bugs for two nights only

Bin 36 seems to get a bad rap...at least after my last pleasant experience. It was 9 of us seated in the relatively less airplane-hangar-ish side room next to the wicked cheese cave(read: refrigerator). We trickled in two by two ordering libations and perusing the cheese list. See also: mercilessly mocking the line of be-hoodie-d pop rockers lined up outside in the drizzle for some doubtlessly-fascinating corporate faux-underground emo extravaganza. Funny thing about that slice of House of Blues across the alley from Bin 36; that hideous venue(home to decent music on occasion...I've seen both Bjork and Dolly Parton there) like some unholy cross of an 80's hair salon Nagel print and H.R. Giger is perpetually-enrobed in an ersatz gloaming, so as we wiled away the night with food n frivolity it never appeared to get appreciably dark. That is until we took our smoke breaks and noticed how the night swooped down, ravenous as well, upon the edges of the auditorium.

We were there for the first of two farewell dinners for our great friend and confidant A whose work was taking her from just a walk away in the Gold Coast to the farflung reaches of Hong Kong and the Netherlands. She's a jetsetter of sorts so perhaps we feel the rift in our convivial fabrics more acutely...no, that's not true...she misses us as much. It's a plain truth how hard it can be when someone moves from aquaintance to family over a short period and is then whisked away to even greater adventures.

But, then, we are experiencing similar massive change and may soon be holding our own fete fare thee wells. We've met such amazing people in the past two years...some of them represented at A's banquet.

they were out of the buratta, sigh
so, I had

super aged gouda

(not as spectacular as hoped...A's aged gouda was a revelation...shoulda had hers)

panfried skate wing with carrot/honey puree

(almost a fish sticks and catsup for grownups...I was at first nonplussed with the aggressive sweetness of the puree, but soon came to enjoy it's forthrightness, a well-seasoned, crispy, playful app.)

braised rabbit leg, rabbit crepenette, white cheddar polenta, scarlet turnips, rabbit sauce

(the tasty crepinettes were so tiny! The white cheddar polenta just gorgeous, sumptuous...and I'm the kind who has serious mishmash food texture issues...i.e. I don't care for short ribs mounted atop creamy potatoes. The rabbit leg...perfect...peasant-y...the turnips...which I mistook for beets at first... struck up an intoxicating conversation with the chardonnay...that always intriguing discourse between "earth" and "mineral.")

2004 Malvasia Nera, Feudi di San Marzano, "Sud," Puglia(fuckin' A dead on mineral...my favorite of the evening)
2003 Monastrell Castano
2004 Michael Sulberg, chard
I believe I had a muscat with dessert, but can't locate the listing(whoops)

a word about our waiter: some had issues...I didn't. He customized cheese flights and apparently-cold-burdened...graciously bid us adieu towards the end of our repaste, handing us off to a more anonymous, though absolutely-competent colleague. Our waiter was the one who rec'd the chard w/ my rabbit when I was contemplating red...the wine wasn't much on it's own, but, hooked up with my plate it was swell.

T had

wild boar ragout, papardelle (savory, plush)

sauteed monkfish, fennel sausage, beluga lentils, white wine veal sauce, ovendried tomatoes, baby spinach

[I almost ordered this...monkfish thoughtfully-prepared(it can get chewy in errant hands)...the lentils were a nice touch almost lending a confit-side aspect(one of my favorite preps is duck confit over French lentils) to the main]

Sexy reds flight(ooo lala!)

shared the apple financier(eh...)

several cheese flights floating around the table

(see: A's caramel-y aged gouda)

a couple had delicious-looking burgers

(cooked to order...their perfume nearly derailed the ordering of the mains)

then cocktails, beers, and vodka shots at that terrible piano bar(with the irritated bartender)---T left his hat and gloves, but refuses to pick them up. After the Oscars(which we caught the tail end of) they put on some horrific beef jerky body building video paired with execrable late-90's HI-NRG. Upon last call the irritable(foreign?...some of us picked up an accent...maybe it was just gaysprach) bartender replaced the divas with Radiohead...which was only marginally better. Oh...he played some Cibo Matto, too. That was fun and nonsequitur to hear after a lapse of a decade or so. That's the thing with Chicago queer bars...the music suhhhuuuhhhcks. Always has...apparently always will. Even Big Chicks, who used to be a holdout from aural mediocrity has succumbed...at least when I visited for the first time in years last Spring. There's no accounting for taste, ibid.



