Mercat a la planxa

Another great Chicago restaurant find is Mercat a la planxa. The chef, Jose Garces won the second season of The Next Iron Chef competition. Let's just say I envy the eating Jeffrey Steingarten is about to undertake.

First up was the Paella Negra with calamari, octopus and chipirones with black rice and octopus tomato salad. Pesky Pescatarian was quite fond of the grilled octopus, and the waiter recommended a grilled octopus special that she would have considered ordering if it weren't for space constraint concerns. I was obsessed with the black rice. I haven't had sepia pasta or rice often, and I'm starting to believe that this makes my life not so complete.


Arguably the best dish of the night, the Sopa de Pesols, which was fresh English pea soup with Goat's Cheese, Pea Ice Cream and shaved black truffle, this was a wonderful hot-cold soup. Alinea has their famous hot potato, cold potato concoction, but there aren't that many versions of this concept out there. I really loved tasting the freshness of spring, coupled with the hot and cold elements mingling together, all mixed in with the earthy seductiveness of the truffle.

If the soup was the best dish, the Albondigas de Venera was the worst dish of the night. The scallop & shrimp meatballs with marinated grapes and shaved Idizabal were boring. The sauce was almost cloyingly sweet and there was nothing exciting either on a flavor or textural front that saved the meatballs. Only the marinated grapes were fun.

The revuelto de Temporada with roasted seasonal mushrooms with soft scrambled eggs, green pea tendrils and fava bean toast was delicious. Ever since that Bayona omelette experience I keep talking about, I've been seeking perfectly cooked eggs, and these finally fit the bill.

The Gratin de Coliflor came out last, and it was too rich for our taste buds at this point. I really like this dish, but it very heavy on hte cream and cheese flavor, which can overwhelm the flavor of the cauliflower itself. Still, on a cold winter's night this would be a great choice to include.

The Croquetas de Xocolata, which were milk chocolate croquettes with banana marshamallow (that's banana-flavored marshmallow for ya), rosemary caramel, and Arbequina olive oil was fantastic. Amazing. At $10 an order a total steal considering the thought, skill, and execution of the dish. The flavor of every element was perceptible to the Pesky Pescatarian, though I had some difficulty with the rosemary and the olive oil. The marshmallow was lightly bruleed and each little dessert "pod" could be enjoyed in a single bite. Mmm mmm good.

Mercat a la planxa, 638 Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL

Purple Pig

Spring Peas with Farro, Feta & Mint

I am quickly becoming obsessed with Purple Pig. It's really close to my apartment, and the food is so good.

Continuing on the food tour with the hometown gang: Bastard Consultant, Dr. Consultant, and Pesky Pescatarian, we hit up Purple Pig with an intention to try more of its spring-themed and seafood offerings.

Shaved Green Asparagus with Pecorino Noce & Parmigiano Reggiano

Shaved asparagus that had a touch of acidity. I prefer my asparagus more when its been steamed or roasted, but there was nothing wrong with this and PP who lives tart foods enjoyed this a lot.

Braised Baby Artichokes with Fingerling Potatoes, Asiago & Salami Toscana


Mussels with Treviso, Serrano Chiles, Citrus Fruit & Gaeta Olives

I really love this mussels dish. I've never had a salad with fried mussels and citrus before, and I wouldn't mind so much if a small craze took on and it popped up in more restaurants.

Halibut Cheeks with Gaeta Olive Aioli

Fried halibut cheeks. We were really excited about this dish, but it turned out to be fine but certainly not extraordinary.

Mixed Greens with Feta, Watermelon Radishes & Fed Wine Mint Vinaigrette

Watermelon radish is an unappreciated root vegetable.

Deviled Egg with Arugula & Caper Berries

Bastard Consultant doesn't like hard boiled egg as it reminds him of foot. BC also can't go to bed if he hasn't showered first. I love sleep, and that seems highly inconvenient.


We drank Rocca "Copertino" with our meal.

Roasted Bone Marrow with Herbs

Seeing BC's longing looks, I acquiesced to the Roasted Bone Marrow Order. I didn't approve of the salt choice. It looked like kosher, when clearly sea salt or Maldon salt was called for, and it really made a difference. Of course, the marrow was still good, but I think you need a salt with more texture for a dish like this. I'm not sure why, but I've noticed with other salts, it can really help bring out the unctuousness of the warm marrow.

Sepia with Snap Peas & Toasted Almonds

This was an amazing dish. It's no longer on the menu, so your life sort of sucks until spring rolls back around, but the combination of snow peas and squid was perfect.

Wagyu Sirloin Tip with Charred Green & White Asparagus, Spring Onions & Piquillo Peppers

I don't normally think of ordering Wagyu at small plates joints, but I'm really glad my classmate convinced me to order it at the last visit because I knew Dr. Consultant would really enjoy it. It's meltingly rich and a fine fine plate of meat.

