ronnie_suburban

Can't say that I agree... Creative for sure, but lacked *spark* for me. Although, I'd be curious to find out what the "ribbon" of malted cream was made of (or rather, the method and ingredients). Care to step in, Chef G? I'll elaborate here with the caveat that ultimately, I'm wholly prepared to agree to disagree about it . . . such is the nature of personal opinions. I've had this dish 3 times. The first time, the ribbon of sauce had a vanilla flavor (IIRC) and there was a lot of it. I liked it quite a bit and the crab was delicious, tender, crabby tasting. There were accents of passionfruit in the dish which I liked but didn't love. The second time, the dish had been "inverted" somewhat. The crab was still delicious but the blanket was now passionfruit, not vanilla, and was way too tart for my taste. I thought the powerful-tasting sauce overshadowed the crab. Last night, the sauce was back to a mellower flavor; not vanilla per se, but malted cream as was mentioned above. This was my fave of the 3 renditions I had because not only was the sauce delicious in and of itself, but for me, it also amplified the best attributes of crab's flavor. I also liked the fact that the tarter notes had once again been sent to the background. We are definitely on different pages here. I loved the twisted chocolate ribbon last night very much. First of all, it wasn't as "dark" as previous incarnations, which, for me, is a boon. The cola nut syrup was a great accent as were the chupa (sp?) nuts. I enjoyed this set of accents a lot more than the lime, which never sent me swooning. I also loved the frozen-then-tempered cookie dough with olive oil. It was rich, sweet, grainy and irresistable. The powdered peanut butter was also deep and delicious. The "tootsie rolls" were served on a very cool serving piece, but they didn't do much for me. Again, I don't love darker chocolate and fruit with chocolate -- especially dark chocolate -- is just not my bag. I know that makes me some sort of foodie infidel but I can live with it. =R=

Ronnie, the Adria sighting must have been pretty exciting! I read (in the Time Out Chicago article about Madrid Fusion) that he was heading to Chicago in March, but I wasn't sure if it was 100% on. Apart from Alinea and Moto, I wonder which other spots he is hitting? ← Rumor has it that he was at Moto (with Jose Andres) the night before. =R=

Was at Alinea last night and loved the new dishes . . . fried yuba skin with prawns, (cup o') sweetbreads, skate, savory and sweet hazelnut cake. I'll post more details about those a bit later on. Additionally, Chef and crew continue to "evolve" some of the dishes which have been on for a while. Last night was probably my favorite rendition of the crab, where I think chefg has found the perfect balance between creamy and tart for the ribbon of sauce which accompanies it. Ditto for the candied beef cap, the duck breast/duck skin/foie gras, the chocolate ribbon dessert and several others. These dishes continue to be fine-tuned and were, impressively, even better than previous incarnations. Also, and this was very exciting to a food geek like myself, the man himself, Ferran Adria, was in the house and seated just a couple tables away from us. It was very cool to see him there. He was very business-like, took lots of notes, etc. He definitely seemed to be enjoying himself. Again, more menu details to follow. =R=

I just received news from Chef about a special program which Alinea will be running to celebrate their 1st birthday. During the week of May 3-7, a special retrospective menu, featuring 17 (or so) of the first year's best dishes, will be offered. Pricing will be $175, the same price as the Tour de Force. This should be a great chance for anyone who wasn't able to make it to Alinea in the first year to taste some great dishes on which they would have otherwise missed out. =R=

You're right, George. I don't remember the specifics but I do remember seeing a list and IIRC, each night there is a different special (price) offering. =R=

On the subject of the parfait, my recollection of the contents is: poached egg, smoked salmon, bacon, truffle oil, frisee. Just a whole lot of delicious in a glass. ← Thanks for filling in the blanks, Josh. I didn't really hear the description and before I tasted it, the parfait had been "mixed" rather thoroughly =R=

