Fun Playing With West Side Market Goodness

I'm not much of a book reviewer, but I am in love with Cleveland’s West Side Market, 100 Years & Still Cooking: The Fascinating Life and Times of an American Public Market by Laura Taxel and Marilou Suszko. The book is physically gorgeous, but the content concerning the life and times of the Market is the true must-have for anyone who has ever enjoyed an expedition to the WSM.

It took a little while to read, because there is a lot in there! Bob read it next, and enjoyed it as much as I. I recommend this book on so many levels; it is loaded with skillfully presented history, stories and gossip, and photographs old and new. But it is more than that. The authors really succeed in bringing the WSM alive on the page. I feel like I now  have a whole new relationship with the WSM, even though I've been a fan since moving to Cleveland in the mid-1990s. 

When Bob and I first dated long distance, he introduced me to the WSM; Ohio City was a regular stop for us after the airport. We later married and lived in Maple Heights, then moved further out into the suburbs. As the years went by, and we started buying much of our meat from local farmers, the WSM dropped off of our radar completely. 

By April 2010, when I won a Facebook contest sponsored by Ohio City Pasta, it had been about two years since we'd ventured to the WSM. The catch to winning this contest was that I had to collect my prize (free pasta and sauce) once a month every month for a year - at the WSM. I wrote a series of blog posts chronicling that adventure, and how the monthly journeys to Ohio City re-awakened our passion for the place.  

We returned to the WSM for the first time after reading the West Side Market book on the Friday before Easter (March 29), and it was packed under the glistening, recently scrubbed ceiling tiles! We browsed the vendors with an entirely new perspective on who they were, where they came from, and what they offered, thanks to Laura and Marilou's book. It was still pretty cold outside when we sat to eat, so I didn't snap any photos of either of our Maha's falafels, but they were hot, crispy, succulent and delicious.

WSM Haul, 3/29/13

From left to right: Basketeria Green beans (in the paper bag), parsley, red bell peppers, grape tomatoes (not pictured - organic Spanish onions), Slovenian Sausage from Edward Badstuber & Son. Behind it, sashimi grade tuna from Kate's Fish (tilefish filets not pictured). Behind that, Hominy Grits from Narrin's Asian Spice. Next to the Grits, Nicoise Olives marinated in Olive Oil and Thyme from Rita's. The thick sausage to the right is Beef Kielbasa, accompanied by smokies, from J & J Czuchraj Meats. Finally, Urban Herbs's coriander sits under a bag of their black barley.

Sashimi Grade Tuna from Kate's Fish
Photo Courtesy Edsel Little  

This was the first time I ever worked with raw fish, as 99% of the fish sold at retail in Cleveland shouldn't be eaten raw. Kate is the only fishmonger I trust, and my trust was well placed here. Buttah.

Mediterranean Deviled Eggs
Photo Courtesy Edsel Little

We made this for a Supper Club on a Spanish theme. Brunty Farms eggs (from Solon Mustard Seed), olives from Rita's, red peppers, onions and grape tomatoes from Basketeria, and that exquisite tuna!

WSM Dinner!

Beef Kielbasa from  J & J Czuchraj Meats carmelized in a cast iron pan, Basketeria's green beans and peppers sauteed in the drippings - delicious!

Slovenian Sausage

The next day, some of the Badstuber Slovenians got the same treatment!

These potatoes were also fried in the sausage grease.

Homemade garden horseradish really enhanced the tender sausage.

 J & J Czuchraj Smokies!

I still have some Nyafat (Rokeach discontinued it years ago); it it used only for making Matzoh Brei. This version wasn't very kosher, with the bits of chopped smokies in it. But it was delicious!

I discovered that black barley isn't as ubiquitous as I'd expected, but we've enjoyed one meal using it in a pilaf-style dish with veggies (and duck fat - oh, yes). If you have any great recipes for it, please post in the comments!

Urban Herbs's Black Barley made Pilaf Style with Wild Rice, Med Grain Rice & Duck Fat

This morning, we dug into the hominy grits from Narrin's Spice.

