Avec
615 W. Randolph, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 312-377-2002
Date of Review: August, 2009
I really, really like Avec. There is a lot to like about it. In fact, there is so much to be fond of at this restaurant, I may as well just tell you what I like the most:
· It was recommended to me by Anthony Bourdain (via his book) whose life I
am very envious of
· Avec’s chef has been on the Food Network’s Iron Chef program
· The design of the restaurant (long and narrow) which has impressive wood
walls and strategically placed, high windows
· The barrels out front that you can stand around and enjoy a glass of wine at
while you wait for your table under some heating lamps if it is a bit chilly
· The reasonably priced menu, the bar which is made to dine at, the people and
most importantly the food and wine.
After eating at Avec, I am not sure I have much need or desire to frequent other tapas style restaurants. The food is just too good here. It is a foodies dream. All you have to do is take one look through the menu, close your eyes and pick and you can be pretty sure that you will be satisfied, if not blown away. During my 2 visits to Avec, I eagerly surveyed the menu and read the descriptions of the dishes and then told my guests to pick whatever they wanted as everything on this evolving menu sounds fantastic. They have an excellent wine list as this place is as much about wine as it is food. They even serve the wine in casual tumbler style wine glasses that suit the atmosphere at Avec. To me Avec is about innovation, fresh ingredients, reasonable prices and gourmet food in a popular, yet casual setting. While the owner may also own Blackbird and Publican, this restaurant has its own unique identity.
They have a great open kitchen with an oven that looks like a kiln with a huge torch blowing fire directly into it. This is where they roast and cook everything, including the excellent mini loaves of bread. You will get lots of those too as they are served with everything. Make sure to use them to soak up every bit of the wonderful sauces that are a part of every dish!
They have a small plate menu and a large plate menu but all plates are meant to share. The chorizo-stuffed medjool dates with smoked bacon in a pepper-tomato sauce is my favorite thing on the menu and one of the best dishes I have had in any restaurant in Chicago. The sauce is a slightly spicy pimiento based sauce and is perfect for dipping. The menu changes frequently with only a few items (including the dates and truffle filled focaccia bread) available all the time. The dishes I have had here range from coffee braised short ribs to pheasant to cheese, salami and olives to an outstanding pasta dish served with blood sausage, baby squid, bacon and grilled radicchio. Everything I have eaten here has been at least solid, if not outstanding.
The servers are cool and full of suggestions regarding every aspect of the menu. One of the great things about Avec is that you can blow a fortune at this place and order a 70-100$ bottle of wine or you can eat and drink economically by ordering a $30 bottle of wine and feasting on an assortment of dishes ranging from $5 to $20 that are meant to share. A few additional things worth noting are that Avec does not take reservations and seating is either at the bar or at large rectangular communal table where smaller parties sit next to other patrons. Avec is very popular and while the tables do turn rather quickly, you should expect a long wait if you arrive after 7 PM.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Chicago (Italian) - The Rosebud
The Rosebud
1500 W. Taylor Street, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 312-942-1117
Date of Review: September, 2009
This is the Grand Opus for Italian food in Chicago. It is the place they talk about with the old school décor and the pictures of famous people like Robert Deniro, Frank Sinatra and the numerous athletes who have dined at this establishment over the years. As they add more locations and restaurants, we sometimes have a tendency to forget about the original. However, Rosebud on Taylor opened in 1977 and they still have a fabulous business in a cut throat industry because they deliver night in and night out. Maybe I forgot this as I have a tendency to lose interest in an establishment as they open up more locations and I hadn’t visited The Rosebud in a few years. However, I have never forgotten my wonderful experiences at The Rosebud in the past and recently added a few more pages to my Rosebud notebook.
One of my recent visits came on the day of the Festa Italiana on Taylor Street. This made it easy to get in the mood for an Italian meal with sausages grilling, Italian cookies for sale and many olive skinned, dark haired people roaming the streets. In the spirit of the event, The Rosebud set up 20+ tables outside to accommodate the spillover of diners from the festival.
When you walk into the Rosebud and see the dim lights, wood walls and classic bar in the front, you can almost imagine Frank Sinatra, Robert Deniro or a real life Don Corleone sitting down to break bread at this place. There is nothing modern about Rosebud. This is old school Italian which includes the service. For us, that meant a waitress in her late 50’s with a charming, matter of fact attitude that was definitely no nonsense Italian.
Rosebud’s menu covers all the bases including pasta, seafood, veal, beef, chicken, pork and then some.
