Review: Owen & Engine

Can we hug? I'd been eyeing the renovation of this building across from the movie theatre for months, daring to hope for anything to break up the endless blight of fast food, empty car dealerships, and mechanics on Western. I thought it was a mirage Saturday night after our movie when I peeked inside the lovely wall of frosty French windows to see...tables set with sparkling glassware and linen napkins? A glimmering bar stacked four tiers high with premium alcohol? A late night menu...with a cheese plate? (Ok. I couldn't see the menu or the cheese. But I felt them like Yoda feels the presence of the Force.)

Me to husband: Do you wanna-

Husband: YES.

Inside, cozy heaven: candles twinkling in pubby darkness, servers in checky menswear outfits, the good vibes that come with excellent beer and wine circulating, an air of possibly authentic Britishness (although who cares on Western? I mean really), and a late night menu that reminds me of the Gage. Someone actually built a gastropub near Targhetto. And I love them.

The cheese included five stellar selections organized from mild to ballsy. They were accompanied by a pile of light savory crisps and rye bread, plus four relishes to smear it all together in dizzying combinations (honeycomb, vidalia onion, apple, and cranberry). My husband had the rarebit, which I always thought was related to rabbit. But then what do I know? It's what you eat when you don't catch any rabbit - i.e. good quality cheddar melted on rye bread with a few other goodies. Nice, cozy, simple food. Wallace and Grommet food.

Diverse wine list. Global selection of beers. Amazing cocktails. We're hooked.

NYC Post Script: The Bar is Waiting

During last year's trip to NYC, I was surprised that several restaurants generously offered a tasting portion of wines sold by the glass before pouring the full serving, a practice that quickly caught on in Chicago. That didn't happen once on our trip this past weekend, which seems a logical enough cost-cutting measure in tougher economic times.

A more revenue-generating trend seems to have replaced the freebie tasting -seating diners with the wine and cocktails menu for a good 15 minutes before delivering the food menu. This happened at two of the higher end restaurants we visited, and was obviously deliberate as I observed the same thing at nearby tables. For drinkers who aren't in a hurry (um, that would be us), it works out well for us and the house. We thoroughly mulled over the libations lists and ordered a round before getting distracted by the food options. I have to think this might drive many impatient New Yorkers insane though.

NYC - Day 2

Balthazar (80 Spring St) - Large French bistro with a majorly scene-y brunch scene. My scrambled eggs in puff pastry were okay. Pretty, but otherwise nothing spectacular. I'd give the place another shot, but I'm not eager to go back. (A brunch at Bistro Zinc in Chicago is much better.)

Lower East Side Tenement Museum - Don't go on the hottest day of the year, but do go. It gives you new respect for the phrase "turn-of-century immigrant experience," by visiting actual tenement apartments reconstructed to look as they did 100 years ago. Book ahead!

Lolita (266 Broome St) - You know those simple, real, low-key hoodie bars you instantly love? This is one of those. It's right around the corner from the tenement and saved us from passing out in the heat. A nice little list of refreshing summer cocktails for $8.

WD-50 (50 Clinton St) - Just for the famous five-course dessert tasting - we sat at 6:00 pm because a) we're hardcore and b) why not? (As I texted Dar, who proposed the idea the day before, "Dinner later can just be sandwich.") All five courses were excellent. Two were transcendent. Solid dessert wine pairings that offered a few surprises, like a blend from Rhodes, Greece. The staff was surprisingly laid back and fun to chat with.

High Line - This is the new elevated rail line downtown that's been turned into a landscaped public space. I've never seen New Yorkers so chilled out and happy. Chicago will get it's own version sometime in the future on the Bloomingdale Trail, which I happen to live over.

Red Cat - Dinner? Not a sandwich. But we did go light by each ordering the special scallop appetizer instead of an entree, and each of us tried it paired with a different white wine. The wine list here is big and stellar. The place is cute as a button, but all glowy and elegant at the same time - it's style meets substance. The scallops were giant and divine - seared simply over a bed of farm-fresh sauteed veggies. It's at the top of my list to go back for dinner next time. Absolutely loved it.

