It
might not be easy to get away from the real world these
days, what with post-Iraq war jitters and an uncertain economic
recovery hovering over our heads. But there are places to
escape and good food and drink to comfort your mind and
soul and keep your palate entertained.
The
Beef at Kinzie Chophouse
People in the meat business say steak
is the preferred form of beef. Steak restaurants in the
land of meat and potatoes believe steak is king. But somehow,
steak lovers some of them big spenders from the Age of Stock
Market Exuberance —aren't heading out to their favorite
steakhouses often. How can a restaurant keep them coming
back?
By
adding more beef to the menu. Well-known River North steak
specialist Kinzie Chophouse, operated
by Frasca Hospitality Group, added a new steak
to its menu earlier this year. It's the ““Kinzie
Cut," which rivals the choicest steak in taste
and tenderness, but costs less than those expensive cuts.
The
Kinzie Cut, from corn-fed Midwestern cattle, is a “flat
iron steak. It's a unique cut that comes from the shoulder
blade of the cow, a part usually used for pot roasts and
stews. At a half-inch thick, about 12 inches long and weighing
in at 16 ounces, the Kinzie Cut is a huge portion. With
its marbled meat and robust flavor, it's a desirable option
on a menu that features luxurious entrees like Prime Rib,
New York Strip and the Porterhouse along with non-steak
choices like Dijon and herb-crusted lamb chops, jalapeno
barbecued pork tenderloin and sesame-crusted Ahi tuna. Beautifully
grilled and served with potatoes, carrots and yellow squash,
it has an intense beef flavor that goes well with the recommended
glass of cabernet sauvignon from the restaurant's award-winning
wine list.
The
Kinzie Cut alone makes for a sizable dinner, but a customary
approach to the evening feast may begin with a salad like
one made with baby greens topped with chicken, candied walnuts,
green apples, blue cheese and an apple vinaigrette. Then
move on to the Kinzie Cut. But try to save room for desserts
like the classic crème brulee, homey Dutch apple
pie and the popular chocolate terrine, which combines layers
of chocolate chiffon, chocolate mousse and chocolate ganache,
served with a raspberry sauce. It makes for a decadent close
to dinner.
Kinzie
Chophouse
400
N. Wells St.,
312-733-5019
Doing
the Mambo
In
the frigid Chicago winter or the heat of summer, dining
and drinking to a Latin beat usually evokes a sultry “Oooooh."
Whether you can dance the mambo or not, visit the Mambo
Grill in River North. The Pan-Latin restaurant,
another one operated by Frasca, offers a taste of Latin
America, from Brazilian seafood stews and Argentine steak
dishes to Caribbean and Mexican specialties. Its beverage
menu, with classics like margaritas and mojitos, is even
more exciting. Mambo Grill boasts
of the largest rum and tequila selection in the country.
Guests
can order flights of tequila and mescal, a way to savor
the unique flavors of these spirits, both made from the
agave plant. Flights come in two ounce shots of tequila
blanco, reposado or anejo. Blancos, light-colored, un-aged
tequilas held for less than two months before bottling,
offer crisp, young flavors. Reposados, rested for two months
to a year in oak barrels, have a robust, slightly woody
finish. Anejos, amber-colored, full-bodied tequilas aged
in small, white oak barrels for one to six years, offer
a smooth, long finish.
Mescals
can be made all over Mexico, but those at Mambo
Grill come from the state of Oaxaca and are
very limited in production. A flight of mescals may feature
Chichicapa, San Luis del Rio, Tobala and Crema from the
producer Del Maguey.
Rums
by the flight also are available, with many bottles from
Barbados, Puerto Rico, Jamaica and the U.S. Virgin Islands,
and selections like Diplomatico Rum from Venezuela, Zaya
from Guatemala, Ron Coba 12-year-old from Mexico, Flor de
Cana from Nicaragua, and Pyrat Rum Cask, 23 years old, from
St. Maarten.
So
have your flight and dinner, too. Graze through a collection
of inventive appetizers, ensaladas, and ““platos."
Friends can share mariquitas, crispy plaintain chips with
a pineapple mango salsa and a black bean sauce. A nicely
seasoned guacamole comes with blue corn chips and salsa
de arbol. Try Dominican bombas de camarones, fried potato
croquettes stuffed with shrimp, chipotle peppers and cilantro,
served with a pineapple mango salsa. Sample some vegetarian
empanadas, little turnovers stuffed with roasted corn, mushrooms,
onions, cheese and cilantro, served with jalapeno tomato
salsa and guacamole. For a bit of heft, order the tequila-marinated
skirt steak, charcoal grilled and served with skinny malanga
and potato fries.
Oooooh, indeed!
Mambo
Grill
412
N. Clark Street,
312-733-5019
A
place to hang out
In the posh Gold Coast area, wine,
food and the good life naturally command attention. That"s
not to say beer wouldn't appeal to Gold Coast residents
or visitors. They're likely to head to Jake
Melnick's Corner Tap, an unabashedly casual
alternative to the Magnificent Mile's luxury restaurants.
The pub, operated by Levy Restaurants, celebrated
its first birthday this past August with a giant beer mug
birthday cake, live music and a variety of entertainers
and attractions over four lively nights.
Jake's
has been a friendly neighborhood hang-out for a year, and
it has been a popular spot. In the cold nights of winter,
its tables are packed with patrons, and in the summer, guests
spill out to a sidewalk seating area.
Jake's
has had some rather interesting events in the past, a memorable
one being a beer tasting dinner several months back. It
featured dishes made by Jake's Chef
Matt Bishop and beers from Two Brothers
Brewing Company of Warrenville, Ill., the state's oldest
and only fully functioning microbrewery since 1996. Operated
by brothers Jim and Jason Ebel, it specializes
in rare and seldom brewed beer styles.
It's
a bid to urge beer lovers to set aside the familiar Miller
and Bud and explore something more. The deep amber-colored,
easy-drinking Domaine DuPage French Country Ale, is a getting-to-know-you
type of beer whose cider-like flavor goes well with bratwurst
poached in butter and beer. Prairie Path Golden Ale, a thin,
clear, golden straw colored beer, has a light bitter taste
with a hint of hops spiciness, which complements the dinner's
white cheddar soup. The reddish brown, complexly flavored
Brown Fox Session Ale has tastes of citrus, hints of black
licorice and a certain sweetness that makes it a match for
roasted pork tenderloin stuffed with roasted peppers and
mushrooms, served with mustard sauce. The night's clincher:
beer with chocolate. Dessert is a killer chocolate ganache
tarte with a glass of deep brown-colored Northwind Imperial
Stout, a beer that aspires to match Ireland's famous full-bodied
Guinness.
Jake
Melnick's Corner Tap
41
E. Superior St.,
312-266-0400
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