Avenues, Chicago IL

For my last dinner on this trip to Chicago the choice came down to Graham Elliot, Ria, or Avenues – not a bad one in the bunch from what I’d been told, but with one standing far above the others amongst the palates I tend to trust and with rumors swirling (and subsequently confirmed) that Chef Curtis Duffy would soon be leaving The Peninsula to open his own restaurant I figured now was as good a time as ever to see what was happening at Avenues.


Having already mentioned Duffy I have to admit I’m not really sure why it had taken me so long to visit Avenues given my frequent trips to the Windy City. A former chef at Alinea well known for his ability to work modern (“molecular?”) technique into his classical training I’d always been curious as to what was going on in the kitchen just off North Michigan Avenue, but between the confounded website menu and other great dining options in Chicago I always found myself compelled to look elsewhere until now, dining alone and with the option to sit at a Chef’s counter peering directly into the open kitchen where Duffy doesn’t so much cook, but rather directs like a maestro and educates like a professor.


With reservations made well in advance it was a bit of a surprise to me when I arrived at the Peninsula and found that I actually had to ascend to the lobby and subsequently the seventh floor to visit the restaurant, but never one to stay at high end hotels when I’d rather spend my money on high end dining I must note that outside of the rare exception The Peninsula Chicago proved to be one of the most classy and well adorned hotels I have ever seen. With polished marble abound and gilded fixtures gleaming at each turn I made my way past the famous “Lobby at The Peninsula Chocolate Bar” (complete with full jazz quintet) to the door of Avenues just moments early for my 7:00pm reservation and greeted by a young woman who greeted me by name (perhaps I was the only party of one that evening?) I was led swiftly to the otherwise empty chef’s counter – to a seat perhaps 5 feet from Duffy and even closer to the rest of his team.


With the swivel-top high-backed stool soft and supple beneath me and a counter of polished marble topped first with a bronze mat and then an artistic waxed menu featuring a photograph of one of Duffy’s previous creations before me it would be mere seconds before one of my three person team of servers would arrive to offer water (still or sparkling) and a menu of wines and cocktails. Deciding that a place with such unique presentations would likely do something equally interesting with their cocktails I decided to take a look and within seconds was left to decide between which of three sounded best – a rarity to say the least – and in the end a decision that a surprise comp at meal’s end for unknown reasons save for perhaps my praise for Duffy’s talents at meals end (and chuckling at his ongoing banter with the sommelier about pressure from management to “push the wine pairings” – an issue he was clearly a tad disgruntled about throughout the meal.)

With the menu explained – chef’s tasting, vegetarian tasting, or any/all of the choices available ALC – and a small modification requested (no beef for the main course) ordering was a breeze and with greetings by a number of the chefs as they did their work plus an invitation to ask questions about any dish or technique it would be a short wait before things would begin – first with the aforementioned cocktail, a glass entitled “Toblerone” and without exaggerating a drink that tasted almost identical to the celebrated candy bar with notes of thick cream and honey muffling the almond and coffee tones of a blend of Frangelico, Bailey’s, and Kahlua.

Sitting back and sipping my drink while browsing the dining room – a fairly dull but well spaced area with floor to ceiling windows, chandeliers, and flowers – I was a bit surprised that Avenues sat half-empty during prime dining hours on a Friday, especially with reservations near impossible to nab at other spots in Chicago’s upper echelon of dining, but given the economy and the packed Lobby I can only note that perhaps it was for the better as the server to diner ratio was seemingly one to one and throughout the evening I was never for want for anything from water to dish descriptions to conversation from my servers or the men and women in the kitchen – as a matter of fact I was even offered magazines to read while I waited between courses; an offer that was appreciated albeit largely unnecessary given the action before me.

With servers circulating and each station churning out beautiful plate after beautiful plate my first taste of Duffy’s cuisine would arrive in the form of an amuse bouche every bit the size and complexity of any of the proper plates – a dish described as “Uni – Rhubarb, Licorice, Pea Puree” Beginning first with the urchin tongue the plate began with briny sweetness quickly balanced by green “Peas” that were actually liquid nitrogen frozen pea puree slightly muted by bitter notes that harkened faintly of licorice. With strands of poached rhubarb adding a fibrous component to the dish and a shrimp chip providing some crunch this plate would prove a sign of things to come with each of the subsequent presentations displaying a great degree of manipulation, nuance, and character yet at the same time superior sourcing, balance, and technique.