Finally, last night, I got to try the Kobe burger at Sweets and Savories for the first time and it was out of this world. What a decadent combination: a huge mound of juicy kobe beef -- cooked wonderfully (nicely-red, medium rare), topped with the slab of foie gras and a generous schmear of truffle mayonnaise, which is made in-house everyday. The burger is served on a brioche bun for maximum amplitude. Instead of the frites, which were outstanding (I tried a few which were ordered by one of my companions), I ordered the lobster mashed potatoes, described enthusiastically by our server Paul as the "uber" side. They were certainly uber enough to pair nicely with the burger. A potato is split width-wise and hollowed out. The end is levelled so that it can stand on the plate. Into the potato vessel go its original contents which have been transformed into a buttery, creamy mash. Throughout the mash are large pieces of tender and delicious lobster. There was also a large piece of claw meat placed atop the entire affair, and a few whole chives poking upward like antennae. Really, this "side" could have made for a meal by itself. It was absolutely over the top and truly wonderful. Chef also sent out for us a couple of "new" dishes which were both outstanding. One in particular, a foie gras-stuffed quail stuffed with perigord sauce was a real mind-blower. Also sent out was a warm "parfait" which had a bunch of delicious components as well (bacon, foie, microgreens, IIRC etc.) . . . I wish I could remember it better. Going back to another point I made upthread, service was phenomenal last night. Paul and Amy stayed tuned in to us all evening. Water glasses were never empty and we barely needed to ask for anything. This element of our experience was a true equal for the food. As is mentioned somewhere upthread, the burger is normally priced at $17 but on Wednesdays it can be had for a special price of $10. That, according to one of our dinnermates, is cheaper than the $12 burger he ordered at the Bulls game on the previous night and obviously, a whole lot better. If you haven't been to Sweets and Savories, you need to go. It really is 'all that.' =R=

Welcome aboard, James Are these your first charcuterie projects? =R=

This week's installment of Dish provides some additional details: Thanks to eGS member ulterior epicure for the heads up on this. =R=

Chris, that looks fantastic. Great job. I'm not a big fennel fan either, so I appreciate the scouting report. Dave, I'd eat it (and not just because Jason said he would ) =R=

I can't believe neither of them mentioned it when I saw them this past Sunday Here's a link to the blurb mentioned above by Josh: New on the scene by Chris LaMorte. =R=

March 1, 2006... From today's Chicago Tribune - Good Eating section: Celebrating Greektown...in this special to the Tribune, Elaine Markoutsas focuses on Greektown Chicago: Its History, Its Recipes, a new book about one of Chicago's most distinctive culinary neighborhoods, by Alexa Ganakos. It's time for the high flavor diet...as National Nutrition Month begins, Bill Daley explains that foods that are packed with great flavors aren't necessarily in conflict with eating healthfully. Toward better habits, one step at a time...Renee Enna approaches National Nutrition Month with baby steps. Breaking the rules...Red wine with fish? You bet. Bill Daley lays out some useful guidelines. Leftover duck becomes a hash with a difference...food editor Carol Mighton Haddix sings the praises of braised duck leg and provides a delicious-sounding recipe for any leftovers which might be on hand. Praising braising...speaking of braising, James P. DeWan uses his Prep School installment to pass on some useful information about this comforting cooking method. Carambola...Renee Enna with a useful guide. A can-do approach to Vietnamese cooking...Robin Mather Jenkins provides a brief review of Quick & Easy Vietnamese by Nancie McDermott. Setting a plate at the Spanish table...Robin Mather Jenkins focuses on Spanish cuisine using The New Spanish Table by Anya von Bremzen as her lens. Great tapas with a twist arrive fresh out of a can...Joe Ray takes a look at the high quality of canned foods being produced in Spain. ===== From today's Chicago Sun Times - Food section: Forking out kudos...Just ahead of the Academy Awardsm, Beverly Levitt hands out her food-related movie awards. Field's Culinary Week begins...Denise I. O'Neal provides details about this and several other industry offerings and events coming up this week. Tastings around town...Celeste Busk previews upcoming events at The Chopping Block, Blackbird and Heaven on Seven. ===== From today's Daily Herald - Food section: The word for the day is fiber and yes, you need more of it...food editor Deborah Pankey provides some product suggestions. Food and wine classes...a comprehensive listing of upcoming area food events, tastings and classes; broken out by day. ===== In this week's installment of Chicago Magazine's Dish, Penny Pollack and Jeff Ruby (along with Deborah Wilk), deliver some details about Tramonto and Gand's upcoming plans. ===== =R= <><><><><> Media Digest Notes... Updates from some Chicago media outlets, which do not 'go to press' on Wednesday mornings, will be edited into each week's post as they become available. Please do not reply on this thread. For discussion of any stories which are linked here, please feel free to start a new thread or contact the forum host or digester who will be happy to do it for you. <><><><><>

So can we call that a Banana split? ← LOL! . . . less than 2 miles from my house and I never got there. But, I tried. One time, after the announced opening date, we went over only to find out they weren't yet open. They never bothered posting their hours on the door (or anywhere for that matter), so another time when we tried to have lunch on a Saturday afternoon -- and the place was all lit up -- the doors were locked. I guess I blew my chance. That was a distinctively short run. The sun has set on 'the moon.' Oh well. =R= ← Hello, all. I work in the kitchen at Banana Moon. We have absolutely NOT closed. We are open Tuesday thru Friday Lunch and Dinner. Saturday Dinner only. Sunday Brunch and Dinner. As far as I know, there are no plans to close any time soon. Sorry you missed out on Saturday but we have never been open for lunch on Saturday. Please come again. ← Thanks, RMeierdirks, for the correction -- and the good news. We'll definitely come check it out! =R=

