Category: Illinois

I was very excited to be invited to the friends and family opening of a brand-new restaurant in Chicago called Fame Supper Club.

This is a beautiful, high-end restaurant with live music, awesome cocktails, and exquisite food. The ambiance was glitzy with a dash of romance.

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We were greeted with a welcome cocktail. It was the Fame 75 that is found on the menu. It was a blend of gin, champagne, simple syrup, and lemon juice. I am not a fan of gin but the way this cocktail was prepared, the flavor of the gin was minimized. It was a refreshing drink and a great was to relax and look over the menu.

I started off ordering the Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice. This was fresh ahi tuna that was blended up to a smooth spread and placed on top of fried crispy rice. This acted almost like a cracker. The sprinkled the tuna with sesame seeds and then drizzled with sriracha aioli and serrano chili hoisin sauce. The tuna was soft and with the sauces the tuna had a big kick. The heat did not last too long, it was the right amount to keep me going back for more. These were the perfect bite size portions that made them easy to eat and quite addicting.

I ordered another cocktail from the very attentive bartender. This time I got a classic Dirty Martini with bleu cheese olives. The martini itself was strong but smooth. The bleu cheese that was stuffed in the olives was creamy and a great snack.

Out next was the Lobster Bisque. The creamy bisque was loaded with tender lobster meat and lump crab meat. I was so surprised to get both. They also had corn, sweet peppers, and scallions throughout. They finished it off with a lobster oil drizzled on top. There was nice sweetness to this bisque. There was a generous amount of lobster and crab, which is not normally found in other bisques.  The lobster oil gave the bisque a richer taste than the traditional sherry that is drizzled over lobster bisque. I really enjoyed the chef’s interpretation.

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The last thing that came out was the Truffle Parmesan Fries. These were hand cut fries that were tossed in white truffle oil and parmesan cheese. They served a confit garlic aioli on the side for dipping. The fries were nice and crispy. The truffle oil gave the fries an earthy taste. The garlic aioli was a great dipping sauce that added a slight tanginess. This paired well wit the saltiness of the fries and parmesan cheese.

There was one last cocktail that I had to try before the end of the evening, No Flash Photography. The base of this drink was tequila along with ancho chile liqueur, passionfruit puree, agave, and fresh lime juice. Then for an added treat, the bartender lit the drink on fire. He sprinkled cinnamon on top of the flame, and it created sparks. It was one of the coolest drinks I have ever seen getting made.

The cinnamon even left a ring on the bar.

This was a very strong drink because of the tequila. The passionfruit shined through and added a sweet and sour taste. The hint of cinnamon flavor helped make this cocktail almost like a dessert.

Fame was a fantastic experience. The atmosphere was fun and lively. It is the perfect place to go on a date or hang out with friends. They also have a club upstairs that I did not get a chance to check out but I definitely will next time. I cannot wait to go back and visit again.

Check them out at www.fameinchicago.com

Enjoy!

T

When visiting Chicago, I asked some locals where they like to go for pizza. It was suggested I check out Piece. They offer woodfire pizza and a large selection of beers. So, if locals like this place, I thought I should check them out.

Piece is a great place to go to watch sports. There are tv’s all over the restaurant. There is also a great amount of natural lighting that make the restaurant nice and bright.

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I could smell the pizza as soon as I walked in. I was getting so hungry. Knowing it would take a little longer to get the pizza, I made sure to place my order right away.

While I waited for the pizza, I also got the goat cheese starter. The fresh goat cheese was baked in the homemade marinara sauce and a drizzle of olive oil and oregano. They served butter toasted French bread on the side.  I spread the creamy goat cheese on the bread and then put on a layer of the marinara sauce. The cheese had a tangy taste to it, which is very different from the taste of mozzarella. The marinara sauce had a great flavor from the oregano that was added in. The bread added a nice crunch and was the perfect vehicle to eat this dish.

My pepperoni pizza came out just as I was finishing the goat cheese. It was perfect timing. This pizza was a lot larger than I was expecting. I ordered a medium that was supposed to serve 2-3 people. This pizza could easily serve 4-5 people.

The crust was not too thick and not to thin. It was just right and had an awesome crispness to it from the oven. There were a few scorch marks on it that added a slight smoky taste. The pepperoni was also crispy form the oven. The saltiness from the cheese and pepperoni complemented the sweetness from the crust.

Piece was indeed a great place for pizza. It is not far from a train stop so it is easy to get to and from the location. If you are in the Chicago area, check them out. Visit their website at www.piecechicago.com

Enjoy!

T

I was visiting Chicago on one of the coldest weekends of the year. I really did not want to venture out in that weather. Luckily for me there was a great restaurant inside the Marriott Marquis that I was able to get in to called Woven + Bound.

They had a lot of fresh farm to table dishes on the menu. I started with the bacon wrapped dates. These were a lot smaller on the plate than I expected. However, they still packed a flavor punch.

