Perennial

i was thoroughly impressed with my meal at Perennial. Zipping through a quick meal, it actually deserved more of of my time. Smoked sturgeon with a pretty little potato salad on the side to start, followed by a meaty pork belly with fava and corn succotash and a corn muffin. Its a gorgeous room and pretty reasonably priced. Entress mostly in the teens and low 20's.

Doing my civic duty by answering the (perennial) question, "Where is it?":

Perennial
1800 N Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 981-7070

I enjoyed my meal there as well.

Had the charcuterie plate with duck rilletes and a torchon of foie grois, a nice arugla salad, and a flatiron steak on a bed of buttered leeks and topped with some sauteed wild mushrooms. I didn't look at the wine list as I was in the mood for beer, and while they didn't have a very extensive beer list and nothing on tap, they did have a thoughtfully chosen selection of bottled beers (although I'd like to see a couple local choices.)

I will definitely go back, even if its just for a quick and fairly inexpensive steak after work. Was perfectly cooked, and really flavorful.

I'm not a brunch guy, but Perennial's excellent and reasonably priced weekend fare just might bring me back. "Legs benedict" had perfectly poached eggs over succulent duck confit, a well-toasted English muffin, and nicely made hollandaise. I liked that the housemade bacon ordered as a side was much less salty than commercial stuff - cooked up nice and crisp, the pig flavor really shined. Smoked salmon tart was strangely named, but delicious nonetheless. The "tart" shell was actually a thick, crispy, delicious potato pancake (like thick latkes that used the smallest holes on the box grater). As with the bacon, house smoked salmon was very light on smoke and other seasonings, and very high on rich salmon flavor. Lemon-infused mascarpone and capers rounded out a very nicely constructed dish. A moderately priced bottle of Michigan sparkling pinot noir was a refreshing accompaniment to the meal. Service was professional and efficient, while remaining casual and friendly.

Unlike many fine restaurants which mail it in come brunch time, Perennial seems to put in extra effort to make the meal special. They've enticed me to give the restaurant a try for dinner sometime.

The name bothers me, it makes me think of another word that is not appropriate to post.

Need a last-minute recommendation: We're heading to Perennial tonight for dinner with another couple. Any recommendations on the menu? Any recommendations from the wine list? What have you all enjoyed (besides what's described earlier in this thread)? Caveat: It's a Lenten Friday, so I'm going meatless. Thanks!

I'm pretty surprised that nobody is talking about this place. When Ryan Poli was at Butter a few years ago, he was generating some buzz on this forum. After apparently disappearing to Arizona for a while, Ryan Poli is now back in Chicago and delivering some of the best of the farm-to-table style of cuisine in this city. Much of the menu identifies specific ingredients which were obtained from the Green City Market (although not the specific purveyor). Also worth noting is that the style of cooking at Perennial is much simpler than what Chef Poli was doing at Butter (i.e., few attempts at molecular gastronomy), but the quality and consistency are even better.

The only thing I recall about my meal at Perennial several months ago is that it was very good. My meal Saturday night was outstanding. I started with a wonderful corn soup which just exploded in corn flavor. While I cannot recall every element of the soup, I can tell you that it was creamy but also featured a large dollop of corn powder nestled on one side of the bowl, also what might have been dried and re-hydrated? corn kernels spread throughout, and the soup was served around a small round of spoonbread. The aforementioned additions to the soup made for a very nice balance of textures.

My main course was a braised, then grilled pork belly with a peach gastrique and grilled peach (I think I might be missing an element to the dish). This combination of pork belly and peach was outstanding and epitomized summer eating in my opinion. I also quite enjoyed the taste of my dining companion's perfectly poached halibut which was served with both clams and chorizo.

The one negative which might unfortunately deter a few from Perennial is the Viagra Triangle-like atmosphere apparent on weekend evenings. Once you get by that, the dining room is very attractive (you'd never know this space once housed a Bar Louie), and the large patio (visible from the Green City Market) is a great place on a nice, summer evening. And at least half of the entrees are under $20, and almost all are under $25, making the final bill pretty reasonable.

