Baume & Brix, Chicago IL

Baume & Brix

Kimura – 42 Below Vodka, Aperol, St. Germain, Fresh Grapefruit and Dragonfly – Grey Goose Le Poire, Green Chartreuse, Fresh Basil, Citrus

Foie Gras, Seared – golden raisin, candy cap mushroom, beet

Chicken Liver Mousse – fresh focaccia, egg salad, crispy skin

Shrimp & Grits Bisque – rock shrimp, corn, scallion (white cheddar and freeze dried corn)

Grilled Octopus – in the style of ‘Fun Dip’ (Peruvian Yellow Pepper, Coconut Lemon, Sweet Chili)

Potato Chip Gnocchi – sour cream & allium, caviar (mushrooms)

Bacon & Egg – maitake mushroom, polenta, black truffle (caramelized bacon, soft boil egg)

Duck Breast – mushroom duxelles, squash, barley (bruleed rice)

‘Grilled Cheese’ – Brun-uusto cheese, quince, rooibos ice cream

‘Frostee & Fries’ – potato ice cream, milk chocolate, banana

Cookies & Milk – chocolate chip, vanilla milk

With the short lived restaurant from Ben Roche and Thomas Bowman now closed it seems silly for me to delve too deeply into what did and did not work about the space on Hubbard Street, but suffice it to say that from the intriguing cocktails to the $24 jar of a dozen fresh cookies much of what my sister, Nate, and I ordered that night was playful yet well conceptualized and fun but also delicious. While service could have used a tune up (or simply a bit less arrogance) I look forward not only to what comes next in the space, but also to where Chef Roche ends up as dishes such as the Fun Dip Octopus, Grilled Cheese Dessert, and Candy Cap Foie Gras all indicated to me that the young chef’s time with Homaro Cantu was well spent honing an eye for intriguing ingredient pairings while at the same time overcoming his teacher’s unfortunate penchant for form over flavor.