Branch 27

Cajoled my way into the soft opening of Branch 27 last night at Chicago/Noble. There's nothing new and wild about this menu- bistro/American fare. But it's GOOD. Seriously, make me a good mashed potato and I'll have your child.
We also had the sea scallops with pumpkin ravioli and sage- nothing crazy here, but everything was insanely tender and delightful. Salads were fresh, salmon was also perfect.
I would skip the grilled cheese until they iron out a few tweaks- too greasy.
The space is great. I plan to take my mom next time she's in town- I'll definitely be back, I'm curious about the cocktails.

Branch 27
1371 W. Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622
312-850-2700

My girlfriend and I had dinner at Branch 27 late this afternoon. I had the perch (sans fries) with creamed spinach on the side, and she had grilled salmon with a side salad.

My perch was OK - the coating was excellent but the fish itself had a dry "fish stick" quality. The creamed spinach was excellent, although the server told me that I could not substitute this side dish for the fries that came with the perch (thus, I paid the extra five bucks and simply told the server to hold the fries and napa cabbage slaw that came with the dish). I wish they allowed substitutions, but c'est la vie.

I didn't try my girlfriend's food but she said that she enjoyed it. Some folks at a neighboring table had the flat iron steak and the lamb shank with mussels to start - it all looked great but that was more food that we wanted today. We'll definitely go down that route next time we go to Branch 27.

The decor is great - open, airy with quality, modern furniture. Service was attentive and prompt, both big pluses for a neighborhood "boite".

I went last night. Unfortunately, I had my hopes up because the space was cool. The food is middling, the space is cool. It is, as is now the fashion in Chicago, not a place you can talk when it is crowded. The floors are hard surfaces and the walls are exposed brick.

I had mac & cheese. It looked gorgeous, but to use one of my husband's favorite lines,it tasted of...matter. Additionally, I had the portabello sandwich on brioche with goat cheese and arugula plus the hand cut fries. The fries were unremarkable as was the bun. The portabello and the arugula were decent.

Finally, I went there and tried the apple tart. It tasted like the lid fell off of the cinnamon in one spot. The caramel sauce (drizzled all over) tasted burnt. The pastry was okay. This was worth three bites. The ice cream was forgettable.

I don't know, maybe it is just me, but it seems like I keep getting absolutely forgettable meals with very few exceptions these days. At this rate I am going to have to find time to start cooking again.

The service was good.

So, none of this food was bad (nothing to send back) but it was just not very good. It is pretty and they have a great location.

FYI- It was crowded. I don't know how many folks will be back. I can go if a friend suggests it, but it is like Wishbone or Bennigan's, not a place I would ever suggest going for food.

Hmmm.... It's in my neighborhood (roughly speaking) and I go past it twice a day on my commute. I've been tempted, despite the fact that "American Bistro" doesn't get me very excited. Good mashed potatoes may just draw me in. I'll throw it out the next time we're in that "we should eat out tonight, but where?" conversation.

I can say for sure that if you're in the area and decide against Branch 27, walk west a block or two - Green Zebra and Mexique both have attractive interiors, and more importantly, put really yummy food on your plate - but they sure aren't "American Bistro."

TomD.arch wrote:I can say for sure that if you're in the area and decide against Branch 27, walk west a block or two - Green Zebra and Mexique both have attractive interiors, and more importantly, put really yummy food on your plate - but they sure aren't "American Bistro."

Tom, I am a vegetarian and we always take our meat-loving friends to GZ, especially the Sunday Brunch. Plus the peppercorn thyme soda is delicious.

the GF and I went to Branch 27 last night for a late dinner after the opening party for the new Lush wine & spirits store. We both know that they just re-opened this week after a brief "make-over" and John Manion was brought in to redo the menu.

We arrived around 8:30 and were seated right away, since there were about 6 empty tables in the dining room. The crowd was mostly younger, but a nice mix and a warm vibe in the room. I've been in before for drinks, but this was a first dining visit for both of us. We ordered a drink and started looking at the menu. On that front, they have a small selection of house cocktails and I chose the "Bourbon & Blood" which is made with Maker's Mark, peach liqueur and blood orange juice (on the rocks). I really liked it due to the not-too-sweet balance of whiskey and tart juice, with the peach done with a light touch.

I wanted to get the "chicken fried chicken livers" but GF would have none of that...oh well. We ordered the steak tartare and pork rillettes, which were both quite delicious, although the tartare could have used a dash more salt. I took pics, and I apologize for our hunger, since the tartare presentation was beautiful with the bright orange egg yolk resting on top of the tartare...but we were hungry. Here's the tartare after I mixed the yolk into the steak.