BR wrote:I'm pretty surprised that nobody is talking about this place. When Ryan Poli was at Butter a few years ago, he was generating some buzz on this forum. After apparently disappearing to Arizona for a while, Ryan Poli is now back in Chicago and delivering some of the best of the farm-to-table style of cuisine in this city. Much of the menu identifies specific ingredients which were obtained from the Green City Market (although not the specific purveyor). Also worth noting is that the style of cooking at Perennial is much simpler than what Chef Poli was doing at Butter (i.e., few attempts at molecular gastronomy), but the quality and consistency are even better.

The only thing I recall about my meal at Perennial several months ago is that it was very good. My meal Saturday night was outstanding. I started with a wonderful corn soup which just exploded in corn flavor. While I cannot recall every element of the soup, I can tell you that it was creamy but also featured a large dollop of corn powder nestled on one side of the bowl, also what might have been dried and re-hydrated? corn kernels spread throughout, and the soup was served around a small round of spoonbread. The aforementioned additions to the soup made for a very nice balance of textures.

My main course was a braised, then grilled pork belly with a peach gastrique and grilled peach (I think I might be missing an element to the dish). This combination of pork belly and peach was outstanding and epitomized summer eating in my opinion. I also quite enjoyed the taste of my dining companion's perfectly poached halibut which was served with both clams and chorizo.

The one negative which might unfortunately deter a few from Perennial is the Viagra Triangle-like atmosphere apparent on weekend evenings. Once you get by that, the dining room is very attractive (you'd never know this space once housed a Bar Louie), and the large patio (visible from the Green City Market) is a great place on a nice, summer evening. And at least half of the entrees are under $20, and almost all are under $25, making the final bill pretty reasonable.

I know this is in my neighborhood and you reminded me of it's existence. I'm always traveling outside for food. Anyone know how they handle vegetarians?

pairs4life wrote:I know this is in my neighborhood and you reminded me of it's existence. I'm always traveling outside for food. Anyone know how they handle vegetarians?

Here's a sample menu, although this is not the exact menu I had Saturday. But there are a handful of vegetarian items on this menu, and I believe the menu I received Saturday was similar in that respect.

I went to Perennial a month something ago, the food and drinks were good. What surprised me, however, was the fact that the tables and chairs in the room (the one facing the park) are all the folded types (plastic ones but they cover them up with linens).... i am not a furniture snob but ours were a little wobbly and sure they can afford some sturdier furniture i would think

I know this is in my neighborhood and you reminded me of it's existence. I'm always traveling outside for food. Anyone know how they handle vegetarians?

A recent addition to their menu is Green City Market tofu. It's their first all-vegan dish, made from marinated and charred tofu with edamame puree and sprout salad.

We went to Perennial last night. I thought it was fine and am glad to have it in my neighborhood, but I wouldn't describe it as a destination restaurant.

I started with beef tartare, which turned out to be my favorite dish of the night. The beef was a little too finely chopped by I appreciated the raw quail egg on top for mixing. The beef itself had a great beefy flavor. The tartare was served with toasted brioche toast points, which unfortunately had been toasted well before being brought to the table. Overall though, a pretty solid dish. The wife had the crudo special, which was 3 miniscule slices of hamachi. She liked it, but wished there were more on the plate.

I had the pork belly for my main. The belly itself had a nice fat/meat ratio and was served in two pieces. One of the pieces was slightly burnt. The grilled peach and thyme doughnuts on the plate made up for that though.

Dessert was a perfectly fine chocolate brownie with some kind of ice cream.

Service was socially awkward but for the most part benign.

I won't be rushing back, but I wouldn't object to giving Perennial another shot. It's close, their outdoor space was perfectly nice, and the prices weren't totally out of line for what we got ($200 after tax but before tip for three appetizers, mains, and desserts with a bottle of wine).

A good, not great meal at Perennial Saturday. Service was outstanding; food good but a couple of flaws.

The high point was the duck liver mousse on the charcuterie plate, served with dried cherries and nuts (pistachios?). In any event, the mousse was sensational. The veal heart on the plate was sliced ultra thin and was really unremarkable.

Of two salads I tried, the portabella mushroom carpaccio salad was the way to go as it was excellent. The Lyonnaise salad featured a perfectly poached egg and wonderful lardons, and it would have been great had someone in the kitchen not poured a load of salt in the dressing.

