Homestead

Homestead (a seasonal restaurant located on the rooftop of Root's Pizza in Ukranian Village) opened for the season a few months ago. Last year was it's first year and it features a large outdoor seating area (really beautiful space) as well as an adjacent farm area where they grow a lot of the produce used; the website dubs the venue "A literal farm-to-table restaurant." There is also indoor seating area (tables and a long bar). I had been intrigued by this place last year, but never made it in as it is a bit out-of-the-way from where I live and the feedback I had heard was lukewarm.

This year they have a new executive chef (Chris Curren) as well as my favorite mixologist (Ben Schiller) has left Boka and is designing the cocktail program at Homestead (he is currently working in-house, but once Berkshire opens up - likely within a few weeks - he will mainly be there). This past weekend I went for cocktails and was happy to see that my favorite cocktail from Boka (the Weston) was on the menu (and now $2 cheaper - all cocktails are $10 at Homestead). The cocktail menu consists of a couple favorites from Boka as well as several new beverages (I really enjoyed a mezcal based drink, Ink Sleeve, with a raspberry ice cube that gradually sweetened the beverage as it melted). There was also a really good cucumber/gin/chartreuse based cocktail (Trade Secret) and a carrot/gin cocktail. We had a really nice experience; we sat up to the bar so we could chat some with Ben but we also ventured outside to check out the farm and outdoor seating area and it really is beautiful; we plan to drop in sometime this summer to enjoy some of the food in addition to cocktails.

Homestead
1924 W. Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
773-645-4949
http://www.homesteadontheroof.com/

To enter Homestead you first walk into Root's pizza and they will direct you to staircase for Homestead.

I loved both the gin cocktails as well, although the Trade Secret is with celery juice, not cucumber. The Trade Secret is on the menu courtesy of Griffin Elliott, the new head bartender at Sepia. The Village was the other gin cocktail I tried, with spice carrot juice and a copious mint garnish on top, so the drink actually resembled a carrot with the green carrot top.


Trade Secret

I dined at Homestead last night for a media preview event (my meal was comped) and really enjoyed both of the salads I had. They were, surprisingly, the highlight of the meal for me. The restaurant is just getting rolling under Chef Curren, so I'm hopeful that the food will only be getting better in coming weeks. The menu is just one page long, which is a relief. It's not easy to make choices though, since just about everything sounds delicious and there are so many unique accents (like purple carrot with a chocolate dessert) on otherwise familiar dishes.


Heirloom tomato salad, whipped ricotta, long crouton, house-cured olive spread, opal basil


English pea & artichoke salad, fava beans, radishes, pecorino, mint-yogurt dressing, pea tendrils


Bread basket - manchego & jamón serrano laminated brioche, pan d'epi herb sourdough, ciabatta, whipped Oaxacan honey butter, house pickled herb oil.

The jamón brioche was easily the best, but the other breads weren't that memorable. I'm not sure I would pony up $6 for this.


Squid ink corzetti - octopus, pickled pearl onions, crispy marrow, herbed marrow emulsion.

This pasta had a nice depth of flavor and reminded me of the corzetti I loved at Moderno in HP


Seared walleye, ramp pesto, corn custard, pickled shallots, pickled jalapeños, clams, cured walleye

The seared walleye was amazing, with a great crispy skin and I loved the ramp pesto on top and sweet corn custard beneath. However, the cured walleye was a little bit too strong of a flavor and there were several pieces. I felt that it didn't add to the dish but competed with the seared walleye.


Strawberry shortcake, almond citrus cake, strawberry consommé gelée, vanilla ganache, compressed strawberries, strawberry almond white chocolate rocher, vanilla ice milk

This was nicely composed but ultimately too sweet for me with both the vanilla ganache and white chocolate.

We seem to keep just missing one another at restaurants! You are correct about the Trade Secret; I had forgotten that Ben made a variation for my wife (she loves cucumber in cocktails). I definitely have to try the pasta/octopus dish - that looks great!

Hurdler4eva wrote:I dined at Homestead last night for a media preview event (my meal was comped) . . .

Me too, mine too, and I really enjoyed the experience. I've long been a fan of Benjamin Schiller, so the bar was my primary destination. I tried a few cocktails and appreciated how they matched up with the menu -- not particularly boozy but lighter, a bit sweeter and with primary flavors provided by the non-alcoholic components. The Trade Secret (Gin, Celery Juice, Chartreuse, Egg White, courtesy Griffin Elliot), the Village (Gin, Spiced Carrot, Lemon, Mint) and the Ghost Sign (Tequila, Pimm’s, Kumquat, Lemon) all fit this description. I also had a boozier Weston (Bourbon, Dark Matter Coffee Essence, Pipe Tobacco), one of Schiller's signature cocktails, which I first enjoyed back when he was a Boka. It was as wonderful as ever. It was great sitting at the bar and chatting with Mr. Schiller, who is not only one of the most knowledgeable people in the industry but who is also extremely generous with that knowledge. I never fail to learn something new from him.

