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.
Strawberry No1 Dimmi, Grey Goose, Fragoli, Wild Strawberry
Peter’s Bread: Salami and Red Wine, Heirloom Beet Crostini, Orange and Anise Grissini, Pumpkin Spice Brioche, Cranberry Walnut Roll (Maple Fig Butter, Gorgonzola Milk Jam, Cauliflower Curry Yogurt)
Venison Terrine, House Pickles, Violet Mustard
Mushroom Bruschetta, Rye Toast, Marsala Onions, Cream
Bayley Hazen Blue, Honey Crisp Apples, Frisee, Caramel Vinaigrette
Tagliolini Nero, Crab, Sea Urchin, Chili
Hen Egg Tajarin, Sage, Brown Butter
12” Pizza with Mozzarella, Basil, Tomato
Baked Polenta, Tomato Fondue, Dante
Wood Roasted Squash, House Ricotta, Honey Chili Butter
Afogato, Vanilla Gelato, Espresso, Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
Caramel Pine Nut Tart, Vanilla Gelato, Rosemary
Chinotto Float, Chai Spice Gelato, Charred Dates, Rum, Demerara Sugar
Vanilla Gelati, Chocolate Chip Cookie, Malt Chocolate Sauce, Toasted Milk
Apple Pie Gelati, Salted Caramel, Pecan, Brown Butter Crumble
Americano
The night after a late dinner at The Bristol I found myself seated alongside my family at sister restaurant Balena, a classy high ceilinged, white walled space on Halsted where Chris Pandel and Amanda Rockman take on Italian cuisine with the same local-seasonal ethos and “Honest Cooking” sensibilities as at their Bucktown staple. Similar in craft – an extensive cocktail list, plenty of seasonal vegetables, and a few meat dishes – but swapping out meats and charcuterie in favor of pasta and pizza (though charcuterie still exists at Balena just as pasta does at The Bristol) and comparable in atmosphere as well as clientele the difference between the two is subtle but certainly worth exploring.
Beginning first with the service, our captain Keith did an admirable job throughout the evening, but taking into account the size of the room and use of back servers at Balena it simply is not possible for the restaurant to offer the same personal connection a diner feels at The Bristol – suggestions feel pre-determined, descriptions formulaic, and timing a bit more stilted with plates at times appearing too quickly and at others with substantial delay (such as when my Americano arrived nearly 15 minutes before desserts as opposed to with, or even after.) Perhaps as a result of – or perhaps leading to – the above, plates such as the bruschetta and polenta also suffered from temperature issues, both cooler than I’d have expected (though both were admittedly excellent even luke warm.)
…and speaking of the food, selecting nine plates plus five desserts amongst our party of five, I’ll first echo my comments from The Bristol and suggest not overlooking the vegetables as the beautifully balanced frisee salad, decadent mushroom bruschetta, and unexpectedly complex wood roasted squash were amongst the best dishes of the evening. Less successful, while others have raved the bread program I personally found all but the Pumpkin spice brioche to be rather standard while it was the accoutrements that truly made the basket – particularly the expectedly sweet maple-fig butter and pungent, rich Gorgonzola milk jam.
Focusing on the more “Italian” options, the pizza was fine – neither particularly bad nor particularly memorable while the pastas shined; the ribbon like tajarin coated in butter but not at all heavy while the jet black tagliolini nero was springy without being chewy, spicy without being hot, and delicately briny from the uni while retaining the crab’s unmistakable sweetness – the best dish of the night by a landslide, especially considering the desserts – none nearly as impressive (a tall order to be sure) as the duo at The Bristol just one night prior; the Pine Nut Tart a lone exception in its interesting balance of sweet and salty with texture aplenty.
A good meal, though not a great one, there are certainly some impressive things going on at Balena and with careful ordering I’ve no doubt one could have an exceptional meal, yet at the same time I really cannot think of a reason to revisit the space considering A) the quality of Chicago’s Italian scene in general and B) the overall superior experience available from Pandel and Rockman on North Damen.