Alinea’s Grant Achatz

Grant Achatz, Chicago’s celebrated chef of Alinea restaurant is featured in this month’s Men’s Vogue. As the piece describes, despite a grueling course of radiation and chemotherapy for Stage 4 cancer of the tongue “he missed only 14 nights of service at Alinea, mostly near the end of radiation therapy, when the skin around his jaw had eroded so badly that he had to wear a burn mask.” When asked how about one of his signature dishes, the chef makes a surprising admission: “I’ve never tasted it… But I know it tastes good. You don’t have to stick your hand in fire to know it’s hot.”

http://www.mensvogue.com/food/articles/2008/05/grantachatz

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  Nikki

Only eight chefs remain on this season of Top Chef, yet it could be 800, considering the amount of ego still left in the house. As the show opens, Antonia muses about the gender equality, saying, “This is the first time four women have made it this far.” Immediately, we know a woman is going home tonight.

The chefs file into the Top Chef kitchen and don’t seem surprised to find Padma and Tom together, his bald pate shining somewhere near the vicinity of her armpit. “Aw, they know,” he mutters. Yes, even we the viewers know. If Tom is in the kitchen for the Quickfire Challenge, it can mean only one thing: Mise en place relay race! (It scares us that our brain cells store this type of information.)

The chefs draw knives and divide into two teams. The first leg sees Antonia go up against Lisa as they peel and section five oranges into supremes. This is delicate work, and there’s a lot of talk about shaking hands. Nevertheless, Lisa “smoke[s] Antonia’s a–,” giving her team a hefty advantage. As Antonia’s trembling fingers creep onto the next orange, Spike starts in on a set of artichokes, peeling, turning, and trimming them so that only the tidy heart remains. Soon it’s Spike vs. Andrew, with Andrew quickly making up for lost time with . . . a vegetable peeler! Andrew draws even, it’s neck and neck, and whoops-Spike breaks an artichoke heart. Andrew pulls ahead and Spike . . . well, he chokes.

Round three of the relay: Richard vs. Dale as they battle to filet a monkfish. (Side note: Is a monkfish the ugliest creature in existence?) Of course, whiz kid Richard wins with his textbook filets. Dale’s look a little ragged.

On to the final round: It’s Stephanie vs. Nikki as they compete to make a quart of mayonnaise by hand. A few minutes before, Nikki had been warbling that she didn’t even know how to make mayo without a food processor, so we’re a little surprised she chose this task. They whisk, whisk, whisk with their teammates cheering them on and . . . Stephanie wins! Their team jumps and down, excited; Richard says, “It feels like we won the Super Bowl.” Huh. He knows that word?

The losing team looks crestfallen, except for Dale, who maintains his perpetually angry expression. Suddenly, he punches a locker and screams, “F—!” Apparently, he hates losing.

Padma announces the Elimination Challenge, and is it just us or is there a sadistic gleam in her eye? Instead of the show’s usual restaurant wars-in which two teams open opposing eateries-the two teams will prepare food for a competitive wedding war. Oh, and did she mention that they’ll be staying up all night to prepare the food? Mua ah ah ah ah! Enter the happy couple Corey and J.P., who look sweet and normal, except we know they’re not. Because what normal couple would have their wedding catered by Top Chef?

The winning relay team chooses to prepare food for the bride’s 125 guests, to her specifications. She’s a meat-and-potatoes kind of gal, and they devise a menu of braised brisket-which Richard says “cooked for 24 hours. It’s been working for as long as we have!”-filet mignon, and some regrettable breaded chicken. Andrew tackles the creamed spinach, providing him with another opportunity for lewd commentary: “I’m like Popeye’s wet f—ing dream right now.” Meanwhile, Stephanie makes a perfectly lovely chocolate-lemon wedding cake.

The groom’s team chooses to go Italian, with a spread of grilled vegetables, tooth-breaking bruschetta, homemade tortellini, orrechiette with pork-and-beef ragu, Chilean sea bass, and a chocolate-hazelnut groom’s cake that Tom says “looks like a battleship.” They scurry around the kitchen like rats on a sinking ship, with no direction because no one-particularly Nikki-wants to step into a leadership role. Dale, who could win an award for most beleaguered, feels like he is doing everything (insert heavy sigh).

As the clock ticks into the wee hours, the chefs grow more and more wan, eventually turning into chef zombies, which does not make for exciting TV. They keep chugging small cans of liquid but palming the label-presumably, Red Bull is not a sponsor of Top Chef.

In the end, with the help of guest judge Gale Gand, who is pastry chef at Tru in Chicago, Team Bride is declared the winning group, with Richard reaping the glory for his elegant menu. In a moment that could have been sappy but thankfully isn’t, he gives the prize-$2,000 at Crate & Barrel-to Stephanie for her superb wedding cake.

Meanwhile, Team Groom roils with discontent. Why was Nikki so passive? Why did Spike slack off? And why did Dale make such tasteless food? (Tom: “Dale, you said you did the bulk of the work, but we didn’t care for the bulk of the work.”) In the end, it’s unassertive Nikki who packs her knives and heads home to New York City. We’re not surprised to see her go, but we can’t help but wonder when it will be Dale’s turn. Recap by Ann Mah at www.washingtonian.com.

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 Maureen Jenkins from the Chicago Sun Times wrote this article about top chefs from other major culinary cities staking a claim here in Chicago.  After the article, see what the Grub Street group from New York Magazine has to say about Chicago….LH

The Windy City is witnessing a delicious invasion this year — one of top chefs from cities and countries far and wide.

Chicago’s cuisine scene is the big winner, as some of the industry’s heavyweights bring innovative new restaurant and tastes to town.

They join internationally known local chefs like Grant Achatz, Charlie Trotter and Rick Bayless in further adding to Chicago diners’ embarrassment of riches when it comes to fabulous places to eat, nosh and lounge.

 Marcus Samuelsson

This week, celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson — the Ethiopian-born, Swedish-raised sensation with acclaimed restaurants from New York to Stockholm — opens the seafood-focused C-House on the ground floor of the new Affinia Chicago Hotel, just off the Magnificent Mile. (The restaurant opens Thursday for breakfast; lunch and dinner service will start in early June).

 Laurent Gras

French chef Laurent Gras, who made his name in the United States creating three- and four-star cuisine at New York’s Peacock Alley and San Francisco’s Fifth Floor, has teamed up with Lettuce Entertain You’s Rich Melman to introduce a new seafood concept called L.20. It opens next week in the space that formerly housed Ambria on North Lincoln Park West.

Ecuadorian-American chef Jose Garces left Chicago’s Northwest Side to become a culinary star in Philadelphia. He has returned to his hometown and now has a hit on his hands in Mercat a la Planxa, a fanciful Catalan-style tapas restaurant and bar that opened inside the South Loop’s refurbished Blackstone Hotel in early March.

