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Location: W. Armitage, just west of N. Halsted. Chicago.
On an innocuous street with mixed commercial and private residences, lies a restauraunt which various lists and opinions count as among the world's fifty best restaurants. Such lists are ultimately fairly arbitrary of course, but Charlie Trotter has built a name for himself, through his long-lived eponymous restaurants, through books, and through his culinary offspring who have ensured Chicago's place as one of the most interesting cities for food in America. Easily swayed by the right kind of propaganda, I made a reservation for my father and myself for the second of our two day expedition to the Windy City.
The restaurant is structured from a converted house, a high-ceilinged entryway with a modern feel giving way to a handful of smaller dining rooms on both the first and second floor. The tables weren't crowded, but close enough that it was easy enough to eavesdrop - or engage the next nearest table in conversation. We began upstairs, but the music from the atrium was too loud, so we were moved to a less airy space, but one where the music was all but inaudible. As our initial waiter said, they were happy to accomodate all needs, preferences, and allergies. Unless, of course, one wanted to order à la carte; this restaurant only served tasting menus.
( Quite a bit more about the meal... )
Overall, my quibbles were generally minor ones - plastic water bottles, the occasional less-memorable dish. Only the dessert throng really threw me out of my food-induced reverie and distracted me from an otherwise pleasant and well-organized experience. And the food really was excellent, particular the work with herbs, incorporated in unexpected and entirely effective ways throughout the meal. The wines were beautifully coordinated, every one of them. The tuna with lemongrass, onion soup, and buffalo milk ice cream in particular involved flavors and textures which will stay with me for a long time to come.
On an innocuous street with mixed commercial and private residences, lies a restauraunt which various lists and opinions count as among the world's fifty best restaurants. Such lists are ultimately fairly arbitrary of course, but Charlie Trotter has built a name for himself, through his long-lived eponymous restaurants, through books, and through his culinary offspring who have ensured Chicago's place as one of the most interesting cities for food in America. Easily swayed by the right kind of propaganda, I made a reservation for my father and myself for the second of our two day expedition to the Windy City.
The restaurant is structured from a converted house, a high-ceilinged entryway with a modern feel giving way to a handful of smaller dining rooms on both the first and second floor. The tables weren't crowded, but close enough that it was easy enough to eavesdrop - or engage the next nearest table in conversation. We began upstairs, but the music from the atrium was too loud, so we were moved to a less airy space, but one where the music was all but inaudible. As our initial waiter said, they were happy to accomodate all needs, preferences, and allergies. Unless, of course, one wanted to order à la carte; this restaurant only served tasting menus.
( Quite a bit more about the meal... )
Overall, my quibbles were generally minor ones - plastic water bottles, the occasional less-memorable dish. Only the dessert throng really threw me out of my food-induced reverie and distracted me from an otherwise pleasant and well-organized experience. And the food really was excellent, particular the work with herbs, incorporated in unexpected and entirely effective ways throughout the meal. The wines were beautifully coordinated, every one of them. The tuna with lemongrass, onion soup, and buffalo milk ice cream in particular involved flavors and textures which will stay with me for a long time to come.
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