....And we're back!
After an extensive hiatus on our blogging routine, A and I have returned to the world of culinary cuisine blogging. To be perfectly honest, we just got lazy - but the new year starts with a new resolution to pick it back up. After all, what good is trying out all of these new restaurants if we can't share them with all of you?
First off, Tru was a bit difficult to find as the restaurant does not have extensive signage to call out its storefront. In addition, it is nestled next to Northwestern's Medical School and therefore is masked by the large university buildings and a corner street bakery :) Don't be fooled...it's there. And chef owner/partners Rick Tramonto and Gale Gand are all the more reason to go find it.
Pre-Amuse-bouche: Gruyere cheese puff
We were greeted by two warm gruyere cheese puffs that were lightly toasted and had a perfect savory bite to start off the evening. The cheese had a soft yet non-overpowering consistency on the inside of a delicate doughy texture. For those die-hard Ratatouille fans out there (as we are), this was what I had always imagined Remy's cheese puff- (which he toasts on a skewer on the top of the old lady's roof over her chimney in the opening scene) to taste like.
Amuse bouche: Wagyu beef ravioli in beef consomme
Amuse bouche: Wagyu beef ravioli in beef consomme So I was a little surprised that the cheese puff was the amuse bouche, thinking that it wasn't all that complex or impressive (despite being good). Then came the amuse bouche :) All in all, this dish with its '6 word' title turned out to be a more elaborate name for 'beef dumpling in broth'. While flavorful, I wasn't overtly impressed. The 'ravioli' was tiny- and difficult to get out of the cup. There was only a tiny amount of beef in it, leading most of the texture to be dough. In addition, I felt like the broth was somewhat too oily. A on the otherhand, loved the dumplings and said he could have eaten a whole plate entirely by himself :) Bonus for presentation, and naming.
Stephanie's appetizer: Langoustine, lobster quenelles, saffron potato, bouillabaisse
This had to have been my most favorite course of the evening. The lobster meat was perfectly cooked and the tenderness was light yet firm, giving it the unmistakeable identity of freshness. I didn't know what I would think of the lobster mousse/quenelle, but it too was also a light and airy whipped burst of flavor that complemented the seafood. The saffron potatoes didn't have a lot of flavor, but the texture added some depth and heartiness to the dish, while the broth was rich in color and in flavor bathing the rest of its counterparts in an earthy and savory taste.
This had to have been my most favorite course of the evening. The lobster meat was perfectly cooked and the tenderness was light yet firm, giving it the unmistakeable identity of freshness. I didn't know what I would think of the lobster mousse/quenelle, but it too was also a light and airy whipped burst of flavor that complemented the seafood. The saffron potatoes didn't have a lot of flavor, but the texture added some depth and heartiness to the dish, while the broth was rich in color and in flavor bathing the rest of its counterparts in an earthy and savory taste.
Andrew's Appetizer: seared foie gras, chestnut cream, glazed pear, cris
py baconAndrew's dish was also good- with a large piece of tender foie gras that melted into the chestnut cream glaze underneath. It was one of the better pieces of foie that we have had recently, with the pear adding a perfect amount of sweetness, and the bacon adding a crispy/crunchy texture to the smooth and rich texture of the foie. All in all, two thumbs up. After all, everything's better with bacon...
Stephanie's Main Course: maine lobster, saffron tagliatelle, broccoli, tomato
Of course when I saw more lobster on the menu, it simply had my name written all over it. And having tagliatelle next to it didn't hurt either. The pasta was a perfect al dente remin
iscent of our own home-made pasta. Maybe it was because we had spent hours slaving over our own hand made pasta, but something about pasta made me appreciate the dish more. I must admit, I was a little bit disappointed by the maine lobster, after having a phenomenal langoustine just earlier. It was a little bit tougher in texture and heavier. Not sure if it was the lobster itself, or its cooking method. I appreciated the broccoli and tomato as colorful garnishes. Overall, the dish had a lot of contents in variety, although I think the flavors and ingredients could have shown just a bit more.
iscent of our own home-made pasta. Maybe it was because we had spent hours slaving over our own hand made pasta, but something about pasta made me appreciate the dish more. I must admit, I was a little bit disappointed by the maine lobster, after having a phenomenal langoustine just earlier. It was a little bit tougher in texture and heavier. Not sure if it was the lobster itself, or its cooking method. I appreciated the broccoli and tomato as colorful garnishes. Overall, the dish had a lot of contents in variety, although I think the flavors and ingredients could have shown just a bit more.Andrew's main course: prime beef ribeye, grilled foie gras, chanterelle, parsnip-potato purée
As my name is associated with lobster, Andrew's should be associated with Foie :) The ribeye came with a bowl of parsnip-potato puree which was really a fancy name for creamy mashed potatoes (I must admit, better than mine) with dried parsnip strips on top. The ribeye itself was ok, but not as juicy as I would have liked it to be. It soaked up a bit of the jus, but needed the flavors from the chanterelle to give it a bit of oomph. The foie was a nice addition, rounding out the textures, but didn't do much for its flavor. Overall, I personally thought the dish was a bit too complex and could still stand to be more refined.
