Chicago Restaurant Week 2011

I had previously heard about this wonderful week of food specials a couple of years ago, but this year was the first I remembered to participate.  Restaurant Week lasts for 10 days with prix fixe lunch menus for $22 and prix fixe dinner menus for $33 ($44 for the premium dinners).  When I first approached the website I was overwhelmed, there are over 50 choices throughout the city.  I had no idea where to begin.  But factoring in menu selections and seating availability I was able to develop an attack plan.  Monica B. and I decided we'd just make a food day out of it, my choice for brunch (lunch price) and her choice for dinner.

Brunch (my choice):

I found this place called Salute Cucina & Wine Bar (http://www.salutewinebars.com/).  It's located in the River North area.  And I'm going to be quite honest, I chose this restaurant initially upon seeing that unlimited mimosas were part of the $22 brunch price.  I figured, if the food wasn't that great, $22 worth of mimosas could definitely be consumed.  Luckily, I was pleased with my unlimited mimosas along with the food that was served.

First Course: Fruit Salad

Second Course: Truffle Potato Soup

My third course

Monica B.'s Third Course: Fritata consisting of eggs, spinach, cheese, and tomatoes.

FYI: It made perfect sense to get the Daily Specials list for future reference and return trips ;-

Overall the food was good, the Truffle Potato soup would not be on my list to order again.  Monica B. found it pleasing to her palate, but I'll just stick with my potatoes mashed or cut into fries for now.  I loved the fruit salad and thought the presentation was adorable.  As far as my main course, I've never had my eggs sunny side up and I hope to never have them prepared that way again.  But the hash browns and bacon were delish. I also liked Monica's main course and I found amazingly easy to avoid the tomatoes, I would order either dish for brunch upon a return visit.

The In Between (shall we call it Dunch?):

Our lunch reservation was at noon and our dinner reservation was at 7pm.  So somehow we found ourselves in Wrigleyville, happy off the endless mimosas but needing more sustenance before our dinner reservation hours later. We happened upon one of my favorite spots when I was a Senior in college due to their $5 martinis on Thursdays, Vines on Clark (http://vineswrigley.com/). Because it was a day of trying new things we decided on the artichoke and goat cheese pizza.  As a disclaimer the only manner in which I had previously consumed artichoke was in a spinach & artichoke dip.  But the pizza was a good change of pace and far from ordering my simple cheese only pizza. 

Artichoke & Goat Cheese Pizza

Dinner! (Monica B's choice):

I am very grateful that when pouring over menus to make her choice Monica B. seriously considered meals which she thought that I would enjoy.  And I'm glad to report she did a great job at picking.  She chose Perennial (http://www.perennialchicago.com/) in Lincoln Park.  I think I ended up liking my meal a lot more than she liked hers.  We tried to order different things for all the courses so that we could try as much as possible, but both of us decided that we did not like her main course of scallops.  It was so funny that we went as far as to attempt to google the correct preparation of scallops to decipher whether or not it was the manner in which they were prepared that was to be blamed for our dislike.  But in the end we just decided it was probably just scallops in general we didn't like.  My dinner was good, but it was the dessert that completely won me over.  I would return again and again for the cheesecake.

My first course: Confit duck c r o q u e t t e s.  I was surprised by how much I loved this dish, they were light and perfect finger food.

Monica B.'s second course: s w e e t p o t a t o s o u p

My main course: Grilled Berkshire p o r k b e l l y

Monica B.'s main course: The nefarious (my word, not theirs) scallops

The "cheesecake": Raspberry custard, cream cheese foam, graham cracker ice cream

The typical menu is a bit pricey, but the duck croquettes and the best.dessert.ever. are definitely reasons to persuade me to make a return trip.  They also have a macaroni and cheese bar that allows you to order a taste of 3 of their various types of macaroni and cheese for $10.  More than enough to win me over.  Mimosas and awesome cheesecake made this day one of my best food days ever :)

Mark your calendars...