Moving next to the tasting menu proper, the first course of the night is perhaps Chef Duffy’s most famous – a layered dish titled “Alaskan King Crab – Golden Brook Trout Roe, Kalamansi, Lemon Mint” with so many textures and flavors that it really must be experienced to be understood. Deliverd with the roe, mint, and other creams and textures atop a sugar chip with the supple crab, more roe, and refreshing cucumber broth below the diner is instructed to crack the chip and “explore” the dish – a great suggestion as truly no two bites are alike with some sweet, some briny, and all entirely delicious.

With the first course now a lovely memory on my palate the next item to arrive at my table was the first of a number of “bread pairings” served with an ornately sculptured plate of Cows Butter and Black Salt, Olive Oil Emulsion with Mixed Herbs and Fleur de Sel and Olive Oil Emulsion with Meyer Lemon with white Balsamic. Beginning first with “bolillo bread” – a bread something like a whole grain baguette with a crunchy exterior and open crumb I can only say that while this bread lacked in flavor and complexity compared to later offerings it did prove to be the best for highlighting each of the spreads – both the butter and the herbal olive oil excellent while the lemon emulsion was a bit too potent for my tastes.

Moving forward and with courses arriving uniformly just about ten minutes after completion of the prior dish “Cortez Bay Scallops – Romaine Marmalade, White Poppy, Nasturtium” arrived first as a collection of bright and bold colors only to be completed tableside by the addition of the white poppy broth. With the scallops nearly raw yet sweet and smooth the most impressive aspect of this dish for me was again the balance – specifically that of the clean romaine lettuce notes punctuated by peppery nasturtium.

Moving on to the next course I was given two choices for my bread pairing – both relatively straightforward but both archetypes of their respective genre – a dense butter roll and a fluffy salty pretzel roll, both excellent on their own but all the more so with a spread of extra butter and sea salt.

Having declined the beef main I’d heard Chef Duffy relay my order to the kitchen with two specific differences compared to the other tastings ordered that evening and as it turns out the two differences proved to be two separate courses meant to replace the beef – the first of which was my third course, an item from the vegetarian menu that would prove to be the best dish in an evening of great dishes. Titled “Chestnut – Perigord Truffle, Quince, Garden Herbs” and served in a hand-blown double glass vessel looking quite like the start of a potted plant this amazing dish featured a creamy chestnut pudding at its base topped with large chunks of summer truffle, small micro herbs, and cubes of quince gelee. Ornate and again focused on multiple textures and flavors the dish was subsequently finished with shaved truffle powder and a mildly acidic vinaigrette just prior to service and with the flavors all melding into a sweet earthy porridge it was the scent of this dish that thrilled me the most – the scent of truffles that met you a good two feet away and perfumed the palate with each bite.

Course four was another of Duffy’s more famous dishes, a service entitled “Grains, Seeds, Nuts” and featuring no less than six variations of those ingredients including a ‘veil’ of toasted Amaranth and Herbs paired with roasted sunflower seeds, sultana raisins, hazelnut-oil powder and sunflower blossoms resting atop a blend of texturally complex barley, quinoa and chopped hazelnuts. Again presented with a broth added tableside, this time ‘sunflower seed tea’ the aroma was something like a fresh field during summer in Ohio while the tastes and textures were light, complex, and lightly sweet.

Progressing towards heavier proteins my next dish would feature “Hamachi – Lardo, Yuzu, Rainbow Chard” but that limited list of ingredients told nothing of the story of this dish – my second favorite of the night and one of the best fish preparations I’ve ever tasted. With the tender hamachi first grilled and then topped with a drape of melting lardo before rainbow chard and balls of yuzu were added the smoky centerpiece of this dish was further complimented with a dollop of carrot froth, sliced kumquats, grilled morels, poached rhubarb, and a buleed cardamom marshmallow all adding a significant degree of variability to individual bites. It was sweet, it was smoky, it was savory, and although complex (perhaps even ‘fussy’) nothing on the plate seemed extraneous or out of place with each component contributing to the overall effect.