Cheese course
I honestly can't remember all the names of the different cheeses, much less the three that we tried. Only remembered the et-pousse which was a very strong and pungent cheese that neither Andrew or I cared for. It was great to try and interesting to taste new flavors!
Palate Cleanser: Lemon tapioca with mint cream
I had never really had a palate cleanser before, so didn't know what to expect. While the color was a bit bland (I think they weren't really going for it to be stellar, but instead more functional) - the flavors were good and I appreciated the cool texture against my 'palate'. Tre sofistique!
Stephanie's dessert: gianduja soufflé
spiced pumpkin ice cream, hazelnut, roasted pepitas
So when the pastry chef at your restaurant is Gale Gand, and the caption on your m
enu is called "Sweet Dreams", how could you not be excited about dessert? Admittedly, A and I had scoped out the menu before dinner and I had my heart already set on the gianduja soufflé. The menu had me at 'spiced pumpkin ice cream' :) The soufflé itself wasn't very impressive (given that A can make soufflés in his sleep), but I didn't like the effect of the melted gianduja being poured right in the middle of the souflee once it arrived at your table. The steaming effect proved to be very dramatic :) The spiced pumpkin ice cream was deep and not too overpowering, but just enough so that the spices could flare up the dark taste of the chocolate soufflé. Good, but for some reason I couldn't eat the dish in its entirety, and had to cede most of the plate over to Andrew (although I enjoyed the few bites that I had).
enu is called "Sweet Dreams", how could you not be excited about dessert? Admittedly, A and I had scoped out the menu before dinner and I had my heart already set on the gianduja soufflé. The menu had me at 'spiced pumpkin ice cream' :) The soufflé itself wasn't very impressive (given that A can make soufflés in his sleep), but I didn't like the effect of the melted gianduja being poured right in the middle of the souflee once it arrived at your table. The steaming effect proved to be very dramatic :) The spiced pumpkin ice cream was deep and not too overpowering, but just enough so that the spices could flare up the dark taste of the chocolate soufflé. Good, but for some reason I couldn't eat the dish in its entirety, and had to cede most of the plate over to Andrew (although I enjoyed the few bites that I had).Andrew's dessert: lime + blueberry “vacherin” cinnamon chiboust, pan-fried buttermilk cake
Andrew's was a much lighter dessert which was a great complement to my heavy/dark chocolate masterpiece. We loved his meringue sticks as garnishes, and our favorite -by far- was the lime & blueberry sorbet. The colors were vibrant and pretty, and the cool airy lightness provided a tangy and sweet note to the dessert to round out the dense buttermilk 'pancake-like' vacherin underneath.
The Final Pastry Cart:
At this point, A and I were stuffed, but couldn't resist the pastry cart when it sw
ung by. We asked for one of each to split between us, so here's my best attempt at recollecting what each thing was:
ung by. We asked for one of each to split between us, so here's my best attempt at recollecting what each thing was:Top left- Chocolate/Vanilla cake with crispy coating: The inside was a soft sponge-cake like texture. I liked the outside crispy coating.
Mango gelee: A faint mango taste, this reminded me of those jelly circles Sunkist makes that are in clear plastic wrappers. Not my favorite of the night.
Mint Marshmallow: My least favorite of the night- too sweet, a bit minty in flavor, but a good representation of a marshmallow. I just don't like eating marshmallows straight up- unless they're sandwiched between two pieces of graham cracker and chocolate in between.
Sour Cherry Macaroon: After having made our own macaroons, we have a lot of respect for anyone who tries to hand make these delicacies. Interesting in flavor, very time consuming in technique.
Chocolate lollipops with raspberry dust: Think chocolate truffle on a lollipop stick. This one made me happy because I just think everything is better when it's put on a lollipop stick. We asked for 2 :)
Chocolate praline-hazelnut bar: Not overly impressive...just a chocolate bar with some hazelnut pieces inside.
Gingerbread cake: This was my most favorite dessert of the night. 
Perfectly reminiscent of the holidays, not too overpowering, and a good hint of gingerbread spice to remind me of its cookie counterparts.
Candy Cane: Nothing like a homemade candy cane to finish off the night. That's some artisan handi-work at its finest :)
Not sure if we would go back - at this point, probably not. Unless it was just for the dessert :) Or the pastry cart :) Or to meet Gale Gand in person :)
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