Back in town for a few days, and decided to head to Nightwood with gastrognome. I had been a couple of times a long time back, and had felt the food was too heavy and rich for me, but thought perhaps I had just ordered poorly. Trying to order smartly this time, gastrognome and I shared the spinach salad, 6' noodle, spit-roasted duck, and walleye.

Unfortunately, I walked away feeling the same way this time - everything was super heavy. I like rich food, and have demolished large quantities of it with gastrognome in the past, but the two of us were unable to finish what we ordered. The 6' noodle, which is listed as an entree but we shared as an appetizer, was incredibly delicious - and taste-wise well balanced with the addition of a lot of lemon juice - but so rich we couldn't finish it between the two of us. Shared amongst 4-5 people, it'd be great (but still rich).

The biggest disappointment of the night was the spit-roasted duck. Unlike Ronnie's photo above, we were only served the leg quarter (no breast), and the side was tasty (but oily) lentils. The leg/thigh were roasted to medium rare... which left the skin thick and flabby, large pockets of unrendered subcutaneous fat, and tough connective tissue. After a few bites, we gave up - too fatty and difficult to eat.

Whenever I'm disappointed with a meal, I try to make a habit of politely telling the management, certainly before posting online about it. In this case we were seated at the kitchen counter (which is a fun spot!), and Jason Vincent chatted us up while rolling some pasta dough. When I mentioned our problem with the duck, he literally just walked away. Not the response I would have hoped for.

-Dan

dansch wrote:In this case we were seated at the kitchen counter (which is a fun spot!), and Jason Vincent chatted us up while rolling some pasta dough. When I mentioned our problem with the duck, he literally just walked away. Not the response I would have hoped for.

I'd be curious to know the other side of this part of the story, though, I seriously doubt Chef Vincent would weigh in here (or anywhere else) on something like this. That said, it's certainly commendable that you continue to keep trying a place that you're pretty sure you just don't like. It seems safe to say that you and Nightwood are unlikely to ever connect.

Six of us, including friends who were visiting from out of town, had a delicious brunch there this past Sunday -- my first brunch at Nightwood. This is exactly the kind of food I want at brunch -- satisfyingly rich, decadent and fun -- since I don't need to go out for yogurt, granola, fruit salad or egg white scrambles, all of which I eat at home often enough.

I loved their fun take on a McRib, the McRib on McRoids, which consisted of smoked & shredded pork, a sunnyside up egg, collard green dressing, pickled onion rings and American cheese, all piled onto a buttermilk biscuit. This was served with some really nice baked beans and some delicious house-made tater tots (a few folks at our table were served tots that were a bit too salty for them but the ones on my plate were just fine). The cheddar, thyme and bacon scone, served with house-made tabasco butter, was sensational, as were the donuts (bacon butterscotch & spiced chocolate with vanilla glaze, pecan and rosemary). The smoked sable scramble with salsa verde and fried tortilla was also a winner. I loved the softly scrambled eggs and the nice bit of heat delivered by the salsa. A bacon omelet with pea tendrils and hollandaise was of the rolled variety and the eggs could not have been cooked more perfectly. I really enjoyed this brunch and even though I only go out for brunch a few times a year, Nightwood will definitely be in my limited rotation. Below are a few pics of the dishes we had and shared this time around . . .


Donut | spiced chocolate, vanilla glaze, pecan and rosemary



Donut | bacon, butterscotch



Scone | cheddar, thyme and bacon, served with house-made tabasco butter



Smoked Sable Scramble | salsa verde, fried tortilla, tots, toast



Bacon Omelet | pea tendrils, hollandaise, tots, toast



Eggs | sunnyside up, house-smoked bacon, Butcher & Larder maple-bourbon sausage, tots, toast



McRib on McRoids | smoked and shredded pork ribs (under the egg), farm Slagel Farm egg, Pedro's BBQ, collard green dressing, pickled onion ring, American cheese, buttermilk biscuit, tots, baked beans

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

McRib on McRoids | smoked and shredded pork ribs (under the egg), farm Slagel Farm egg, Pedro's BBQ, collard green dressing, pickled onion ring, American cheese, buttermilk biscuit, tots, baked beans
=R=

That would've been perfect for me on New Years Day. In fact, I may just have to get a hangover to try this in the proper setting when I have their brunch.

ronnie_suburban wrote:

dansch wrote:In this case we were seated at the kitchen counter (which is a fun spot!), and Jason Vincent chatted us up while rolling some pasta dough. When I mentioned our problem with the duck, he literally just walked away. Not the response I would have hoped for.

