Roister

Somehow I lucked out and scored tickets to Roister on its opening night, which also happened to be my birthday. An incredible experience, we were happy with everything we ate and drank. Thank you Twitter!

Here are some pics:

A ramen-like dish with a super rich, beefy broth. The cheek and tongue were both very flavorful.

Gets the award for most photogenic dish of the night.

Notice the finger lime caviar

A very sophisticated dish running the full gamut of flavors and textures.

Our server talked us into this one and I'm glad she did. Super creamy potatoes!

Well this was something I never had before and won't soon forget. I was told very little Wagyu of this quality gets exported, but they are able to get it because of the relationships they built through Alinea.

A server (accurately) compared this to a Good Humor strawberry shortcake bar.

The kitchen sent this over to me as a birthday present. I can honestly say it is the best liver candy bar I've ever had.

951 W Fulton Market
Chicago, IL 60607

I dined at Roister last night and had a fantastic experience. They are not lying when they say they have never done anything like Roister before. It is a totally different direction for the Alinea Group but also makes perfect sense.

Brochu's food is simply incredible. The guy has a really unique ability to present both rich and clean flavors on the same plate. The use of classic rich ingredients like beef, chicken, foie gras, etc contrasted with subtle acidity is kind of the unifying theme of his food.

The space is so well laid out and thought out. There is a really clear lineage in their evolution of interior design and architecture. Comparing Roister to the old Alinea shows how far they have come. There are so many little touches like the silverware pouch and chopsticks, storing dry goods out in the open, the music, the art... it's just such an all encompassing well thought out effort. The space is such a huge part of the experience. Whereas Alinea, The Aviary, or Next can be daunting to inexperienced or nascent foodies, due to the price and provocative nature of some of Grant's cuisine, that really falls away with Roister. Roister is not provocative -- just simply damn good food.

Lastly to give an idea on price -- we had cheddar rillettes, bread and butter, asparagus salad, scallop crudo, salmon, and chicken. There were a few small gifts from the kitchen, and we ordered two higher (for a casual place) priced bottles of wine. Out the door was around $445. This would be significantly reduced if we'd stuck more to a glass (I feel like many people will just stick to a beer, glass of wine, or cocktail at Roister), but my friend is a sommelier and it was Saturday so... we went all out. The average meal at Roister will probably be far less.

I can't wait to see what they do with the basement prep kitchen space. There's a huge long counter and a bar as well as a really neat looking cove table that I can't wait to host a party at.

It's my guess that this will be a tough ticket (literally) very soon.

Thanks for the early feedback!

Managed to score a spot tomorrow night right when they first went on sale.

Anyone else been and have and feedback? Or must try dishes? Will be going with a group of 4 so have some tasting power.

The cheddar rillettes were delicious, with some truffle and a bit of spice. The scallop crudo with some passionfruit flavors was fantastic. The lamb shank was nicely prepared, but too salty and Mediterranean flavors were a bit off. The whipped honey cake was too liquidy for our tastes, but they claimed that's how they wanted it to be. Strawberries & Milk was tasty.

Lots of openings on Tock for those looking to try it out.

Made the first trip last night and walked away very happy.

Ticketing system worked flawlessly. Arrived and were sat as soon as our party arrived. Found the chairs to be very comfortable. The silverware pouch was neat. Lighting was nicely done. Some cool art. Yada yada yada. Kind of what you may expect

We worked through a number of items on the menu of which we can say there was only one miss for the table - the asparagus. Not bad but just flat.

Stuff we loved -

Rillettes - really dug this flavor profile.
Pancake with mussels - perfect mussels, nice pancake, enjoyed the peas - overall a nice dish

Lasagna - Really, really nice. The pasta was so light with a perfect little char. The burrata added a wonderful creaminess without making it overly heavy. I snagged a piece of the basil and it made the dish just scream.

Chicken dish - This comes in three ways and the fried chicken really is incredible. The braised version reminded us a lot of moms chicken pot pie filling - but better. The poached chicken was perfectly cooked chicken but lacked any overwhelming flavor.