With compliments flowing forth after the fish my bread pairing for the last savory arrived in the form of half of a whole wheat waffle topped Lime salt – a tasty bite to be sure, though I’m uncertain as to how it ‘paired’ with either the beef on the tasting menu or my final savory, a fowl-fortified dish from the vegetarian tasting.

Entitled “Hatomugi – Duck Confit, Artichoke, Idiazabal, Oxalis” and again finished tableside – this time with almond milk broth my sixth course was explained to me as an heirloom grass soup and like the previous grain and seed based dish it was sublime. Beginning first with the Hatomugi – it was toothsome like cooked barley (something I eat on a nearly daily basis at home) but with a more grainy/herbal flavor that melded beautifully with the smoked cheese and smooth almond milk. With the base set and the duck adding its characteristic gamey flavor the addition of a touch of acid from both the oxalis and fibrous artichokes simply served to bring everything to a peak on the palate.

With my plates now cleared the palate cleanser for the evening would arrive on a branch described as “Sudachi – Togarashi, Nepitella Mint” and instructed to consume it in a single bite I did as I was told with the spheriphication bursting into a wash of spice, sour, and sweet all at once with the final effect being something like a citrus tinted apple.

With the dining room now winding down and cleanup beginning at the prep-stations I was impressed to see that Chef Duffy also oversaw the preparation and plating of both desserts at Avenues, though given his predilection for sweetness in his savories perhaps I should not have been. Utilizing a technique I’d admittedly seen once prior – at Los Angeles’ Providence – the first sweet course of the evening was titled “Coconut – Pineapple, Freeze Dried Saffron, Vietnamese Balm” and with a capsule filled with pineapple jus bursting on light pressure from my spoon this dish wowed first in visual effect and later in flavor as the icy coconut capsule and pineapple broth formed a tropical backdrop to caramelized bananas and roasted cashews with top-notes of minty citrus and saffron filling the sinuses.

A somewhat typical American in my love of chocolate based desserts I was excited to see the second dessert of the evening arrive in the form of “Sambirano Valley Chocolate – Brown Butter, Mandarin, Stevia” and I was even more pleased on tasting it as it proved to be even more texturally interesting than its predecessor. Clearly unwilling to settle for subtle presentations, this dessert centered on dense ‘noodles’ of chocolate ganache traversing the long plate and intermingling first with hazelnut cake and freeze-dried mandarin orange, then frozen blood orange sorbet followed by sliced citrus and chocolate cake, and finally flaked stevia and huckleberries – a veritable roller coaster ride that served not only to keep the presentation interesting, but also to highlight the myriad nuances of the chocolate.

With desserts finished and the hour now just past 10:15 my final bites of the evening would arrive as yet another exploration of chocolates – this time “Chocolates from 3 countries” including Venezuela, Ecuador, and Madagascar. With each entirely unique I meant to ask if any had been used to form the previous dessert course as the Madagascar particularly had a lovely floral bouquet that seemed similar while the Venezuelan bite leaned more towards lighter caramel tones.

With the bill in hand Chef Duffy made his way over to chat for a bit and thanked me for coming in – a humble man and very appreciative of my compliments for a great meal it was here that he noted the cocktail was on the house and thanking him again the bill was paid with the cocktail price added to the tip as a thanks for the great food and lovely service. With a copy of the menu gathered and bid farewell by the team (both in the kitchen and the front of the house) I made my way back out to the lobby where the chocolate bar was still hopping and met my family outside the hotel to tell them what they had just missed out on – a meal that blew “NEXT” out of the water and rivals L2o (under Gras) and Alinea for best in the city with a Chef every bit as capable as his pedigree would suggest…a chef whose next venture will not take me nearly as long to visit.

