 |
| (From www.artofeating.com) |
My “Latest Tastings” shines a spotlight on two outstanding
restaurants I recently had the pleasure of experiencing. My dining experiences were a reminder that in
today’s finicky market, restaurants must continue re-imagining their menus in
order to attract diners who seemingly expect quite a bit…like food being fresh
made, originating from local sources, being organic, and wherever possible,
sustainable…diners also expect their menu selections to represent exceptional cuisine
that also tastes delicious. Two such restaurants that exceed these challenges
include Prairie Grass Café (Northbrook, IL and Quartino Ristorante & Wine
Bar (Chicago IL). Lastly, I’m including
some blurbs about a few major food and wine events that shine a spotlight on
the Midwest region’s culinary enviable standing… The Abbey Resort & Avani
Spa Unwind Wine Series - La Tour De Bois Weekends, The Chicago Gourmet 2015,
and the Kohler Food & Wine Experience.
Each event is a major draw and eagerly anticipated each year.
~ Prairie Grass Café ~
 |
| (From Prairie Grass Cafe) |
Prairie Grass Cafe has the distinction of being multi-year
nominee and award recipient of the prestigious James Beard Foundation. Chef-owners Sarah Stegner and George Bombaris
excel at offering creative dishes that are fresh, healthy, and seasonal. The restaurant is situated in a bustling
corporate area, which seems an unlikely location until you step inside the
restaurant and transported to a dimension far removed from hectic traffic and
business attire. The restaurant is also
located near a lengthy strip of native Illinois prairie pampas grass, which
might have influenced naming the restaurant.
Prairie Grass Café is deeply committed to offering locally sourced foods,
and especially sustainably caught or harvested fish, and currently features a
“Sustainable Fishing Fish Fry” for lunch and dinner every Thursday and
Friday. I opted for this special menu
feature at lunch on a Thursday; my guest and I ordered different sides to
share, with each of us ordering the featured sustainably caught fish, “The
Dogfish”, a member of the shark family.
Menu Selections
My Take ~ Creamy puree with a
subtle sweetness, accentuated with bits of crispy bacon.
Balsamic Glazed Portobello
Mushroom and Gruyere Cheese Crepes
Organic Petite Mixed Green Salad
Dressed with Sweet Balsamic Dressing
My Take ~ A delicate and
delicious savory blend of crepe, mushroom and gooey Gruyere.
Batter-Dipped Dogfish With
Roasted Organic Potato Wedges, Tartar Sauce, Organic Apple Slaw
Salad of Apples, Red and Green
Cabbage, Celery, Carrots, and Grapes
Sweet Creamy Organic Yogurt
Dressing
My Take ~ Extraordinary flavors,
especially the lightly batter-dipped fish; slaw had a wonderful delicate and
sweet crunch; potatoes had a nice roasted crust with creamy center.
Vanilla Crème Brulee and Fresh
Berries
My Take ~Perfection!
Mom’s Seasonal Pie ~ Apple
Delicate Layers of sliced Apples
in a slightly sweet and crisp piecrust
Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
My Take ~ Perfection!
For more information on Prairie Grass Cafe, visit http://www.prairiegrasscafe.com
~ Quartino Ristorante & Wine
Bar ~
Tasting Menu and The Spirit of
Italy Liqueurs
 |
| (From Spirit of Italy) |
“Quartino Ristorante & Wine Bar”, hosted a major tasting of
Italian Liqueurs, which definitely identifies Italy as more than a nation of
great wines. The tasting menu was
beautifully paired with “The Spirit of Italy” family of herbaceous and
innovative liqueurs. This was a very
sophisticated evening of delicious food and creative cocktails.
Menu Tastings & Cocktail Pairings
~ Antipasti ~
Artisan House Curated Salumi
& Cheese Platter
Libation: Fragoli Spritz (Fragoli Toschi)
and Un Lucano A Manhattan (Lucano)
My Take ~ The charcuterie was
delicious, as was the cheese, olives, and tomato “salsa”;
the Manhattan was a super-strong
traditional cocktail; the Spritz was light, but boozy.
~ Primi ~
Artisan House Crafted Gnocchi with Arugula Pesto
Libation: Barnard (Amaro Nardini)
My Take ~ Loved this dish; using
arugula for the pesto was genius; the drink was also refreshing, light, but
boozy.
 |
| (From Quartino Ristorante & Wine Bar) |
Artisan House Crafted Cavatelli with Tomatoes, Fresh Basil & Fresh Ricotta
Libation: Morlacco Julep (Luxardo Cherry Sangue Morlacco) & Amaretto di Saschira (Luxardo)
Libation: Morlacco Julep (Luxardo Cherry Sangue Morlacco) & Amaretto di Saschira (Luxardo)
My Take ~ What’s not to love
about this dish; all of the flavors were fresh and pronounced; the drink was
also refreshing, light, and slightly boozy.
