Well, I visited Chalkboard this evening with my parents, who are visiting for the Thanksgiving holiday. This was I think my third, maybe fourth visit and I had pretty high hopes and expectations. My first visit to this then newly-opened restaurant was delightful; followed by two other luke-warm experiences. Tonight would have to qualify as a luke-warm visit, at best.
We were pleased that the restaurant could accommodate our last-minute inquiry, so a 6:30 dinner time was appreciated, even though earlier than we would have liked. The evening started off well, with a charming waiter, an intriguing menu and evening specials list; but somehow lost its way after our starters.
My mother chose the Tucscan white bean soup with prosciutto and wild mushrooms. That was a hit. The soup was earthy, comforting and tasty and the flavors blended perfectly. My father selected the sea scallop appetizer, which he thoroughly enjoyed . And, I had the Chalkboard salad of arugula and mizuna with roasted tomatoes and a refreshing lemon vinaigrette topped off with shaved asiago - delicious and light.
Then, we moved on to entrees. Mom loved hers, which was braised pork shoulder with white beans and a hint of apple. Dad and I both had the lemongrass and chorizo poached halibut with celery root puree (yum) and a goat cheese fondant, which sounded amazing. However, once we got the dish, there was a noticeable crispy edge to the fish. When I questioned our waiter about the preparation, he seemed disinterested in finding out more specifics from the chef (disappointing). So, not only was our poached halibut seared, but it was severely over-cooked. (again, disappointing). By this time the waiter's charm was wearing thin (he was far too interested in one table to our right) and my disappointment with Chalkboard was gaining steam.
We did push on to desert (chocolate and fennel bread pudding for pops and mom and I shared the individual apple pie). All I can say is the bread pudding was so-so. The apple pie tasted exactly like those Hostess pies you used to eat as a kid! Eww is the word that came to mind!
I think, in this case, the third time was NOT the charm for Chalkboard... sorry folks. I am not in any hurry to return. If you'd like to give it a try, here are the details:
Chalkboard
4343 N. Lincoln (just south of Montrose)
Chicago, IL 60618
773.477.7144
http://www.chalkboardrestaurant.com/
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Ah, Ibiza!
On a recent trip to Houston, Texas, I was eager to try out Chef Charles Clark's restaurant, Ibiza. I had seen a repeat episode of Iron Chef America (I'm a die-hard fan, but do prefer the Japanese original), where Chef Clark battled the master, Iron Chef Mario Batali - the food looked amazing (even though Chef Clark lost), so I logged it into my memory for my next visit to the great state of Texas.
We decided on a late lunch following a lazy morning and some errands about town. After some misguided GPS directions, we finally came upon the restaurant, which is located on the end of a small strip mall in downtown Houston.
The interior was simple yet inviting. The colors were dark, earthy and tables were strategically placed from front to back. They definitely maximize the small space, but you don't feel like you're sitting on top of the person next to you, so kudos to the owners for the smart layout.
The far end of the restaurant is a nearly floor-to-ceiling wine storage/cabinet with a rolling ladder. Those of you who know me know my love for good wine, so this was welcome sight as we entered the restaurant. There was no bar, which I found a bit odd; instead there was a long counter facing into the restaurant where you could catch a glimpse of the master at work.
We started with a lovely bottle of Spring Mountain, Sauvignon Blanc from Napa Valley ($34) and decided on a few appetizers. We had grilled shrimp with crabmeat cornbread and a Tasso cream. The crabmeat cornbread was probably the most memorable thing about that dish - although all was tasty and just fine, there wasn't anything spectacular about the dish and, after all, I was looking for and expecting spectacular!
After the shrimp, we had one of the pizzas, as recommended by our waiter. The goat cheese, portobello, oven-dried tomato and apple-smoked bacon was delicious! The creaminess of the goat cheese was remarkable. The flavors blended perfectly without overpowering each other - sometimes rare when dealing with bacon and even goat cheese. We devoured the pizza with no problem and were then faced with a decision: do we try more small plates (which is what Ibiza is known for, after all!) or, do we dive into entrees?
We chose the path of tasting as much of the menu as possible, so more appetizers it was!
Our next choice was the octopus. Now, generally, I'm not into the tentacles and suckers, but the preparation was too enticing ("a la plancha" with sorrel oil and chorizo). We found out that the Chef quickly blanched the octopus first, then grilled (a la plancha) it to perfection. The result was a dark brown, slightly crunchy finish with incredibly juicy and tender meat. The sorrel oil was the perfect accent - not too strong, but full of flavor - and the chorizo gave it a little kick. Truly probably the tastiest octopus I've ever had (and that includes many a dish on the Italian Riveria, south of France and even Portuguese coast!). So, bravo, Chef!
