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Gibsons, Chicago

2009-11-17T06:00:00+00:00

Gibsons
1028 North Rush Street
Chicago, IL 60611
United States

Date of Last Visit: Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

The Victims: Renee, Julie, Steve, Donna

The Damage: $70 each?

The Background: Regular readers of this blog will know that I'm not a steak-eater. I don't die over it. Part of this is because I just naturally opt for fish or fowl. But the other part is because this one time (not in band camp), I had the best steak ever. At Morton's. In Chicago. A NY Strip. Perfectly charred on the outside. Beautifully medium rare on the inside. After that, everything else was just...meat.

So since moving to London, I've had steak at The Marquess. I've had steak at Hawksmoor. And I've had steak at Goodman. They were all good. (Hawksmoor better than good.) But none engendered that swooning sensation I'd experienced at Morton's.

I thought about this a lot while I sliced into my NY Strip at Goodman back a few months ago. It was a pretty good steak. But I wasn't like DYING over it or anything. (I saved that for the cheesecake.) So I had to wonder...was it absence making the heart grow fonder? Or were Chicago steaks just THAT much better?

Luckily, I had to go to Chicago for work. So there was an excuse to test things out.

The Entrance: Renee is on crutches. I have the mother of all colds. This is going to be a good night. We are bang on time and are shown our table, which is very convenient to the entrance so Renee doesn't have to hobble too much.

The Service: Our server is polite and jovial. He knows the menu inside and out. We had our order placed by 7:05 p.m., that's how efficient and persuasive he was. We skip starters so we can save room for all our steak. How much do you love the display of raw meat?

The Food: It arrives at 7:20. I'm serious. "We're going to be out of here by 8 p.m. at this rate," I think. And you should know that I AM psychic.

NY Strips nearly all around, but there are also a couple of bone-in sirloins. I slice into my NY Strip--which is not nearly as elegant-looking as my Goodman steak--and take a bit and think...."Yes." This...this is what I've been missing. This is a great steak...charred and dark on the outside...perfectly medium rare on the inside. It's been seasoned...some might argue seasoned to death. That is its only fault. Memory-wise, I'm swept away by the entire experience; it's a real Chicago moment. My fellow diners are that hearty Midwestern sort. Loud. Boisterous. Decent, hard-working people. (Despite the fact that we are, after all, in the Viagra triangle.) It's a Tuesday, you know.

Sadly, one of the big disappointments of the evening were the fries. They were dry. And totally unseasoned. Bland. Boring. Cardboard-like. Salt did not help...for whatever reason, the salt wouldn't stick to the skin. So sad.

The Other Big Disappointment: OK, and here's where the European in me says, "WHAT?"

We got our bill at something like 7:50 p.m.

Yes, we were out the door by 8 p.m. This was with a 7 p.m. reservation. (God bless America and dining early, particularly when you are dying from jetlag.) OK, I know we didn't have starters or dessert. But this felt like fast-food! What happened to lingering? The conversation? There was no time.

The Verdict: Go. But go early. Or late. Not in between. And go ahead and order that starter. And that dessert. It will make things last longer.

Heaven on Seven, Chicago

2009-11-05T06:00:00+00:00

Heaven on Seven
111 N. Wabash - 7th Floor
Chicago, IL 60602
USA

Date of Last Visit: Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

The Victim: Bevin

The Damage: Unknown...Bevin paid. But assumed to be about $12 each?

The Background: Sometimes, you have to leave a place before you get a chance to visit its institutions. Yup, eight long years in Chicago and I'd never been to the original Heaven on Seven, widely reputed to be characterful, cheerful, and strangely Chicago-like, although its cuisine is from very strictly south of the Mason-Dixon. (Can I get y'all some Asbirn to go with those grits?)

So when Bevin slipped Heaven on Seven into her list of lunch suggestions, I perked up. Really...I've always wanted to go to Heaven on Seven and I have no idea why I haven't been before.

