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Trio. Trotter's.

tommy

By tommy
in The Heartland: Dining

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tommy

tommy

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now i'm told i'll be staying in chicago. so i've reserved at trotters. the wiff tells me that it might be a waste of money, as we might not be in tip-top shape upon arriving in chicago. also, the 9 pm seating seems a bit late.

i looked at the mk website, and it seems like my kind of place.

i'm still very confused. :shock::sad:

mrs. tommy just expertly pm'd me and said that she's always wanted to try blackbird. how many votes for blackbird? do they be have a website?

tommy:eats.com
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guajolote

guajolote

Posted
Posted (edited)

Will you make up your damn mind :laugh:

Blackbird Website

mk is good, but I (and many others so I don't think this is a one time deal ) had TERRIBLE service there so I can't recommend it.

Blackbird is supposed to be great (never been) but loud and cramped.

I second Aurora's recommendation of Nomi. It's in a hotel, but not at all a hotel restaurant. Great view.

Edit: 9 might be to late for CT. I'd figure at least 3 hours (probably closer to 4) eating there.

Edited by guajolote (log)
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tommy

tommy

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regarding blackbird and mk, how is the wine service? this is rather important to me. the pairing of wine with dishes is a huge part of the meal. i don't want to ask a "cool and hip" server for advice. i want to simply suggest that i'd like suggestions from the sommelier on what wines might pair well with the dishes i choose, without the server looking utterly confused. any recs based on that requirement?

additionally, if anyone is free on that thursday for lunch, i might consider flying in early, as i'll be on my own until midday. :wink:

tommy:eats.com
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guajolote

guajolote

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My main problem with the mK service was the wine service. We ordered a split of champagne at the bar and when we went to our table they never brought the split (still half full) to us until after I had asked 3 times. After ordering appetizers and wine they brought the appetizers out after five minutes and brought the wine 15 minutes later.

This was 2 years ago, maybe things have improved.

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mikeczyz

mikeczyz

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regarding wine pairings, i do remember that mK had very few selections by the glass. hwo much do you drink? i don't know if they're willing to pull out a full bottle just to give you a single glass pour. check out their online menu. in my experience, they keep it extremely up to date.

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tommy

tommy

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how much do you drink?

too much. but we're not here to talk about that.

mk's selections by the glass aren't listed. this could be a problem. most restaurants that focus on multi-course meals tend to offer more in the way of wine pairings. their wine programs are geared towards the food, and the specific dishes. this is a show-stopper as far as i'm concerned.

tommy:eats.com
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mikeczyz

mikeczyz

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go to trio then. they offer ONLY multicourse meals with wines that the sommelier has hand picked to go with the dishes. if you really care about wine pairings, i don't think anybody does it any better than trio.

mike

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pixelchef

pixelchef

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See now, I'd choose Trio without question even if it is "way the heck up in wherever".

Where else in America are you going to get an opportunity to experience food like (or even close) to what Trio is currently doing? Short of traveling to Europe, you aren't. You can taste food like Trotter's/Tru/etc. in almost every big city in the US, but Trio is unique. Couple that with Grant's generous contributions to eGullet, an award-winning wine program and a recommendation from the omnipotent pixelchef, you can't lose, big fella. :)

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Lady T

Lady T

Posted
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:smile:

You also might want to check out a place called Campagnola on Chicago Avenue in Evanston; ditto the Bluestone Cafe, in northwest Evanston on Central Street. The latter spot gets an exceptionally lively young crowd, and it gets rowdier the later the evening grows.

The former is great for won't-break-the-bank Italian, and the latter is American eclectic (nothing glorious, won't offend anybody). Decent by-the-glass wine lists at both spots.

Neither one can really hold a candle to Trio in terms of Food As Great Art -- but they are other options.

:wink:

Edited by Lady T (log)

Me, I vote for the joyride every time.

-- 2/19/2004

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Lady T

Lady T

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:blink:

Sorry. I missed the part where you weren't staying in Evanston anymore. Just reviewed the whole thread. At 7:30 p.m., you should be able to get to Trio, even from downtown Chicago, in 40 to 45 minutes.

Me, I vote for the joyride every time.

-- 2/19/2004

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pixelchef

pixelchef

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Posted (edited)

I'm pretty certain it's about 35-45 minutes depending on congestion. Expect a fare of somewhere around $25-$30. I think I've heard recommendations for Norshore Taxi (1-800-244-9200) many times to get from Chicago to Evanston, but you might want to get awbrig's opinion on this (or someone else living in Chicago).

Edit: just saw Lady T's post. Not bad for someone who has only visited Chicago once, eh? :cool:

Edited by pixelchef (log)
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tommy

tommy

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fuck me. that's an expensive cab ride. i'll just have awbrig drive me. :biggrin:

seems like a waste to travel 1.5 hours for this meal. that's a bit of a concern, as i have other obligations that day and early the next.

i need to review the chef g stuff here. i totally forgot that he did a q&a, although i recall the surrounding events left quite a bad taste in my mouth.

tommy:eats.com
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Aurora

Aurora

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I've never had a bad meal at Blackbird, but 1) it's not a big space, so it can be loud, and the tables are rather close to one another. Still, it's great food at a reasonable price. Paul Kahan is an excellent chef.

MK - I have never been pleased. The consistently poor service is probably my biggest gripe. Talk to Awbrig, and Mike. They have seem to luck out whenever they go.

Trio - Excellent. Read what has already been written...and written, and written, and written...

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Michael Laiskonis

Michael Laiskonis

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I would still vote for Spring. Shawn's food is strongly Asian influenced and the menu is very strong with fish dishes. If I recall, the glass list and bottle list reflect the food well, with some cool, funky selections especially among the whites. A bit more comfortable than Blackbird, yet maintaining some of the hip quotient. I just did both Blackbird and Spring, as well as NoMi, this past weekend- the list at NoMi has some breadth as well as some fun glass selections, and the food is solid, though the atmosphere may be a tad stiffer than the others. Nice view.

The T's aside, I think the mid-upscale is pretty strong in Chicago.

Michael Laiskonis

Pastry Chef

New York

www.michael-laiskonis.com

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