This is a dish we've grown to love, from The Chew's Carla Hall:

Eggs in Heaven

The grits are prepared with Snowville Creamery Milk, Hartzler Butter and Beecher's Flagship Cheese, then placed in the cast iron skillet. Local eggs are then cracked in, the skillet goes in the oven. A sprinkling of Basketeria parsley completes a fun playing with food breakfast!

What a great haul of food and WSM goodness! Served up with a side of history, storytelling, photography and more.

Cleveland’s West Side Market, 100 Years & Still Cooking: The Fascinating Life and Times of an American Public Market by Laura Taxel and Marilou Suszko starts as a beautiful "coffee table" book. But beneath that pretty face is delicious content that will enhance your relationship with the WSM if you have one, and will otherwise start that relationship if you don't. If you order the book from The WSM Shop, you'll get free shipping of the book and a portion of the purchase price is donated to the Market Centennial Fund. However you acquire it, though, Cleveland’s West Side Market, 100 Years & Still Cooking is a must have for any Clevelander who cares about their food!

Note - my review copy of the book was complimentary, but my opinions remain my own.

One Little Bit of Passover Food Fun for 2013

With Passover having just concluded, and my annual bout of the lung crap finally coming under control, here are a couple of pix of the only Passover food I cooked this year:

Farfel Pudding

I had bought the can of farfel before I got sick. Matzoh farfel is not the small pasta you might be thinking of. It is made by doing the mechanical equivalent of stacking up sheets of matzoh, then running a rolling pin over  them. Though I could have returned the can to the store with the five pound package of matzoh that never made it to my folks', my first jar of organic coconut oil had also been acquired on that earlier shopping trip with the Farfel Pudding in mind. 

Every year, I would struggle with the Farfel Pudding Dilemma: the original recipe calls for margarine, and given the nature and desired texture of the pudding, a solid-at-room temperature fat is preferred. For years, holding my nose, the Kosher for Passover margarine sticks would be dutifully applied. Then, Mother's stopped making them. I couldn't bring myself to use butter with a Kosher-style meat meal made expressly for a Jewish holiday, so the next option was the "good" margarine sold at Mustard Seed Market, even though it had kitniyot (legumes deemed not Kosher for Passover by the Ashkanazic authorities, such as corn and soy). Feh. It's still margarine, no matter how they slice it.

For a couple of years, I gave in and used butter, which made the best pudding (no surprise). But this year, I was excited to try the coconut oil, which is solid at room temperature, parve (kosher with either meat or dairy) and actually good for you. Then, the crud hit, and Passover got cancelled; it was right out of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, without the happy ending. Until I felt well enough to at least throw this Farfel Pudding together:

It came out a little pale. The Brunty Farm eggs tasted great, but didn't add much yellow color, and of course the coconut oil is much whiter than either butter or margarine, so it looked different than usual. The texture was a tad looser also (though it tightened up by the time it became leftovers). But the coconut flavor worked really well with the apricots. We rated this a successful experiment, to hopefully be continued next year. And yes, we've been eating it with the sausage we picked up at the West Side Market last Friday; once you've blown the holiday, it's kind of, well, blown.

I hope that all of you enjoyed happy and healthy holidays, whichever (if any) you observe, and that you got to play with some fun food!

Fun Playing With Goodies Bistro-Bakery

It has been a tough twelve months for locally owned eateries on Mayfield Road between South Euclid and Mayfield Heights. We've lost no fewer than four restaurants that I can think of, and though three new ones opened, only two of the three are locally owned and operated (Old Carolina BBQ is a small regional chain, but a chain nonetheless). Those two would be Redhot Cabana to the west (opened February 2013), and Smoked BBQ (in DiCillo's Tavern) to the east. 

Yesterday, a new entry joined their ranks, located at 5416 Mayfield Road, between Richmond and Brainard, in a space previously occupied by our beloved Tastee Bites/La Pita, and the well intentioned Bella Cibo after that. Please welcome Goodies Bistro-Bakery to the neighborhood! Their website isn't quite functional as of this writing, but you will be warmly welcomed if you call them at 440-605-9400.

