Garth Rocks!

Enjoyed another dinner at One Sister Inc the other week. I was under the impression that I was going to try out the new menu for the new season. I was wrong, yet I'm happy this was the case - I was a guinea pig my first go, and I was able to see just how well these dishes progressed.

Bubble tea this time was a:
Quesadilla


Salad Sponge honeys / goat milk / homegrown


Tomatoes manchego-edamame / nasturtium / spice cubes


Shrimp Carpaccio almonds / peaches / herbs

A welcome addition. Much preferred compared to the scallop our first time around.

Corn Chowder encapsulated / clam / pork belly

That little tweak with pork belly was nice. A small complaint we had last time was that there weren't enough savory courses.

Farm and Garden pork, veggies




1 Pill Makes You Larger
1 pill makes you small



Not a whole lot different this time around...other than Dana actually eating the paper



Shrimp Scampi noodle


Oatmeal Dashi chia seeds




Hand-cut Pasta duck / rasperry



I thought it was really smart to split up the pasta dishes this time around - this dish had a chance to stand out.

Ice Cream Cone

I love this dish...loved it the last time too. Wish I had more ice cream.

Lamb Prosciutto fennel / lemon / corned leg

Cut was a little thicker, presentation was cleaner. I thought the result was tastier.

Veal Cheeks hot mustard / granola / cherries

I'm glad the duck breast was scrapped. Oatmeal took a little away from the veal, but still a big step above that duck.

Custard zucchini / honey dew / banana pepper


Chocolate Balls blueberries / eggs / gruyere





So simple, and so delicious. Makes me miss Summer already.

Another great dinner at One Sister. Something I had this time that I didn't our previous visit was the great company, which really made a difference. Next visit, I might just try and buy out the whole table.

Glorious post, incite. I ate at One Sister a couple of weeks back and was just working on my pics earlier tonight but yours are so superior, I'm not even sure I should bother posting mine (and probably won't post many of them). Our meal was virtually identical to yours and I enjoyed it immensely. I was stunned and pleased by the level of culinary skill and detail that went into this meal, especially given the venue -- a relatively small apartment kitchen. On this evening, Ms. Regan, who has posted upthread, worked with only one other person, Tanya (sp?), to serve 8 of us an intricate and thoughtful progression. They cooked, plated, served, poured beverages, cleared and washed dishes. It was completely impressive.

We were told that some of the elements of this meal -- lamb prosciutto, for example -- took literally months to create. Some dishes contained components that required a dozen or more steps in their preparation. For me, the fact that many of these elements were pre-prepared did not take away from their impressiveness. I loved much of what I ate, and the courses were evocative and provocative.

I will say that for my palate, the meal skewed just a bit to the sweet side. My favorite courses were the ones in which the savory elements were not foiled as heavily by sweet elements. There were times when the savory build-up was diffused by sweet components that, while skillfully prepared and quite innovative, held the meal back for me. Later in the meal, I was waiting for the big umami hit but it never happened. The veal cheek course, for example, was tasty and interesting but for me, the sweet elements detracted from it. Others in our group loved it -- and the cooking skill behind the dish was impeccable -- so this was strictly a matter of my personal taste being different than Ms. Regan's. But again, I've got nothing but respect for her.

Looking at your pictures, I can say that my favorite courses were the corn chowder, the farm and garden, the shrimp scampi noodle, the hand-cut pasta, the mushroom tea portion of the 1 Pill course, and a series of 3 other courses that I don't see in your pics . . .


This course started out as a decoration and ended up on the table as our 4th course . . .



Smoked Watermelon with Salmon Roe and (iirc) Pickled Red Onion



Ms. Regan prepares to serve the next course
This course followed the watermelon course.



Prosciutto-Wrapped Oyster
Course 5 - delectable gem - served 'a la fist.'



Potato Pierogi with Truffle, homemade cheese
Course 6, delicious!

I'm so glad I experienced One Sister and I look forward to returning. We had a great meal and enjoyed our evening very much. In addition to going with REB & RAB, we also met 2 other couples, who were both a lot of fun. Again, the level of cooking here completely belies the venue and the fact that everything is essentially cooked by 1 person. If I hadn't seen it for myself, I might not have believed it. If we were choosing sides for a game of "cook me this," Ms. Regan would be my first pick. She's got game.

=R=

Has anyone been lately and had the Fall menu? I'll be part of a group of 4 this Friday and I am wondering about pairings. We are planning on each bringing a bottle of wine, so it shouldn't be hard to cover bases in that respect. I was also curious about beer (or any other alcohol) pairings as well. Below is a link to the Fall menu.

http://thewoodlandladyandchef.blogspot. ... ecome.html

hey ziggy, you may have emailed me and asked and I might have said food friendly whites and reds...I'm certain some of the guests on this thread can guide you by looking at the menu, however none of them have had it but for a few items which will have carried over from the summer menu (my staples)...One who is really good at pairing wines with my dinners without necessarily having the food first is Tracy at Provenance food and wine. She can certainly guide you in really good directions with wines at all price points.

