Restaurant Review: Chef's Bistro Burger - Chicago

Another Special Chicago Edition

Brought to you by work really. . .

I was asked to participate in a conference for work last week. While I often am hesitant to travel, going to Chicago for work is a "plus" compared to some other places. . . It's really not that far in terms of travel and the up side is that I can try new restaurants for my own personal gain.

There are always other sights to see in Chicago. I knew I was off to a good start when I hailed a cab from the train station to the hotel located on the Magnificent Mile and got picked up by the "Cowboy Cabbie". He proudly showed me the article he had laminated from the Chicago Tribune. I also found him on youtube but his cab has since been updated.

I guess when you get such a memorable ride to get to Chicago it's a good omen for a pleasant trip?

On the second night I was more of a tourist in Chicago when it came to dinner rather than the direct route to a wonderful restaurant the first night. The first night there was a plan and a guided tour to the Purple Pig. On the second night, I was with a group of conference goers which resulted in a wandering up and down the Magnificent Mile and a the surrounding side streets.

Our journey started with a stop at The Goat Tavern. Apparently it's a skit from Saturday Night Live. Now that I have watched this I can see the humor in the signage at the place. Unfortunately the majority of the group vetoed this place upon site although I got these photos. We were off again but not before one of our travelers was rewarded with a FREE cheeseburger for her walk because she looked very disappointed.

We then looked into the Michael Jordan's steakhouse but that was vetoed for a business dinner. I'm not sure how you would expense a 58 dollar steak? We were then off and found a cute Italian restaurant but when we mentioned that we had 9 folks in our party we were laughed away without a reservation. I know they thought, "tourists".

This is how we ended up at Chef's Bistro Burger kiddy korner from the Italian place. This was almost an immediate seating despite our big party but while this could have been a bad sign it really wasn't. this is a new place, apparently off the beaten path, which allowed us to sit outside.

There were plenty of beer options (not to be expensed to anyone's work, mind you) but the showcase items here really is burgers. Now I use the term "burger" loosely as they have a crab patty and gravlax (cured salmon) along with the obligatory veggie and turkey varieties. I chose a PBPJ burger which was beef with Pork Belly and Peanut Butter/Jelly and brie toppings. Now before you go pooh poohing the peanut butter, that's a staple at Green Dot in Detroit and it's heaven!

This burger was good but not Green Dot good. It was hearty but I didn't taste the jelly or brie which was a little disappointing. The fries were wonderful. I ordered them thinking that they were a side order but this was a whole dish. Think poutine. Visualize a generous portion of truffle fries that are good all by themselves but have a fried egg on top.

Now this is Chicago so maybe if I was there all the time this would be on my circuit of restaurants to revisit but the town is large and the time is short. I do have some restaurants I want to eat at again but while this was good I don't think it's going to be on my short list as a tourist.

Restaurant Review: Lou Malnati's Chicago

I'm going to admit that when people first recommended this place I thought it was called "Illuminati's" and thought it would be a dark place. . . 

 

 

Don't judge me! You can chuckle I guess.

 

Well it was a little dark in there, traditional pizzeria and all. No demonic items but lots of sports memorabilia. Lou Malnati's features some really good Chicago style deep dish pizza. We ordered two small pizzas - one with mushrooms and one with pepperoni - and they were quite tasty. I noticed later that we could have also splurged on a butter crust but it was good with the regular variety. We have some famous deep dish pizza in Detroit courtesy of a couple of places (Pizzapapalis and Buddy's) but they are not the same but quite delicious. Pizzapapalis is a pizza with two layers of flaky pastry crust, sandwiching the fillings and cheese, topped with sauce. Buddy's pizza is a square pizza with a really crisp crust.

Lou Malnati's pizza, and Chicago pizza in general, is more like a bowl of dough that is filled with cheese and toppings. Kind of like a pie, the real "pizza pie". We ordered ours "gooey" so it was not super crisp and oh was it good.

I am not sorry to say that because we had Firecakes Donuts before this adventure, we had leftovers and I was more than happy to have some of this again for dinner on the train ride home. Maybe it was also the dessert? Chocolate chip cookie in a pizza pan cooked up and topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. Hey it was vacation!

Food Review: Firecakes Donuts Chicago

So many flavors to choose from!

I didn't know where to start. It may have been sick that I authorized each one of my kids to pick two donuts out to try, knowing full well that we would be eating Chicago Deep Dish pizza soon after this adventure but I wanted to try them all!