The modest space, which holds about 15 diners, has gone white-tablecloth, but don't let the ambiance fool you. If my experience was any indication of what's to come, Goodies will provide tasty, mostly made-from-scratch sandwiches and salads for eat-in, delivery and take-out at very wallet friendly price points. 

Though the place is locally owned, the operators today were all staff. They seemed experienced and were most enthusiastic about the food and the service.

The Chef (whose name I forgot to get; apologies!) suggested the house-roasted turkey, and boasted that his panini would be a completely different animal from the usual grilled-to-death lunchmeat sandwich. Taking him up on this, I selected the Turkey & Cheddar Panini, which looked to be a bargain for house-made meat and bread (more on that in a moment) for $4.99.

With "bakery" in the name, one would expect all the bread to be made in house; while that is the plan, the restaurant is presently one oven short of a full deck, and so is making some bread and outsourcing some bread (but you could do worse than Pincus Bakery for rye). Given the choice of house-made baguette or foccacia, I left it to the Chef. 

Turkey Panini on House-made Mini Baguette with Caramelized Onions and House Made Mustard Aioli

Goes to show you how biases work - this sandwich came with a huge pickle, that looked pretty good for a pickle; somehow, despite the real estate it took up on the plate, it didn't make it into my photographs. Hopefully, next time someone who likes pickles will be available for a critique of it. The caramelized onions were an unexpected treat and added great dimension to an already tasty sandwich (really, you can't fault them for the slices of pasty winter tomato). While I generally prefer ketchup and mayo on turkey, the hint of mustard coming through the dressing worked extremely well. The turkey was fresh and moist and a worthy star of the sandwich.

They also talked me into an order of the Fresh Cut Fries, and it was a wise decision at $1.79.

Whereas the dear departed Freddie's up the street could never get any crispiness to their house cut fries, these fries for the most part had both the fresh taste (and lack of chemicals/preservatives) of house made potatoes, and satisfying firmness. Vinegar was available, but I'm a ketchup kinda gal. With a can of pop and tax, my lunch came to about $8 and half came back to the office with me for lunch tomorrow!

Goodies opened yesterday even though a few pieces aren't quite in place yet; that should not deter you from giving them a try if you are in the neighborhood and hungry for some fun playing with lunch. Breakfast and later hours, delivery, and more in-house baked goods will commence shortly, but for now, it's lunch only (eat in or take out). The pastries, which are mostly not yet made in house, looked delicious. The size of the menu is modest, but quality is always more fun than quantity, and if my lunch today is representative of the offerings, you will have fun playing with the food at Goodies. 

Fun Playing With Lunar New Year Food in Cleveland Asiatown

The Year of the Snake began on February 9, 2013, and in many Asian communities, people are still celebrating. We were fortunate to attend several events that fed our souls and our bellies in connection with Lunar New Year, beginning at the newest Asian shopping center in Cleveland - Asian Town Center. We visited the Center on the second of their two day New Year party. Arriving early and hungry, we began with some Vietnamese treats at Pho 99. All three of these dishes were new to us.

Banh Bot Loc (Vietnamese Ravioli, Pork/Shrimp), Dipping Sauce

There are few things in life that make me happier than chewy dumplings, and these steamed banh bot loc really delivered! The fried shallot garnish added just a bit of crunch, and the dipping sauce a hint of spice.

Banh Beo (Steamed Rice Cakes Topped With Egg and Scallion), with dipping sauce 

These little rice cakes are very similar to the Chinese ningko, but were a little softer. The topping tasted like scrambled egg yolks, with scallions and a slightly salty seasoning powder. The dipping sauce served on the side was very similar to the sauce served with the banh bot loc; indeed, all three cups of dipping sauce were very similar. 

Banh it Tran (Boiled Dumpling Stuffed with Shrimp and Pork) with Dipping Sauce

This dumpling was chewy, yet in a completely different way from the banh bot loc, which was a stiffer dough. Though the fillings were similar, the different skins made for a different tasting experience for each.