Along with the complementary warm and chewy bread which is served with olive oil and what looks like a sugar cube holder full of cheese, they have an assortment of excellent appetizers. The Melrose peppers (a regular special not on the menu) appetizer ($12) consists of long green peppers stuffed with an assortment of cheeses in one and sausage in the other. The sweet peppers are served in a tasty olive oil sauce with yummy fillings; a great way to start a meal. I also recommend the Rosebud Chopped Salad which includes a healthy portion of fresh vegetables, mixed greens and cheese in a red wine vinaigrette dressing. For entrees, the cavatelli arrabbiata ($16.50) which includes soft and chewy homemade 8-Finger" ricotta dumplings simmered in spicy marinara sauce (the way I like it) with fresh chilies, pancetta and white wine is fantastic. The pasta squares are a Rosebud original for a reason. These soft folds of homemade pasta melt in your mouth and their chewiness almost makes them heavenly. The sauce is a rich, tomato sauce that is the absolute perfect complement to the wonderful pasta. A side of Mama’s meatballs ($5.25) which consists of 2 oversized meatballs served in marinara sauce is a nice compliment to any pasta dish. The linguini with clams in a garlic white wine sauce ($19.50) is the best rendition of this dish I have ever had. While the linguine wasn’t homemade, it was cooked perfectly in a bread plate cleaning good white wine and garlic sauce with 8 large clams and a mountain of chopped clams piled high in the middle of the dish that ultimately made their way down to the bottom of the bowl.
For desert, the pistachio gelato is nutty and refreshing and is enough for at least 2 to share and the Italian cookies (warning, 1 order consists of about 8 cookies) offers a nice assortment of traditional Italian cookies. The coffee is rich and flavorful.
The Rosebud is relatively pricey but you certainly get what you pay for. On one recent visit, as a party of 4, our bill came to $270 with tax and tip included. We had 4 cocktails, 4 glasses of wine, 1 appetizer, 4 entrees, 1 side dish and 3 desserts. The Rosebud continues to be one of Chicago’s very best Italian restaurants.
1500 W. Taylor Street, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 312-942-1117
Date of Review: September, 2009
This is the Grand Opus for Italian food in Chicago. It is the place they talk about with the old school décor and the pictures of famous people like Robert Deniro, Frank Sinatra and the numerous athletes who have dined at this establishment over the years. As they add more locations and restaurants, we sometimes have a tendency to forget about the original. However, Rosebud on Taylor opened in 1977 and they still have a fabulous business in a cut throat industry because they deliver night in and night out. Maybe I forgot this as I have a tendency to lose interest in an establishment as they open up more locations and I hadn’t visited The Rosebud in a few years. However, I have never forgotten my wonderful experiences at The Rosebud in the past and recently added a few more pages to my Rosebud notebook.
One of my recent visits came on the day of the Festa Italiana on Taylor Street. This made it easy to get in the mood for an Italian meal with sausages grilling, Italian cookies for sale and many olive skinned, dark haired people roaming the streets. In the spirit of the event, The Rosebud set up 20+ tables outside to accommodate the spillover of diners from the festival.
When you walk into the Rosebud and see the dim lights, wood walls and classic bar in the front, you can almost imagine Frank Sinatra, Robert Deniro or a real life Don Corleone sitting down to break bread at this place. There is nothing modern about Rosebud. This is old school Italian which includes the service. For us, that meant a waitress in her late 50’s with a charming, matter of fact attitude that was definitely no nonsense Italian.
Rosebud’s menu covers all the bases including pasta, seafood, veal, beef, chicken, pork and then some.
Along with the complementary warm and chewy bread which is served with olive oil and what looks like a sugar cube holder full of cheese, they have an assortment of excellent appetizers. The Melrose peppers (a regular special not on the menu) appetizer ($12) consists of long green peppers stuffed with an assortment of cheeses in one and sausage in the other. The sweet peppers are served in a tasty olive oil sauce with yummy fillings; a great way to start a meal. I also recommend the Rosebud Chopped Salad which includes a healthy portion of fresh vegetables, mixed greens and cheese in a red wine vinaigrette dressing. For entrees, the cavatelli arrabbiata ($16.50) which includes soft and chewy homemade 8-Finger" ricotta dumplings simmered in spicy marinara sauce (the way I like it) with fresh chilies, pancetta and white wine is fantastic. The pasta squares are a Rosebud original for a reason. These soft folds of homemade pasta melt in your mouth and their chewiness almost makes them heavenly. The sauce is a rich, tomato sauce that is the absolute perfect complement to the wonderful pasta. A side of Mama’s meatballs ($5.25) which consists of 2 oversized meatballs served in marinara sauce is a nice compliment to any pasta dish. The linguini with clams in a garlic white wine sauce ($19.50) is the best rendition of this dish I have ever had. While the linguine wasn’t homemade, it was cooked perfectly in a bread plate cleaning good white wine and garlic sauce with 8 large clams and a mountain of chopped clams piled high in the middle of the dish that ultimately made their way down to the bottom of the bowl.
For desert, the pistachio gelato is nutty and refreshing and is enough for at least 2 to share and the Italian cookies (warning, 1 order consists of about 8 cookies) offers a nice assortment of traditional Italian cookies. The coffee is rich and flavorful.
The Rosebud is relatively pricey but you certainly get what you pay for. On one recent visit, as a party of 4, our bill came to $270 with tax and tip included. We had 4 cocktails, 4 glasses of wine, 1 appetizer, 4 entrees, 1 side dish and 3 desserts. The Rosebud continues to be one of Chicago’s very best Italian restaurants.
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