More top names are on the way, including New York’s Terrance Brennan, a chef often credited with thrusting artisanal cheeses into the American restaurant and consumer limelight.

 Terrance Brennan

Brennan plans to open the first non-New York outpost of his acclaimed Artisanal Bistro and Wine Bar on the sixth floor (with a separate elevator, no less) of 900 North Michigan in late fall.

And Govind Armstrong, the dreadlocked chef and Macy’s Culinary Council member behind L.A.’s and Miami’s Table 8, will bring his innovative take on locally grown seasonal cuisine to Chicago in 2009.

‘Culinary mecca’

What’s wooing them all — and why now?

Says Samuelsson: “Chicago’s always been a good food city, very diverse in everything from high-end to mom-and-pop. There are lots of cooks, lots of waiters and the restaurant scene is very mature. Of course, having the Trotters and Baylesses of the world cooking nearby doesn’t hurt.

“[Chicago] customers are used to going to great restaurants. It’s a great restaurant scene already and from a C-House point of view, we want to be part of that.”

Moving away from the fine Scandinavian cuisine that put Samuelsson on the map, the sleek C-House will feature grilled, roasted and steamed fish served with everything from salsas and vinaigrettes to Indian-inspired chutneys. C-View, the 29th floor rooftop lounge, will offer a pared-down version of the restaurant’s cuisine.

Garces graduated from Chicago’s Kendall College with a degree in culinary arts, but built his hefty resume in New York and Philadelphia at award-winning restaurants.

“I’ve been wanting to get home for 13 years,” Garces says. “Chicago’s come to the forefront as a very modern culinary town. Along with Grant [Achatz of Alinea] and others who work here in town, that’s transformed [this] from a meat-and-potatoes town to a culinary mecca.”

 Jose Garces

At his two spots in Philadelphia, Tinto and Amada, Garces took bold approaches to Spanish cuisine. He’s taking it farther at the 162-seat Mercat a la Planxa, with grilled-to-order meats and seafood at center stage.

For research, Garces and his team made a pilgrimage to Barcelona, Spain, to sample food inside the city’s famed Mercat de la BoquerÃŒa and local tapas joints.

At his Mercat, “We were really trying to get the essence of Catalan cuisine,” he says. “We redefined the tapas experience and put a little extra thought and care into the preparation and the techniques. We use the best hams, best olive oils. Our cheese program here is very unique. Most of our cheeses are from single producers.”

In with the locals

The classically French-trained Gras is incorporating Japanese traditions into L.20’s menu, from the exotic hirame, or halibut, sourced from Japan to simple dish preparations. And he thinks Chicago is ready.

“The city seems to be a more open field, and that was very interesting to me” says Gras, who with Melman spent the past two years shaping L.20. “I think it’s very attractive to do a seafood concept like this that doesn’t exist in Chicago.”

Plus, these chefs just happen to be big fans of Chicago — and its homegrown culinary talent. They’re hiring locally, from chefs de cuisine to wine directors, sommeliers and servers.

“I really want to make the restaurant part of the community, not come in as a so-called celebrity chef,” Brennan says. “It’s not about coming to make a statement.”

And in a town already blessed with great chefs, these newcomers are taking steps to establish themselves with the local Food Network-obsessed crowd.

Laurent Gras, for example, launched a blog six months ago, sharing seasoning choices, peekytoe crab finds and tales of choosing the perfect Enviro-Pak cold smoker.

As he does in New York, Brennan will offer a regular rotation of cheese and wine classes, helping educate Chicagoans on the art of fromage.

With his strong cheese focus, Brennan knows he’s taking on local cheese powerhouses like Bin 36, as well as his Michigan Avenue neighbor Spiaggia. Both Samuelsson and Gras are introducing innovative seafood concepts to a city traditionally known for its top-notch steakhouses. And Garces is taking tapas to the next level, putting a decidedly regional slant on Mercat a la Planxa’s 70 tapas tastes.

But Samuelsson says there’s plenty of culinary wealth to go around.

“I don’t see it as competing at all,” he says. “It’s a big enough town, and there’s room for everyone.”

And here’s the feedback from Grub Street at www.nymag.com 

Every couple of years or so, a report circulates that Chicago, forever “the second city” (if that!) to New York, is experiencing a culinary renaissance and is about to shed its reputation as a backwater. (Chicagoans, naturally, deny, even to themselves, that such is the case.) A piece in today’s Sun-Times makes the case yet again, and we have to say, it’s pretty convincing. Aside from its own chefs, led by the brilliant Grant Achatz (profiled so memorably in this week’s New Yorker) now Chicago has New York’s Marcus Samuelsson opening a seafood restaurant, Terrance Brennan opening an Artisanal, San Francisco’s Laurent Gras bringing his classical French genius, and Govind Armstrong expanding his chic empire from L.A. and Miami. Are the days of Chicago’s being a place you start out in and then escape from coming to a close?

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The frenzy is on (based on the number of requests) to find the perfect place to treat mom to an amazing meal and experience this Sunday. Here’s more options for Chicago and the Suburbs. There is every kind of price offereing and some hidden bargains. You can most certainly find a cuisine to fit every appetite. LH)

Bowl mom over at 10pin Bowling Lounge
Seatings at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.; $36 per person
10pin’s Brunch and Bowl comes with two hours of bowling, shoe rental and a brunch buffet. The family-friendly foods include vanilla ice cream-battered French toast (stuffed with Bailey’s cream cheese!), mac and cheese and mini cheeseburgers. After dessert, let mom kick back with one of 10pin’s Mom-tinis. Hah! Get it?

Make it a Mexican-style brunch at Adobo Grill locations
11 a.m.- 3 p.m.; $21.95 for adults and $10.99 for children 10 and under at Adobo Grill (Wicker Park) and Adobo Grill (Old Town); $17.99 for adults and $10.99 for children 10 and under at Adobo Grill (Lombard)
The brunch buffets at each Adobo locale feature items that add a zesty twist to traditional breakfast eats. In Wicker Park, sample items like smoked salmon with panela cheese, blue corn cakes with eggs over-easy, shrimp ceviche and chicken tamales; in Old Town, brunch eats include tostados topped with chicken and habanero salsa, and masa pastries topped with homemade chorizo or plantain and mole. Lombard will offer similar breakfast fare, and all three locales will dish out special entrees in honor of Mom. Regular dinner hours apply.

Celebrate in style at aria
Lunch from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., dinner from 5:30-10 p.m.; regular menu with three special dishes from $12-$29
In addition to its usual menu, this globally-inspired restaurant will be offering three new dishes to honor Mom. There’s the salad of port wine-braised pears with mixed greens, shaved prosciutto and balsamic drizzle ($14); grilled escolar with sauteed spring asparagus, baby morels and currant tomatoes ($29); and a distinctive spin on strawberry cheesecake that pairs strawberry sorbet with cream cheese and graham cracker ice creams ($12).