In addition to enjoying these delicious bites, we couldn't help but get suckered in by the cheesy kung fu comedy movie playing in the almost empty restaurant on the big screen TV. The film, in Mandarin (with English subtitles), was called Shaolin Soccer. I started paying attention when the plot turned to Mui (Vicki Zhao), a female baker with severe acne who uses T'ai chi to make mantou (dumplings). After watching her special-effect-aided dumpling prowess (think Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon-special effect martial arts, with dumpling dough), we couldn't wait to tuck into the above goodies. As much as Bob was getting lost in the film, though, it was almost time for the Kwan Family Lion Dance in the center of the plaza, so we missed the ending. I'm sure the good guys won. 

Heading to the performance area, we caught the end of the classical music presentation, followed by Japanese drumming by Mame Daiko, then finally the Kwan Family Lion Dance.

As always, the Kwan Family Lion Dance entranced the crowd; hopefully, it would usher in good luck for the New Year. Too busy feeding the lion to take pictures! We finished our celebration at Asia Town Center with a visit to Asia Food Company, to shop for produce and pantry staples.

Pho 99 is definitely worth a visit, whether to sample soup, sandwich (neither of which we got to try, but we'll be back!), dumplings, or full on entrees of Vietnamese specialties. Also of note is that they deliver to downtown with a $2 delivery charge and a minimum order, and have plenty of free parking at the Center, located at 3820 Superior Avenue, 44114, (216) 586-6969. Note that they are closed on Wednesday.

We had great fun playing with Asian New Year's treats at Pho 99 and dancing with the Kwan Lion! Gong Xi Fa Tsai (Happy New Year)!

Fun Playing With Food in Chicago, Last Part

Our time in Chicago was marked by a roller coaster of weather. Ice storm Sunday, followed by seasonally cold Monday, nearly record-breaking warm and soggy Tuesday, falling towards seasonal and wet on Wednesday, then going into the deep freeze as we waited for the bus Wednesday evening after a delicious dinner at Little Goat Diner. We woke early on Thursday to a polar zone, complete with a biting wind that took the breath away. But we were going to make the best of our remaining time here, beginning with a repeat visit to Lou Mitchell's Restaurant, which we'd had to rush through on our last visit. The cold weather deterred me from taking any outside photos (you can see this exterior of this classic place on their website), but once we were inside, it was like coming home. There is something about this place that channels The Catskill Mountains for me, though the olfactory triggers were less pronounced this time (probably owing to the winter season). 

Complimentary fresh-baked donut holes always grace the entryway

Tell me that this glass of iced tea doesn't make you feel like you're at The Nevele or Kutsher's. The size and shape of the glass, the overly generous slice of lemon and the taste of freshly brewed tea just take me right back.

Complimentary Orange and Dried Plum (Prune)

Our last visit was at lunchtime; I assume that this nosh is standard fare at the breakfast hour. Another nice hospitality touch.

I asked our server about the contents of this bottle (and it's siblings scattered throughout the tables) - she said she'd been instructed to say it was all real maple syrup, but admitted than some customers had questioned this. Sadly, the customer is usually right, and it turned out that there was quite a bit of sugar water in this bottle. A shame, because Lou Mitchell's not only prides itself on making almost everything served from scratch, but we noticed on this visit that the menu touted a number of "local" and "organic" items, as well as the real butter served with pancakes, waffles etc. I'd have gladly paid a reasonable upcharge for pure maple syrup to accompany that real butter.

Pecan Bun

Bob was still pretty stuffed from his All American Burger, Smoked Fries and Mac N Cheese from dinner the night before, and so ordered only coffee (which he pronounced very good) and this bun. We could see trays and trays of freshly made-in-house bakery, so I wondered why they toasted it. Still, it was very tasty.

Belgian Malted Bacon Pecan Waffle

Real syrup or no - this was a mighty fine waffle. Bacon and pecans just go together so well, especially with maple flavors. More comfort food to comfort the discomforted.

The Silversmith not only honored our request for a late checkout, they didn't put a time limit on it. Though I can't guarantee you that kind of accommodation "in season," they really do seem to be a very customer-friendly hotel. So, we waited to shower and pack until after breakfast. We debated whether we had enough appetite to share another meal downtown, or whether we should wait and try to find palatable eats at Midway Airport. After some internet research suggested we'd be disappointed with anything we tried to eat at the airport, one last meal downtown seemed in order. But where? The weather was even more bitterly (single digit) cold than it had been earlier in the day, with a nasty wind that would make mass transit impractical. And there were time constraints.

