Roanoke or There's Tea Infused Bourbon in the Jar

The Slow and Savory Review

Brandy's friend Hawk had been going stir crazy. More often than not, he exemplifies what a strong and independent man should be, but with his wife, Bailey, traveling in the Southwest for a week, he slowly was becoming more and more lost without her. "My schedule is all thrown off. So is the cat's," he complained to Brandy, "and I don't seem to know where anything is any more. I've been eating over the sink because there doesn't seem to be any clean plates anywhere." "You poor thing," Brandy chuckled, "Let me take you out for a nice brunch so you can at least eat off a plate like a civilized human. Bailey will murder me if she comes back to find you've reverted to a caveman."

Brandy decided to take Hawk to Roanoke, a fairly new meat focused restaurant in the heart of The Loop. They were greeted by fiery torches and pillars just outside the door, peeking Hawk's more primal senses. The inside was warm with a definite masculine feel from the charcoal color scheme, which had been accented with gold, copper, and bronze.

Both Brandy and Hawk were immediately drawn to the cocktail menu. Hawk went for an interesting sounding concoction called the Holabird & Roche, which consisted of scotch, lemon, hazelnut syrup, cinnamon, and surprisingly, a banana liqueur. Hawk raised a single eyebrow as he took his first sip, indicating he was intrigued by the mix of flavors. "It's almost smokey," he reported, "and tastes like something I would like to be sipping in front of a fire in winter time. Very interesting." Brandy went with the Toast and Jam, which was rye mixed with hibiscus syrup, lime, and grapefruit. Brandy found the little punch to be bright and very flavorful, with a decent amount of zing, but a smooth finish. As Hawk and Brandy sipped their cocktails, they took notice of an extraordinary contraption on the bar. "What is that thing? It looks like something out of a mad scientist's laboratory," Brandy asked their server, who explained that it was a sophisticated apparatus used to infuse various liquors with the restaurant's choice of flavors. At that moment, they were using it to infuse bourbon with tea, cherry, and citrus peels. And even though Brandy already had a cocktail gripped rather tightly in her hand, she knew she had to try this wondrous product, so she ordered the Landmark Old Fashioned. The infused bourbon cocktail was extremely complex and smooth, with a nice little citrus finish that she rather enjoyed. "And how much does one of those thing-a-majigs cost? I think I need one for my own kitchen," she asked the server.

After sufficient beverages had been obtained, Brandy and Hawk moved on to some sweet and savory appetizers. First up was the sweets; house made cinnamon rolls, served affogato style with vanilla ice cream and a pour over of dark roasted espresso. The cinnamon rolls were no light and fluffy affair, as they had a denser texture and plenty of gooey icing. The coffee actually helped to tame some of the sweetness in them, but the ice cream made them feel more like a dessert than a breakfast item. Still, Brandy had to give them credit for their creative presentation.

For the savory side of things, they ordered the Rotisserie Roasted Cauliflower Salad as well as the Southern Fried Chicken. Brandy adored the vibrant colors of the salad, from the purple cauliflower to the greenery and pops of red from the grapes. It had an excellent balance of textures between the roasted veggies, the Marcona almonds, and the creamy goat cheese, and Brandy adored the bursts of sweetness from the addition of the grapes. Hawk, in the meantime, dug into the chicken, which he described as having the perfect kind of crunch and a very flavorful coating. The meat itself was a tad dry, but house made pickle slices and a spiced honey helped to pick everything back up.

For his entree, Hawk went with the classic Griddled Hamburger Sandwich (going off the recommendation of the chef himself, who told Hawk that he makes himself one every day when he comes into work). The burger didn't come adorned with any fancy bells and whistles; just tomato, lettuce, American cheese, pickles, dijonaise, some caramelized shallots, and a side of fries. Hawk actually loved the simplicity of it, commenting, "It's a classic burger, made the way they used to be before they got over copied and over produced." The meat was cooked to a perfect medium rare and even though the challa bun was soft and supple, it provided plenty of structure for the insides of the sandwich.

Brandy picked the Porchetta Eggs Benedict, especially wanting to sample the signature rotisserie roasted pork. She thought the succulent meat made a nice change from the usual pork belly or ham she sees on other benedicts, and she especially liked the rich flavor of the hollandaise. What really set this particular eggs benedict apart was actually the addition of some oven dried tomato, which gave each bite a bright sweetness to it. "Just like your burger, I feel this is a fairly classic dish, but done so well that it feels new again," said Brandy.

