Inovasi

Always nice to be first.

I give John De Rossiers, the chef and owner of Inovasi, a lot of credit: he knows his micro-North Shore audience very very well given that we were relegated to the bar at 8:30 on a Tuesday...just maybe too well for the rest of us. This reads like an innovative menu--and I had trouble deciding from all the choices--but it eats like 1995: heavy sauces, salt, starch. While the playful touches of his Bank Lane Bistro work are still evident--"Japanese Doritos," if you will--he's clearly kowtowing to his demographic with a lot of the same ol' same ol' hidden underneath the artifice. If he'd just let his ingredients and his techniques shine through, we'd have something like a revelation here.

The conceit is small plates with a contemporary, vaguely regional, American spin--commence eye-rolling...NOW. But this is done playfully, with a decent bang for the buck: three courses will run you about $27-36 and the servings are comparatively ample (one of the benefits of the demo, I suppose).

There's a lot of potential here, but no consistency even within a single dish. I really loved the subtle black walnut vinagrette on a spinach salad, but nothing else on the plate popped (which is more than you can say about a southern-style red oak lettuce/blue cheese/peanuts salad that was cafeteria level). A lovely oyster fritter, full of contrasting sweet hush puppie-esque and briny oyster bites, was drifting in a sea of so-called "blue tortilla chilaquiles and confit shallots"--more like a mess of beans and some large onions. A pasta dish had some really lovely wild mushrooms and a very bright and clever sugared lemon skin--plus some unannounced scallops--but was doused in an unnecessarily heavy cream base where a minimalist foundation--if anything--would have done; I found myself wondering with each bite what any number of superior SF Italian places (Oliveto, Incanto) would have done with these ingredients. And the "Jackson Pollock's Walleye Pike"--so named for the abstract splashes of four sauces on the plating--was such a marvelous piece of whitefish (with a great "truffle salsa" on top)...and so marvelously marred by the overwhelming saltiness of those abstract sauces and the farro pasta underneath.

It's hard to say whether the flawed elements are the accidents of a new kitchen or the deliberate appeals to the taste of the target audience--sure hope it's the former. But I hope Des Rossiers eventually adds his modern and whimsical touches--e.g., foams, gelees--to lighten the dishes, or simply subtracts all the elements to better emphasize his ingredients. When he does, I have no doubt this will be an essential North Shore restaurant.

28 E. Center Ave.
Lake Bluff, IL 60044
(847) 295-1000
http://www.inovasi.us

Your description of the food here makes it sound absolutely dreadful to me.
No doubt the "need to be seen" ppl will flock. Ruining great ingredients with overbearing sauces is probably one of my biggest hatreds with restaurants and chefs. It just seems so self important IMO. It's like saying, my sauce is better than this ultra fresh piece of well cooked fish - it MUST be in your face...you MUST like it better than this stupid piece of fish. It irks me to no avail. Seriously, I actually get mad. People waste so much effort ruining food. If you have good fish, guess what? Anyone who likes fish will KNOW it's good. Salt / pepper / grill. It cannot get much better if it is FRESH, and not overcooked. Heavy sauces are actually a red flag for me - why would you need to mask something in a heavy sauce? Maybe it's the East Coaster in me. I'd let the fish shine for itself. Fish eaters KNOW what fresh fish is - why ruin it? Oh, yeah, because your sauce is obviously better than that stupid pesky little piece of fish, and needs to be at the forefront.
BAH!
I need a trip to the Depot Diner for therapy now just after reading about Inovassi.
BAH!
Although - a tiny little part of is compelled to actually try Inovassi. Maybe if it's really that bad, I would TELL the server my thoughts when they ask "How is everything?" I really do love to tell them my thoughts. They SO do not expect the stuff I say.

BAH!

I've been to Inovasi twice in the past month (went back even after a less-than-successful first visit because I really wanted to like it, having heard good things about the chef), but have to agree that it is mediocre at best.

Our impressions of the items my party of three tried over the course of two visits, roughly ordered from favorite to least favorite:
- Tuscan tomato soup - richly flavored with chunks of roasted tomato and onions, but very filling for an appetizer due to a liberal dose of olive oil
- Spinach salad - fresh greens, good dressing
- Tempura soft shell crabs - pretty good, but the lemongrass/coconut sauce was too overpowering
- Braised and smoked suckling pig - the meat was tender and nicely flavored, but can't remember anything else about the dish
- Pork shoulder lasagna - again, meat was fork-tender and good, but the lasagna needed more tomatoes and less of the ricotta and a weird tequila creme fraiche topping
- Organix baby chicken - the buttery vanilla sauce on the wild rice was bad
- Risotto with english peas and brie - very mushy, garnished with a dollop of a fruity sauce that did nothing for the dish
- Roasted wild ocean bass - have never had ocean bass before (assume it is different from sea bass), but our piece tasted decidedly fishy and the miso/peanut sauce was terrible

As the above poster noted, the restaurant seems to be doing good business - I was most recently there Monday around 8:15 and it wasn't full, but was busy. It will be interesting to see if this trend keeps up - there is certainly not much competition in the area. As for my group - we miss the former occupant of the space, Holly's bistro - the food was perhaps less ambitious, but tastier!

I have eaten dinner at Inovasi 3 times and lunch twice, and I like it a lot. I may not be objective as I have been a fan of John's for years and have gotten to know him, but I think that what he is doing makes a lot of sense. Chezbrad is right that this is different from the foams and gelees that were part of the tasting menus at Bank Lane, but I think that Inovasi is trying to be more approachable, with interesting riffs on more common meals, rather than trying to be another cutting edge paean to intellectual preciousness. There are plenty of places for that downtown. This may be "kowtowing to his demographic," but it also has the potential to change the dining landscape in the northern suburbs, where there are plenty of mundane places, as well as a number of very expensive, high end restaurants, but nothing this interesting at this price point.

I agree that some the dishes are hearty, and some, like the mushroom pasta, richer than you might expect from the menu description. I dont think that this is a bad thing, unless you are on a diet (in which case order the carpaccio or the ceviche), though it does make it difficult to eat the 5-6 courses that you might expect to eat at the $9-13 price point. Some of the sauces do lean to the salty side, but most are effectively on the side, like on the Jackson Pollock pike, so you can use as much as you want. The wine list is very interesting, and very reasonably priced, with lots of unusual wines by the glass. I loved the Great Lakes "Burning River" Pale Ale at lunch, which is one of the 6 uncommon beers on tap.

Inovasi clearly appeals to us locals, and even has, horror of horrors, a children's menu, but it is also a restaurant that can change what we expect in terms of innovation and quality at a reasonable price.

-Will

WillG wrote:Chezbrad is right that this is different from the foams and gelees that were part of the tasting menus at Bank Lane, but I think that Inovasi is trying to be more approachable, with interesting riffs on more common meals, rather than trying to be another cutting edge paean to intellectual preciousness. There are plenty of places for that downtown.

Will, my criticism was not so much for their existence, or lack thereof, on the menu but for the fact that I think John would be better served employing more MG techniques than the more nouveau touches he is currently using; I think they'd complement his dishes better, quite frankly.

WillG wrote:This may be "kowtowing to his demographic," but it also has the potential to change the dining landscape in the northern suburbs, where there are plenty of mundane places, as well as a number of very expensive, high end restaurants, but nothing this interesting at this price point.

