Editor Pick
Sweets and Savories
- February 1, 2008
- Rated 5 of 5 by
ifor_gal from Chicago, Illinois
The first time I walked into this restaurant, I was so surprised at how intimate the space was. I felt as if I walked into a dark and rustic kitchen in the French countryside. The room was dimly lit and there were no more than 20 tables in the dining room. The cozy bar is at the center of the room and the bar tender is always smiling.
The chef hand selects his produce and meat according to what's best that season and offers daily specials. If you're looking for an all out culinary experience, go on a Monday night where they offer $10 off of their 5-course and 7-course tasting menus. Another highlight on Monday night is BYOB night with no corkage fee which is a fantastic way to enjoy wine with your meal without worrying about the bottle mark-ups.
A girlfriend and I sampled the 5-course tasting menu and our server was more than helpful. We requested that the chef prepared us seafood dishes because neither of us felt like having heavier meat dishes. Our first course was a wonderful sweet potato bisque with light cream and chives served on top. What made this bisque so great were the bits of orange peels cooked in it. This extra bite made a lingering impression on my tastebuds.
For the second course, the chef prepared a halibut filet with fingerling potatoes. The fish was prepared perfectly and the sauce wasn't overbearing to cover up the taste of fish which many other chefs try to do. For the third course we had scallops with saffron grits. This dish was amazing. The grits paired so nicely with the scallops which were so large and melted in my mouth. For the fourth dish, we had salmon topped with fig chutney over lentils. Once again, an original pairing with beautiful flavors that really worked well together.
Between our final savory course, the waiter brought us an arugala salad with lime dressing to cleanse our palatte. For our fifth and final course, the chef brought out our mandarine orange cheesecake. The plate was garnished with some mandarine oranges and raspberry compote. I can't say it was the best cheesecake I ever had, but after the first four courses, I had no complaints about the mediocre dessert. The 5-course tasting menu cost $50 with the $10 discount. That is a wonderful deal if you ask me.
More recently, I went back to Sweets and Savories during Chicago's Original Restaurant Week held from January 27th - February 3rd. They offered a 3-course meal for 20.08. For the first course I had the sweet potato bisque once again. For my entree, I selected the porcini-mushroom risotto topped with truffle infused goat cheese. What a fabulous dish! It seemed pretty small, but was so satisfying. The smell was pretty strong from all the truffle and cheese, but each bite was so savory. For dessert I had the bread pudding which was probably the best I had ever had.
This is a restaurant that I will continue to go to and bring my friends to experience the best of Chicago's culinary offerings.
Check their website out for weekly deals.
***Their summer prix-fixe is in effect until the end of September. $29 for 3 courses, the menu changes every week. Have already gone three times for this! AMAZING.
From journal Windy City Restaurant Deals