Finally. they ended as they began; with some sweetness from the Brown Butter French Toast. Slices of Texas Toast had been coated in a hazelnut crust and came served with warm blueberry maple syrup, dollops of luscious lemon curd, and fresh berries. The eggy inside of the toast was so soft that it was almost hard to get a forkful of it, but the bits of toasted hazelnuts added a nice textural contrast, while the lemon curd perked everything up. "You know what this reminds me of?" Hawk smiled, "Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!" And funnily enough, Brandy could see what he meant.

Brandy and Hawk were quite pleased with their carnivorous brunch. The portion sizes were more than generous, the plating was well thought out, the service was friendly, prompt, and informative, and the offerings were unique enough to be interesting, but familiar enough to be comforting. "There now, do you think you remember how to be a functioning human being again?" Brandy asked Hawk. "I remember how, yes," he responded, "But now that I'm so full of food, I don't think I'll be able to physically function until after a long nap."

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

The Short and Sweet Review

Cafe des Architectes or An American Bruncher in Paris

The Slow and Savory Review

Restaurant Week in Chicago is always one of the most exciting times of the year for foodies of the Windy City, but this time Brandy has taken a special interest. That is because this year, in addition to offering special dinner and lunch menus at discounted prices, some restaurants have added brunch to their Restaurant Week rosters! Indeed a whole slew of Brandy's favorites and wish list place holders have chucked their hats into the ring with $22 deals specifically designed for brunch connoisseurs like herself. "My only issue is that these deals are only good for two weekends! That's only four brunches at best!" Brandy fretted as she reviewed the long list of participating establishments.

Turning to her friend Starr for advice, Brandy soon zeroed in on Cafe des Architectes, the traditional French bistro inside the Sofitel downtown. "I've always been skeptical of hotel restaurants," Brandy admitted to her friend, "because they didn't used to have the greatest reputation when it came to brunch services. Powdered eggs, tasteless waffles, burnt coffee...even the nicest of places used to put as little effort into brunch as possible, it seemed." Starr's assurance that Brandy's fears were very much unfounded (as well as outdated) made the decision final.

Tucked into the front corner of the hotel lobby, Cafe des Architectes had recently undergone a redesign to bring more color and light into the space. With a clean palate of creams and silvers brought to life with pops of rich reds and purples, Brandy found the interior to be rather classic and chic without seeming too stuffy.

Drinks were soon ordered and brought to the table: a Raspberry Mojito for Starr and a cocktail called the St Tropez for Brandy. Starr's mojito was a simple mix of fresh berries, line juice, ginger ale, rum, and mint, but it packed quite a punch of flavor. It was a little on the bitter side, but Starr put that down to the off season raspberries. Brandy's drink was a combination of grapefruit juice, citrus flavored vodka, ginger ale, and a splash of orange liqueur. She found it quite refreshing with a flavor not unlike a Greyhound, but with the lovely addition of effervescence. It did have a slight bitterness to it, but Brandy didn't mind it at all.

Next, the table was presented with two specials of the house to start off the meal: a basket of freshly baked goodies and some fruit and yogurt. The basket of breads contained flaky and light croissants, both of the chocolate and the classic variety, mini baguettes, and astonishingly tender sweet buns dotted with succulent raisins, which the ladies had to stop themselves from inhaling, lest they should spoil the rest of their meal. Brandy was pleased to see that extra care had been taken with the preparation and presentation of the simple fruit bowl and yogurt parfait, dishes that almost all other restaurants would disregard. The parfait had been topped with some fresh berries, with macerated berries hid underneath a layer of light and crunchy cinnamon scented granola, while the fruit on the side consisted of some fresh strawberries and grapefruit segments in a vanilla syrup. "How genius to add a touch of vanilla to a simple little fruit bowl, " Brandy commented, approvingly.

Following their light first course, Brandy and Starr indulged in one of the signatures of the restaurant, a charcuterie plate composed of items from the restaurant's Chestnut Provisions program. Everything, from the cave aged cheeses to the cured salumi, the whole grain mustard, the pickled onions, and the fruit jam was made right there in house using only local and seasonal ingredients. Brandy took a special liking to the rich and earthy mushroom salumi as well as all three of the complex cheeses. Even the slices of miniature brioche that accompanied the plate were an absolute delight.