My favorite (which I picked myself, thank you) was this little (it was about 1/2 the size of a regular donut) one with maple glaze, grilled pineapple and bacon. Really, you can never go wrong with bacon so it was delicious because of that alone. But truly, it was very soft, had a nice glaze, and was not too greasy.


Other offerings at Firecakes we tried included an Almond Joy which was covered with dark chocolate and almonds but filled with a coconut cream custard. I was much more enamored with it than my kids or husband because it was dark chocolate. It was good dark chocolate I might add. Malted Milk Ball, Old Fashioned Buttermilk and Vanilla Glazed were also tasted.

I recommend the one featured here in the photo. Even if you don't do donuts too often, how can you refuse bacon?

Restaurant Review: Frontera Grill Chicago

A Whole Different Kind of Mexican

I would say that I have learned over the years to love Mexican, learning over time that not everything is like Taco Bell. Initially, I thought Mexican food was limited to some ground beef or chicken, with equal amounts of pico de gallo, sour cream, shredded lettuce, refried beans, guacamole, nacho cheese, and salsa. For diversity, it would be all about what vehicle that combonation was delivered to you - whether it be a tostada, nachos, burrito, enchilada, taco, etc. So for years, I really just avoided the whole thing. The only exception was Chi Chi's seafood enchiladas and fried ice cream but that chain is long gone. . .

But I digress, in the last few years, I discovered and learned to appreciate Mexican cuisine. Truly love it. I think the food in our local area is pretty authentic as we live about a half hour from Mexicantown in Southwest Detroit. Los Galanes is a wonderful experience with great food and a colorful decor that makes me smile.

Then there is Grand Azteca in Madison Heights which is a regular haunt for us and probably the most influential contributing factor of my love for Mexican food. I have a few favorites but usually lean to a combination plate with a Chile Relleno, Potato Enchilada, Tamal, along with rice and beans. Oh and of course a frozen margarita with salt.

I have also tried some off the beaten path Mexican restaurants in our local area. I like to try new things. A tripe taco was a pretty unusual dish (at least I thought so) but quite delicious. The chili rellenos at a storefront were completely different than the ones I have had at other places but no less delicious.

Living in Royal Oak there are a couple of other restaurants claiming to be Mexican but we won't discuss them. I don't like them and don't like mediocre food. No melted nacho cheese sauce on some chips, no boring tacos or enchiladas. . . 

So when I say that Frontera Grill was a completely different kind of Mexican than I had ever experience, well, I mean it. My good friend was tasked with the charge to identify a restaurant for us to visit together during our recent trip to Chicago and she didn't disappoint. I should note that years ago, this particular friend was one that introduced me to all the joys and adventures that cuisine could offer and I am grateful for that. She did not disappoint with this pick!

Apparently this is a "hot spot" in Chicago and the owner started this restaurant after an extended visit to Mexico to research a new book with his wife. Apparently they return to Mexico every year, with their staff for more inspiration. It's inspired, and it's seasonal items offered with new twists. Do not even think about Mexican food in my Taco Bell analogy and furthermore it was a far cry from my local travels in Detroit too.

Ceviches are prominently featured on the appetizer menu. We chosed the trio that they were offering. 1. Frontera Ceviche (albacore, tomato and olive), 2. Yucatecan Ceviche (blue shrimp, calamari, orange and cucumber), 3. Tropical Tuna Cocktail (Sashimi grade tuna, avocado, tomatillo, and tropical fruit salsa). These were featured in three glasses and served with a generous amount of tortilla chips. The ceviche was very fresh with really great crisp flavors that married well together and offered a lot of different notes. Good stuff.

A Quesadilla was a completely different experience. One my kids were not used to, and not necessarily welcoming as a change, but it was quite good for a more sophisticated palate. This was more like an Empanada, filled with cheese and spongy dough texture. Beautifully hand crafted little pockets.

My main dish? Duck in Date Mole. I must say I have never had Mole before but I'm going to try it somewhere else because I'm pretty sure this was a completely new take on it with the date. The duck breast was marinated in spices and covered with the mole sauce, served in duck fat tamales with grilled bok choy and topped with duck prosciutto. Absolutely delicious. I also ordered a side of fried plantains with fresh cheese and sour cream. Oh they were sweet with a sticky coating and the cream just off set it. Mmmmm.

