goosefoot - Funny Name, Fantastic Food

I just returned from opening night at goosefoot, the new restaurant by Chef Chris Nugent formerly of Les Nomades.

Being just 4 short blocks from my home, I was really excited to read about the opening of this place in the former "Rendezvous" space along a funky stretch of Lawrence avenue just west of LTH favorites Nhu Lan and Haverstime. Just over a week ago reservations opened on Opentable and I quickly grabbed one. The next day press went out about the opening night. I may have been the first table ever reserved at this new place (humblebrag.jpg).

Similar to places like Schwa and Bon Soiree, goosefoot has a set menu and is BYOB, which should appeal to a certain group here on LTH. There is no corkage fee.

Upon entering you are greeted at the host station backed by three Rodin sculptures. The room is sleek, somewhat minimalist, and not too loud. The walls are a very pale shade of green and the lighting is bright enough yet not overly so. Gorgeous wood tables with stainless pedestals adorn the room set with sleek wood chairs and banquets with gold backs along the walls. The room seats about 32.

Before I discuss the food, I will say that service is very smooth and personal, yet professional. Servers dressed in all black effortlessly move through the room serving and taking care of guests every need.

After being seated we were asked by Chris, the dining room manager, if he could take care of our wines. We brought a 2009 Gruner and a 2004 Gevrey Chambertin. Having had the Gevrey just a week before we knew it needed to be decanted, and Chris said that would be no problem. Now, when it comes to BYOB's I'm a bit of a glassware snob. The glasses provided were Schott and one other brand which I am not familiar with, but was very nice. If you bring a special bottle (and you should) glassware won't be an issue.

Soon after pouring our first glass of Gruner we were presented with Menus. Printed on "planting seed paper" each menu can be taken home and planted. URL's for instructions are printed on each menu. A cool touch to be sure but not something I'd do with an opening night menu.

Now onto the food.

Amuse
Roasted yellow beet/goat cheese

I'm not much of a beet fan but this simple bite served on a table spoon set into a gorgeous while bowl was fresh and tasty, let alone very pretty.

Course 1
lobster/hubbard squash/licorice root/curry

Small, perfectly cooked nuggets of lobster knuckle, served in an intense broth, with squash angilotti, garnished with an amazingly cut half of snap pea and squash puree, were perfectly balanced. The curry didn't even come through but added to the complexity of the dish. The pasta was delicate yet perfectly cooked.

Course 2
chestnut soup/smoke/white alba mushrooms/ truffle essence

This decadent soup was more mushroom than chestnut but wow! Topped with a truffle foam (super light and not pretentious at all) and garnished with mushrooms and skillfully cut potato brunoise. The plate which the cup sat upon was garnished with parsnip puree, snap pea, an incredibly tiny goat cheese gougeres, and the smallest bits of cauliflower, and celery leaves. Each garnish worked seamlessly with the super rich soup.

Course 3
loup de mere/meyer lemon/sunchoke/tapioca pearls

A gorgeously cooked piece of fish, with a wonderfully rich sauce of meyer lemon and tapioca pearls for texture atop a lush sunchoke puree along side an intense bit of fennel sauce. Every aspect of this dish worked wonderfully together.

Course 4
roasted quail/spiced beluga lentil/ginger/compressed apple

This half quail was gorgeously pan roasted, butchered and set atop amazingly flavorful beluga lentils with an intense ginger flavor. It seemed like it shouldn't work but it really did. This dish was beautifully garnished with tiny parissiene scoops of apples which were compressed with a tiny bit of vinegar. Also garnishing the plates were tiny bits of micro greens atop cubes of apple gelee and a light apple sauce.

Course 5
angus beef/heirloom carrots/goosefoot/cumin/shallot jus

I have to say something about service before talking about this dish. As the dish made it's way out of the kitchen the server noticed we didn't have the correct knife. She made her way back to the bus station and wrangled another server to present the proper cutlery before she served the dish. Unfortunately, during this very brief delay the dish had cooled just enough that it wasn't presented "hot" While tenderloin isn't my favorite cut of beef this cut was nicely, yet not perfectly cooked (a bit past medium rare and one side done just a touch more than the other) the rest of the dish was nicely put together. The steak sat atop a bit of spinach and a delicate shallot jus. The heirloom carrots were the star of this dish if you ask me. One poached, some puree and a, for lack of a better term, molecular, carrot gel, with one leaf of the namesake goosefoot leaf.