For their main course, Brandy and Starr sampled some egg dishes, namely a mushroom and cheese omelette and the Smoked Salmon Pastrami Benedict. The omelette, Brandy was pleased to find, had a good denseness to it, with plenty of mushroom flavor and a good nutty cheese at its center. The benedict had a base of lightly toasted brioche along with the delicate fish, some peppery greens, and a very rich hollandaise. Brandy loved the subtle smoky flavor of the salmon when combined with the greens, and that the bread perfectly sopped up every drop of the yolk from the flawlessly poached egg. "Their standard benedict is part of the Restaurant Week brunch special," Starr pointed out to Brandy, "along with that fruit you liked so much and some of their fresh juices." "Well, that is quite a well thought out deal then, I should think!" Brandy exclaimed. "Sweet and savory in one go. What else could one ask for?"

Speaking of sweets, Brandy and Starr ended their meal with a pair of sugary indulgences, namely the Brioche French Toast and the Buttermilk Pancakes. Though seemingly simple dishes, they had once again had a lot of thought and care put into them, reminding Brandy of why items like these have become such staples of the brunch table. The pancakes, though unassuming on the plate, had a brilliant tang to them from the buttermilk, and a slight chewiness that she really enjoyed. "It's rare these days that I find a plate of plain pancakes that I could finish off all by myself. These are magnificent!" Brandy gushed. The French toast was admirable with its softness and eggy flavor, and even the spiced and candied pecans on top gave it a little variety of texture, but it didn't quite measure up to just how unexpectedly delicious the pancakes were.

Brandy was quite pleased with everything at Cafe Des Architectes, but she especially took enjoyment in the attention to detail paid to even the smallest of of things on the menu. "That is truly the height of quality food, when even something as simple as a fruit plate or a pancake has been given a gravitas equal to that of a more complicated entree," as Brandy put it. "Uggh," Starr moaned as they stood up from their table, "I think we just ate a few too many carbs. I need a nap!" "Nonsense!" Brandy admonished her, "We have three more brunches to get to! Restaurant Week doesn't last forever, you know!"

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

The Short and Sweet Review

Revisit: Twisted Tea Party at Commons Club

When Brandy last visited Commons Club in the (at the time, newly opened) Virgin Hotel, she was mightily impressed with the extensive and creative menu of tea based cocktails and the delightful sweet and savory bites in a rather chic, yet comfortable setting. "It's harder than one would think to find a good tea service now adays," as she likes to say, "Either they're too traditional or they're so off the mark that they're unrecognizable."

Hearing that the service had changed somewhat since her last visit, Brandy decided to grab her good friend Starr (otherwise known as Chicago Foodie Girl) and bring her along for some afternoon sipping and noshing.

The cocktails had been themed on the Seven Deadly Sins (a leftover from October, with a holiday transition due imminently) and rather than coming served individually, they now came in a much different form: each concoction is presented in a chilled silver tea pot with either liquor or champagne served on the side so that the drinker could customize the mix to their own liking. Each tea pot contained enough mixture for about two and a half cocktails, making the decision of whether to share a single pot or order a personal one the main dilemma.

In the end, Brandy and Starr decided to order a different pot each so that they could switch between them. "We should have thought to bring more people so we could sample even more of these cocktails!" Brandy exclaimed. First, they tried the Gluttony cocktail, made with brown butter infused rum, chocolate syrup, a caramel flavor black tea from Rare Tea Cellars, with a peanut butter chantilly cream and a flask of champagne on the side. At first, the system was a little confusing to Brandy, but after she had mixed together the cocktail base and the champagne and added a dollop of the cream, she suddenly felt as though she were at a proper tea service, putting sugar and cream into her cup of strong black tea. The flavor of the cocktail was rich and decadent, especially with the cream, and did invoked the spirit of a certain chocolate and peanut butter candy, but in a very playfully sophisticated way.

Secondly, they sampled the Envy cocktail, this time combining vodka with sour grape juice and a house made crabapple liqueur, all poured into a matcha green tea. This one was much more crisp and refreshing, yet still very bold in flavor. Brandy especially enjoyed the experience of pouring the evergreen liqueur into the tea and watching it swirl into a magical potion.

Of course, no tea service is complete without finger sandwiches, scones, and various nibbles. The food had certainly been stepped up a bit since Brandy's last visit, being upgraded from a two-tiered to a three-tiered service tray. The finger sandwiches remained, now represented in Salmon and Cream Cheese, Egg Salad, and a very English tasting Relish and Cheddar. Instead of the expected cucumber sandwich though, there was a bit of pita bread with a smear of spiced humus, a chunk of radish, and the aforementioned cucumber.

