deca

When we heard this restaurant was in the lobby of the Ritz-Carlton, located in Water Tower Place, we decided we should come in with no expectations (Water Tower Place??!!).  However, we were incredibly impressed with this restaurant.  The lobby was beautiful, with a large fountain, and the decor was comfortable.  It was definitely a place to see others, and be seen (though it wasn't very crowded, I'm not sure if people know about it).  Our server was a little clumsy, but very social and helpful.  After our meal, we enjoyed exploring the hotel.

Appetizers:
Steak Tartar - This was Will's first venture into the raw meat world, and he "wants it again!"  Meanwhile, this is one of my favorite appetizers, and I thought it was prepared very well.  Recently I've been having trouble finding good tartar, but this definitely met my expectations.  Served with a raw egg on top, just to push your stomach even more!

Truffle Flatbread - This pizza had chutney, black truffles, and potatoes on it.  The chutney was a little overpowering, and the potatoes didn't seem to add much, but there was truffles!  While we ate it, we just thought it was good; however, the next day we both agreed that we had a craving for it again!


Main courses:
Mustard Crusted Salmon - Will LOVED his dish.  It was prepared over a bed of lentils, pancetta, and a red wine sauce.  The fish was thick, juicy, and just fell onto your fork; but what really made this dish amazing was the mustard crust.

Cassoulet - The Michelin guide recommended the cassoulet, and I was very happy with it.  It had Garlic Sausage, Pork Belly, Duck Confit, and beans.  I also enjoyed the crust on top.  Yum!


Desert:
Pear - While our server recommended the 10-Layer chocolate cake (which looked good on our neighbor's table), we went with the roasted pear.  It was an amazing choice.  It was sliced, warmed with brown sugar, and covered in maple syrup.  It also had a side of ice cream.  It was so sweet; we loved it!

Drinks:
We each had a glass of wine with dinner.  We also had a pre-dinner cocktail, which were creative and good.

Overall, we really enjoyed deca, and want to go back (and even repeat much of our order!)

Price:
Approximately $50 a person, including wine (but not our pre-drinks)

Ranking: 4 / 5

Note: this restaurant has a Michelin Bib Recommendation.

Girl and the Goat

One of the big hotspots in Chicago now is "Girl and the Goat."  This is the restaurant created by Stephanie Izard, who won Top Chef.  While we had heard the food was "too salty," we really enjoyed it (and did not think it was).  Situated in a happening restaurant scene (Randolf and Halsted), the inside was dark (but not obnoxiously), spacious, and sexy.  Staff was very friendly and helpful: we asked our server what she would order, and she gave us great recommendations!

One big piece of advice: while it would be a fun date place, try to go with a group of four.  We think this is a great number, because it will allow you to share more dishes, and yet still only have to order one plate of each dish.

Scallops - A must have.  We loved it (and were told by several people to get it).  They frequently change the preparation of the scallops, but I am pretty sure you will not be disappointed.

Duck - This was crispy duck tongue.  While it sounded awesome, it was just ok.  It was part of a salad with mandarin oranges.  Good, but nothing special.

Prawns - While the shrimp itself was good, the bed of lentils and polenta it was served on was really good.  Again, this dish changes how it is prepared frequently, so it may be different by the time you read it.  Probably a good bet nevertheless.

Goat Empanadas - At Girl and the Goat, you gotta get goat.  Goat can be pretty salty, so our server recommended this preparation for it (the goat dishes had their own menu!).  It is not often one can get goat, and so we were really excited about it.  We loved it.  

Ham Frittes - This was kind of boring.  Just fries (which were addicting, but just fries).  It had salt that was made from a ham, which sounded cooler than it was.

Green Beans - A winner!  This has been a staple dish since Girl opened, and rightfully so.  Prepared with a fish sauce vinaigrette and cashews, we would definitely get this again.  The beans were cooked to a crispy firmness that was perfect!

Mushroom Ragout - Dan's favorite. The official title was "Hen of the Woods Ragout."  It was ravioli stuffed with mushrooms in a shroom creme fraiche sauce.  We fought over this dish (for who would get to finish it... Dan won... Will literally licked his plate.).  

Pork Ribs - These were slowly cooked for ten hours, and just fell of the bone.  This was Will's favorite, and came with an incredible sauce.  This is another must have.

Chocolate - Our desert was similar to a chocolate brownie, with chilies and ice cream.  The play between hot and cold made the dish exciting and cohesive.  We were stuffed by this point, but insisted on finishing it.

In review, get: Scallops, Green Beans, Mushroom Ragout, and Pork Ribs.

Drinks: A great beer menu, but we went for wine.

Price: Around $55 a person, including wine.

Ranking: 4.25 / 5

Note: this restaurant has a Michelin Bib Recommendation.

Tapas Gitana

As 2012 begins, we felt it was time to start sharing our restaurant explorations for others.  The first place of the year was at Tapas Gitana.  We sat at one of the back tables in this moderately small but very cozy restaurant that had a good Spanish feeling.  Here's our breakdown.

Cold Tapas:

Aquacate Relleno - Half avacado with tiger shrimp and scallions over baby greens.  Good but would not order again.

Combination De Embuidos - House plate with different meats and cheeses.  This was a surprisingly lame dish, sorry, it's true.

Canalon Frio De Atun - Recommend this dish. Cannelloni stuffed with tuna.  This was put together well and we both enjoyed it.

Hot Tapas:

Patatas Bravas - This was on the specialty menu and if they have it while you're there, it's a simple but very yummy dish.  This brought Dan back to his days in Spain and we both loved it.

Pechugo de Pato - Duck breast over lentils, couscous, and wild mushrooms.  Smell it, taste it, love it.  Both of us have been getting more into eating duck as it's very succulent.  If you only get one of these dishes, make it this one.

Drink:

Sangria - It had a good amount of spice to it and felt like Spain.  Excellent drink to get the full effect of the restaurant.

Price:

Approximately $30 a person for two people.

Ranking: 3.5 / 5