The Entrance: Cracks me up! It's in an office building. On the 7th floor. Across from a jewelery shop. Because you know, after you have yourself some jambalaya, you want some diamonds. And the restaurant is PACKED. On a Tuesday!

The Menu: Every main comes with their "famous" gumbo or a side salad. I had to go for the gumbo. And there it is. Before you laugh, as I did when I saw the white rice, this is really how gumbo is traditionally served. With white rice. It's good. Not great. It's the atmosphere more than anything that has me liking everything. (And the fact that they have shrimp and cheese grits on the menu. Who was it that said that cheese couldn't be served on shrimp?)

The place cracks me up because there's hot sauce everywhere. And I mean everywhere. And it's like Mardi Gras. Only in October. Heave on Seven is CRAZY. And I love it. Now if only they could do something about the food...

That's my jambalaya. And it's okay...like someone's mom made it. They're actually pretty generous with the prawns and the sausage. I thought for sure they'd skimp. (Call me a pessimist!) But the jambalaya is very wet. I take the leftovers home (God Bless America!) and try to have them for breakfast the next morning (!), but it's all just too soupy for me. It's a texture thing. Weird.

The Verdict: OK, so this wasn't the greatest lunch ever. But what it lacked in tastiness, it made up for in SOUL. And Bevin swears by their sandwiches, so I need to go back for one of those po'boys. So I'd still suggest you pay a visit to Heave on Seven. It's unique. It's fun. And it's old-school. I like my restaurants old-school.

London Blaggers' Banquet

2009-11-04T06:05:00+00:00

Have you heard about the super-exiting Blaggers' Banquet that Niamh over at Eat Like a Girl has organized? All in support of Action Against Hunger. On November 15^th, a bunch of U.K. bloggers (mostly food-oriented, but we're an equal-opportunity bunch) will be taking over Hawksmoor, the revered steakhouse in Liverpool St, for the Blaggers’ Banquet. This will be an exciting dinner created entirely by bloggers and using only food that we have blagged and that we ourselves will cook and serve^*.

There will also be a blaggers’ auction, where we will be auctioning exciting items we’ve blagged. This auction will be two-fold, a portion of it on the night, and the rest in the weeks following. Further details relating to the auction will be announced as they become available.

We’ve got just over three two weeks to pull all of this off but we do love a challenge. All proceeds go to Action Against Hunger, a great cause.

PRODUCERS: Want to donate some produce? Food, drink, items for the auction? It might be a good way to get your products seen by thousands of blog followers and sampled by the lucky few who get tickets for the banquet. Please get in touch! We want to hear from you.

BLOGGERS: We’ve had a lot of blogger volunteers, but we could always do with more! We will need people in the kitchen, people front of house and blaggers. If you are interested in getting involved and haven’t been in touch already, please email Niamh at blaggersbanquet@gmail.com.

AUCTION: We need lots of stuff for auction. Whatever you’ve got. Equipment, food, wine, trips, posh dinners. Whatever you’ve got, seriously! There will be an auction on the night and an online auction. Let me know if you'd like to donate anything!

* Have no fear. I will not be in the kitchen. I'm a front-of-house gal.

Hix Oyster & Chop House, Clerkenwell

2009-11-03T06:00:00+00:00

Hix Oyster & Chop House
36-37 Greenhill Rents
Cowcross Street
EC1M 6BN

Date of Last Visit: Friday, October 23, 2009

The Victim: Me

The Damage: £30

The Background: My flight back from Chicago landed at Heathrow at 12. Eyeballs scanned, I was home at pretty much exactly 2 and at Hix Oyster & Chop House by 2:30 p.m. I had been saving myself for this particular Hix...ignoring the soul-destroying breakfast of warm yogurt and stale pastry on my flight. Knowing...knowing that there was a very very good lunch just waiting for me.

The Entrance: A good-sized late lingering lunch crowd was, well, lingering. The hostess put me at the bar, which I like. File Hix Oyster & Chop House away as a good place to lunch alone.

