Patties for St.Patty's

There is a magic in the celebration of St.Patrick's Day that cannot be recreated on any other day.  The river is green, bagpipes are in high demand and florescent green wigs are somewhat acceptable.  And if you are celebrating in Chicago, you may catch a few snowflakes even though its mid-March..

Imagine one of those horrible reality television shows that groups four random strangers and forces them to survive together.  In a nutshell, that was my dinner last night.  I would like to preface this story with the statement that we all had mutual friends.  We were brought together by the magic of St.Patrick's Day and a party crashed by a random bagpiper that could play while lying on the floor in the splits.  (It was absurd) After the party had ended, we all were on a mission together: to celebrate St.Pattys with patties of beef.

A wild search for a Chicago burger led us first to DMK where we were met with an hour and 45 minute wait.  The captain of our crew made the executive decision to go west to Paramount Room, home to an excellent burger, he assured us.

He was right.

The Paramount Room is home to the Wagyu Burger, a hand packed 100% wagyu beef patty atop a brioche bun.  Toppings include lettuce, tomato, onion, special sauce and a pickle served on the side.  The beef patty was thick and juicy, cooked-to-order and very delicious.  The brioche bun was soft and combined well with the freshness of the lettuce, tomato and onion.  Their special sauce definitely includes horseradish.  I was nearly in tears from the bitterness of the sauce but it meshed so well with the other elements of the burger that I didn't mind at all.  Their hand cut frites were perfectly salted and crispy, an optimal pairing with the Wagyu Burger or any other entree item on the menu.

 Overall, a great burger at an awesome restaurant. I can definitely understand why Paramount Room has been a recipient of a Michelin "Bib Gourmand" rating for the past three years.  The lounge was intimate and paired well with the fantastic food served.  A must-visit if you happen to be in River West.

Mary

Antique Taco

Tacos are always a good idea.  And they are even better with fresh ingredients and enjoyed with friends.  Wicker Park is home to some of my all-time favorite restaurants in Chicago.  So naturally when a friend told me about Antique Taco, I was both thrilled and intrigued.

I have to admit, I was a little nervous about trying another taco restaurant in Wicker Park especially because Big Star is one of my favorites and I didn't want to instantly compare the two.  Luckily for me, comparing these two restaurants would be like comparing apples and oranges.  Both serve completely different tacos in completely different atmospheres.

Fresh ingredients make fresh tacos.  Seems like such a simple concept but the chef Rick Ortiz has taken this idea to a new level.  Walking into the restaurant, we were met with the aromas of ripe avocados and tart limes.   The decor in the restaurant is antique and chic.  The dark wooden benches complimented the antique signs hanging on the wall.  The dishes were exquisite and reminded me of the dining sets featured in the antique magazines that I often read as a kid when I went through a brief "interior decorator" faze.  

I ordered the Pork Carnitas which are adorned with Adobo rub, Tamarind glaze, bacon, spinach, onion, avocado and queso fresco.  I love pulled pork so this taco was fantastic.  A very colorful presentation and I like to think the healthiness of the spinach and avocado make up for the perfectly crisp bacon pieces and creamy queso fresco.  The tortillas were soft and fairly easy to eat which was necessary since we had no napkins at our table for some reason...

One friend ordered the Sweet & Spicy Chicken tacos which were topped with fresh cucumber, jalapeño pickle, honey yogurt and purple onion.  They looked delicious.  My other friend ordered the Grilled Ribeye tacos which were served with Heirloom salsa, queso enchilado and cilantro.  She also got a glass of their Agua Fresca which is juice mixed with rosemary simple syrup.  The two-color striped paper straw was quaint although my friend complained about the paper getting soggy during consumption of the drink.  We split an order of guac & chips which featured fresh avocado, lime and pickled peppers.  The guac was garnished with some kind of radish slice that my friend nicknamed the "Guac Block" because it simply obstructed the pickup of guac until one of us finally caved in and removed it from the bowl.  The guac was delicious and my only complaint was that the chips were heavily salted.

Overall, Antique Taco is another great place to dine while in Wicker Park.  My only complaints are that the portions are pequeño and thus, fairly expensive for the small amount of food that you get.  I do love the presentation, the fresh flavors and the atmosphere which will definitely keep me (and other customers as it was very full even on a weird time) coming back to enjoy their scrumptious tacos.