We wound up at the restaurant of Iron Chef Jose Garces, a short cab ride down the street: Mercat a la Planxa. Our EGullet group was supposed to dine here that fateful Sunday in 2008 (later switched to Burt's Pizza). The restaurant offers The Catalan Express for lunch - two courses plus soft drink for $18. As that name implies, the cuisine is Spanish, and particularly focused on Catalonia. The bar is at street level, and the restaurant up either a flight of stairs or  a short elevator ride. It is most beautiful, with an open kitchen, and tantalizing smells enticed us to our table.

Alas, Mercat was the only meal of our trip (other than the water/sugar-maybe some real syrup described above) to not deliver an exquisite experience. Not that it was bad; it just didn't wow as the other places did, with either food or service. The soup course wound up the star of the meal.

ARROZ A LA CAZUELA WITH SHRIMP, CHICKEN, CHORIZO SOUP WITH ARTICHOKE CONFIT & PIQUILLO AIOLI

Neither bowl of soup was piping hot. Bob's soup tasted good to me, but he confirmed that the shrimp had a lingering flavor of sodium tripolyphosphate.

SOPA DE FORTMAGE Y CERVEZA IDIAZABAL AND ESTRELLA DAMM SOUP WITH TRUFFLE AND POTATO

You can see how a skin formed at the top of my cheese soup, from sitting under the heat lamp. Why this happened is a mystery, since it was after 2pm, and there weren't more than 6 tables occupied in the place. Still, the flavors of this soup, which included luscious cheese, speck, potato and truffle, were winners.

THE MERCAT BURGER 8 OZ BLACK ANGUS BURGER WITH LA PERAL, PADRÓN PEPPERS & RED WINE ONION JAM

I don't know what possessed Bob to order a burger after the magnificent patty he'd enjoyed last night. But burger he did. The burger was good, though nothing extraordinary, and the house made chips were cold and a bit salty.

VIEIRES I ALBERGÍNIA DIVER SCALLOPS A LA PLANXA, ROASTED EGGPLANT PUREE, ARTICHOKE SALAD

My entree was the only outright disappointing dish of the trip. I judge all scallops against those prepared by Cleveland's Brandt Evans, and these simply didn't cut it. A day or two older than they wanted to be and a little cold, the scallops sat atop an artichoke relish that I found inedibly sour. The off-green roasted eggplant puree added nothing to the visual appeal of the dish, though it tasted ok. However, between the waffle breakfast and the cheesy soup course at Mercat, I did not feel unsatisfied as we hailed a cab back to the hotel for our final departure.

The weather cooperated enough that we were only a bit late returning to Cleveland, but we weren't hungry enough to eat - a compliment to the many chefs whose food we'd played with in Chicago over the past week.

As much as I enjoyed Chicago's food scene, I can't help but appreciate a moment we had at Girl and The Goat. While perusing the menu, we noted how we were still a little sated from lunch at The Gage, and our server exclaimed, "but you have to have room for pig's face!" Smilingly, we ordered the goat belly instead, explaining that we can get pig face in Cleveland (at The Greenhouse Tavern). So, win lose or draw - it is a wonderful life, isn't it? Filled with fun playing with food, this time in Chicago.

Fun Playing With Food in Chicago Part 5: Little Goat Diner

The Chicago jury rendered its verdict in the middle of a soggy/snowy Wednesday afternoon and it wasn't pretty. Still, life would go on, and we'd need to eat some dinner. A fancy, celebratory place wouldn't fit. And we had no reservations, anyway. I'd already considered Little Goat Diner as a place to try on this trip; a nasty, losing day seemed the perfect excuse to hop aboard the bus to drown my sorrows with more of Chef Stephanie Izard's innovative cuisine (and a couple of cocktails for me, and more of that fabulous Blenheim Ginger Ale for Bob).

