Whiskey Thief or The Brunch-less Horseman

The Slow and Savory Review

"I've had a very strange dream," Brandy's friend Brocco was telling her, "Normally, I'm not one to believe in the supernatural, but this one just kind of stuck with me. I was standing on a hill, looking over a large green field. The sun was shinning and there was a herd of goats frolicking down below me. Then, the sky went dark and this figure on horseback came riding into the field. I suddenly realized he was headed up the hill and straight for me, so I started running. And then he was right in front of me, blocking my path. He had a long black cape and the eyes of his horse were blood red. I couldn't see his face, though, because it was obscured by something... something that looked like a frying pan. And he had a squealing pig under one arm and a chicken under the other. Also, he smelled like whiskey. He threw the pig at me and then he snatched the sleeve off my shirt and just sort of... rode away into the darkness." "Well, that certainly is a harrowing tale. But I don't think its anything supernatural." "No?" Brocco asked. "No. I think its just your brain trying to tell you that you need some brunch." "How do you figure that?" "A chicken and a pig? Sounds like bacon and eggs to me!" "But what about the sinister whiskey-smelling sleeve thief?" "He's telling us exactly where to go for brunch, of course!"

And so Brandy and Brocco headed to Evanston, where Whiskey Thief Tavern had recently begun serving brunch.  From the first step inside, Brandy was instantly smitten with the decor. Heavily worn woods, antiqued metals, and stacks of antiquated books were as far as the eye could see. Along one wall hung an eccentric collection of mirrors, along the other was a line of booths inside what looked to be giant beer barrels, and at the back was a sort of library area with a fireplace and bookshelves almost all the way up to the ceiling. Even though several large screen televisions were scattered around the room, they somehow didn't feel out of place with the centuries old vibe. "What's that thing where the kids dress up like Victorians in sepia tones?" Brandy asked Brocco. "Steampunk?" he ventured. "Yes! Doesn't this place have that sort of feel?" "I can see that. But... you don't think it's haunted, do you?" Brandy only gave Brocco a sly grin.

The cocktail menu caught Brandy's eye, so they ordered up some pre-brunch libations. Brocco chose the Hanging Acrobat, a mix of bourbon, honey, lemon, bitters, and an apple cardamom shrub. Altogether it created a crisp and refreshing, yet fall themed flavor that Brocco thought was reminiscent of spiced cider. Brandy chose the Maple Old Fashioned, which was spiked with some smokey chili liqueur. Brandy found it especially sweet and smooth with a great kick in flavor coming from the spiced sugar rim. Brandy also sampled the Pomegranate Bellini, which was bright and fruity without being too sweet.

The meal began in earnest with a plate of Crispy Potatoes and Gravy, a kind of combination of a poutine and a gratin. The potatoes were indeed crispy, even after having been slathered in a thick and creamy white gravy and topped with melted cheese curds. There was a hint of smokiness from the addition of some bacon, and the potatoes themselves had a wonderful buttery flavor without being greasy. "This is like a side dish getting a promotion to the big time!" Brocco proclaimed.

Next, they indulged their sweet teeth by sampling the Whiskey Toast, a sort of hybrid between French Toast and bread pudding. The toast was dense with a lovely vanilla and bourbon like flavor, which was also helped along by a bourbon infused whipped cream. The sprinkling of slightly sour cherries helped to break up the richness of the dish a bit. Brocco had already consumed a third of the plate by the time he looked up to see Brandy glaring at him. "I'm sorry, did you want some of this?" he asked sheepishly. "Yes. That's why I ordered it," Brandy replied.

Moving on to his very own plate of food, Brocco ordered the Steak and Eggs. The steak was cooked perfectly and was a surprisingly generous portion of sirloin for a breakfast plate. Brocco particularly liked that the seasoning on the steak was very simple, which let the taste of the meat shine brightly. The potatoes that accompanied the steak were of a smashed variety, much like those in the appetizer, and had a good bit of creaminess and crunch to them.

Brandy picked the classic Cheeseburger but added on bacon and a fried egg. The burger was a big juicy mess, as any good burger should be, with the yolk from the egg mingling nicely with the mix of mustard and mayonnaise already on the bun. A little red onion and some pickles were the only other accompaniments to the meat, and Brandy appreciated that things hadn't been overly complicated with condiments and vegetation. "Being the carnivore that I am, I deeply appreciate a meaty burger," said Brandy, "And adding bacon to this sucker is just the icing on the meat cake."

