So I attended the "friends and family" soft opening of Marquee Grill, Tre Wilcox' new restaurant in Highland Park Village, on Friday night. I technically did not qualify as either a friend or family but a friend who did qualify could not use her reservation so she gave them to me. I have great friends. :)
We arrived at 8:20 for our 8:30 reservation. They did not have our reservation on the list (I swear, I was not crashing) but no worries, they would find a place for us. Would we mind sitting at the bar until our table is ready? No problem, and we were escorted upstairs to the bar.
The bar area is quite large, modern and sophisticated. Lots of seating and the balcony is fantastic. It gives you a wonderful view of Highland Park Village and, during the holidays, it will be perfect place to look a the lights (as long as they put some heaters out there). Jason Kosmas, formerly of Bolsa, is in charge of the bar and, as you can expect, its focus is on pre-prohibition cocktails. So, whiskey for me!
I had some time to chitchat with the bartenders. In fact, I had quite a bit of time to chitchat with the bartenders since at 9:10, 40 minutes after our reservation, we still had not been sat. I learned all about the restaurant's insignia, which the bartenders call "the scarf dancing lady". It's apparently a sculpture in the theatre and can be seen etched on the wine glasses and on the bartenders' jackets. Speaking of the bartenders' jackets, the bartenders hate them. "I feel like I should be cleaning people's teeth," one said. "I feel like I should be in Weird Science," said another (who was much too young to have actually seen Weird Science in the theatre, sigh). I agree, the jackets are ill fitting and make the guys look like dentists. But at least the drinks were good.
By 9:15pm, I was about to chew off my arm, I was so hungry. I smiled at my dental hygienist, er, bartender, and asked if he could please check on our reservations. About 7 minutes later we were sat at a balcony table outside. It was a great night for patio dining so we felt as if the wait was worth it.
Now, it was Good Friday so I was pretty limited in what I could order since I could not have any poultry, pork or beef. The menu we had was also a limited representation of what the menu will be. Since it was a soft opening, which is meant to work out the kinks, I don't think it's really fair for me to critique the food. But I'm not going to lie, there were some hiccups. They ran out of one of the elements of my salad (which was overdressed), and I had to switch out my entree because they had run out of monkfish. My seared tuna appetizer and Bay of Fundy salmon entree were also both too salty. But those are things that will hopefully get worked out with time.
My main concern about Marquee is the menu we saw really wasn't anything I hadn't seen before. Is Wilcox playing it too safe? I'm not sure. Maybe I'm expecting too much from a 2x Top Chef contestant. Or maybe Wilcox just knows his audience. This is the first new restaurant in HPV in almost 2 decades, so maybe playing it safe is what HPV needs. But I don't think of NOSH as necessarily playing it safe and it's thriving regardless. Time will tell if this is the right strategy. I'm willing to check it out a few more times to find out.
Cheers!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
BEE's Enchiladeria
I had planned on meeting some girlfriends for 25 cent margaritas at Gloria's on Thursday. As I was driving there, they called to warn me there was a llllllllooooooonnnnnggggggggg line to get into Gloria's. Seriously people? Standing in line to save $2.75? Happy hour margaritas at Gloria's are only 3 bucks people. Okay, maybe when I was broke and in school I would be one of those people in line. But now that I earn an actual paycheck, I'll spend the extra money so I don't have to stand in line. Not like I'm saving for Murray's college education anyway. He can apply for financial aid, just like I did. Besides, I'm sure we can find a scholarship program for rescue dogs when the time comes.
So we decided to go to BEE's Enchiladeria instead. We started with . . . margaritas. They weren't a quarter, but were under 4 bucks and served in a small Styrofoam cup with a straw (classy, I know). Not the best margarita I've ever had, but it'll do, especially since I didn't have to stand in line.
Now, BEE stands for Best Enchiladas Ever. It's an enchiladeria after all. Isn't enchiladeria a great word? It just makes me smile every time I say it. Just kind of rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? Enchiladeria. Smile.
Now in order to get the "Best Enchilada Ever", you have to go through an ordering process. Which isn't hard. It's just a pain. When you arrive, grab an order form and fill it out. You can choose how many enchiladas you want (one or two), the type of tortilla you'd like, the filling, and the topping. So I guess if you don't have the Best Enchilada Ever, it's your own fault because you chose poorly. I ordered a blue corn tortilla with chicken and poblano crema and a corn tortilla with mushrooms and spinach and queso.
After you place your order and pay, you wait. And wait. And wait for them to call your name to go through the line and put on the rest of your toppings. There were apparently some to go orders ahead of us and so we stood there for quite some time. Once they do call your name, you get to pick additional toppings for your enchiladas -- lettuce, tomatoes, corn, pico de gallo, cheeses, etc.
I enjoyed my enchiladas. The ingredients were very fresh, and I'd like to think they were a whole lot healthier than the chicken enchiladas in sour cream sauce or cheese enchiladas with ranchero sauce I like to get at Mia's. Everything tasted good, even though they were a tad cold. But were they the Best Enchiladas Ever? Well, they were the best enchiladas I've ever had at an enchiladeria, how about that? And I think that's enough for me. BEE's will be my go-to place when I want Mexican but I want to eat something other than my usual. Or when I have to stand in line to get into Gloria's.
