Charlie Trotters: Chicago, IL, December 19, 2008

12.19.08

Prior to a certain age, birthdays are great excuses to celebrate. My birthday was amazing. Andrew took me to Charlie Trotters in Chicago and I couldn't contain my excitement when I stepped out of the car (once I figured out where we were). This restaurant has not one, but ten (yes 10!) James Beard Awards and is a AAA Five Diamond Award Winner as well. The intimate atmosphere offers a pure setting to just sit back, be wined and dined, and enjoy the food. The staff was attentive, offered a customized menu and were willing to put up with us as we snapped pictures, and inquired about all of the food.

First Course: Portugues Percebes with Seawater

According to the web, "Percebes" are a shellfish with a long, soft body like the neck of a goose, hard shells at the top, and a 'foot' at the bottom that attaches them to rocks. They only grow on rocks exposed to heavy surf, and only grow in several parts of the world. They are highly sought after as a rare delicacy, savoured for their lovely texture and flavour which is somewhat like crab or lobster.

In my opinion, the seawater foam was what truly made the dish. Light and airy in texture, it went along with the jelled percebes to create a refreshing appetizer in order to whet our appetizers and start our tastebuds off on the right path.

Second Course: Maine Day Boat Lobster with Yellow Beets, Chestnut & Bull's Blood

This has to be probably my most favorite course of the entire meal. The lobster was cooked to perfection, not chewy in texture, but with a light lobster flavor so pungent, that it was as if they flew in my crustacean minutes before it landed on my plate. No, Bull's Blood isn't what it literally implies, but rather a Hungarian wine that made a phenomenal and tangy complement to the seafood. The Chestnut puree was another perfect pairing of a creamy texture to coat the tip of your tongue before the fresh lobster shined on your palate.

Third Course: Steamed Holland Turbot with Kumamoto Oysters, Pork Belly & Pickled Celery

Again, what's better than amazingly fresh seafood, and celery that's sliced so thinly and arranged in a rice paper format for classically clean presentation? Though one might think this is a savory flavor overload, the pickled celery was so crisp and light, and the turbot's perfect texture complemented the salty taste from the pork belly.

Fourth Course: Whole Roasted Squab Breast with Birch, Black Trumpet Mushrooms & Devil's Club

This course's plating was the first thing that caught my eye. I had absolutely no idea what half of the things on the plate were, but the wait staff had no problems in clarifying for us. Squab is a young domesticated pigeon that has never flown and is therefore extremely tender. I can't say that I appreciate pigeons very much when they're alive, but they are a true delicacy. Birch is basically a root and are the crispy twigs you see on the plate. The Devil's club is the spiral squiggle you see at the top, and is a plant that grows predominently in the Pacific Northwest. Rare in existence, it is susceptible to human touch and therefore does not reproduce quickly. It doesn't have bold flavors, but all the different textures on my plate kept me very intrigued!

Fifth Course: Roasted Four Story Hill Farm Veal Loin with Date, Cocoa Nib & Pomegranate

This course was by far the most interesting from a textural standpoint. I loved the funky white plate and the veal that was tucked beneath the Pomegranate foam was a wonderfully tender surprise that completemented the actual pomegranate fruit at the base. The cocoa nibs weren't particularly strong, but a flavor that you could taste after all the initial flavors settled down in your mouth.

Sixth Course: Satsuma with Clove & Sauternes

Satsuma is a Japanese orange akin to the Mandarin orange that are almost seedless (think the sweet mandarin oranges you find in cans at the market). They make for a very sweet segway to the dessert courses we were about to embark upon. The Sauternes jelly (Sauternes is a sweet wine fro the Sauternes region of western France) had the slight hint of alcohol to pair well with the aromatic clove to spice up the Satsuma.

Seventh Course: Honey Crisp Apples with Cider Granite & Ginger Jelly

Charlie Trotters was gracious enough to offer us not four plates of the same two desserts that came with our tasting menus, but instead, a sampling of all four of the desserts of the night. If anyone knows me, they know how much I love honey crisp apples (which originated and was developed in Minneapolis). I loved the Cider Granite- again, not very strong in flavor, but paired so well with the apples and jelly. It was a little difficult to eat, but if you got all 3 components in one bite, it was a flavor explosion and took me back to Fall in the Orchard.

Seventh Course Dessert #2: Candied Buddha's Hand with Lemon, Ricotta & Taggiasca Olives

Buddha's Hand is a semitropical citrus fruit that looks like a huge, yellow-green, lumpy fingered lemon. It's also called a 'citron' and when candied, is a sweeter, more subtle version of a citric lemon. It wasn't tart or bitter as I expected, but instead had a syrapy sweet flavor and a texture of a fruit rollup. The Taggiasca Olives were not my ideal complement, but made the dish pop with uniqueness and flavor which is always a bonus in my book.

Eight Course Dessert: Black Mission Figs with Shaved Fruit Cake, Marcona Almonds & Pedro Ximenez

Figs aren't my favorite fruit in life, and I felt like this wasn't my most favorite dessert. The almonds were particularly fresh and Pedro Ximenez is a white grape wine from either Spain or South America. But still a very elegantly plated presentation.

Eight Course Dessert #2: Milk Chocolate Semifredo with Carrot, Star Anise & Red Wine

I loved the vibrant color of the carrot puree, and the shaved milk chocolate pieces. The red wine was so subtle, you could hardly tell it was there and star anise added a nutty licorice flavor at the end of the bite that was a great pairing with the complex plating of the dish.

Ninth Course: Chef's Preparation of selected treats
I loved the cholate that had a Nori seasoning (second from the bottom) and the pear candied jellys that are shown at the top. Quite the finale to one amazing three hour meal.

After our meal, we got a tour of the kitchen as well as the Chef's table where diners can watch demonstrations or rent out an amazingly decorated private room next to the wine cellar. An experience we are unlikely to forget.

http://charlietrotters.com/restaurant/