Indulge in bloody mary and mimosa flights at Bin 36
10 a.m.-3 p.m., $40 for adults, $19 for kids under 12
Bin 36’s brunch buffet will stock seasonal items like blueberry ricotta pancakes, sliced prosciutto with melon, eggs benedict with Canadian bacon or peekey toe crab meat, and more. The restaurant also slings bloody mary and mimosa flights for an additional $12. Kids can play along with juice and milk flights for $3.50. And to make Mama feel just a little more special, she’ll be sent home with a complimentary box of homemade chocolate truffles. Reservations are required.

  Give Mom four courses at Cafe Matou
1 p.m.-close; $43 per person
Sit back and let Chef Charlie Socher do the cooking. He’ll be whipping up a four-course prix-fixe menu, with seasonal spring dishes like mussels and linguine with a fresh-herb cream sauce and roast prime rib with grilled mushrooms. Appropriately, the meal will end with something very sweet-just like your mom. Diners can choose between the pineapple sorbet with fresh berries and the flourless chocolate cake roll with toasted almonds. The regular menu will also available

Bon appetit at Carlos’
11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5:30-8 p.m.; $42.50 per person for lunch, $100 for dinner
If your mom lives on the North Shore, take her to this highly regarded (we’re talking four stars, kudos from Zagats and the like), contemporary French restaurant in Highland Park. Chef Ramiro Velasquez will be preparing a special degustation menu to celebrate Mother’s Day.

Mama mia! Have an Italian brunch at Carlucci (Downers Grove)
11:30 a.m.-6 p.m.; brunch menu items from $10-$17
If Mom has a taste for Italian, make her happy with a trip to west suburban Carlucci’s. Instead of the traditional brunch offerings, this Downers Grove establishment’s special brunch menu includes Italian favorites, like spaghetti alla carbonara ($11) and spinach lasagna ($10). Carlucci’s is also serving a variety of egg tortas in a pastry crust, and heartier options like tilapia and roasted leg of lamb. Whatever your choice, pair it with one of the restaurant’s many Italian wines. The regular dinner menu will also be available.

Be entertained while you eat at Carnivale
Noon-9 p.m.; regular menu with special dishes ($7-$24)
From 5:30-8 p.m., jazz vocalist Margaret Murphy will provide live entertainment to Mother’s Day diners at Carnivale. In addition to the regular menu, the Latino-flavored restaurant will have the following specials: organic egg baked with chorizo, potatoes and cheese ($12), flank steak braised with garlic, onions and tomatoes with rice and plantains ($24), strawberry colada ($9) and chocolate tres leches ($7).

Play a round post-meal at Chandler’s Chophouse & Grille
Noon-9 p.m.; menu prices (all items cost less than $23.99)
Let mom work on her handicap before or after lunch by taking her to this steakhouse at the Schaumburg Golf Club. The restaurant will start serving its full dinner menu at noon, along with specials like sirloin steak served with a five-ounce lobster tail, 12-ounce prime rib and a sole fillet stuffed with crab. Bring the little ones along; they’ll get their pick of mozz sticks, mac and cheese and mini cheeseburgers, costing $3.99 each.

 Chaise Lounge

Make it a breezy brunch at Chaise Lounge
11 a.m.-close; $25
If Mom always wanted to spend retirement in Miami, take her to Chaise, where she can get a taste of the beach life for an afternoon. The restaurant’s new chef, Cary Taylor, will whip up a three-course seasonal prix-fixe, which includes a soup or salad, entree and dessert. Main course options include a roasted lamb loin with apricot compote, salmon with purple cauliflower, roasted chicken with patty pan squash and asparagus, and quiche. The staff will hand out roses to all moms.

Gaze into the Chicago River at Great Street Restaurant
10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.; $54 for adults, $20 for children 7-13
Take Mom to the Renaissance Chicago hotel, where she gets to pick from seven different brunch stations. The casual American eatery overlooks the Chicago River, giving Ma something to gaze at while she noshes on everything from truffle hash browns, dim sum and sushi to eggs “her way” and 25 desserts.

 Greenhouse @ The Ritz Carlton

Pamper mom at the Ritz Carlton Chicago’s Greenhouse
Seatings at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.; $90 for adults, $25 for kids 5-12
Enjoy a relaxing brunch in the atrium-like setting of the Greenhouse. The Alison Ruble Jazz Trio will provide entertainment, as guests feast on items like the fresh stone crab claws, garlic- and herb-crusted rib eye, and pepper-glazed chicken. The meal will include fresh fruit, omelet and artisan cheese stations. Every mom will be eligible to win a Ritz Carlton “Girls Will Be Girls” package, which includes deluxe accommodations, chick flicks and makeovers.

So fresh and so green at Green Zebra
10:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; prices vary
This vegetarian-focused restaurant allows families to meet up without the meat this Mother’s Day. The brunch menu sports dishes like baked cheese fondue with Granny Smith apples and sourdough bread, and caramelized banana crepes with ricotta and Wisconsin honey. To wash it all down, choose from special non-alcoholic beverages, like pink-peppercorn thyme soda ($5), or a good morning cocktail, like Buck’s Fizz with blood orange and cava ($12).

Swing for the fences at Harry Caray’s
4-10 p.m.; $69.95 with wine pairings ($49.95 without wine pairings)
Celebrate Mother’s Day with a four-course prix-fixe meal at Harry Caray’s. After starting off with tomato basil bisque and smoked salmon bruschetta, guests will have to choose between the roasted duck over sweet potato puree and the potato-crusted Pacific king salmon. All mothers score a complimentary chocolate-covered strawberry, but if that’s not enough to sate her sweet tooth, order the special pine nut torta with prune-apricot compote.

Spice it up at Heaven on Seven (Magnificent Mile) and Heaven on Seven (Naperville)
10 a.m.-2 p.m. (Mag Mile); 9 a.m.-3 p.m. (Naperville); menu prices
Heaven on Seven’s Cajun cooking sets this Mother’s Day brunch apart from the pack. Signature dishes, like bananas foster French toast and Creole eggs benedict, will be among the a la carte choices. Have Mama knock back a few of the zesty New Orleans-inspired bloody marys while she relaxes to the live music.

Do a good deed by taking her to Karma
10 a.m.-3 p.m.; $26.95 for adults; free for kids 5 and under
If Mom likes to indulge in a bit of bubbly, take her to this brunch buffet where she’ll get a glass for free. Other highlights include cheese blintzes, assorted seafood and an omelet station, as well as Asian-accented eats like pot stickers, Thai ginger salmon and orange tempura chicken.