Course 6
pleasant ridge reserve/celery truffle caponata/almond

This composed cheese course was really mind bending. The firm, thin slices of slightly salty cheese sat atop a super light mascrapone truffle mixture with a crisp of tapioca pearls. All I can say is wow. This elegant light dish was one of the best things I've eaten this year.

Course 7
cinderella pumpkin/nougatine/spice meringue/coffee

This impossibly light mousse of pumpkin with a light crumb coating served along with a dehydrated nougatine, a cardamom gel and a manderine puree. Super light and really flavorful.

Course 8
chocolate/sea bean/orange/mulled wine

This light chocolate, mousse like bite was topped with a bit of a firm orange top layer with a really lightly crisp cookie like base. Served with a reduced mulled wine sauce and the tiniest bit of a powder of ground cocoa nibs and mulled wine spice. A gorgeous ending to a great meal.

Some tables were served an intermezzo of three juices/purees at some point which we did not receive.

I took photos of each dish for reference and they're not very good at all but I can post them if people want. Each dish was plated on elegant plates that accentuated the beauty of the food and was as elegant as the room, service and flavors. More importantly though, you need to eat at this restaurant. $90 for 8 really fantastic courses. Soon to come will be the 12 course degustation.

I had never dined at Les Nomades under Chef Nugent, but I will be dining again at goosefoot. And soon.

My guess is that this isn't the place for everyone, but if you're looking for fine dining this place is among the top 5 or so in the city if you ask me.

goosefoot
2656 W Lawrence Ave
Chicago, IL 60625

http://www.goosefoot.net

Thanks for the report, John. Eagerly looking forward to my meal here next month.

Do you know when Goosefoot plans to roll out their 12-course menu?

incite wrote:Thanks for the report, John. Eagerly looking forward to my meal here next month.

Do you know when Goosefoot plans to roll out their 12-course menu?

I got varying answers from the staff about this. One server told me after the first of the year, another told me not until their spring menu.

Great post John. I appreciate the information on the wine glasses, as I too get concerned about the glasses that BYOBs have.

I'm looking forward to the dinner I'll have there on Friday, December 23rd. From the description of your menu, it sounds like the wines we're planning on bringing will work fine. We're going to start with a champagne, followed by a Kistler Chardonnay, followed by a Jadot 1er cru Burgundy, then on to a Bordeaux (don't know the vintage or maker, the other guy is bringing it), then finish with a Sauternes.

BTW, did you notice if they had flutes for champagne?

John,

That's quite a bit of wine

The Kistler Chard might be a bit big IMO, and depending on the size of your party you might want to consider not opening the Bordeaux. We were a part of two and while we went through 2 bottles it was a lot of wine, and I'm no light weight...lol. Unless of course you're bringing 1/2 bottles.

Yes, I did see folks drinking from champagne flutes.

I think I'm going on Thursday (if the reservation can be expanded or someone drops out)
I do like the idea of Champs, white burg, red burg, rhone or brdx then sweet
no need to finish all the bottles!

JLenart wrote:John,

That's quite a bit of wine

The Kistler Chard might be a bit big IMO, and depending on the size of your party you might want to consider not opening the Bordeaux. We were a part of two and while we went through 2 bottles it was a lot of wine, and I'm no light weight...lol. Unless of course you're bringing 1/2 bottles.

Yes, I did see folks drinking from champagne flutes.

Thanks for the update on the flutes John.

We typically allocate (and manage to finish) one bottle per person over the course of dinners like this, which is why we're planning the bottles we are. The Sauternes will be a half bottle, the remainder 750s.

mhill95149 wrote:...
no need to finish all the bottles!

BLASPHEMER!

I was tickled to find out that my post was featured in a Grubstreet article about goosefoot.

Here's the link:
http://chicago.grubstreet.com/2011/12/g ... revie.html

If the mods think this information should go elsewhere please feel free to move it.

JLenart wrote:

mhill95149 wrote:...
no need to finish all the bottles!

BLASPHEMER!

I was tickled to find out that my post was featured in a Grubstreet article about goosefoot.

Here's the link:
http://chicago.grubstreet.com/2011/12/g ... revie.html

If the mods think this information should go elsewhere please feel free to move it.

Congrats John!! Great post--obviously others thought so as well

I very much enjoyed our meal at Goosefoot.
For day four of service, they really have it together!