I'm fairly certain that it's Hungarian half-sharp paprika. =R=

Ronnie, how long for the pieces of belly? Skin up or down? I'm thinking of adding them to the smoker this weekend. ← I just left them on until they reached 190 F. Since they were smaller, thin pieces they didn't take nearly as long as the butt. I actually removed the skin before I brined them. My advice is to rotate them every now and then while they're smoking. =R=

Hmmm...I never would have thought of that (smoking skin up vs down). Thanks for the suggestion. Did you smoke the first belly entirely with the skin side down? Based on zero experience , that sure sounds to me like it might be the major culprit. I think I'll smoke my first one skin side down, just to see how it works out. I can't wait to get going on this, because I really, really love good bacon . Thanks again for the help. ← Yes, the first time out, the belly was in the smoker with the skin-side-down (facing the heat) the entire time and I think it made a difference. I guess I'll be better able to make a determination after a few more runs -- hopefully by this coming Sunday. I'll be sure to report back. =R=

I found the bacon and the pancetta to be fairly simple. In fact, the first bacon I made, for which I followed the recipe in the book exactly, turned out better than the second one, which I improvised by adding some garlic and black pepper. The primary quality difference manifested as a very thin hard layer on the exterior of the belly after it was smoked. When I cooked a few slices from the 2nd belly, instead of being consistently tender like they were from the first batch, there was a bit of hard chew along the top edge. It was still tasty but almost jerky-like in texture. I definitely don't have enough experience to say if the ingredient change caused the problem. If I had to guess, I'd guess not. It probably had to do with some other variable like the (difference in) thickness of the belly, the temperature to which I smoked it (went slightly over 150 F), outside air temperature during the process, wood type or the fact that I smoked it skin-side-up instead of skin-side-down. As I mentioned above, I've got 2 more bellies curing this week (one exact to the recipe, another paprika-assisted), which I plan to smoke on Sunday. I'll be sure to report back on the results -- and I'll try to do a better job of noting the conditions. I look forward to reading about your results. Good luck! =R=

The place was packed, although it would be hard for me to estimate how many attended. And yes, they did use the much of space to hold the event -- maps were even handed out to guests upon their arrival showing each chef's location. Henry and Mary were in the main dining room. Grant was in the solarium. Dale, Shawn, Rick, Gale, Paula and the Narrow/Gosset team had stations in the kitchen. The front salon, where the cold service was laid out, and another back salon were being used as bars. The place was bustling. And btw George . . . it was Mazo's =R=

So can we call that a Banana split? ← LOL! . . . less than 2 miles from my house and I never got there. But, I tried. One time, after the announced opening date, we went over only to find out they weren't yet open. They never bothered posting their hours on the door (or anywhere for that matter), so another time when we tried to have lunch on a Saturday afternoon -- and the place was all lit up -- the doors were locked. I guess I blew my chance. That was a distinctively short run. The sun has set on 'the moon.' Oh well. =R=