AND...Ronnie, you got to try this new menu when you can...I have umami bombs all over the place! I was actually thinking about going a little more savory this season and I'm glad you mentioned it. We are on the same waves!

Iliana's right: the last time around we went with Provenance, and the wines turned out to be not only perfect but modestly priced.

New menu looks awesome, btw.

We had a great time on Friday night and the food was phenomenal. As for wines/beers, we went with a champagne, Alsatian Pinot Blanc, Viognier, Belgian Tripel, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Bordeaux, and Dark Lord (and some Port that was brought by someone else). We drank them in that progression and everything worked real well except the Sauv Blanc. Anyway, I'll just post my pics and the menu descriptions as I'm not too good at writing about food and, as you can see, we drank a shit ton, so some details are a bit fuzzy. I didn't bring my flash, so my pics don't quite stand up to incite or ronnie's.

Bubble Tea
Apple Pie, Bourbon



Salad Sponge
Homegrown, goat milk, sunflower, honeys



Hanging
Salmon roe, melon, smoke





Pierogi
Yukon gold potato, white truffle, homemade cheese



Pumpkin Patch
Pumpernickel, lobster, fennel, cashew






Grilled Cheese Soup
Encapsulated, tomato marmalade, garden items






Your Hand



Oyster Centerpiece
Foraged items







(The one that got away)

Shrimp Noodle
Scampi



Oatmeal Dashi and Chia Seeds



1 Pill Makes You Larger And1 Pill Makes You Small









Potatoes , Mussels, and Lobster Consomme






Chicken Thigh, Livers, Truffle and Hay



Lamb Prosciutto
Sassafrass, cherry, smoke






Pig
Cheek, pomegranate, king oyster udon












Dry-Aged Ribeye
Tamarind, sardine, celery root









Ice Cream Cone
Bacon, Koval Whisky





Chocolate Orbs
Egg yolk, berry, gruyere, quinoa







Dinner at One Sister is an amazing experience. The food is well thought out and some of the flavor combinations are simply amazing...I don't know how Iliana thinks of them, but they work....so well. I enjoyed the company that I came with, but I loved the set up and the fact that everyone is sitting at one large dinner table and more or less, forced to talk to each other. The first course being a bubble tea acts as a great ice breaker since everyone is slurping like crazy, as they try to get each little morsel out of the glass. You don't feel too much like strangers after that. If I could, I would do this (or something very similar to this, if it exists) every weekend. We ate amazing food, had great drinks, fun conversation, and made new friends. It doesn't get much better than that.

A nice little piece on Iliana in this week's Reader: Iliana Regan, the forager

This piqued my curiosity heavily, and I tried to e-mail the Gmail address I found for OSI but it bounced back twice!

Try ilianaregan@yahoo.com

I'll give it a shot. Many thanks!

Just short of a month ago I, once again, dined at One Sister. I have now had dinner at Iliana’s 3 times, and though my second was slightly better than my first, this dinner blew them out of the water. Many new dishes, much more imaginative, and you can tell Iliana is really having fun with it now.

First thing you notice when you sit at the table is a centerpiece (which will come into play later)


Bubble Tea Lox

First course was actually my least favorite course. Something about sucking cream cheese through a straw just doesn't thrill me.

Salad Sponge honeys, greens, homegrown

One of the few dishes that have remained from the previous menu.

Pierogi yukon gold potato, white truffle, mascarpone

And of course Iliana's signature pierogi dish remains.

Hanging winter flavors, roe




And now for some fun

Build-A-Plate paint, powder, gels, puddings, fresh sprouts

Placed in front of me, I have no idea what's coming

Once a brush is set, I have an idea

this is when the center piece is utilized



my masterpiece


and Dana's...


Butternut Squash lobster, cashew, anise





creamy and delightful.

Tree Nest spaghetti squash, “eggs”


Encapsulated artichoke, black truffle




Your Hand


Juniper Centerpiece beinville










Shrimp Scampi Noodles

Just a small bite now.

Oatmeal Dashi and Chia Seeds


Brussels With Yummies smoked duck, amaranth







Sure, I take issue with 'yummies', but I can't deny that this was good. And how about those bowls?


1 Pill Makes You Larger, 1 Pill Makes You Small
Always one of my favorite dishes. The broth is the same as before, but the pills are now encapsulated




Ebelskiver coffee and doughnuts, chicken and dumplings

a mini chicken pot pie. A new favorite.

Spiced Pho

Like most of the broths Iliana makes, this was gone too soon.

Blood Pudding pork, king oyster udon, garnishes






Indiana Deer Bresaola pine, homemade cheese, cherry, smoke

Nicely cured and salted.