Moving on to the sweets, which were abundant, Brandy started easy with a soft and tender chocolate chip biscotti, then she nibbled on a delightful raisin dotted scone. The middle tier held a whole host of deliciousness, like fudgy brownies, gold dusted walnut tarts, scrumptious apple cinnamon cupcakes, and delicate chocolate praline opera cakes. Adorable gingerbread whoopie pies were a favorite, but perhaps the most interesting item was the apricot napoleons with mascarpone and crisp filo.

"There's a philosophy we live and die by back home," said Brandy, finishing her last little bite of cupcake with an indelicate lick of her fingers, "There's no problem a cup of tea can't solve. Well, when your tea contains a decent amount of champagne, I think that old adage is especially true."

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

A Savory Summer Evening at Filini

It was a rainy summer night when Brandy showed up in the lobby of the Radisson Blu in downtown Chicago, looking for all the world like a drowned rat, dripping water into the fine furniture.  She had been invited to a dinner at Filini, the chic, elegant Italian restaurant inside the hotel, which had recently launched a new menu of authentic Italian cuisine, like house-made pasta and fresh seafood.  "I'm going to need a cocktail and a hair dryer," she told one of the hostesses.

Filini immediately gave off a classy vibe, not only because of the clean looking white and gold decor, but also because of the three piece jazz band playing softly by the buzzing bar.  The lower level seemed to contain more of an after work crowd, enjoying cocktails and small plates, while the second level dinning room was a bit more mellow and relaxed for those enjoying their dinners.  Brandy heard tell of the third level, which featured a terrace with beautiful views of Millennium Park, but unfortunately, the rain that day prevented full enjoyment of that feature.

The evening began with some lovely Bruschetta with heirloom tomatoes, balsamic drizzle, and fresh arugula.  The presentation of such simple Tuscan flavors was a great set up for everything else to come.  Even something as simple as this dish was treated with a sense of dignity, as the servers scraped fresh Parmesan from a gigantic wheel in the middle of the room to accompany the bruschetta.

The first course was an asparagus dish with lemon cream, capers, and a single egg yolk.  Brandy delighted in the clean, richness of the dish, with the charred flavor from the roasted asparagus and a bright bite form the vinegary capers.

After that came a Ravioli, one of several dishes that night to feature the made in house pasta.  The filling was a combination of traditional Italian cheeses, which worked rather well with the tomato based sauce and some fresh basil oil.  The pasta was perfectly cooked and the thickness was just enough to give a little bit of a chew without overwhelming the fluffy cheese filling.

Next came a couple of Angelotti; candy shaped squid ink pasta stuffed with lobster and topped with a roasted pepper sauce and green peas.  Again, the pasta had the perfect al dente texture, though the filling wasn't Brandy's favorite, as lobster had been almost pureed, where as she would have liked a little bigger pieces.  She did however very much like the slightly smokey sauce and the freshness of the peas.

Moving on to proteins, the next course was a grilled piece of sea bass with greens and a salsa verde that more resembled a pesto.  The fish was flakey, moist, and very well seasoned.  Again, Brandy admired the restraint in this dish, which was designed to show off the splendid sea bass in all its glory, rather than overloading it with all sorts of flair and bother.

The final savory dish of the night was a tender cut of veal with prosciutto, sage, and putanesca.  Though not a huge fan of olives, Brandy did enjoy how well the putanesca paired with the salty prosciutto and the juicy veal, all tied in with the earthiness of the sage leaf hidden underneath the meat.

Winding down the indulgent meal with some desserts, the group was presented with some strawberry panna cotta and an adorable little cannoli.  The panna cotta had a thick, almost jelly like texture to it and was packed with milky, strawberry flavor.  The cannoli was another example of an Italian staple done very well with its crispy shell and creamy filling set off with some crunchy pistachios.

Finally, a parade of stunning gelato sundaes served in massive martini glasses made their way to the group, coming in flavors like S'mores, Banana Split, and Salted Caramel.  What turned out to be Brandy's favorite of the group actually ended up landing right in front of her: the signature Blu gelato, which was flavored with a sweet white marsala wine and topped with a fresh strawberry sauce, slivered almonds, and whipped cream.  Not only was the dessert a delight to behold, its flavor was unexpectedly sophisticated with a subtle fruitiness that matched well with the sauce and the nuts.