María

Pork Carnitas

Sweet & Spicy Chicken

Grilled Ribeye

Agua Fresca

Little Goat

Little Goat Diner has been on my to-do list for a long time now so I was super excited when my mom and I decided we were going there for lunch last Wednesday.  Having been, all I can say is that you've goat to try this place. Ha.

The openness of the restaurant and the light coming in from the windows was a pleasant reminder that sunshine and spring-time are just around the corner.  The mirrors made the restaurant feel airy and spacious. I loved the cute goat-themed details in everything from the logo on the plates to the adorable paper napkin ring.  Just being in this place makes you warm and fuzzy inside.

Then the food puts you over the top.

I chose the Dark Chocolate Chip Crunch Pancakes served with chocolate malt butter.  Holy goat.  I was celebrating National Pancake Day a day late and have had chocolate chip pancakes before but these quickly topped all previous expectations.  The bitterness of the dark chocolate chips was a nice compliment to the sweetness of the pancake batter. The crunch contrasted heavenly with the softness of the pancakes.  So delicious and filling that I had to take half of the order home as leftovers.

My mom had the Sloppy Goat which is a sloppy joe "gone goat" topped with rosemary slaw upon a squish squash roll.  Still unclear was a squish squash roll is, but I got to try a bite and it was amazing!  The combination of goat meat and rosemary slaw was an interesting variation of the traditional sloppy joe and both my mom and I were impressed.  Overall, two great choices that we definitely recommend to anyone visiting the diner.

I know understand why all of my friends are obsessed with Little Goat.  Great food, fun atmosphere and a fantastic location.  Loving all of the restaurants nearby and hopefully I'll get to try the sister restaurant, Girl and the Goat, sometime soon to compare.

Happy eating everyone!

Mary

Dark chocolate chip crunch pancakes

Sloppy Goat

Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream

A few good things have come from Columbus, Ohio. Namely Bow Wow, the Columbus Crew & Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream. 

This spread accurately represents the necessary elements of a great city. Rappers, sports teams & ice cream. Chicago has it's collection of famous rappers ranging from Chief Keef (rumored to occasionally make an appearance at random UChicago apartment parties) to Chance the Rapper, another south-side native. We have our band of lackluster sports teams: the Cubs who are painful to watch, the Bulls who continue to disappoint and the Bears who just resigned a contract with a quarterback who throws more passes to the other team. I joke, but in all seriousness, it was time for Chicago to get a decent ice cream shop. Sure, you have the standard ice cream chains but Chicagoans needed an ice cream that provided seasonal flavors and organic recipes. They needed a place to eat their feelings after the regular season ended. Thus, the legend of Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream was born in Chicago. 

Jeni's Ice Cream originated in Columbus, Ohio and I don't know Jeni personally, but she seems like a pretty chill lady. Their ice cream boasts the best local ingredients and flavors, making their creations eco-friendly and delicious. I was first introduced to Jeni's Ice Cream and have since fallen in love with their Lemon & Blueberries flavor. The unfortunate thing? Blueberries are seasonal so when I traveled north to Southport to get some, it was currently unavailable for the winter.

Fortunate for me, their other flavors are just as amazing.  I settled on the Chocomole & Black Coffee (and I hate to even say settled because they were fabulous).  The Chocomole is milk chocolate ice cream spiked with cinnamon and cayenne.  WARNING: it is spicy.  I have never had spicy ice cream before but it's life-changing.  The flavor combines the sweetness of the milk chocolate with the kick of cayenne and cinnamon, reminding me a little bit of Mexican hot chocolate with extra spice.  May now be tied with Lemon & Blueberries as my favorite flavor.  It's compliment, the Black Coffee, was as enticing as a mug of strong, black coffee.  Definitely the perfect combination to the Chocomole, creating the perfect spicy mocha frozen dessert.

Overall, Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream is one of my favorite ice cream stores in the country.  It combines seasonal ingredients with the creativity and passion of multiple flavors and textures.  If you haven't made a trip up to their Southport location yet (opened September 2013), take an adventure on the Brown line and prepare yourself for one of the best ice cream experiences of your life.

Mary

Lemon & Blueberries and Sweet Corn

Salted Caramel, Lemon & Blueberries and Riesling Poached Pear Sorbet

DMK Burger Bar

A common misconception is that I live at DMK Burger Bar. Or that I live nearby in Lakeview.  Slightly afraid to admit to the nice staff that I actually live in Hyde Park, approximately 63 minutes away on CTA. 

