Walking along Michigan the other day, for some reason the Gage menu called to me and I walked over and read it. The place is a little pricy for me, but THEY HAVE POUTINE. Sadly, no one on this thread mentions having tried it -- I'm guessing it may be a new menu addition, maybe short term. Here's the thing-- my son spent a year in Montreal, and is pining for poutine. I haven't seen it anywhere else in town (anybody?). Shall we try it? Of course, the poutine that students eat in Montreal is cheap and plentiful -- this is expensive and the gravy is called "elk ragout" -- will that be too weird? It's $9 -- which is fine if it is tasty and of reasonable size-- poutine and a beer, at a table on the sidewalk-- If it is just overpriced and pretentious, my son will hate it, on the other hand... Has anyone tried it? I see mixed reviews of the fries here (for those who may not know, poutine is a local dish in Quebec, consisting of fries, cheese curds, and gravy - sounds weird, but very good it you like it- and especially popular with students who are of an age not to be concerned about weight and cholesterol...) Anyone tried this??

While I haven't had the poutine, I did get the chance to dine here last weekend. The 2 of us went (checking the menu and pricing beforehand) and had a great dinner.

Restaruant had a nice noise to it (I like it that way - people having a nice time, general bustle of the place), but we never had to shout to each other in order to have a conversation. High backed leather seating in our booth kept things cozy, too.

Waitstaff was very helpful in:
A. letting me know that courses #1, 2, 3, and 4 do not all HAVE to be ordered
b. explaining food preparations with knowledge, experience and enthusiasm

We started out with the olives/pickles appetizer. Very tasty, unusual menu item for me, with different flavors to enjoy.

Next, I had the cold crushed red pepper and peach soup. This was served by pouring the soup over a small amount of fish tartar which was on top of a small bed of yogurt. Really, this was some of the best soup I've ever had at a restaurant. It was that good.

Main course was the alaskan halibat with white asparagus and morells, along with a pureed asparagus sause. Fish was exactly the way I like it (more medium than rare and still moist), and a nice thick piece. Wish I could be more descriptive, but it was a week ago. Very good.

Dessert was a semisweet chocolate/ beet mousse (?) that was baked and served in a small cast iron baking pan. Our waiter let us know it would be 15 min. since it would be made to order. Well worth the wait - served nice and hot with a semi-sweet chocolate sauce poured over the top.

We both thought our meals and whole dining experience were excelllent. We'd definitely go back again.

Judy H – I have had the poutine more times that I want to admit. I’m sure some hardcore Québécois might quibble with The Gage’s version, but I don’t care because it’s just a really good dish. The Elk ragout is tasty and the three main ingredients are nicely balances (fries, cheese, and gravy). Also, I believe it’s been on the menu since the opening.

One of my favorite lunches consisted of the Gage's poutine and a Scotch egg. My heart probably didn't care for it, but it was tasty. I like their fries a lot and they kept their texture well in spite of the gravy.

Other places do have poutine in the city -- Small Bar (off Division, don't know about the other one) and the Paramount Room (home to the $10 burger/beer deal) also has it.

Very, very good to know...

Thanks for the poutine recommendations, I will be planning an outing asap!

Finally made it to the Gage for poutine in early Sept. As poutine, it is a little disappointing. Each individual part-- the fries are excellent; the elk ragout delish; the cheese is fine-- each part is okay, but it just isn't the decadent student late night food that it is in Montreal. A little too cleaned up. So-- not bad; in fact, good; but not something that scratches your poutine itch, really. But then-- the Gage is not the kind of place that would sell Montreal poutine. Though of course some high end places in Montreal do sell poutine, but I never tried them.

We ended up staying for dinner, and didn't regret it-- the food was good- trying to recall what we had-- nothing was a total revelation, or I would remember it, but I don't have the best food memory, so it doesn't mean that the food wasn't good either.

The chocolate mousse variant that we had for dessert was fabulous (I had totally forgotten, but my husband hadn't)-- really really incredible. One, however, was enough for three of us.

On occasions when we've gone a little overboard past our usual food budget, I usually make my husband pay the bill without showing me, and this was one of those occasions, so I can't comment on whether it seemed worth the price, but he seemed not too perturbed by it. We had two mains, the poutine, the dessert, and three beers, and three coffees, amongst the three of us, which was plenty, and we are not light eaters.