Don’t be a drag. Take mom to Kit Kat Lounge and Supper Club
11 a.m.-3 p.m.; $29.95 per person
If your mom’s got an open mind and a penchant for campy entertainment, Kit Kat’s your spot. Diva Madame X will provide live entertainment while diners enjoy free-flowing mimosas and a four-course prix-fixe meal. Entree choices include huevos rancheros, steak and eggs, peaches and cream French toast, and crab cake benedict.

Indulge in an Asian lunch at Le Lan
11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; $45 per person
Le Lan will offer a three-course French-Asian prix-fixe lunch, kicked off with Thai coconut soup, asparagus and frisee salad, or wild mushroom and chicken dumplings. Main course options include Asian bouillabaisse, Korean short ribs and seared diver scallops. For dessert, Mom can suck down tapioca bubble tea or opt for the super-sweet chocolate mousse.

 Chef Michael Robbin Maddox of Le Titi

Mull over your options at Le Titi de Paris
10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 3-9 p.m.; $40-$46 per person
Do you want an appetizer, sorbet or salad with your three-course lunch? Or, how about four-courses with an appetizer and salad? For just a slight difference in cost, Le Titi de Paris in Arlington Heights is making both lunch and dinner available as either three- or four-course meals. Choices include Maine lobster bisque, Michael’s Mother’s Day salad (greens, carrots, green beans, hearts of palm), seared New Zealand venison and grilled tenderloin of beef.

Play favorites at Lockwood
11 a.m.-3:30 p.m.; $65 for adults, $25 for kids under 12, free for kids under 5
Take a trip to Palmer House Hilton’s newest addition for a decadent Mother’s Day brunch. After sipping your complimentary glass of champagne, bloody mary or mimosa, hit the buffet-style spread for an assortment of fruits, cheeses, breads and hearty dishes, like chilled shrimp and crab claw cocktail, truffled chicken fricassee and carved prime rib.

Try your luck at Lux Bar
9 a.m.-3 p.m.; $24.50 for adults, $14.95 for kids under 10
Luxbar is putting on a traditional brunch at a reasonable price. The spread will include egg and omelet stations, a carving station with turkey and ham, and plenty of breakfast and pastry delights. It will also dish out grilled cheese and chicken fingers for the little ones.

Try Indian brunch eats at Marigold
Noon-8 p.m.; price of special platter yet to be determined
Mom has got to be sick of the same old pancakes and eggs for breakfast, right? Why not let her sample some traditional Indian brunch fare at this elegant spot. The special Thali platter will feature an array of eats, though Marigold’s regular menu will also be available. Moms will also get a gratis mango mimosa to wash it all down.

Treat her to a seafood-inspired brunch at McCormick & Schmick’s (Gold Coast) and McCormick & Schmick’s (Loop)
10 a.m.-3 p.m.; $41 for adults
If Mom’s a seafood lover, then McCormick and Schmick’s will really win her love. The brunch buffet incorporates seafood into the mix with bay shrimp as one of the ingredient options at the made-to-order omelet station. Other dishes include smoked salmon with mixed greens, and more traditional brunch fare like buttermilk waffles with seasonal fruit.

Have a mighty good time at Mity Nice Grill
10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; $13.95 a la carte brunch items
Shoot! Forgot to get Mom a gift this year? No worries; stop by one of the shops at Water Tower before hitting up Mity Nice in the upscale food court. Its a la carte brunch lets diners choose from options like wild blueberry pancakes, artichoke eggs benedict, smoked salmon and steak and eggs ($13.95 each). Round out the meal with trips to the fresh juice and pastry bars, which will offer sweet treats like the blueberry-pomegranate smoothies, raspberry scones and chocolate chip coffee cake.

Put Mom up for a night at Pheasant Run Resort and Spa
9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; $37.95 for adults, $12.95 for children 5-12
If your mom’s the kind of lady who likes to make decisions, take her to this brunch with more than 100 items. While you’re trying to choose between eggs or pancakes, a jazz trio will set the ambiance. Keep an eye out for a professional photographer, who will snap a photo of your fam to purchase ($15 to $40). If Mom seems like she needs a getaway, why not book her a room at the resort? Packages start at $159 and include tickets to the brunch, access to an indoor and outdoor pool and a gift and rose.

 Pops

Toast mom with some bubbly at Pops for Champagne
3 p.m.-2 a.m. on Saturday, May 10 and Sunday, May 11; Special glasses of champagne from $18-$20
This River North establishment will celebrate Mother’s Day weekend by offering the Mothers of Champagne special, which offers few premium bubblies at a discount. Glasses include Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin ($20), Louise Pommery ($20) and Camille Olry-Roederer ($18). The champagne should pair perfectly with executive chef Andrew Brochu’s progressive American cuisine

Try a seasonal cocktail at Room 21
Noon-6 p.m.; brunch items from $9-$15
Mother’s Day kicks off the Sunday brunch season at Room 21. If weather permits, diners can take advantage of the garden seating area. The menu will feature nine items, including scrambled eggs and toast, grilled chicken Caesar salad and a crab cake sandwich. Try a seasonal cocktail off the new spring-summer menu, with drinks like the white-peach mint julep ($12) and pomegranate mojito ($13).

Take a dip in chocolate at Sam Houston’s Charhouse
9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; $27.99, $11.99 children ages 3-10
If you sometimes wonder if Mom’s love for chocolate runs deeper than her affection for you (can’t be true!), take her to this Bartlett steakhouse. It’ll cap off its brunch with a chocolate fountain, complete with fresh fruit, marshmallows and other goodies for dunking, and a table stocked with sweets. The all-you-can-eat noshes include eggs benedict, prime rib, lox and bagels, and peel-and-eat shrimp.

Give her a gift and some grub at Shaw’s Crab House and Shaw’s Crab House (Schaumburg)
10 a.m.-3 p.m.; $49.99 for adults, $19.99 for kids
All moms attending this seafood-heavy brunch will get a flower and a $25 gift certificate to the restaurant. Meal highlights include traditional breakfast fare and seafood favorites like fried shrimp, Alaskan king crab legs and lobster-brie pasta. To keep the freebies coming, mom will also be treated to a gratis mimosa.

Moms eat free at Silver Cloud
10 a.m.-midnight; regular brunch prices, but moms eat free
If you’re a looking for a cheap date this Mother’s Day, try Silver Cloud. Whether you go for brunch, lunch or dinner, moms eat free all day long. Silver Cloud’s regular menu, with choices like blueberry pancakes ($5.95), stuffed turkey sandwich ($7.95) and grandma’s meatloaf ($9.95), will be available. Don’t forget to pair your meal with a delicious bloody mary or a decadent S’more-tini.

 Sixteen in the Trump Tower

Compare her beauty to the skyline at Sixteen
11 a.m.-3 p.m.; $110 for adults, $25 for kids 10 and under, free for kids under 4
Impress your ma with a trip to Sixteen, a swank spot on the 16th-floor of Trump International Hotel and Tower Chicago. The upscale affair will feature a buffet of soups, salads, raw bar items, breakfast foods, carving stations and desserts. And don’t forget, you’ll be dining amidst breathtaking views of Lake Michigan, the Chicago River and the Wrigley Clock Tower. Reservations are required.