I'd be curious to know the other side of this part of the story, though, I seriously doubt Chef Vincent would weigh in here (or anywhere else) on something like this.

I had written it off as me misreading the situation, until we were in the car ride home and gastro gnome brought it up and had the same read I did. I'm sure there's another side to the story, but from my perspective I've never had that kind of reaction to giving polite feedback.

ronnie_suburban wrote:That said, it's certainly commendable that you continue to keep trying a place that you're pretty sure you just don't like. It seems safe to say that you and Nightwood are unlikely to ever connect.

Between my love for Lula (reaffirmed the following night - killer dinner) and the shots of incredible-looking food here on the board, I kept feeling like there was something I was missing. Alas, I tend to agree that Lula and I just weren't made for each other.

-Dan

dansch wrote:Between my love for Lula (reaffirmed the following night - killer dinner) and the shots of incredible-looking food here on the board, I kept feeling like there was something I was missing. Alas, I tend to agree that Lula and I just weren't made for each other.

-Dan

Though there is common ownership, there is little that makes Lula and Nightwood equivalent. I guess I'm just the opposite of you because it would take me losing a bet to eat at Lula again, yet Nightwood is one of my favorite places in the city.

dansch and I mostly agree on our meal at Nightwood.

One thing I will point out is that the walleye was cooked perfectly and plated over a delicious saute/ragout of chilis, lime, cauliflower, almonds, and fennel.

The long noodle dish seemed like a gimmick, albeit a tasty one. It was listed under an entree, but if I had been served that as my main, I wouldn't have been able to finish half of it. The mussels were completely superflous. If the carbonara sauce in the noodle wasn't rich enough, the preserved egg yolk sauce took it over the top. We had a great vantage point to watch them plate the dish from our perch near the kitchen. They squeezed what seemed like an entire lemon over the dish. The acid successfully cut the dish so what I could eat didn't clobber me with lipids, but the portion just seemed to be too much. I think a 2 foot or 3 foot coiled noodle to be shared might be a better version of this dish.

I'll admit that our perception of the duck may have had something to do with our unctuous appetizer, but the lack of crispy skin, thick layer of unrendered fat, and lack of toothsomeness to the very pink rare-side-of-medium-rare duck made for a dish that was both was not that appetizing and texturally monotonous.

Also, when dansch raised the duck issue to Chef Vincent, it wasn't a drive-by complaint. We had been amiably chatting about pasta-making equipment and their upcoming New Year's menu on and off for several minutes as he rolled out dough for a special order. To me, it definitely seemed like he disappeared once we offered the constructive criticism, though he might have been finished with the pasta rolling or been needed elsewhere in the kitchen. But I definitely don't feel he took time to acknowledge or respond to the comment.

In any case, we definitely had some tasty food. But my overall impression is that what we were served lacked balance and, in one case, execution. It's possible that we ordered poorly - though in looking over the menu, vegetables and lighter options seem thin on the ground. Even what I thought would be a salad (spinach was the first listed ingredient) was heavier than I expected. I will probably return to Nightwood at some point, but I would probably order differently to try to carve out a different sort of meal.

I've been hearing great things about Nightwood since it opened and am embarrassed to admit it took until last night for me to actually eat there. My wife and I had a really excellent meal that included:

Prawns #2: lightly breaded, fried prawns heads in a really nice aioli. The menu says "green garlic aioli" but the plate seemed to have two separate sauces and I wish I inquired more about them. One was green and one was white, more like a traditional aioli, and combining the two gave a really nice sweet and sour effect. The shrimp heads were simply amazing. This was one of the most interesting dishes I've had in a while. (It also had "west coast peas". Is that menu-speak for the Central Valley?)

Fregola Sarda with rabbit loin. We had to look up was what fregola sarda is. It's a housemade round pasta, similar to couscous. This dish was also really nice.

Garlic-braised oyster mushrooms with polenta. We've been cooking a lot of vegetarian dishes at home and so were excited to start exploring dishes like this at nicer restaurants. We really enjoyed this dish. The mushrooms were really flavorful. The whole dish was topped with "pumpkin brittle", which was more like a really nicely cooked strips of pumpkin (it wasn't sweet and sticky like peanut brittle).

