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.

Making Crepes

To keep ourselves out of trouble during the NATO summit a couple of weekends ago, Z and I made a bunch of fun plans, most of which involved avoiding the immediate downtown area.

Flip Crepe's crepe-making classes in the company's training facility certainly fit that criteria. The training facility is located in an stretch of old warehouse buildings on Fulton Market Street not far from Intelligentsia's coffee roasting tour. The classes fit other criteria too--interactive, fun and satiating.

Z carefully measuring ingredients

We arrived at our brunch-making class and were immediately welcomed with a mimosa. Our instructor had also prepared a beautiful buffet for our brunch, complete with savory and sweet ingredients. Think caviar, eggs, bacon, Nutella, raspberries and bananas. Yum! Our instructor assured us we could sample the buffet as soon as our crepes were prepared.

While making crepes from scratch may sound intimidating, the staff at FliP Crepes breaks them down the process into bite-sized steps. Finding the right balance and proportion of the ingredients is important. Once you've figured that out, you're on your way.

Keeping a watchful eye on my crepe

Z and I learned something new about each other through the process. It turns out we're both star crepe flippers!

Z flipping a crepe

My turn

FliP Crepes offers its brunch-making classes on Saturdays and Sundays. Be sure to book your class in advance. 

This Horse Knows How to Cook!

Back in March, during an unseasonably warm stretch of weather in Chicago, I went to Au Cheval twice in one week. I was inspired to be out-of-doors exploring the new haunts in the West Loop, but realized I didn't need to go farther than the corner of Randolph and Halsted streets.

Occupying a long, narrow, dimly lit space, Au Cheval didn't look like much when I first stepped inside. The long bar and open kitchen give it the ambiance of a 1950s diner. It's charming and approachable. The staff is friendly and the patrons range from hipsters, to neighborhood yuppies, to hard-core foodies, to all of the above.

Salad at Au Cheval

On my first visit to Au Cheval, I went with my friend Vicky. She resisted the temptation of rich food and stuck with a salad (herbes and sherry vinaigrette). I, on the other hand, caved and indulged in the toasted open-faced ham and cheese fondue with fried egg. Oh, was it rich! But also delicious. I balanced out my meat and cheese with a side of bread and butter pickles, similar to my mom's recipe. I washed everything down with a pint of wheat beer. Vicky opted for a cocktail.

Open-faced sandwich

Bread and butter pickles

On my second visit to Au Cheval with Z and friends Andrea and Javier, Andrea and I split the foie gras terrine with tart cherry jam. This particular preparation of foie gras was better than the preparation I had Maude's a couple of months ago. I'm salivating just thinking about it.

Foie gras terrine with tart cherry jam