Make her the center of attention at Sofitel Chicago Water Tower
10 a.m.-2 p.m.; $95 for adults, $35 for kids
A champagne toast and a flower for every mom will start things off on the right note in Sofitel’s grand ballroom, where a pianist will set the mood. From seafood and sushi stations to omelet and crepe offerings, this brunch has it all…including a balloon artist. Ask nicely, and maybe he’ll make Mom a balloon-rose.

Take advantage of a freebie at Tsuki Japanese Restaurant & Lounge
5-11 p.m.; moms eat free
Tsuki will pick up Mom’s tab this Mother’s Day. The Japanese restaurant and lounge is giving all mothers a serving of signature maki and dessert, along with some sparkling sake, for nada. Its regular menu will be available.

Go for brunch or dinner at Va Pensiero
11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.-close; $40 for adults, $15 for kids
Evanston’s Va Pensiero is catering to both early- and late-risers with a special brunch and supper. The restaurant’s three-course prix-fixe brunch promises to be a little bit of breakfast, a little bit of lunch and a whole lot of Italian. For those who can’t climb out of bed before 2:30 (geez, people!), a dinner menu will be available starting at 5 p.m.

Make it fancy fare at Viand
11 a.m.-7 p.m.; $24 for adults, $10 for kids 12 and under
Mom will enjoy spending her special day at Viand, with its whimsical American cuisine and Art Deco-inspired dining room. The three-course meal will come with choices like an antipasto buffet, stuffed pork loin with wild mushrooms and aged Wisconsin cheese, as well as a family pie sampler with six different kinds of pie! Just be sure you tell mom her pie is better.

Get it shaken, not stirred, at Viet Bistro and Lounge
Noon-3 p.m. or 5-10:30 p.m.; $39
If Mom likes a dirty martini with dinner, she’ll appreciate you taking her to this contemporary Vietnamese spot. All moms get a free martini and dessert, and a free appetizer if your spring for a bottle of wine, too. (Come on, she deserves it!) The deals go on to include half-off select wine bottles and $5 select martinis. The four-course special tasting menu allows patron to pick from an appetizer, soup or salad, entree and dessert.

Make it a day to remember at Zest
11 a.m.-3 p.m.; $49.50 for adults, $20 for kids 12 and younger
Located in the Intercontinental Chicago, Zest is putting on an impressive Mother’s Day brunch with an array of breakfast eats, savory dishes and sweets. There’ll be stations for omelets and waffles and a carving station for prime rib and leg of lamb. Cap the meal off with a variety of pastries and fresh fruit.

Compilation courtesy of www.centerstagechicago.com

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 Cafe Lucci in Glenview (609 Milwaukee Ave.) will honor mom, mom’s-to-be and grandmas on their special occasion with a vibrant rose and special menu to

Café Lucci celebrates Mother’s Day from 1-9 p.m., Sunday, May 11. Chef-owner Augie Arifi’s has created a special menu beginning with his signature crab cakes, followed by a choice of three entrées:  

 

 Fettuccine Salmone, smoked salmon with fresh dill and cream sauce served over fettuccine; Halibut Reggiano, Alaskan halibut in a Parmigiano-Reggiano crust served in a roasted red pepper beurre blanc; or Filetto Balsamico, filet mignon charred and served in a balsamic reduction with fresh fennel, red onion and spinach. 

            The festive dessert is Torta Cioccolata, a sinfully delicious layered chocolate fudge cake.  As always, Cafe Lucci’s regular à la carte menu of Italian specialties, prime beef and fresh fish will be available for selection.  Featured wines for the holiday are selected from the restaurant’s 2007 Wine Spectator award-winning list are 2005 Frescobaldi Nippozano Riserva Chianto and 2006 Pio Cesare Contessi di Gavi. 

            Cafe Lucci is accessible for people with disabilities, has both booster and high chairs.   For Mother’s Day reservations, call 847-729-2268.   To view Cafe Lucci’s menus and wine list, visit http://www.cafelucci.com/.

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 Biggs Mansion

By Laura Hansen

My partner in culinary crime (Allan) suggested that we have lunch at Il Mulino on Dearborn.  It was one of those “in the moment go grab lunch” days.  I can assure you there ultimately was no grabbing involved. We got our much needed Vitamin D fix on this sunny, but windy city breezy day. It did serve to remind us that it’s not completely Spring. We are bundled enough to break in al fresco.  On this Wednesday lunch - there was no one dining outside, and a handful of people inside.  Was this because Il Molino is very expensive, or was it due to the sagging economy, or is it that there are 100 restaurants within a few blocks?

Here’s a little background on Il Mulino.  It’s been all the rage in New York for years - rated Zagats Best Italian eatery for over 20 years.  Located in Chicago in the famous Biggs Mansion, it seems that the mantra was “don’t change anything about the cuisine or image - everything should be exactly as it is in New York.  I think restaurants in Chicago beg for at least a piece of their own unique identity.  The menu says Il Mulino New York on the cover.  The website is about New York (http://www.ilmulinonewyork.com/ .)

It was a project to find a waiter. Allan went inside to coax one out to service us. When he arrived, he was honest “I have only been here two weeks.”  That’s okay by me conceptually.  However, in those two weeks he honestly did not learn anything about the menu, nor had he tasted any of the food.  Allan and I were completely on our own.  He had previously had dinner at Il Mulino and raved about the ravioli.

Our nameless waiter, of course, asked what kind of water we wanted (can you imagine thinking about that at a restaurant 20 years ago?). They served us some great, crusty, seasoned crouton like bread with an eggplant and tomato spread.  Good thing, did they already know it would take a very, very long time for our entrees to arrive?

 Kobe beef burgers

I ordered the trio of kobe beef burgers (served with melted fontina and grilled onions.) I ordered the mini burgers medium rare.   Allan ordered the chicken cutlets Milanese style. The cutlets are served with sautéed broccoli rabe and hot cherry peppers.

 Chicken Cutlets Milanese

At least 30 - 40 minutes later our entrée’s arrived.  No apologies.  It is my contention that when a restaurant is slow they under-perform.  The mini burgers were almost well done. I did not bother to send them back for it would be another 40 minutes.  I tasted Allan’s chicken - although it was flavorful, the chicken was dry and the broccoli rabe overwhelmed the dish.

We skipped dessert.

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This is Michael Nagrant’s latest post from his blog: www.seriouseats.com.

Screw the Michelin guide and its ilk. Like the SAT or personality tests, reductive rating systems that award mini constellations, forks, spoons, or pepper shakers can never see what’s in a restaurant’s heart.