I hope so--but I felt there was gap between how the menu reads on the website and how it was executed at the restaurant. I think a little more of the risk-taking he did at Bank Lane would benefit these "more common meals."

He could stand to cut the amount of starch on the protein plates by a good 25%--if not entirely--too.

It will be interesting to see how the menu evolves. I would assume that John is trying to be fairly conservative starting out, making sure that the restaurant is running smoothly. I too hope that there will be a bit more "risk-taking" in the future, but remember that this is Lake Bluff, not River North, and he has to continue to appeal to the locals with interesting but reliable food. Even at Bank Lane, where I had some of the best multi-course meals of my life, the menu always offered steak frites for the regulars.

I disagree about the starch elements at Inovasi. I have always thought that the unusual sides that John has offered, the inca quinoa, the red barley, the coarse grits, made the focus of the course more interesting. It also makes it more filling for those of us who just want to have 2 courses.

-Will

Everyone, please do not take offense for my posting. I just wish to let all of you know what and how I am thinking, and to be as honest with you as you will be with me.

First, let me say that I have heard and am responding to concerns about our cuisine in our first month of operations. Tonight we are changing about half of our menu, and addressing some of the valid concerns voiced here.

The cream is out, and I am changing a great number of small touches to the entire menu, attempting to both satisfy my strong audience, and my own personal tastes and likes. We use a great deal of local, sustainable, and great tasting produce, meats, and fishes in our menu, and those things will take more place front and center.

I do not expect everyone to like everything we will do, but I do hope all of you will continue to judge the restaurant fairly, and not come in looking for negativity. I always encourage and honestly thrive on honest feedback from a variety of people. To be completley honest, this post and other reviews from guests like yourselves has prompted me towards this type of change and re-focus of our menu.

Inovasi has a number of long term goals, and to change dining on the shore is certainly one of the biggest. But, I can not financially blow off my guests the very first month we open. We will continue to push to be better, we will never let up. But, our success will depend on a number of factors, and having a loyal solid customer base is crucial.

I hope all of you will attempt the new things and changes on the menu, and I honestly hope they will be more to your, and the rest of our guests liking.

As far as the previous restaurant who occupied our location, we will never, ever be anything like them, and seeing as how they did not survive, or even do very well, anyone else wishing us to be like them is a little disparaging.

Seebee, please ask for me to let me know your opinions, I own the restaurant, and will be as polite and honest with you as you will be with us.

I dined at Inovasi on Thursday evening, for their wine event with Peacock Family Vineyards. I was glad to be able to try Inovasi for the first time, as I've been a fan of John Des Rosiers' cooking for years. I tried to get to Bank Lane Bistro regularly, which says something about what I think of John's cuisine given that I live in Naperville. I'm glad he's back in the game and my experience on Thursday indicates that he has great things going. I can't tell you what may or may not have happened with chezbrad and kimzy during their visits, but it sounds like John's post noted some things that he tweaked since he first opened. Seebee, I would suggest trying it for yourself rather than taking any one poster's opinion, even mine.

Lastly, one thing John knows is that I will always be honest with him about any dish, no matter how long I've been going to his restaurants. So with that, here's some photos and descriptions of the menu from Thursday. I'll use the description right off of the menu, to prevent any mistakes due to paraphrasing.

The first course was a salad consisting of shaved hakurei sweet turnips, red oak lettuce, autumn chard, micro greens, english walnut-dijon mustard vinaigrette, all on cheesy crispy rice paper. The dish was very light, given all the ingredients that were involved. It was very tasty, with my only issue being that it needed a touch of salt. It went well with the sauvignon blanc served with it.



The second course was wild Alaskan sablefish, Washington state chanterelle mushrooms, and homemade chinese bbq glaze served on a crisly seasoned spring roll layer. This was an excellent dish, with the fish perfectly underdone with simple seasonings, served on top of some great sauteed chanterelles, then glazed lightly with a slightly sweet, light bbq sauce. The slightly spicy seasoning on the spring roll layer balanced the flavors of the bbq sauce very well. It paired very well with the viognier served with it from High Flyer winery, which has a better fruit component than I see in most viogniers.




The third course was "4-day process Vande Rose Farms Kurobuta pork shoulder, black heirloom tomato ragout, ancient farro verre grain, pink peppercourn-farm basil coconut sauce". The pork shoulder had been slow cooked and a few other preparations accounting for the four days. The pork was great, with a good smokey taste but not dry at all (I usually avoid pork except for BBQ because of the dryness). The ferro grain had a great mouth feel, very toothsome. The sweetness of the tomatoes allowed the dish to pair very well with the cabernet sauvignon served with this course. It was a toss-up with my wife as to this or the sablefish being her favorite course of the evening.



The fourth course was "Priest Ranch grilled lamb chop, marinated in middle eastern spices, savory peach & Ishikura green onions 'stew' with a sour passion fruit gelle". The lamb chop was very tasty, with a consistency that made the meat not taste like a farm product. The spices were balanced well by the peach and onion 'stew', which was actually a light sauce. The gelee threw me off here, and later on I mentioned to John that I didn't really know how to eat the dish. He noted that all the components need to be eaten together in each bite, something he targets in each of his dishes. In retrospect the sourness of the gelee would have played off of the sweetness of the peaches pretty well.



Dessert was "single source manjari chocolate, fabbri amarena sweet cherries, spiced macadamia nuts, and a touch of warm wild boar bacon". I really liked this dish a lot, even with the intense chocolate that is more intense than I typically like. The cherries balanced the chocolate well, and there isn't anything that isn't made better with the introduction of bacon. There wasn't a thing wrong with the execution of the dish, however it was paired with a Priest Ranch petite sirah, a wine from one of the wineries participating in the evening activities. I'm not a guy that likes dry red wine with either cheese or dessert. I know why the wine was here because of the purpose of the evening, so there's no fault to be called, but if I were having this dish on a normal night at the restaurant I would order a glass of vintage or late-bottled vintage port, or perhaps a malmsey Madeira if they have one on the wine list. An Austrailian Muscat would have been nice also.



My overall impressions are that the kitchen is executing very well, as are the recipes. I like the layout of the venue as well. I'll definitely be back, even with the trek up to Lake Bluff. I just hope they finish the construction on the Tri-State soon.

In Other Culinary Chat, I started talking about Inovasi and ended up talking about a lot of other stuff

My wife and I made another visit to Inovasi on Friday evening. The restaurant was packed at 7:30 and stayed that way most of the evening, however it was still a conversation-friendly environment. I wasn't intending to do an entry, so didn't have my camera with me. However, the dishes were so good that I started taking notes part of the way through the dinner in order to make this entry. Chef John, if you're watching, please feel free to keep me honest on the ingredients in some of these dishes, because they're pretty unique and I might not have gotten them all down right.

One item before I run down the dishes. What I found consistently cool about the dishes is the way the ingredients were intended to work together as a "team" on the plate to come up with the desired flavor profile of the dish. There was one dish, the foie gras I believe IIRC, where the sauce when tasted by itself was pretty salty. However, when the dish was eaten as a whole with the foie, the pumpkin and the sauce all together on the fork, the taste was excellent with no hint of saltiness at all. It just reminded me of the old rule that sauces are never meant to stand on their own, so don't flavor them like they will be. Anyway, on to what we ate.