Hibiscus Cocktails Gone Wild

Papawow (who always cracks me up) posted a Hibiscus Champagne Cocktail recently that looks so wonderful, I found myself wishing the gi-normous megabyte photo was real. P'dubs took the exploration a step further by rolling up his sleeves and walking us through the recipe for making the hibiscus extract. Slurp, delish! I might have thought this was just overachieving and not considered it much further had I not recently had an exceedingly chuggable - ok two exceedingly chuggable - Hibiscus Cobblers at Bluprint with a BFF in the Merchandise Mart two Fridays ago. The experience convinced me that happy hour is in fact just as medicinal as Xanex, and with far fewer side effects. You haven't met the Hibiscus Cobbler? Let me introduce you:

Hibiscus Cobbler

2 oz. gin
dry vermouth
pineapple juice
hibiscus syrup
grenadine
bitters

Now that you're acquainted, I bet you're wondering about the name. A Cobbler cocktail uses a base of wine, sugar, fresh fruit, and ice. The original was the Sherry Cobbler, which was most popular in the late 19th century. (Your silver cocktail shaker with a built-in strainer at home? That's called a Cobbler shaker, but then you probably knew that.) The vermouth is the wine in this case, although I'm guessing it's used in a very small quantity. I tried going back to Blueprint this Friday to bribe the barkeep for the recipe, but they were closed for an event.

Curses! I'll try again soon and will share the bounty.

Chicago Cocktails for Advanced Drinkers

Two items of innovative cocktail brilliance were just put on the menu last night at Tavern at the Park downtown:

- The 20-Sixtini honors Mayor Daley's ultimate obsession and the IOC's visit to our city this week for the city's 2016 Olympics bid. It's a blend of mandarin vodka, vanilla-infused simple syrup, Blue Moon and ginger beer. Fruity, tangy and surprisingly delicious. A little steep at $13, but it's a Chicago-sized serving and some proceeds support the city's bid funding (i.e. pothole-filling, police).

- Cloudgate, the drink, will run you $199. At that price, what's in it (Grey Goose vodka, champagne) is not the point. What's served with it, however, is an Elsa Peretti Bean pendant necklace from Tiffany in sterling silver. While Peretti's spitting-image design predates our gloriously jumbo-sized, iconic Anish Kapoor sculpture - Cloudgate - across the street in Millennium Park, it couldn't be a more fitting trinket to celebrate our city with your nice wife who enjoys bling. Nicely done, Tavern. Nicely done.

BYO Follow-up Edition: Know Your Liquor Control Act

So there author Jean Iversen was, giving us the rundown on BYOB logistics on Thursday, when someone asked the question I had in mind: Why? Why is Chicago one of the only major cities in the US to allow people to bring their own wine or other hooch into a restaurant? The answer, most likely, is beer.

Jean didn't really know. Liquor control is a state-level jurisdiction, so all of Illinois is allowed to have BYOB restaurants, should the establishments choose, according to the Liquor Control Act of 1934. Being a big geek, I decided to dig further to hopefully discover the Founding Father of BYOB in Illinois. I didn't. But here's what I did find out:

1. Two-thirds of Chicago was dry in the early 1900s due to the temperance movement, which advocated for wards to vote taverns and saloons out of town. Chicago was a wild place back then, and utterly shocking deeds - even by today's standards - went down in the city's much maligned Levee district nightly. (For a thorough read on this, see Sin in the Second City. Crazy. Stuff.) The idea was that affluent, white Protestants loved Jesus too much to drink or fornicate...at least not at home. That's what the Levee was for.

2. At that same time, Chicago was a beer capital of the country, with over 60 breweries in town. The huge Irish and German immigrant populations brought with them the tricks of the trade, and business was great. Chicagoans couldn't buy beer retail because large amounts of ice were necessary to keep it cold, so they had to go to a tavern to enjoy it or buy it off a huge beer wagon. Retail sale didn't really begin until the 1930s, when refrigeration became commercially viable - an invention that was underwritten by Chicago's largest brewers like Charles Wacker.

