Ruxbin, Chicago IL

Ruxbin

Popcorn

Pork Belly – Cornbread, Jicama, Grapefruit, Danablu Cheese, Citrus Vinaigrette

Flatbread – Prosciutto, Goat Cheese, Persimmon, Hazelnuts, Fennel Seed

Carrot Soup Shooter – Carrot Juice, Pork Rillettes, Cracker

Duck Breast – Baby Greens, Shaved Fennel, Snow Peas, Orange, Mustard Vinaigrette, Zucchini Bread

Rocky Road – Brownies, Smoked Cherries, Juniper Ice Cream, Almonds, Marshmallow Fluff, Cotton Candy, Creme Fraiche Caramel

Pineapple Upside Down Cake – Coconut Sorbet, Cumin Tuile, Thai Basil Seeds, Cured Pecans

With just 32 seats and enough critical acclaim to fill them each night I will start with one suggestion and move right to the next. First, plan in advance and make a reservation for Sunday since it is the only day Ed Kim’s “American bistro” will guarantee you a seat without the possibility of waiting in line. Second, go with an open mind, close your eyes, and just point at anything on the menu because no matter what you order there is a good chance it will look little like what you expected and taste far better than you’d have guessed.

Small, long, and dark with the kitchen up a flight of stairs and the diners below I requested a seat near the back and within minutes received the night’s menu and a list of specials from one of three friendly servers, each personable yet professional and more than capable of describing the ins and out of the menu. Not telling them that this was a pre-dinner it was suggested that 2-4 plates per guest was advised and after a short discussion opted for a quintet that would begin to arrive shortly following the restaurant’s oft raved sweet and salty popcorn.

Featuring reclaimed woods, menus, cookbooks, and even forks to support the mirrors in the (awesome – check it out) restroom the décor of Ruxbin could best be described as shabby-modern while the food, a testament to Chef Kim’s tenure in some of America’s best kitchens and excellent sourcing, is anything but…the flavors and textures sharp and bright while presentations are that of comfort foods, familiarity with finesse – a palate cleansing carrot soup shooter topped with cracklin’ pork and a light, balanced, and truly impressive flatbread proving ample skills in melding sweet with savory while the duck and pork dishes both took heavier proteins and brought their subtleties into focus with crunchy vegetables and the restrained use of acid; the pork belly especially impressive as the grapefruit and cornbread melded with the melting fat to great effect in both flavor and mouthfeel.

Never one to pass on desserts I was equally impressed by the pastry side of Ruxbin as I was by the savories, both dishes the sort of situation where reading the ingredients may give one pause (as it did for my family who opted to sit out this meal) but both rustic in structure but refined in taste and texture; the cake ‘deconstructed’ at best with hints of earth and spice hiding behind the sweetness, all mellowed by the coconut and the Rocky Road without a doubt one of the best desserts I’ve had in 2013 – a sweet and smoky pudding that played like a fudgy sundae spread across a long plate; a plate that my seat at the back wall allowed me to scrape clean (and briefly debate licking until I realized I could use my finger to similar effect.