Finally we had the burger. Couldn't resist. It was cooked a little more than we would have preferred, but it was still excellent. We're bread snobs and especially liked the bun. I don't know if they made it themselves. It reminded us the really good kaiser rolls we get in Wisconsin.

We also had some excellent cocktails. (Our server told us that most of the cocktails were new.) I had a Paris 1916, if I recall the name correctly. It was a gin-based cocktail ... I can't remember what else was in it, but it was really nice. More bitter than sweet. My wife had a mezcal cocktail that I think also had Boral, and other things. Very smokey; excellent.

I look forward to a return visit!

I'm sad to report that my wife and I had a disappointing meal at Nightwood a couple nights ago.

It was my first visit and my first impressions were very good. I like the vibe of the restaurant a lot. The dining area is casual and comfortable. All the diners seem to be having a good time and the service is effortless and attentive. We were seated at the kitchen-viewing bar area and this was a very cool experience. We were able to see nearly every dish on the menu plated right in front us. We were seated far away enough from the action that we could discuss what we were seeing comfortably, yet we were close enough to observe the great effort that goes into making even the smallest dish on the menu. I've been to other restaurants offering a similar experience with much worse results. One time I was so close to the kitchen that the staff could hear our conversation, and another time the kitchen was small (presumably because they had to shrink it to fit the seats) so the staff seemed harried and uncomfortable. The kitchen-viewing experience at Nightwood was spot on and something I'd gladly do again in the future. Also, I appreciated the two non-alcoholic cocktail options on the menu. My wife doesn't drink and she frequently feels left out when others are ordering creative cocktails. It's details like this that makes Nightwood such a welcoming place.

Unfortunately the quality of the food didn't live up to my lofty expectations based on all the glowing reviews they've received here. We opted for three appetizers and one entree. This is a typical ordering strategy for us since we find that appetizers are frequently more interesting and we enjoy eating a wider variety of foods. I have to wonder if this was a mistake at Nightwood since our entree was by far the best dish we ate on the night. It could be they perform better with more substantial dishes, something to consider for a future visit.

We started with the salt and pepper foie gras with fish sauce caramel. The description makes the dish sound pretty exciting. I don't know how others interpret it, but I was expecting something along the lines of salt and pepper squid (with foie gras in place of squid) from a Cantonese joint, topped with a sweet and funky sauce. The dish was much sweeter than I expected with absolutely no umami at all. The foie gras had a wonderfully creamy texture, but was virtually flavorless, and was topped with a sweet glaze that had no funk that I could detect. This was a huge disappointment given the promise of the description.

Next up was the fried prawn heads. This was my favorite of the three appetizers. The prawn heads were well fried (though came out room temp) and had an excellent fishy flavor. They were served on a bed of greens with a punchy green garlic aioli and a spicy, sweet sauce. This was kind of a hard dish to share. There were only three prawn heads and the dressing wasn't spread evenly on the plate, so I only had one bite that paired the fishiness with the garlicky aioli, bitter greens, and acidic dressing. It was a great pairing but sadly difficult to put together. There were also some delicious peas spread throughout the dish that really popped, though I never got to taste them along side the few bites of shrimp. I think the dish would have worked better if they had served it with the aioli as a dipping sauce so at least you could dip the shrimp heads. If I had eaten the entire appetizer by myself I could have worked out quite a few bites that paired all the flavors together, but as a shared dish it was mostly shrimp and greens.

The last appetizer was the eggplant and crispy lemon served on a hominy pudding. The crispy lemon turned out to be a tapioca cracker that was light and crispy but had little flavor. The eggplant was sliced very thin and pan fried until crispy. It was quite greasy and tasted like cooking oil, nothing else. The hominy pudding was unremarkable and kind of sad looking on the plate. I'm not sure how we were supposed to eat this dish, but the flavors really missed the mark for me. Also the description included dried scallops, but I couldn't pick them up. I'm not sure what I was expecting based on the description, but the result wasn't something that worked for me at all.