Despite loving the atmosphere and the simple, yet unique takes on classic bar food, there were some slight problems with the service. Dishes listed on the menu were unavailable, entrees were forgotten briefly, coffee was hard to track down, and at the end of the meal, Brandy and Brocco were left waiting for quite some time for a box to pack up their leftovers. The servers, though, were friendly and personable enough. "Maybe that was what the ominous part of my dream was predicting," said Brocco. "Didn't you say that the figure in your dream chased away a herd of goats from a sunny, green field?" Brandy asked, to which Brocco nodded in answer. "Well then," said Brandy, "I think that figure might have simply been the ghost of a certain curse finally leaving town. If I were you, I'd be less worried about ominous figures chasing you and maybe be think about putting some money down on that Northside baseball team right about now."

The writers of this blog were invited to dine by the restaurant free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

The Short and Sweet Review

Hearth or Home is Where the Hearth Is

The Slow and Savory Review

A few weeks ago, Bunny, while in town, had a simply spectacular meal at a little spot called Hearth in Evanston, and she has not stopped raving about it since.  "It was just so well thought out, so surprising, and so so delicious!" she'd told Brandy on more than one occasion.  Brandy, somewhat annoyed that her friend had such an amazing meal without her, has simply taken note without much input, until recently when Bunny asked her why she had yet to go there for brunch.  "What do you mean?" Brandy had asked her.  "Well, they launched their brunch service shortly after I was there for dinner.  Did I not tell you about this?"  "That must have been what you were trying to say that night you called me.  The only words I could make out were, 'Evanston,' and 'Ravioli.'"  "Oh yes!  Well, I did have a few cocktails that evening!" Bunny giggled.

Not willing to wait any longer to visit this hidden gem now that she knew brunch was a possibility, Brandy gathered up her friend Bailey and headed North from the city one Sunday morning.  Hearth was easy to pass by, being in a rather unconventional space, but once inside, it felt warm and comfy.  Sunlight simply lit up the room, which centered around a large brick fireplace, giving everything the air of a cozy mountain lodge.  The ladies quickly ordered up a couple of Bellinis made with fresh peach nectar to sip while they reviewed the menu.

The morning's nosh began with a a trio of fresh baked pastries.  The muffin of the day was flavored with apple and lemon, giving it a nicely fruity touch.  It was served warm, which made it crumble enticingly in the fingers as it was eaten, the top of it having a nice light crunch and the inside being soft and moist.  The daily scone was next, having been spiked with chocolate, cranberries, and orange peel.  The texture of it was rather dense and the flavor was intensely orange with a lovely richness from the dark chocolate.  "I may need a cup of tea to finish this off," said Brandy, "Or maybe one of those Earl Grey cocktails Bunny mentioned."   Lastly was the coffee cake, which had been made with blueberries and cream cheese.  Brandy was absolutely swooning over this particular pastry for its fresh and decadent flavor and perfect velvety texture.  "Can I try a bit of it?" Bailey asked, but quickly withdrew her fork when she saw Brandy's expression.

For Bailey's main course, she chose her old standby, the Biscuits and Gravy.  This version had been made with chorizo in the gravy and topped with scallions, meaning the usually drab looking brunch staple was actually quite pretty and colorful to behold.  The chorizo absolutely permeated the plate with flavor, making for what Bailey declared was possibly the best gravy she'd ever tasted.  "This is going to sound silly, but you know what it reminds me of?  Chili!" she laughed, "You have to remember, I'm from Ohio, so I know what good chili tastes like, and even the best chili doesn't compare to how flavorful this is."  The biscuits at the center of the dish were nothing to sneeze at either, having a dense but silky texture and a good bite of green onion and cheddar goodness.

Brandy went with the AM Burger, which came with a side of home fried potatoes.  The potatoes were nicely cooked, but a tad over salted, though Brandy did like the uneven crispiness of the exterior skins.  The burger, on the other hand, was a true breakfast burger, being served on an English muffin with bacon jam, melty cheese, and an over easy egg.  "I've had plenty of so called breakfast burgers in my time," said Brandy, "And usually they are simply a lunch burger with an egg on top.  This, however, really feels like a dish more meant for consuming before noon."  The beef had a lovely char to it that was balance nicely by the pockets of sweet bacon jam and topped off by the richness of the over easy egg.

"Well, I do see why Bunny so adored this place," Brandy commented as she and Bailey sipped some coffee at the end of their meal, "Though I do wish some of those special touches she mentioned about the dinner had been carried over to the brunch service."  Never the less, the service was just as friendly and knowledgeable as Bunny had described and the prices were more than reasonable.  "I suppose Bunny knows what she's talking about after all," said Brandy, "Even after she's had a few cocktails."