The rillettes was also a nice classic presentation, with some house-pickled onions and cherries, and a coarse mustard. Even though the pork was a smaller portion, it was rich and a perfect size for an appetizer for two.



For entrees, we went with hanger steak for her, and skate wing for me.


Hanger steak with bone marrow butter (inside the bone), frites and catsup


Sauteed skate wing over mustard spaetzle with chanterelles & leeks

The skate was garnished with a beurre blanc, and was excellent although the fish was a bit over-salted. Seeing as this was the 2nd night of the new menu, I'm sure this will be remedied very soon. The steak was outstanding, perfectly mid-rare and a nice crust, and crunchy frites to accompany.

The wine list is very manageable and globally influenced, and we found a lighter red that went with both of our entrees (Caparone Nebbiolo '05)

We skipped dessert since we were going to a movie.

We will be back, since there were plenty of other items we wanted to try. It's good to see another cozy restaurant in our neighborhood with great food. The service was friendly and warm, and both the staff and customers seem to be in good spirits.

http://www.branch27.com

I ate at Branch 27 last weekend with s/o and 2 other couples. We decided on sharing a bunch of small plates, so I got to sample a lot.

Seared Gulf shrimp - well seasoned with a bit of spice to them, cooked until tender and not a bit more. Very nice polenta that came with it, couldn't tell you if there was ham in it.

PEI Mussels - some of the freshest mussels that I have eaten inland. Plenty of juices to sop up with bread, my favorite part of eating mussels

Steak Tartare - i'm not an expert on steak tartare, but I thought it was very tasty and the meat was so tender.

Meat Board - not my cup of tea, (I much prefer dried meats a la prosciutto, salami, etc.) but I was told by one of our friends that the pate was good, but the rillettes was underseasoned and not a good example of rillettes

Flatbread w/ mushrooms + mascarpone - Soooooooo good. I loved the salty + savory of the mushrooms contrasted with the smooth and buttery of the mascarpone. I could've eaten the whole thing by myself

Grilled Radicchio - went over well with the rest of the table, I didn't eat any

Bucatini - a very mild pasta dish, cooked well, nothing memorable but nothing wrong with it either.

Overall, if I were in the neighborhood again and needed somewhere to eat, I wouldn't hesitate to go back. The space is comfortable and laid back, did get pretty full by 8:30p, but our table was all able to chat and we had a great time.

We went back last night, mostly due to the Facebook and Twitter posts by Chef Manion about the Becker Lane porchetta he was making for the night's special.

First, full disclosure: I sell wine (as I plainly state in my profile) and I now sell wine to Branch 27 as well. The company I work with sells wine to many of the fine restaurants in Chicagoland, and I always do my best to be fair and unbiased wherever I dine, and not self-promote. I'm very happy to be included on Branch 27's wine list, although even happier to see John Manion cooking in my neighborhood once again (I really miss Mas, and Goose Island is all the better after his brief stint there).

Now on with last night...

If you are unfamiliar with Becker Lane, they provide acorn-fed organic hams for La Quercia's prosciutto. 'Nuff said.

We were planning on staying in and eating leftovers last night, but seeing John's pick of the porchetta in the kitchen changed our minds. We got there around 8:15-8:30 and the place was pretty full. We had called 1/2 hour earlier for a reservation just to be sure we could get a table right away and get that dish reserved.

We entered and saw this above the bar:



We were warmly greeted by the host and seated in the back room (first visit upthread was at a table close to the front window), which we found very cozy, and even with our corner table under the speaker the music was not too loud (not being able to converse due to too loud music is a pet peeve of mine). We went straight for the cocktail list, and our server Troy told us that bartender/mixologist Fred had just put some new ones on. GF went for the "West Town Sour" which was brand new and a very tasty, not-too-sweet whiskey sour, I think made with Ri1. I chose the Salt & Pepper Highball, which was a twist on a Salty Dog, with Hendricks Gin, some bitters, etc. Also quite tasty as I'm a fan of gin, grapefruit juice and salt

We told Troy that we wanted the Porchetta, and he said it was a big enough portion for two and easily shared. We each ordered an appetizer salad to start off. She chose the butter lettuce salad, which was quite refreshing, with a creamy tarragon dressing and fresh shaved fennel. I went for the grilled radicchio salad, since it is tossed with shaved brussel sprouts, marcona almonds, pecorino romano and what turned out to be very tasty EVOO. A lovely light smokiness mixed with the bright EVOO, crunchy almonds, and salty pecorino was just what I was looking for.


Grilled Radicchio Salad (sorry no pic of her salad)


Becker Lane Porchetta, with farro (underneath on left) and radish salad.

