Windy City with Passport Delicious [On The Road: Chicago]

The sea was angry that day my friends, like an old man trying to return soup at a deli 

George Costanza (Seinfeld episode “The Marine Biologist”) 

It has been a long time since I visited Chicago so it was about time. During my visit I contacted blogger friend Krista to catch up with her adventures around the world. 

We started the night with cocktails in The Aviary. This is a new concept in Chicago, bartenders are trained chef, innovative cocktails are at the centre stage, a drink kitchen, and all these under the command of chef Grant Achatz.

The menu

Drink Kitchen

We got the three drinks option, there is an option of 7 drinks they call the Flight. The cocktails are amazing, great balance, creative, out of the box, using coffee French presses, treasure chests, and even a spray to put your drink on fire. You can also get some nibbles as well, the oysters and the lobster are amazing. Great place for drinks before going for dinner. Highly recommended if you’re in Chicago. 

One of the cocktails

My drink is on fire

The Aviary

T: +1 312 226 0868

Cocktail Bar

Approx Damage: US$90pp
Area: West Loop

Chicago

Twitter: AviaryCocktails

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Then we decided to go for a bite, funny enough the places I wanted to visit were the same recommendations that Krista had in mind. We ended in Little Goat. Owned by chef and Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard. Her concept was to have a dinner, bar/bakery, rooftop, and a place for classes and events under the same roof. The menu is based on American Dinner of course, with salads, burgers, soups, and sandwiches. 

Little Goat Baristas

Entrance to the Diner

The place was completely packed, we had to wait in the bar for 10 to 15 minutes. Krista got a Caesar salad, she wasn’t a big friend of the tempura anchovy on it (you can read her review here). I went messy and greedy on this, I got the Goat Almighty, a monster burger with goat, braised beef, and bbq pork. Add to that cheddar cheese, jalapenos, chimi mayo, and onion rings. The burger was humongous, ok flavour, I knew that was going to happened, there were so many things going on, so many flavours, so my expectations were a bit low, but for the size. Beef overcooked, goat was ok, flavour ok. If you’re into this kind of monster meals this is the one for you, I just did it to say I’ve done that and got the t-shirt, but that’s enough for me, not an experience I would repeat. Sincerely, I prefer to go to Girl & the Goat instead.

Goat Almighty

Burgistagram

Overall great fun to be back in Chicago at least for a couple days, I really appreciate Krista took time to show me that amazing cocktail place.

Little Goat
T: +1 312 888 3455
American Dinner
Approx Damage: US$30pp
Area: West Loop
Chicago
Twitter: StephAndTheGoat

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The Top Chef Breakfast Sandwich [Recipe]

After watching the latest episode of Top Chef season 10 in Seattle I got inspired to do my version of the quick fire challenge winner dish. The green forest breakfast sandwich about nothing.

InstaSandwich

Ingredients 

½ bunch of Basil 

½ bunch of Parsley 

½ bunch of Coriander 

½ jalapeno pepper 

3 shallots 

4 cloves of garlic 

100 grams of pancetta 

100 grams of chorizo 

3 eggs 

4 slices of bread 

50 grams of grated Gouda cheese 

50 grams of grated Parmesan cheese 

1 Avocado 

Olive oil 

Water 

Milk 

Pepper 

Salt 

Preparation 

Parsley / Basil puree 

Blend the basil, parsley, coriander, shallots, 2 garlic cloves, jalapenos, touch of salt, pepper and add slowly a bit of water into a blender until it gets a pureed consistency 

Eggs 

Beat 2 eggs, some milk, add salt and pepper. On a pan, add a bit of olive oil, lightly fry the pancetta and chorizo, then add the eggs mix, most of the basil puree, and the grated cheese. Cooked like you’re doing an omelette 

Aioli 

On a blender, add 1 egg, a pinch of salt, 1 garlic clove, and a touch of the puree. Blend adding slowly olive oil until it gets a mayo consistency 

Bread 

Drizzle the bread with olive oil and toast it on a hot pan 

Finally add mayo to the toasted bread, add the cooked eggs, some avocado, and enjoy 

Eggs

Preparation

Final product

Eggs remind me the Seinfeld episode “The Pick” 

George: It'll be different this time

Susan: I need someone a little more stable

George: I'm not stable? I'm like a rock. I take these glasses off, you can't tell the difference between me and a rock. I put these glasses on a rock. You know what jumps into most people's minds? Costanza!

Susan: People don't change

George: I change I change. Two weeks ago I tried a soft-boiled egg. Never liked it before. Now I'm dunking a piece of toast in there and I'm loving it

Susan: I'm not a soft-boiled egg

George: And I am not a piece of toast

Susan: I just don't think we have anything in common

George: That's okay. That's good. You think Louie Pasteur and his wife had anything in common? He was in the fields all day with the cows, you know with the milk, examining the milk, delving into milk, consumed with milk. Pasteurisation, homogenization, she was in the kitchen killing cockroaches with a boot on each hand

Susan: Why were there so many cockroaches?

