restaurants serving morels?

Can anyone recommend a restaurant with morels on the menu? Thanks.

The first place that came to mind was Lula Cafe, alas they are closed on Tuesdays, but open the rest of the week. It is one of my absolute favorite places for a casual dinner. My husband and I have been at least twice in the last month - early April for the ramps and last week for morels. They currently have two dishes featuring morels on the seasonal menu, I tried the over-wintered spinach salad with morel mushrooms, spring onions, blue cheese, asian pear and walnut currant crouton, which I thought was actually a very interesting taste combination with the crispy/chewy croutons and an absoultely delightful salad. The entire menu is available on their website.

The May 7th post by Michael/EatChicago mentioned both dishes featuring morels:
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Ms. EC had a spinach salad with blue cheese and morels, the highlight of which was slightly soft currant-bread croutons.

Besides the chicken, I had an ample confit of salmon with morels, smoked mustard greens, and a salmon-potato tartare. I generally only prefer my salmon smoked or raw, but at a place like Lula, I feel safe ordering items I wouldn't normally order. The salmon had the buttery texture you'd expect from a confit and a very mild flavor. I was slightly disappointed by the tartare, which had a flavor that was completely obliterated by the oil of the confit.

Although it does not feature morels, my husband has proclaimed that the pork loin dish, which like the chicken is supplied by Gunthrop farm, featuring crispy polenta and rhubarb-red wine sauce and pork jus was "incredible." Note also that for a $10 corkage fee you can BYO.

Lula Cafe
2537 N. Kedzie Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60647
773.489.9554
www.lulacafe.com
http://www.sare.org/publications/naf/gunthorp.htm

MK has them right now, in a couple different dishes. Had them a couple of years ago there in a pasta appetizer, and they were first class.

Saps

Last year I know Froggy's had a morel and chantarelle menu - in July. I've never been to this restaurant so I don't know how good it is or was.

Froggy's French Cafe
306 Green Bay Rd.
Highwood, IL 60040-1305
847-433-7080

Blackbird was serving them in multiple dishes a few days ago at lunch. They had a morels appetizer (lightly fried in some fantastic sauce that I can't remember), and they were a side in their salmon entree.

We had morels at Volo wine bar a week ago (Roscoe and Damen, just W. of Damen on N. side of street).

I second the Lula mention. I haven't been , but last night a friend raved about their morel dishes.

I did a quick search and didn't see anything on this topic... So:

I'm wondering whether anyone has seen morels starting to pop up on any local menus? Even better, I'd love it if there are any restaurants specifically on the west side or western suburbs, in particular, who are offering any seasonal or special dishes with morels.... but any suggestions are welcome.

Or am I too early??

Thanks!!

Hi,

You're probably on time for morels to likely be on menus. Morels are popping downstate with some likely migrating here.

Regards,

We went to a very tasty morel dinner at Merlo on Lincoln a couple of weeks ago.

Anteprima had a pasta special with morels back in March. Current menus posted on their website don't show any morel dishes, but you could phone and ask if they plan to feature any dishes with morels.

Anteprima
5316 N. Clark St.
Chicago IL 60640
p. 773.506.9990

Daisy11 wrote:Anteprima had a pasta special with morels back in March. Current menus posted on their website don't show any morel dishes, but you could phone and ask if they plan to feature any dishes with morels.

Anteprima
5316 N. Clark St.
Chicago IL 60640
p. 773.506.9990

I've ordered dishes there simply labeled "wild mushrooms" (which shows up on their online menu) and been pleasently surprised to encounter morels. I see they also have a dish with ramps.

Just got back from a great meal at Vie, where I had a wonderful morel appetizer of "roasted local morels, bone marrow, green garlic, parsley and pickled garlic." It came in a hot cast iron dish, had a little bit of heat and kick, and was all-around delicious.

rehorn wrote:Just got back from a great meal at Vie, where I had a wonderful morel appetizer of "roasted local morels, bone marrow, green garlic, parsley and pickled garlic." It came in a hot cast iron dish, had a little bit of heat and kick, and was all-around delicious.

Had this one last week and it just blew me away. One of the best morel applications I've ever encountered. Ever.

=R=

I've been told that the farm dinner tomorrow night (Monday May 10th) at Lula will feature hand cut pasta with rabbit and morels. $28 for three courses; I have no info on the the appetizer or dessert, but I think Lula does hand cut pasta very well, so I'll be there...

Lula
2537 North Kedzie Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 489-9554

Had a great starter with duck egg, morels, spring peas and gouda at the Gage last week.

Gage
24 S. Michigan
Chicago, IL 60603
(312) 372-4243


I know this isn't too helpful yet, but we'll be posting a story on morel dishes around town on Centerstage this week. I'm not sure what all the included restaurants will be yet, but will add info here once I have it.

