wasabigelatine › spicy gastronomic adventures

Mini-review: Table Fifty-Two

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Table Fifty-Two
52 W. Elm
312-573-4000

Chef Art Smith’s upscale Southern-inspired comfort classics and attentive service warm both heart and stomach. Dinner starts with a savory goat cheese biscuit baked in its own miniature cast iron skillet and ends with an array of decadent desserts to choose from. In between are hearty and familiar yet imaginative entrees such as ancho chile-crusted pork chops with pickled cherries and pear salad. Smith has been known to visit with each table in the dining room and graciously signs cookbooks for those who’ve clearly made a pilgrimage to the restaurant (and I’m sure he’d do the same for locals, too).

Vibe: Your posh Southern aunt’s country dining room
Cost: $8 to $30+. Lunch was considerably less expensive but has since been cut from service; it’s dinner only now.
Must-try: Hummingbird cake, a gigantic slice of moist banana cake studded with crushed pineapple and pecans, finished with rich cream cheese icing and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Avoid: The thin stretched wood-fired pizza was more like a salty flatbread.
Also: Thoughtful little touches like the small pitcher of simple syrup they give you to mix your own sweet tea linger long after the meal.

Filed under: Celebrities, Restaurants, Chicago | Comments (2)

Cafecito’s hot chocolate

Saturday, February 28, 2009

HotChocolate’s hot chocolate is a chocolate and sugar addict’s downfall — my favorite’s the caramelly medium hot chocolate — but at $6 a cup, it’s an expensive and unaffordable habit. So I’m pleased to have found a new chocolate love: Cafecito’s hot chocolate. It’s similar to Mexican hot chocolate, laced with cinnamon and almond flavors, but sweeter and stronger than the traditional Abuelita and more like a cross between hot cocoa and horchata. The best part? It’s only $1.99 for 16 ounces, so there’s no excuse for anyone in the Loop to continue drinking Starbucks’ overpriced chalky sludge.

Cafecito is located at 26 E. Congress (312-922-2233) and they make an outstanding Cubano sandwich too.

Filed under: South Loop, Cafes, Chocolate, Chicago, Beverages | Comments (1)

White truffle salt

Saturday, February 28, 2009

A friend of mine gave me a jar of white truffle salt from The Spice House in Old Town. It has real bits of white truffle in it and is so powerfully aromatic it scents the kitchen even when sealed in a plastic bag. I like it on mashed potatoes, french fries, and sweet corn. A little goes a long way and it’s a thoughtful, affordable gift for your truffle-loving friends even in these recessive times.

Filed under: Ingredients, Cooking | Comments (1)

Beverage videos of the week

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Is Tom Colicchio mocking Grant Achatz in this Diet Coke commercial? You decide:

Watch Rachel Maddow mix a Jack Rose:

Filed under: Celebrities, Beverages | Comments (2)

Epic fail: Tropicana’s new look

Monday, February 23, 2009

Following a barrage of consumer complaints, Tropicana has decided to scrap its short-lived minimalist new look:

Redesigned packaging that was introduced in early January is being discontinued, executives plan to announce on Monday, and the previous version will be brought back in the next month.

Also returning will be the longtime Tropicana brand symbol, an orange from which a straw protrudes. The symbol, meant to evoke fresh taste, had been supplanted on the new packages by a glass of orange juice.

The company claims the changes were made not due to the volume of complaints, but because of criticism from some of their “most loyal customers”. But if a handful of comments by wasabigelatine readers is any indication of public opinion, I wouldn’t be surprised if the negative reaction to Tropicana’s new design were much more far reaching.

Tropicana is keeping its new ad campaign, however, which has been received positively, according to the article. I like its warm-fuzzy, nurturing feel, evoking memories of my mom pouring me a glass of orange juice for breakfast every day. Familiarity is good when you’re dealing with a basic food that has such strong associations with childhood and family, which I think is why there was such a backlash when the brand scrapped the emotional icon of the straw-in-orange.

Filed under: Beverages | Comments (0)

Wandering Aengus Cider

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

We visited a farmer’s market in Portland last spring where we discovered Wandering Aengus Ciderworks, an artisanal cider producer located in Salem, Oregon. Their apples are organically grown, some of which are heirloom English and French varieties. In addition to three ciders (dry, semi-dry, and heirloom blend), they also make a pommeau — apple brandy aged in oak for five years, then mixed with apple juice.

Of the ciders, I preferred the semi-dry, which was light, green, and refreshing, while Josh’s favorite was the heirloom blend with its fuller, more robust weight and flavors. We both enjoyed the dry cider as well but thought it was the heaviest and most austere of the three.

Wandering Aengus only ships to Oregon (alas!) and seems to be exclusive to the Pacific Northwest, which is a good enough excuse for me to head back out there soon.

Filed under: Portland, Beverages | Comments (3)

Mini-review: Icosium Kafe/Crepe & Coffee Palace

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Icosium Kafe
5200 N. Clark
773-271-5233

Crepe & Coffee Palace
2433 N. Clark
773-404-1300

Two names, two locations, double the crepe goodness. These cafes serve sweet and savory crepes with an Algerian twist, such as the Crepe Palace (raisins, pears, and rose water with pistachio ice cream) and the Crepe Marrakech, which includes olive tapenade, almonds, and mint.