We shared a couple of starters. The first was a dish with fingerling potatoes with a dijon mustard dressing, topped with American Osetra caviar. This was a really tasty starter, with plenty of caviar to bring the salt for the potatoes.

The second was sashimi-style fluke on greens with thinly sliced, really large diameter radish slices with an almond-sherry vinagrette and a bunch of almonds on the plate. The vinagrette was pretty light, but the key was eating each bite with some almond, which really brought out the flavor of the other ingredients.

As a middle course, we shared a risotto made with saffron and Iberico cheese. The dish was really satisfying, with a combination of creamy, salty, and smoky together with a great mouthfeel. An excellent cold weather dish.

For a seafood course, we shared a couple of dishes. The first was calamari in a light coconut preparation, crispy with pecans and sauced with a soy-maple-lemongrass combination that had incredible flavor. These were easily the best calamari I've ever had, perfectly cooked. I don't go out of my way to order calamari at restaurants because you never know what you're going to get, but I could eat this dish all day long.

The second seafood dish was seared scallops with roasted baby brussel sprouts, shitake mushrooms, and a roasted persimmon sauce. There was a spice worked in there that cut the sweetness of the persimmon sauce. It made for a good combination.

For the meat course, we actually tried four different dishes. OK, so maybe that was a bit over the top. But this was the first time I had eaten here except for the special wine dinner of a couple of months ago.

The first was a special for the evening, a Vermont quail stuffed with Iowa pork belly confit. There were roasted wild mushrooms in the dish and a sauce that to me seemed to have some vanilla in it. To me this was the epitome of a fall dish - game bird with wild mushrooms.

The second dish was pork shoulder cooked through several preparations, similar to the one I pictured in an earlier posting from a couple of months ago. This time however the pork shoulder was served over polenta with a red wine reduction and basil oil, with pickled mushrooms. The pork was nice and smoky and the polenta was excellent. The only miss on the dish was the pickled mushrooms, which were too acidic for me.

The third dish was roasted lamb loin with red runner beans, baby carrots and chanterelle mushrooms. I really liked the dish a lot. The lamb was medium rare and the beans soft with a little bit of spice to them. The jus was pretty rich.

The last dish was seared foie gras over a pumpkin puree with a vanilla creme fraiche. As I mentioned above, this was a dish that was great when all the components were eaten together. The richness of the foie cut the pumpkin and the saltiness of the creme fraiche.

For dessert, we shared a couple of items. The first was a baked pumpkin custard cheesecake with creme cheese chunks baked within it. This was really nice, perfect for the season and for anyone who loves pumpkin, which includes my wife. The second dessert was a chocolate pudding pulled together like an uncooked pot de creme. It was thick and rich, with a whipped coconut cream and crushed pistachios on top.

Overall, Chef John is working up some pretty unique dishes. He mentioned that he's making frequent changes to the menu, based on seasonal ingredients and working up different flavor combinations. I definitely recommend Inovasi, even with the drive from Naperville!

This past Thursday night I had a TERRIFIC dinner at Inovasi. It was also a true bargain. Read on!

Inovasi is located on a corner in the small business district of Lake Bluff, on the North Shore in Lake County IL. It's a block from the Lake Bluff station on Metra, and a mile east of the IL-176 exit from the Edens Expressway (US-41).

It's a fairly large restaurant; the bar room is at the entrance, from which there are two dining rooms to the left, and a private dining room to the right. The tables are spaced fairly far apart so there is a nice feeling of spaciousness and privacy. There is also a decidedly casual atmosphere, despite the upscale creative menu.

Inovasi's menu is quite unique. Items are not designated as appetizers or main courses; instead, there are simply sections for seafood, meats, and vegetables/greens/soups. All of the menu items are designed to be in between the size of appetizers and entrees you would fine at other restaurants, roughly 2/3 the size of entrees elsewhere, and they are priced accordingly (most are $9-13). The intention is to allow you to structure your meal however you like.

The four of us decided to order five items for our first course, including three soups. As it turns out, the soup portion sizes were a fairly large bowl, so they are consistent with the "2/3 entrée" theme. The "honest mushroom bisque" was simply wonderful, one of the best mushroom soups I've ever had. The "Tuscan tomato soup" was a thick and hearty tomato soup, very good indeed. They had a daily special of "white truffle and cauliflower soup" which was garnished with an ample number of baby shrimp, and this was also wonderful, with lots of truffle flavor. We had the fried calamari which was made with roasted pecans, lemongrass coconut juices and a maple syrup and soy reduction; they were perfectly prepared and amazingly tender (although the bottom of the bowl was a bit gloppy due to the sauce). The final dish in this course was the sauteed foie gras, which is one of the best preparations you'll find anywhere, with a slightly salty crispiness to the oh-so-thin crust on the outside, and perfectly tender and warm on the inside. Just yummy!

For our second course, we ordered two meat dishes and two seafood dishes. One was the Duroc pork shoulder, which was one of the most awesome pork dishes you'll find anywhere, amazingly flavorful and tender. As described on the menu, they use "a 4 day process of marinating, grilling, confit, smoking, and finally sautee". The pork is in the shape of a disc, and it just falls apart as you cut into it - very tender, not at all dry (although not overly moist). Really delicious, even if you're not a big fan of pork. The second was the Tallgrass sirloin steak, which is dry aged in house for six weeks. It was very tender and flavorful; Inovasi is by no means a steak house, but this steak is as good as you'll find at any steakhouse anywhere. Another dish was the Dutch white sea bass, a grilled filet with a slightly spicy glaze on the outside, very tender and delicious. The final dish of this course was the most visually stunning of the entire meal. It was rainbow trout sauteed with a crispy corn crust. The trout was already fileted and boned, which is unusual for trout; even more unusual, the pieces were cut up into small, silver-dollar sizes, and stacked neatly along with the farro piccolo grain accompaniment. But the presentation, oh my! It was served on a rectangular CANVAS PAINTED with four sauces "Jackson Pollock style". Very unusual, and gorgeous!

Well, by this time we were nicely sated - two dishes there is plenty - but how could we resist the desserts? Fortunately for us, we couldn't; as it turns out, the desserts were every bit as good as the rest of the meal! One dessert was coffee mousse layered with phyllo and served with roasted pistachio nuts and a pile of small pieces of homemade smoked bacon. Yes, bacon. And it was very good. So was the tres leches cake, in the simple traditional presentation. My personal favorite was a chocolate pot de crème. This was a bit different from the traditional presentation; anywhere else, it's served in the cup in which it's baked. At Inovasi, the disc-shaped chocolate was served on a plate, and was slightly lighter than the typically dense and rich version; above it was a layer of a coconut cream, like a moist custard or panna cotta. And it was surrounded with slightly spicy chopped macadamia nuts. This was a great dessert, one in which there was a balance of different textures (smooth vs crunchy), as well as a balance of different tastes (strong chocolate and strong spice vs mild coconut). What a great composition!

Inovasi specializes in using local, seasonal, and sustainable ingredients wherever possible. Of course, a lot of restaurants say that... but how many have a partnership with a local farm, in which the restaurant's own dedicated hens lay the restaurant's own dedicated eggs? When Chef-owner John des Rosiers stopped by our table - he stopped by most of the tables while we were there, a practice I think speaks well for any restaurant - he mentioned that this time of year they have fewer vegetable dishes than the rest of the year, because of their reliance on local and seasonal ingredients. He also noted that they can develop menus for specific needs, such as the three very distinct dishes he had recently prepared for a vegan diner.