Craigie On Main, Boston MA

Walking in to Craigie on Main I must admit I was hesitant; as a matter of fact, for the sake of full disclosure I’ll note that until Chef Tony Maws won the Beard Award for Best Chef Northeast one month earlier I’d been ignoring suggestions to add Craigie to my agenda largely because the menu simply seemed too much like everything else trendy out there these days – offal this, local-regional that, and nose-to-tail porkcentricity. Rarely one to question trusted palates in the cities I visit it was in fact the Beard Award (and particularly who he beat out) that forced me to reconsider my decision and after a week or so of watching the restaurant’s social media feed I decided to give it a go – a quick e-mail to the restaurant assured me that the tasting menu could be ordered by a solo, that they’d avoid a main course of beef or veal, and that a printed copy of the menu could certainly be made available at the meals end; with a full day of sightseeing already scheduled I opted for 7pm and I arrived right on cue.

Greeted at the door by two young ladies, including one I could only assume to be the dining room manager as I later saw her doing everything from delivering plates to taking orders to hanging coats as the place got increasingly more busy, my reservation was confirmed and my bags checked before I was led to a nice (but poorly lit as the sun went down) two-top along the wall. With the room mostly heavy woods and brick plus some off white wallpaper juxtaposing the white tablecloths and quality service ware I actually liked the feel of Craigie save for one thing – the music which when combined with the open kitchen and room full of graduates, families, and parties was one of the loudest I’ve ever experienced.

Seated for approximately 5 minutes before Joseph, my captain for the evening, would arrive my water was filled (and kept nearly filled to the brim throughout) and a menu was delivered by a young woman. With the menu divided into a la carte options, a six course, and a ten course I asked a few questions (largely to make sure that the main course was not beef and that a copy could be provided) and Joseph explained to me that the way the ten course worked was he would ask if there was anything I really liked and/or didn’t want and the chef would craft it from there; thinking this sounded ideal and noting my likes and dislikes I opted for the ten course and things were underway. With the two-top next to me notably requesting the six course (hard not to eavesdrop when everyone is yelling over the din of the room) and the table of six to my left opting for the ten course I will note that although the restaurant was busy service was quite good throughout and descriptions of each dish were detailed – but save for a couple of items it really didn’t seem like the tasting was tailored at all.

Eschewing the custom of amuses and canapés first (more on this later) my meal would begin with cold bread and colder butter to go with my water. Arriving in a basket theoretically covered with a towel to retain heat, the chilly collection of carbohydrates consisted of two pieces each of sourdough, demi-baguette, and cereal bread – all decent, the cereal bordering on good, but none memorable and all done a disservice by the mundane unsalted butter.

For my first course of the night (little did I know that at Craigie the “ten course” is actually only seven courses as they count the palate cleanser, sorbet, and amuse as part of the tasting) the item listed as the “amuse” on my later printed menu was noted as Three Seafood Preparations: Tartare of Citrus Cured Halibut with Sea Trout Roe, Squid Noodles with Nuac Cham Vinaigrette and Crispy Garlic, and Smoked Sablefish Rillettes with Hackleback Caviar. Served as three single bites in a sectioned porcelain dish and progressing left to right in terms of complexity and depth of flavor I will note that each taste was flavorful and interesting, particularly the squid, but none were anything new or novel and the singular theme of fish and brine did not really do much to prime the palate for other tastes or textures.

Arriving literally on the heels of my amuse, the second course was listed on my printed menu to be Yellowfin Tuna, but from my pictures, notes, and memory the Salad of Scallop Sashimi with Pickled Mango and Red Onion Salad, Avocado-Lovage Puree was certainly not tuna – nor was the it for either of the tables neighboring mine. Again no more than a bite in terms of overall size, this second course was certainly more interesting than the amuses with the flawless mollusk sliced linearly into two creamy rounds and paired delicately with soured mangos and sweetened onions. Texturally complex and utilizing the lovage’s bitter qualities to touch all parts of the palate this was a dish designed to be an amuse both in size and in scope.

At this point keeping pace with the surrounding tables receiving the same dishes, course three would feature Line-Caught Striped Bass with Iraqi Beet Stew, Fresh Florida Rock Shrimp and Farro Verde and upping the ante both in size and in flavor this course was a knockout. Beginning first with the bass; the flesh tender and moist due to olive oil poaching and the skin crispy from a kiss of the pan I can sincerely say it was perfect – one of the best slices of bass I’ve ever had. Paired with sweet shrimp, smoky cubed beets, and a locally sourced toothsome green spelt this would prove to be my second favorite savory of the night.