I'm not in a rush to go back on my own bill, but I am angling to go there on someone else's expense account for lunch... And if I was going to meet someone for a drink and an appetizer after work, and wanted a nice place to sit, I might go there (it's also very close to my office, I probably wouldn't go a long way to get ther). Sadly, my life doesn't generally arrange itself that way-- I need to work on this -- drinks after work sound so pleasant.

The chocolate mousse variant that we had for dessert was fabulous (I had totally forgotten, but my husband hadn't)-- really really incredible. One, however, was enough for three of us.

I'm not sure which deft hand is behind this in the kitchen, but they've totally stepped up their dessert game since opening. Some of the best desserts I've had this year have been at the Gage. I've been increasingly excited about this place as the buzz and crowds have settled, and expect it will be particularly nice on late winter evenings and weekends.

Visited The Gage on Sunday after a long walk along the lake front. We wanted to enjoy some of the waning alfresco dining days left before The Hawk arrives! We booked an outdoor table through OpenTable dot com early in the day, as there was a Bears game at Soldier Field.

It was a beautiful night to dine outside, and watching all the Bears fans on Michigan Avenue was great to see as well!

My wife had a glass of Pinot Noir, and I had a perfect Guinness with a view:



For an appetizer, we tried the Scotch Egg, which is a hard boiled egg wrapped in sausage, then breaded, fried, and baked. It is served on a bed of mesculin greens with cesaer dressing, and a side of spicy stone ground mustard. My heart skipped several beats as we enjoyed this odd treat!




My wife had the special appetizer as an entree. It was ceviche, made with tuna and ? , it was an unusual name, so I'll have to edit this later. She also got a side of the brussell sprouts with brie and bacon. Both were excellent:



I always come here for one thing....THE FISH AND CHIPS! The fish is the BEST, of the multiple Irish pubs that I have tried in this city! It really is! The batter is flaky and crunchy, and the fish is ultra fresh! They serve it with the best tartare sauce as well. No after taste, as if it came from a jar. Their's is made from scratch and it is excellent!:





I would highly recommend a trip to The Gage, if for anything, the fish and chips. You will not be disappointed!

Santander wrote:I've been increasingly excited about this place as the buzz and crowds have settled, and expect it will be particularly nice on late winter evenings and weekends.

I have to agree wholeheartedly. I stopped in here yesterday after a matinee of The Nutcracker at The Auditorium. It was the perfect respite, both in terms of tummy-warming food and cozy ambiance. A couple of generous pours of Marco Real Garnacha at the outset warmed me up, as did a respectful rendition of curry fries (although I would have liked a bit more curry to the sauce), a thoroughly comforting bowl of chicken soup with a large, doughy noodle was pitch-perfect on a below-zero day, and local sausages with brie and roasted potatoes put me in an English-pub frame of mind. I should add that The Gage is tastefully decorated for the holidays -- slightly vintage pine wreaths and garland that are thankfully not kitschy or over-the-top -- all of which helped to put me in the right holiday mood.

My GF and I went here on Sat night for "date night" and had an entirely enjoyable experience. She called a few hours ahead and made a reservation for 9pm, figuring that would be past the prime-time dining room crowd. We arrived and were seated right away, in the rear dining room area, sort of a side room past the bar area. I have been here once before for lunch and sat in the main bar area so I know that it can get loud there...

My GF has been here a few times, me just lunch, so we sorta knew the options going in. Little did I know the rich meal which lie ahead!

We started with a glass of champagne, Paul Georg, which was crisp and delicious. To help that go down, we ordered the goose, duck and foie gras rillettes and the antelope tartare. The rillettes came in a mason jar, with the foie gras as a top layer. Along with that came toast points, mustard, and a cranberry compote. The tartare came with many "sides" of mustard, minced dill pickle, scallion puree, and the tartare itself topped with a quail egg. Our server, Melissa (who was fantastic, btw), suggested that we mix it all together and then eat it as a medley on the accompanied bread. Both apps were friggin' awesome, but I could hear my cholesterol climbing...

We ordered a bottle of Lang & Reed Cab Franc 2007, as we both ordered red meat entrees and are cab franc fans...and L&R fans too! An excellent wine for $48.

Middle course was soup & salad, which we shared. Melissa highly recommended the soup of the day, a roasted parsnip and madiera puree, garnished with carmelized pork shoulder and chicarrones strips. This soup ROCKED! We paired it with a very nice caesar (listed on the menu simply as "Romaine,") with the anchovies fresh, not the usual salt-laden canned variety.