The endurance of these systems often encourage readers to skip the meat of a review and go straight to the final number as an arbiter of whether they should call for reservations.

Some of these systems are just plain impossible. Consider the S. Pellegrino 50 Best Restaurants in the World. Did Gordon Ramsay U.K. really improve 11 spots in a year while its proprietor was out traveling the world berating and dehumanizing line cooks and restaurateurs? In one year, did Charlie Trotter’s, which has been fine-tuning things for 20 years, really suck it up so bad as to drop from 31 to 38 and lose the title of Chicago’s best restaurant to upstart Alinea?

Dining as a Game

These reductive systems encourage a foodie culture where people trade hot or important restaurant visits like sports cards, looking for that rare error card no one else has: “Dude, did you check out that spot that has the prix fixe animal eyeball menu? Only six people can get in, and it’s held every third lunar cycle in front of the grave of Jack Johnson at Graceland Cemetery.”

Most of all, the reductive systems ignore the storefronts, the mom-and-pop spots, and the ethnic joints, where the food and the experiences are just as singular and important to me as the experiences and food at the four-star gems. I truly believe that sitting on the hood of my Ford Escape while chowing down on Uncle John’s hot links and ribs, or sidling in to melamine booths at Khan BBQ in what was once a smoky dingy cab joint, for the best chicken boti maybe in the United States is as charming, honest, satisfying, and unique as a nine-courser at the French Laundry.

These reflections were spurred by my colleague Ed Levine, who asked me to name my five favorite dining experiences in Chicago. I think the above testimonial gives you an idea where my spots derive from. Levine named his New York spots according to the following criteria:

How welcome do I feel? Do I feel well taken care of? Am I having a good time? Does the restaurant make my dining companions and me feel special? Can I easily hear what the people I am with are saying? Is the service personal without being intrusive? Does the energy in a restaurant match or even elevate my own? How does the restaurant’s look and feel affect how its customers look and feel? Most of all, I want the restaurant experience to be about the food, the people I’m eating with, and me-not about the chef or the server or the sommelier.

I’d say most of Levine’s criteria holds true for me too, though maybe in a more informal context. It’s definitely a personal thing that won’t hold for all my readers, but I like to come as I am, when I choose. It’s not a “disrespect for the chef or the food” kind of thing, more of a lifestyle decision. I know some people get all snooty about decorum, but I honestly believe if I were at the Everest Room (which with alabaster and gold accents looks a bit like Liberace’s palace) and the guy at the next table was wearing shorts, it wouldn’t affect my dining experience, as long as he was having a good time and enjoying his food.

Likewise, the essence of food as a gathering place, an opportunity to break bread with family and friends and to celebrate life and love and culture is just as important. Though, rules are always meant to be broken. You might not expect from the discussion above that I’d pick a place like Alinea with its pre-fixe menus and utter precision. The thing about Alinea is that they’re flexible enough and empathetic enough to respond to your needs if something doesn’t work for you, and not from a begrudging money driven motivation, but based in the idea of truly providing the best experience.

The unifying feature of all of my choices is that the spots below represent the true personality of the driving force behind the restaurant. These restaurants make no compromises or nods to what they think people want, but reflect who the chef or owner really is, but ironically do so without ego trumping all. I’ll admit naming my own “best” list is probably just as much a reductive folly as Michelin, etc. Certainly it’s subjective, but at the very least my choices reflect a search for a spirit of naked passion, fearlessness, and lust for eating, cooking, and dining, and that’s something I can behind.

Note: Toward this end, the chef bar at Avenues, which was a beautiful reflection of the emotional, whimsical, and hardcore independent spirit of Graham Elliot Bowles would have made this list, but Bowles left recently to open his own place this summer, and therefore the experience no longer exists.

Alinea

Three years ago, I was a website designer and e-commerce manager. I was also a rabid food enthusiast. Soccer moms burning up the phone lines at Ticketmaster trying to wrangle Miley Cyrus tickets had nothing on me. I once called the French Laundry for three days in a row and endured hours of busy signals to score a reservation. I’d waited in line for five hours to sample barbecue oysters from Uglesich’s in New Orleans the week it closed for good. Still, the idea of writing about my passion seemed as audacious as running for president of the United States.

My first meal at Alinea changed all that. Here was a spot where the chef hung out until 5 a.m. working on a new menu every few days or weeks after working 14 hours of prep and service. Here’s a spot that eschewed tired porcelain in favor of custom designed sculptural art/service pieces from designer Martin Kastner. Here’s a spot where wine pours by the glass complemented the food instead of honoring the ego of the sommelier or a wealthy patron’s desire for a showy trophy Bordeaux. Here’s a spot where black truffle isn’t shaved by pound, but where it’s gelled and stuffed into rich egg yolk pasta and it blows up in your mouth. Here’s a spot where almost every aspect of dining has been challenged and reimagined. The idea that you could be so driven and disciplined to work so hard, to accept nothing but innovation as a standard was extraordinary, especially to a tired burned out corporate American. I wanted that for myself, and inspired by the example of working for a single purpose to be the best at something you loved, I became a food writer. 1723 North Halsted, Chicago IL 60614; 312-867-0110; alinea-restaurant.com

(Full disclosure: I’m a contributor to the Alinea cookbook released this fall, but the restaurant inspired a career long before I’d ever met the extraordinary folks behind the action.)

Lagniappe

Mary Madison’s joint in Auburn Gresham is the Cajun-Creole version of a Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel. It’s one of those places where every single thing on the menu is extraordinary and slightly magical, where the swampy brown etouffee is smoky and indulgent, where the fried green tomatoes are toothsome and tangy. You keep ordering and ordering and wait for her to slip up, but the sweet potatoes, aka Creole Candied Sweets, have the lulling perfume of a spice plantation and the red beans and rice would make any Monday in New Orleans right.

Some people have mistaken the long wait for food as a service mis-step, but the truth is Madison cooks everything from scratch, sautéing off the trinity at the drop of the order. There’s no warm and serve à la minute pre-cooked BS going on here. She cooks like you and your momma cook, only ten times better. She’s as good as anything in the Big Easy, I guarantee. From Leah Chase to Paul Prudhomme, they’d all love her. Madison is about feeding the soul, and she usually comes out of the kitchen after a meal to make sure yours is satisfied. 1525 West 79th Street, Chicago IL 60620; 773- 994-6375; cajunjoynt.com

Burt’s Place

Eating at Burt’s Place is like indulging in a post-coital smoke, a heavily ice cubed deep glass of fine bourbon, and a few slices of the finest pizza around while Chet Baker or Ella Fitzgerald croons a lullaby in the background. In other words, my own personal version of heaven. From the ham radios to the giant wire whisk hanging from the ceiling to the wooden trivets hanging from worn dining tables, Burt’s is the land that time forgot, but never should have. Burt’s is a place of languor where you slink in to the booths and exhale burden away.