A tagliatelle with a wild boar ragu absolutely paled in comparison to the same dish served at Piccolo Sogno. All was rescued with dessert - the chocolate hazelnut bar with creme fraiche and chocolate caramel was fantastic.

I'll keep returning to Perennial as the menu really strikes the right chord with me and I thoroughly enjoyed my first couple of meals there, but this meal (although good) exposed a couple of flaws.

I made my first visit to Perennial last night and was underwhelmed. Waiting for my dining companions, I got a chance to look around and study the decor, which I thought too much resembled the lobby of a South Loop highrise condo building (not a bad or good thing--just had a very staged feel, with too much Target-meets-CB2 furniture). It didn't help that I got lost on the way to the bathroom and I think was literally in the showroom-lobby of the building where there were large photographs of model residential units. With winter holiday decorations already up--in the dark lobby and in the restaurant dining room--I just found the whole space mildly annoying.

I visited last night as part of the beta testing of a new food-related iPhone application, which offered us the deal of $25 for any starter, entree and dessert--a great bargain. I think I would have had a major issue with value at Perennial had we paid menu prices. At $25 a person though, dinner was an OK-to-good experience.

Black Truffle Gnocchi, Parnsip Puree, Hen of the Woods Mushrooms, Frisee Salad



The gnocchi looked like croutons and had a mildly pasty texture, but otherwise this dish was pretty satisfying. The truffle was very subtle.

Beef Tartare, Horseradish Cream, Roasted Tomatoes, Quail Yolk



The tartare was OK but unexceptional.

Wild Boar Pappardelle Pasta, Fennel, Jeff's House Cured Guanciale, Sage, Whipped Taleggio Cheese



This was quite tasty but could have been warmer and was oversalted.

Poached Alaskan Halibut, Clams, Chorizo, Leeks, Smoked Onions, Spicy Tomato Broth



The halibut had a lovely silky texture which, unfortunately, wasn't enough to sustain this dish past two bites. There wasn't much flavor under the halibut so I got bored fast.

"Sea Scallop en Brodo," Oxtail Raviolini, Root Vegetables, Fines Herbes, Red Wine Oxtail Consomme



Another dish with a lot of potential. I was happy with the doneness of the scallops, and the consomme was a beautiful burgundy color and very flavorful, but the ravioli were inexcusably underdone and tough. The filling was yummy though.

Beck Lane Organic Pork Belly, Grilled Pears, Kale, Thyme Dounuts, Pear Gastrique



The pork fat was too soft and mushy, and the pears seemed merely poached, not grilled. The donuts were a little tough and hollow, but the kale provided a nice, green contrast to the rest of the plate.

The Brazilian - Brown Butter Cake, Cachaça Pineapple, Ginger Popsicles, Coconut Sorbet, Piña Colada Sauce



I liked how ethereal this dessert looked. I thought it might be too busy with all of the components, but it worked. Mostly, I enjoyed the different sensations of melting in my mouth. I wondered why this dessert got a sexy name and the other desserts on the menu only simple descriptive names.

Cheese Cake - Raspberry Custard, Cream Cheese Foam, Graham Cracker Ice Cream



As I told my dining companions repeatedly, I just could not get over the blob-wearing-a-cookie-beret appearance of this dish. The pulverized cookie texture of the ice cream amused me initially, but in the end, I didn't like it.

Passion Fruit Cream - Berry gelee, Vanilla Ice Cream, Lemon Madeleines



As a big fan of passion fruit, I liked this dessert the best. I would have like to see more passion fruit cream and less ice cream. I also would have liked more zest in the madeleines and a firmer texture. The chocolate crunchies seemed discordant. Did I say I liked it?

Service bordered on too attentive to me, but that could have been because of the special occasion of the iPhone application testing. The restaurant was full of other testers eager to give feedback on the entire experience. Nothing we had at Perennial was bad, but it's not likely I'll return.

happy_stomach wrote:Black Truffle Gnocchi, Parnsip Puree, Hen of the Woods Mushrooms, Frisee Salad

Perennial's Black Truffle Gnocchi was just named as one of Food and Wine's "10 Best Restaurant Dishes $12 & Under". I'd agree that it is a great and memorable dish.