Vibe: Warm, cozy, fragrant coffeehouse. The aroma of melted butter, caramelized sugar, and North African spices will lull you into a dreamlike state before you even take your first bite.
Cost: $4.50 to $8.50 a crepe
Must-try: Savory crepes include a cup of soup. The pureed vegetable soup is highly recommended, especially with a dollop of harissa, a fiery North African red pepper paste.
Avoid: Falling asleep at your table.
Also: Don’t miss the sweet, cardamom-scented Turkish coffee.

Filed under: Algerian, Cheap Eats, Lincoln Park, Restaurants, Chicago | Comments (1)

Tropicana’s new look

Monday, February 16, 2009

By now you’ve probably seen Tropicana orange juice’s new design. Gone is the iconic straw stuck in an orange; it’s replaced with a semi-abstract closeup of a goblet of orange juice. The typefaces have also been modernized and the brand name relegated to a vertical treatment on the right side. It’s so minimal — generic, even — I had trouble recognizing it when I first saw it at the grocery store. I thought my regular orange juice had been replaced with a trendy new superfood beverage.

wasabigelatine wants to know: What do you think of Tropicana’s new design?

Filed under: Beverages | Comments (10)

Food news of the week

Sunday, February 15, 2009

The Obamas went to Table Fifty-Two for their Valentine’s dinner.

Mr. Beef faces foreclosure.

Starbucks is preparing to unveil soluble (aka instant) coffee.

Filed under: Random, Chicago | Comments (0)

Alinea @ Google

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Last month I attended a Google Authors talk featuring Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas, chef and co-owner of Alinea. It was fascinating to hear stories about the creative process behind the inventive food and restaurant concepts. I appreciated the obsessive amount of detail put into every aspect of the dining experience, especially this one: Alinea doesn’t use tablecloths, so to keep water from dripping off the glasses and ruining the beautiful (and certainly expensive) wood tables, they check the dewpoint every day and calibrate the drinking water temperature to prevent any form of condensation. And in a nod to their event host, they mentioned that they google every guest who makes a reservation, hoping to learn something about them and anticipating their service needs accordingly. Most people would call this stalking, but for some reason I found this very touching. It’s more likely this is to prevent scenarios like “Holy crap, we just put the king of Spain at the worst table in the house!” as opposed to figuring out the whims and quirks of an occasional Chicago food blogger. In any case, the service — and food — was practically perfect when we visited last August.

We chatted with Grant afterwards and he autographed our book. It was a thrill meeting a phenomenal chef who’s also a design and user experience geek.

Filed under: Restaurants, Chicago | Comments (2)

wasabigelatine’s 2008 holiday gift guide

Thursday, December 4, 2008

…because it’ll be Christmas before you know it.

These exquisite animal shot glasses are a far cry from the college logo-emblazoned ones we’re all too familiar with. They’re made of black glass and pewter and are designed to balance on their noses or horns when filled with your beverage of choice. Head side up, they make lovely decorative objects. Choose from bull, bear, moose, deer or rhinoceros. $32 each, from A+R.

My mom has a Betty Crocker cookbook from the early 70’s, and as a kid I’d spend hours poring through pages of exotic American cuisine like fruited Jell-O salad, tuna casserole, and California coffee. These vintage recipe notecards by zebuladesign bring back warm, fuzzy, avocado- and brown-hued memories. The front features an actual vintage recipe card from the late 60’s or early 70’s and the recipe is printed on the inside. $9 for a set of three, from etsy.com.

Coco Rouge’s handmade chocolate bars are perfect for stocking stuffers, and their complex yet familiar flavors will delight exotic chocolate connoisseurs and the not-so-adventurous alike. My favorites are the Andalucia (bittersweet chocolate, Spanish chorizo toffee, Jamaican allspice) and the Pain Perdu (milk chocolate, toasted brioche sautéed in butter, fireweed honey toffee). $7 each at Coco Rouge (www.cocorouge.com, 1940 W. Division, Chicago)

CB2’s Lichtenstein-inspired comic appetizer plates will brighten up any holiday party. Available in YUM! OOO! and MMM! Or get the whole set – they’re only $2.95 each. $2.95 each, from cb2.com.