The writers of this blog were invited to dine by the restaurant free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

The Short and Sweet Review

Postcards from Bunny: Dinner at The Mexican and Hearth

So far, Bunny has no regrets about staying in Chicago to catch up on all the latest in food.  "There's so much out there that I don't know that I'll ever be able to say I've tried everything!" as Bunny put it.

Wanting to balance her fine dining adventures with some more casual fair while keeping her theme of international dining alive, Bunny headed to The Mexican in Lincoln Park, a sit down spot concentrating on authentic home style Mexican food.  On such a snowy night, stepping into the warmth and brightness of this space was a welcome relief, bringing Bunny back to the last time she was in Mexico on the Baja coast with her husband, Benedict.

The meal started off with a few of the house specialty drinks, like the Smokey Mango Mezcaita with a fruity and spicy kick, the Hibiscus Mule and its floral take on a classic, and the Boozy Horchata, which did indeed taste just like the traditional sweet Mexican beverage.

After that, Bunny dipped into a couple of starters; some guacamole and tortilla chips as well as a Street Corn Fundido.  The guacamole had a nice chunky texture with lots of tomato and garlic, and served well as a snack in between courses.  Bunny utterly adored the corn fundido, which had been made with several different cheeses and some smokey chili powder.  She continued scooping up bigger and bigger mouthfuls of it until there simply wasn't any more of the warm, melty, salty, and sweet dip left to scoop.

For dinner, Bunny ordered up some Steak Tacos Al Carbon and a plate of Shrimp al Mojo de Ajo.  The tacos had a fresh, bold flavor, with lots of tender flank steak, salty fresco cheese, and tangy red salsa.  The sides of yellow rice and re-fried beans were also a perfect accompaniment.  The shrimp were deliciously garlicky with a nice flame grilled smokiness, matched well by some white rice with poblano pepper mixed in and a fresh radish and arugela salad.

Rounding out the meal, Bunny sampled two of their desserts, the Tres Leches Parfait and the Coconut Flan, both of which were simple, tasty, and the perfect way to warm the soul before Bunny had to head back out into the snow.  "It's shockingly hard to find good, authentic Mexican food in Chicago sometimes," Bunny commented, "The flavors are often watered down or over done with heat so as to be re-adjusted for an American palate, so I'm happy there are places like this that are presenting familiar things, but done in the right way."

A few nights later, Bunny again ventured out for dinner, this time going north into Evanston to visit newly opened Hearth, a small, but intriguing spot serving eclectic cuisine that was designed to appeal both to discerning foodies as well as members of the local community.  The relaxed, yet refined dining room was small and comfortable, with an efficient and attentive staff that filtered little surprises into the meal, like a starter of warm cheddar and chive biscuits and honey butter.

The cocktails came both from a classical standpoint as well as a modern one.  Bunny opted at first for a bright and zingy mixture called The Robber Barron, made with white whiskey and St. Germain, but finally settled into the London Fog, a spiced vodka infused with one of Brandy's favorite flavors, Earl Grey Tea.  "Oh, I bet Brandy wishes she were sipping on this lovely thing right now!" Bunny giggled to herself.

From the small plates menu, Bunny sampled the tender and delicate Beef Tartare (which had been dressed with greens and a brie sauce, and presented on a crisp brioche crouton), the Crispy Crab Cake (which was fresh tasting and perfectly crusted in panko), and the Utah Prosciutto (with pesto, fried capers, spiced walnuts, and honey), which she found to be the perfect combination of sweet and salty flavors in one elegant bite.

Moving on to the larger plates, Bunny first tried the Mushroom Ravioli, the newest addition to the menu.  This delicate pasta had been filled with a smooth mushroom puree and topped with almonds, crispy shallots, pesto, and an apricot mustard jam that was so special and unique that Bunny proclaimed, "I've never tasted anything like this before!  The flavors, the textures, the contrast... this dish is simply amazing!"  She followed that up with one of the specials of the house, the Svickova, which Bunny referred to as, "A rather fancy beef stroganoff. but still just as hearty and homey somehow."  The tender cuts of tenderloin were served over a garlicky spaetzle, dressed in a sour cream sauce, and adorned with chewy slices of wild mushrooms,

Finishing up, Bunny went for a simple chocolate Creme Brulee, which came served with a few slices of almond cake.  The custard was perfectly done and tasty with the nice little slices of cake to cleanse the palate in between spoon fulls.  And just when Bunny thought the lovely dinner was done, she was presented with a hand made truffle, filled with a Kahlua whipped cream.  "This is such a delightful place!  So full of little surprises and true warmth," said Bunny, and then upon noticing that the restaurant was about to launch a brunch service on January 17th, she immediately dialed Brandy and attempted to relay the information to her friend through a haze of several cocktails and a large amount of rich, delicious food.