For an entree we split the rabbit leg with sausage ragu. This was a home run. The rabbit was lightly breaded and fried so the exterior was nice and crispy while the meat was tender. The sausage ragu was earthy and bright which we enthusiastically scooped onto each bite of rabbit. The dish was substantial (good thing because the appetizers were on the small side) and quite satisfying. On the side they served it with a large cauliflower floret that was lightly seared so it packed a nice crunch and made an excellent platform for the robust tomato sauce. I kind of wish they had included more cauliflower because there was plenty of sauce left over at the end.

We wrapped up the meal feeling full but a little unsatisfied. We ended up grabbing a couple tacos at Los Comales down the street. The tacos were outstanding but also served to illustrate our overall feeling of disappointment on the night. Pilsen is a cool neighborhood and I felt like the ambiance at Nightwood fit the neighborhood. But something about the approach of the cuisine fell flat for me. I'd be willing to give it another try, but, honestly, I'm more excited to try more taquerias in Pilsen than I am to give it another go at Nightwood.

I had a nice dinner at Nightwood tonight. Really love the chilled prawns #1 preparation. Saw Chef Vincent filleting a whole huge hake. I believe he said he was curing it overnight and that it will be on the menu tomorrow night replacing the Skuna bay salmon.

Food and Wine Magazine has named Jason Vincent of Nightwood to its 2013 Best New Chef list.

More on the news here.

For Jason Vincent, the only downside in being named one of Food & Wine magazine’s “Best New Chefs in America,” was the timing. Making the 2013 list of 10 chefs meant Vincent had to spend Tuesday in New York for the announcement, photo shoot and gala.

“I was planning on watching opening day with my kid,” said Vincent, a die-hard Cleveland Indians fan. “When I found out I won, I also thought, ‘April 2nd? Really?”

=R=

We are preparing the presentation for the GNR event on the 15th, and Nightwood is the only recipient that none of us has contributed a picture of the outside.

If anyone is in the neighborhood, or if you already have a picture in your digital back pocket, please post it here or drop me a private message. we'll give you photo credit in the presentation, which will be used in promotion of LTHforum and the GNRs.

Thanks
JoelF, for the GNR Committee

I've only been back home twice in the past three years now, and midrange dining happens maybe once or twice a trip -- tough to get out with kids in tow. So I can't really put Nightwood in local context, but wow... if this is representative of what's been going on here over the past few years, man, you guys are killing me.

My ladylove and I managed to sneak out for a few hours last night (staying with Grandma and Grandpa in Park Ridge has its perks), and Nightwood was the target. I was in the midst of the "whywhywhy did I wait until Friday afternoon to try to make a Friday night reservation?!" lament when a miracle 7:30 spot popped up on OpenTable. It was meant to be. Worst table in the house -- floating in space just inside the door about four feet from the host's stand -- but we had no business lucking into that reservation and that's thankfully not something I care much about. (Though I'd definitely shoot for the counter next time -- looks like a really fun one.)


Goat milk panna cotta #2, five mushrooms, warm and chilled, roasted garlic
Oh, my. Dynamite starter. Our server suggested that this is something new they've been working on and are quite proud of, and whether that's truth or patter, they should, indeed, be proud of it. Light, creamy panna cotta (the "#2" designation was a mystery until we saw the dessert menu), rich olive oil, an abundance of fresh herbs and shaved radish, and man, some beautiful product on display with the mushrooms -- each distinct, with texture, with color, with flavor. Big, delicious, over-the-top flavor. Loving the restrained cookery at work here -- just enough to bring it out, not so much to lose its integrity.


Burrata ravioli, sweet peppers, Butcher & Larder sausage
Hit #2. Sausage and peppers is a natural, right? I really need to get over to B&L. Not that I'm in much of a position to do anything with what I'll find there. But in any case, the peppers were practically melted into what was almost a sausage ragu, lending that subtle, vegetal sweetness. I just wish there were a little more of this. It was so good and there was so little that it was a tease. A wonderful, wonderful tease.


Wisconsin trout, oyster mushrooms, west coast peas, green garlic aioli, olives
I would've jumped on this if my ladylove hadn't. And I'll echo some of the sentiments above about the trout. Perfectly done, crisp skin, tender, juicy flesh, paired with olives and citrus and more mushrooms. There was a bit of a sauce/jus that was fairly sweet, but cut with just enough acid. And that aioli had some punch. Again, huge flavors -- we loved this.


