Does Elske live up to the lofty status I have assigned it in my imagination?
Fine Dining
Another month, another visit to Chicago’s idiosyncratic temple of omakase…
How does the menu here change month to month? How does the perception of quality and value, when one no longer approaches Phan’s work with the romanticism of a “special occasion” splurge, change with it?
If Next has done anything well, it has been to demonstrate that there is an appetite for more of Charlie Trotter. Through this residency, the restaurant has also affirmed that effectively imitating this old master is anything but a foregone conclusion.
John’s Food and Wine took its time building a foundation that could reliably support a tasting menu rather than going all-in, from the start, in pursuit of glory. The slow, steady, and sustainable route has yielded something spectacular.
After more than five years and 1,000,000 words published, it is time for a change in format…
For those open to its charms, Smyth remains the signature, most singular restaurant of its generation. The third Michelin star only confirms its spot in Chicago’s pantheon.
An investigation of Feld: one of the Chicago dining scene’s most engaging (whether you find yourself enamored or averse) culinary expressions to date.
Without any novelty factor from the food hall setting to help round its rough edges, Valhalla “2.0” must deliver across every dimension: reflecting the lessons learned and dreams dreamt during the prior iteration…
Having tangled with the novel “beef omakase” form, you return to the comforting embrace of a traditional tasting menu. You also find your way back to a genre—Mexican (and, in this case, more broadly “Latin”) cuisine—that you haven’t engaged with since 2019.