Farewell numero dos(myself, T, A, and U):

NAHA, Monday night. Nice enough space. Well-designed w/o venturing into zen bad taste(Spring) or appearing stuffy.

I had

pernod and water

(our waitress enunciated everything beautifully)

Hearts of Romaine and Treviso Radicchio with Spanish Serrano Ham, Manchego Cheese and White Anchovies, Fire-Roasted Peppers and Crisp Capers

(I really like the idea of anchovies wrapped in serrano ham, but the rest of this quasi-Caeser kinda bit it...the manchego was just way too much and the dressing crossed the threshold from fleshy and personable to glue...once I cleared away the fish and capers...in my tummy...T tried a bite and enjoyed it well enough)

Roast Loin of Rabbit with a "Ragout" of Braised Rabbit, sweetbreads, Confit Garlic Crushed Potatoes, Applewood Slab Bacon, "Hen of the Woods" Mushrooms, Glazed Young Carrots(!) and Turnips

(bunny twice in a row...but, such different approaches! Here's the deal; the Bin 36 product tasted of home, total comfort. NAHA, on the otherhand took a similar concept and elevated it ever so slightly creating a completely different tactile experience. And humor! I like the addition of carrots. Maybe my palate was having an off-day, but the sweetbreads were the only misstep; they were a mite chewy instead of the poofiness I was expecting...still entirely edible. And not to forget the little surprise cubes of bacon hidden at the bottom. They were as porky garnets sparkling, smoky, ornamenting the...uh...loin.)

I can't for the life of me remember the pairing

T had

ABC NAHA shiraz(we're fans of the Au Bon Climat's available at Sam's)

Organic Carnaroli Risotto and Confit Winter Goose with Wood-Grilled Kale, Oyster Mushrooms and Bermuda Onions, Reggiano Parmesan and Villa Torricello Olive Oil

(homerun...meaty morsels of duck...a, luscious, seasonal risotto...also see: smoky).

Halibut and "Fresh Bacon" Kurobuta Pork Belly with Golden Chanterelles, Wood-Grilled Leeks and Herb-Crusted Salsifis, Lobster Red Wine Jus

[this dish was listed online as featuring monkfish, alas twas not the case upon receiving the in-house menu...see T and I did an obnoxiously-cute thing...we both ordered the same mains as the night before...well, sorta, anyway...I was most-interested in the Kurobuta pork belly...and damn! if the couple bites I was peevishly-offered(oh! the looks!) weren't the best pork belly I've had...my last two experiences were pretty abysmal(I'm talking *you* again Spring). Good stuff...and hey! his chanterelles were kinda indescribable...heh...um...so unexpectedly complex...just a dish of those and whatever liquid they were cooked in suits me, please. I neglected the halibut(not my favorite fish...too bad it wasn't ye olde poor man's lobster...they even describe the monkfish as "line-caught" which might or might not appease my chef friend who includes the ugliest fish on Earth on her shortlist of sea creatures she will not eat because she's debrided them of happy parasites one too many times.)]

our friends shared

Tartare of Yellowfin Tuna, Cured Tasmanian Ocean Trout and Door County Golden Whitefish Caviar with a Mosaic of Vegetables, Nicoise Garnishes and Aigrelette Sauce