The sunchokes that come with the chicken were a star of the night. I wish I could just eat those by the dozen. All the time.

We were mediocre on the Cabbage. Our waitress suggested it and we felt it was a good palate cleanser leading into the lasagna but I wouldn't order it again. It eats like a light kimchi.

We had the strawberries dessert. I loved it as it comes across as much lighter than most ice cream. It lacked that creamy coating that is left in your mouth - for better or worse. Our table was split on this but I liked it.

Also worth mentioning was when we asked the wine guy for a bottle he offered up two suggestions (we gave him some direction) and both were under $55. The one he lead with was $45 and we loved it. Not a huge deal but nice to see the wine menu reflecting an actual "casual" price.

Music was all over - some hits some duds. Always interesting to see how people create playlists for "casual restaurants that play music" as some have flow and others haven't hit their stride yet. The latter for this one.

Looking forward to going back!

In a first for a Grant Achatz/Nick Kokonas restaurant, a concept from the world-renowned Alinea Group is launching lunch service. Roister, their first casual restaurant on Fulton Market, will begin serving daytime meals on Wednesday.

http://chicago.eater.com/2016/9/20/1297 ... roup-first

I wish I had posted months ago when I did the tasting menu because it was a really flawless meal with some of the best, most down-to-earth service I've experienced anywhere.

Fortunately, last night I was taken back by friends for a belated birthday dinner and the food and service were equally superb.

No tasting menu this time, but I started off with a couple of terrific cocktails, then moved on to the chow chow mein. This was parts comforting Asian noodle salad, parts funky cabbage, and the combination was fantastic.

Even better was the shrimp and grits which featured Southeast Asian flavors (a crab curry, Thai basil and cilantro) and perfectly cooked shrimp and grits. Just when I thought the south owned shrimp and grits, this version comes along - the best version I've ever tasted.

For dessert, the foie gras chocolate bar, also featuring black walnuts, pretzels and marshmallow. Thankfully, chocolate bars are never this good. Otherwise, I'd be eating them all day and night.

A couple of dishes I recall from my prior visit included the smoked oysters and fried chicken, and both were phenomenal. I'm not quite sure how they're making the breading for the fried chicken (are corn flakes involved?), but it's probably the only boneless fried chicken I've had that I would run back and have again.

When I'm thinking about the very best restaurants in Chicago, Roister has to be in that discussion, just below a few places that I think tend to incorporate a little more creativity and modernist elements . . . and only a few. But Brochu and his staff are really knocking it out of the park with fantastic flavors, an energetic atmosphere and excellent service.

BR wrote:When I'm thinking about the very best restaurants in Chicago, Roister has to be in that discussion, just below a few places that I think tend to incorporate a little more creativity and modernist elements . . . and only a few. But Brochu and his staff are really knocking it out of the park with fantastic flavors, an energetic atmosphere and excellent service.

It's a perilous culinary task -- and the ruin of many a chef -- aiming to pinnacle-ize comfort food standards. So, while dishes like Fried Chicken, Shrimp & Grits and Wedge Salad might, by their nature, defy definition as creative, nailing down elevated, spectacular versions of them is a tremendous accomplishment. That's the feeling I came away with after my first visit to Roister.

Chef Brochu & Co. set out to create extraordinary, memorable, luxurious versions of many classics and not only do they hit the mark, but do so in a way that, in my experience, raises the bar for elevated, chef-driven comfort food. Add to that a lively and fun atmosphere -- along with exceptional service -- and I agree that Roister has to be in the discussion of the very best restaurants in Chicago.

It is not inexpensive. 2 dishes I'd be hard-pressed not to order at every visit totaled up to just south of $200 on their own. A 7-ounce portion of delectable and exquisitely cooked A-5 Japanese Wagyu beef, topped with sea urchin butter and togarashi, clocked in at $115. It was so effing good, I'd order it again in a heartbeat, even if might ultimately reduce the number of them I've been allotted.