Pig's Tails Braised in Balsamic

Bastard Consultant and I forgot about ordering this dish, but we are happy that we didn't think to cancel it, as the pork tails braised in balsamic topped with some chopped hard boiled egg was really a delicious surprise. The acidity of the balsamic helped cut the fattiness of the tail and the sweetness of the vinegar augmented the flavor of the pork.

Eating this dish made me understand why Laura Ingalls of Little House in the Big Woods so looked forward to eating the pig's tail during butchering time. I have had pig's tail once before at Au Pied de Cochon, where it was deep fried and didn't much like it. I think that restaurant is sort of tacky.

Charred Ramps & Scallions with Romesco Sauce

More grilled ramps. I've decided that I need to order ramps whenever I can because last year I thought they weren't so exciting before and didn't get my season's fill. Never again will I neglect you my beloved ramps.

The Sicilian Iris. As a reminder, it's ricotta and chocolate chip in a fried brioche.

Sinful.

A new devilishly delicious find is the Butterscotch Budino. I wish they would have taken a torch over the pudding after they pulled it out of the fridge because the sight of condensation on the dessert was unappetizing. That aside, however, this was a rich, satisfying, salty-sweet conclusion to a meal filled with a lot of laughter and general feelings of happiness.

Purple Pig, 500 North Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL

Green Zebra

You know how I've been moaning and wailing about my general feelings of fatness? Well, I just got back from dinner at Green Zebra, a primarily (they serve sea scallops) vegetarian restaurant. Normally I'm not eager to go to vegetarian restaurants, but this one had been flagged by a foodie friend, and I seriously was craving food that didn't involve copious amounts of saturated fat.

If you ever read Julia Child's biography, you'll learn that she too took breaks from her rich diet. If Julia understands the need for a break, so can you. And I incidentally. I really need to learn to take breaks.

The restaurant surprised us with a little amuse. I love surprise amuse bouche. It's like hello, let me give you a friendly kiss on the cheek. Who doesn't like a kiss on a cheek? Well, okay, I can think of a few occasions. But a little spoonful of pureed red pepper goodness is just the right kind of smooch smooch.


I went on an on about burrata, and how it's mozzarella on steroids. Then when my dining companion expressed lack of interest, I acted like it was no big deal to me, and I didn't need to order it if she wasn't going to try it. Then I ordered it. Topped with grilled asparagus and a little romesco, it was nothing earth shattering, but a nice satisfying dish. By the way, is it just me, or does romesco sauce seem to be everywhere? I've had it at Avec, Publican, and now Green Zebra.

Oh crap, I just did the equivalent of celebrity name drop. And it's not even like I dropped Alinea and Per Se, true juggernauts. Oh wait, I just did that too. Can we say obnoxious? Someone slap me and tell me to shut up.


A sunchoke ravioli topped with grilled ramps (I love grilled ramps!), medjool dates, preserved lemon, and a poached quail egg. Hello pureed sunchoke, how much I love you wrapped in a little pasta pillow. If you visit this restaurant, this is the top dish I'd recommend.

Slow cooked shittake mushrooms in this weird spring roll form with a fried wrapper. Man, this is what happens when one forgets to filch a menu. A truly unappetizing description.

Oh wait, it's still up on the online menu: Slow Roasted Shittake Mushrooms, in crispy potato with savoy cabbage. Ah yes, much better.

Creamy grits with caramelized fennel and sage. The idea was to take the flavor profile of sausage and pair it with grits. A savory, even wintery dish.

Spinach crepe with oyster mushrooms and confit artichokes. It was lovely to leave a meal and not feel like a lumbering elephant pounding out the door.

Speaking of fatness, has anyone watched the Life series on Discovery lately? Those seals that live in Antarctica. Now that is rotund. If only we could all look so incredibly beautiful while approximating the general proportions of a Goodyear blimp.

Green Zebra, 1460 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL

Vegetarian Potluck

It's finals right now, and I really should be studying, but let's ogle these pictures from a Vegetarian Potluck that happened way way back in September. Samosa Chaat. I had to seriously restrain myself on these.

Pasta Salad. A bit of acidity to it, if I remember properly. Now if I could only remember equations as well.

Eye-opening Orzo with Roasted Vegetables pasta salad. Looks unassuming, but really delicious.

Moroccan Carrot Salad. Someone has amazing knife skills.

My contribution, homemade bread. This is back when I tried to make fresh mozzarella, bungled it, turned it into ricotta, and all I had left to bring was bread.

I know! The host and hostesses had a whole bevy of homemade deliciousness.

Love those family secret recipes.

There are people who don't like Guac. They also don't know what they are talking about. California shores, I will be home soon!

These were out of this world. I am not even a sweets person, but some one's mother in Kansas really delivered a small bit of wonderfulness to us poor deprived students in Chicago.

Caprese salad, always a welcome addition to any table.

