Heights Eats

For our final night in Chicago (which happened to be Sarah’s birthday) we went to Topolobampo, Rick Bayless’s most upscale restaurant. We were a bit nervous about bringing Jonathan, but they had a kid’s menu and he generally did really well.

Shortly after we were seated we were given a sort of guacamole amuse bouche with cucumber and jicama. The guacamole was fresh and flavorful with some sharp fresh chili flavor, and the vegetables were crisp and refreshing. And unlike the typical Mexican chips and salsa, this dish was not very filling, making it a perfect first course.

I ordered the Topolo Margarita (with Sauza Commerativo and Gran Torres) to start, which was a very good interpretation. Sarah had a carbonated limeade, which was quite good although a bit on the sweet side.

We started with a fish ceviche, which was outstanding. The fish was perfectly “cooked” by the citrus, and, as with almost all Bayless dishes, a sharp fresh (but not overpowering) spiciness … continue reading

Grand Lux Café is a franchise much like the Cheesecake Factory. The décor is ornate, the menu is huge (and generally well-executed) and the desserts are plentiful. They had a location about two blocks from our hotel in Chicago, and, as we were travel-weary, they seemed like a good bet.

I started with a Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat to keep things local. It was mild, tasty and drinkable, with a yeast profile that seemed slightly in between American and Bavarian.

For our appetizers we had fried pickles and chicken meatballs. The pickles were disappointing, thin chips that were mostly breading, soggy on the inside and bland. We’ve had better at Quaker Steak.

The chicken skillet meatballs, though, were the hightlight of the meal, so full of garlic that they were almost spicy from it. The tomato sauce was rich and flavorful, and everything was covered with gooey cheese. The buttery bread also soaked everything up nicely.

Sarah and I split the Manhattan Salad for dinner, … continue reading

Since the recently opened Revolution Brewing Company was the “Talk of the Town” on the Chicago Urbanspoon, Sarah and I thought we’d stop by for dinner on our recent visit. We both also enjoy brewpubs, especially those with beer cheese soup.

The feel of Revolution Brewing is a bit more upscale than a typical brewpub. More people were wearing ties and button-down shirts than jeans. The staff is very friendly and down to earth, though, and a sense of humor comes through in the naming of some of the beers.

I ordered an Anti-Hero IPA while we were waiting (briefly) to be seated. It was a great beer, full of floral (but not overly bitter) hops which was nicely counterbalanced by subtle malty sweetness.

For our appetizer we ordered the bacon fat popcorn ($4), which was loaded with fresh bacon, cheese and crispy sage. We all loved this (especially Jonathan) and might try something like it at home.

We never pass up the … continue reading

On our recent trip to Chicago, Sarah and I stopped by XOCO, Rick Bayless’ take on Mexican street food, for breakfast. Sarah has been a Rick Bayless fan since before the Food Network was in existence, and we’ve always wanted to visit one of his restaruants. We were glad we did.

I ordered the open-faced torta with soft-poached egg and tomato broth ($4). The melding of flavors and textures was great. The sharpness of spicy hot peppers and acidic tomato was perfectly balanced by the saucy richness of the very soft egg. The only downside is that it’s hard to eat without a fork once the egg bursts.

Sarah ordered the chorizo-egg torta ($7.50), which was also excellent. All of the flavors–chorizo, egg, peppers, cheese and buttery avocado–melded well but were also distinct. The salsa verde on the side was a nice touch.

Jonathan’s amaranth granola and yogurt ($4) was also yummy, packed full of nuts as well as fresh and dried fruit. I was happy to eat what he couldn’t finish.

The “bean … continue reading

We visited Chicago this past weekend for a short stay and had some noteworthy food. First we wanted to try some of Chicago’s famous deep dish pizza. Based on reviews and proximity to our hotel we went to Lou Malnati’s. We ordered a small deep dish butter crust with sausage, mushrooms, onions and green peppers. The pizza was pretty good, with plenty of cheese and an interesting crust. We also ordered the salad, which was more memorable. It had fried cubes of salami which made for a nice salty contrast to the sweet italian dressing and pungent blue cheese.

Based on Ben’s love of grilling and Weber grills we also went to the Weber Grill Restaurant. As we walked to our table we passed through the open kitchen with at least eight giant weber charcoal grills. These were different than your typical Home Depot variety. They were about 4x the size … continue reading

Topolobampo

Grand Lux Café

Revolution Brewing Company

XOCO Chicago

Chicago: Deep Dish and a Grill