Entrees: she chose the duck, which is duck leg confit and roasted duck breast, which was sliced and fanned on the plate along with a bed of lentils, apple and hazelnut and a simple vinaigrette. I chose the saddle of elk (suggested over the ribeye by our server), which was a double loin chop, served with fresh ricotta, a grape syrup and salt-rolled concord grapes, with a side of whipped potatoes. I gotta say, that elk was frickin' sweet. The combo of flavors, savory elk, sweet grapes, salt (on the grapes) and the creamy ricotta, were a fantastic combination. Melissa again suggested combining all the flavor components and she was dead-on! My GF's duck was also outstanding, but she could only eat 1/4 of her plate since our eyes were 3x the size of our tummies by then (I ate 1/2 my elk). Leftovers were just as good tonight though!

We succumbed to the dessert menu and ordered the "reconstructed root beer float" which we felt was light enough for us at that point, yet still flavorful. We are both root beer fans, and this was also a hit. A vanilla pound cake slab (not too big), topped with root beer semifreddo and gelato, vanilla "air" (kinda a spun sugar fluff), and garnished with root beer pop-rocks and a bit of root beer gelee. A touch avant garde for a gastro pub, but we didn't complain!

Sorry no pics, but date night dictated that we were just diners and not the usual food geeks

Now I just gotta return and try that Scotch egg...heh heh.

Had the best dessert at The Gage last Friday. Coffee and doughnuts was one of the better desserts that I've had in quite a while.

Since this thread has magically popped up the very day I made a return visit to this restaurant, I will take the opportunity to slightly revise my previous comments on the poutine. Last time I was there (in July) I went with my son to have our first taste of poutine since his days as a student in Montreal. I guess we were obsessed with the comparison to Montreal poutine, reading my comments, which are not perhaps all that positive.

Well, said son and I stopped in again yesterday and had the poutine again. It was delicious. Perhaps it was the cold weather (not sure poutine is a summer food) or perhaps it was that memories of Montreal are fading (need to go back soon!). Anyhow, the poutine is delicious, in a very decadent sort of way. The fries are great, the gravy is tasty, the cheese is well-melted and stringy. Don't know how one person could possibly eat it, though. Two of us just got through all of it.

We also had the mixed lettuce salad -- very good-- also huge, could have split one. With the complementary bread (really fabulous, great crust, aroma, taste, texture....), we ate so much we needed coffee afterward.

By the way, perusing the thread, I realized that the entree that I had the first time, which I had somehow forgotten, was the highly touted fish and chips, and I second the recommendation above-- they are very good. Don't know how I forgot them. I've eaten a lot of fish and chips in my life (on both Canadian coasts, where they take fish and chips so much more seriously than we seem to do here (and by here, I don't just mean here on the coast of Lake Michigan)). So plenty of points of comparison, and these are good fish and chips. Just as well that I didn't remember yesterday when we were there, or maybe we would have eaten that too, and needed a lot more than coffee to get us moving again.

My GF also recommended the Fish and Chips, but I was in a red meat mood. They have it on the menu as the daily fish, so whatever chef gets fresh and feels would be a great fried fish with chips would sure work for me!

Does the Gage serve fish and chips during dinner service? Their website seems to indicate no as it only lists those items on the lunch menu, but I'm hoping that is misleading as I'm going there this evening and have a hankering for some fish and chips.

SouthSiderMike wrote:Does the Gage serve fish and chips during dinner service? Their website seems to indicate no as it only lists those items on the lunch menu, but I'm hoping that is misleading as I'm going there this evening and have a hankering for some fish and chips.

Yes, they do.

Fish and chips are a larger portion for dinner as well - I can finish the lunch serving, but the dinner size is one fish nug too much.

Despite high drink prices and sometimes annoying crowds, I find myself at The Gage at least every couple of months. It's convenient when I've got something to attend at the Art Institute, and the food is way better than similarly priced options in the vicinity. In fact, I like the mussels vindaloo enough to call it my favorite mussels preparation in the city, and I think the fries are among the city's best as well. Yesterday I veered off of my standard mussels/frites order, and tried two new-to-me dishes: the house-cured salmon and the braised rabbit salad.

The rabbit salad was a smashing success. Bitingly flavorful arugula was balanced wonderfully by a creamy, subtly sweetened horseradish dressing, and the big mound of greens sat atop crispy shredded rabbit meat and skin. The dish is called a braise, so I guess I'll take their word for it, but this tasted like roasted, pulled meat to me, with succulent crispy bits and pleasant chewiness. Tiny little crispy puffed rice balls and a wedge of robiola cheese added interesting, harmonious elements to the plate.