More pasta salad. The request was to only bring vegetarian items, and there was a really great assortment of dishes.

Banana pudding. This just makes me think of my childhood: green lawns, bike rides to school, trading cool erasers during recess. Yes, was always a mega dork.

Looks like fruit ambrosia to me, and I feared it would be cloyingly sweet, but I was wrong. It was light and you caste the different fruit.

Aren't they so cute? I had a great time. There was a little toddler running around who stole people's shoes for a bit of impromptu dress-up. I got to meet some of my classmates, and I cannot wait until things die down, and I can return the favor.

Il Buco

After Gramercy Tavern, Il Buco has worked its way into my heart, and easily sits near the top of my list when I want to have delicious food in a warm and rustic environment. The only thing that sucks about Il Buco are some of Il Buco's patrons. It seems to attract the beautiful crowd, and normally I love all things fine, but one gets the distinct impression that those of the distinguished bone structure are failing to appreciate the loveliness of their meal. At this very dinner, I cringed upon overhearing some dark hair chap explain to his friends a nonsensical food phobia.

My gripe about people aside, the food was indeed fantastic. They had Kale Caesar Salad on the menu, which is one of my new obsessions. I just tried to replicate this last week, and upon viewing this picture again, it is clear that I sorely deprived my guests of the appropriate blizzard of parmesan.

The food at Il Buco is simple and a study in how technique can easily hold its own against the creamiest, truffle-infused sauce. These squash blossoms were stuffed with a light cheese, ricotta I think, and light, and warm, and soft and crispy all at once.

A lightly cooked egg with a veritable flurry of bottarga. How sad it is that much of the American dining world knows not the wonders of bottarga. Of course, it means more for me, and that at least, is always a good thing.

To fill you in, in case you have not been lucky enough to enjoy a dish with bottarga, it is dried cod or mullet roe, that is then either shaved or grated. Similar to truffles, it works particularly well with runny eggs and fresh pasta. It has a salty, rich taste that evokes the sea.

Fresh, hand-made pasta with summer squash and parmesan. Slippery, silky with the sweetness from the squash and a bit of bite to the pasta.

Panna cotta with an aged balsamic that did not work as well I had hoped, but the texture of the panna cotta was the closest I've had in a long while to that light jiggly ideal I always seek. If I had more experience fondling breasts, I'd explain it in those terms because I'm sure there's an analogy to be drawn there.

The arrival of the panna cotta and this dessert signaled the beginning of disaster. I inexplicably began to get a serious stomach ache around here, and I was utterly torn between my desire to go home and lie down and the conflicting need to savor every bite of my last meal at Il Buco. Or at least, my last meal at Il Buco for a good number of months. I held out as long as I could, but in the end, this poor dessert got the short end of the stick, and I had to call it a night.

Il Buco, 47 Bond St. (b/n Bowery and Lafayette, New York, NY

Apiary

Dinner at Apiary was a series of highs and lows. The Tuscan Mushroom Soup with sour dough croutons and Parmesan was warm and savory and wafting redolent earthy aromas. (Did I use "redolent" correctly? Where are my wordsmiths?)

One of the reasons why I don't tend to eat salads on a casual basis at home or at work for lunch is that it's hard to get a good salad outside of a restaurant setting or without some decent farmers' markets/prep time. The repetitive combination of mesclun/romaine/spinach with boring deli meats and veggies just doesn't make me think of mother nature's bounty, which is what a good salad can evoke.

My friend is a sucker for duck confit, whereas I'm more of a seared medium-rare duck breast kinda girl myself. I know confit is super savory, but it hasn't got nearly the juicy, lip-smacking qualities of a well seared duck breast.

This skate wing was a low though. It was perfectly fried and the creamy sauce was a wonderful complement to the crispy, light flaky skate, but the dish overall was way way way too salty. I considered sending it back to the kitchen and insulting the chef manning the fish station, but for some reason decided to just drink a lot of water instead.

Basically, the beginning of every bit was delicious until the saltiness began to make its presence known, and I couldn't bear the thought of waiting for the kitchen to remake another plate before I could get to enjoy again the first-half of the skate wing taste experience. So instead, I suffered the consequences of way to salty second-half taste experience in exchange for a 50% yummy entree.

Oh Bayona, you have forever ruined me to panna cotta. I can't stop ordering it, but it is never as smooth and slippery and jiggly and light and divine as yours. New Orleans I miss you.

Do any of you try experimenting with unusual sorbet flavors at home? I like fooling around with citrus flavors, but I don't tend to play with the rich creamy fruits like mango. Apiary makes decent ice creams and sorbet that taste of their main ingredient, but nothing revelatory like pain de mie ice cream is going on here (thank you Per Se). (... my my, what a little name-dropper I've become here. Apologies all.)

Apiary, 60 3rd Ave. (@ 11th St), New York, NY