They're Roman style gnocchi, which essentially means that a semolina batter is cooled to harden, then pieces are sliced off and baked like cookies. I thought Perennial did an OK rendition, but I almost never fall in love with Roman style gnocchi because I find the texture offputting. Give me gnocchi, or give me baked polenta - but this hybrid thing, not so much. It's popular with restaurants though, because it's easier than regular gnocchi to make in advance and heat for service.

I was recently at Perennial, with happy_stomach in fact, and think I found the meal she reported on to be somewhat more enjoyable. I think I'm more sympathetic to this kind of food. If I'm being honest, it's stylistically somewhat similar to the type of food I've cooked in the past. Modern-inflected, globally inspired, with something of a local bent, too. I wouldn't call this food particularly soulful but, when done well, I think it can be incredibly delicious, fun, and memorable. I'm not so sure that Perennial succeeds fully, but I liked the place.

It certainly helped that I paid $25 for three courses, an absurdly good deal. With that said, I dined at Boka the next week, paid $40 for three courses as part of a similar promotion and would take the meal at Boka eight times out of ten. Price was a factor, but it's not as if I'd be eating at Perennial everyday if prices were always this low nor would I refuse to return and pay full prices now. I also didn't find the service to be so over intrusive. Maybe a little, sure, but it was well meaning and the server was cute. I'm a sucker for a pretty girl. So be it.

I thought there were temperature issues across the board. The food should've been hotter. As a three-top in a restaurant that was, at most, 75% full, it's not as if the kitchen was totally slammed. I thought the gnocchi was very tasty, but in a cheap way. Of course wild mushrooms and truffles aren't cheap in the absolute sense, but it was a dish of cheap thrills. Crispy, starchyness. Creamy root veg puree. Some truffle essense in the form of oil or salt. Big hits of umami from the mushrooms. The beef tartare was quite elegant on the plate and tasty, but I wouldn't call it distinctive. The parpadelle was actually my favorite starter. I might be able to see overseasoned, but I thought it was just rich and quite comforting. Perhaps the pasta was a bit thick, but I was a fan of this dish.

Mains, too, had highlights and lowlights. No dish was so delicious that I wanted to just dig in without abandon. I think this is a restaurant that might benefit from taking the odd component off the plate. In the case of the belly dish, though tasty, the thyme doughnuts were a total distraction and detracted from the dish. Rather than hot and airy, they seemed sodden. I thought the pork was overbraised, but was saved from being an overly mushy mess by the smart application of some time on the grill to provide a bit of crispness. Still, overall I thought this was a pretty tasty dish and my favorite of the mains.

The halibut was clearly cooked sous vide and while some might find the silky texture appealing, as an avid fan and proponent of sous vide cookery this dish did not benefit from this method. The accompanying broth and chorizo was quite flavorful but needed just a bit more. Some maillard, in the form of a nicely pan-roasted piece of fish, would've rounded out the dish nicely. As it was, I found it rather bland.

The scallop dish was really marred by the ravioli. Braised beef and scallops is actually a pretty great combo, but the pasta was way too thick and, still worse, undercooked. This was not a nice combo. The red wine consomme was quite rich and quite a bit to the dish. The pasta just needed to be retooled, significantly.

The desserts were fun, but, as happy_stomach pointed out, a bit sameish in texture. In fact, I thought a lot of the food was very soft, well, except for those damn ravioli. I wanted some crunch, some chew across the board. The sweets were fun but seemed to get a bit repetitive as we continued to eat them. The powderiness in the graham cracker ice cream was also quite distracting. The simplest of the desserts, the passion fruit, was also my favorite in retrospect.

I liked this place. I could see how some people would say it's style over substance. I could also see people loving it for not taking itself too seriously while offering what I think is actually a pretty interesting array of dishes. The style of food is highly salient to me and as a result I think I'm more likely to both sing its praises and also hone in on its faults. I think Ryan Poli is doing fun stuff and while I'm not enamored I think it's a solid player in the city's dining scene.

