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.