(the cured trout was out of this world freakin' tasty...the tartare...kinda...tartare, whatever...and the garnish/aigrelette was resoundingly-ostracized for it's heavy "mayo-ness")

A had

Blossom Honey "Lacquered" Aged Moulard Duck Breast, Caramelized Quince and Fennel, Broccoli Rabe, Sicilian Pistachios and Port

(dead on...simple...nothing else need be said)

-funny thing is as I've mentioned up-post both Bin 36 and NAHA share a similar philosophy as per the Winter menu...the interpretations set them apart...both experiences being pleasurable, NAHA elevates the cuisine just that li'l bit...also, T remarked that everywhere we went(with the possible exception of the ramen shop) in the Bay Area a month back the menus featured quince and fennel. Here, again...lotsa fennel(fine by me) and bookoo quince...eh.............quince-

U had

Medallions of Ranch Venison, Huckleberies, Roasted Chestnuts and Brussels Sprouts, Celery Root and "Honeycrisp" Applesauce

(didn't try it...tho' I am responsible for rallying the duck for A and the deer for U...he dove into it with relish)

desserts: (holy fucking shit these were incredible...I'm hard to please with desserts...I usually don't do them...it's cheese and/or an apperitif for me...mainly because chocolate features so heavily on menus and I'm just not a fan...I don't have the gene-coding or whateverthefuck that makes *some* consider mainlining the shit...well, I don't hate chocolate...it's just everytime I'm presented it...I think...maybe *this* time it'll hit me and now I'm an addict groveling for my next Nutraslim carob bar w/saccharine crunch...nope...just doesn't work that way...see...NAHA knows their desserts)

fur mich

Ruby Red Grapefruit Semifreddo, Mediterranean Olive Oil Cake, Winter Citrus, Fruit Gelees and Rosemary

(omfg...I love grapefruit...it's hard for people to "grok" grapefruit...esp. Northerners...grapefruit(s) available here are Fear Factor bitter...but, if you grew up in South-ish Texas you had access to one of the most glorious fruits on Earth; the Rio Grande Ruby Red...urgh...drool...NAHA knows grapefruit...creamy frozen custard-y grapefruit with blood oranges in an apple(something) gelee and omfg, again grapefruit in Campari gelee...jesusfuckingchrist...so unexpected, so revelatory...it made my port bitter as shit, but that's a learning experience...the port expectedly, went well with A's bittersweet chocolate tart)

see: idiotic pairing(my choice) of a zinfandel-y Midnight Cellars California port

fur T

Quince and Marcona Almond "Crisp", Mascarpone Sorbet and Pedro Ximenez Sherry Caramel(eh...)

fur A

Bittersweet Chocolate Tart, Chestnut Ice Cream, Ceylon Cinnamon and Shaved French Perigord Truffles

(didn't notice the truffles...the sea salt-inflected crust on the chocolate tart was very, very, nice)

fur U

sorbet du jour: grapefruit and juniper

(I almost got this and boy!...if I hadn't done the semifreddo it would have been a superb nummer zwei...U eventually just gave up and relinquished his sorbet to the table as the rest of us kamakazi-d it, untensils clacking, spit, blood, and speared fingers flying as we each sought the last bite...damn good!)

mignardise of chocolates and pyramidal macaroons...I didn't do the aforementioned and the macaroon, though terrifically toasty, got stuck in my teeth

Hotel Sofitel(yeah...whatev) eurotrash bar for cocktails(myself, T, A, and joined by E...U opted out)...there was this ad hoc congregation of heavily-mustachioed conventioneers(?)...wow...it's so not IML, yet, right? I thought.


and then it's one of those cliche'd(and it's worse because everyone knows it's cliche'd)..."I'm not gonna say goodbye moments"...getting cabs...departing...

edited 8,000,000,000 times Bloom Cty stylee for clarity

does this message come with a decoder??

just kidding )

dddane wrote:does this message come with a decoder??

just kidding )

what? I enjoy a li'l hermeticism with my hare.

does this message come with a decoder??