Dry-Aged Ribeye buttermilk, broccoli, bonito


Ice Cream Cone bacon, Koval whiskey butterscotch


Mirepoix cinnamon, celery, carrot, onion




Bites

Foss has retired his chocolate balls and One Sister has picked them up?

With the exposure Iliana has been getting recently (here and here), I'm not surprised Iliana has upped her game. I don't know that she can go bigger than this. It's time to retire her kitchen table and open that restaurant.

Great pictures; thanks for sharing these! The food looks beautiful. I think I am as excited about my upcoming One Sister reservation (for the spring menu in April) as I was for my dinner at Next elBulli!

Nice to see Iliana fully exploring savories; the course sequence appears more coherent, too. Gonna try to go back in the summer, when her garden is in full bloom, for she is at her best, I feel, when the herbs define her grace notes.

The food looks beautiful. I think I am as excited about my upcoming One Sister reservation (for the spring menu in April) as I was for my dinner at Next elBulli!

And for 1/4th the price!

Thanks for the pics and the menu recap, incite! The shots you captured are awesome, really recreates the experience of being there.

That certainly was a wonderful meal, Iliana makes some seriously amazing food! I would highly recommend everyone check out her supper club while you still can. We are definitely looking forward to going back, and absolutely cannot wait for the restaurant!

I am excited about my first dinner at One Sister that is coming up next month. One question I have to those who have dined there before. I will eat just about anything, but will be with my wife who is a bit picky. Looking at the upcoming menu the vast majority of the courses are fine for her, but there are a couple courses where she likely would not eat them unless a certain ingredient were left off. Is this the type of venue where she should speak up and ask that the ingredient be left off, or is this the type of place where it would be poor manners to make such a request? We are certainly understanding if no modifications are feasible (looking at the pictures it really is amazing how intricate and incredible looking the food is Iliana creates and I realize what immense work that is), but if it is reasonable to make a request or two that would be good to know. As an example of the type of request, my wife really dislikes honey and will not eat anything that is touching (or even close to) honey - would asking that no honey be drizzled on her salad dish be reasonable?

Thanks for any feedback!

Gonzo70 wrote:my wife really dislikes honey and will not eat anything that is touching (or even close to) honey - would asking that no honey be drizzled on her salad dish be reasonable?

Thanks for any feedback!

So, no calling her honey I guess...

I won't speak for the chef but most chefs are in the hospitality business and will make changes to please a guest. leaving out the honey should not be a problem.

I think Iliana would be very accommodating of any requests in advance. But I've found in the past that if there's something you don't want the night of (or usually, something my wife doesn't want), just pass it along to someone who wants it. The dishes are often pretty small, and there are a lot of them, so I wouldn't worry about not getting enough food.

Thanks for the feedback.

We had such an amazing meal last night at One Sister for opening night of the Spring menu. The food was beautifully presented and tasted as good as it looked. Such a fun, whimsical, unique venue as well. Everything seemed to run so smoothly it was hard to believe it was the first night of a brand new menu. There was no problem having the honey left off my wife's Salad Sponge course, and my picky wife ate nearly every course! I posted a bunch of pictures on Yelp if anybody wants to check them out. This was one of my best meals I have had in Chicago and will definitely be back for the Summer menu!

Does anyone know what the current "suggested donation" is? Also, does the donation include tip?

If I recall correctly it is $115 for the spring menu. This does not include gratuity. The meal is amazing on all levels and is a great value.

Also, just heard that the Spring menu maybe her last (at her residence)! If all goes well, Elizabeth Restaurant will open this summer!

CrazyC wrote:Also, just heard that the Spring menu maybe her last (at her residence)! If all goes well, Elizabeth Restaurant will open this summer!

Elizabeth restaurant is slated for August in Lincoln Square and, if our recent One Sister experience is any indication, will leap to the top of must-dine lists everywhere. I'm still thinking about Iliana's trout roe, white chocolate and rye crisp. How she produced such a stunning meal for twelve with just a server and dishwasher is beyond me.

Iliana Regan, count me a fan!

I saw on facebook that One Sister had some last minute openings for dinner on Saturday, which it said would be the last before the opening of Elizabeth Restaurant. I had been sad that I missed my chance to dine with Chef Regan in her home so I jumped on the opportunity. Very excited for dinner on Saturday!

So I was going to post all my pictures and everything from our dinner last Saturday, but then I found this blog post which has nicer pictures (and descriptions) than I took. I will say that everything was absolutely amazing; not a single dud in the 25 courses. I am very excited for the opening of Elizabeth. If Iliana can accomplish this with just a dishwasher and a server in her apartment, imagine what she can do with a full kitchen and staff.

One Sister Inc is officially Elizabeth Restaurant. Thank you all so much for all your support and I cannot wait to have you there. www.elizabeth-restaurant.com. We should be open in late August or early September of 2012. In the meantime if people find this post because they are looking for Underground Dinners in Chicago, Sm Underground is really fantastic. There are not as many courses however the experience is fun, light, and their food is really lovely.