I had the pleasure of dining at Perennial last night, and, like BryanZ, enjoyed the easy-going atmosphere. I thought the gnocchi/truffle/mushroom starter was an enjoyable, light, uncomplicated dish. I think the "cheap thrills" description is apt...while eating it, I was felt like Joey Tribbiani eating Rachel's custard/jam/beef stew trifle in "Friends": gnocchi - gooood. Parsnip puree...gooood. Microgreens...gooood. Black truffle...goooooood. This dish was exactly the sum of its parts, but fortunately each part was tasty.

I also really enjoyed the arugula salad, with mint, shaved peccorino, grilled zucchini, and lemon vinaigrette. It was such a simple dish, but the flavors were right on. I think it's a perfect example of the usage of the word "bright" as a culinary adjective.

For my main, I went with the "Pork Lover's Obsession": grilled pork loin with kale and some sort of puree (don't remember what it was, but it wasn't memorable), glazed pork belly, and trotter ragout with potato puree. The loin was okay, but then, I've never gotten too crazy over pork loin. The kale was nice though. The pork belly was very nicely cooked, with just the right amount of glaze, fat and rich meat. My favorite, however, was the trotter ragout with whipped potatoes...it was like a porky, rich shepherd's pie.

I had a glass of Protos Ribero del Duero tinto, which I thought went really well with the pork. I found the pour to be very generous, especially for ten bucks.

We ended with the cheese sampler...loved the raw cow gouda with pear butter and the cheddar with pretzel croutons and sweet jalapeno relish. I thought the double cream with quince relish was a bit too earthy for me, but my wife really enjoyed it. We all thought the goat cheese (from Zingerman's Creamery) was waaaaay too strong for our tastes...we were still tasting it when we got home.

Overall, I was a fan of Perennial...the prices aren't bad at all for this type of food, the staff is friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere is casual enough that one can throw on some nicer jeans and a button down and not feel out of place, which hits the spot sometimes for a laidback Sunday dinner.

I thought for sure I had posted on Perennial. We just moved out of Eugenie Terrace, which is about two blocks from there, and probably ate there a half dozen times.

(note: we like the bar there... nice balance of relaxed and chic, and decent 'tenders)

If you catch it on a good night, Perennial can be a good meal. In that sense, it was great to have as a local option. But it's also indicative of its greatest fault. Not sure if it's Poli, or other back of the house staff, but it's very inconsistent.

We've had some nice dishes there. My beef tartare was good, the olive oil / sea salt / dark chocolate dessert, etc.

But it's not a destination. Tentori @ Boka is far more solid and interesting, to this diner.

It occurred to me just now that I forgot to mention the most surprising standout of dinner at Perennial: smoked tofu over lentil ragout! I thought this dish was just fantastic...light-yet-firm tofu perfectly permeated with smoke, over beluga lentils so buttery, tender, and well-seasoned that I found myself secretly hoping my sister-in-law wouldn't be able to finish so I could scavenge whatever was left (she couldn't, and I did).

I never thought I'd see the day when I ordered a pork loin/pork belly/pork trotter dish, and got food envy over tofu & lentils...but alas, hell briefly froze over on Sunday.

Has anyone tried brunch at Perennial?

I've been for brunch twice in the past, but not in the past 6 months or so. It's actually a very good choice for the neighbourhood. Prices are competitive with other spots, and the food is significantly better (I still don't understand why Nookies has a perpetual crowd). Most of the menu items are brunch staples (pancakes, eggs benedict, farmers market omelette, some comfort foods) with a little twist here and there.

Thanks! Going there tomorrow before exploring Lincoln Park Zoo. The french toast with almond baguette, apples, and lemon ginger creme fraiche sounds good! And it's only $9. Even better!

The French toast mentioned above was awesome! If you like sweet things for breakfast, try it! I'm a fan of M Henry's blisscakes and French toasts, but I have to say that Perennial's French toast is superior. More layering of flavors going on with the almonds encrusting the bread, the apples (cooked with cinnamon I think), and the ginger, lemon creme fraiche. So good!!! Mmm...I want some now.

I had the pleasure of trying Chef Poli's sweet corn tasting menu in August and it was a very lovely four-course meal. I had received an email from Ellen Malloy at Restaurant Intelligence Agency that said the menu was $35, but when I arrived at the restaurant, it ended up being $40. I'm not sure what the cause was behind the last minute price jump, but it was slightly off-putting.