Cool! I just caught a segment on the Channel 5 News (WMAQ) about the event at Trio tonight. We did notice a camerman there for a portion of the evening. It was a great time -- bittersweet to be sure -- but a warm vibe hummed throughout the place. There's no question that Henry is going to succeed at whatever he does, so the sadness was solely for the restaurant, not for the man who worked tirelessly to maintain its excellence. The 'good' news is that I did remember my camera. The bad news is that I'm a lousy photog. Nonetheless, here are a few pictures from the evening. Except for the "cold" assortment plates, chefs appear below the dishes they prepared . . . Roast beast. Not sure exactly sure what this was, but it was delicious, rare and tender. Canapes. One was like savory shortbread with aioli, the other was, I think, a quinelle of mousse atop a slice of baguette. Cheese. Nice assortment. The round one in the center was delicious as was the cake-like item on the left. Octopus with white beans and creme fraiche. The octopus was stellar. Grant Achatz's legendary Black Truffle Explosion. The one on the left is complete. I'll confess that I had more than one tonight and I felt downright giddy about it. Grant Achatz of Alinea signs for a fan while his sous, Jeff, keeps things going. Exquisite Croque monsieur by Trio's final chef, Dale Levitski. I can't wait to learn where he resurfaces and I really hope it's in Chicago. Chef Dale Levitski Rick Tramonto's signature (one of them, anyway) Lobster Mashed Potatoes, served "up." The potatoes were creamy and buttery; the lobster, which had been sauteed in butter, was rich and tender. Chef Rick Tramonto of Tru (left) and crew. Gale Gand's famous Root Beer Float. Delcious, creamy, rich . . . so nice, I had it twice. Chef Gale Gand of Tru Sauteed Sea Scallop with Oxtail by Shawn McClain. That scallop was oh-so-tender and the braised oxtail was amazingly flavorful and tender. Chef Shawn McClain of Spring, Green Zebra and Custom House. Light and savory Parmesan Cheesecakes by Trio's Pastry Chef Mary McMahon. These were fabulous as was the focaccio (not pictured). The Trio chocolate bars, also turned out by Ms. McMahon, are on our hall table awaiting their consumption. Chef Mary McMahon and her #1, Tony. A masterful Chicago-style hotdog turned out by Trio owner Henry Adaniya. Natural casing dogs that go "snap" and celery salt are touches I just love. The "frites" (not pictured) were also top-notch. Even when he's joking around, Henry turns out seriously good food. Henry Adaniya (right) and his son Michael work the hotdog line together. Paula Haney's Passionfruit soup with Coconut Mousse, being assembled. There was a scoop of melon granitee under that coconut mixture being poured into the glass. The final dish was topped with a mini cantaloupe ball. This was sweet and refreshing. Chef Paula Haney of Hoosier Mama's Pies. Scrumptuous Chocolate Napoleon with Peanuts and Caramelized Bananas by chefs Elissa Narrow and Della Gossett. Not sure but I think that chefs Elissa Narrow and Della Gossett are pictured in this group. It's lights out at Trio, baby. It's been mentioned that Henry is considering going to Hawaii and opening a hotdog stand. Those guys out there should be so lucky. And if that's where his bliss takes him, so be it. But I do kind of hope that he stays in Chicago just because I know that whatever he comes up next will be innovative, distinctive and -- and if it happens to be food-related -- delicious. Thanks, Henry, for 12 wonderful and memorable years of Trio. It was our pleasure. =R=

Beautiful stuff, Arne. Nicely done. I too smoked a butt this weekend. Sorry I don't have any pics, but it did turn out well. I brined it overnight and smoked it over a mixture of cherry and hickory at approximately 225 F for about 12 hours. Since the air temp here was about 25 F, it was a bit of a fight keeping the temperature up. It turned out well and was delicious but I planned poorly and was removing it from the smoker at almost midnight last night. No hock here but I did have 2 small pieces of belly (I'm curing some bacon and had some bellies which couldn't quite fit into their 2-gallon ziploc baggies) and they were sensational. They were also brined for a while, before being hit with a minor dusting of rub. Then, into the smoker they went. When they came out they were so tender and sticky-gooey I could barely contain myself. Aaah, there's nothing quite like a good, weekend smoke! =R=

Yes, those look very similar. I didn't realize WF was a source for them. Thanks for the heads up. =R=

No doubt! But these are the kinds of places I know I will go without having to make a list (or get a babysitter) =R=

My second attempt at breakfast sausage was pretty disastrous. I tried to use smaller, sheep casings this time around and they were busting open constantly. I think that the smallest horn which came with my stuffer was still too large for the casings. I was having trouble sliding them off the horn as the sausage came out. Eventually, the casings would stop sliding off and the sausage would burst through. FWIW, the modified recipe I tried (omit ginger, add 2 T of dry sage, double the black pepper, add 1 T of red chile flakes) tasted delicious, so it wasn't a total wash. I've now got about 5# of bulk sausage in the fridge, stiffening as we speak. And I have to leave the house shortly. Tonight, after I return, I'll try to remix it into a softer state and at least fill larger casings with it. My butcher showed me some casings he uses which are already pre-threaded onto a piece of removable plastic. You still soak them first but afterwards, you simply slide the entire casing onto the horn and pull out the plastic backing. This option suddenly has great appeal for me. I'm going to ask him for a couple the next time I see him. =R=

Thanks for the comments, rockandroller, and welcome to the eGS. You bring up a lot of good points. It's interesting about the chain managers fine-tuning the service elements of their operations. That's got to be one huge advantage for the chains -- their larger pool of resouces, which ultimately allow them to focus more on the finer points of service, wait time, turnover, etc. while other people in the organization -- some not even at the same location -- pull the actual levers pertaining to areas for which the store manager isn't even responsible. I imagine that in most instances, the indies have a much harder time managing all these details with the same efficiency, since it's usually fewer people attending to more details in those venues. =R=