The portion on the porchetta was probably about 20oz, so we were very happy to be sharing it. GF went straight for the "nug" center portion, and all I gotta say is "OH-EM-GEE" this was friggin' fantastic! The pork was so tender and buttery, cooked to a medium with a light pink tone. The outer layer/skin was crisp and savory, brushed with herbs and spices. The farro had a nice earthiness to it, and the lightly dressed radish salad was refreshing as a garnish.

We ate about 2/3 of the pork, boxed the rest up and went with the bread pudding for dessert. It was served in a (I believe) cast-iron crock with sliced figs and still bubbling from the oven, and topped with choco-nib gelato.


Figgy Bread Pudding

I definitely recommend this dessert, but also waiting 3-4 minutes for it to cool since the figs were really hot. But it's dang tasty, and we have trouble resisting a good bread pudding.

Not gonna talk about wine, we had a bit and it was good and reasonably priced. 'Nuff said

I apologize for the lower quality of the pics, since I turned off the flash on my crackberry so I wouldn't freak out the surrounding diners.

I went to Branch 27 twice in its prior incarnation (pre-John Manion) and it was pretty terrible. My latest visit there last week showed that great things are afoot. I wasn't hungry enough for cassoulet, but several people on the Twitterverse were raving about that and their fried chicken livers. I'll have to follow Branch 27 on Twitter because I had no idea about this porchetta special, which would have had me running in.

wino66 wrote:Not gonna talk about wine, we had a bit and it was good and reasonably priced. 'Nuff said

Ha. I don't know if you saw Branch 27's previous wine list, which was not good or reasonably priced. The new one is actually an improvement.

A word to the wise: Cocktails at the previous Branch 27 were non-existent (anyone remember the blank space on their menu?). They now have a cocktail list but they are not good. The bartender, who, while well-meaning and talks a good game, failed twice to come up with a decent one that night, even though the first one was sent back for being god-awful.

I stopped into Branch 27 last week, too. Despite waiting for the bus in front of the restaurant every single day, I had stayed away from the previous incarnation because of negative reports. I was drawn in last week by the positive reviews of cassoulet and other dishes.

I had the boudin blanc and the striped bass. (I was told the cassoulet was too big for one person, advice I regret heeding.) The sausage had a nice delicacy too it, in texture and flavor, but I found the squash, celery and apple salad that came with it somewhat distracting. It wasn't refreshing and seemed to wash out the flavor of the sausage. I would have preferred a creamy accompaniment. The striped bass was fine but unexceptional and a surprisingly small portion.

Chef Manion was very kind to come out and sit and chat with me. Being a West Town booster, I enjoyed talking with someone who has lived and cooked in the area as long as he has. While I was pretty underwhelmed by my meal last week, I do think the installation of Manion holds a lot of promise. And, I, too, must now follow Branch 27 on Twitter. I would have made time for porchetta! (Note: The porchetta reports came from Chef Manion's Twitter account, not the restaurant's main Twitter account.)

aschie30 wrote:I don't know if you saw Branch 27's previous wine list, which was not good or reasonably priced. The new one is actually an improvement.

I also thought the wine list was pretty reasonably priced, though the worst part of my meal last week was my glass of Hess Chardonnay. It was the singularly coldest glass of wine I had ever had. I had to cup both of my hands around the the glass to warm it enough so I could drink it. Bizarre.

aschie30 wrote:A word to the wise: Cocktails at the previous Branch 27 were non-existent (anyone remember the blank space on their menu?). They now have a cocktail list but they are not good. The bartender, who, while well-meaning and talks a good game, failed twice to come up with a decent one that night, even though the first one was sent back for being god-awful.

I stopped into Branch 27 after a 16-hour work day, planning after dinner to go straight to bed, so I forwent cocktails. However, FWIW, the bartender working the night I was there (can't remember which day and he only works that night at Branch 27; also, unfortunately, can't remember his name) apparently also works at Bernard's Bar at the Elysian Hotel, which I've been meaning to check out. Wendy, I hope we're not taking about the same person.

Bernard's Bar
11 E. Walton St.
Chicago

aschie30 wrote:

wino66 wrote:Not gonna talk about wine, we had a bit and it was good and reasonably priced. 'Nuff said

Ha. I don't know if you saw Branch 27's previous wine list, which was not good or reasonably priced. The new one is actually an improvement.

