Chicago Eats: Spring 2009

The day after I get back, my family and I will be celebrating my mom's 50th birthday (belated) and my brother's 22nd birthday at Charlie Trotter's. It was definitely one of the forerunners in tasting menu fine dining in the United States in the 1980's, so Trotter's definitely has a level of prestige. Since the restaurant is so old now, I'm really not sure how it is in comparison to other restaurants at that high end level since foodies don't really write about it nearly as much anymore. Either way, I'm sure it will be an amazing meal, and I'm looking forward to my first big high end dining experience in Chicago!

My parents also want to take me to Kaze for their Tuesday $45 4-course prix-fixe. Sushi for the non-purist. I'm sure Yasuda would have a heart attack at the thought. I've never been there, but my parents have a number of times and absolutely love it. I trust their food opinions, so I'm excited to try it. I'm not sure what the current menu is (not sure if the site is updated), but at least at one point, the soup course was White Asparagus Soup with King Crab Meat, Foie Gras, and Microgreens. No miso soup here! Sounds like a good deal to me.

I also really want to make it a point to go to Hot Doug's this time. I know I've been saying that for my last 2-3 visits in Chicago, but I'll make sure it goes through this time! Now that Bourdain has featured it with great praise on No Reservations, non-foodies and tourists probably now know about the place. Hopefully quality and service keeps up. I don't even know what dog/sausage I'd get, so I'll have to see how I feel when the time comes.

Lastly, I think I want to make it out to The Publican, a beer hall with an amazing beer list and some interesting gastropub fare, headed by Chef Paul Kahan. Check out the menu for yourself. It even says which exact farm, city, and state the product came from. Kahan stresses organic and seasonal ingredients. Quite impressive. My family and I are BIG Paul Kahan fans. We've been to Blackbird Restaurant and Avec multiple times, and both do not fail. Possibly due to hype and high expectations, The Publican doesn't seem to be getting as glowing reviews as what I would expect...but how bad can it really be with pork rinds, sweetbreads, and an incredible collection of beers?

Anyways, that's my list for now. I'm not sure if I'll really be going to The Publican, but I know my dad has been interested in it since before it even opened. The thought of pork, sweetbreads, and Paul Kahan makes us squeal.