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Situated in downtown Chicago is the famous Charlie Trotter’s fine dining establishment. A few of my friends and I spent a very enjoyable evening here, prior to attending the annual Mackinac Chili Competition. Our dinner was the beginning of a grand weekend getaway, graciously hosted by my buddy Nate and his family.
Our evening got off to a slow start, because our feast happened to fall on one of the busiest restaurants nights out, Valentine's Day. (Mother's Day is the busiest.) Although our seating was for 9:00 pm, we weren't actually seated until 10:00. I would suggest the following to the owners; either get a bigger bar that can accommodate guests comfortably, or give your guests a courtesy call to inform them the night is running late. Since it takes months to get a reservation, this would only be fair. Fortunately, this was the only negative part of our evening.
Now on to the stuff Charlie Trotter's is famous for-- the food! You can select either the Veggie or Grand Tasting Menu. If you want a really wonderful experience, you can request seating at the Chef's table. My party ordered the Grand Tasting Menu, which I found to be hit and miss. See my play by play of the menu below. (The long wait may have had a psychological effect-- although we were comped a very nice bottle of Champagne and an extra dish that was amazing.)
Grand Tasting Menu, $155
Snow Creek Oyster with Celery & Satsuma Orange
This first one was like a foul ball that was almost a home run. It didn’t hit it for us.
Nantucket Bay Scallops with Nori Dust & Pickled Daikon
This was good, but not really memorable. And no, we weren't buzzed yet.
Steamed Arctic Char with Mustard Seed, Trout Roe & New Zealand Spinach
I have recently discovered cooking with Arctic Char and I love it. It’s similar to salmon but more delicate in flavor. This dish was sensational.
Roasted Squab Breast with Hazelnut, Pearl Onion & Cocoa Nib
A fancy mole interpretation that didn’t really work. Cocoa nibs need something else to get rid of the bitterness. If they had added some agave nectar, that would've been sexy. The wing of the squab tasted great though.
Millbrook Farm Venison Loin with Black Trumpet Mushrooms & Black Cardamom Carrot Puree.
This was pretty decent but didn’t wet my willy.
Yakitori Grilled Kagoshima Beef with Ume Boshi & Wasabi
Orgasmic. The best beef and flavor pairing I have ever had.
Nigorizake Sorbet with Pear & Jasmine Rice
This was interesting.
Venezuelan Chocolate with Grilled Nopales, Lime & Agavero Jelly
Just ok.
Chocolate, Tea, Caramel
Overall this is a sexy joint that had potential to be dead sexy. I am sure on any other night it would be more swift. I am also sure your date will thank you kindly for a dinner at Charlie Trotter's, no matter how late it is.
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