The writers of this blog were invited to dine at the restaurants mentioned free of charge in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

Farmer's Market Brunch with Prairie Grass Cafe and Three Sisters Garden

It was an unusually warm day for December in Chicago, so Brandy decided to take advantage of the sun and get some holiday shopping squared away.  Being that all her friends were "foodies," she decided the best thing she could do would be to find somewhere selling locally produced goodies, so she zeroed in on the Evanston Winter Farmer's Market, which is being held two weekends a month at Immanuel Lutheran Church, whose congregation regularly supports local and national initiatives to fight hunger.

The atmosphere inside the Farmer's Market was immediately welcoming.  A few tables were scattered outside the church, boasting some winter berry sprigs and other assorted produce and flowers.  The small upstairs space was bursting with booths of fresh produce, hand made goods, and even a table for cheese tastings.  Everyone seemed to be in a happy frame of mind, smiling and greeting friends and strangers alike, helping those unfamiliar with the layout of the market, and sharing recipes ideas with the farmers at the booths. At the center of it all was the kitchen where chefs Sarah Stegner from Prairie Grass Cafe and Tracey Vowell from Three Sisters Garden were whipping up something special.


Their menu mainly consisted of dishes created using products from local growers like Nicholas Farm, Genesis Growers, Catalpa Grove, and Chef Vowell's own Three Sisters Garden.  Everything was freshly prepared and all natural, giving the community a wonderfully filing and healthier option for their breakfast.  Though tempted to try everything on the menu, Brandy settled for just two dishes; one sweet and one savory.

First off, Brandy tried the Creamy Three Sisters Garden Cheese Grits with Scrambled Genesis Growers Eggs with local vegetables.  The veggies were lovely and crisp while the eggs were the perfect density; not too fluffy, but not rubbery either.  The grits were very creamy, still with a little bit of texture to them, and they had a true corn flavor with a subtle nutty cheesiness.  As opposed to a lot of the heavier brunch items Brandy indulges in on a regular basis, this dish left her feeling light, yet satisfied.  "This is exactly what I needed for a day of running around.  A good dose of protein, starch, and vegetation that isn't going to weigh me down," Brandy commented.

On the sweet side, Brandy went for the Oatcake with maple syrup and candied pecans.  As it was brought to the table and Brandy caught a whiff of the warm Burton's Maple Syrup (her favorite maple syrup of all time) and instantly felt a smile forming on her lips.  "Such a simple combination of the familiar scents of maple and cinnamon, but it feels like a warm hug on a cold winter's day," Brandy sighed with delight.  The oatcakes were truly something unique with a very light crisp on their exterior and a creamy, almost custard like interior.  The crunch from the pecans (grown by Vowell and candied by Stegner) was just the proverbial icing on the cake.  "If there was ever a better match for a few strips of bacon, I haven't tasted it," Brandy proclaimed.

The chefs were also featuring some of their hand made goods for sale, such as Pecan and Pumpkin pies, spiced popcorn, butterscotch cookies, salad dressings, pecan milk, and herbed goat cheese, which truly showed off the products from Three Sisters Garden and some of the other local growers.  This is where Brandy went hog wild, so to speak, snapping up everything she could handle so that she could stuff the stockings of all of her friends with delicious, local, mindful treats.  "Nothing's better for stuffing a stocking with than a bag of warm nuts," she said to herself, then giggled like a school girl at her own immature witticism.

The last Farmer's Market at Immanuel Lutheran Church before the holidays is on December 19th, so make sure to mark your calendars and get out there to get your own stockings stuffed with goodies from Chefs Stegner and Vowell!

The writers of this blog were invited to try some of the products mentioned at no charge in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

Koi or Dim Sum More, Please!

The Slow and Savory

It's funny how ritualized people get about their weekends.  "I have to have a drink after work on Fridays," some say, while others proclaim, "I can't get out of bed until at least 10:00 on Saturdays or else the whole weekend feels off."  Obviously, Brandy's routine must include a brunch of some sort, which is perhaps why she has forgotten over the years that so many others worship at a different alter every Sunday morning (that is to say, actually worshipping at an actual alter).  She was reminded of this fact by a new friend she met recently in the grocery store (they were both reaching for the last bag of chestnuts), who goes by the name of Bernais Bamboo.  Ms. Bamboo, it seems, is a Sunday school teacher at a local Unitarian church, where she cheerfully struggles through teaching the core moral lessons of every religion to her little flock of angels, which Brandy quickly found out after asking her to brunch.  "Oh, Sundays are a sacred day for me," she responded, "That's my time to mold the little ones into law abiding and kind citizens of the world."  "Yes, yes.  What about a Saturday then?  I suppose it wouldn't be a tragedy to brunch on a Saturday," Brandy sighed, which Bernais seemed agreeable to.