As for food, I never made it to Blue 13, but was sorry I didn't, so it was great to finally try chef Chris Curren's food somewhere other than a charity event. We ordered several dishes and the stand-outs for me were the Heirloom Tomato (Whipped Ricotta, Long Crouton, House-Cured Olive Spread, Opal Basil), the Duck Egg (Asparagus, Wild Mushrooms, English Peas, Pickled Ramps, Pumpernickel Croutons & Crumble), Squid Ink Corzetti (Octopus, Pickled Pearl Onions, Crispy Marrow, Herbed Marrow Emulsion) and the Crispy Duck Leg (Duck Breast Tasso, Wild Rice Polenta, Pickled Blueberries, Spiced Heirloom Carrots). I loved the tomato and the duck egg because in both dishes there was great textural variety and very nice balance between the richness and acidity. The corzetti was al dente, deep in flavor and just about perfect in every way. The duck leg was also delectable and I wish I hadn't been so full because I would have eaten more of it if I weren't. We ended up trying just one of Chris Teixeira's desserts: the Strawberry, (Almond Citrus Cake, Strawberry Consommé Gelée, Vanilla Ganache, Compressed Strawberries, Strawberry-Almond-White Chocolate Rocher, Vanilla Ice Milk) which, for my palate, was just a sensational composition. This is everything I love in a non-chocolate dessert, and each and every component in it was meticulously prepared. I was struck by how much I enjoyed it.

I thought Homestead's indoor/outdoor space, above Roots, was really nice. It's bright, airy and comfortable inside with a bunch of seating outside, as well.


Rooftop Seating Area at Homestead

On a nice day (we do still have those around here, right? ) I think this will be a great, after-work spot for having a some quality cocktails and food.

=R=

I know Gonzo70 already posted Homestead's website, but wanted to let you all know it is finally live at http://homesteadontheroof.com

Photos; dinner menu; specialty cocktail, wine and beer menu; spirits menu; dessert menu; hours; new phone #; and more are now up and functional.

Homestead
1924 W. Chicago Ave (Enter thru Roots Handmade Pizza and you'll be guided upstairs)
Chicago, IL 60622
773-904-1145

Hours:
5pm - 2am Tuesday thru Sunday
Closed Mondays
Serving food until 11pm
Outdoor rooftop patio until midnight
Cocktails inside second floor interior until 2am

* I am the publicist for Homestead.

Sat on the rooftop trying to get in some last of the summer outdoor dining. The gnat swarms and flys reminded me of why I like to dine indoors. The rooftop really is gorgeous with a nice view of the Trump and a lovely outdoor garden. The service was attentive, and the food was good. We had the frika which I would order again, lots of feta and heirloom tomatoes , really fresh tasting with just picked herbs. Also had the duck egg salad. This was a nice salad with greens and asparagus, could have used more mushrooms for me, but that's just a quibble. The weird part of this salad was the duck egg. I would have preferred it poached instead of slow cooked. I really find the white slime unappetizing. Which brings us to the next course. Duck egg carbonara. The pasta was fresh, and a ton of black pepper, which I loved, but that slimy egg white just made the texture strange, because the bacon wasn't crisp. The yolk alone would have been better. The cream rocket sauce was delicious., If you don't like spicy this dish would have been sent back. But I really enjoyed it. Next up was the walleye, which had a really bright green knob onion puree topped with pickled jalapenos, that I could have easily licked the plate clean, sooooo good. The walleye was well seasoned and lightly pan fried. Hubs had the half chicken. The thigh wrapped in skin with chorizo was the highlight of the night. The rest of the chicken could have been browned more, we looked at other plates around us, and they had the same pale skin. Topped it off with Rhum babba and fresh berries. Very light and just the right amount of sweet and sour since some of the blackberries were pickled. Hubs had the Weston cocktail and I had the Cava. All in all a success and we'll be back when we can eat indoors.

nicinchic wrote: Also had the duck egg salad. This was a nice salad with greens and asparagus, could have used more mushrooms for me, but that's just a quibble..

I'm curious about the asparagus in the salad, doesn't seem very seasonal. Did they tell you where they sourced them?

Apparently you can produce two crops, spring and fall:
http://farmerfredrant.blogspot.com/2009 ... ember.html
http://www.dairygoatinfo.com/f31/fall-asparagus-25882/

I thought I already posted about my dinner here but I guess not. Anyway, I enjoyed a meal here a few weeks ago--not everything was a home run and I'm a bit fuzzy on the details now but what really stood out was the service--best I can recall in a VERY long time. And, if you want a bit of a giggle, check out the names of the staff. If you say the name "Chris", chances are someone will be by your side momentarily (3 chefs, 3 front of the house all share the name, if I'm not mistaken...)

Per Phil Vettel of the Tribune, Homestead* will now be open year round. Also, Homestead now accepts reservations via OpenTable.

* I am the publicist for Homestead.

daveandrews3 wrote:Per Phil Vettel of the Tribune, Homestead* will now be open year round. .

