The Carriage House

My wife and I enjoyed a wonderful mid-week dinner at the Carriage House, the new restaurant opened by Chef Mark Steuer (who is also the chef the Carriage House's nearby sister restaurant, the Bedford). The menu is a combination of South Carolina Lowcounty dishes with some modern twists.

We started with the oyster roast - 4 good-sized oysters with bacon and onion. Very nice. We also had the tangy salad of cubed cucumbers, which was a nice contrast to the smokey heft of the oysters.

As a main course, we split the Lowcountry boil: Small clams, shrimp, rabbit (!) sausage, red potatoes, onions, toast points, corn on small cobs and roasted lemons in a rich tomato-based broth. It was very reminiscent of cioppino, a dish that my wife and I both love. There was enough for two people, and it was very, very good. The broth was not overly acidic or rich, so it complimented the seafood, sausage and vegetables without overwhelming them. We also shared the soft, sweet griddled cornbread with marmelade, served in it own small black cast iron griddle - the perfect compliment to the Lowcountry boil.

We live in the neighborhood and we will be back soon.

The Carriage House
1700 West Division Street
Chicago, Illinois
(773) 384-9700
http://www.carriagehousechicago.com/

I've been here a couple of times -- once for drinks and a second time for drinks and snacks. Both experiences were very enjoyable mainly because I really love the bar. It's helmed by Michael "The Sheriff of Boozetown" Simon (Black Sheep, Acadia) and Sterling Field (Sable), who are both outstanding talents. The selection of spirits is top-tier. It's really one of the best curated collections I've seen in town. It's not massive (like at Sable) but it is fairly large and populated with all sorts of superior quality items. Simon and Field both have great chops and their drinks reflect it. The cocktail menu offers Traditional and Reimagined drinks and items I've had from both sides were very enjoyable. If it's not busy (as was the case when I was there on a Tuesday at about 6 pm), Dealer's Choice cocktails are another good route, as both bartenders have a knack for converting one's preferences from words to liquid.

Chef Mark Steuer's food was solid, too. Also organized into "Traditional" and "Reimagined" sections the food offerings are varied and interesting. I really loved the fried chicken thigh, the mushroom, truffle and egg and the cucumber (melon) salad, which is dressed with an addictive combination of white balsamic and agave syrup.

On a Friday night visit at about 8, the place was very crowded. The space is essentially one large room and at that hour, it was really loud. However, neither the crowd nor the noise prevented anyone who worked there from being friendly or courteous, but it was hard for an old guy like me to get comfortable in such conditions. At that visit, 4 of us shared 2 seats at the bar, where the crowd was 2-3 deep along its entirety. Still, that was my first time and I liked it enough to return for the Tuesday visit described above. Being on this section of Division, I think this place will always be bustling on weekends but the weeknight vibe -- still busy but far mellower -- was a near-perfect fit for me. I anticipate making this a regular stop for after-work drinks and snacks.

=R=

We dined here last weekend, and had been looking forward to it, too. Yet each dish we got was progressively saltier than the last, even the cole slaw, so that by the time we got to the Low Country Boil (surely an incredibly high-margin item for the place), we barely had the stomach to eat. It was as if we had gulped down a mouthful of seawater. The staff and service were good, we liked the space, and they handled our dissatisfaction really well, but I'm not sure what would bring us back. Maybe for drinks.

Per today's installment of Dish, "Michael Simon resigned from Carriage House and The Bedford last weekend due to “creative differences.”

Very sad to see the Sheriff of Boozetown moving on. I wonder where he'll end up next.

=R=

I had brunch here today and the two items I had certainly justify a return visit. First, the shrimp and grits might have been the best I've had in Chicago. The large head-and-tail-on shrimp were as good as you'll find - bursting with juice and flavor and perfectly cooked. They were served with creamy grits, tasso and gravy. A little over-salted, but still terrific. (My dining companion had the fried chicken and biscuits and also complained about over-salting, but still enjoyed the food.) Here's a picture of the shrimp and grits:




The skillet cornbread was perhaps a little overpriced at $7 in my opinion, but it was outstanding - slightly crumbly and crispy on the edges. The cornbread was served in the skillet and topped with a mound of melting butter and a tart rhubarb confit that cut the richness beautifully. It's perfect for two to share. Here is the cornbread:




I'm now anxious to return and see what they're doing with dinner.


Note: edited to add pictures

Anyone been for dinner recently? Any updates?

I went a few weeks ago and had a great meal. Unfortunately, I'm sketchy on details because a) it was the night after the Green City Market BBQ and b) I'd spent the afternoon at a funeral including >30 minutes standing in the middle of a cemetery in 95' heat. What I can tell you is this:

* We sat the kitchen counter, which--if it's just two of you--is a pleasant way to watch the kitchen.
* The chef (whose name I'm blanking on) was expediting and happy to answer questions and engage us at slower moments.
* Service was very attentive. It had been a stressful day, and I asked our server to ensure that my drink was never empty--she did a great job of that!
* I know we loved the picnic board, oyster roast. and mushroom, truffle and egg. The fried green tomatoes were a little too thickly sliced for my tastes.

I live very close and I was there a week ago on a Sunday night. Overall, it's good, but we had to complain about the steak. The portion is on the larger dishes part of the menu (called "suppers") and the portion was a joke, especially for >$30 for the entree. The manager was really nice about it. This is the only negative experience I've had here, and I just looked at the dinner menu again and the steak is gone (looks like it's replaced by lamb chops). Brunch here is really, really good, and I like the atmosphere of the entire place quite a bit. I've also gone right to the bar for a drink only, and as a person who frequents this beer-heavy strip of Division Street quite often, I appreciate a decent pour of wine (6+ oz) in very nice glassware (very, very difficult to find on Division, although with the addition of Prasino and The Bedford, it's a little better) for around $10.

Has anyone had lunch here? Noticed they added a weekday lunch menu.

Had a really good dinner here last night. We started with the Charleston She Crab Soup which was rich and delicious. I really enjoyed the roe in the soup (not sure the exact kind). They split the soup between the two of us without us asking which I thought was really nice.

Next we had the confit ham hock which was probably my favorite dish of the night and one of the best things I've eaten in a while. They used Slagel farm ham hock and cured and smoked it for a while. It was amazing and paired extremely well with the smoked cabbage salad and very generous shaving of black truffle. My only complaint is the large, round, thin slices of raddish on the bottom didn't really lend anything to the dish.

Next we had the shrimp and grits which were amazing, as well. Extremely creamy grits with a nice spicy gravy and some delicious head-on shrimp. Then came the fried chicken thigh which came on a plate with some honey and homemade pickles. I though the boneless chicken thigh was really nice, although a little bit over salted. But balanced nicely with the honey and the homemade sweet potato hot sauce. We also had the skillet corn bread which was nice but nothing special.

Overall I really enjoyed our dinner here and thought it was quite reasonable at around $30 pp. I look forward to returning and trying some more dishes; maybe for brunch.

Carriage House will close on November 1 for renovations and reconcepting, and will reopen in early December as CH Bar + Provisions.

http://chicago.eater.com/2015/10/19/956 ... provisions