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Sweets and Savories - Chicago

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Alex

Alex

Posted
Posted

No dress code.

There's a nice a la carte menu, although I've never ordered from it.

The dishes and ingredients of the tasting menu probably are familiar enough to not be overwhelming or "too much good dining," and David can pace it however you would like. Alternatively, although it might be a bit awkward, you can have the tasting menu while your parents and fiancee order off the regular menu.

Thanks for the reply.  I'll actually be arriving wednesday afternoon, so I could go grab the burger for dinner.  I would like to do their full tasting menu, but I'll be at Alinea the next night and I think that might be way to much good dining.  (not necessarily for me, but my parents and fiancee). 

I've only seen comments on the various sweets and savories threads about either the burger or the tasting menu.  Do they have a good selection of ala carte items as well?  Thanks

and is there a dress code?

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food."  -George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, Act 1

 

"Imagine all the food you have eaten in your life and consider that you are simply some of that food, rearranged."  -Max Tegmark, physicist

 

Gene Weingarten, writing in the Washington Post about online news stories and the accompanying readers' comments: "I basically like 'comments,' though they can seem a little jarring: spit-flecked rants that are appended to a product that at least tries for a measure of objectivity and dignity. It's as though when you order a sirloin steak, it comes with a side of maggots."

 

"...in the mid-’90s when the internet was coming...there was a tendency to assume that when all the world’s knowledge comes online, everyone will flock to it. It turns out that if you give everyone access to the Library of Congress, what they do is watch videos on TikTok."  -Neil Stephenson, author, in The Atlantic

 

"In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual." -Galileo Galilei, physicist and astronomer

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rhinopias

rhinopias

Posted
Posted

babern -

I don't think dining at S&S the night before Alinea would be to much. Also, there is no dress code, this is a very casual experience. I believe it is worth eating at both as the at at opposite ends of the rainbow. If you go to S&S request the Truffle ice cream!

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  • 3 months later...
ronnie_suburban

ronnie_suburban

Posted
Posted

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=

"Hey, hey, careful man! There's a beverage here!" --The Dude, The Big Lebowski

LTHForum.com -- The definitive Chicago-based culinary chat site

ronnie_suburban 'at' yahoo.com

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jesteinf

jesteinf

Posted
Posted
Are they only open for dinner?

They're open for brunch on the weekend (not sure if it's just Sunday or both Saturday and Sunday), and I believe they also serve high tea during the week if you make a reservation.

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.

-Josh

Now blogging at http://jesteinf.wordpress.com/

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gmi3804

gmi3804

Posted
Posted

Sounds wonderful, Ron!

Sweets & Savories has some really tempting mid-week specials. In addition to the $10 burgers, they have wine specials on other nights. I wish I could remember which nights offer which specials. Perhaps someone who's been recently can list them? I love supporting great places like these.

George

"Mason-Dixon Line" Renamed "IHOP-Waffle House Line"

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ronnie_suburban

ronnie_suburban

Posted
Posted
Are they only open for dinner?

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 :biggrin:

=R=

"Hey, hey, careful man! There's a beverage here!" --The Dude, The Big Lebowski

LTHForum.com -- The definitive Chicago-based culinary chat site

ronnie_suburban 'at' yahoo.com

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ronnie_suburban

ronnie_suburban

Posted
Posted
Sounds wonderful, Ron!

Sweets & Savories has some really tempting mid-week specials.  In addition to the $10 burgers, they have wine specials on other nights.  I wish I could remember which nights offer which specials.  Perhaps someone who's been recently can list them?  I love supporting great places like these.

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=

"Hey, hey, careful man! There's a beverage here!" --The Dude, The Big Lebowski

LTHForum.com -- The definitive Chicago-based culinary chat site

ronnie_suburban 'at' yahoo.com

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Alex

Alex

Posted
Posted
Sounds wonderful, Ron!

Sweets & Savories has some really tempting mid-week specials.  In addition to the $10 burgers, they have wine specials on other nights.  I wish I could remember which nights offer which specials.  Perhaps someone who's been recently can list them?  I love supporting great places like these.

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=

Here's the info via Metromix.

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food."  -George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, Act 1

 

"Imagine all the food you have eaten in your life and consider that you are simply some of that food, rearranged."  -Max Tegmark, physicist

 

Gene Weingarten, writing in the Washington Post about online news stories and the accompanying readers' comments: "I basically like 'comments,' though they can seem a little jarring: spit-flecked rants that are appended to a product that at least tries for a measure of objectivity and dignity. It's as though when you order a sirloin steak, it comes with a side of maggots."

 

"...in the mid-’90s when the internet was coming...there was a tendency to assume that when all the world’s knowledge comes online, everyone will flock to it. It turns out that if you give everyone access to the Library of Congress, what they do is watch videos on TikTok."  -Neil Stephenson, author, in The Atlantic

 

"In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual." -Galileo Galilei, physicist and astronomer

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trader0227

trader0227

Posted
Posted

The burger...

After looking at the pictures of that burger for a few months, I finally had a chance to go last wednesday to take advantage of the 10 dollar special.

2 hamburgers and duck fat fries.

Also wanted to get the lobster mashed potatoes after reading ronnie's description but chef Richards told us they did not have lobster that night. He said his lobster order did not look good and sent it back. As has been said before it was the best burger I have ever had. As a mayo lover the truffled mayo was amazing. When our food was delivered Chef Richards jokingly said enjoy the appetizers guys. They in fact did turn out to be appetizers as we split another burger for our entree. The second time was just as good.

Definitely have to make if back for the tasting menu and more wednesday nights for the burgers.

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Alex

Alex

Posted
Posted
The burger...

