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
|