3. In 1934, Illinois passed what still serves as its liquor act. Although portions of it have been amended heavily, its hallmark is known as the Local Option law. In a nod to the still highly charged temperance movement then, the Local Option allows wards and other municipalities to vote themselves dry or control liquor sales as much as they want. Some wards in Chicago have been dry for decades, places where you're sure to find BYO restaurants operating since they can't get a license. Tre Kroner on Foster is an example.

4. The act, however, explicitly allows for recreational establishments to permit their patrons to bring in alcohol, should the business choose. Huh. This strikes me as an amusing loophole in the dry clause. The lawmakers knew that plenty of wards would go dry, but they allowed businesses in those places to let patrons enjoy alcohol on premises if they brought it in from elsewhere. It's entirely up to the business to set the rules for how much can be consumed on site. A commerce-friendly decision, indeed.

5. The other thing that strikes me about the act is that "recreational establishments" term. So...we can have BYOB movie theatres? Yes, in fact, the 3 Penny Cinema in Lincoln Park was a BYO until it closed in 2006. Bowling alleys? Yep, although all of the ones I've checked in Chicago have their own liquor license. I'd imagine that pool halls and anything else you can legally make a case for as recreational could work too. Spas? Bookstores? Imagine the possibilities...

6. I couldn't write anything about this topic without mentioning Prohibition. Naturally, the Mob presence in Chicago during the 1920s "underwrote" shall we say a lot of illegal production that went underground for a while. While the lore is legendary, Prohibition did a huge amount of damage to legit business. Among the casualties were of course those 60 breweries. It's very possible that we owe the BYOB clause to a lawmaker hoping that the breweries would recover in Chicago post-Prohibition, but all of the large-scale operations died out. Micro-breweries and brewpubs keep the city's beer making tradition alive.

So here's to beer, Chicago. As we celebrate St. Patty's Day today all over the city, it's a fitting reminder that it has always run through her veins...and sometimes the streets.

Sazerac Theatre

Yesterday as a colleague and I enjoyed a walk downtown in the gorgeous sun and dry weather, he asked me if ever I'd had a Sazerac. He's a big fan, I'm a big fan, and this delicious drink is definitely enjoying the huge resurgence in popularity it deserves after being relatively obscure in most parts of the US for ages. For this, we have to thank the group of many new "bar chefs" revolutionizing the cocktail world, most of whom at one point have worked in the bartending captial of the country and home of the Saz, New Orleans.

There are over a dozen videos on YouTube to teach you to mix it, all of them featuring a fairly hefty history lesson -- it's the George Washington of cocktails after all. This is the best one I found, once you get past the intro. Cheers!

Cue the Civic Minded Cake Consumption!

Today is Chicago's 172nd birthday, and I can't imagine she's ever looked or tasted better.

I mean seriously.... We have a sparkling, gorgeous lakefront; a twinkly Bean in Millennium Park; and the Art Institutes' absolutely stunning Modern Wing opening in a matter of months (wink, wink, nudge, nudge), and that's just within a few square city blocks. We have Grant Achatz and Michael Carlson keeping the entire culinary world guessing what's next. We have dozens of home-grown boutiques dedicated exclusively to shockingly exotic truffles, gourmet cupcakes, and organic cookies for dogs. We even have cult-status gourmet cocktail bars so rarefied, no one can get into them. Oh, yes, and there's certain former Senator in the White House, and a very promising bid for the Olympics brewing.

So I don't want to hear any boohooing about the economy or the weather today, people! Today, I want to see cake and candles and puppies frolicking. May I suggest something luscious from Sweet Mandy B's on the way home? Or a cocktail named for our fair city?

Chicago Cocktail
A classic after-dinner drink from the city of big shoulders

2 oz. Brandy
1 oz. Champagne
Dash of Angostura Bitters
Dash Triple Sec

Use a cocktail glass with a sugar rim (make by rubbing a lemon around the rim and then dipping in powdered sugar). Then combine ingredients (except the champagne) in a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into the glass. Finally, add the champagne.