Oh yes, I left out one important part. The price. My jaw practically dropped when I saw how LOW the bill was. Oh sure, I was aware of how much the individual dishes cost, when ordering them, but still! The nine savory dishes ranged from $8 to $15; granted, they were roughly 2/3 the normal portion sizes, but even after adjusting for that, they were inexpensive. Everything else was quite reasonable, too. We had two glasses of wine, for $6 and $9, and the desserts were $6-7 each, all of which is pretty darn reasonable nowadays. For the four of us, the grand total was $153 plus tax ($14). With tip, it came out to $50/person for a top notch dinner. That is an amazing BARGAIN; you can easily pay twice that much at comparable restaurants in the city.

Please forgive me for my effusive praise here. This was NOT a typical meal, and this is NOT my typical praise. Yes, I eat out a lot, and while I find a lot of good food in the restaurant business, it's very rare when I eat a meal and try a lot of different things and one dish after another after another is just amazingly delicious. This happens to me roughly once a year, if I am really lucky. And this was one of those dinners, one I will be remembering for months to come, even longer. (Of course, this ignores the fact that I want to return to Inovasi and try some of the dishes I missed, as well as repeating some of the ones I enjoyed the most.) This was a great dinner at a great restaurant!

Incidentally, Inovasi (which has been open for only eight months) is doing a very good business these days, so reservations are recommended. On this mid-winter weeknight, about 2/3 of the tables were occupied, and for weekend evenings, it's best to make reservations several weeks ahead if you want a desirable time slot.

My wife and I along with a couple of friends (Deb and Charlie) had an excellent dinner at Inovasi last night. The place was packed, with every table in the restaurant and the bar full, but service was still spot on.

For a first course, I had the Milan Risotto, which has Iberico cheese and roasted almonds and topped with brown butter Brussels sprouts. I really liked the crunch of the nuts mixed in with the creaminess of the risotto. The roasted sprouts were excellent as well. My wife ordered this for her main course.



My wife started with the Zucchini and Squash Salad. The squash is grilled and topped with grilled green olives that were great. The English walnut vinaigrette was well balanced (I'm sensitive to overly acidic vinaigrettes).



Our friends started with the "Honest" Mushroom Soup and the Red Oak Salad. The mushroom soup was excellent, with the mushroom flavor really popping. The soup has a creamy texture but is not at all heavy, so I don't know if there's much cream in it. Instead of sherry, the soup was finished with a little 10-year tawny port that gave it an extra flavor profile that worked well. I didn't try any of the Red Oak Salad on this trip, but Charlie really liked it. The hard boiled eggs on the salad are from chickens that the restaurant keeps at a nearby farm.





For my main course, I had the Duroc Pork Shoulder. The meat is made with a four-day process of marinating, grilling, confit-ing, smoking and then they sautee it. It's a smoky pork explosion, with no sauce on it to interupt the natural flavor. It's on a bead of creamy polenta. I really like this dish. It's topped with strips of watermelon radish, which gives it a great color.



Charlie ordered the White Sea Bass, which has a sour cherry glaze on it. I can't comment because I didn't try it, but the plate went back empty, so I'm going to take that as a good sign.



Deb ordered the Sustainable Ocean Raised Sweet Shrimp. I tried a little of it, going straight to the calamari. I'm not usually a calamari fan because it can be cooked poorly so easily. However, the calamari at Inovasi is the most perfectly cooked calamari that I've ever had. It's soft with a texture that isn't chewy in the least. This dish has some spice to it and is served with whipped parsnips that were excellent.



Dessert was really interesting. I ordered the Scarborough Fair Ice Cream. It's four scoops of ice cream, one each flavored of parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme (for those who don't know what I mean, you'll need to listen to some Simon and Garfunkel music), served with some caramelized maple syrup. What a great dessert! The herb flavors are really pronounced and really good. You should definitely try this.



My wife and Charlie both ordered the same thing, the Chocolate "pot de creme". You can see that it's not in a cup like a pot de creme, but it's like a dense chocolate mousse with whipped creme and spiced macadamia nuts. A really nice chocolate dessert.



Deb's dessert was the Lavender Honey Custard. This is a creamy custard that has some honey swirled in. It's a great dessert with a sweet white wine.



I agree with nsxtasy's statements about the pricing at the restaurant. The portions are very good and the pricing is inexpensive. The wine list has some very nice small-production items at good prices as well. All in all, it was a great evening.

I had dinner at Inovasi Saturday night also, with a friend and 3 10 year old girls (my twins and his daughter) before going to the girl scout daddy-daughter square dance. My kids always love eating there, as do I. John, I think that I saw you when you walked in. Occasional nightly specials seem to be a new thing there, and I tried the quail, which was perfectly cooked, and came with some of the pork shoulder, which I always love. I started with the Tuscan tomato soup, which I often get (at lunch you can get a side of soup for $3 with any entree), and had the foie gras as my middle course. The wine list is growing larger, and it still is a good value with lots of unusual wines. When we left, there was quite a crowd eating and waiting in the bar area. Weekends can be very crowded, though the staff handles it well, but weekdays are a bit calmer.

-Will

Count my wife and I as fans of Inovasi. We've been there a couple of times both with and without the kids, and we love how it's versatile that way. One can easily do the upscale thing there, but its not a requirement. Love how the menu is constantly changing and how the waitstaff really is interested in feedback on dishes (at least ours were). Great, great corkage policy, though the wine list is solid, too. And the tres leche cake is a MUST do.

We returned to Inovasi for dinner again last night, and it was another wonderful, memorable dinner. The menu was very different from our earlier visit, and somewhat different from the one on the restaurant website, but the style is very much the same. Which is to say, there were again a huge number of dishes that sounded great, making the selection process very difficult!

Some of the highlights of our dinner:

- chilled watermelon soup with chopped asparagus and a scoop of goat cheese ice cream - this was a wonderful way to start a meal on a warm summer night.

- sesame-coated chicken confit and seared foie gras - an excellent combination. Chef Des Rosiers's seared foie gras is one of the best anywhere. It has a thin crisp on the outside, slightly salty, that gives it extra flavor. The chicken confit underneath was great too.

- lettuce wraps with chicken and mushrooms - This was a good dish but I don't remember much about it and, like most of the dishes we had, is not on the current website menu.

- ishikura onions with romesco sauce - This was a very unusual dish. The onions were in the sauce (a tomato-based spread) topped with chunks of Dunbarton bleu cheese on top, served inside a glass jar to keep it warm, alongside slices of grilled rustic bread. Yummy!

- Sustainable Ocean Raised Sweet Shrimp - This was my favorite savory dish of the meal. The description on the menu is "spicy & sautéed with a little Thai chile, shiitake mushrooms, yellow fingerling potatoes, Japanese citrus marmalade, and a sauce made from Vietnamese coconut & lobster broth". This dish would be at home in most Thai restaurants, but they should only make it this good. The shrimp were a somewhat small size and cooked perfectly so that they were tender and succulent. The sauce was very nicely spicy. Wonderful.