There's a reason why I keep coming back to dine at this fabulous establishment. Correction, multiple reasons. I have never tried a burger here that I wasn't thrilled with. 

I was given the recommendation to come here by a good friend of mine. He joined their softball team at one point because he visited there often enough. (This makes me feel slightly better about how often I'm here...)

This most recent visit, I had the #1. The burger is topped with aged cheddar, smoked bacon, charred balsamic, red onions & Rufus Teague's BBQ sauce. Amazing. I admit, I am particularly fond of good BBQ sauce. The Rufus Teague's variation knocked my socks off. Combining the sweet aspects of the sauce with the savory flavors of the smoked bacon is brilliant. As far as cheddar cheese goes, the aged cheddar was delightfully melted and provided a necessary sharpness to the toppings of the burger. The red onions were sautéed and complimented the rest of the toppings well, although beware, you may end up with a couple in your lap if you aren't careful.. 

Other burger recommendations include the #11 which features a lamb patty and the #4, a classic combination of fried egg & bacon atop a savory burger. But honestly, you can't go wrong with any of the options. My friend (who was experiencing DMK for the first time) went with the #4 and had difficulty controlling the yolk while eating the burger. (Side note, she is in the need of a cowboy from Texas who can bridle both the fried egg on her burger and her wild, untamed heart)

Now onto even more reasons why I basically live here: the sides. As a friend remarked during lunch on Sunday, the burgers get you in the door but the fries keep you coming back. My friends and I split three different sides on this visit. The sea salt & black pepper fries are great and come with the house ketchup. The sweet potato fries come with a lemon tobasco aioli which is delicious. Combining the bitter citrus taste of lemon with the richness of the sweet potatoes is bizarre but amazing. The fried okra and pickles side is also fantastic and is the perfect addition to a scrumptious burger. 

Overall, I love DMK Burger Bar. It's a great, casually-hip restaurant that I always recommend to friends when they are in Chicago. Definitely worth the trip. Proud to say that I am now a member of the DMK Rewards Club. 

Mary

#1: Aged cheddar, smoked bacon, charred balsamic, red onions & Rufus Teague's BBQ sauce

Sea salt & black pepper fries with house ketchup, fried okra & pickles and sweet potato fries, lemon tabasco aioli

Au Cheval

They say the good things in life are worth waiting for. Thus, a restaurant with the explosive flavors and chic decor of Au Cheval should be worth waiting a while for. Or in our case, one and a half hours. 

Granted, it was a Friday evening and the restaurant does not take reservations. 

That being said, I would totally accept the long wait time for a chance to dine there again. My date and I ventured out to this hip section of West Loop at my date's recommendation. A lot of pressure falls upon the restaurant recommender, especially on a first date. He passed with flying colors, or should I say "frying" colors after ordering three delicious items from the menu to share. 

The first was a side of thick cut peppered bacon which was absolutely phenomenal. The bacon was tender and marinated in a slightly sweet, slightly peppered glaze that oozed perfection. Perfect to share. 

The second was the General Jane's honey-fried chicken with chile, sesame and cilantro. A spin-off of the traditional Chinese dish, General Tso's chicken, the entrée  was an intense combination of sweet and spicy. The chicken was well cooked and glazed in a sauce that combined notes of honey with the spicy tones of chile peppers. What a kick. 

The third was the crispy potato hash with duck heart gravy. Quite possibly my favorite. It's breakfast-for-dinner done in a chic, sophisticated manner. The combination of the crispiness of the hash browns with the soft and creamy texture of the duck heart gravy was inspiring. Hopefully you have a history of great cholesterol before you indulge in this entrée...

The modern, dark ambiance of the restaurant is both relaxing and invigorating. A great place to dine and spend your weekend. 

Overall, Au Cheval is now one of my top 5 favorite restaurants in the city of Chicago. The food is fantastic, the ambiance is awesome & the servers are spectacular. Will definitely be dining here again and recommend it to all of my readers!

Mary

 

Au Cheval

Thick Cut of Peppered Bacon

General Jane's Honey-fried Chicken with Chili, Sesame Seeds & Cilantro

Crispy Potato Hash with Duck Heart Gravy