The array of dishes and techniques that come together to form the $67 Chicken service is a testament to the kitchen's immense creativity and mastery of the tools of their craft. Here, it's clear that many techniques -- Modernist and otherwise -- are employed. Listed on the menu as Whole Chicken & Chamomile braised, poached, fried with sunchokes, the "dish" includes beautifully crunchy pieces of fried chicken, tender and juicy pieces of braised bird, an ample side-car of delectable chicken salad made from wing and leg meat (garnished with sunflower petals) and 2 dipping sauces. Yowza!

The menu offers a seemingly unending onslaught of comfort upon comfort. Other dishes we enjoyed were the aforementioned Anson Mills Grits, served with Key West pink shrimp, crab curry and Thai basil. The grits were supple and velvety, the crab curry provided a perfect amount of tangy acidity and the shrimp were taut, and snapped when we bit into them. Roister's take on the Wedge Salad -- augmented by crispy bacon bits, creamy desssing and a whole 7-minute egg with a runny yolk -- raised it to never-before-reached heights.

Chicken Liver toast with onions, dill pickles and cilantro was rich and refreshing, with the pickles and herbs balancing the liver very nicely. Smoked Oysters with garlic butter and breadcrumbs were another winning dish. So too were the Aged Cheddar Rillettes (truffle, cauliflower and fry bread) and the crispy, wedge-cut Yukon Fries (soy dusted, bonito flakes, tofu mayo). Not only were the fries delicious but it was great watching the bonito flakes dance in the steam rising from the dish.

There was more -- so much more -- but between our over-ordering and the kitchen generously sending out a few dishes for us, we ended up taking home what amounted to a shopping bag full of leftovers. Other memorable dishes we tasted before packing them up were Buttered Pipe Pasta & Clams (green chili ragout, assorted limes), Hot & Sour Soup (mushrooms, raw veggies, ginger) and Roasted Beets (endive, tangerine, blue cheese).

And there were even more offerings on the menu that will just have to wait until future visits. Watching whole Rohan Ducks being smoked carefully over oak (they're moved off the smoke when new logs are added to the fire) made me confident that ordering one would be well worth the $76 price tag. Ditto for the 32-ounce, $97 Ember Roasted Ribeye Steak (beef fat mignonette, preserved mushrooms), which had such beautiful aging, its unmistakable, intoxicating aroma permeated the entire restaurant. And weighing in at 32 ounces, it could easily be enough for 4 people to share.

On the drink front, I had a mellow pour of Aviary barrel Eagle Rare bourbon and the missus opted for a pour of Plantation Trinidad MV Aviary barrel rum. I also had a small split of Isastegi Basque cider, which was very food friendly. And, needless to say, we never got anywhere near close to ordering dessert.

Is Roister an everyday restaurant? Well, for folks with self control and/or big budgets, it easily could be. And I say that because the offerings, while over-the-top and decadent, are still, at their core, everyday food. And while many of the larger dishes, which are intended to be shared, are on the pricey side, there are plenty of less expensive items on the menu (though, to be clear, this is not a cheap restaurant, even though I believe it's a value for the quality offered). This food isn't fussy for fussy's sake and there is no tasting menu requirement. So, could you (or you and a companion) pop in after work and have a (drink and a) reasonable meal? Absolutely. And maybe that's why I was so charmed and impressed by Roister. It marries beautifully the best of all worlds -- food I want to eat everyday, made with stellar ingredients, in the hands of a top kitchen. I can't remember if I've ever said that about any place before.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:The array of dishes and techniques that come together to form the $67 Chicken service is a testament to the kitchen's immense creativity and mastery of the tools of their craft. Here, it's clear that many techniques -- Modernist and otherwise -- are employed. Listed on the menu as Whole Chicken & Chamomile braised, poached, fried with sunchokes, the "dish" includes beautifully crunchy pieces of fried chicken, tender and juicy pieces of braised bird, an ample side-car of delectable chicken salad made from wing and leg meat (garnished with sunflower petals) and 2 dipping sauces. Yowza!

