LATEST TASTINGS ~ HITHER & YON ~ PART THREE

(Image from www.artofeating.com)

In today’s edition, I’m sharing with you a few of my recent tasting experiences….one was “Yard House”, one of Chicago’s latest popular restaurant-sports bars…the other was a special trade-only event, “International Wine & Food Expo (Chicago’s Italian American Chamber of Commerce).  Enjoy!

~ Yard House (Newcity; Chicago, IL) ~

Located in a crowded, albeit vibrant part of the city, parking can be a problem, as well as locating the restaurant-sports bar, since it’s tucked in a mall on not visible from the street; I’m not from the city, so I was a bit confused and frustrated.  That being said, everything about this restaurant-sports bar is large scale…they offer at least 110 beers and offer an extensive wine and hard liquor menu, plus all of the food menus, such as the appetizer and bar eats menu, or luncheon and dinner fare, are also extensive; dining is ideal for brunch, lunch, or dinner; carnivores, vegetarians, and vegans will appreciate the variety of selections suited to their respective palates.  Another distinction at the restaurant-sports bar is that they offer a unique “Chalkboard Series”, which changes from time to time; this is a monthly offering of select draft beers from local, domestic, and import crafters.  Beer categories include craft, seasonal cider, light, wild fruit ales, and wheat; limited and seasonal drafts are also offered.  If that’s not enough to make your head spin with all of the choices, if a patron isn’t sure what they’d like to order, there’s one-ounce tastes, or five-ounce "shortys" available.

While there, I wanted to experience a variety of beer offerings, and selected the following…my guest had a Sea Dog Bluepaw Wild Blueberry shorty, which had a pleasant fruity beer flavor…I went with the sample tastes of Crown Valley Strawberry Cider, Lindeman’s Peche beer, and the Southern Tier Pumpkin beer (Chalkboard Series); my favorite was the Peche, although neither of these three brews left any bitter aftertaste, I thoroughly enjoyed the fruitiness of each taste.  Following is the food fare we experienced. 

~ Snacks and Appetizers ~

Deviled Eggs ~ Ramped up flavors include a sweet slightly peppery and tangy sauce, plus candied pieces of bacon; this was outstanding.

Duck Fat Potatoes ~ Fresh cut potato chips and ripped potatoes fried in decadent duck fat and served with a flavorful caramelized onion and bacon dipping sauce; these were outstanding.

~ Main Entrees ~

Chicken Mac-Cheese ~ A childhood favorite but made for adults made with Campanelle (bell shaped) pasta, cubed chicken breast, wild mushrooms, white cheddar, Parmesan cheese, and truffle oil.  Although tasty, the addition of chicken seemed out of place, and the cheese sauce wasn’t very cheesy tasting anda bit on the tame side.

BBQ Bacon Cheddar Burger with Truffle Parm Fries ~ Delicious Angus burger made with a rum BBQ sauce, garlic aioli, cheddar slice, and Applewood smoked bacon; these were outstanding.

Lobster Garlic Noodles ~ The seafood mélange was to include shrimp, crab, and lobster, spinach, and Shiitake mushrooms; I didn’t notice any crab or Shiitake mushrooms, and there was just a few spinach pieces; the sauce on the noodles (spaghetti) was sweet and delicate; even with the missing ingredients, this was delicious.

Steamed Vegetable Medley ~ A mélange of broccoli, green, yellow, and red bell pepper, edamame, Shiitake mushroom, and baby corn; very few slivers of mushroom, and the baby corn must have been an add, since it tasted briny (like it came from a jar); its brininess overshadowed the delicate flavors of the other vegetables.

~ Dessert ~

Banana Chocolate Crème Brûlée ~ A delicious favorite that had a slight twist of a dark chocolate bottom layer and then the rich custard, topped with brûléed bananas, and whipped cream.

Macadamia Nut Cheesecake ~ Rich cheesecake with Macadamia nuts throughout; the large slice was topped with whipped cream and sprinkled with additional nuts.

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream ~ If this wasn’t homemade, it certainly had that luscious rich taste; a great finish to a delicious luncheon.

Aside from its location, Yard House is definitely something you’ll want to put on your calendar for a unique drinking and dining experience.  For more information on Yard House, visit http://www.yardhouse.com/home

~ International Wine & Fine Food Expo ~

(Italian American Chamber of Commerce Chicago)

This special two day trade-only event featured Italian food and wine importers, in addition to travel destinations.  The event was held at Chicago’s Bridgeport Art Center, which was an impressive artsy venue.  I went on the first day and was a bit disappointed because the event largely featured wine and tourism.  The only food-related booths were of exhibitors for a pasta company and a coffee company.  While at the event, I did sample a few wines…Silvano Strologo “Rosa Rosae” and Sense of Sicily “Il Gattopardo Pinot Grigio Moscato”; I sampled an espresso, “Mokarabia L’Espresso Italiano”, and I also received a package of pasta to try, “Pasta Di Martino”; as of this writing, I haven’t tried the pasta, although I’m impressed with the fact that this pasta is made using the superior bronze extrusion process; this company also has the distinction of being the first pasta company in Italy to receive the prestigious Protected Geographical Indication Mark (PGI), for their efforts in organoleptic production.

Silvano Strologo “Rosa Rosae” Wine

This was a lovely light and delicate fruity rosé that was bright, clean tasting, with no aftertaste.

Sense of Sicily “Il Gattopardo Pinot Grigio Moscato”

This was a semi-secco and dolce white that was also bright, clean tasting, with no aftertaste.

“Mokarabia” L’Espresso Italiano

This was a rich, full-bodied espresso with a pungent earthiness; filter varieties are also available.

“Pasta di Martino”

One of Italy’s premier pasta brands made from spring water, hard durum wheat, and the Gragnano bronze extrusion process, which leaves a rough exterior surface for better sauce adherence.

Overall, these types of events benefit locale buyers and retailers by introducingthe trade to import representatives and a wider array of quality Italian import wine and food products to consider for their clients.  I’m hoping next year’s event will offer a larger presence of food importers, since the overwhelming majority of importers at this year’s event were wine importers, and tourism representatives.  For more information, visit http://www.internationalwinexpo.com

~ 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.

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(Yard House photos by AbelC; all other photo credits as indicated, or represented by the specific brand.)