The lost meals entries consist of meals that occurred at various times throughout 2012 which, for any number of reasons, escaped my documentation – some due to a cross country move and a new job, some due to the Los Angeles Kings run to the Stanley Cup, and some simply as a result of too much travel. Having enjoyed many of these meals with friends or family and with some of them amongst the year’s very best the reality is that with time my memory has deteriorated and as life moves forward I’ve realized there is little hope to ever “catch up” or document these experiences as well as I’d hope, yet in order to preserve them I present these pictures, notes, and thoughts on the experience.
Crab – Pineapple/Peanut/Green Papaya (Live Pacific NW Dungeness Crab sous vide, pickled green papaya, jicama, cilantro, charred pineapple puree, black vinegar and peanuts, mint)
Egg – Uni/Chawanmushi/Roe (Uni Custard, Chawanmushi Crisp, Yuzu Gel, Smoked Steelhead Roe, Micro-shiso)
Scallop – Cauliflower/Curry/Tomato (Seared Scallop, Brown Butter Cauliflower, Smoked Tomato and Chili Puree, Curried Bread Crumbs)
Octopus – Kohlrabi/Chorizo/Potato (Olive Oil Braised Mediterranean Octopus, confit fingerling potato, chili threads, peppercorn, Spanish chorizo, chorizo powder, frisee)
Mushroom – Hazlenut/Kale/Lemon (Hazlenut-Malt Soil, Lemon Jus, Kale Puree, Bourbon Soy Sauce, Matsutake, Maitake, Hazlenuts, Sunchoke Rock)
Foie Gras – Cranberry/Radish/Pomegranate (Carbonated Foie Gras Mousse, “Ninja Radish,” Pomegranate stripe, Cranberry Fruit Roll Up)
Lamb – Salsify/Dark Fruits/Sedum (2 week dry aged lamb, roasted salsify, Red Wine Lamb Jus, Black Currant Gel, Dried Iranian Cranberry)
Wagyu – Onion/Celery Root/Scallion (Celery Root Puree, “Chinese Take-Out Puree,” Squid Ink, Garlic, Mustard Greens, Caramelized Onion Jus)
Buffalo Bleu – Black Walnut/Apple/Celery (Black Walnut Ice Cream, Smoked Celery, Apple Cider Gel, Shaved Apples)
Prickly Pear – White Chocolate/Guava/Tamarind (Prickly Pear Sorbet, Tamarind Gel, Coconut Milk Gelee, Guava Noodle, White Chocolate Cookie Noodles, Fresh Julienned Chilies)
Old Fashioned – Bourbon/Luxardo/Chocolate (Makers Mark Cherry Jell-O, Bitter Chocolate, Vanilla Ice Cream, Luxardo Cherries)
Coffee in the Kitchen
…for me to return to a restaurant twice is rare and to do it in the same calendar year is almost unheard of; even in the cities where I’ve lived there is simply too much diversity and yet on November 15th 2012 I found myself back at Phil Foss’ EL Ideas (first review https://endoedibles.com/?p=272
with my buddy Rich for a meal every bit as good as the first, and in some ways even better.
Beginning the night with greetings and conversations between staff and diners then progressing from course to delicious course as tunes from Prince, Phil Collins, Lisa Loeb, and more filled the room I honestly cannot think of a more joyous and entertaining atmosphere than the one at EL Ideas and although there are plenty of amazing restaurants in the Windy City I’d be hard pressed to say that any of them are more “worth” the cost of admission…I mean, where else can you freely wander through the kitchen, chat with the chef, bring your own wine, eat carbonated foie gras, and end the night listening to The Life of Brian’s “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life?”