The cured salmon preparation involved some artistic plating, and I wish as much care had been taken in the preparation of the pumpernickel drop biscuits, which were dry and so sweet that they should have been called pumpernickel cookies instead. Stale pumpernickel cookies, at that - I suspect that we were served the weekend's leftovers. The salmon itself was luxurious, as was the fresh, vibrant caviar. I had been really looking forward to those biscuits though, and they were so bad that even great caviar couldn't save the dish.

House-cured salmon with pumpernickel drop biscuits, caviar, etc.:



With one hit and one miss last night, and a history of several pleasant experiences at The Gage, I look forward to return visits.

Kennyz wrote:In fact, I like the mussels vindaloo enough to call it my favorite mussels preparation in the city

Your post has made me decide to give them another try the next time I visit. The first and only time we ordered these, I recall being quite disappointed - the mussels were not very plump (in fact, rather stringy) and the broth was immemorable. Actually the one thing I can remember about the broth was that it wasn't very vindaloo-like at all! That being said, when we mentioned this to our server, he was nice enough to take the mussels off the bill.

The one thing we do order and enjoy every time we go is the antelope tartare. It's chopped up just right to preserve that good mouthfeel (many times I find that places serving tartare chop it too fine and it ends up mushy). The flavor is nicely gamey and the quail egg and sharp lindenhoff farm cheese are excellent accompaniments/foils.

Puppy wrote:

Kennyz wrote:In fact, I like the mussels vindaloo enough to call it my favorite mussels preparation in the city

...Actually the one thing I can remember about the broth was that it wasn't very vindaloo-like at all!

There's a whole thread dedicated to the diversity of opinions on what is/ is not authentic vindaloo, and I don't want to pretend to have a clue myself. The mussels at the Gage certainly don't have the bracing heat that I've experienced with vindaloo preparations in Indian restaurants. They're more herbaceous, with a pleasant hint of sweetness and just enough heat to make your lips tingle without overwhelming the flavor of the plump, clean, meaty mussels.

Kennyz wrote:

Puppy wrote:

Kennyz wrote:In fact, I like the mussels vindaloo enough to call it my favorite mussels preparation in the city

...Actually the one thing I can remember about the broth was that it wasn't very vindaloo-like at all!

There's a whole thread dedicated to the diversity of opinions on what is/ is not authentic vindaloo, and I don't want to pretend to have a clue myself. The mussels at the Gage certainly don't have the bracing heat that I've experienced with vindaloo preparations in Indian restaurants. They're more herbaceous, with a pleasant hint of sweetness and just enough heat to make your lips tingle without overwhelming the flavor of the plump, clean, meaty mussels.

I enjoyed a bowl of these today and found them quite enjoyable (though I did get two or so stringy ones, which I attribute to my failure to correctly attack the beasts by an initial cut through the posterior abductor).

The nice server lady told me that they had actually toned down the vindaloo, which I found a good idea, as it complemented and in no way overwhelmed the mussle meat. These lil bastids were excellent with draught Affligem, and I enjoyed many spoonfuls of the tasty broth. There's herbaceousness there (cilantro), and not a lot of heat, but that was okay.

Will be dining at The Gage this evening. Will post a full review at some point during work on Friday.

My husband and I went the other day before going to the Art Institute to visit the Modern Wing. On previous visits I have had the fish and chips as well as the vindaloo mussels which I have enjoyed but wanted to try something new. But I'm always a bit leery when paying downtown prices for lunch in veering off in new territory and being disappointed. My husband had the smoked salmon sandwich and I had the sandwich of the day which was terrific. It was seared tuna on ciabatta (sp?) bread with pickled onions (as well as some other veggies) and a flavored aioli that unfortunately I can't remember the ingredients but whatever it was it made the sandwich (it wasn't the usual garlic.... ) The bread was amazing as it was firm but not too chewy and held the aioli well without making the sandwich a goopy mess. I was glad I was rewarded for venturing off my usual path at The Gage.

I have a group that meets at The Gage for brunch once a month, and they have been wonderful. They have really interesting menu items (such as Goat Cheese Grits), very attentive and polite staff, and never bat an eye when we ask them to split it on 6 credit cards.