After looking at the pictures of that burger for a few months, I finally had a chance to go    last wednesday to take advantage of the 10 dollar special. 

2 hamburgers and duck fat fries.

Also wanted to get the lobster mashed potatoes after reading ronnie's description but chef Richards told us they did not have lobster that night.  He said his lobster order did not look good and sent it back.  As has been said before it was the best burger I have ever had.  As a mayo lover the truffled mayo was amazing.  When our food was delivered Chef Richards jokingly said enjoy the appetizers guys.  They in fact did turn out to be appetizers as we split another burger for our entree.  The second time was just as good.

Definitely have to make if back for the tasting menu and more wednesday nights for the burgers.

Welcome to eGullet, trader. I'm glad it was Sweets & Savories that lured you out of the eG posting shadows, so to speak, after 11 months! I was with Ronnie and two other eG'ers on March 1, and everything was all he said it was.

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food."  -George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, Act 1

 

"Imagine all the food you have eaten in your life and consider that you are simply some of that food, rearranged."  -Max Tegmark, physicist

 

Gene Weingarten, writing in the Washington Post about online news stories and the accompanying readers' comments: "I basically like 'comments,' though they can seem a little jarring: spit-flecked rants that are appended to a product that at least tries for a measure of objectivity and dignity. It's as though when you order a sirloin steak, it comes with a side of maggots."

 

"...in the mid-’90s when the internet was coming...there was a tendency to assume that when all the world’s knowledge comes online, everyone will flock to it. It turns out that if you give everyone access to the Library of Congress, what they do is watch videos on TikTok."  -Neil Stephenson, author, in The Atlantic

 

"In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual." -Galileo Galilei, physicist and astronomer

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ulterior epicure

ulterior epicure

Posted
Posted

Wow. You guys have really got me regretting that I didn't make it out there on my last trip to Chicago! Next time - for sure!

u.e.

“Watermelon - it’s a good fruit. You eat, you drink, you wash your face.”

Italian tenor Enrico Caruso (1873-1921)

ulteriorepicure.com

My flickr account

ulteriorepicure@gmail.com

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yellow truffle

yellow truffle

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
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=

... Better late than never.

Foie gras-stuffed quail

gallery_15603_221_37883.jpg

Lobster mashed potatoes

gallery_15603_221_735.jpg

Kobe beef burger with lobster mashed in the background

gallery_15603_221_47035.jpg

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Lady T

Lady T

Posted
Posted (edited)

:hmmm:

And I had to sing an Ash Wednesday service instead of sharing the enjoyment of...that. Ooohhhh man.

Ever have a day when you feel God owes you one?

:rolleyes:

Edited by Lady T (log)

Me, I vote for the joyride every time.

-- 2/19/2004

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docsconz

docsconz

Posted
Posted

Yet another must-go-to place in Chicago! This is getting ridiculous. If this keeps up I'm going to have to contact a realtor.

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

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Alex

Alex

Posted
Posted
Is the tasting menu still available?  I didn't see it on the menu.

Yes, I'm 99.99% sure it is. What menu didn't you see it on?

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food."  -George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, Act 1

 

"Imagine all the food you have eaten in your life and consider that you are simply some of that food, rearranged."  -Max Tegmark, physicist

 

Gene Weingarten, writing in the Washington Post about online news stories and the accompanying readers' comments: "I basically like 'comments,' though they can seem a little jarring: spit-flecked rants that are appended to a product that at least tries for a measure of objectivity and dignity. It's as though when you order a sirloin steak, it comes with a side of maggots."

 

"...in the mid-’90s when the internet was coming...there was a tendency to assume that when all the world’s knowledge comes online, everyone will flock to it. It turns out that if you give everyone access to the Library of Congress, what they do is watch videos on TikTok."  -Neil Stephenson, author, in The Atlantic

 

"In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual." -Galileo Galilei, physicist and astronomer

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  • 1 month later...
adamru

adamru

Posted
Posted

I regret never getting around to posting all the meals I had between Christmas and New Year's in Chicago and Minnesota (Moto, Tru, Solly's, Kohler, Biro, Harlequin Bakery, RL, and NYE at Schwa,) but by far the best value and experience was walking into a completely empty Sweets and Savories for lunch on December 30th - which I booked on Opentable so I even got a dollar back - and being convinced to try the lunch tasting menu instead of just the burger. The kitchen split the hamburger as our fourth course and we were surprised to learn there were four courses to follow as well. Plus we got chocolate truffles to take home, they refilled our wine for free and we even liked the touch of the cucumber water. I can't remember the details of every course but there was a lobster risotto and opah and I believe a soup before the burger and a salad, a sorbet, a lemon tart and a shared molten chocolate cake for dessert after the burger. For this we paid $40 each. The greatest value ever for such an indulgent meal. I'm going back to Chicago to experience Alinea in two weeks but really I can't wait to repeat Sweets and Savories.

www.thelifevicarious.com
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Lady T

Lady T

Posted
Posted
Now that the bird-brained city council has banned the foie--should we agree to get together at Sweets and Savories and have a foie feast?

:cool:

I believe we'll have to. PM and we'll coordinate, yes?

:biggrin:

Me, I vote for the joyride every time.

-- 2/19/2004

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Kim D

Kim D

Posted
Posted

I have reservations for Wednesday, May 3.

Finally.

If it weren't for the upcoming ban on foie gras, I might have procrastinated for another few months.

I am so looking forward to that burger! The tasting menu will have to wait for a second trip. And I'm confident that there will be a second trip.

It's been a very long time since I've been tempted out of my own kitchen.

- Kim

If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe. - Carl Sagan

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