I did not blog about my first Next experience, which was Thailand, but not because it wasn't wonderful, because it truly was. Thailand, well, I wanted to keep that just between Brian and myself, more of a selfish act on my part.
Having said that, I feel the need to share my evening about Childhood. As soon as we walked in and took our seats, we heard the music playing. “Flintstones, meet the Flintstones…” Throughout the night, the soundtrack alone brought smiles to our faces. Once again, the service was impeccable and anytime my glass of wine went low, there was always someone there to fill it back up again. As Brian and I were dining, with every course, we were able to recall something from growing up, sometimes funny, sometimes sad - but each and every time we related to what we were eating.
To end my perfect evening, one of our wonderful servers asked us if we wanted to visit the kitchen. Now, who would turn down that opportunity? Not only did we have the chance to take a peek at what goes on, but also Chef Dave took time out of his hectic evening to come and say hello to us. I only hope that I didn't make an ass out of myself while talking to him. I thanked him for his magic and told him what an amazing meal we had and thanked him for taking us back in time.
Chef Grant and Chef Dave, I know I have said this before, and I will say it again, what you create in that magical haven that most of us call a kitchen, is beyond words. With every bite, there is a new delight, and for that I thank you.
If you enjoy wine and small plates, I would recommend Avec on Randolph. This place is amazing. Expect to wait, and on any given day it is packed. However, they will set you up nicely outside with a server to bring you your choice of wine or beer from the menu. I started out with some bubbly (2008 Saint-Hilaire, Blanc de Blancs, Brut ) and was loving life on a beautiful Wednesday evening. The hostess took my name, and as my little sister and I waited for my better half, we enjoyed our drinks and people watched.
Inside, it is long and narrow. The tables are situated so that you are sharing the table and actually sitting pretty close to strangers. If you are not a person that can handle getting cozy with someone you don't know, perhaps this place is not for you - but you would be missing out. They do have a bar that you can eat at as well, and the best part of the restaurant is that you are watching the chefs prepare your food. The wood burning oven has amazing smells coming out of it, and immediately my mouth started to water. You have a choice of small plates and large plates, which are very tapas like. We went with the small plates to try and sample as much as we could. The antipasto of the day was wonderful, and the bread was warm and delightful.
If you are in a rush, don't bother showing up. This is place is for savoring the wine and the food. It is also a place to sit and enjoy the company you are with. I loved that the staff was welcoming and were never rushing you to get out. If you are familiar with Spain, this place will certainly take you back to your favorite spot there. The service was pleasant and I will go back, after all, I didn't have the opportunity to try everything on the menu. If you have the opportunity, check it out.
http://www.avecrestaurant.com/
615 w. Randolph
Chicago, IL 60661
p 312-377-2002
f 312-377-2008
So yesterday Brian and I went to Shiraz. We hadn't been there in a long time, and decided to give it a try one more time. The last time that we went the service was just so so and the food was even less than so so. However, I had read that they hired a new chef, so we went.
They promptly seated us and handed us our menues. They young waitress was kind, however she was too quick to ask us what we wanted to drink, as we had just sat down and not even looked at the wine list. After I told her that we would need a minute to look at the wine list, she promptly left and a few minutes later our real server came by with water. Aaron was his name, and he was very attentive and was able to answer all of our questions with ease and confidence.
We started off with a the Short Rib Wontons stuffed with gouda cheese for an appetizer. The presentation was lovely, and the ribs were very good, however, it appeared that some of the wontons were not cooked all the way through. It came with a sweet chili mustard sauce that was pretty much a sweet a sour sauce with a tiny spice to it. The sauce itself did not pair well with wontons. As for the gouda cheese, I couldn't taste it!
I asked for the Rack of Lamb, cooked medium rare. The lamb came out medium and the demi glace that it came with was not very good. In fact, all of the sauces that were served to us needed some work. The lamb also came with a gruyere bread pudding cake - I felt it was dry and something I would not want to taste again.
Brian asked for the Braised Short Ribs. The short ribs were cooked to perfection, however, the sauce reminded me of something that comes out of a can. The ribs were served with a polenta, that was decent. Once again, the sauce ruined the dish for me, because the ribs were very good.
Although the website claimed that the menu had an extensive wine list, we did not find this to be the case. However, the sparkling wine was very good and the reisling was also incredible, very crip (Leonard Kreush 2009 - Mosel). I would not recommend the house cabernet sauvignon, that appeared to have an "open too long" taste.
The service was spot on. Aaron was quick with serving us and asking if we needed anything. Brian, who is a constant water drinker, always had his glass full. Just a minor glich with their computer system while paying the bill, but again the staff at Shiraz was outstanding. Pretty restaurant with semi-elegant decor and nice picture windows overlooking the ponds.
Have you gone? Will you go? Let me know what you think!
I love food so much, that anyone that shares a meal with me knows when I am having a good meal. If the food is cooked to perfection, succulent in all of the right areas, and paired with a lovely glass (or sometimes bottle) of wine you will often hear me making noise. Yes, it is true... it's the close my eyes, licking my lips, pressing my top lip against my bottom lip mmmming noise. You know the sound, we've all done it - and if you haven't then you are not eating the right kind of food. It's the table next to me, looking over at my dish, wishing they had ordered what I ordered kind of noise. My better half likes to watch me do this... even before he takes his first bite of his food. He waits, holding his own fork and knife, looking at me to see what type of reaction I'm going to have after my first bite. When my eyes close and the mmmming begins, he laughs and digs into his own plate. It's almost as if he waits for my first bite so that he can have an indication of what his food will taste like.
It seems this is something that runs in my family. My younger sister hums and dances when the food is really good. Although, she never notices that she does it. It's a humming to a song made up in her own head- not one that anyone would recognize. She seems to allow the food decide which tune she will hum. And then of course the dancing! No, it's not a get up out of your chair type of dance - it's more of an excitement dance, bouncing up and down her seat. My older brother says yes when the food is tasty. He does not limit himself to just "yes" - but rather the various affirmatives that he can come up with: Yes, yeah, uh huh, yep,"ya, ya, ya".
I am Mexican, and like the many other other cultures - food is a huge part of ours. We associate food with family and family gatherings. Our kitchens gather our families - and this has helped me develop some culinary skill, but also my love for all food. Let's explore together!