- Chesapeake Bay Soft-Shell Crabs. My dining companion loves soft-shell crab and deemed these among the best anywhere. They are "done in a very light, crispy Japanese tempura style and served with a light salad made with organic cucumbers, daikon radish, jalapeno, cilantro, California red verjus, and single grove extra virgin olive oil". The very slight amount of breading was just perfect, allowing the crab flavor to shine through rather than overwhelming it.

- Cherry cake. This was a light, airy slice of cake, almost like an angel food cake in consistency, studded with cherries that may have been soaked in some sort of liquor. Very good.

- Whipped Coconut “Mousse”. The whole meal was excellent, but this dish takes my personal "best in show". Not because it's a dessert - yes, I do love desserts - but because it's so delicious and has so many delicious layers to it (both literally and figuratively). The top 2/3 of the dish is a very light, silky-smooth coconut-flavored mousse, and on top of it is a thin layer of coriander-pear sauce that adds a note of fruity sweetness. The bottom third has pieces of crushed graham crackers and toffee in the coconut mousse, and the texture is amazing - not crunchy (which would overwhelm the silky mousse) but what I would describe as soaked/crumbly. This was an amazing dish.

The only thing I would do differently next time is that I think we ordered too much food. As noted above, the items on the dinner menu are all about 2/3 portion sizes, so it's a free-form, "mix and match" which lets you structure your meal however you like. Last night, each of the four of us ordered three savory courses plus dessert, and that was a lot of food. I was feeling fairly full before dessert, and a bit overfull afterwards; next time I'll stick with two savory courses plus dessert for each of us. (This would be about the same amount of food as the customary three-course a la carte at most restaurants, I think.)

On Mondays, in addition to their regular menu, they offer a supplemental menu with five comfort-food dishes (e.g. chicken pot pie) and five particularly healthy dishes, but we didn't order any dishes from that menu. I was really hoping to have their "Becker Lane Pork Shoulder done in a 4 day process of marinating, grilling, confit, smoking, and finally bathed in cooking liqueur" which I had enjoyed so much during my previous visit there, but unfortunately they were out of it. They were also out of one of the seafood dishes, an Illinois amur.

I was surprised to see the restaurant about three fourths full on a Monday evening - an unusual sight in this economy - so as always, advance reservations are recommended. I'm glad the restaurant is doing so well, because this is a very special place, firing on all cylinders in both my visits. Even for distant city-dwellers, it's worth taking the trip up to Lake Bluff (35 miles from the Loop, an hour by Metra which stops a block from the restaurant) to enjoy what Chef Des Rosiers is doing. It's just wonderful. And it's priced very reasonably too. Highly recommended.

Despite it being a mere 10 easy miles from my house, I'd never been to Inovasi until about a month ago. Now, I've been twice. I think I stayed away because I just wasn't exactly sure what to expect. I'm adventurous and I love to try new (to me) places, but living in the northern burbs, I've come to the sad realization that most restaurants near my house serve very little that interests me. So, even though I'd always enjoyed chef des Rosiers' food at Bank Lane Bistro and various charity events, I figured, incorrectly, that if Inovasi was this close to home, it couldn't possibly be good. After all, Lake Bluff is not exactly known as a dining mecca. Even though several LTH friends had raved to me about Inovasi, it wasn't until REB & RAB actually took it upon themselves to schedule a meal there for a small group of us, that I finally got over the hump. Now, after 2 meals there, I can confidently say that it will reside on my short list of places (near home) that are worthy of regular visits.

What follows are pictures and brief, incomplete descriptions of the 2 meals I enjoyed at Inovasi. I really wish the pictures were better because I don't think they convey the high level of the food particularly well but between the intimately-lit dining room and other issues (*hic* ), this is as good as they're going to get (until my next visit). Since both meals were primarily social events, I didn't take notes and most of the descriptions provided below were taken from the menu or provided to me by chef des Rosiers via email. Hopefully, my dining companions can chime in with some additional details and thoughts (as well as corrections, etc.) . . .

2011.10.22 - Tasting Menu with Wine Pairings
At this meal, REB and RAB informed the reservationist that we were a group of adventurous eaters. That paid great dividends. Chef des Rosiers created a menu for us pretty much 'on the fly,' which was comprised of some menu items and some off-menu improvisations. Pairings, not pictured here, were well-chosen and and generously served. Each bottle -- 4 were served with dinner, 1 with dessert -- was opened for us and left on the table for us to finish.


Charred Sweet Corn Soup | fresh huckleberry, truffle oil



Orange Nairagi Tatake | Klug apple, local kale, sesame vinaigrette, Kentucky soy



Tempura Blowfish Tail | scrambled guinea hen egg, Iberico ham, scallion



Chef des Rosiers tells us about the previous course



Biscane Bay Suzuki Bass | saffron poached leek and brussels sprouts



Oolong Hibiscus Tea Slushy



De Bruin Rabbit | speck, Anson Mills farro verde, romesco, house-made giardiniera



Handmade Tortilla Flatbread | Driftless cheese, mountain huckleberry, fried onion



Equus Oaks Squab | Spanish chorizo quinoa, macadamia nut, shaved raw brussels sprouts



Rabbit Foreleg Shepherds Pie | local organic Kennebec potato, Casa Bolo cheese, black truffle



El Salvador Tres Leches | Saigon cinnamon, heirloom bean syrup



A La Minute Apple Doughnuts
These were the best apple doughnuts I've eaten. They actually tasted like apple. Chef told us that they reduce a gallon of Seedlings apple cider down to about a pint and use it to create the batter. It really paid off, as the flavor of these perfectly-textured doughnuts were unparalleled.



Essence of Manjari Chocolate | local raspberry, biodynamic white raisin



Double Custard | chocolate, cashews, pretzel



La Colombe Espresso Panna Cotta | passion fruit concentrate



Crème Frâiche Custard | dried blueberry puree, rum


2011.11.05 - A little of this, a little of that
At this meal, we went with LTH friends who are regulars at Inovasi. For them (and us) Chef des Rosiers created a tasting menu of family-style plates that we shared. This time around, we opted for no pairings, as we all had our own plans for drinking that night . . .


Bean Spread
This starter was brought out right away with the bread pictured below. We had a feeling we were going to end up with a lot of food -- a suspicion chef des Rosiers confirmed -- so we just had some tastes. I'm pretty sure this was a bean spread but I'm not entirely sure.



Baguette from Labriola



Sportman | Sobieski vodka, house-made lime simple syrup, soda, float of Cabernet Sauvignon



Frisco | Michter's rye, Benedictine, fresh lemon juice



Rhode Island Calamari | marcona almond, Spanish chorizo, Kentucky soy, scallion



American Onion Soup | local sweet onion, cheesy drops, fine herbs



Cinco Jotas Iberico de Bellota Ham | Caseum Maiorum cheese, picos



Crisp El Piconero Goat Cheese | Anson Mills polenta, local arugula, spicy tomato fondant



Rabbit Liver Mousse | toast points, dried fruit, grainy mustard
Just spectacular. I could not believe the intense flavor and flawlessly-creamy texture of this mousse.