Great opportunity to corner the market on hot drinks - Dog's Nose, Smoking Bishop, etc

Went here this Weds on an impulse, was pretty empty, but the food was much better than my first visit this summer. The duck egg ravioli was creamy with delicious cracklings and plenty of mustard to balance it out.



We ordered several fish dishes even though that's not really my thing because they looked so good. The best was the Seared Walleye, which had perfectly crisped skin and was served with delicious Laughing Bird (which is a very high quality brand) shrimp in a buttery sauce with pillowy bites of gnocchi. The Loup De Mer was good, though they didn't warn us about the bones in it. We don't mind but I could imagine some people might.



The highlight was the desserts. They really seem to have stepped up their game on these. The combination of buttermilk, thyme, beet, and chocolate was surprisingly delicious.



I do wonder if this restaurant will survive though. It was originally billed as a farm to table sort of thing, but the food here doesn't fit that theme very well. And what does that even mean anymore anyway? It was definitely more popular in the summer where no matter what it had to eat, it had that fantastic rooftop deck.

While I am the publicist for Homestead, I just wanted to let you all know of the new spring menus they rolled out there last week along with the opening of their 80-seat outdoor rooftop patio for the season (weather permitting, obviously).

All of the new menus are up on the Homestead website ( http://homesteadontheroof.com ). (And, yes, despite some turnover there are four guys named Chris working at Homestead although none are actually are called Chris which I think it pretty amusing).

Executive chef Chris “Chip” Davies has reformatted the savory menu into three sections (“Snacks & Salads”, “Medium Plates” and “Large Plates”) and the only holdovers from the winter menu are the Fried Chicken Skins and the Kale Salad. (Some of the other dish names remain the same from the previous menu although the components/ingredients outside of the proteins have completely changed).

Executive pastry chef Chris “Tex” Teixeira has a whole new dessert menu and is still doing the Bread Basket as well.

Patrick Henaghan has taken over as beverage director of Homestead. Benjamin Schiller has stepped aside from his duties at Homestead to concentrate more on The Berkshire Room and his upcoming Lincoln Square bar and Pat took over with Benjamin’s blessing and high approval. Pat was Benjamin's head bartender at Homestead last summer and worked under him before Pat left to take over as beverage director at Roka Akor in the fall. Before Homestead and Roka, Pat was a bartender on the opening team at Michael Jordan's Steakhouse under Peter Vestinos, and Pat also clocked some time as a bartender at L20 and some other places. Pat has six brand new cocktails on his spring menu and is behind the bar working pretty much six nights a week (Schiller's "Weston" is not on the actual menu, but Pat and head bartender Daniel Alcantara will happily make one for you if you ask).

I've eaten and drank my way thru about 85 percent of the new menus. While like I said I am the publicist for Homestead, I do eat and drink my way thru a lot of this city and I can say that as unbiased as I can possibly be about Homestead … I’m a very big fan of the the savory, dessert and cocktail items. (Homestead is currently on the Top Ten list of "Best Contemporary American Restaurants” in Chicago on OpenTable based on diner feedback along with standouts such as Grace, Sixteen, Boka, Goosefoot, Acadia, and Lula Café).

If it’s appropriate with board rules/mods and if there’s a want from other posters I’d be happy so share insight on particular dishes and cocktails I believe are standouts.

EDIT: New spring/summer hours are ...
5pm - 10pm Tuesday thru Thursday
5pm – 11pm Friday thru Saturday
Closed Mondays

This thread has been quiet but I personally think should not be. It's been a while since I popped into LTHForum but our dinner at Homestead on the Roof last night was so good, it needs to be shared.
Mrs. EdB60035 and I booked a table on a whim based on location and OpenTable reviews. While the restaurant loses a little from having to pass through the sports-bar atmosphere of Roots pizza, once you walk up those stairs... it's a great space, and the outdoor section isn't even open for the season yet. Warm, comfortable, not too loud. A little rustic. Very very bright natural light flows in.

There are only three house cocktails on the bar menu, but we played dealer's choice and ended up with three different inventive drinks during the evening... one tequila/mezcal with some kind of a cordial float, one vodka that tasted almost like a negroni but more complex, etc.

We shared several dishes and every one of them was a hit. We started with the little gem salad, which rivaled Publican's. It was the only vegetable dish we had, but as they turn the menu towards spring and the produce from their garden I imagine there will be more goodness like this. Then we had the butter-poached shrimp, four head-on full briny prawns. The first bite was a little strong but the dish definitely improved as we went. This was followed by the grits, which had a big ol' sunny-side-up duck egg and lamb bacon. The bacon was delicious and the dish overall very good. From here our mains arrived, the pici pici which was like a sugo with shortrib, not much actual pasta to be found but that was just fine by us. Then the real highlight, the steak with sprouts, carrots, and mushrooms... pictured here: https://instagram.com/p/1pAw8AKaYh/ .

Service was attentive and friendly, casual attire, no pretense. Really the first time we were genuinely surprised by how good a meal was in a long time. And all of that came to like $100, very reasonable. We'll be back!