Brandy was mightily impressed, all in all, with everything Filini had to offer.  The attention to tradition as well as a few modern twists meant that the vast majority of dishes would please just about any kind of diner, from foodies to someone just out for the night.  In fact, Brandy had enjoyed the meal so much, she had forgotten all about the rain outside.  "I was thoroughly convinced for a minute there that I was in a trendy restaurant in Rome on a balmy summer day... perhaps I'll stay here a while longer and have enough cocktails to convince me that really is where I am," Brandy mused.

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

Food News: Costa Vida Sneak Peek and Giveaway!

This past week, Brandy had the chance to visit the brand new Costa Vida location, the first of its kind in the Midwest, and find out exactly what sets this fast service Mexican restaurant apart from its competition.

The recently opened restaurant is the first out of the West Coast and features a variety of Baja inspired entrees, snacks, and desserts that put the focus on freshness.  Nothing in the restaurant is ever frozen, and in fact nothing can be, as the locations don't keep any freezers on site.  All of the meats are prepared fresh on the grill or slow cooked, all of the veggies are chopped by hand, and even the tortillas (which come in both corn and flour varieties) are made fresh by hand to order.  Indeed, the toasty smell of the tortillas cooking was the first thing that pulled Brandy in.  "This is most certainly what I like to see in my Mexican food," she commented, hypnotized by the spinning tortilla cooker, "A little bit of extra effort goes a long way to making deliciousness!"

The menu at Costa Vida is fairly simple, but infinitely customizable.  Entrees include items like Burritos, Enchiladas, Tacos, Salads, and Nachos, but diners can design their meals in almost any way they see fit, from their protein choices to the sauces to what kind of beans they want, and of course which of the freshly made tortillas they would like.  This means that not only will carnivores be pleased with the offerings, but everyone else from vegetarian to pescitarians to gluten free eaters will also have plenty to choose from.  The cuisine is authentically Baja inspired, meaning the dishes aren't overloaded with needless heat and feature lots of fresh produce.  Fans of more American style Mexican food won't be disappointed either, as traditional staples like rice and beans, guaccamole, and salsa and chips are served as well, but here they are given fresh twists (like adding cilantro and lime juice to the rice or mango to the salsa) and prepared with the kind of care one doesn't often see in similar chains.

The signature meats consist of things like the Sweet Pork (shredded slow cooked pork in a tangy, fruity sauce), the Raspberry Chipotle Chicken, and Shredded Beef with slight up charges for Grilled Steak and Baja Shrimp.  The variety of sauce and dressings was truly a thing to see, with choices including Roasted Green Chili, Tomatillo Cilantro, and smokey Red Enchilada for hot entrees and Mango Salsa, Tomatillo Ranch, or Cilantro Lime and Raspberry Chipotle Vinagrettes for cold entrees.  Brandy had great fun mixing and matching some of the different flavors, but she found in the end that the staff really were the best resource when it came to picking winning combinations.  In fact, when she ordered up a Steak Enchilada with a corn tortilla and some red sauce, one of the workers behind the counter asked if he might make one of her enchiladas "his way" with the green chili sauce, and though she was loath to admit someone else had been right, Brandy had to say that his suggestion had been the better of the two.

Happily. there are also several desserts on the menu at Costa Vida that help to round out any meal.  The Cinnamon Tortilla is exactly what it sounds like; a warm tortilla dusted with cinnamon and sugar and rolled up to create a sweet, spicy, and chewy treat that goes especially well with the house horchata.  The trio of signature desserts (Tres Leches Cake, Key Lime Pie, and Flan) all came served with a generous swirl of real whipped cream and some fruit for garnish.  While the Key Lime was sufficiently sweet and sour and the flan was amazingly creamy and delicious, Brandy's favorite was the Tres Leches cake, which was moist, sweet, and sumptuous.

Has your interest been sufficiently peeked in Costa Vida's fresh and tasty cuisine?  Then you're in luck!  Brandy has arranged a give away of a Costa Vida Silver card that will entitled its own to one free entree once a month for a year!  That means you'll have plenty of opportunities to experiment with all of the components in order to create the perfect dish!  Only Chicago residents can enter, as the card is only good at the Chicago location on Lake Street.  Giveaway will run Friday 8/7 through 11:00 PM CST 8/13 with the winner being announced on 8/14.  The winner will have 24 hours after being notified to send their shipping address, otherwise another winner will be chosen.  Good luck, brunch fans!

The writers of this blog were invited by the restaurant to sample to menu and provided with materials for the giveaway at no charge in order to facilitate the writing of this post.


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