embeya - chicago

www.embeya.com
564 west randolph street
chicago, il 60661

about the restaurant:
- opened in the summer of 2012 in the west loop
- embeya ("little one" in vietnamese) was chef thai dang's nickname as a child
- before opening embeya, chef dang worked at l2o under laurent gras and from there moved on to ria in the elysian hotel
- embeya's cuisine is described as "asian ingredients, flavors, and textures integrated with french technique"
- two stars from the tribune

details of our visit:
i was actually unaware of embeya until just before this trip, and once i learned it was run by a veteran of laurent gras' version of l2o, i knew it was a must try. reservations were made via open table for 1pm. on a wednesday, and we arrived to find the space mostly full.

sato zuke - gin, house ginger beer, lime
tendron and lime - vodka, young coconut

white fatty tuna tartare, preserved kumquat, chili oil, marinated onion

shrimp wrap, shiitake, lettuce, vietnamese herbs

rabbit leg confit

seafood stew, coconut, lime leaf, ginger

mango and sticky rice pudding

fried banana, coconut ice cream

service:
excellent...the gentlemen handling our table was very friendly, offering recommendations and showing genuine interest in our our thoughts on the food.

food:
loved it! all three of my courses were fantastic, with the rabbit leg being the best lunch entree i have ever been served in chicago. the mango sticky rice pudding may not be for everyone, but i loved the texture and sweet meets savory flavor profile.

overall thoughts:
embeya joins blackbird, topolobampo, and naha on my list of must visit upscale chicago restaurants that are open for lunch, and i am certain that i will be back someday. the fact that embeya was not listed on michelin's bib gourmand list is puzzling to me, and i hope that is rectified in the 2014 guide.
 

spiaggia - chicago, il

www.spiaggiarestaurant.com
980 north michigan avenue
chicago, il 60611

about the restaurant:
- opened in 1984, and has been considered one of the countries finest italian restaurants ever since
- spiaggia means "beach" in italian, and the restaurant fittingly overlooks lake michigan
- helmed by chef/partner tony mantuano and executive chef sarah grueneberg
- dinner only with both al a carte and tasting menu options available
- one michelin star, four from the chicago tribune

details of our visit:
when i first seriously started getting into restaurants and fine dining, spiaggia was one of the first chiacgo based restaurants i looked into. however, it took three years and over ten trips to chicago to finally commit to the restaurant. while i had certainly read/heard good things about spiaggia, i had also encountered a several negative reports where phrases like "dated", "overpriced", and "rude", were reoccurring themes. having been to virtually all of chicago's other fine dining powerhouses (some more than once), it was on this trip that it was finally time to see what spiaggia was about first hand.

our reservation was made via opentable for 7:00pm. on a tuesday night. i requested a table with a view in the opentable comments box, and we were seated at a two top in the window just as i hoped. for food, we opted for the reimagined classics pasta tasting menu, and added an extra course for good measure. the beverage pairing featuring both wine and cocktails was also ordered.

focaccia, grissini, basil ricotta, and whole grain with sesame seeds served with salted butter

amuse bouche - poppy seed brioche, pine nut gelato, crispy pancetta

pasta primavera - acini di pepe pasta with spring vegetables, pecorino toscano, artichoke honey and barilotto ricotta
botanist gin, contratto bianco, prosecco, basil, mint
 

spaghetti marinara - setaro spaghetti, sea urchin, fried ghost shrimp, yellow tomato, arugula

2010 petite arvine, elio ottin, valle d'osta 

fettuccine alfredo w/ chicken - fettuccine pasta, parmigiano regiano, jidori chicken skin, freshly shaved black summer truffles

junipero gin, mirto, passion fruit, coriander 

 

potato gnocchi (supplemental course) - ricotta sauce, savini black truffle

unknown red wine

stuffed shells - shell pasta, ricotta, porcini, nettles, basil feed snails

2009 rosso di valtellina, ar. pe, pe., lombardia 

 

veal parm - braised veal, roasted flour tagliolini, burrata, san marzano tomato, basil, parmigiano reggiano

2009 barbera d'asti 'ca di pian', la spinetta, monferrato, piemonte

neapolitan ice cream sandwich -  semi frozen mousse of strawberry, pistachio, and coconut with lemon pizzelle cookies

montenegro amaro, polti miele, and moscato 

mignardises 

service:

very formal and distant, but certainly not rude or condescending. there was one issue at the start of the meal...our first course was dropped and explained, and it was just after the server walked away that we realized we were without our first drink pairing. after about a minute of waiting, i flagged somebody down and the situation was rectified, but at this type of restaurant such an error should not occur. we were poured an uncharged wine with the supplemental gnocchi course later in the meal, which may have been just because, but could have been to make up for the miscue. 