Review: Spring

Shawn McClain is undoubtedly one of Chicago's truly great, celebrated chefs. Between Spring and Green Zebra, I think he could be my most favorite chef anywhere.

Some people may find Spring's Asian-infused seafood too light to really lust for - for me, these flavors are the ideal. After many years, I returned with my husband last weekend, and we were knocked out over and over throughout the evening by the beautiful, thoughtful experience that it still is. There literally wasn't one mediocre moment. We enjoyed the Sazeracs (of my last post) at the bar enormously, followed by a stunning rose Champagne. My meal began with hamachi sashimi over a bed of greens with a warm and mild soy-based mustard sauce poured over. The asparagus soup was a rich but subtle palate cleanser, with just barely a hint of truffle oil - at the bottom swam two small truffle ravioli that blew me away. My seared barramundi with miso-potato gnocchi was incredibly flavorful yet light, paired with an Austrian Riesling that showed tons of honey on the palate. The chocolate mousse cake was accompanied by a salty wafer that made me linger and appreciate the play on textures and sensations. Add to that amuse bouches before and after the meal, and service that was among the best of any restaurant I've visited in a very long while.

The only small gripe I can think of is that the minimalist decor feels bland and needs an update. They could preserve the tranquil, spa-like atmosphere without resorting to c. 1990s starkness. The painted panels in the bar area especially aren't up to standard.

Return to the Elusive Violet Hour...or Not

Last night, an hour before our 9 p.m. reservations around the corner at Spring, we tried our luck again at getting into the Violet Hour. As our cab arrived, I felt sure we would finally breeze right in....until I saw the line. It was even longer than last time, and we were an hour and a half earlier.

The only thing breezing anyplace was the 20 degree chill right up my dress. Even so, we summoned our Chicago grit and joined the other hopefuls waiting to get in. (By the way, jeans and parkas, everyone? On Valentine's? Isn't winter dismal enough?) A conviction that lasted all of ten minutes when we realized the line was moving nowhere. Doesn't Spring have a bar? Sure it does.

Brilliant decision. The maitre d' at Spring welcomed us warmly. When we told him our cocktail hour issue, he grinned. "Well, you're in luck. Because the guy who does their drinks, did our cocktail list." I'm assuming "the guy" in question is Toby Malone, but I didn't really pause to confirm because my husband and I basically galloped full-throttle toward the bar.

And thus began our gorgeously impressive evening at Spring. The drinks? Amazing. We began boldly with their Sazerac, which seems to be the Aaron Eckhart of cocktails lately - all of a sudden everywhere. Theirs skips the cognac. Instead, it blends whiskey, bitters, and absinthe with a twist of orange. I tend to liken the food and drink I love with sex... so drinking this was about like making out with an exceptionally suave gentleman who has a fierce five-o'clock shadow and a formidable arsenal of moves. But you'll have to draw your own conclusions.

After that, we tried the Michel Arnould Brut Rose Champagne...which is like a big beautiful, toasty rose kiss, followed by a knife-edge clean finish.

Here's to Spring.

Mardi Gras Cocktail Mixer

Cooking Fools on North Ave. has done some heavy lifting for a few gatherings they've catered at my place, not the least of which was this past Thanksgiving's dinner...which was homey and delicious, and even better, virtually no work for me. In two weeks, they're hosting one of the better food events I've seen in a while:

Fat Tuesday Cocktail Mixer
Tuesday, February 24th, 6-8 p.m.
1914 W. North Ave.

Mixologist Angie Jackson will mix Sazeracs and Marie Laveaus. Credited as America's first cocktail, the Saz is Louisiana's signature drink. The latter is a creation by Jackson named in honor of New Orleans' famed voodoo priestess. (Nice!)

The chefs at CF will be serving spicy sausage gumbo and bananas foster bread pudding. Reservations are $35 per person.

In the words of Liz Lemon, I want...to go there.

Dorothy Parker Dinner Party Menu

I like to have a martini,

Two at the very most.