No joke. That opus gave me a headache.

I don't like Bin 36. I'm not sure if that post agrees with me or not. In any event, I'd like some of what Christopher is smoking.

sundevilpeg wrote:That opus gave me a headache.

He had penguin, too?

cilantro wrote:

sundevilpeg wrote:That opus gave me a headache.

He had penguin, too?

No, I'm afraid that wily Bill the Cat caught the last one.

ahhh, i love the poetry...

Of course when I got to what "U had", I thought he meant what I (ich) had.... like I was in a choose your own adventure.

I think that's super exciting (2nd person reviews!), putting me right in the action. And in the past tense, I can also imagine I had too much of the wine (too?), and I'm now being reminded of my own dining experience. How wonderful!

lee corrina wrote:ahhh, i love the poetry...

Of course when I got to what "U had", I thought he meant what I (ich) had.... like I was in a choose your own adventure.

I think that's super exciting (2nd person reviews!), putting me right in the action. And in the past tense, I can also imagine I had too much of the wine (too?), and I'm now being reminded of my own dining experience. How wonderful!

I guess this is a situation where you had to be there to appreciate it.

lee corrina wrote:ahhh, i love the poetry...

Of course when I got to what "U had", I thought he meant what I (ich) had.... like I was in a choose your own adventure.

I think that's super exciting (2nd person reviews!), putting me right in the action. And in the past tense, I can also imagine I had too much of the wine (too?), and I'm now being reminded of my own dining experience. How wonderful!

that's an interesting idea: choose your own adventure dining---

if you have the Chicago dog with ketchup (turn to page 36)

if you skip the dog and order gyros(turn to page 24)

"U" stands for Uttam, in this case

Christopher Gordon wrote:I enjoy a li'l hermeticism with my hare.

Who doesn't like a good
spiced molasses cookie.

One of the best food write-ups
I've come across in a while.

I was laughing.
You are majestic.
You could be a lion
and walk in tall grass.

I would like to shake your hand.
I do not have any arms, though.
I'm sad now.

Cathy2 wrote:

lee corrina wrote:ahhh, i love the poetry...

Of course when I got to what "U had", I thought he meant what I (ich) had.... like I was in a choose your own adventure.

I think that's super exciting (2nd person reviews!), putting me right in the action. And in the past tense, I can also imagine I had too much of the wine (too?), and I'm now being reminded of my own dining experience. How wonderful!

I guess this is a situation where you had to be there to appreciate it.

actually, I thought I was pretty descriptive ...maybe not following the usual modes of information dissemination, but I've never been terribly interested in the straightforward

SCUBAchef wrote:

Christopher Gordon wrote:I enjoy a li'l hermeticism with my hare.

Who doesn't like a good
spiced molasses cookie.

One of the best food write-ups
I've come across in a while.

I was laughing.
You are majestic.
You could be a lion
and walk in tall grass.

I would like to shake your hand.
I do not have any arms, though.
I'm sad now.

thank you

I'm sans arms as well

not sad though...I'm about to embark on making posole for this evening...yum

Christopher Gordon wrote:"U" stands for Uttam, in this case

That was the only part I was able to figure out on my own.

Christopher Gordon wrote:that's an interesting idea: choose your own adventure dining---

interesting... I'd been thinking a little about trying to revive the idea of an LTH Scavenger Hunt... maybe there's a way to mingle those two ideas. could be fun...

germuska wrote:

Christopher Gordon wrote:that's an interesting idea: choose your own adventure dining---

interesting... I'd been thinking a little about trying to revive the idea of an LTH Scavenger Hunt... maybe there's a way to mingle those two ideas. could be fun...

and to venture even farther afield: serendipidity dictates that some friends and I were discussing an (irregular) scavenger hunt a couple weeks ago

mostly because this one compatriot designs them for his wife on her birthday each year