~ Secondi ~
Salmon with Roasted Red Grape
Tomatoes & Oil Cured Olives
Libation: The Alchemist (Varnelli Amaro
dell’Erborista)
My Take ~ I love salmon and this
was perfect; the addition of roasted grape tomatoes brought out their natural
sweetness, while the tapenade from oil cured olives balanced the sweetness of
the tomatoes and the salmon; the drink had a pleasant, albeit pungent
herbaceous quality that complemented the flavor profile of the salmon.
Farmhouse Roasted Chicken with
Lemon & Herbs, Broccoli Rabe and Roasted Cauliflower
Libation: Amalfi Mule (Pallini Limoncello)
My Take ~ I love roasted chicken
and the piquant sauce of the lemon and herbs brightened the sweet and delicate
flavor of the chicken; the Broccoli Rabe was nice and garlicky; the star veggie
was the whole roast cauliflower, which is blanched, coated with egg and dipped
in seasoned breadcrumb and then roasted; the presentation was stunning and the
taste fabulous; the drink was my favorite of all tasted; it married the flavors
of sweet, tart, and subtle booziness; I could’ve easily had seconds.
~ Dolce ~
 |
| (From Quartino ristorante & Wine Bar) |
Tiramisu, Zeppole, and Anisette Biscotti
Liqueurs: Amaro Lucano; Luxardo Sangue
Morlacco; Amaro Nardini; Pallini Limoncello;
Fragoli Toschi; and, Varnelli
Amaro dell’Erborista
(All liqueurs were served “neat”)
My Take ~ There’s something
spectacular about seeing a long table covered in a buffet of luscious desserts
and a full array of the Spirit of Italy featured liqueurs that gave me a second
wind…I took a pass on indulging more of the liqueurs, but savored these
incredibly delicious desserts…the Zeppole were lighted dusted with powdered
sugar, but warmed honey and dark chocolate syrup was available to generously
drizzle on these traditional yeast fried “donuts”…loved the creaminess of the
Tiramisu…the Biscotti were also delicious.
~ Worth Mentioning ~
The Abbey Resort & Avani Spa is offering its popular Unwind
Wine Series - La Tour De Bois Weekends November 6th to 8th,
and December 4th to 6th. The
much-anticipated event includes wine tasting, cooking demonstration, and a
themed gourmet meal, and is a nostalgic return to the heyday of The Abbey's
fine dining restaurant, La Tour De Bois.
Event price also includes accommodations and special resort discounts. http://www.theabbeyresort.com/special-pkg/seasonal-specials.aspx
“Bon Appétit Magazine” and “Southern Wine & Spirits of
Illinois Magazine” sponsored Chicago Gourmet 2015. Just like the past seven events, this year’s
was another resounding success. The
multi-day all-things food, wine, and libations thrilled sold out crowds for the
event, which was held September 25th to the 27th. Nearly fourteen thousand attended Chicago
Gourmet 2015, which featured two hundred chefs, one hundred-eighty restaurants,
master sommeliers, and celebrated mixologists.
http://www.chicagogourmet.org
The 15th Annual Kohler Food & Wine Experience is
a must-attend event. This year’s multi-day
food and wine extravaganza will be held October 22nd to the 25th
at the historic American Club Resort in Kohler, WI. This interactive event includes numerous
culinary greats demonstrating their extraordinary talents, food and wine
tastings, culinary seminars, and event festivities, which attracts enthusiasts
from around the world. Event tickets are available, but going fast, so don't miss out on your chance to experience this memorable event. http://www.americanclubresort.com/calendar/2015/10/kohler-food-wine-experience
~ In Closing ~
Take the time to explore your surrounding area…you just might
discover some new taste experiences that will keep you going back for more.
That’s it for this edition.
Until the next one, remember to always celebrate yourself and your
culinary curiosity. Happy cooking…happy eating!
By Terry Herman
TERRY HERMAN continues perfecting her passion for food and
wine. She has been covering culinary
related for many years as it relates to wellness and a healthy lifestyle. Her popular blog, Terry's Spa, Beauty and Wellness
Go-To has featured formidable reviews of cookbooks, restaurants, wine and
food, food prep and tools, chef interviews, and coverage of prestigious events
such as the International Home+Housewares Show, the National Restaurant Show
and the Sweets and Snacks Expo. She has
been published since the mid-1990s in both consumer and trade publications, and
is regarded as an expert in spa, beauty, wellness, travel and lifestyle, and is
frequently interviewed by publications for her expert content. She has also presented at major industry
conferences, and has served with distinction on numerous governing and advisory
boards. She has a background in
strategic and qualitative management, consulting, and motivational speaking. In addition to her blogs, her social media
outreach also includes Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Don’t forget to “Like” her Facebook Page,
“Terry’s Second Helpings”. Please note
that the “Comment Section” has been disabled.
For additional information, email her at terry.herman@gmail.com.
ALL MATERIALS COPYRIGHT PROTECTED
(Photo credits...Prairie Grass Café, AbelC...Quartino Spirit of Italy (except as indicated), Jeff Schear Visuals.)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.