Amuse
Roasted yellow beet/goat cheese

lobster/hubbard squash/licorice root/curry


chestnut soup/smoke/white alba mushrooms/ truffle essence

loup de mere/meyer lemon/sunchoke/tapioca pearls

roasted quail/spiced beluga lentil/ginger/compressed apple

angus beef/heirloom carrots/goosefoot/cumin/shallot jus

pleasant ridge reserve/celery truffle caponata/almond

palate cleanser, I don't recall what it was...

cinderella pumpkin/nougatine/spice meringue/coffee

chocolate/sea bean/orange/mulled wine


All shots lit with an iPad and shot with a Canon DSLR

Gorgeous photos mhill. What did you think of the food?

And, what wines did you bring?

JLenart wrote:Gorgeous photos mhill. What did you think of the food?

And, what wines did you bring?

Loved the food, The quail was my favorite of the savory courses.
Maybe one course too many with foam.
While I'd not have a problem with fresh truffles on every course,
the use of truffle oil in IIRC, three courses was gently pushing my limits
Great staff and Chris and his wife were very nice to come over and chat as we were
finishing our wines.




1990 on the CH and the Guigal

Forgot to shoot the 2001 Suduiraut we finished with.

Holy cow Mel !! You're my hero!! What a great lineup.

So 10 bottles total? I guess there were probably 4 or 6 of you at the dinner?

Quite a line up is right. Holy smokes. Amazing wines.

We had the exact same menu (minus the wines of course!). While I felt the food was very well prepared, I must say that it left me unimpressed. I really wanted to love the whole experience, but alas!

Tonight was their first Friday service and the room was packed. I would venture a guess to say that they have some service issues to work out. For example, after serving the palate cleanser, we waited 30 minutes for the dessert, only to have the server put down steak knives. I asked if this was for the steak, and she said yes. I reminded her that we just had our cheese course and the palate cleanser. Same thing happened to the 4 top next to us too. This time, the steak was re-served to half the table before something was said!

The quail was nicely prepared, crispy skin and all. Tenderloin was sous-vided and seared, meltingly tender. I agree that there was too much foam and truffle oil. Soup was good. But my favorite course was the chocolate at the end. Smooth, crunchy, tangy... perfect ending.

Would I go back? Maybe... just to give it a second chance. I have been eating at some spectacular places in SF lately and I think my palate may be skewed!

BTW the palate cleanser was beet, yuzu, pomegranate, tonic...

CrazyC wrote:I have been eating at some spectacular places in SF lately and I think my palate may be skewed!

I've eaten at many of the best places in the San Francisco area, and overall, I've found the chances of finding amazingly delicious food are significantly better in Chicagoland.

nsxtasy wrote:

CrazyC wrote:I have been eating at some spectacular places in SF lately and I think my palate may be skewed!

I've eaten at many of the best places in the San Francisco area, and overall, I've found the chances of finding amazingly delicious food are significantly better in Chicagoland.

And I don't disagree...

We had a great meal at Goosefoot on Saturday evening. The service was excellent. We arrived a little early, but were seated right away.
I thought the meal was delicious and I've been thinking about some of the dishes ever since. My favorite courses were the soup, which was rich and savory, the perfectly cooked quail and angus courses, and the chocolate dessert. The cheese course was also delicious. There were two of us, so I only brought two bottles, a Cremant de Bourgogne and a Cote de Nuit Burgundy, they paired wonderfully with the meal.

Overall, I enjoyed the entire experience and I am very excited to go back for the 12 course menu once it is available.

I was there Saturday night with friends and we thought the food and service were terrific, and surprising given they've been open less than a week. We debated our favorite course - two of us (me included) thought the loup de mer was the best dish, while the other two favored the quail. Regardless, both were excellent. I also loved the chestnut soup - just bursting with flavor and a perfect dish for the season. And the pumpkin dessert was fantastic, more enjoyable than the best pumpkin pie I've ever tasted (and I love pumpkin pie).

Overall, I can't think of a single miss, although there were certainly some items I preferred to others. And although I read this thread before our visit and was aware of concerns, I didn't find that foam or truffle (each appearing in two dishes) was overdone, and I thought the flavors and techniques used were nicely varied throughout the eight courses (and one amuse - we weren't given a palate cleanser). But I expect that as they evolve, the menu will become even more varied and I look forward to returning.

I was given two different answers when I asked how often they will change the menu. One server said the menu will change seasonally, whereas another said the menu will change monthly. Either way, I very much look forward to returning . . . what a fantastic addition to Lincoln Square, and what a great way to use up some nice wines.

By the way, if you are going to Goosefoot, you should know that it is very accessible to the Brown Line (maybe a four-minute walk from Rockwell stop), and the Lawrence bus, but plenty of metered street parking is also always available.