Spit-roasted Michigan duck, porcini and morel vinaigrette, carrots, pistachio, whey
Did I mention we had an awesome dinner? Fourth huge hit of the night. I so rarely go for duck breast, but this one called to me for some reason and I'm glad it did. It was salty, and I mean that in the best way possible. They weren't shy, and it worked. And the skin was cooked just enough to soften it up and make it edible without rendering everything away -- something some might identify as an oops, but I don't think it was. And even if it was an oops, it was a happy oops. But there's definitely a theme here of cooking things just enough -- also the case with the carrots, which were two baby steps short of where most places would have taken them, and all the better for it. Again, man, they're pulling a lot of flavor out of these ingredients.

We got a couple of simple, delightful sorbets for dessert, and went on our way, and couldn't have been happier. This was a murderer's row. Four big hits. No frills, no tricks -- just killer ingredients, smart pairings, and seriously mature, straight-up cooking. I was never a big fan of Lula (though it's been forever and a half), and never would have gotten here if not for the shove. Now the real trick will be summoning the will to try something else the next time we're in town. This meal will be tough to beat.

Dom,

Glad you liked. Jason Vincent and team consistantly make some of my favorite food in town. And yes, next time you need to sit @ the counter, which is often available for walk in's.

Dom, Glad to see you back and eating well. Nightwood is terrific. I haven't been back since an event I organized in the basement room several months ago. (I can't recommend that room enough; great service, great room.) It's one of those places where you order something really simple and basic sounding, then get an ideal version of that thing. The duck breast reminded me of that.

Dmnkly wrote:I really need to get over to B&L. Not that I'm in much of a position to do anything with what I'll find there.

Yes, you can and must eat at Butcher & Larder. They always have ready to eat charcuterie, a hot sandwich and cold sandwich every day but Sunday, and in the winter a soup. Standing counters only but one of the best meals anywhere.

I recently visited Nightwood for the first time with my family. We sat at the kitchen counter and tried nearly all of the menu. Although the food may first appear simple with great ingredients, it is well thought out with strong technique also. One of my best meals of the year and I can't wait to return. Thank you, LTHFORUM. As I first read about Nightwood here.

On Saturday afternoon, I received my weekly email containing Nightwood's tantalizing Sunday brunch menu. Not coincidentally, on Sunday I woke up with a case of Morningwood for Nightwood, and decided to make the trek down to Pilsen . . .


Donut | Vanilla Custard, Cider Glaze, Graham Cracker Crumble
The donuts were sent out by the kitchen and they were both sensational.



Donut | Bacon Butterscotch



Slagel Farm Eggs, Over Easy | housemade tots, toast, sides of house-smoked bacon and B&L Maple-Bourbon Sausage



Pork Meatballs | dandelion-pine nut pesto, Three Sisters polenta, spicy tomato sauce, runny egg

Just phenomenal stuff across the board. In fact, there were so many items on the menu that looked great, it was extremely difficult to decide. I could have walked in there a second time, ordered an entirely different set of dishes and been just as pleased.

It was bustling but the wait for 2 at 11 am was quoted at 20 minutes, and was considerably less than that. There are places all over this city serving food that doesn't come close to this, where people are waiting a lot longer to eat it. In spite of all its well-deserved notariety, this place continues to be a relatively unsung gem.

=R=

I'm slightly embarrassed to follow a Ronnie-Pic-Post with a crappy cell phone shot (complete with hand and phone shadow - for artistic purposes) , but
I was there on the same Sunday, and want to add one of the dishes he would have ordered on his hypothetical second visit.

Loaf of bread with rabbit pate, egg, and roasted fall vegetables:


What Nightwood gets right every single time is balance; and with simple, seasonal and recognizable ingredients. We also had the donuts, and pork meatballs. Father-in-law had the rabbit cabbage rolls, but I didn't get a pic.

Sweetbread wrote:I was there on the same Sunday, and want to add one of the dishes he would have ordered on his hypothetical second visit.

Absolutely. That was the next item I would have ordered. Thanks, for the glimpse! It looks great.

=R=

Had brunch at Nightwood. There is so much reporting on this I'll just say it was as good a brunch as I can recall. I'd go back just for the bacon butterscotch donut. Next time I'd love to sit at the counter by the kitchen and watch the crew at work.

Was back at the counter at Nightwood earlier this month and had another inspired, stellar meal. The menu was full of tempting offerings. We identified a few must-tries with our server and let her know that beyond that, the kitchen was free to serve us whatever the liked . . .