Yes we did dessert but I do not have photos. I think I was not on my game as I was too busy eating. We tried a duo of flans and a butter almond cake that was to die for.

Drinks? Of course. There were lots of offering with Mezcal. I actually had a Mezcal Margarita. I think the most interesting thing - and I will try it at home - is that they rimmed the glass with both salt and chili powder. It's something I had been toying with after reading Shake as it adds a whole new dimension to the drink (Shake is going to be a whole separate blog article, or many, as I now own that book).

I'm very hungry writing this but I know that while I'm inspired by this to eat some more food I won't be finding anything quite like this in town. This is a Chicago treasure.

Restaurant Review - Soupbox in Chicago

12 Soups? Are  you challenging me?

Yep, 12 soups daily. Yes, it was August and it really wasn't necessarily a soup worthy day (the next day certainly was, Brrrr) but I love soup. It was mid afternoon and time for a snack. Lobster Bisque in a bread bowl was divine.

Now we have soup placed in Detroit and the suburbs, and one does similar bread bowls and daily soup flavors, but hands down this was the best lobster bisque I have had in quite a while. Very smooth, no chunks, and just packed with flavor. The bread was pretty darn good too!

I will make sure to visit next time we are in Chicago. I'm sure there are other flavors I would like (I did taste a chilled butternut squash while I was there that had promise) and it sounds like we just need to make a winter trip to really enjoy this further!

Restaurant Review - Ralph Lauren Restaurant in Chicago

A Wide Variety of Options

There are a million places to eat in Chicago but when you are actually shopping on the Magnificent Mile there isn't that much right on the strip. Ralph Lauren was actually a destination and the decor did not disappoint. While they clearly stress the importance of business casual we came at an "off" time, really between lunch and dinner, and managed to sneak in without reservations or the proper attire.

The decor itself is beautiful and warm. It almost felt like a library with the wood paneling and dim lighting. Years ago in Birmingham Michigan there was a coffee shop on Old Woodward that was formerly an old Ralph Lauren store and it had a similar feel. I hadn't even remembered it until we ate here. Even the menu's were beautiful and lavish, with the paper being affixed to a leather board.

The kids got upgraded version of the usual. For one it was a hamburger and fries.  There were actually two versions on the menu, one was a Polo Burger and the other was an RL Burger. I can't recall which was which, but one was broiled and the other was cooked in a skillet for a more crispy sear. Dakota picked the broiled and wasn't disappointed. She also enjoyed the fries that came with the dish. Now to me, a burger is a burger, especially when you have a charcoal grill at home, but for kids staples work sometimes. The bun was made of a challah roll which was very good.



Andrew ordered a grilled cheese with tomato soup, another staple in our house. He consulted with the waitress and they modified his order to be on sliced brioche bread rather than seeded rye, and used a white cheese rather than something sharper and Andrew commented that it was quite good. However, he did not really like the soup, stating that it was "tomato sauce from a jar". Andrew is more of a bisque fan, and does not like tomato soup without a lot of cream.

We also ordered lobster bisque and it was a meaty version with chunks of lobster and a good balance of cream and flavor. Sometimes the bisque can dilute the seafood but this one was a good blend.

Paul also ordered lake perch that was coated in bread crumbs and was delicious but nothing to photograph. Fried fish looks like fried fish.



Now for the main attractions on what was what made this restaurant special. . . There was an appetizer simply noted on the menu as "Baked Cheese Saint Andre Triple Cream, Poached Pear, Maple Syrup". I don't think that does it quite the justice it deserves and I'm hoping the picture does help with this. We were very quick with photos and the flash was pretty obnoxious. Anyways, the cheese was wrapped in a pastry dough and just oozed when you cut into it. Sharp wonderful brie like cheese. The maple syrup really balanced well with the sharpness and the pears were an added bonus. 

Baked Cheese

My main dish was a work of art! Jumbo sea scallops were seared and then placed artfully around a pillar made of tomato cucumber salad topped with white balsamic cream. I know tomatoes and cucumbers should taste just like tomatoes and cucumbers but these were delicious! Super fresh with the right amount of bite and crunch. The cream on top was very thick and the balsamic added a great flavor that balanced well with the dish. This was wonderful.

The name Ralph Lauren was not a gimmick and this was a wonderful meal. I would put this on a short list if you are visiting Chicago, especially is  you are shopping anyways!