Oh, and everybody say it with me now, enchiladeria!!!!!
Cheers.
So we decided to go to BEE's Enchiladeria instead. We started with . . . margaritas. They weren't a quarter, but were under 4 bucks and served in a small Styrofoam cup with a straw (classy, I know). Not the best margarita I've ever had, but it'll do, especially since I didn't have to stand in line.
Now, BEE stands for Best Enchiladas Ever. It's an enchiladeria after all. Isn't enchiladeria a great word? It just makes me smile every time I say it. Just kind of rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? Enchiladeria. Smile.
Now in order to get the "Best Enchilada Ever", you have to go through an ordering process. Which isn't hard. It's just a pain. When you arrive, grab an order form and fill it out. You can choose how many enchiladas you want (one or two), the type of tortilla you'd like, the filling, and the topping. So I guess if you don't have the Best Enchilada Ever, it's your own fault because you chose poorly. I ordered a blue corn tortilla with chicken and poblano crema and a corn tortilla with mushrooms and spinach and queso.
After you place your order and pay, you wait. And wait. And wait for them to call your name to go through the line and put on the rest of your toppings. There were apparently some to go orders ahead of us and so we stood there for quite some time. Once they do call your name, you get to pick additional toppings for your enchiladas -- lettuce, tomatoes, corn, pico de gallo, cheeses, etc.
I enjoyed my enchiladas. The ingredients were very fresh, and I'd like to think they were a whole lot healthier than the chicken enchiladas in sour cream sauce or cheese enchiladas with ranchero sauce I like to get at Mia's. Everything tasted good, even though they were a tad cold. But were they the Best Enchiladas Ever? Well, they were the best enchiladas I've ever had at an enchiladeria, how about that? And I think that's enough for me. BEE's will be my go-to place when I want Mexican but I want to eat something other than my usual. Or when I have to stand in line to get into Gloria's.
Oh, and everybody say it with me now, enchiladeria!!!!!
Cheers.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Lucia
So I fi-nally got to eat at Lucia. It feels as if everyone who is everyone has already been there, and I'm the dorky girl in the corner waiting for the cute boy to notice me. It feels like high school all over again. Or any given Saturday night.
Our reservations (which we made a month ago) were at 5:30pm. Yeah, you read that right. 5:30pm. Do people who aren't my parents actually eat that early? Well, you do if you want a reservation before 9:30pm at Lucia. Since the restaurant is so small (less than 40 seats), it's just hard to get a table at a normal hour right now. Just eat a light lunch, and you'll be fine.
I was the first to arrive and a tad late. The rest of my party was stuck in traffic on 35, I told the hostess. "Well, we don't seat incomplete parties", she says. Now, I understand that policy when there are actual people in the restaurant. But at 5:38, Lucia had 2 tables (one 2 top and one 3 top) sat with no one coming in. Couldn't they make one little exception? Apparently not. Since there was no place to really wait, I was stuck standing in the corner all by myself. Alas, no cute boys came by to talk to the dorky girl standing there. Hmmm, story of my life.
About 5 minutes later, the rest of my party arrived, and I finally got a seat. Yeah! The restaurant has a rustic, casual feel. We were sat next to two elderly men who were apparently 5pm regulars. They reminded me of Statler and Waldorf from the Muppets. They were hilarious and gave us recommendations for our orders.
We started with the salumi misti. It had duck and olive pate, black pepper salame, lardo fresco (which is probably the worst named food ever), soppressata and chicken liver crostini and a surprise -- pickled golden beets. While the pate, crostini, and salum were delicious, the pickled, golden beets were the star of this starter. Their tartness added such a wonderful flavor to the dish. You can order a $13 or a $20 size of this dish, depending on the size of your party. The $13 size was perfect for our party of 3.
We decided that we were each going to order a different primi and secondi course so we could get the best variety. The menu changes regularly, so what we ate might not be there on the night you come. The primi courses can be ordered in two different sizes depending on whether you want to have one of the pastas for an entree. And please, please, please don't be afraid to ask your server questions about the menu. The menu is heavy on Italian foods with which most diners are unfamiliar. The servers are knowledgeable regarding the menu and will gladly explain what the dishes are in plain English.
For the primi course, I ordered the braised oxtail ravioli with caciocavallo, L ordered the tagliatelle with duck gizzards and cavolo nero, and S ordered the semolina gnocchi with hedgehog mushrooms and fonduta. (See what I mean about needing to ask your waiter for an explanation?) My oxtail ravioli had a rustic flavor but was a tad too greasy for my liking. L's tagliatelle was good but a little bland. S's gnocchi was our favorite selection with its fluffy semolina gnocchi.