Driving Me Backwards | Wild Turkey 101 bourbon, Cynar, cherry, lemon, root beer bitters
Boozy and aromatic with a nice touch of sweet bitterness.



Focaccia | onion & bread puree, pimenton oil
A thoughtful, tasty starter. They don't just throw some bread and butter at you at Nightwood. They use the opportunity to create a distinctive and delicious course.



Crispy Pig Ears | house-cultured butter, maple, habanero, cilantro
I find these impossible to resist. They're dense and ultra-crunchy, and the habanero balances the sweetness beautifully.



Monkfish Liver Carpaccio | pistachio, celery tops, black truffle, peanut-chili oil
Not on the menu, this fantastic creation was rich, funky and totally unique (just like a weird Uncle). I'd never had anything like this before but I loved the treatment, which included a lengthy salt cure, iirc.



Bread | olive oil (accompaniment)



Scrambled Egg | runny yolk, ricotta, Michigan trout roe, guanciale
Inside this scrambled egg purse was a delectable, runny yolk. Not only was this intricate dish perfectly executed, the composition was phenomenal. Who thinks of stuff like this?!



Foie Gras | apple, ginger, benne seed-fish sauce caramel
I loved the combination of flavors and textures here. The brittle caramel, with the benne and fish sauce incorporated into it, was magnificent wrapped around the creamy-rich foie.



Ricotta Ravioli | Bolognese
2 items that no one in town does better than Nightwood: pasta and bolognese. This was a great combination of flavors and textures, with the pasta being perfectly al dente (no surprise there).



60-Day Dry-Aged Illinois Beef Meatballs
These were actually part of a special that was going to appear on the following day's brunch menu. I'd read about them in their email blast and mentioned them in passing to Chef Vincent. He very kindly provided us with a small order of these spectacular meatballs; some of the best I've ever had.



Veal Shortrib Casoncelli | black truffle, Iberian ham
Another winning pasta dish. Rich but not so over-the-top that it didn't satisfy entirely.



Corzetti | Butcher & Larder sausage ragu, pickled hot peppers
I loved these al dente 'stamps,' especially with the sausage ragu. And the pickled hot peppers were a great addition that accentuated hearty flavor of the ragu.



Wild Mushroom Salad | arugula, sunflower, butternut squash
A truly inspired winter salad. The components, all prepared deftly, worked so well together. This was so hearty and savory, it was hard to wrap my head around the fact that it didn't contain any meat.



60-day Dry-Aged Wood-Grilled Top Sirloin Steak | Anson Mills farro, candied pecans, bacon jam, ranch dressing
Phenomenal, deeply-flavored beef, cooked perfectly and matched up with a very unlikely combination of other ingredients. The sweet elements worked very effectively in the background to highlight the beef.



Wood-Grilled Slagel Farm Chicken Breast | n'duja vinaigrette, braised garbanzo beans, sheep's milk feta, kumquat, fennel
Yeah, that's white meat, folks. It was awesome - juicy and flavorful. The other ingredients combined to create an almost tagine-like treatment.



Spit-Roasted Illinois Duck Cassoulet | porcini breadcrumbs
I loved the umami explosion this dish delivered. The fat on the slices of duck was crispy on the outside and purely succulent the rest of the way. The beans and sausage were spot-on and the porcini-spiked breadcrumbs sent this dish over the top.



Rhode Island Striped Bass | 45-minute egg, frisee, coppa, crispy potatoes
The skin on this moist and flakey piece of fish was as crispy and delicious as it looks. The other components were crazy-good, with the coppa providing a nice bit of salt and the runny egg yolk becoming a great sauce, especially on those potatoes.

Desserts by Pastry Chef Sarah Mispagel were notably excellent and provided fitting continuity to close the meal. Absolutely no drop-off here, which is no small feat after a cavalcade of savory dishes like the ones we had . . .


Apple Bread Pudding | honeycrisp apples, rosemary-vanilla creme fraiche, house-made cheez-its, pinenuts, rosemary ice cream
I loved this ultra-light, almost-fluffy, intensely apple-y bread pudding. And the crunchy cheez-its were outstanding. I found the rosemary notes a bit of a distraction but others in our group really loved it.