I know that when I have met recently with chef and Cary, one of the partners, they told me that they want to carry wines that are:

1) excellent matches for the food
2) reasonably priced and high quality
3) not available at your average grocery store

I feel they are making a move in the right direction, the list looks much better than when I first visited the restaurant after they initially opened. They will continue to tweak the list over the coming months, I'm sure. We discussed the lack of rosé wine, as an example, since dry rosé is a perfect match for many of the Branch 27 dishes. Personally, I could drink a good dry rosé 24/7/365 yo!

Hooray for great food and wine, that's what I say! (oh, and beer and cocktails too...yep, I don't discriminate)

happy_stomach wrote:(I was told the cassoulet was too big for one person, advice I regret heeding.)

They were right but it sounds like maybe you should have ordered it anyway. The cassoulet is more than enough for two (and priced accordingly). It's a pretty good, though nontraditional, version made with lamb meatballs and house-made merguez sausage.

I have to agree, I made a recent stop and it was vastly improved over my first visit. We stopped in for a cocktail, the spicy dirty martini with stuffed olives is the best in the city for me, they don't have these at Bar Deville. We had the cheeseboard, flatbread sausage pizza, salads, and a reasonably priced spanish red wine( can't remember what it was now). There is another thread somewhere where I posted about this place, and all the issues we had, but everything seems to have been smoothed out now. The chef being from Mas says a lot, I loved that place.

I've been a bit busy with work lately, so this is from a brunch visit about 3 weeks ago.

Winebabe and I went in for brunch, nice crowd, family-friendly and I really like the light in the dining room due to the "atrium" style glass roof in the rear dining room.

We had coffee & bloodies to start, and dove straight in with some comfort food staples.


Chicken-Fried Pork Belly with red-eye gravy, cheesy grits and a poached egg


Pork belly close-up


Chilaquiles with spicy guajillo sauce, cojita cheese, chorizo and fried egg (she asked for runny yolk)


one of those delicious drop biscuits on the side

I had to try the pork belly, and it was awesome. Really tender inside, with a crispy batter crust. The gravy and grits were tasty and lightly seasoned, and the perfectly poached egg on top was a great touch.

Winebabe's chilaquiles were a bit non-traditional, but had a nice dark spiciness that reminded me of BBQ shrimp spices. The chorizo was a nice touch, but we needed to order an extra runny-yolk egg with this dish (it came with one egg) since she likes a good amount of runny yolk with her chilaquiles.

We got a biscuit on the side, since last time in the fried chicken & biscuits was so good, and Nikki who makes the biscuits is from the south and this is a family recipe, she told me. Light and fluffy, served in an iron pan (like they do for the bread pudding dessert).

Yum, we will be back.

I ate here for the first time this weekend & had a terrific dinner. It doesn't seem to get much love, so I wanted to give this thread a little bump.

One disclaimer: I felt the dishes I ordered were all hits. My dining companion liked, but didn't love, his (and agreed that mine were better). Given his ambivalence, I didn't try any of his dishes. (I don't remember what he got to start. I do remember that he had the char for an entree.)

I started with a deconstructed beet salad--red, golden & candycane beets, with arugula, grapefruit, hazelnut and telaggio (according to the posted menu, though I would have guessed burrata). It was lightly dressed, which really let the flavors shine through.

I also had the seafood stew. I have a tough time NOT ordering cioppino, bouillabaisse, etc. when I see it on a menu, but I'm often disappointed because many restaurants deliver a flavorful broth & really bland seafood. But Branch 27 hit it out of the park--a great broth full of tomatoes, fennel and swiss chard, plus perfectly cooked seafood (scallops, clams, shrimp and mussels).

After seeing every other table ordering fries, we placed a late order for these, too. Hot, crispy, thin-cut & salty served with a terrific aioli.

We finished with a shared order of their bread pudding...crispy on top, puddingy on underneath with a nice taste of cinnamon & a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

They have an interesting cocktail list, but I was taken by the beer menu. And I appreciated that our server had obviously tasted them all and did a great job of describing those I asked about. (I went for a Left Hand Milk Stout and the Ommegang Rare Vos.)

I hadn't been back to Branch 27 since my post above until last weekend for my company holiday party. It was an excellent venue for 100ish people. Handsome space, and the back area served as a perfectly-sized dance floor. Service--everything from the bar, to staff passing food and drink, to the coat check--was very, very good...thoughtful and efficient.

I was worried about the free-flowing booze and uncertain what the food situation would be at the party, so some colleagues and I ate at Avec beforehand--a shame because the little food I tried at Branch 27 was outstanding, particularly the sliders, which in beefiness and juiciness easily beat out the very respectable burgers I had at Butcher & Burger and Burger Bar later that weekend (red meat craving lately). The flatbreads also looked particularly well-made. I need to revisit Branch 27, and I hope others will, too.