George: Because. There was a lot of cake lying around the house. Just sitting there going with all the excess milk from all the experiments

Susan: And they got along?

George: Yes! Yes. You know. She didn't know about Pasteurization. He didn't know about Fumigation. But they made it work!

London

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Spike has a Pizza in DC [On The Road/PizzAttack: Washington D.C.]

Back in DC for a quick stop before continue to Charleston so instead of staying in the boring One World lounge of the airport decided to go explore a bit the US Capital. You know big fan of Top Chef, Yada Yada Yada, Spike Mendelsohn has a burger joint and literally beside it’s his pizza joint We, The Pizza. 

The place

I was keen to go for it as the burger was nice, not great but quite decent, messy, a little bit smallish but good flavours, so the pizza might be a surprise. Got to the place, nobody on the counter, a couple clients waiting to get their orders, it was a chaos and the staff couldn't care less. I wait at least more than 5 min in front of the counter with nobody in front of me and no staff to take my order, unbelievable. 

Lonely counter

Pizza trays

Options

Finally ordered a beer and two slices, Spicy Mexican and sausages and peppers. Sat with my buzzer waiting to get my slices, and overheard the table besides impressed with the size of the pies. Got my call, and they were right the slices were big completely opposite to the petite burger next door, these guys are going for quantity. 

Pizza time

Spicy Mexican came with tomato sauce mozzarella,, chicken, peppers, onions, chipotle, cilantro, Mexican spices, and a splash of lime, not to good, spices mild, not even a spicy punch, and to be honest not a big fan of chicken on a pizza as always gets overcooked, surprise it was overcooked! Then sausages and peppers, tomato sauce, mozzarella, homemade Italian sausage, oven roasted peppers, fennel seeds, and fresh basil, a little bit better, sweet peppers blah! Not the combination I was looking for, and finally home made Italian sausage? Seriously I have been in Italy sorry that’s not home made Italian sausage. 

Bere our birra responsibly! Nice!

At least it was a nice crust, even they were reheated, the beer was good, and the day was awesome, sadly We, The Pizza didn't deliver. 

You got to love DC

I got a pizza Yada Yada Yada wasn’t good, that brings to mind Seinfeld episode “The Yada Yada” 

Marcy: You know, a friend of mine thought she got Legionary’s disease in the hot tub 

George: Really? What happened? 

Marcy: Oh, yada yada yada, just some bad egg salad. I'll be right back 

Jerry: I noticed she's big on the phrase yada yada 

George: Is yada yada bad? 

Jerry: No, yada yada is good. She's very succinct 

George: She is succinct 

Jerry: Yeah, it's like you're dating USA Today

We, The Pizza

T: +1 202 544 4008

Pizza

Approx Damage: $13pp

Area: Capitol Hill

Washington DC

Twitter: chefspike

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Spike has a burger in DC

You should know I’m a big fan of Top Chef, I love the show, and as a result I try to visit the restaurants of the contestants or chefstants. In my last visit to DC I discovered that Spike Mendelsohn opened two restaurants there, a pizza place and a burger joint, actually one beside the other. Quite good if you want to check how your places are doing, or too lazy to move more than a couple metres, don’t know, don’t care. 

The Place

I convinced my colleagues to go to the burger place, Good Stuff Eatery, a nice place, apparently a favourite of Michelle Obama, potential to franchise which is good for Spike bad for the punters as I think it losses a little of the magic and mystery of being an independent restaurant. They opened in 2008, family operation, but hoping to grow across the country, it’s nice if he’s involving all the family on the business, apparently is already expanding as two new locations will be opening soon, quite simple offering, handcrafted burgers, handcut fries, handspun shakes, and fresh salads with fresh quality ingredients. 

Logo

There wasn't a big queue, just enough to made my head around the menu, but the place was packed, I ordered the Prez Obama Burger, what can be better than the actual USA leader of the free world named in a burger, applewood bacon, onion marmalade, Roquefort cheese, and horseradish mayo sauce, as a side Spike’s village fries, and some onion petals. 

Where the magic happens

Tasty Wreck

Burger was wrapped and served as any take away place, it has the look of a really greasy, cheap but tasty place, something like the ones you get in this small corner vendors that only the locals know about. The flavour was good, juices all over the place, a complete tasty disaster which is good, my only complaint it was too little, seriously! Fine dining portions for fast greasy food! It’s a burger joint not L’Atelier of Spike. Fries were good, the thyme, rosemary, and sea salt seasoning is great. 

As it comes

Burger Time or Burger Tasty Wreck

Onion Petals

Nice burger, good flavours, not the most good looking one, and extremely small, you will have to order two as one is not enough, at least for me, strategy or naive, like Phil Collins would say I don’t care anymore. Go judge by yourself it's good stuff.

Cowbell

Chef reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Pie” when Jerry saw that Poppy didn’t wash his hands after using the toilet. 

George: How could he not have washed? 