We wanted more, but the portions were sizable, so by this time, we were stuffed! Plus, the wine didn't hurt either ;-)
Service was attentive, informative and gracious - always a HUGE plus with me. There was an expansive wine list - offering everything from California's best (white and red varietals) to whites and reds from all over the globe (France, Spain, Chile, New Zealand, Argentina, Austria, Italy, Australia, South Africa). The list was impressive, to say the least! Bottles ranged in price from around $30 to nearly $500! Something for everyone, no doubt!
Food was moderately priced as well, with lunch ranging from $6 to $13 for appetizers; $5 to $10 for soups and sandwiches; pizzas at $10; and, $10 to $17 for entrees. Dinner prices were similar - $6 to $17 for appetizers; $5 to $10 for salads/soups; and entrees from $17 to $34.
So, put Ibiza on your list for your next visit to Houston. You won't be disappointed!
Ibiza Food and Wine Bar
2450 Louisiana
Houston, TX 77006
713.524.0004
http://www.ibizafoodandwinebar.com/
We decided on a late lunch following a lazy morning and some errands about town. After some misguided GPS directions, we finally came upon the restaurant, which is located on the end of a small strip mall in downtown Houston.
The interior was simple yet inviting. The colors were dark, earthy and tables were strategically placed from front to back. They definitely maximize the small space, but you don't feel like you're sitting on top of the person next to you, so kudos to the owners for the smart layout.
The far end of the restaurant is a nearly floor-to-ceiling wine storage/cabinet with a rolling ladder. Those of you who know me know my love for good wine, so this was welcome sight as we entered the restaurant. There was no bar, which I found a bit odd; instead there was a long counter facing into the restaurant where you could catch a glimpse of the master at work.
We started with a lovely bottle of Spring Mountain, Sauvignon Blanc from Napa Valley ($34) and decided on a few appetizers. We had grilled shrimp with crabmeat cornbread and a Tasso cream. The crabmeat cornbread was probably the most memorable thing about that dish - although all was tasty and just fine, there wasn't anything spectacular about the dish and, after all, I was looking for and expecting spectacular!
After the shrimp, we had one of the pizzas, as recommended by our waiter. The goat cheese, portobello, oven-dried tomato and apple-smoked bacon was delicious! The creaminess of the goat cheese was remarkable. The flavors blended perfectly without overpowering each other - sometimes rare when dealing with bacon and even goat cheese. We devoured the pizza with no problem and were then faced with a decision: do we try more small plates (which is what Ibiza is known for, after all!) or, do we dive into entrees?
We chose the path of tasting as much of the menu as possible, so more appetizers it was!
Our next choice was the octopus. Now, generally, I'm not into the tentacles and suckers, but the preparation was too enticing ("a la plancha" with sorrel oil and chorizo). We found out that the Chef quickly blanched the octopus first, then grilled (a la plancha) it to perfection. The result was a dark brown, slightly crunchy finish with incredibly juicy and tender meat. The sorrel oil was the perfect accent - not too strong, but full of flavor - and the chorizo gave it a little kick. Truly probably the tastiest octopus I've ever had (and that includes many a dish on the Italian Riveria, south of France and even Portuguese coast!). So, bravo, Chef!
We wanted more, but the portions were sizable, so by this time, we were stuffed! Plus, the wine didn't hurt either ;-)
Service was attentive, informative and gracious - always a HUGE plus with me. There was an expansive wine list - offering everything from California's best (white and red varietals) to whites and reds from all over the globe (France, Spain, Chile, New Zealand, Argentina, Austria, Italy, Australia, South Africa). The list was impressive, to say the least! Bottles ranged in price from around $30 to nearly $500! Something for everyone, no doubt!
Food was moderately priced as well, with lunch ranging from $6 to $13 for appetizers; $5 to $10 for soups and sandwiches; pizzas at $10; and, $10 to $17 for entrees. Dinner prices were similar - $6 to $17 for appetizers; $5 to $10 for salads/soups; and entrees from $17 to $34.
So, put Ibiza on your list for your next visit to Houston. You won't be disappointed!
Ibiza Food and Wine Bar
2450 Louisiana
Houston, TX 77006
713.524.0004
http://www.ibizafoodandwinebar.com/
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