Little Goat Diner is located across Randolph Street from Girl and The Goat, but it is a completely different dining experience - a diner yes, but with a touch of whimsy and lots of original spins on some of the classics, while still offering many of the classics for those who prefer them, well, classic. We arrived just before the wait line formed (Little Goat doesn't take reservations) and snagged an immediate table. As we perused the menu, the few remaining empty tables filled in, as well as a large communal table and a seating counter. Tables turned with enthusiastic alacrity, so the wait line didn't seem to ever get too long.

We both opted for burgers. That section of the menu allows the diner three choices of patty: Slagel Beef, which touts its sustainably raised product, locally raised Kilgus Goat (supplier of all of that Girlie Goat for Izard), or a Veggie version.

ALL AMERICAN BURGER (KILGUS GOAT PATTY): pickles . onion . american cheese . special sauce . lettuce & tomato . sesame seed bun

Bob went for the classic, with the goaty twist, and he was not disappointed. I don't know how he ate the whole thing.

Side of  Smoked Fries

In hindsight, I wished Bob had chosen a different potato option, since there were four other house-made potato items, and my burger came with the smoked fries piled on top. Oh well. These fries will make you happy and you really can't have too many (though we weren't able to finish them).

MAC N' CHEESE

Owing to my general unhappy mood, a side of pure comfort food was also in order. I normally prefer the more pudding-like mac n cheese style to this looser type, but today, this version hit the spot magnificently with toothy, creamy goodness, owing to the high quality cheeses in the sauce, expert preparation, and perfectly al dente pasta, with just a modest crunchy counterpoint in the topping. This side is recommended regardless of the state of your disposition, and don't hesitate to use a spoon!

HORSESHOE BURGER (KILGUS GOAT PATTY): smoked fries . chili . cheese sauce, house made toast slice

My entree managed to completely erase the frown from my face and my heart - how many burgers can do that? The Horseshoe Burger is up there with the offerings of Cleveland's own B Spot as a truly satisfying burger experience - the Kilgus Goat patty is gently grilled, placed over a slice of house made toast from Little Goat Bread, then smothered with smoked fries, house-simmered Goat Chili, and cheese sauce. The distrinctive flavor of the goat came through in a pleasant stereo from both the goat chili topping and the goat burger patty. I was only able to eat about half of this portion, and less than half of the mac n cheese before I was at "Uncle!" But I felt sooooo much better! We were a little surprised when our server informed us that they'd been open less than a month - I sort of knew that from my internet research, but the seamless quality delivery of food and service belied the venue's young age. You will eat in good hands at the Little Goat Diner.

Little Goat Bread is attached to the diner, and is where Chef Izard sources all of the breads for her restaurants. Little Goat also offers bread for retail sale (and some specialty beverages and food products) - but get there early! Though even at evening time when I snapped Bob's photo next to the window (about 7:15pm CST), Chef Izard's minions were hard at work, making the proverbial donuts. None for us, however; we'd be traveling back to Cleveland on Thursday, so it was back to the bus stop. But there would be two final meals in Chicago before we'd wing away - so more Fun Playing With Chicago Food is yet to come!

Fun Playing With Food in Chicago Part 4: Slurping Turtle

Our Chicago food odyssey sloshes to Tuesday. It rained mercilessly all day and into the night, which would be our first opportunity to seek out blog-worthy eats. After a long day at court, then office time working on materials for Wednesday, we returned to the Silversmith to change and consider dinner. My friend Linda had suggested on Tuesday that we look up the restaurant(s) of Takashi Yagihashi, and it turns out that in 2011, he opened a Japanese noodle house with the irresistible name Slurping Turtle less than a mile from our hotel!

A quick cab ride (it was too miserable outside for mass transit) brought us to the quirky space on West Hubbard Street. Though it was after 8pm, there was a modest waiting list. We were then seated at the long communal table that runs down the center of the main room. Even though we knew that the $14 bowl of ramen would be a complete meal all by itself, we couldn't resist beginning with a couple of small plates. We were weary from the long day, and the whimsy of the place really was just what we needed!

Duck Fat Fried Chicken

Finger licking good, and accompanied by a richly dressed slaw. 

Bincho Grill Foie Gras with Pickles

Since we'd only try one item cooked on the bincho grill, we went for the most decadent and were rewarded with a couple of heavenly bites. For more on what a bincho grill is and how Takashi uses it, click here.

