Au verrated

Had a decent dinner here last week. Tasting menu was all good but the standouts were the Kale salad and the beef tartare. The Pickle Tots were lost on me, everyone seems to rave, I thought they were just so so.

The only real disappointment was dessert. Ordered the cheese plate and it came out with 3 nice looking cheeses - all very cold. After watching the rest of our party devour their choices, we finally pushed through and ate ours, truly before they were ready.

We'll probably go back, but let them know during the main course to pull out our dessert and let it breathe.

Trencherman is currently providing a "staff meal" 3 course menu in the bar on Monday nights. $20 provides you with a limited choice of appetizer, entree and dessert. There is a selection of bargain-priced drinks to go along with this menu. They also allow you to substitute 2 appetizers in lieu of dessert [which I did, having more of a savory tooth than a sweet tooth]. So, for $34 + tax and tip I enjoyed ham & cheese gougeres, the salmon tartare [constructed a little differently from the above picture], a lamb and sausage cassoulet [which was served with a perfect lettuce salad], and 2 glasses of a nice cava. Value meal!

I had some minor quibbles with things . . . the beans in the cassoulet were a little under-done for my taste, and maybe they ALWAYS serve the salmon tartare with brioche, but I can think of a dozen breads that would work better with it [staring with a rustic french bread, a molasses-y russian rye, or something in the pumpernickel family]. Still, an exceptionally nice meal for a very reasonable price. I intend to try it out again some other Monday evening.

More about it here: http://www.trenchermen.com/blog/

Giovanna

It's been quiet here for months, which could mean a few things. But how is Trencherman these days?

We've been there twice in the last year or so. We continue to be impressed by the cuisine there. No sign of standards slipping.

Trenchermen in Wicker Park to close at year's end; will reconcept for 2017 (Tribune)

Trench closing Sunday, 8 months after remake — 'wasn't resonating with neighborhood'
http://trib.in/2yMzpgm