The dates were filled with creamy goat cheese. The bacon was crispy on the outside. It was the perfect bland of sweetness from the cheese and salty from the bacon. They drizzled a pear balsamic reduction on top that added a little kick in taste.

I ordered a cheese and meat board for the table. There was an assortment of cheeses but I enjoyed the blue cheese the most. It was not tangy like other blue cheeses I have had. There was also an assortment of meats that went great with the cheeses. They included capicola, rillettes, and prosciutto.

For my dinner I was looking forward to trying their version of chicken and dumplings. They served a quarter chicken still on the bone. The chicken was juicy and had a smoky taste that was wonderful with the savory gravy that was poured on top. They also had carrots, kale, and baby turnips on the plate. Those vegetables were also drenched in the gravy which helped them taste amazing.  There were only two small dumplings on my plate. They were good, however I really wished I had a few more to enjoy.

For dessert we ordered two options to share. The pretzel doughnut came out warm on the plate. The doughnut was covered in cinnamon and sugar. Inside was a creamy bourbon mascarpone cheese filling. It was so creamy and was great with the pretzel dough that was slightly sour.

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The other dessert was the chocolate mousse cake. This warm chocolate cake had a layer of chocolate ganache on top. It came with a glass of milk on the side. I was not sure what to do with the milk at first. After I took my first bite of the cake I realized how heavy and thick it was. I ended up pouring the milk over the cake. After a few minutes the cake absorbed all the milk and made it much easier to cut in to. The milk also make the cake moist. It was an interesting dessert.

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For a hotel restaurant, Woven + Bound was good. They offered some unique takes on classic dishes. Check them out at the hotel website www.marriott.com

Enjoy!

T

I ventured out on an extremely cold evening in Chicago to visit Catch 35. I was told that this restaurant was really good, so I was not going to let a little weather hold me back.

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I arrived a little early for my reservation so I enjoyed a glass of Processco at the bar.

Looking over the menu there were so many seafood options to choose from. I originally wanted to get the Yellowfin tuna but that was a popular fish that night because they were sold out. I went for my second choice of the Atlantic salmon.

I ordered the salmon grilled. It came out with a cucumber, shallot and lemon dill sauce poured on top. The salmon was cooked perfectly. It was flaky and moist. It tasted amazing with the dill sauce that offered a slight sour flavor. The cucumber pieces added a fresh element as well as a crunch. This sauce and cucumbers would be perfect over a salad.

The table got a side of Brussels sprouts to share. They were roasted so that they had nice crispy leaves. I dipped some bites into the dill sauce. I really liked that sauce!

I also ordered a cup of their shrimp and crab bisque. It was a nice creamy base with pieces fo fresh and chopped up shrimp and pieces of lump crab meat. I wish there was a little more of that in the bisque.

For dessert we shared the carrot cake bread pudding. This was an interesting blend of two desserts that I really like. The carrot cake was used as the bread in the dessert. It was sweet but very dense. There were fresh pieces of pineapple mixed throughout. The cream cheese icing was used as a glaze that was drizzled over the bread pudding. I enjoyed the spice flavor that was in the cake and the sweet icing complemented the cake.

My dinner was great at Catch 35. It was definitely worth going out in the Chicago cold. Check them out at www.catch35.com

Enjoy!

T

There is a famous place in Chicago, near the United Center, that is known for their cheeseburgers called Billy Goat Tavern.

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Billy Goat Tavern has a rich history that dates back to 1934, starting with the Greek immigrant who started the bar to the Billy Goat that fell off a truck and wandered inside. There is still a goat on display in the restaurant.

What I also learned is Billy Goat Tavern was also made famous on Saturday Night Live. It was the “Cheezborgor, Cheezborgor” skit.

The place was packed. It seemed like everyone had the same idea. They have burgers and hot dogs on the menu. I went for a cheeseburger. They grilled them up to order so there was a slight wait, but I figured it was going to be worth it.

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The fresh beef patty came out of a huge fresh bun. After seeing how big the bun was I wish I had ordered a double patty.

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They have a topping bar that you can use to customize your burger or hot dog to your liking. I kept mine simple with just adding some relish. I did not want to take away from the flavor of the meat. The burger was extremely juicy. It did not take me long to scarf it down.

I also got some French fries. They were hot and crispy. The perfect companion to a cheeseburger.

Now before I left Chicago I did visit another location of the Billy Goat Tavern. This time it was their location inside O’Hare airport. I figured it would be perfect to enjoy on the plane.

This visit I ordered a cheese dog paired with cheese fries. The hot dog was covered in liquid cheese. It made such a mess when I took a bite. There was so much cheese it oozed everywhere. It’s the perfect way to enjoy a cheese dog.

For the French fries, the cheese came on the side, so I had to dip the fries into the cheese. I would have preferred the cheese be poured over the fries.

I really enjoyed both of my visits to Billy Goat Tavern. It will definitely be my new go-to restaurant for when I am at the airport.

Check out their history at www.billygoattavern.com

Enjoy!

T