Here's some of the dishes I've had there:

Crispy Potatoes & Brie


Fresh Fruit


Goat Cheese Grits

Sounds simple, but Gage has fantastic soda bread and butter. Also, the scottish egg here is one of my faves.

danimalarkey wrote:One of my favorite lunches consisted of the Gage's poutine and a Scotch egg. My heart probably didn't care for it, but it was tasty. I like their fries a lot and they kept their texture well in spite of the gravy.

Other places do have poutine in the city -- Small Bar (off Division, don't know about the other one) and the Paramount Room (home to the $10 burger/beer deal) also has it.

I read about a new Logan Square bar/restaurant that serves poutine:

The Rocking Horse
2535 N. Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
773-486-0011

Had a somewhat abbreviated business lunch here. No drinks or desserts, so not exactly a full picture of the restaurant. First, I must say the place was hopping today at just past 1 pm. They really seemed to ride the line between bustling and frantic. The vibe is actually a pretty good one, if a bit loud, but too many plates and too much silverware was dropped on the floor by hurried servers. The restaurant is also a bit of a sloppy one. Food should not be auctioned off. If the conceit of a high-end gastropub is to hold, dishes should be explained by runners who are versed with the food. Kitchen staff should not have to parade through the dining room constantly throughout service. Fine at a diner, not a Serious Restaurant.

The food was not as impressive as on my semi-blowout visit over two years ago. Again, this wasn't a full sample, but what I ate, while competent, would never lead me to mention The Gage among Chicago's more exciting restaurants. It fills a definite niche, but felt a bit flat to me.

Started off with a beet salad seasoned with sesame oil and blue cheese. This felt amateurish to me. Tasty enough but of no real consequence. My potato-semolina dumplings--aka gnocchi--were fine. Not gummy but not etheral either. The gnocchi at Nightwood from a couple weeks ago dominated this dish.

I went to the Gage with a work colleague for lunch last week. It was my first visit. While I only tried two things, I would definitely return. Our server was friendly and the food came out quickly, despite the restaurant being packed with a holiday lunch crowd.

We walked to the Gage from the office on a very windy, blustery, sleet-in-your-face day. By the time we arrived, I *thought* I was ready for lots of hearty, filling food. So, I ordered the poutine and the lamb vindaloo.

I thought the poutine was ok, but really too much food for a starter for one (not really a complaint, I know - - just a note to future diners). The elk ragu was savory, cheese chewy, and fries not crispy enough. I enjoyed the dish, but don't think I'd order it again. I didn't finish the dish because I was concerned I wouldn't have room left for the lamb, also a super-hearty dish.

While it may not be authentic lamb vindaloo, I enjoyed this dish, which the server reported has been on the menu since the Gage opened. The lamb was tender, but perhaps just a tad too fatty. The sauce, though, really worked for me. It was thick and had an impressive amount of spice. I would happily order this again and thought it was a good value for the price (given the location of the restaurant).

Ronna

I had a lovely lunch at The Gage today. Although I did not try any of the more exciting dishes, my experience adds a little new information:

1. Solo dining: Some places are less than hospitable for a solo female diner (so I have heard). The Gage was great-- my server (Michael) was just attentive enough that I had everything I needed, whilst not so attentive as to disturb my reading. Twice, a host or hostesses stopped by to ask how everything was-- both times, I was chewing, so just managed a thumbs-up.

2. Economy dining: The Gage is not a cheap restaurant, but the regular burger is only $10-- for a huge burger, big pickle, and mound of fries. Mine was perfectly cooked and topped with blue cheese. Excellent, and not a bad price. Two people could easily split a burger and a salad.

Next time I hope to be able to run up the tab with a bunch of drinks, but this time I had some very warming black tea. The teapot was hilarious-- a nubbly cast-iron beast that was very heavy. I was chilled from a long walk and I wanted to cuddle it.

I was favorably impressed and I'll be back.

Cheers, Jen

Pie-love wrote:I had a lovely lunch at The Gage today. Although I did not try any of the more exciting dishes, my experience adds a little new information:

1. Solo dining: Some places are less than hospitable for a solo female diner (so I have heard). The Gage was great-- my server (Michael) was just attentive enough that I had everything I needed, whilst not so attentive as to disturb my reading. Twice, a host or hostesses stopped by to ask how everything was-- both times, I was chewing, so just managed a thumbs-up.

Not sure if they have more than one server named Michael, but if not then this was my brother. Tip him well