After three I'm under the table,

after four I'm under my host.

Dorothy Parker's writing has never failed to crack me up ever since I first discovered her over 10 years ago during a New Yorker reading binge. Lethally witty, delightfully caustic, and at turns playful and dark, she embodies the spirit of New York's Algonquin group during the Jazz Age, and she's one of the first people I'd invite to any fantasy dinner party.

Last night, a friend was telling me about how he attended one of the dinners celebrating the 250th birthday anniversary of Scottish poet Robert Burns (and all the haggis), and I got to thinking...why not Dot?

Obviously, it would have to be a pre-theatre meal. Here's what I'd serve:

Vesper Cocktails - Because Parker loved gin (dearly), and went to Catholic school

Honey-Roasted Pear Salad with Thyme Verjus Dressing - Because verjus vinegar of unripend grapes is about as tart as her theatre reviews

Lobster Pot Pie - Because it's a rich, sinfully delicious 1920s American classic from the East Coast too

Bittersweet Chocolate Fallen Souffle Cakes - Because she had dark edge with a bite, and was at her absolute best when appreciating any form of wreckage

Champagne - To match her sparkling wit, of course

Late-Night Prowling for Good Food

Hypothetical: You just left a four-hour Windy City Rollers derby bout in the West Loop. It's 10 p.m. The concessions were dreadful, and the pretzel and Twizzlers that you washed down with a diet Coke have only left you craving actual warm sustenance before calling it a night. Where to go? Keep in mind you have in tow one slightly inebriated husband (beer) and your wheels, and it's bloody cold outside. The last thing you want to do is drive around looking for options or, god forbid, parking.

I'm so out of practice with late dining, I realized last night that most of my handy picks for this situation are gone. Iggy's used to be our go-to spot, but both have closed. A good strategy is to head for an upscale, bar-dense area: plenty of drunks with money to feed at 2:00 a.m., and there's always valet parking. We ended up at the Bar Louie on Randolph. Which was fine. But it's definitely time to tune-up my list of possibilities for late Friday and Saturday nights:

Avec: Christ, I feel like whenever a restaurant question in Chicago comes up, the answer is Avec. Great food on Randolph in the near West Loop, killer wine options, open til 1:00 a.m. My only complaint is that it's a head-rattling little noise box when it's super busy, which is most of the time. However, we happen to have a monthly spot in the parking lot directly behind it, so...free parking trumps noise.

The Bluebird: This yummy gastropub on Damen in Bucktown serves its full menu until 1:00 a.m. I need to return to explore it more, but the theme is rustic, fresh Mediterranean, heavy on the Spanish and Italian, with great wine and beer pairings.

Paramount Room: This place is a hidden gem on Milwaukee in that weird zone of the West Loop where Iggy's used to be. I never hear much about it, but my wine friends like to go. The upstairs is just a tiny little dark bar - so tiny that everyone sitting inside turns to look when you open the front door. Head downstairs for a slightly larger dining area with wonderful French pub food and a great wine list. Open until 2:00 a.m.

Jerry's Sandwiches: Their deli on Division in Wicker Park serves 100+ sandwiches and craft beers until 2:00 a.m. I haven't been yet, but my downstairs neighbor Dan gets glassy-eyed just talking about the place. It's worth a go.

The Elusive Violet Hour

"The best new bar in America"
"One of the best bars in the world"
"Chicago's cocktail mecca"

This is the crazy press that the Violet Hour in my neighborhood has been getting for well over a year. Toby Maloney is the mastermind behind this swank little speakeasy-inspired lounge that took over the space left behind by my beloved Del Toro tapas restaurant. With French Directory style interiors and a literary name, how could I not love it? Clearly, c'est pour moi.

Problem is, even after all this time, there was still a line when we tried to get in last Saturday. At 9:30 p.m. (practically noon in bar-time). In the 10 degree cold. Sigh.

The next best thing is watching Tobes (I'm sure he'll let me call him this one day) on YouTube. He's done a series of how-to videos that are so homespun it's cute.