Jerry: Even if you're not going to soap up, at least pretend for my benefit. Turn the water on, do something 

George: Yeah, just like I do 

Jerry: You know a chef who doesn't wash is like a cop who steals. It's a cry for help, he wants to get caught

Good Stuff Eaterie

T: +1 202 543 8222

Burgers

Aprox Damage: $15pp

Neighbourhood: Capitol Hill

Washington DC

Twitter: chefspike

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Top Chef or Top Goat? in Chicago

Went to Chicago and a place I couldn’t miss was Stephanie Izard’s Girl & The Goat. Stephanie graduated from the Cordon Bleu at Scottsdale culinary institute, a couple gigs in restaurants around Chicago until she opened her first venture Scylla which closed two years later despite good reviews from the place, then around 2008 she participated and won Top Chef Season four. After that in the summer of 2010 she opened Girl & the Goat to blow everyone minds and get excellent reviews and award nominations. 

The Place

Napking & The Goat

The place a rustic and bad ass environment according to their website, I would go more for fun, modern, and a little rustic. The menu is categorised in vegetable, fish, and meat. The specials definitely are the Goat dishes on the menu. I sat for a while studied with patience the menu and ordered a Metropolitan Flywheel Bright Lager. 

Menu & The Goat

Inside & The Goat

Goat & The Goat

First the Culture Club bread with the house cultured butter, and beer cheese sauce, nice both the cheese sauce and the butter, then I went straight for the kill probably the best dish Confit Goat Belly yeap Goat Belly, with bourbon butter, lobster n’ crab, and fennel, just amazing the goat belly was a revelation, the bourbon gives another dimension playing with the lobster and the goat. After that got Nantucket bay Scallops, with squash bok, Choy goat, and xo pizza poofs, excellent, nice broth, splendid balance, and a fabulous spicy kick. 

Culture Club Bread

Scallops

Goat Belly

Food was superb, service great, and the atmosphere quite nice, will come back when back in the Windy City. 

Check & The Goat

Art & The Goat

Goat reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Strike” 

Elaine: Oh, I can't believe it! I've lost my "Atomic Sub" card! Oh no! I bet I wrote that fake number on the back of it when I gave it to denim vest! 

Jerry: So? 

Elaine: I've eaten 23 bad subs, I just need 1 more! It's like a long, bad movie, but you want to see the end of it! 

Jerry: No, you walk out 

Elaine: Alright, then, it's like a boring book, but you got to finish it 

Jerry: No, you wait for the movie! 

Elaine: I want that free sub 

Jerry: You don't need the card. High-end hoagie outfit like that, it's all computerized! They're cloning sheep now. 

Kramer: No, they're not cloning sheep. It's the same sheep! I saw Harry Blackstone do that trick with two goats and a handkerchief on the old Dean Martin show! 

Jerry: So, why don't you just try your blow-off number and see if he's called it? 

Elaine: That's a good idea

Girl & The Goat

T: +1 312 492 6262

Gastropub

Neighbourhood: West Loop

Area: West Loop

Chicago

Twitter: StephAndTheGoat

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Italian Top Chef in Washington

One of my favourite reality TV shows is definitely Top Chef, so every time I visit a city I checked if there is a restaurant or any of the chefs are working around the city, well in Washington Mike Isabella who was a cheftestant from season 6 and season 8 (All Stars) where he ended as a runner up in the final, opened a restaurant to give you the chance to try his food.

Top Chef Season 8 Final Mike and Richard (Copyright © Bravo Media LLC)

An Italian tapas place called Graffiato, with the chance to get a special menu where Mike decide what you’re going to eat. There is everything there, vegetables dishes, salads, soups, pasta, pizza, ham & cure meats, cheese, bone marrow, and even pork belly. All these in an industrial environment a little informal yet cozy.

Graffiato

Inside

Got with a couple of colleagues, asked for pony beers, yes a Coronita bucket, and a couple dishes each to share and try different things. First a flatbread with pepperoni sauce yes the same one from the episode 16 “The Finale”, awesome the sauce took it to the next level, then we got crispy Brussels sprouts with pancetta, maple, and egg, the sprouts were superb probably the best dish of the day, following wild boar with chestnut, apple, and aged balsamic, which was excellent, then a roasted potato gnocchi with black truffle, and wild mushroom, the gnocchi was tasty and perfectly cooked, and finally the pork belly which was superb.

Pony Beer

Pony Bucket

Gnocchi

The Star of the Day Brussels Sprouts

Faltbread

Boar

Fish Time

Pork Belly

I think Mike hit a grand slam here, the food was superb, the service great, I would love to eat at Graffiato at least once a week.

Graffiato Art

Finals remind me the Seinfeld episode “The Finale”

Robber: Alright fatso, out of the car

Kramer: I want to capture this

Robber: Come on! Give me your wallet

Victim: Don't shoot

Jerry: Well, there goes the money for the lipo

Elaine: See, the great thing about robbing a fat guy is it's an easy getaway. You know? They can't really chase you!

George: He's actually doing him a favour. It's less money for him to buy food

Graffiato

T: +1 202 289 3600

Italian tapas

Neighbourhood: Judiciary Square

Washington DC

Twitter: Graffiato

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