The Food: An immensely delicious beef and oyster pie. (Plus a side salad of watercress and shallots to get my five-a-day.) This pie ranks up there with the most delicious things I have eaten all year. Really...the crust!! You should have seen me there, chinking the crust off the porcelain serving dish. (My apologies to my neighbour on the left, who was inadvertently attacked by flying pie crust bits.) Desperation, I tell ya. This pie was so delicious that I had to see if the newer Hix had the same on their menu because maybe, just maybe, I could have this pie two days in a row...And they did! (Albeit a quid or two more expensive.)

The Service: Cheerful. Knowledgeable. Brought me over the Hix books to peruse while I dined alone. Hix' British Seasonal Food looks great. If I ever move back to the States, now you know what to get me as a going away present. I ran into my server again the next day over at Hix Soho, which was fun.

My Other Reading Material: The last ever issue of Gourmet. Sadness.

What I Did Next: Made plans to have lunch at Hix in Soho the next day!

The Verdict: I will be back. And why haven't I been here sooner?

Hix, Soho

2009-11-02T06:00:00+00:00

Hix
66-70 Brewer Street
W1F 9TR

Date of Last Visit: Saturday, October 24

The Victims: Feathers, Jen

The Damage: £20ish each. I think I owe Jen money.

The Background: The longer I write this blog, the shorter my reviews. Sometimes I'm sorry about that, but then I think, "But really, I don't have that much time. I should be doing laundry. Or something." So let me cut right to the chase...I like Hix. A lot. (You'll see this even more when you read my blog tomorrow, Tuesday.) I have to tell you that now, upfront, such is the hugeness of my current passion for the Hix empire and their very British, very delicious creations.

Let me also note, however, that visiting Hix at 4 p.m. on a Saturday probably didn't lend itself to a typical experience. You see...Hix was empty. REALLY empty. Like only one other table full when we walked in. Maybe four tables full when we walked out.

Why lunch at 4 p.m.? Well, I was jet-lagged and had slept til 11 and my internal clock was very mixed up. Oh, and we wanted to swing by Anthropologie before it closed, and Hix was a super-convenient place to dip into before shopping.

The Entrance: Hix has a big door. I should have taken photos of said door, but I didn't. You'll have to visit for yourself and see. You also can't see into Hix because of its frosted glass windows. So while I was waiting for Jen out front and across the road, I saw person after person gingerly approach the restaurant, stare at the menu, waver in front of the door...and leave. Many people, it seems, fear the unknown.

Not me and Jen. We waltzed right in.

The Food: Fish fingers for me! With mushy peas. And chips. I know...it's just basic comfort food, but it was exactly what I was in the mood for. And the fish fingers were pretty awesome. Great breading. The mushy peas were some of the best mushy peas I've ever had in my entire life...and normally, I don't die over mushy peas. And the chips! Proper chips. Wrapped in old menu. Very good.

The Service: Lovely, really. But then again, we were one of their only tables.

The Cocktail Menu: A bit esoteric, perhaps? This isn't a bad thing...it just means it will take you forever to choose your cocktail.

The Wines: Available by the carafe!

The Cocktail Bar Downstairs: Very cool looking. Must return for this alone.

Interesting: The beef and oyster pie was a quid or two more here than it was at Hix Oyster and Chop House.

The Verdict: Love it. Love it. Love it.

Big Bowl, Chicago

2009-10-28T08:15:55+00:00

Big Bowl
60. East Cedar
Chicago IL 60611
USA

Date of Last Visit: Sunday, October 18th, 2009

The Victim: Me

The Damage: Must double-check receipt but I think about $30

The Background: Big Bowl is my guilty pleasure. It's part of Chicago's vast restaurant conglomerate, Lettuce Entertain You. It's a Chinese "themed" restaurant. Yes, a themed restaurant.

But years ago, I fell in love with their ginger ale. And their beef and broccoli (copious amounts of garlic used). So when I was hungry last Sunday night, I wasn't sad that Big Bowl happened to be close to my hotel.

