RPM Italian

We had the good fortune of checking out RPM during their practice parties last week before it opens to the public. The first impressions were very good and the space is beautiful with sleek white and black tones throughout (and I really like the server uniforms with white coats and black pants). The bar area is larger than I expected relative to the dining room but like Hub and Paris they have tables with the full menu too. It's no surprise that RPM will be another Melman hot spot in River North but there appears to be more of a focus on the dining experience and food.

The menu is large with a ton of options in many categories. We tried something from the salad section (shaved brussel sprouts) and a starter from the cold antipasti section (fresh burrata). There's also a bread section, a pizzette section, a hot anitpasti section and a wood oven section. Yes, all of that just for "starters" with lots of choices. The next part of the menu is house-made pasta and risotto. Our server explained that each plate is relative small and shareable and not meant to be an entree. We tired the pesto pasta and mushroom risotto and really liked both. There were other options in the section I would want to taste - definitely a highlight of the menu. Finally, after all the previous options there is the entree section with steaks & chops, fish, classics and sides. We were not in a steak mood so we tried the salmon with a side of asparagus. I appreciate that the salmon dish was simple and not a massive portion. It was well cooked and seasoned and a nice option. The asparagus was our least favorite dish. We finished with a delicious bowl of chocolate sorbetto.

Squatters Pub - Salt Lake City

What better way to kill time in Salt Lake before heading to the airport than hang out in an award winning brew pub? Maybe drinking in Utah to pass time sounds like the start of a joke but it's not. Squatters Beer has some of the best varieties in the country and has all the medals and banners to prove it.

I enjoy getting beer flights to sample the varieties offered at brew pubs and I especially loved the presentation - the six beers are served in a ski. If I had to choose a favorite I'd pick the Chasing Tail Golden Ale but right behind it would be the Provo Girl or Full Suspension Pale Ale. All great beers and very drinkable any day of the week.

We ordered lunch consisting of a turkey sandwich and the ahi spring roll salad. I'd say the sandwich with avocado and fries was very solid and well done for a simple but tasty lunch. My salad was interesting with a deep fried roll of tuna and ginger on top of a bed of lettuce. the greens were nice but the tuna was not the best and I didn't need the fried part.

But most of all the beer was delicious and the place was packed with like minded sunday afternoon enthusiasts. Maybe they were all tourists like us but we had a fun time sitting at the bar and tasting beer with some food. I look forward to continuing to support the brand and buy it where ever available in Chicago.

Chez Betty - Park City

Last month the entire family made the trek to Park City for the annual awesomeness that is the Sundance Film Festival. We only had two nights to pack in seven movies and that only left a few hours to actually eat. We wanted a nice "festival" worthy meal Saturday night and found Chez Betty as a highly rated, classic and familial French restaurant.

We all had a very nice meal with good food and nice service. I decided to go with the four course chef tasting menu so I wouldn't have to make choices. Everyone else ordered standard starter and entree courses. My menu included puree of parsnip, crusted soft shell crab (that I traded with my mother for the ravioli), main course of grilled flat iron steak and dessert of de-constructed s'mores. The steak was fantastic and definitely the highlight of the meal. The s'more was interesting but very rich after an already rich meal. The soup was a nice start and well done, simple but flavorful. Both starters that I tried (soft shell crab and "ravioli") were good though somewhat bland given the above average complication of the dish. The "ravioli" was an interesting and filled with goat cheese and potato. They use quotations because it's not what you expect as a pasta. It was certainly creative. My favorite starter was the crab cake we ordered for the table. It was large and interesting with each bite.

Southern Mac & Cheese Store

My visit to The Southern was very good and I was impressed with the food. That led to me to discover they have an outpost only serving mac & cheese (pretty good idea actually) and located a block away from my office. A few weeks ago I gave it whirl because nothing sounds better than a bowl of noodles and melted cheese during a Chicago winter (though I don't know if this qualifies as a Chicago winter).

The store is surprisingly large with plenty of seats (I was expecting a small counter) and the menu is surprisingly large with 12 different mac options. I went with the truffle white cheddar. All varieties are served in a small metal container that probably gets thrown in the over when an order is placed and then they bring it right now (or put in a bag for takeout). My truffle cheddar was fine but nothing distinctive. It was hot on the table but I can imagine it losing heat quickly on the trip back to my desk. I also found myself using a lot of hot sauce to spice things up and add character. The other surprise to me was pricing. All of the options are priced from $6.99 to $7.99 which includes the basic original to the pulled chicken. That's not cheap for a small bowl of noodles, especially when Pastoral is across the street.

Maybe I'm being too critical but I don't know if quick serve mac is an easy concept to execute, especially in the face of hard value sell. I didn't hate my lunch and will likely return to try something new because we all need to options at lunch. I really like the flagship restaurant and the brand they are creating.

Maude's Liquor Bar

In anticipation of the latest Sodikoff establishment, Au Cheval, I wanted to write another post on one of my favorite Chicago additions of 2011. It's no secret I have had many great meals there and this latest one was no exception - and I brought some friends from work to share the love.

Maude's is best enjoyed with a minimum of four. This allows many shared dishes and a complete exploration of the menu. Any meal is best started with one of their signature Smash cocktails, my favorites are either the whiskey or violet. From there we proceeded to order almost one of everything: french onion fondue, steak tartare, mushrooms, and brussel sprouts. And that was the first course.

Bleeding Heart Bakery

If we go out for lunch there's a very high probability we are with Geoff and Ashley. This was no exception as they invited us to join them at the newly opened Bleeding Heart Bakery (new to West Town, original on Belmont). I've heard only good things so I was excited to check out the very colorful and large bakery and brunch spot. As with most sunday brunch places, Bleeding is very kid friendly and was a great spot for young Caleb to join us.

The menu is great with plenty of options up and down the menu from sweet to savory to lunchy and everything in between. I was in a sweet mood and ordered the pumpkin waffles with bourbon maple syrup. Erica ordered a veggie omelet, Ashley chose one of the many eggs benedict options and Geoff went with granola.

 

Public House

I don't normally write about bars and bar food but there are three reasons why Public House is different: the food was solid, the table taps rock, and we first went to watch the Michigan Wolverines win the Sugar Bowl there. I have since been back two more times and was not surprised to see a packed house. During the week it's a great sports bar to watch the game and have good food with an enormous beer and drink list. My preference is to get a table with the taps right there so you don't have to move and can pour your own drink and not wait for service (and I think it's slightly cheaper). However, if you show up on the weekend you'll see a familiar River North bar scene with tons of people, not a lot of personal space and long lines at the bar. But that's what going out in RN is all about. Public House is a fantastic addition to the many options in the area but one that has made it high on my list of places to hang out.