Aly, Sara and.... Stephanie

So for my birthday (yes, it was in August) my Mom and I went to Girl & The Goat, and honestly, I cannot think of enough great things to say about that restaurant. Stephanie Izard's philosophy of making your mouth happy basically became my mantra (see very first post!). One trip and we were hooked.

When her cookbook came out, both of us were through the roof with excitement, but neither of us bought it. Obviously, at that point, I knew what I was getting my mom for Christmas. Ironically, she had the same thought, so unbeknownst to each other, we both bought the cookbook.

Since it is so hard to get a good reservation at Girl & the Goat, we decided to go for the next best thing: cooking our way through Stephanie Izard's cookbook! Kind of like a modern, more trendy, eccentric version of Julie & Julia... +1.

Our first adventure was the Scallops and Heirloom Tomatoes with a Truffle-Poblano Vinaigrette. I am also of the mantra that adding the WORD truffle to a dish makes it better. So when you actually add a good amount of well made Italian truffle oil, it is heaven.

The best thing about this cookbook is that it is so much more than a cookbook. Yeah, of course it has great recipes, but you can find that [almost] anywhere. Do I think these recipes are better than most? Yes. But that is not why I love this cookbook. I love this cookbook because it tells a story. It tells you why she first tried this, and why she is pairing a simple side of heirloom tomatoes with the spicy vinaigrette and the juicy scallops. And it tells you what drink you should pair with the meal - which is equally as important as the food you make. Nothing like a bad wine pairing to ruin a perfectly good meal.

But I also love this cookbook, because unlike other cookbooks that tell you to stock your pantry with generic foods, Stephanie expands to the foods that will make any dish pop. For example, I recently picked up some thai red bug eye chilies - because you can pop one in a curry, or a pasta, or a meat dish and it will accentuate the flavors. THAT is the kind of stuff I want to know. I know that I need various oils and seasonings and vegetables and grains. I want to know the stuff that is versatile yet evident in any dish.

Anyways, the scallops were fantastic. I kept the leftover poblano/truffle vinaigrette and have used it on just about anything - as a dip for veggies, as a marinade for chicken. So versatile and so delicious. Definitely a great Sunday meal with the family.

So Kudos, Stephanie Izard, if it wasn't evident before, I (and my mother) are officially hooked.

Stay tuned for more to come on this adventure.

Ciao for now,
Aly

New Years Resolution: 2012

First of all, Happy New Year! Sorry for the hiatus, but I've been in a post-NYC-NYE/post-move coma and have just surfaced!  Now for the good stuff.

So most people's New Year's resolutions have to do with bettering themselves (i.e. - going to the gym. The worst - you are taking up my treadmill and I know you will not be here in 2 weeks.) or bettering the world.

I would like to think of mine as a little bit of both. My goal for 2012 (with a little help from my parents - thanks mom and dad!) is to visit all 21 of the Michelin rated restaurants in Chicago (Full list below). I will be bettering myself by eating some of the best food this city has to offer, and bettering the world by letting you all know about it!

Now I know that some of the best restaurants in the city (namely Next and Girl and the Goat) are not on this list, and that many people think that Michelin stars are outdated, but I think that setting a goal that is tangible and measurable is the only way you can say whether or not you abide by your resolution. And let's be honest - these restaurants are legit.

I started my journey off with a good one - L2O.

My experience at L2O started off slightly slow, but dining at L2O is a marathon, definitely not a sprint. The dinner took 3 and a half hours. The ambiance is ideal for what this restaurant is - a very upscale seafood place fit for foodies. You don't feel overcrowded, the lighting is not too dim and you almost feel like you are having your own private dining experience. Not to mention, the tables are a very beautiful thick dark wood - which I love.

The service here reminded me of the service at Commander's Palace in New Orleans but a little less plantation house and a little more upscale. There were always multiple waiters/servers/hosts/sommelier's helping us and they were all incredibly knowledgeable. There were two things that really stood out to me about the service here - and they were both good things. First - we got new silverware with every single course, and when I got up to go to the bathroom, I had a new napkin when I got back. Second - and more importantly - we asked for help on a wine selection and indicated the types of wines we liked (we tend to prefer buttery, Napa wines). The sommelier suggested a Napa wine, we got it and liked it but didn't love it (it wasn't very buttery, but slightly bitter). My dad didn't send it back, but the sommelier could tell we didn't like it, so without even a mention, he came out with a new bottle of wine that was absolutely fabulous and perfectly fitting to our taste. You can't ask for better service than that.

Now onto the good stuff... the food.

The menu at L2O is definitely not for the faint of heart - as it features quite a bit of exotic foods, for instance, tripe, foie gras and caviar. The way their menu works is by course and you can either opt for one of two tasting menus (7 courses) or a 4-course dinner where you pick your four from a selection of 3 or 4 in each course. Clearly I opted for one of the 7-course meals.

Before you even order, they start you out with Fruta del Mar - fruit of the sea. They are little melon balls filled with different seafoods. The combination of the savory seafood with the sweet melon was just delicious. Also as an appetizer, they brought out mini lobster rolls, which happen to be one of my favorite indulgences, so I was ecstatic about those. Even the bread at this restaurant was fancy. They had everything from the normal baguette to basically a bacon crescent rolls - which my little brother had at least 5 of. Now I was completely happy with the appetizers - as they were fantastic, but then came the real deal and it did not disappoint either.

My menu was as follows:
Course 1: Maryland Crab gelee
Course 2: Scallop baked in its shell (picture attached)
Course 3: Lubina (white fish) with caviar
Course 4: Maine lobster with foie gras
Course 5: Brined Ribeye
Course 6: Brown Sugar butter chestnut crepe (with 24 layers of crepe)
Course 7: Grand Marnier souffle (picture attached)

Now I could go into extreme detail about what was wonderful about each of these, but I think I would be writing a novel, so I'll spare you and just give you the best of the best.

The scallop baked in it's shell was not only one of my favorites to eat, but the presentation was beautiful. Everything was cooked perfectly and its accompaniment gave it a little bit of a smoky taste which was great with the tenderness of the scallop itself.

My favorite thing to eat, however, was the lubina with caviar. The salty caviar was a great addition to the savory fish. There were also halved and skinned grapes on the side which added just a little bit of sweetness to the dish. I absolutely loved it.

Seriously - I have never been so full in my life as I was after this meal. Even though I "only" ordered a 7-course meal, it was really like eating 12 because they kept bringing out more and more! Before our desserts, they brought us a yogurt to cleanse our pallet. Then after, they brought us macaroons and sugar coated custards - as if the crepe and souffle were not enough! I honestly did not eat anything until dinner the next night.

Overall, it was a great experience for my first Michelin Star of 2012. Here is the list of what is **hopefully** to come for the rest of the year!

Three Stars:
Alinea

Two Stars:
Charlie Trotters (better get here fast!)
Ria

One Star:
Blackbird
Boka
Bonsoiree
Courtwright's
Everest
Graham Elliot
Longman & Eagle
L2O
Moto
Naha
Schwa
Seasons
Sepia
Spiaggia
Takashi
Topolobampo
Tru
Vie

 My little brother's sashimi platter - yes, that little decoration is a radish cut into the shape of a crab.

 My scallop baked in it's shell

Grand Marnier Souffle