The Ginger Ale: Being a part of Lettuce Entertain You, I have to wonder...do they make their own ginger ale? Or ship it in from somewhere? Because it's delicious...full of big chunks of ginger--which considering the cold I obtained precisely upon landing in Chicago--made it even more of a winner in my book.

The Food: Can you see the steam rising off the dish? This really isn't anything all that special. It's beef. And broccoli. And lots of garlic. But sometimes, that's all you need.

The Verdict: I always go back. That's what I love about Big Bowl. It just doesn't change.

M. Henry, Chicago

2009-10-27T06:00:00+00:00

M. Henry
5707 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60660
USA

Date of Last Visit: Sunday, October 18th, 2009

The Victims: Christina, Kent

The Damage: $15 each + one $50 parking ticket.

The Background: I miss pancakes. And french toast. Home-made blueberry muffins. Corn muffins. Grits...I love grits. (And I'm a Yankee by birth. A southerner only by my parents' retirement--and many would argue that South Florida doesn't "count." But whatever the case, me liking grits is saying something.) Ah, and I miss American bacon, crispy crispy American bacon. I never knew there was any other sort of bacon until I arrived upon these shores and was handed ham when I asked for bacon. So my first stop last week when I arrived in Chicago was breakfast with my good friends Christina and Kent at M. Henry on Chicago's northside.

The Entrance: I've somehow convinced Christina and Kent to meet me at 9 a.m. for breakfast. This is way early for brunch. Even for the States. But we know M. Henry doesn't take reservations and we also know they're super-popular. And I also know that I'm super jet-lagged.

We arrive at 9 and already, there's a 15 minute wait for a table. We power through it and nearly exactly 15 minutes later, we're seated and ordering. Christina and I opt for the pumpkin and pecan pancakes, topped with blackberries, apples, and caramel syrup. They're pretty outstanding...soft and warm and delicious. Ah, and two sides of crispy American bacon, of course. My only possible recommendation is the pumpkin...pumpkin on it's own isn't so exciting. I think they could have tarted the pumpkin up a bit

Kent opts for the breakfast sandwich. That's toasted sour boule layered with two over-medium eggs, applewood bacon, sliced plum tomatoes, gorgonzola, & fresh thyme and served with house potatoes. Apparently, every time he goes to M. Henry, he tries to order something else, but he can't. It's always the breakfast sandwich. I have a moment of sandwich envy. But just a moment.

The Verdict: I like M. Henry. They do good breakfasts. Constructively, I felt our silverware could have been cleaner. And I felt a little rushed, but that's probably only because I've lived in the U.K. too long and am just not used to having my bill arrive unasked for. I'd also say that if you're visiting Chicago, you should only go to M. Henry if you're up for a field trip...5700 North Clark is way north of downtown. (9 miles?)

Randall & Aubin, Soho

2009-10-26T06:00:00+00:00

Randall & Aubin
14-16 Brewer St
W1F 0SG

Date of Last Visit: Saturday, October 10th, 2009

The Victims: Canadia Boy, Andrew, Jeremy, Christina

The Damage: I forget...but maybe like £20 each? Jeremy paid, which he shouldn't have!

The Background: Canadia Boy is leaving us. Not to Canada. (He's not from there anyhow.) He's moving to D.C. Like tomorrow. And he's taking Stacey with him. In December. It's all very confusing. And sad. I don't want them to go. I think about all the times they've invited me over for dinner on a random Sunday afternoon and I want to cry. And I do cry. In front of them both. Later in the evening.

At least we'll always have Biarritz.

Stacey has asked me to organize a little "Farewell London" food crawl for Canadia Boy. I know he likes oysters. A lot. So we start out at Randall & Aubin and get a platter of 18.

The Food: The natives are my favorite. Followed closely by the "oyster of the day," that we never quite get a clear answer on. The chips are good. The oysters are lovely. The service is slow but congenial and slightly charming. The atmosphere is Soho on a Saturday night. And the wine is a chilly smooth and stony Sancerre. Of course. We leave happy. And we're just getting started.

The Verdict: Fun.