I've been several times and I, too, cannot skip ordering their chicken. It's actually quite a large portion even when shared between 4 and I feel it's still a great value for the quality.

Beautiful picture too Behavioral!

BR wrote:Beautiful picture too Behavioral!

I agree.

And nice write-up, Ronnie!

BR wrote:Beautiful picture too Behavioral!

The GP wrote:I agree.

Thank you, both!

Here are a few cellphone shots from our dinner . . .


Chicken & Chamomile | braised, poached, fried with sunchokes


Chicken Salad | sunflower petals


Chicken Liver Toast | onions, dill pickles, cilantro


Anson Mills Grits | Key West pink shrimp, crab curry and Thai basil

=R=

ok ok, you guys convinced me, reservations made for mid June, stop with the arm twisting

Went to Rositer on Friday night, was pleased that for a very busy Friday evening we were seated promptly upon arriving. From what I could tell, Roister is very good about managing reservations as it seemed most were not waiting long if at all to get seated.

We had:
Chicken Liver Toast w/onions, dill pickle slices and cilantro. What a flavor bomb, Mrs Willie and I devoured this and were tempted to snag some from the neighboring table when they ordered it. Ultra creamy liver, with such a clean fresh taste.

Smoked oysters w/garlic butter & breadcrumbs. Oysters cooked perfectly, too bad the entire dish is just ok, there is nothing special about it despite the allure of smoked oysters, there was no smoked flavor to the oysters that we could detect. Actually found the bread crumbs to be heavy and scraped off most on the others before eating.

Gulf shrimp served with grits, crab curry and Thai basil. FANTASTIC dish, only "complaint" is that there wasn't more of the crab curry to mix with the grits. Shrimp cooked perfectly and full of flavor.

Rohan duck - served with Carolina gold rice, egg yolk sauce, lemon/citrus. The duck leg is made into sausage and crumbled along with the rice, rice has very crispy bits and some chilies, almost as if scraped from a Korean bi bim bap bowl, a little greasy but some nice heat, flavor and texture. Duck breast is sliced, cooked to MR. A very enjoyable dish. (I would state the aged duck from Boka is still the best duck dish I've had recently).

Wines by the glass in the $12-18 range, found some very nice ones.

Service was overall very cordial without being overbearing. Only missteps were wine we had ordered well before a course did not arrive until the last bite or two of said course. Also, there was grit and a dogwood fluff on the plate initially at the table, it was quite windy that day and with the large open storefront, I can understand how some dust/grit got in.

Seeing as the liver toast and shrimp/grits were hit so far out of the park for us, we will for sure be back to try some of the other dishes.

Made our first trip last night. Food, as per above was outstanding. The chicken liver toast, lasagna, pork but with red peas...fantastic stuff. Two slightly odd things that I am surprised nobody has mentioned. The drinks glasses are very unsatisfying. They seemed to be plastic, although I refuse to believe they were. Still, when I'm enjoying a cocktail, or glass of wine, the glass it comes in is key, and these, whatever the material, were sub-standard.

Secondly, the place has the world's worst soundtrack. Granted I'm not there to listen to music, but when it is noticibly distracting that's a problem. Imagine the contextual disharmony of watching heavily tattooed men, working over a fire to then tinny sound of "Girls Just Want To Have Fun", or on the amusing side, watching one of the aforesaid gentlemen slicing up a duck, while lip syncing to the Adele song that is playing. There was one or two songs that seemed more appropriate to the experience, one of which was a nice ditty by 50 Cent, but then there was "Hey Jealousy" next. Strange choices, even a more bizarre mix.

Still, that food...wow.

Pursuit wrote: The drinks glasses are very unsatisfying. They seemed to be plastic, although I refuse to believe they were. Still, when I'm enjoying a cocktail, or glass of wine, the glass it comes in is key, and these, whatever the material, were sub-standard.

the glassware it seemed to me was all Reidel inspired, the thinner the glass the less the glass interferes with the liquid/drink.

