Saturday Night at Girl and the Goat

As part of our dining tour with Z's dad a couple of weekends ago, we spent Saturday night at Girl and the Goat. Our friends Alicia and Chris had made reservations months ago and were kind enough to invite us to share their table. Yes, that's still what it takes to get into GATG, unless you have a small table or want to wait for hours.

Even with a 9:15 p.m. reservation, we still had to wait a few minutes before we were seated. And like Nellcote, just down Randolph Street where we had eaten the night before, the dining room of GATG was loud. Very loud.

It's no secret that the food at GATG is excellent. Even then, a few dishes stood out during our experience. Because the menu changes so frequently and you may have a completely different selection to choose from, I'll mention our favorites very briefly.

The goat liver mousse was excellent, as were the roasted beets. Our server was doing us a favor when she recommended the sauteed green beans topped with cashews; they were crunchy and flavorful. The grilled baby octopus with a pistachio-lemon vinaigrette was perfectly cooked and lacked any of the chewiness that can come with octopus. The scallops that night came with short ribs. Yum!

The only thing I didn't care for was the dessert. It was some sort of cobbler with an overly-crunchy, flavorless topping.

Needless to say, we'll be back to GATG, whenever we can get in. 

2 Sparrows Brunch Redux

I first wrote about 2 Sparrows in early May. At the time it seemed to be the hot spot for brunch in north Lincoln Park. We left after the first visit feeling like the food had potential, but that it feel short. Nevertheless, given the reputation of its management team and how recently it had opened (September 2011), we thought we should give it another chance.

We went again last weekend, when Z's dad was in town for a visit. After picking up coffee from BowTruss (more on that in another post), we arrived at 2 Sparrows around noon on Saturday. 2 Sparrows does not take reservations, so the three of us waited about 20 minutes for a table. 

We scoured the menu while we were waiting for our table. When we sat down, I quickly ordered an orange juice and a Chile Relleno. 2 Sparrows has an orange juicer, so you know the juice is going to be fresh and delicious. My chile relleno came fried and stuffed with ooey gooey cheese, served on eggs scrambled with onions and peppers. I had high hopes for the chile. Unfortunately, after several bites, the fried dough became overpowering and the entire dish could have used more spice and flavor.

Z ordered the Bloody Norseman--2 Sparrows' version of a Bloody Mary complete with Beef Jerky and housemade bloody mix--and he and his dad each ordered the Duck Hash. The Bloody Norseman was a much stiffer drink than your average Bloody Mary and not nearly as smooth. While the Duck Hash wasn't as disappointing as my Chile Relleno, it's not reason enough to go back to 2 Sparrows. With all of the great brunch spots in Lincoln Park, including newcomer The Peasantry just around the corner, we can cross 2 Sparrows off of our list.

Gemini Bistro Redux

A few months ago, I raved about Gemini Bistro. When we went in February, we loved it. Perhaps it was the leisurely dinner over a holiday weekend. Or that we were with fun friends. My bet is on the cocktails and delicious foie gras dish we ate as an appetizer.

When Z and I returned to Gemini Bistro a few weeks ago, using a DailyCandy Deal I had recently purchased, I had high expectations. And you know what they say about high expectations...

We started with a glass of wine and a couple of salads--Yia's Yia's Salad and the Red & Golden Beet Salad.  I'm a sucker for beets. And beets with truffle vinaigrette--YUM! The first course was a success.

Next came the Mussels a la Biere and the Blackened Whitefish. Neither was bad, but both lacked flavor. Mussels have become so popular in Chicago recently. It seems like every restaurant I go to has at least one preparation of mussels on the menu. In order to stand out in a city full of mussels, they must be amazing. Gemini's didn't meet the mark.

We left Gemini disappointed. We thought we had found our go-to neighborhood bistro spot. We'll have to keep looking.

Brunch at Eggy's

Eggy's Diner is difficult to find. Looking at a map probably won't help. To make sure you don't spend a minimum of 15 minutes wandering around Lakeshore East until you find it, either go with someone who's been there before or someone who knows the neighborhood very well.

Once you do find Eggy's, which is in the same complex as Maison Brasserie and Mariano's Fresh Market, you'll enter a restaurant with a defined urban edge--open concept, high ceilings, lots of metal and wood. It's a cool, retro-ish space. I felt hip sitting there, drinking my coffee and eating my eggs with a few friends before we walked over to the AMC Theater on Illinois to watch "Dark Night".

I had high expectations for the food. The menu features dishes prepared by former Custom House chef de cuisine Zach Millican and pastry chef Erin Moony. And while the special of the day, the chilaquiles,  was very flavorful and deliciously prepared, the other dishes my friends and I ordered didn't meet the mark. The two omelets at the table were a rubbery. The breakfast sandwich was tasty, but small.

Eggy's is still finding its space in the Chicago brunch scene. Our server told us they were trying out specials to see what stuck and would add them to the menu as they found things patrons liked. I'll give Eggy's a few months before I go back for round two and try the Peter and the Wolf (pastrami hash topped with two fried eggs and horseradish cream) or a delectable addition to the menu.

Las Fuentes in Lincoln Park

I've walked past Las Fuentes at the corner of Halsted and Wrightwood countless times. The large outdoor patio area with colorful lights always looked fun, but given its size and location in the heart of Lincoln Park, I had low expectations about the cuisine.

One Friday night, when Z and I didn't want to venture too far from home, we decided to check it out. We sat on the patio, where we could enjoy fresh air, the lively conversation of our fellow diners, and the Olympics on a few large, flat screen TVs.

We started with the standard chips and salsa to accompany our half-pitcher of margaritas. After informing the waitstaff that the standard salsa would be too mild, Z took his salsa up a notch with a bottle of habanero sauce. The waitstaff kept stopping our table to check on his progress with the habanero sauce and when he proved worthy of the spice, they offered him a fresh, whole habanero pepper to accompany his meal.

We rounded out our first course with guacamole. Although the guac was good and did have a nice, not overly citrusy flavor, it wasn't as good as the perfectly seasonsed, table-side guac served at some restaurants. It was definitely better than the margaritas, which began to taste a little harsh after a half-glass.

For my main dish, I ordered the Cochinita Pibil (marinated pork, baked in a banana leaf), while Z chose the Chile Tipico en Nogade (chiles in walnut sauce). My pork was perfectly cooked, juicy and tender with light yet distinct flavors. The walnut sauce, covered with pomegranate seeds, made Z's dish unique, but we both found the sauce too sweet and heavy. Z added flavor to the dish with the habanero pepper.

Las Fuentes more than exceeded my expectations and I was excited to see other delicious-looking dishes on the menu. You can't go wrong with a Molcajete or shrimp in mole poblano sauce.

Las Fuentes has two other locations--one in Stickney (southwest suburban Chciago) and one in Alsip (south suburban Chicago).

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.