Baharat Spiced Local Walleye Pike | cashew romesco, Kyoto vinegared cabbage, brussels sprouts



Meadow Haven Organic Chicken Breast | Antebellum Grits, hazelnuts, grenach vinegar, squash drops



Louisiana Juvenile Black Drum | organic leek, seafood broth, saffron & spice, sherry



Q7 Ranch Dry Aged Beef | spicy chocolate, local organic Kennebec potato, cheese crouton



Equus Oaks Farms Kentucky Squab | Carolina rice, Kentucky soy, fabbri cherry, scallion
This was listed on the menu as squab but I think we were told that it was either partridge or pheasant.



Farm Egg Omelet | Canary Islands Spanish octopus, black truffle, house-made giardiniera
These was also a cheese in this delectable omelet but I don't remember its name or origin.



Warm Cheese Course | marcona almonds, sorghum syrup
I don't remember the name of this cheese but it was extremely pungent in a delightful way -- and more so because of the warm temperature at which it was served. I'm pretty sure -- but not entirely certain -- that sorghum syrup was added to the course.



Essence of Manjari Chocolate | local raspberry, biodynamic white raisin
This is the menu description of this dish, so I'm not entirely certain it that's white raisin or another component.



Herb Ice Cream
This might have been basil ice cream but again, I'm not entirely certain.



Elkin's Tres Leches | stout syrup, Saigon cinnamon, local organic apple
Elkin is one of the servers at Inovasi and she told us that this was her recipe. She was a bit nervous seeing the stout syrup added but I have to say it was wonderful.

I was impressed and pleased by so much of what Inovasi has to offer. The bar -- cocktails, spirits and beers -- is very thoughtfully conceived. The wine list is well-chosen and its offerings fairly priced. Ingredients are of superior quality, with a reasonable emphasis on local that doesn't go finger-wagging overboard. Where it makes sense, local is used and beyond the local fare, regional and less local ingredients round out the preparations in a way that provides for maximum quality on the plate.

There's a guiding philosophy that drives this place. It doesn't hit you over the head but by the same token, it's apparent that every single detail has been considered and astutely managed. I find this rare in any restaurant, but it especially stands out in the northern suburbs. I'm not saying that Inovasi is merely good for the suburbs. It's far more successful than that. This restaurant could easily compete with some of the 'big boys' in the city. But given its location, it does tower above just about every other restaurant within 15 miles of it. It feels immediately comfortable and inviting, while providing excellence and sophistication on the plate that are both distinctive and compelling.

=R=

The photos are better than you thought, Ronnie.

To me the most impressive thing about your write-up is that you had a tasting menu twice, only two weeks apart, and not a single savory dish was repeated. Even the couple of sweets that were, had some variations. This is why I pushed for us to go to Inovasi, why I am an unabashed fanboy for Chef Des Rosiers, and why I am both thrilled to see your endorsement and pissed that this will make it even harder to get a table on a Saturday night.

A couple minor comments/edits -- The bean spread of late has been chickpea puree, not quite hummus but tasty. I don't remember the last time I ate any, though my older daughter likes it. The pheasant was indeed pheasant, it was that night's "carnivore addition" which is a rotating special (earlier in the same week, it had indeed been partridge). I think the ice cream was thyme flavored, it had a woodsy note. The cheese in the omelet was, I believe, Bessie's Blend. It should also be noted that the omelet was off-menu and something that Chef brought out just for us, and was wonderful even though I am only just recently learning to enjoy eggs. John was also responsible for my foie gras epiphany a year or so ago, when he similarly sent my wife and I out a crazy off-menu plate of foie with escargot, sour cherries, and polenta, and we knew we had to eat it even though until that moment neither of us would have said we liked foie. It was wonderful.

I suppose I will end up gushing more in upcoming posts about Inovasi; I would like to see the place get a GNR. It has surprised me there hasn't been much LTH discussion about it, since as noted, it's become my regular/go-to both for a casual daddy/daughter night (we sit at the bar, my non-foodie daughter always gets plain pasta) as well as a must-do to bring out-of-town visitors.

The same week as our dinner, I had brought Jason Perlow, a coworker who is well-known for founding eGullet and writing OffTheBroiler.com, to Inovasi a few nights earlier. I didn't tell John that we were coming and he wasn't at his station when we came past, so it was just two guys having dinner. Or so I thought. At one point that night, Elkin walked by as I was describing an Inovasi dish from some months ago,"cheese curd tacos". The curds were breaded in some crazy mix of panko, cocoa, and other stuff, the tortillas were grilled, and the condiments included a Thai chili sauce. It was a crazy dish but I LOVED it. Well, I said to Elkin, "remember the cheese curd tacos?" They've been off the menu for nine months.

About ten minutes later, they appeared on our table. And Jason loved them.

Jason and I also had the tempura blowfish tails that were part of Ronnie's first Inovasi dinner, except they were prepared differently, atop quinoa and butterflied. Such is the versatility of the kitchen.

I try to get to Inovasi every few weeks (it was every other Monday for a while for daddy/daughter night, but her routine has changed). What I really like is that there is near-zero staff turnover, and the staff are all just as enthusiastic about the food and beverages as I am. They also love to tell stories. I still have never sat and had a beer with John, but I feel like I know him like a good friend through his food, through his staff, and through his social media presence.

There are a lot of fine dining, modern American, organic/farm-to-table types of restaurants in the area. What I find most different about Inovasi is that they almost always nail the dish. A lot of chefs plate things that they think will work together, somehow Inovasi the dish always just works.

edb60035 wrote:There are a lot of fine dining, modern American, organic/farm-to-table types of restaurants in the area. What I find most different about Inovasi is that they almost always nail the dish. A lot of chefs plate things that they think will work together, somehow Inovasi the dish always just works.

There are several things that strike me as unusual about Inovasi, compared with other modern American restaurants in the Chicago area. Two of them are things you mention: the dishes are unusual and they work, and John does indeed change the menu frequently. (In fact, when you go to Inovasi, you probably won't see the same things on the menu on multiple visits! This isn't a place where there are any "signature dishes" that you can count on being there every time.) The third is the pricing. For a complete dinner including moderate alcohol and tax/tip at most modern American restaurants, I find ourselves usually in the range of $70-110 per person. The first time I went to Inovasi, I did a double-take at the $50 cost. Now I realize it's no mistake; John is just turning out a top-quality meal at unusually low prices.

We had a fabulous dinner on a Monday evening a few weeks ago. We both ordered the 5 course tasting menu and said we would eat anything. We would up with 10 large dishes, no sorbet course, very easy to share. A couple of dishes were very good, the rest were excellent. A phenomenal value at $48 each. This is really the way to eat here.

I'm not sure why we waited so long since our last visit.

Des Rosiers coming to Highland Park.....................Moderno in the Rosebud space. Uptown HP becoming quite the food destination. Well sort of.

mattshafferHP wrote:Des Rosiers coming to Highland Park.....................Moderno in the Rosebud space. Uptown HP becoming quite the food destination. Well sort of.

Yes, it seems like there's been an influx of upscale dining in HP, what with the opening of Second Street Bistro, M, Abigail's, Benjamin, and now Moderno (I assume that's the name of his new place). Having more choices is always a good thing, especially if they're good ones. (I was not so impressed with Benjamin, I had a nice lunch at M, and as far as I'm concerned Chef Des Rosiers is a god.)

nsxtasy wrote:

mattshafferHP wrote: and as far as I'm concerned Chef Des Rosiers is a god.)

Oh geez, there will be no living with him now that that's in print.