The place is an emporium, an apothecary, a diorama of the wants and desires of its principled proprietor, Burt Katz. Katz makes each Sicilian bakery style pie by hand in decades old seasoned steel pans from ingredients he picks out each morning. Katz hasn’t shaved his Professor Dumbledoresque white beard since he quit his last corporate job in the seventies, and he takes orders on a rotary dial phone, only having once used a cell phone at the behest of some local foodies last year. Burt and his wife Sharon treat the newest customer to the third generation Burt’s visitor as if they were the oldest of family, not as a schtick, but because they love what they do and who they do it for. 8541 North Ferris Avenue, Morton Grove IL 60053; 847-965-7997

Blackbird

I watched the original Karate Kid 43 times the year it came out on video. Blackbird is my culinary Karate Kid. Regarding high-end to super high-end restaurants, I’ve dined nowhere more and with such consistent and satisfying results. Though, at this point, saying you love Chef Paul Kahan, at least in Chicago, is like saying you loved the Thriller album in 1984. Find me someone who didn’t.

But my love goes way back. If Chef Kahan was still expediting on a daily basis or working the line on occasion, he’s the guy I’d send my kids and grandkids to train under if they wanted to become chefs. He’d teach them that the essence of life is about pork, pork, and more pork, not taking yourself too seriously, but also treating your food, the quality of it, the sources of it, and the preparation of it as if your life depended on it.

Even now that he’s focusing on all his restaurants, the spot hasn’t lost a step under Mike Sheerin. In fact, it’s better in that it melds Kahan’s vision with Sheerin’s whimsy and wit. And à la Ed Levine’s criteria, if you want energy, this is the energizer bunny of electric restaurants in Chicago. In this same vein, you’ll also find Kahan protégé Paul Virant and his spot Vie. I like to call Virant the one-room schoolhouse of old school chefs, a guy who pickles, preserves, and cures like a pioneer. It was a close call between Vie and Blackbird, but Blackbird was my first love. 619 W Randolph Street, Chicago IL; 312-715-0708

Hot Doug’s Sausage Superstore and Encased Meats Emporium

Hot Doug’s is kinda like the Masa of encased meats. If owner Doug Sohn can’t make it in, like earlier this year when he broke his leg in a camping accident, he closes the place down. He plays the music he wants, keeps the hours he wants (10:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.), and decorates how he wants (condiment slathered Britney Spears anyone?).

However, that doesn’t mean you don’t have tons of choices. You can keep it punk rock with a basic windy city salad dog, featuring caramelized meats-the best example of its kind in the city-or take your sausage upscale style with choices like Blue Cheese Pork Sausage with Toasted Walnut Mustard Cream and Fiery Apple Salsa or Quarter-Pound Beef Knockwurst with Horseradish Mustard, Applewood-Smoked Cheddar Cheese and Bacon Lardons. And the basic hand-cut skin on fries are probably the best in the city, but for some that’s only if you skip the sea salt dusted duck fat fried weekend only option. 3324 North California Street, Chicago IL; 773-279-9550

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This week’s episode does explore a real stretch on the probability scale.  If you had $10 in your pocket to buy food to cook a meal for your family, where would you shop for the key ingredients:

A. Discount stores like Aldi, Walmart, or a local low cost produce market

B.  Whole Foods

That’s right folks, The Top Chef team went to Whole Foods (my friends call it “Whole Paycheck” to shop for food!  A $10 spot at Whole Foods will get you a can of spam and a few pears.  LH 

  

When you think “fabulous entrée,” do the words “Uncle Ben’s microwaveable rice” come to mind? They do for Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi, apparently. This week’s episode starts off with a healthy dose of improbability when she asks the contestants to create a delicious entrée in 15 minutes, with a helping hand from Uncle Ben’s.

In less time than it takes to microwave a bag of prepackaged rice, Padma sets out to judge an array of hastily assembled dishes, with guest judge Art Smith. Who is Art Smith? He was a 2002 James Beard Award winner for Best Cookbook, he won the James Beard Humanitarian of the Year award in 2007, and he used to be Oprah’s personal chef. (Thanks, Google!) He also looks like a gentle, kind man who would be shocked by the constant stream of foul language that emerges from the contestants’ mouths. We fervently hope he stays away from Dale.

We know Stephanie’s seafood pancakes will be at the bottom of the challenge because she admits she didn’t taste her food. She’s joined there by Mark-whose turkey is so dry Padma thinks it’s chicken-and Lisa, whose Southwestern shrimp dish is deemed unoriginal. Meanwhile, Antonia’s steak-rice-and-salad concoction wins her immunity and she flashes that smug cat smile again.

The Elimination Challenge is inspired by Art Smith’s charity, Common Threads, which Padma explains is “dedicated to bringing families back to the table to eat together.” The chefs will make a simple nutritious meal for a family of four, with a budget of $10. Considering that they’ll be shopping at Whole Foods (not to mention the current rice shortage), they may want to tuck some of that Uncle Ben’s under their chefs’ jackets.

After some obligatory milling around the Whole Foods aisles, the chefs are poised to start slicing when suddenly Padma announces that they’ll have a little extra help in the kitchen. Enter a merry little band of sous chefs, a group of kids from the Common Threads program. The chefs’ faces fall-who are they expecting, Eric Ripert?-but for the first time in Top Chef history, they swallow their disappointment and complaints. In fact, after a few awkward moments-such as when Spike’s kid helper cuts himself with a peeler-everyone seems to develop a friendly rapport. Richard is most inspired, saying: “After this experience, I want to go home and I wanna make some babies.” America cringes.

Judge Tom Colicchio drops by the kitchen for some friendly chit-chat, charming the kids (Tom: “What do you like about cooking?” Kid: “Eating!”) and generally scaring the bejesus out of the chefs, particularly Mark. He stays in the kitchen for the judging-cue shot of Tom shoveling in food like a truck driver-while Padma, Gail, and Art taste the dishes with other kids in the dining room.

Nikki’s hardscrabble chicken-inspired by her single-parent childhood, which she mentions not once but twice-and Andrew’s chicken paillard with fennel salad are favorites with the judges. (Side note: Andrew also reveals that he used to weigh 200 pounds, which makes us more sympathetic toward his current spastic energy. Until, that is, he announces he has a “culinary boner.”) But it’s single mom Antonia who wins yet again with her savory stir-fry of whole-wheat noodles with bok choy, chicken, edamame, and cilantro. Honestly, it sounds like something we’d whip up when we don’t feel like cooking, but Gail does sound quite patronizing when she declares, “This was real life for her. Not really a stretch.”

Meanwhile, Stephanie announces that she has overcooked her couscous and we know she’ll be on the bottom with her chicken with peanut butter and tomatoes, a dish that Padma says she “detested,” and for once we have to agree with her. Joining her is luckless Mark, who seemed to forget he was cooking for kids, making a vegetable curry. And there’s grumpy Lisa, with her bland quinoa-crusted chicken, beans, and edamame.