Tan Tan Men Ramen: homemade ramen noodle, ramen stock, pork meatball, pork miso, bok choy, bean sprouts (spicy)

Bob's ramen bowl delivered bold flavors, toothy noodles, and a triple play of porky goodness. My bite of meatball melted in the mouth.

Shoyu Wonton Ramen: homemade thin ramen noodle, classic tokyo style soy broth, chicken wonton, grilled chicken, marinated egg

My ramen noodles were a little thinner, but joined by several toothy chicken-stuffed dumplings in the succulent broth. I don't know if the egg was supposed to be more runny/creamy, or was served this way deliberately, but that was the only potential flaw in everything we had. Another meal most worthy of our journey, and very wallet friendly. Our only regret was that we could not finish it, and even though we had a fridge, we had no way to re-heat it. 

After a soggy return to the hotel, we prepared for the conclusion of business on Wednesday. And more playing with Chicago food.

Fun Playing With Food in Chicago Part 3: Girl & The Goat

Our Monday dinner reservation at Girl & the Goat wasn't until 9:30pm, plenty of time to recover some appetite after our marvelous lunch at The Gage. We hopped a bus across town and arrived a little early, and so waited at the bar until our table was ready. There, we enjoyed two interesting beverages - mine a take on the classic Dark N Stormy, containing a local rum, house-made falernum, and Blenheim Ginger Ale, while Bob sipped a full bottle of the boldly flavored Blenheim Ginger Ale.

Girl & the Goat is one of Chicago's hottest reservations right now, and with good reason. Chef/owner Stephanie Izard and her team are cranking out small plates of creative food emphasizing local and sustainable ingredients, though I haven't found anything that explains the goat connection. Izard is doing for goat what The Purple Pig is doing for pork; there were some stylistic similarities between the two restaurants, though the food itself was rather different. The Girl & the Goat menu is divided into three categories: Vegetable, Fish, and Meat, however, while vegetable, fish, or meat are respectively the main stars of their categories, there are crossovers. Goat gets its own category, as do oysters and breads/spreads. There is also a separate dessert and cheese menu. Sadly, we hadn't emptied out enough to taste something from each menu, but we sampled a nice variety. The delicious food was matched, again, by outstanding service. 

Busta Rye, Smoked Salmon Cream, Pickled Relish

Breads are baked across the street from the restaurant, at Little Goat Bread. The bread, salmon spread, and relish (which thankfully included some veggies other than cucumber) were delicious, and well worth $4. The other bread varieties available that evening were beet and stecca (also known as baguette), and each was offered with a different spread, walnut vinaigrette and sweet garlic oil, respectively, also at $4.

Grilled Sepia, Smoked Tomato and Pipara Relish, Mighty Goat Sausage

Sepia is similar to squid. This version was tender to chew and the delicate smokiness it picked up from the grill was enhanced by the smoked tomato and piparra peppers, which are of Basque origin. The goat sausage finished off the dish without overpowering the more delicate elements.

pan fried shishito peppers   parmesan . sesame . miso

An interesting take on these zesty peppers successfully combined dairy with sesame and miso, which normally to my palate don't "go" together.

tempura loup de mer filet  . bacon  . sweet n' sour . tuna crema

Loup der mer is a type of seabass also known as branzino. This dish offered a strangely harmonious combination of bacon and tuna flavors under the fried fish, and again didn't allow the more assertive accompaniments to dim the star.

Confit Goat Belly, Bourbon Butter, Lobster & Crab, Fennel

Our favorite two bites of the evening - perfectly braised goat belly (who knew that there was such a thing, or that it could, in its own way, be as savory as pork?) enrobed with bourbony butter and plated with pristine chunks of lobster and crab meat. A pity that we reached capacity before licking up every drop.

It became apparent very quickly why Girl & The Goat is such a hot ticket in Chicago, and you don't even have to like goat to enjoy it! We, however, came away from dinner with a new appreciation for the versatility and flavor of goat - though a little lobster and bourbon don't hurt. Our fun playing with Chicago food would continue Tuesday night.