Are there more morels on menus this year? Seems like it. And if so, is it because of the positive natural/organic/local trend that's now "commercial," because the morels are huge in number and size this year (my kid just went on a nature hike for school and was tripping over them in WI; they are all over the place in MI too), or all of the above? Not complaining. Eagerly awaiting deep-fried morels with a sunny-side up egg.

JeffB wrote: Eagerly awaiting deep-fried morels with a sunny-side up egg.

You forgot the bacon!

JeffB wrote:Are there more morels on menus this year? Seems like it. And if so, is it because of the positive natural/organic/local trend that's now "commercial," because the morels are huge in number and size this year (my kid just went on a nature hike for school and was tripping over them in WI; they are all over the place in MI too), or all of the above? Not complaining. Eagerly awaiting deep-fried morels with a sunny-side up egg.

My mushroom geek friends tell me that it is a particularly good year for them.

FYI, here is the dish from Vie mentioned upthread . . .


Vie's Roasted Local Morels with Bone Marrow, Green Garlic, Parsley and Pickled Garlic

=R=

As of Friday, Naha had the following item on their dinner menu:

Wild Alaskan Halibut, Foraged Local Morels, White Asparagus and Nichol's Farm Green Asparagus, Jerusalem Artichokes, and Celery Root "Mousseline"

As promised, here's what's covered in our morel article, posted today:

Green Zebra - farm egg raviolo stuffed with pureed white asparagus spears and topped with salt-kissed morels and sorrel strips
Chilam Balam - corn masa gordita pockets stuffed with chopped morels in a Michoacan pasilla sauce, served with parsnip and red onion farmer's slaw
Anteprima - wild mushroom cartoccio (morels, royal trumpet and hen of the woods mushrooms) baked in parchment pouch with knob onions, olive oil and white wine
Gage - w/ duck egg, L'Amuse gouda, Nichols Farm spring peas

More description and some drool-worthy photos in the link. We'll likely be adding one more, from Rootstock, within the day.

Does anyone know of a restaurant planning a morel tasting dinner? Or maybe one bragging about putting morels on their menu soon? I don't want to wait too long and miss their short season.

Thanks!

I haven't. And it seems odd that with all the localism so popular now, one doesn't have restaurants trumpeting their arrival the way the signs go up in restaurant windows all over Italy when there are fresh porcini.

Hi,

Morels won't arrive to our immediate area until late April. The first morel in the very southern tip of Illinois will be sometime this month. Very likely found by my friend Joe McFarland from the Illinois Department of Revenue.

Near Carbondale, there is a Tom's Place in De Soto, Illinois. Chef Lasse Sorenson works with Joe to host an morel dinner. Chef Sorenson prepared food for the film Babette's Feast, which he occasionally replicates.

Tom's Place,
17107 North Highway 51
De Soto, Illinois

Regards,

Longman and Eagle has been offering morels. Last weekend I had a small plate of grilled duck livers with morels on crostini, topped with a quail egg. If I'm not mistaken, Balsan has morels in now as well.

I just got a notice that Le Titi de Paris will have a morel menu on May 13. From their site:

Locally Foraged Morel Dinner

Friday, May 13, 2011

7:30pm

$95 per person plus desired beverages, tax and gratuity

$136 per person with the wine flight, plus desired beverages, tax and gratuity

Le Menu

Canapé: Spring Garlic and Potato Soup with Morel Croutons

***

Thyme Ravioli of Hudson Valley Foie Gras and Morels, Served on Wilted Spinach with Spring Onion and Mushroom Barigoule

2006 Chateau les Tuileres Sauternes, France

***

Croquettes of Norwegian Salmon

With Spring Ragout of Hand-Picked "Le Titi" Asparagus and Morels

2008 Walter Hansel Sauvignon Blanc, Russian River Valley

***

Apricot Lavender Sorbet

***

Slow Roasted "Milk Fed" Veal Loin, Creamy Triple Cheese and Root Vegetable Risotto, Morel Créam Essence

***

Assiette of Global Cheeses Served with Rustic French Baguette and Brandied Peach Compote

1999 Glunz Vintage Port Touriga and Tinta Madeira, California

***

Symphony of Passion Fruit Napoleon and Flourless Bittersweet Chocolate Gâteau

With Strawberry Preserves and White Chocolate Mousse

N.V. Glunz Farms Raspberry Wine, Grayslake, IL

***

Please call 847-506-0222 to make your reservations!

Not a restaurant, but there are loads of fresh morels available at Mariano's in Arlington Heights.

Cynthia wrote:Not a restaurant, but there are loads of fresh morels available at Mariano's in Arlington Heights.

Do you recall how much per pound?

Ursiform wrote:

Cynthia wrote:Not a restaurant, but there are loads of fresh morels available at Mariano's in Arlington Heights.

Do you recall how much per pound?

I think they were about $28 per pound -- but I'd call to check that, because it was one of about a million things I looked at. (They also have fresh mangosteens at about $3.50 each.)

Does anyone know of a Chicago area restaurant featuring morels on their menu now (or soon)? The season is so short, hate to have to wait another year to eat them.

Thanks!