food/drink:

both carrie and myself were very satisfied with everything. the highlights were the basil ricotta bread, the spaghetti, the fettuccine, and the gnocchi. as a child, fettuccine alfredo was always one of my favorites, and spiaggia's take with black truffles and chicken skin was incredible. i will say that, having the fettuccine, gnocchi, and stuffed shells back to back to back was richness overload, and by the end of the meal i felt more full than i have been in along time. the beverage pairing was definitely worth doing, and i especially liked the two gin based cocktails.

overall thoughts:

my expectations were definitely exceeded. the setting was beautiful, and watching the weather go from sunny to storming to calm darkness from our window seat was very enjoyable. if i lived in chicago, i would be tempted to go back to try the next iteration of the pasta tasting menu (the one we had was the second of four), as it truly is a great deal.

2 sparrows - chicago, il

www.2sparrowschicago.com
553 west diversey
chicago, il 60614

 

about the restaurant:

- located in chicago's lincoln park neighborhood

- owned and operated by two charlie trotter's alumni

- serves upscale breakfast/lunch/brunch fare

details of our visit:

2 sparrows was the first stop on our most recent visit to chicago. we arrived around 11:45am on a tuesday, and were seated immediately in a dining room that was a quarter full at best. 

blackberry bourbon lemonade - angel's envy bourbon, blackberries, orange bitters, lemonade

earl grey gin fizz - journeyman distillery gin, earl grey, lemon, soda

foie gras cherry pop tart and maple bacon doughnut

belly sandwich - biscuit, blackend pork belly, sunny side egg, spicy aioli, roasted potatoes

chile relleno - anaheim pepper stuffed with cream cheese, cheddar, queso fresco, almonds, cranberries, tomato, apricot sauce, southwest scrambled farm fresh eggs

service:

proprietor steven fladung greeted us upon entry and allowed us to chose the table we felt most comfortable at. from there, we were handed off to a friendly waitress who was extremely upbeat and enthusiastic throughout the course of our meal. water was always full and had we encountered any issues it was clear that we were in good hands.

food:

loved it...the treats we began with were both stellar, with the more savory than sweet maple bacon doughnut being the best doughnut i think i have ever had.

overall thoughts:

nice decor, friendly staff, great food and drinks. this meal was definitely a success. 

cleveland-heath - edwardsville, il

www.clevelandheath.com
106 north main street
edwardsville, il 62025

about the restaurant:
- located in downtown edwardville, illinois
- run by a pair of culinary institute of america (napa valley) graduates, one of which spent significant time under chef thomas keller at both ad hoc and the french laundry
- "gourmet comfort" is how the restaurant describes its cooking
- open continuously from lunch through dinner...no reservations

details of our visit:
arrived around 1:30pm on a wednesday to find the restaurant about half full.

sazerac - rye, absinthe, simple syrup, lemon twist
aviation - creme de violette, hendricks gin, luxardo maraschino, lemon

creole shrimp 'n' cornbread - rock shrimp, griddled trinity cornbread

pork belly - pineapple, lime, vanilla, avocado, jalapeno 

pork porterhouse - rensing's porterhouse porkchop, cheddar jalapeno bread pudding, green beans, sunny side up egg

street tacos - rock shrimp, red and green cabbage, spicy aioli, flour tortilla, kale side salad

cheddar drop biscuit with cherry jam and honey butter

brussels sprouts - lemon, parmesan, vinaigrette, capers, shallots 

 

beignets - brioche, salted caramel chantilly cream

turtle bread pudding - dark chocolate, candied pecans, vanilla ice cream

service:
i knew we were in good hands when the hostess saw us approaching and swung the front door open with a warm hello and welcomed us into the restaurant. things were just as good at the table, with our server being friendly, helpful, and genuinely interested in hearing our thoughts on the food.

food:
i had heard good things, but was honestly still shocked at how good everything was. between the two of us, we tried eight different items, and i am serious when i say that each and every bite i had at cleveland-heath was delicious. portions are beyond generous without sacrificing quality and the pricing is extremely reasonable. we stuffed ourselves silly at the table for less than $100 (before tip), and still had leftovers. 

overall thoughts:
i have been raving over this meal for the last few weeks now, even telling people who i don't normally talk about food with how great everything was. what is so awesome about cleveland-heath is that it is truly a restaurant for everyone. casual diners and gourmands will both do very well here. i am going to end this now before my gushing becomes embarrassing...eat at cleveland-heath!