I'll chime in as another that had an amazing experience at Goosefoot. The menu was the same as Mel listed. Everything was prepared perfectly. The service was excellent, with only one slipup where the server wanted to take my wife's cheese course before she was done, and it happened with two different servers within the span of about two minutes, which really pissed her off. Everything else was great. We'll definitely be back often.

Thank you all for the amazing photos and reviews! My wife and I are going to Goosefoot for dinner on NYE and we are looking to bring some very nice Champagne and perhaps a nice half bottle of pinot noir - just one issue - lately my wife has a bad reaction to red wine so it'd be nice to stick with bubbly for most of the meal, and heck, it is NYE after all!

Mhill95149 - it seems as if the Vilmart that you paired with the meal is available (2005 more than 2004) on the internet, but is there anywhere in Chicago where I can purchase this or something comparable or even better to pair with the meal? I thought I'd try here first since whoever I talk to at Binny's or elsewhere probably hasn't eaten at Goosefoot or thought about the good/bad of the pairings they selected.

Thanks so much in advance - I will be sure to post about our meal!

rober wrote:Mhill95149 - it seems as if the Vilmart that you paired with the meal is available (2005 more than 2004) on the internet, but is there anywhere in Chicago where I can purchase this or something comparable or even better to pair with the meal? I thought I'd try here first since whoever I talk to at Binny's or elsewhere probably hasn't eaten at Goosefoot or thought about the good/bad of the pairings they selected.

I'm not a wine expert, but I'm sure there are various wines you can find at Binny's that would pair nicely. Hopefully our wine experts here can recommend some of them.

I know some of the wine specialty stores in the burbs, such as Schaefer's in Skokie or Knightsbridge in Northbrook, have highly-qualified staff who can help, and both are just off the Edens. Stores on the North Side that my wine friends have recommended include West Lakeview Liquors in North Center, Fine Wine Brokers in Lincoln Square, Wine Discount Centers on Elston, and In Fine Spirits in Andersonville. Sometimes you can find such folks at Binny's, sometimes not so much.

nsxtasy wrote:

rober wrote:Mhill95149 - it seems as if the Vilmart that you paired with the meal is available (2005 more than 2004) on the internet, but is there anywhere in Chicago where I can purchase this or something comparable or even better to pair with the meal? I thought I'd try here first since whoever I talk to at Binny's or elsewhere probably hasn't eaten at Goosefoot or thought about the good/bad of the pairings they selected.

I'm not a wine expert, but I'm sure there are various wines you can find at Binny's that would pair nicely. Hopefully our wine experts here can recommend some of them.

I know some of the wine specialty stores in the burbs, such as Schaefer's in Skokie or Knightsbridge in Northbrook, have highly-qualified staff who can help, and both are just off the Edens. Stores on the North Side that my wine friends have recommended include West Lakeview Liquors in North Center, Fine Wine Brokers in Lincoln Square, Wine Discount Centers on Elston, and In Fine Spirits in Andersonville. Sometimes you can find such folks at Binny's, sometimes not so much.

I'd also add Perman Wine Selections to this list. Craig Perman is incredibly knowledgeable and helpful. He can also order just about anything, even a single bottle. If I'm looking for something specific, he's the first person I check with. He is just just west of the loop.

I don't have experience with all of the places nsxtasy listed, but I'd also recommend IFS and Fine Wine Brokers for advice about wine. Note that IFS has a very small (but well selected) number of sparkling wines. West Lakeview is an amazing place for beer and spirits. Their wine selection is very good, but I think the staff's expertise (and ability to give advice) is in beer and spirits area. If you are looking to spend over $50 on a bottle, I'd stick with the places where wine is a strength.

rober wrote:Mhill95149 - it seems as if the Vilmart that you paired with the meal is available (2005 more than 2004) on the internet, but is there anywhere in Chicago where I can purchase this or something comparable or even better to pair with the meal? I thought I'd try here first since whoever I talk to at Binny's or elsewhere probably hasn't eaten at Goosefoot or thought about the good/bad of the pairings they selected.