I'll tell him about your comment when I see him tomorrow.

Jan and I had a great dinner at Inovasi on Monday night. We ordered the tasting menu, which for $48 for five courses is one of the best values I've seen on any menu anywhere. I didn't take photos, but here's what we got.

Course 1

Chris Roelli Cheese Curds - Lightly fried in a beer-grits batter and served with horseradish-togarashi sauce. They were crunchy and soft at the same time, with just the right amount of spice from the sauce.

Local Brussels Sprouts - nicely carmelized to a smoky flavor with shallot and a spicy truffle mayo. The truffle was light and didn't overpower the rest of the dish. Really nice.

Whipped Local Goat Cheese - A slightly dry and tangy cheese whipped into a spread, dotted with herb oil and served with char grilled bread.

Course 2

Rhode Island Calamari - stuffed with a mushroom mixture and grilled, served with diced chorizo and scallion oil. Inovasi has always amazed me as consistently cooking calamari perfectly, moreso than any other restaurant I've been to.

Handmade Cheese Pierogi - also stuffed with mushroom and topped with a raw brussels salad. The stuffing used the four "C"s of spices, and the slight combination of the clove and cinnamon produced a taste that paired perfectly with the Burgundy we were drinking.

Braise & Crispy Local Chicken - this was a deboned chicken thigh done in a confit style and the the skin crisped, served with a pasilla de oaxaco creme fraiche. I've never been a dark meat chicken guy, but this was great. There was a slight spice from the sauce that worked well.

Course 3

Q7 Ranch Steak Tartare - a nice toothsome grind with Kentucky soy, sesame and spicy chile, and served cold with rice paper crackers. Geez, I love being a carnivore! What the heck are vegetarians thinking??

White Sturgeon - Seared but kept rare/raw inside, with black radish, winter kale, sesame and tobiko vinaigrette and sprinkled with red flying fish roe. A really great combination of the kale and the fish, Jan nailed most of this but I did get to work a taste in. No worries, I only half-heartedly offered to share the steak tartare.

Course 4

Louisiana Juvenile Black Drum - seared with leeks, saffron, sherry and served with a seafood broth. Cooked perfectly and a great depth of flavor from the seafood broth.

Equus Oaks Farms Kentucky Squab - Served medium rare and sliced over a Japanese omelet filled with rice and scallion with a bit of black miso. This was a killer dish. The squab had great flavor (Jan's not into squab generally but she was really enjoying this). The omelet was really cool, thin egg wrapped around rice and scallion. I really liked it.

Course 5

The dessert consisted of two dishes that I didn't write down, mostly because I was going into a coma from all the great stuff that came before. Through the haze I seem to recall an espresso panna cotta and a manjari chocolate "disc", both with fruit components that balanced the main ingredients well.

There was actually a sixth course, a cheese course consisting of a really nice Spanish cheese with a name that escapes me. It was served with spanish almonds and huckleberries.

Definitely make a trip up to Lake Bluff.

We brought friends last Wednesday and we all had the tasting menu. Another wonderful evening of dining. I made a reservation at the last minute that afternoon and was pleased to hear that we got the last open table, glad to get in, but happier to see them selling out on a Wednesday.

Some of my favorite dished were the Hawaiian Reef Tatake (with black radish, winter kale, sesame, and tobiko vinaigrette), Meadow Haven Pork (with farro verde, huckleberry, Lyons Isle verjus, and fennel top), Walley Pike au Vin (with marcona almonds, red wine broth, and brussels sprouts), Louisiana Black Drum (with leeks, seafood broth, saffron, and sherry), Homemade Black Ale Sausage (with wonderful homemade giardinaire and semi dried onions), and the Brussels sprouts (with shallots, spicy truffle mayo, and Bessie’s blend cheese).

John does a great job with his sashimi courses and house made sausages.

About hallway through dinner, Chef John came over to the table behind us and mentioned, “Are you taking pics tonight?” I glanced over my shoulder and recognized the gentleman behind me from his posts here. Ronnie was there with his family. I wasn’t sure if I should bother them, but thought an LTH brother wouldn’t mind. It was a pleasure meeting you and hopefully with can share a meal together.

Last Wednesday must have been LTH night at Inovasi. My son and I ate in the bar (we saw Ron walking in) and enjoyed the singer. We also did the tasting menu after a starter of the fried goat cheese. Each of the 5 courses had 2 or 3 plates for us to share, so it was a lot of food. Everything was excellent as always, and our favorites (besides the fried goat cheese) were the brussels sprouts, the steak tartar, and the grilled octopus and shrimp. I was impressed with the service considering that they had had a champagne dinner filling half the restaurant, and apparently a lot of others doing the tasting menu! Everything came out hot and was well paced. The tasting menu is a great value, and the wine pairings (for an extra $20, I think) worked very well. As Al noted, the place was packed, including the bar, on a Wednesday night. Inovasi really is firing on all cylinders, and it will be interesting to see what John does with the old Rosebud space in HP, though it is not supposed to be ready until summer.

-Will

Al Ehrhardt wrote:We brought friends last Wednesday and we all had the tasting menu. Another wonderful evening of dining. I made a reservation at the last minute that afternoon and was pleased to hear that we got the last open table, glad to get in, but happier to see them selling out on a Wednesday.

Some of my favorite dished were the Hawaiian Reef Tatake (with black radish, winter kale, sesame, and tobiko vinaigrette), Meadow Haven Pork (with farro verde, huckleberry, Lyons Isle verjus, and fennel top), Walley Pike au Vin (with marcona almonds, red wine broth, and brussels sprouts), Louisiana Black Drum (with leeks, seafood broth, saffron, and sherry), Homemade Black Ale Sausage (with wonderful homemade giardinaire and semi dried onions), and the Brussels sprouts (with shallots, spicy truffle mayo, and Bessie’s blend cheese).

John does a great job with his sashimi courses and house made sausages.

About hallway through dinner, Chef John came over to the table behind us and mentioned, “Are you taking pics tonight?” I glanced over by shoulder and recognized the gentleman behind me from his posts here. Ronnie was there with his family. I wasn’t sure if I should bother them, but thought an LTH brother wouldn’t mind. It was a pleasure meeting you and hopefully with can share a meal together.

WillG wrote:Last Wednesday must have been LTH night at Inovasi. My son and I ate in the bar (we saw Ron walking in) and enjoyed the singer. We also did the tasting menu after a starter of the fried goat cheese. Each of the 5 courses had 2 or 3 plates for us to share, so it was a lot of food. Everything was excellent as always, and our favorites (besides the fried goat cheese) were the brussels sprouts, the steak tartar, and the grilled octopus and shrimp. I was impressed with the service considering that they had had a champagne dinner filling half the restaurant, and apparently a lot of others doing the tasting menu! Everything came out hot and was well paced. The tasting menu is a great value, and the wine pairings (for an extra $20, I think) worked very well. As Al noted, the place was packed, including the bar, on a Wednesday night. Inovasi really is firing on all cylinders, and it will be interesting to see what John does with the old Rosebud space in HP, though it is not supposed to be ready until summer.