Brandy chose to take Bernais to Koi in Evanston for a new kind of brunch experience.  "They just started a dim sum style service here," Brandy explained, "Dim sum is a tradition in China and other Asian countries where families will stay at a restaurant for several hours, even all day in some cases, snacking on a variety of small dumplings and other dishes that are brought around on carts."  "How lovely!" Bernais exclaimed.  The inside of Koi was open and sunny with a soothing water wall off to one side as well as a cozy fireplace.  Those combined with some of the metal and wood accents gave the place a very balanced, peaceful sort of feeling.  A smiling waitress swept in right away to offer them some cocktails (a mimosa for Brandy and a Bloody Mary for Bernais) as well as pots of artisan tea (chamomile for Brandy and jasmine for Bernais).

Then came the onslaught of offerings.  Brandy and Bernais had been provided with helpful picture guided menus on their tables, but with over 60 options, it was hard to take everything in before servers began appearing with trays and carts full of beautiful little plates.  Trying to keep up as numbers were rattled off (the servers would point at each dish and say something like, "I have #10, #16, #47, #48, and #49 here."), Brandy and Bersain selected round after round of extraordinary one or two bite delights.

Several things quickly jumped out as favorites among the bunch.  First, there was the BBQ Pork Shou, a sort of baked hand pie, almost like what the English refer to as Cornish pasties, which had a transcendent, buttery, flakey crust, and a very sweet, almost dessert like filling of tender barbecued pork.  Similarly, there was the BBQ Pork Bao, a steamed dumpling with a soft, bread like exterior.  The Mango Shrimp Toast provided a lovely contrast in textures with its supple, melt away base of fried mango, and its topping of minced and spiced shrimp.  The Edamame Dumpling, which was another steamed offering with a thin rice paper wrapper and a smooth bright green filling, made for a very nice sort of pallet cleansing interlude between richer bites.  "It's so adorable!" Bernais squealed, referring to the edamame dumpling in her hand, "I just want to make a little face on it out of sesame seeds!"  Brandy also really liked the Fried Tofu Skin, which had a more interesting crispness to it than the other fried options, with a clean and crisp mixed vegetable filling.

The dishes seemed to alternate between the extremely flavorful, and those that were a little more simple.  The Crystal Dumplings and the Shrimp Dumplings, both of which were steamed bites in rice paper wrappings, were a little bland without much spice or seasoning to them, as were the Shrimp Balls, a fried dish, which at least had the benefit of being interesting texturally.  The table had been provided with a small helping of both chili oil and plum sauce, which did help to jazz up some of the less exciting offerings, but Brandy soon wished for a few more sauces to experiment with.  "A little spicey mustard or sweet and sour sauce might have helped to break things up a bit," she remarked.  The Beef Short Rib also proved to be one of the least favorites, if only because the flavorful and tender meat got lost in a bowl of mostly broth, bones, and fat.

There were also several sweet options mixed in with the savory bites, which Brandy appreciated immensely.  The Egg Tart, a simple custard in a neat little crust, was perhaps a little less sweet than imagined, reminding Brandy less of a creme brulee (as their server described it) and more of a particularly creamy quiche.  The Sugar Cane Cake was a interesting experience in texture, as it had a very pleasing gelatinous and chewy mouthfeel,  even if the flavor was just a very subtle sweetness.  The absolute favorite for both Brandy and Bernais was the Coconut Bun, which almost resembled a pretzel, but was actually an unbelievably soft and pillowy steamed bread filled with the most luxurious coconut custard and topped with sesame seeds.  "Oh my stars!" Bernais moaned after taking her first bite of the confection, "If there is anything to prove the existence of God, this might be it.  I need to take a box of these to my Sunday school kids!"

Brandy very much enjoyed her dim sum experience at Koi and could have happily stayed the entire day in order to try all 60 dishes on the menu if Bernais hadn't had to get home and plan her lesson for the following day.  "But I am very glad to have done something a little out of my weekend routine!" she said cheerily, "In fact, I'd love to make dim sum part of my weekend routine from now on, if you'd like to join me."  "Sadly, I cannot," Brandy sighed, "For I am held to another ritual, that of journeying forth, forever in search of the brunch-time adventures Chicago has in store."  "Ok then," Bernais chirped, "Then I guess I won't have to share that coconut bun the next time I come here!"

The writers of this blog were invited by the restaurant to dine free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

The Short and Sweet Review