Mascarpone Cheesecake | pistachios, blood orange, Aperol, pistachio ice cream
A great cominbation of seasonal flavors paired with a perfectly creamy cheesecake. Naturally, the cake itself was rich enough to satisfy in that cheesecake-ity way but was still light enough that it wasn't a gut-buster.



Valrhona Dulcey Mousse | flourless chocolate cake, potato chips, bittersweet chocolate sauce, cherries, malted vanilla ice cream
I think this was my favorite of the desserts. The multiple chocolate expressions -- in both flavor and texture -- were intoxicating and the additional accents were as wonderful as the centerpiece. I'd never had this dulcey product before but I cannot imagine its buttery, toasty attributes being applied any more skillfully than they were here. The salt and crunch of the potato chips really accentuated the chocolate and the malted vanilla ice cream added an entire dimension to the array of flavors on the plate. Speaking of ice creams, these are consistently some of the best in town. They're perfectly silky, and their flavors are intense and clean. After all this, they sent us home with some shortbread, too!

It continues to amaze me how this kitchen seems to top itself each time I eat there. This food really speaks to me and I wish I were half as talented at anything as this crew is at food. What a treat it is to sit at the counter, watch them work and enjoy the benefits of their considerable talents.

=R=

great photos, Ronnie.

Spurred on by Mr. Suburban's fantastic photos, my wife and I made some late night reservations for Nightwood. We were unaware it was Chef's Week before showing up, but decided to partake (though their regular menu was still being offered)



The foccacia was the same as Ronnie's photo above and I have nothing to add. Really great.

Applewood-grilled Michigan Smelts celery, fennel, rich olive oil

I didn't ask, but there was a little spice kick in here somewhere...

Spaghetti Alla Chitarra white wine, clams, garlic butter, guanciale

a bit salty, a little sour aftertaste.

Spit-roasted Pork Shoulder charred tomato, anchovy, caramelized white beans, foie gras, mayonnaise

Wow. Fatty, fall-apart pork shoulder, creamy foie gras mayonnaise. My favorite of the night.

Tiramisu Michigan cherries, amaretto, orange

small cocoa nibs were positioned underneath a layer of the cake seen here



I never posted about my New Years Eve meal at Nightwood, and that's a shame. This truly is a great restaurant with real importance on their ingredients. So happy these folks are a GNR.

Jason Vincent OUT at Nightwood; Sous Chef Shae Daher to Replace Him (Eater Chicago)

nsxtasy wrote:Jason Vincent OUT at Nightwood; Sous Chef Shae Daher to Replace Him (Eater Chicago)

Yep. Sad but true.

=R=

This makes me sad. I've lately been worried that Jason Vincent would move on from Nightwood. It's one of my favorite places and I hope Shae Daher keeps it so.

Brunch at Nightwood this weekend was excellent. The bacon-butterscotch doughnut was phenomenal. I also loved the braised goat over scrambled eggs with homemade (obviously!) tater-tots. The cheese-filled crepe was a little one-dimensional.

Darren72 wrote:Brunch at Nightwood this weekend was excellent. The bacon-butterscotch doughnut was phenomenal. I also loved the braised goat over scrambled eggs with homemade (obviously!) tater-tots. The cheese-filled crepe was a little one-dimensional.

Those tater tots are the only one's Ive ever liked. They are just lovely little balls of shredded & fried potato.

Just got back from a phenomenal dinner at Nightwood. Shae is doing a great job of putting his signature on the dishes but staying true to the Nightwood we have come to know and love. I know my descriptions won't do the dishes any justice, but the current menu is one of my favorites to date.

Appetizer - hand pulled mozzarella, grilled peaches, cucumber, olive oil, garlic toast. The texture of the mozzarella was spot on.
Entree #1 - cornmeal gnocchi, tomato, bacon, corn. A stellar dish, the gnocchi were beautifully tender, perfectly seasoned, corn and tomatoes at their best.
Entree #2 - summer vegetables with whipped goat cheese. The vegetables were cooked just enough; they still had that beautiful crunch that goes with vegetables at the peak of the season.

I miss Jason, but Shae's hitting it out of the park.

Any other recent visits? Nightwood was always one of my go-tos, but we went there during the transition a ways back now and our group all left a little disappointed. it wasn't bad, but taking account after the fact, it was surprising how a bunch of fans of the place each independently sensed something was a little off. Not bad, just not what any of us had come to expect from Nightwood.