Stephanie stiffens her upper lip and takes her criticism gracefully. Lisa-surprise, surprise-does not, choosing instead to argue with the judges, as if that’s going to change their minds. Mark turns surprisingly whiny-or, given his Antipodean accent, whingey-saying, “I think Tom doesn’t like me.” Perhaps his instincts are right. His curry is deemed too sweet, with Tom declaring it “a very sloppy plate of food.” He packs his knives and departs. We’ll miss the didjeridoo. Courtest of www.washingtonian.com

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Not long ago, the hottest reservations in New York dining were Per Se and Masa, which serve up dinner bills the size of mortgage statements from high in the gleaming Time Warner Center. Now, the buzz has migrated 50 blocks south-and down the price scale.

Momofuku Ko, which opened in the East Village in March, is already being heralded as the successor to Masa’s $400 prix-fixe menu. Ko’s decor is minimal, and service is practically nonexistent; dinner costs $85 a head. “I got out of fine dining in order to make something that’s delicious, made with good technique, and is of value to our customers and us as chefs,” says David Chang, Ko’s executive chef and proprietor. 

Around the corner, Marco Canora and Paul Grieco, the owners of upscale eateries Hearth and Insieme, opened Terroir, a tiny wine bar where prices for sophisticated small plates top out at $15-a substantial departure from the $30 entrées that chef Canora turns out at Insieme. Uptown, Michelin-starred chefs Daniel Boulud and Alain Ducasse recently opened Bar Boulud and Benoit, respectively, which serve bistro classics like cassoulet and duck confit in the $20 to $30 range. It’s not bargain-basement cuisine but far more accessible than the formal dining rooms where the chefs made their names.

It seems more than coincidental that some of the most-talked-about restaurants opening in New York this spring have more simple charm than uptown polish. Across the country-from Starbucks to steak houses-there are signs that consumers are rethinking the way they eat. Faced with job losses on Wall Street and the specter of an economic downturn, New Yorkers seem to be tiring of stiff atmospheres and ever-climbing entrée prices; talented chefs are frustrated with the razor-thin profit margins that come with haute cuisine.

“A good restaurateur needs to be thinking about demographics and changing demands,” says chef Michael Psilakis. He opened Mia Dona, a “neighborhoody” Italian restaurant, with Donatella Arpaia in February, a year after their haute Greek establishment, Anthos. “It would be very difficult to open a high-end restaurant in this market.”

The shift away from formal concepts seems to be a national trend, judging from this year’s James Beard Foundation Awards, the Oscars of the culinary world. In 2006, all five finalists for the Best New Restaurant prize were white-tablecloth establishments like Grant Achatz’s Alinea, in Chicago, and Danny Meyer’s Modern, in New York. Two years later, the finalists represent a wider (and mostly less expensive) cross section of the culinary landscape. Central Michel Richard, in Washington, D.C., for instance, is a playful and informal Franco-American bistro concept from a chef who made his name with a $95 prix-fixe menu at D.C.’s Michel Richard Citronelle. Fans of Richard’s succulent 72-hour short ribs can now order them à la carte at Central for $29.

“Two things happen when there’s economic instability: Food switches from heady and avant-garde to comfort food,” says Mitchell Davis, vice president of the James Beard Foundation. “Then the prices drop.”
But cutting prices while maintaining quality is easier said than done. Contrary to popular belief, profit margins in fine dining are the lowest in any sector of the food-service industry, at around 1 to 3 percent of revenue. In contrast, if overhead is kept low and the volume of diners is high, a wine bar or a casual-restaurant concept can reap as much as 15 to 20 percent in profit.

In order to stay in the black, restaurants stick to a standard pricing formula: Food should account for about one-third of the price of each dish, on average. For acclaimed chefs like Canora, Psilakis, and Richard, using high-quality ingredients that total well under $10 per plate is an exercise in resourcefulness.

Canora gets the pork for Insieme from one of the country’s top producers and uses that relationship for the menu at Terroir. At Insieme, Canora serves pork loin for $30; he’s able to get pork blade steak for half the price and put a big, sizzling slab on the menu at Terroir for $15.

“It’s a cheaper cut of meat-a cut you would never use for fine dining-but it’s coming off some of the best animals in the country,” says Canora.

The opportunity for added profit lies in minimizing fixed costs such as rent and salaries. In a casual atmosphere, perfection is not necessary or expected, opening up possibilities for trimming costs without falling short of a diner’s expectations.

While the cooks at Citronelle may toss out food that has small (and even cosmetic) flaws or is the result of mistakes in preparation, Richard urges the staff at Central to cut down on waste. Psilakis builds his ideal menu at Anthos first and determines its price second, but he reverses that process at Mia Dona, adjusting the menu seasonally based on when he can get the best ingredients at the cheapest prices. 

Psilakis’ partner Arpaia says that salary costs can be kept down by hiring younger, less experienced staff and training them; the formal service for a higher dining concept is much more demanding, and even small learning mistakes are an unacceptable risk.

Decor is another major factor. At Bar Boulud, decreasing space between tables while nixing tablecloths, pricey china and stemware, and floral budgets adds up to larger profits.

Location is one of the trickiest parts of the puzzle, as restaurateurs must balance keeping rent low with attracting enough traffic to keep seats full. Terroir’s space in the East Village fell into Canora and Grieco’s hands for the price of a Manhattan studio apartment, and they say that the wine bar is on track to become their most profitable project to date “by far.”

“In a place like this, everybody wins,” says Canora. “Customers don’t feel ripped off. We actually make our money back-everybody wins.” Article by Liz Gunnison at www.portfolio.com.

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Confirming the rumors of the last few weeks that chef Randy Zweiban was leaving Nacional 27, Zweiban announced this afternoon that he’ll be opening his new restaurant, Province, this September just a few doors down from Sepia in the West Loop.

The chef, who earned his local rep as Lettuce Entertain You’s Nuevo Latino guru, describes his new place as “a new American restaurant influenced by the modern, evolving cuisines of South America and Spain.” Province (designed by international architectural firm VOA) will have seating for about 70, while the lounge will seat 25 and a private dining room handles 40.

Apparently the building is as green as Old MacDonald’s thumb, with recycled materials galore, Energy Star equipment in the kitchen and a composting program with “a city farm.” The menu ranges from “little bites” like Dungeness crab toast and Cuban pork bocadillo to small plates like spice-rubbed grilled ahi tuna tacos to main courses like prawn and bay scallop “paella” with saffron and roasted peppers. Also expect ambitious, seasonal cocktails that pull from the farmers’ markets when possible.

Soooo, minus the fierce salsa dancers, welcome to Nacional 28. Posted by Heather Shouse on the TOC Blog.

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