It was great running into Will and meeting Al back on 12/21 at what was our 'annual family restaurant holiday dinner.' We had a very enjoyable meal but what may have impressed me the most was how well the restaurant functioned with so much going on. It was great to see such a brisk crowd. The bar, featuring live music, was entirely full when we arrived at 6:00 pm. The middle dining room was mostly full during our entire stay and the back room was being used for a Champagne dinner. I can't speak for the other patrons but none of this had any adverse effect on our experience. In fact, being in the midst of all this activity made it even better. Our food was hot, our glasses were never even half-empty and service, provided by Jimmy (more on him later) could not have been better. The 4 of us ordered the Tasting Menu and were then deluged with a progression of about 18 dishes . . .


Rhode Island Calamari | stuffed & grilled, mushroom, Spanish chorizo, scallion oil
A great combination of flavors and textures here, and the squid was cooked perfectly tender.



Organic Chicken Wings | Chinese pepper, truffle dipping sauce
Hot, crispy and light. Nicely seasoned, too.



Whipped Local Goat Cheese | char-grilled bread, herb oil
Rich and very tasty. The herb oil was a nice touch.



Pinn Oak Lamb On A Stick | grilled, spiced, sweet citrus
This was cooked very well. The meat was nicely charred on the outside and juicy within but it skewed a little sweet for my palate.



Chris Roelli Cheese Curds | beer grits batter, horseradish togarashi sauce
This was a bonus course, as our server, Jimmy, overheard my son talking about these at the table. They weren't lined up to be a part of our Tasting Menu but Jimmy took it upon himself to bring them between the first and second rounds, which was very much appreciated. Jimmy used to be the GM at Ambria and is the former owner of Hot Tamales in Highland Park. His naturally affable manner and infinite experience made our dining experience truly special. He even helped guide us to a bottle of Perrin & Fils 2008 'La Gille' Gigondas, which was outstanding and significantly less expensive than the wine we were originally considering. The curds were great and the unexpected choice chef made to pair them with a spicy horseradish sauce was a very successful one.



Homemade Black Ale Sausage | homemade giardiniere, semi dried onion
I was really impressed by the quality of the sausage. The flavor was wonderful and the definition was perfect. Charcuterie is gaining massively in popularity and as such, there's a lot of not-so-great stuff out there. Otoh, this sausage was ready for prime time and chef des Rosiers' giardiniere is awesome.



Massachusetts Wild Cod Stew | winter Tuscan kale, rich seafood broth, truffled leeks
Heaven in a bowl. Rich, hearty and bursting with deep, harmonious flavors.



Braised & Crispy Local Chicken | pasilla de Oaxaca creme fraiche, citrus
I loved the concept of braising and then crisping this dark meat. It was really satisfying and the accoutrements were nicely matched.



Tempura Sustainable Shrimp | spiced smoked onion aioli, leek confit
What's not to love about fried shrimp? These plump and crispy units were very tasty and, being sustainable, they were guiltless, too!



Q7 Ranch Steak Tartare | rice paper, Kentucky soy, sesame, spicy chile
Great quality beef, which this raw preparation showcased really well. I also enjoyed the heat from the spicy chile.



Handmade Thin Organic Pasta | homemade bacon, brussels sprouts, creme fraiche, egg yolk
My MIL inadvertantly bogarted the entire yolk onto her plate but since it was from such a high-quality farm egg, she was able to place it back into the serving bowl without breaking it. The flavorful pasta was nicely al dente and the rest of the components -- including the yolk-enriched sauce -- was very tasty.



Tatake of Hawaiian Emperor Mu | Tuscan kale, ginger, tobiko-sake vinaigrette.
Great stuff here, including some immaculately fresh-tasting fish. The vinaigrette was also a highlight.



Louisiana Juvenile Black Drum | organic leek, seafood broth, saffron, sherry
I've now had drum a couple of times at Inovasi and I'm definitely a fan. In this instance, it was cooked fantastically, with a firm, crispy exterior and moist flaky interior.



Meadow Haven Organic Pork | Anson Mills farro verde, huckleberry, Lyons Isle verjus, fennel top
Probably my least favorite dish of the night. The pork was tender but was definitely less moist than I would have preferred. I'm also not a huge fan of fruit with meat, so this one just didn't work for me.



Local Walleye Pike Au Vin | marcona almond, red wine broth, brussels sprouts
An innovative and successful take on a bistro classic. I love pike and this was a great treatment for it. The broth here was straw-worthy.



Espresso Panna Cotta | passion fruit, La Colombe Haitian beans, sorghum syrup
This was perfectly creamy and had a great coffee flavor -- not overbearing but right up front. Chef's 'experiment' with the sorghum syrup (it's not normally served this way) was a great addition. It paired really well with the coffee notes.



Elkin's Tres Leches | mesquite bean syrup, Saigon cinnamon, local organic apple
An Inovasi classic, as far as I'm concerned, and one of the most enjoyable renditions I can remember having.



Creme Fraiche Custard | mountain huckleberry gellee
I loved the flavors in this dessert. The rich, creamy custard and tart huckleberries foiled each other beautifully.

I guess I've now become a bona-fide regular at Inovasi. There's so much to love about the place. It's exciting to eat there and see what chef des Rosiers has come up with, as he always seems to be pushing himself. He's a talented culinary artist, but he's also got the fundamentals to carry his ideas through. This is pretty rare, IMO and it's a treat any time I get to experience it as a diner.

=R=

and again I must point out how few of the dishes were repeats from your two previous visits, Ronnie.

I agree with you on the pork, we were in last week and that particular dish was dry, not really a hit. But we had most of what you just had on this tasting, and loved the cod, the lamb (I'm ok with the sweet note), drum, steak tartare, etc. We also last week happened to sit in Jimmy's section, he's really nice and it happened that my parents were along so age-wise he got along with them great.

My stepfather is not normally an adventurous eater but called Inovasi "refreshing" and he ate every single dish, sometimes figuratively licking the plate.

We were back again last night and there were yet again a few new dishes, including a "chicken confit pho" which wasn't really pho but more like a soy mirin broth. The 2-year-old loved the soup but the dish wasn't otherwise a huge winner. On the other hand, the "fish swimming yesterday" was some kind of Hawaiian shrimp not normally seen on the mainland, and our server Chris insisted we needed to try it for the heck of it. These three jumbo shrimp were sweet but still had briny notes, the char from the grill was perfect. We also had the shrimp and octopus dish from the menu, where the broth in that was as you say "straw-worthy" and the quinoa truffle balls were a nice compliment. For the second week in a row, we finished the meal with the apple donut, and of course once the 2-year-old saw this, it was devoured in an instant.

I spent some time with Chef yesterday talking about Moderno and will be writing that up for my Highland Park Patch column next week. One surprise from that set of conversations was to learn that Elkin, she of tres leches fame, will be the manager at Moderno once it opens. So we will be losing a favorite server at Inovasi, but guaranteed to get a table at Moderno anytime

Last, that you have "become a bona-fide regular at Inovasi" makes me swell with parent-like pride

Is it a good place to celebrate my very scary upcoming birthday?

sujormik wrote:Is it a good place to celebrate my very scary upcoming birthday?

Yes, absolutely! If you have one or more special birthday wines, let John know in advance and they'll work with you on it to pair up. The tasting menu is the way to go, as you've probably seen from the prior posts.

Thank you! No special wines, hope to pair by the glass as hubby doesn't drink more than one glass. Decent by-the-glass selection? I'm psyched, except for the scary number LOL.