Hi Rober,

We opened with a Philippe Prie 2002, which has similar notes as the Vilmart. So while I haven't had the Vilmart, I can give you some options. Here's what I would suggest, based on what Binny's has:

1. 2006 Vilmart
2. Bollinger Special Cuvee
3. Montaudon Brut

Have a great time!

that looks really good, i am sure that all the food was excellent. But how can you go and spend 90 bucks and expect dinner, and get like 4 bites of meat. I really wish there was a place with a quality of food like this where you can go in and just order what ever you want. Or do the 8 course, but just double on the steak and quail.

sqbronco wrote:that looks really good, i am sure that all the food was excellent. But how can you go and spend 90 bucks and expect dinner, and get like 4 bites of meat. I really wish there was a place with a quality of food like this where you can go in and just order what ever you want. Or do the 8 course, but just double on the steak and quail.

Might I recommend a steak house. This style of food might not be for you.

JLenart wrote:

sqbronco wrote:that looks really good, i am sure that all the food was excellent. But how can you go and spend 90 bucks and expect dinner, and get like 4 bites of meat. I really wish there was a place with a quality of food like this where you can go in and just order what ever you want. Or do the 8 course, but just double on the steak and quail.

Might I recommend a steak house. This style of food might not be for you.

I think sqbronco was looking for a place that had food in a style more similar to Goosefoot, not really a steakhouse. I'd suggest one of the many places that do small plates. Girl and the Goat, the Publican, Avec, Longman and Eagle, and Graham Elliot come to mind. The food at these places is a notch or two more casual than Goosefoot (based on the pictures - I haven't been yet), but still quite refined.

Darren72 wrote:

JLenart wrote:

sqbronco wrote:that looks really good, i am sure that all the food was excellent. But how can you go and spend 90 bucks and expect dinner, and get like 4 bites of meat. I really wish there was a place with a quality of food like this where you can go in and just order what ever you want. Or do the 8 course, but just double on the steak and quail.

Might I recommend a steak house. This style of food might not be for you.

I think sqbronco was looking for a place that had food in a style more similar to Goosefoot, not really a steakhouse. I'd suggest one of the many places that do small plates. Girl and the Goat, the Publican, Avec, Longman and Eagle, and Graham Elliot come to mind. The food at these places is a notch or two more casual than Goosefoot (based on the pictures - I haven't been yet), but still quite refined.

Inovasi would also come to mind.

The idea behind small plates is that you order as many as you like until you are satisfied. John Des Rosiers at Inovasi says that most of his dishes are about two thirds the size of a traditional entree elsewhere. (I've found that two of his dishes are about the same amount of food as a traditional appetizer and entree elsewhere.)

Places that have lengthy tasting menus, like Goosefoot and Graham Elliot, usually have a series of courses that may vary in size. If they do it right (and most of these places do), you should have enough food that you are satisfied at the end of the meal and not feeling hungry. (You may or may not feel overstuffed.)

There are quite a few small plates restaurants, including some of the places mentioned above (albeit not others IMHO). Girl and the Goat and Inovasi certainly qualify; also Sable (all three of these are contemporary American), Quartino (Italian small plates), GT Fish (seafood small plates), and Mercat a la Planxa (tapas, i.e. Spanish small plates). Pricing can vary at these places; personally, I'm a pretty good eater and I've found that I am quite satisfied with around $30 of food per person (call it $50 with tax/tip and a glass of wine) at Sable and Inovasi. I've spent somewhat more ($75-80 inclusive) at Girl and the Goat and Mercat a la Planxa. Places with tasting menus are usually considerably more expensive than that; they are often fancier, more upscale restaurants. I'm sure it comes as no surprise that some restaurants are more expensive than others; the same is true of restaurants serving a traditional a la carte menu with appetizers, entrees, and desserts, where you can spend $50/pp here, $75-80/pp there, or $120/pp at yet another place. Spending more money at one place than another may be worth it to you, or it may not. Your choice.

nsxtasy wrote:There are quite a few small plates restaurants, including some of the places above (albeit not others IMHO). Girl and the Goat and Inovasi certainly qualify; also Sable (all three of these are contemporary American), Quartino (Italian small plates), GT Fish (seafood small plates), and Mercat a la Planxa (tapas, i.e. Spanish small plates).

The idea behind small plates is that you order as many as you like until you are satisfied. John Des Rosiers at Inovasi says that most of his dishes are about two thirds the size of a traditional entree elsewhere. (I've found that two of his dishes are about the same amount of food as a traditional appetizer and entree elsewhere.)

Places that have lengthy tasting menus, like Goosefoot and Graham Elliot, usually have a series of courses that may vary in size. If they do it right (and most of these places do), you should have enough food that you are satisfied at the end of the meal and not feeling hungry. (You may or may not feel overstuffed.)

Too many people have the misguided notion that a meal (perhaps even a course) must contain no less than 16 ounces of meat.