Single Bullet Theory & Veal Chop at Maxwell’s
"One bullet. The deer has to be taken with one shot. I try to tell people that; they don't listen."
Michael VronskyIn the last year, I’ve eaten several grand tours of 20 courses or more, and I’ve found that the only way I can begin to remember the experience – whether of 20+ courses or even 4 – is to make particular note of one thing that I liked a lot. The recollection of that one thing, lodged in my brain, becomes the magic bullet that blows me back to the dinner, triggering memories of the evening in a way that just won’t happen if I attempt to remember multiple dishes.
Last night at Maxwell at the Club, The Wife and I had maybe 8 different dishes, but the one that knocked me out, the one I wanted to hold in my head was the veal chop, which I had with the rosemary-Parmesan crust.

I could have eaten two of these. The rather dry crust added some flavor, and the sauce was okay (if a little salty; never a problem for me), but the meat, oh my, the meat was a beautiful thing. Much veal I’ve had has left me wondering what the big deal is supposed to be. Even the veal chop I had at the
4th Annual He-Man Meat-Eaters Luncheon , though larger and maybe prettier looking, couldn’t compare to what I had last night. This almost dainty bit of meat and bone was lushly juicy and rich, sweetly caramelized and chewy on the edges, a good range of textures, full-flavored within; a dish I’m going to remember.
So when I go out to eat, though I take pix and notes on lots of stuff, I find that, in light of long-term memory storage constraints, I must needs focus my thoughts on the single thing that pleased me most, the one dish of many that just killed me. Or maybe two.
Maxwell’s at the Club
500 N. Kingsbury
Lunch & dinner weekdays; brunch, Sunday
312-527-5800 ext. 301
"Don't you ever underestimate the power of a female." Bootsy Collins