For our secondi course, I ordered the Berkshire pork chop with sanguinaccio (blood sausage) and savoy cabbage; L ordered the Alaskan halibut with mussels, farro and Tassione Farms chard; and S ordered the veal involtini with escarole, and tuna mayonnaise. My pork chop was absolutely delicious. The large chop was cooked to perfection. It was not dry in the least, which was probably due to the large amount of fat that had to be cut away from the meat. Sometimes fat is a good thing. The blood sausage was good (although Bruno Davaillon's CFF blood sausage still wins in my book) and the cabbage was a nice accompaniment. I only got one bite of each but I thought L's halibut was a tad overcooked and S's veal was a tad salty.
With a 5:30 start time, we had finished dinner by 7pm, the time I'm usually getting home from work. Should we get dessert at Lucia or someplace else? Although they looked good, we decided to pass on dessert at Lucia. Tillman's s'mores were calling our names instead. That's one of the many things I love about Bishop Arts. It's so easy to go from one place to another since everything is in walking distance.
So my first take a Lucia? Well, the food is great but I think I expected a tad more. I had prepared myself to be wowed but, at the end of the day, I just enjoyed my meal. Maybe all of the hype made me raise my expectations to more than Lucia could deliver? I'm not sure. I do know that at no point during my meal did I reach food nirvana. And neither did my tablemates. Maybe it will come the next time. I'm willing to try it again and find out.
Cheers!
Our reservations (which we made a month ago) were at 5:30pm. Yeah, you read that right. 5:30pm. Do people who aren't my parents actually eat that early? Well, you do if you want a reservation before 9:30pm at Lucia. Since the restaurant is so small (less than 40 seats), it's just hard to get a table at a normal hour right now. Just eat a light lunch, and you'll be fine.
I was the first to arrive and a tad late. The rest of my party was stuck in traffic on 35, I told the hostess. "Well, we don't seat incomplete parties", she says. Now, I understand that policy when there are actual people in the restaurant. But at 5:38, Lucia had 2 tables (one 2 top and one 3 top) sat with no one coming in. Couldn't they make one little exception? Apparently not. Since there was no place to really wait, I was stuck standing in the corner all by myself. Alas, no cute boys came by to talk to the dorky girl standing there. Hmmm, story of my life.
About 5 minutes later, the rest of my party arrived, and I finally got a seat. Yeah! The restaurant has a rustic, casual feel. We were sat next to two elderly men who were apparently 5pm regulars. They reminded me of Statler and Waldorf from the Muppets. They were hilarious and gave us recommendations for our orders.
We started with the salumi misti. It had duck and olive pate, black pepper salame, lardo fresco (which is probably the worst named food ever), soppressata and chicken liver crostini and a surprise -- pickled golden beets. While the pate, crostini, and salum were delicious, the pickled, golden beets were the star of this starter. Their tartness added such a wonderful flavor to the dish. You can order a $13 or a $20 size of this dish, depending on the size of your party. The $13 size was perfect for our party of 3.
We decided that we were each going to order a different primi and secondi course so we could get the best variety. The menu changes regularly, so what we ate might not be there on the night you come. The primi courses can be ordered in two different sizes depending on whether you want to have one of the pastas for an entree. And please, please, please don't be afraid to ask your server questions about the menu. The menu is heavy on Italian foods with which most diners are unfamiliar. The servers are knowledgeable regarding the menu and will gladly explain what the dishes are in plain English.
For the primi course, I ordered the braised oxtail ravioli with caciocavallo, L ordered the tagliatelle with duck gizzards and cavolo nero, and S ordered the semolina gnocchi with hedgehog mushrooms and fonduta. (See what I mean about needing to ask your waiter for an explanation?) My oxtail ravioli had a rustic flavor but was a tad too greasy for my liking. L's tagliatelle was good but a little bland. S's gnocchi was our favorite selection with its fluffy semolina gnocchi.
For our secondi course, I ordered the Berkshire pork chop with sanguinaccio (blood sausage) and savoy cabbage; L ordered the Alaskan halibut with mussels, farro and Tassione Farms chard; and S ordered the veal involtini with escarole, and tuna mayonnaise. My pork chop was absolutely delicious. The large chop was cooked to perfection. It was not dry in the least, which was probably due to the large amount of fat that had to be cut away from the meat. Sometimes fat is a good thing. The blood sausage was good (although Bruno Davaillon's CFF blood sausage still wins in my book) and the cabbage was a nice accompaniment. I only got one bite of each but I thought L's halibut was a tad overcooked and S's veal was a tad salty.
With a 5:30 start time, we had finished dinner by 7pm, the time I'm usually getting home from work. Should we get dessert at Lucia or someplace else? Although they looked good, we decided to pass on dessert at Lucia. Tillman's s'mores were calling our names instead. That's one of the many things I love about Bishop Arts. It's so easy to go from one place to another since everything is in walking distance.
So my first take a Lucia? Well, the food is great but I think I expected a tad more. I had prepared myself to be wowed but, at the end of the day, I just enjoyed my meal. Maybe all of the hype made me raise my expectations to more than Lucia could deliver? I'm not sure. I do know that at no point during my meal did I reach food nirvana. And neither did my tablemates. Maybe it will come the next time. I'm willing to try it again and find out.
Cheers!
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