Miles, Menus & Mary: Ada Street

Elston Industrial District is home to one of the best restaurants in Chicago. It's obscure location is a stark contrast with the irresistible flavors and creations of Chef Zoe Schor.

Dinner at Ada Street on Saturday night easily made my top 5 nights in Chicago. What a way to begin Chicago Restaurant Week! I have to admit, when I arrived at the random alley in the middle of an industrial wasteland I was a bit worried. I had to check my map multiple times to make sure I remembered the address correctly. Once I opened the black door, however, I was transported to an elegant, hip and intimate paradise.

Definitely worth the one hour wait... Which is completely understandable because it was the first Saturday night of Restaurant Week.

When we were finally seated, the hostess guided us to our place at the chef's table. Not kidding when I report that I almost fainted when I found out where we would be sitting. Apparently I was glowing. Imagine a child's face on Christmas morning after seeing their favorite present under the tree. The amateur food critic/blogger slowly but surely making her way into the prestigious and exclusive Chicago food & dining world.

Our seats presented us with a first-class view of the preparation and passion that goes into creating a gormet meal. We witnessed first-hand the shrieks of the executive chef to her accompanying chefs. The stress and tension of the kitchen was contagious. I left the restaurant with a greater appreciation for the dedication and hard work that goes into fantastic food masterpieces.

The ambience of Ada Street was very intimate. Dimmed lighting mixed with dark hues produced a sophisticated feel to a restaurant surrounded on the outside by industrial warehouses. Truly a rose among thorns.

We ordered selections from the speciality restaurant week menu, featuring dishes all inspired by women as a tribute to the female executive chef. The first course, I sampled Bagna cauda with fresh mozzarella. Combining the soft, fresh mozzarella with the flavors of anchovies and garlic on toasted baguette was genius. We also split a dish of Scrumpets, crispy fried lamb shoulder served with a dipping sauce of minted malt vinegar. Amazing.

The second course featured Bouillabaisse and roasted pork loin, both recommended by our waiter. The Bouillabaisse consisted of mussels, shrimp and cobia in spicy broth. It was served with a baguette. SO GOOD. The chef even offered to fetch us some extra baguette to consume the last drop of the superb and spicy broth. The roasted pork loin was served with a sauce of smoked carrots and spinach and accompanied by twice-baked fingerling potatoes. The pork loin was roasted to perfection and the flavors of the carrots and spinach meshed perfectly with the tenderness of the meat.

The third course featured a pound cake topped with mixed citrus, citrus gastrique, cornflake crunch and whipped vanilla cream. You may be asking yourself, cornflake crunch? Yes. The placing of the cornflakes onto the pound cake highlighted the cake's moistness and softness. The fresh grapefruit and citrus topping contributed a tart contrast to the sweetness of the whipped vanilla cream. Simply amazing.

It was at this point in the meal that the famous head chef Zoe Schor "magically" discovered that I was a budding amateur food blogger. She insisted on sending us an extra dessert and order of fried Brussel sprouts to taste, handed me her business card and invited me to contact her with any flavoring questions I may have. I figured it was socially unacceptable at this point to ask for her autograph..

I left Ada Street on Saturday with a full heart and satisfied stomach. A phenomenal dinner at a truly spectacular restaurant.

Mary