Our first course was a corn soup. The Nichols Farm corn soup was poured tableside over a peeky toe crab fritter resting on a mound of honey fluff. I had no idea what “honey fluff” was, but it looked like a light honey frosting and added a really nice sweet flavor and creamy texture to the soup. The corn puree was so fresh and the crab fritter just melted right in. I was expecting something like a crab cake, but this was far tastier than any crab cake I've ever had.



The pretzel bread was served right after our soup was brought to the table (and there I was thinking there would be no bread) and it was absolutely perfect for dipping in the soup. On its own, it was a little too salty, but with the sweet soup, it was the perfect sweet/salty mix. Even tastier than kettle corn.



The second course was a Twin Garden Farms corn truffle ravioli with house Ibérico bacon and corn velouté. The polenta-like corn truffle puree within each raviolo was exquisite, though there was not really a strong truffle flavor. There was just enough bacon to add a salty touch without overwhelming the corn flavor.



Third course was a grilled sturgeon with Three Sisters Farm smoked corn, Growing Power Farm mustard green salad, pickled red onion and spoon bread. The fish was impeccably grilled with just a touch of salt, I only wish the portion had been a smidgen larger. I can't believe they call the few mustard greens atop the fish a “salad” and the lack of vegetables aside from corn) in this tasting menu is really my only major complaint. I would have liked to see a salad course with a hearty serving of leafy greens. The corn and pickled onion combo was great, though I couldn't really tasted that the corn had been smoked.



I enjoyed the spoon bread, although my mom thought it was boring. It had a nice gritty cornbread texture and I liked the kick of spice from the red peppers.



Dessert was a brown butter corn financier with sweet corn ice cream and Seedlings Farm blueberry compote. We both agreed that this was the most disappointing course because the financier was simply too dry. Even with ice cream melting into it, the crust was tough and didn't really absorb any flavor. It tasted just like not very good cornbread – the kind that's stuck to the edges of the pan. I rather enjoyed the sweet corn ice cream, although my mom thought it did not have enough corn flavor. I tried to tell her that it has a great corn aftertaste in your throat, but she insisted that the blueberry compote was the best part of this dessert



After dessert, they brought us a few petit fours. We're not sure if they knew they didn't do a good job with the financier, or if it's something that everyone receives, but we enjoyed these extra sweets far more. The white chocolate ice cream lollypops were topped with tiny chocolate malt balls, the passion fruit gelee was also delicious and the short bread was surprisingly light and airy, while still rich and buttery.

Overall, we really enjoyed ourself and will definitely return. Their brunch menu is very reasonably priced and has a few interesting options. The waiters were very professional and cute and it was great to get the chance to try the tasting menu, although it was a little bit of a bummer that Chef Poli himself was not in the kitchen preparing it, but at an event at the Palmer House that evening.

Poli mentioned planning a Pumpkin menu on Facebook or Twitter, I believe, and I am looking forward to seeing what he comes up with.

Hurdler4eva, very fine post and the pix are excellent. I think Ryan Poli is one of Chicago's finest chefs, though he sometimes doesn't seem to get the recognition he deserves.

Pretzel rolls are suddenly everywhere (Urban Burger Bar, Chicago Q), which is fine with me as I like 'em (though I'm sure I'll hit the point where I can bear to look at another one, especially if they keep proliferating).

Paul Virant moves to Perennial. Perennial becomes Perennial Virant (which should probably have its own thread).



I guess Nathan Sears takes over at Vie?

Details to come, I'm sure...
--Rich

edit: Word is that Paul is going to split time between Vie and PV

RAB wrote:Paul Virant moves to Perennial. Perennial becomes Perennial Virant (which should probably have its own thread).



I guess Nathan Sears takes over at Vie?

Details to come, I'm sure...
--Rich

edit: Word is that Paul is going to split time between Vie and PV

Sweet now I can walk up the street instead of wondering when I'm heading out to the burbs to experience his food.

I must have missed the news last week that Ryan Poli was leaving Perennial. Looks like he's got some other plans already:

http://chicago.eater.com/archives/2011/ ... ernita.php

And it looks like Paul Virant is stepping in...