Three masters of the molecular gastronomy universe published cookbooks this year, though only the most fearless – or ridiculous – will attempt these recipes at home. The rest of us will salivate over the lush, awe-inspiring photography as our stomachs growl in envy. (Continued)

Filed under: Cooking, Holidays, Books, Chocolate, Restaurants, Chicago | Comments (7)

Things I’ve been eating recently

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Here’s a little secret: I haven’t cooked a proper meal in weeks. But I’ve been hitting the farmers markets pretty hard and there’s plenty of fresh food that requires little to no preparation — perfect for my crazy schedule. We’ve supplemented our market finds with a few restaurant visits and have been eating and drinking really well:

- Canelés from Floriole Bakery (pictured above). I’m absolutely addicted to these French pastries, little fluted towers of custardy, caramelly deliciousness. If you’ve never had them before (as was my case), you’re probably not alone — they’re a specialty of Bordeaux, and according to the woman at the bakery stand, Floriole is one of the few places in Chicago that sells them, along with L2O and (occasionally) Blackbird. They’re made of butter, eggs, milk, sugar, flour, vanilla, and rum and baked until nearly burnt, resulting in a perfectly caramelized crust and a soft, almost chewy center. The only way I can describe the texture of a canelé is somewhat like a cross between a custard and a French cruller — dense, eggy, and rich. Chocolate & Zucchini has a much better description here.

- Chinese eggplant from Green Acres at Green City Market. I grew up on Chinese eggplant and didn’t even know what the big, bulbous variety tasted like until I got to college. To this day, I find conventional eggplant tough and unappealing, especially compared to the silky softness of Chinese eggplant. I saute them pseudo-Szechuan style with soy, brown sugar, garlic, rice vinegar, and crushed red pepper flakes.

- Golden egg pappardelle by Pasta Puttana. After reading glowing reviews of this fresh local pasta, I finally tracked some down at the new Chicago’s Downtown Farmstand at Gallery 37 yesterday. (It’s also sold at Green City Market on Wednesdays and Dirk’s Fish in Lincoln Park, but like many people I know, I work downtown on weekdays and try to avoid Lincoln Park whenever possible.) It was well worth the wait — the pappardelle was light and elegant yet substantial, requiring little more than some olive oil, freshly grated parmesan, salt and pepper.

- Nordic Creamery Mild Cheddar Cheese. Goat cheddar. Mmm…

(Continued)

Filed under: Local, Chicago | Comments (1)

Mini-review: Kuma’s Corner

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Kuma’s Corner
2900 W. Belmont
773-604-8769

With over twenty burgers to choose from — all with boldly-combined toppings and named after metal bands — this lively Avondale bar/restaurant is the Hot Doug’s of hamburgers. Some of the offerings are downright outrageous such as the Slayer, a “pile of fries topped with a half-pound burger, chili, cherry peppers, andouille, onions, jack cheese, and anger”. All burgers are served on deliciously soft but substantial pretzel rolls, and you can substitute the beef with chicken tenders, chicken breast, or portobello mushroom, but who are we kidding? We’re here for the gigantic, perfectly seasoned, char-broiled meat patty. Like the hot dog haven just up the street, there’s an excruciatingly long wait almost all the time, but Kuma’s extensive beer selection and skull-pounding music help take the edge off.

Vibe: Loud, loud, loud
Cost: $10-$12 for a burger, but they’re huge and include a stack of house-made fries or potato chips.
Must-try: The Bongzilla, a burger topped with an entire butterflied bratwurst, German mustard, caramelized onions, and jalapeño-apple chutney.
Avoid: What’s not to love?
Also: Their beer philosophy, found on the website: “Death to Miller and Budweiser…they are over-produced and inferior products that prevent passionate craftsmen from sharing their gifts with all of us.”

Filed under: Mini-reviews, Meat, Chicago | Comments (1)

Consider the Lobster

Monday, September 15, 2008

Literary phenom David Foster Wallace passed away this weekend, an apparent suicide and a great loss to American fiction. Reading his work is like being offered a glimpse into the mind of a mad genius — complex, overwrought, brilliant, disturbing, raw, wickedly funny. His 2004 essay for Gourmet magazine, “Consider the Lobster” — a sly nod to M.F.K. Fisher’s 1941 opus Consider the Oyster — was no exception. What starts off as an account of Wallace’s visit to the Maine Lobster Festival quickly progresses into a cynical yet earnest and spot-on musing about the surreal ridiculousness of American tourist traps and then, gaining momentum and before you know it, takes the reader on a supremely uncomfortable philosophical exposition on the ethical implications of eating lobster, this coming from someone who was a meat-eater:

Ultimately, the only certain virtues of the home-lobotomy and slow-heating methods are comparative, because there are even worse/crueler ways people prepare lobster. Time-thrifty cooks sometimes microwave them alive (usually after poking several extra vent holes in the carapace, which is a precaution most shellfish-microwavers learn about the hard way). Live dismemberment, on the other hand, is big in Europe: Some chefs cut the lobster in half before cooking; others like to tear off the claws and tail and toss only these parts in the pot.

You’d have to read the piece in its entirety to understand how (darkly) humorous it is, but the author’s prescience is evident:

The truth is that if you, the Festival attendee, permit yourself to think that lobsters can suffer and would rather not, the MLF can begin to take on aspects of something like a Roman circus or medieval torture-fest.

Does that comparison seem a bit much? If so, exactly why? Or what about this one: Is it not possible that future generations will regard our own present agribusiness and eating practices in much the same way we now view Nero’s entertainments or Aztec sacrifices?

(Continued)

Filed under: Books, Recipes | Comments (1)