ago, equipped with a generous gift certificate from a friend, we started at the bar while we waited for our table. Just a few minutes later we were brought to our table in the back of the restaurant.

The atmosphere is loud, just like you would find in a bumpin' club. Fortunately or unfortunately, we were near the servers' station, which offered a small reprieve from the noise, but a constant flow of traffic from servers entering orders.

We started out with the Chilled Seafood Platter and a Charcuterie Board, followed quickly by two escargot bourguignonnes, a cauliflower and arugula salad, braised brussels sprouts and green beans with hazelnuts.

Everything on the seafood platter was delicious, but the lobster was particularly divine. Z and I agreed that it was better lobster tail than the lobster tail we'd had at a VIP wedding at The Breakers in June. The escargot bourguigonne also surprised me. I would have ordered another if it hadn't been for my stuffed stomach.

The biggest disappointment came on the Charcuterie Board in the form of a sausage. It wasn't bad, probably good at many restaurants, but it was keeping elite company and came up short.

You can make a reservation at Paris Club on OpenTable.

Sushi in West Town

Chef's choice sashimi at Arami

Despite a conspicuous location on a dingier stretch of Chicago Avenue, Arami's interior is bright and welcoming. We went on a busy Saturday evening in early June with a group of six that arrived piecemeal. Nevertheless, the staff was friendly and accommodating.

Bon Appetite magazine ranked Arami one of the top 10 sushi spots in the country. A very high honor that comes with equally high expectations.

On the whole, Arami didn't disappoint. After sampling some cocktails, the uni shooters were a fabulous way to start the meal. The Chef's Choice sashimi platter (top photo above) at another table caught our eye while we were still ordering drinks. Our table saved room for two and it didn't disappoint. All of the fish at Arami was very fresh and many of the rolls had a very unique flavor.

More sashimi at Arami

Unfortunately, all of this flavor and freshness comes at a prices. (Or maybe it was our ordering exuberance...) Our final tab came to more than $100 per person including drinks. And as Z said, "I'm still hungry!" With Z claiming starvation, we walked down the street and around the corner to Black Dog Gelato for a sweet end to the day. 

GT Fish & Oyster Bar in River North

My foodie friends--and all-around great friends and people!--Andrea and Javier were back in Chicago last week for their next Next dining experience. (They successfully stalked the Next website and got tickets to all four dining experiences, on dates that fit with their schedule. Impressive!)

When A & J come to town, we always try a fun new, hot spot. Last summer it was Aviary. Earlier this spring we stopped by Au Cheval. This time we checked out GT Fish & Oyster in River North. (GT Fish & Oyster, which has been open more than a year now, does not fit the "new" criteria. But given our wait with a reservation on a Monday night, it seems to fit the "hot spot" criteria.)

We bid our time while we waited for our table with cocktails. I started with a Waitlist, Javier had a Manhattan and Z had a Cleanbreak. On a hot summer evening, I really liked the refreshing flavors in the vodka-based Waitlist and the gin-based Cleanbreak.

With four adventurous eaters, we were able to sample most of the small plates on the menu that caught our eyes. We started with a delicious chilled corn soup with crab (a special, not on the regular menu), Foie Gras & Shrimp Terrine and Tuna Poke. The Oyster Shooters also made our list of cold plates, but I wouldn't order them again; the flavors in the shooter didn't come together very well.

Tuna Poke & Chilled Corn Soup

I wasn't disappointed with any of the hot plates we ordered. The Steamed Alaskan Halibut was perfectly cooked and perfectly paired with basil and pea broth, roasted fennel and squid ink couscous. The Shrimp Ravioli melted in my mouth just before another delicious pasta dish, the GT "Mac and Cheese" with lobster and English peas. The Lobster Roll with pickled vegetables and fried onions was a delicious twist on the New England classic.

Shrimp Ravioli

With 30 dishes on the standard menu and plenty of specials, GT Fish & Oyster offers many reasons for a repeat visit. Its affordable prices make sure your wallet doesn't suffer too much. You can make reservations at OpenTable.

Frog n Snail in Lakeview

When Sura Thai Bistro closed in mid-2011, I felt a void in my Lakeview dining options. Z and I ordered from Sura Thai often and thought it was one of the better Thai spots in the Lakeview area, despite its healthy dose of sushi on the menu. So when I heard that Dale Levitski was taking over the Sura Thai space to open a new hot spot, I had high expectations.

My friend Jenny and I stopped by Frog n Snail for a Tuesday night dinner in late May. We arrived a few minutes before 8 p.m. and waited about five minutes for a table. (Frog n Snail does not take reservations at this time.)

Our waiter was patient as we caught up, took our time with the menu and asked questions about various dishes. Frog 'n Snail has a full bar and select beers and wines. For a beverage, we both decided on a the Great Lakes "Burning River" Pale Ale draft, which was nice and light for a warmer evening but lacked flavor.

For dinner, we shared a few smaller plates. I loved the flavor in the Truffle Chiffon, but Jenny and I both agreed it could use some toasted bread. The Sweet Pea Risotto was predictable and bland. The Slow Roasted Torn Salmon with creme fraiche, egg, fingerling potato, beets and fennel was a surprisingly delicious blend of flavors. We gambled on the Mushroom and Peach Buckwheat Herbed Crepes and won! They were delicious. Given my new-found crepe-making expertise, I'd like to try them at home.


We waited more than 30 minutes between our first and second courses. Not unusual for a new restaurant, but another reason that I'll give Frog 'n Snail a couple of months before I try it again. While Frog 'n Snail may occupy Sura Thai's space, my taste buds are holding out for more. After a few months of working out service kinks and making updates to the menu, I have high hopes Frog 'n Snail won't disappoint my taste buds. 

Making Sushi!

For years I thought sushi was too complicated to make at home. The seaweed, the perfectly-cooked sticky rice, the sushi-grade quality fish. It's all so precise, which is why I've happily paid $15 per roll to have an expert hand-craft it for me.

But a sushi-making class with I Wish Lessons taught me that making sushi doesn't need to be a sticky situation.

Sushi roll ingredient spread

At the class, my friend Vicky and I each made three rolls: a veggie roll with rice on the inside, a California roll and a spicy tuna roll. We started with the simplest (veggie roll) and worked our way up to the spicy tuna roll.

Rice on seaweed for the veggie roll

Our sushi rolling instructor recently got a job at Ra in the Gold Coast and has been rolling sushi for eight years. She's very passionate about her craft and was happy to answer questions. The other I Wish staffers distributed ingredients for our rolls while the bartender (The class was held at The Joynt.) made sure our drinks were never empty.

Cutting bite-sized pieces of the veggie roll

Our I Wish sushi-making lesson didn't use top-of-the-line tools or a beautiful test kitchen, like you might find at The Chopping Block. But it was well-organized, affordable and covered the basics I would want to know before attempting to roll some fish at home. Next up: An Advanced Sushi-Making Class!

Spicy tuna roll

The End of an American Cafe

A few weeks ago, we went to brunch at Erwin for the first time. Erwin has been in Lakeview for years, 18 to be exact. It's a staple in neighborhood and a highly-regarded cafe serving simple but good, quality food. Perhaps this is why I was surprised to read on Eater Chicago that the cafe is closing.

Our brunch wasn't fancy. I had a salmon scramble, Z had a salmon omelette and Adi, Z's friend, had a salmon benedict. (You can guess our word of the day.) But it was good. Erwin seems like the kind of restaurant that isn't trying to chase the latest trend, but rather focuses on consistency and quality. Unfortunately, you won't have much longer to try the food. Erwin closes Sunday, July 1st.