Pursuit wrote:Secondly, the place has the world's worst soundtrack.

The music at Roister is crowdsourced, for better or worse. So yeah, you definitely hear some interesting choices.

Interesting...how does that come together, I'd be interested in knowing this. The issue wasn't just the "interesting" songs, but also the fact that the playlist didn't work well together. It was very distracting to us.

I snagged some Friday hearth tickets for my birthday dinner later this month and I do have one question for those who have gone: how casual is the "casual" designation for the place. That term varies so much (especially in the West Loop) and I don't want to show up looking like an underdressed jerk, but I also want to wear shorts and a t-shirt because it will be my birthday, dammit.

gnarchief wrote:I snagged some Friday hearth tickets for my birthday dinner later this month and I do have one question for those who have gone: how casual is the "casual" designation for the place. That term varies so much (especially in the West Loop) and I don't want to show up looking like an underdressed jerk, but I also want to wear shorts and a t-shirt because it will be my birthday, dammit.

Tuxedo t-shirt?

It was pretty casual. My daily "uniform" is a bit less casual than yours (jeans, tucked in collar shirt) and there were some customers more dressed up than me and some less dressed up than me.

=R=

gnarchief wrote:I snagged some Friday hearth tickets for my birthday dinner later this month and I do have one question for those who have gone: how casual is the "casual" designation for the place.

we saw shorts & t-shirts (a few), shorts & button down/polo (more), jeans/khaki & button down/polo (most), formal/business attire (few)

Yup. Although I've seen some people wearing shorts/t-shirts there in my 4 visits, the vast majority seem to be wearing something along business casual (jeans/flat front pants + polos/casual button-ups) or more formal (typical office work attire).

How would you rate the sound level, 1-10(loudest).
We have friends that we see once a year and we would like to be able to talk without shouting over the people around us and/or the music that the restaurant plays.

Roister is loud. Maybe an 8?

hoppy2468 wrote:How would you rate the sound level, 1-10(loudest).
We have friends that we see once a year and we would like to be able to talk without shouting over the people around us and/or the music that the restaurant plays.

They take pride in being VERY loud. I enjoyed the food during my one visit, but at a two-top struggled to hear my dining companion - and this was dining early before it was full. Too many other venues serving great food (often at a better value) with much better ambiance, so I haven’t been back. They are now on Uber Eats, so that might be the way to go with them.

Loud restaurants are a design choice. I stopped going to Publican for that very reason. Can't understand the allure, but then, they seem to do fine w/o me.

I've been to Roister several times, and while I detest very loud restaurants, I've never had that much difficulty hearing at Roister, though I've never been there with a group larger than 4. Energetic and loud yes, but I've been to several louder spots in town.

And if you intend to do the tasting menu, you could make sure to sit downstairs and avoid the upstairs noise. My biggest complaint about Roister is that while the kitchen staff is incredibly talented and the food outstanding, I've eaten my way through the menu and it's not changing.

Jazzfood wrote:Loud restaurants are a design choice. I stopped going to Publican for that very reason. Can't understand the allure, but then, they seem to do fine w/o me.

I generally hit Publican in the summer for this reason and dine outside. The 1st warm night of spring I tend to hit it also!

BR wrote:I've been to Roister several times, and while I detest very loud restaurants, I've never had that much difficulty hearing at Roister, though I've never been there with a group larger than 4. Energetic and loud yes, but I've been to several louder spots in town.

And if you intend to do the tasting menu, you could make sure to sit downstairs and avoid the upstairs noise. My biggest complaint about Roister is that while the kitchen staff is incredibly talented and the food outstanding, I've eaten my way through the menu and it's not changing.

I think the food is great, but couldn't agree more. That and the fact that a good number of the dishes are meant for 2+ makes going and trying something new even more difficult.