Plate number four would be the only place where my tasting differed from the six course to my right and one of two places where it would diverge from those to my left (yes, that means the “six course” turned out to be 9 of the 10 I received as part of the ten course – though I will say the couple was celebrating an anniversary and were clearly known to the house.) With the table to the right lingering over the bass and that to my left receiving a whole family style hamachi collar to share, my plate would include Crispy Tempura of Soft-Shelled Crab with House made Cole Slaw, Preserved Lemon, Pickled Peppers, and Squid Ink Anchoiade – a dish I see has subsequently been added to the a la carte menu. With the soft-shell nicely prepared in panko but relatively par for season and the amalgam of slaw, lemon, and peppers tasty but rather benign the high point of this dish for myself was actually the black anchoiade with the potent flavors of anchovies and garlic serving a nice foil to the sweetness of the crab.

Described as “the pasta course,” dish five included the House Made Rye Flour Straccetti paired with a Ragout of Ham, Peekytoe Crab, and Mousseron Mushroom, but in all reality it might as well have been described as “wet noodles with ham puree” because that was truly all you could taste and although it tasted fine, I’d have much preferred something a little more subtle, or perhaps just an order of the rigatoni with chicken confit and chicken liver mousse from the a la carte.

My sixth item of the tasting menu would be a successful venture into the seemingly decreased number of offal courses compared to previous menus and although the couple to my right sent more than half back because they did not enjoy the texture, I personally found the Braised Veal Sweetbreads with Hom Shimeji Mushroom, Bok Choy, Hakurei Turnip, Ramp Kimchee and Almond Butter to be the most successful course of the evening. Delicate, creamy, and approximately the size of a jumbo egg with a nicely crisped exterior the gland itself needs no further description – it was applause worthy. What made this plate so successful from my vantage, however, was the Asian theme imparted by fibrous mushrooms, melting bok choy, and an interesting turnip something like a water chestnut bathed in a broth both sweet and savory, smooth and acidic all at the same time – the best use of the night’s bread service was actually mopping this plate clean.

For my final savory, myself now one course ahead of the table of six who was enjoying another shared course of chicken in place of the sweetbreads, course seven would be Vermont Pork Three Ways with Spice Crusted Rib, Grilled Belly, and Morcilla with Sorrel Coulis, Pea Tendrils, Radish, and Grilled Ramps. Large in portion and more so in flavor with protein plated to the left and vegetables to the right this is one situation where I can say the vegetables save for the tasty crispy ramps were extraneous save for visual contrast and appeal; the star here was invariably the swine and each of the three presentations (literally) brought something different to the plate. Beginning first with the rib – smoky, rich, and fibrous, next the belly – crisp skin and fatty supple flesh, finally the blood sausage – bold, heterogeneous, and full of spice – it is no wonder Maws’ kitchen is decorated entirely in shapes of the pig, he clearly has a great love for it and understands its preparation thoroughly.

Still somewhat perplexed by course six (little did I know the amuses were included actually making the pork course seven) being announced as my “final savory” in a ten course progression, my next dish featured Pink Grapefruit Campari Sorbet and Champagne Foam – a bitter little bite I could have certainly done without, and all the more frustrating when I realized this palate cleanser was actually course eight.

“For your dessert course – Bourbon Pecan Ice Cream Tart with Sea Salt, Smoked Mexican Chocolate Sauce and Bacon Pecan Crust” said my server mere moments on the heels of the sorbet and with that I was offered coffee (declined) and left to enjoy what would actually be a pretty remarkable dessert. Served essentially as a long thin sliver of buttery boozed up ice cream studded with candied pecans atop a savory crust and beneath a ribbon of salty chocolate ganache the tart itself was great but what really put it over the top was a smear and a dollop of chipotle and cinnamon spiced chocolate that added a whole other layer of complexity by bringing the other flavors to an peak on the palate.

For my tenth course of the night I was presented a rather innocuous “Greek Yogurt Foam with Red Beet and Blood Orange Granite” – slightly tangy, a bit earthy, and plenty citrus I certainly preferred it to the sorbet. Along with this course my captain would present to my table for only perhaps the third or fourth time of the evening and when he asked me how everything had went I simply stated “it was alright” and when he asked “just alright?” I inquired as to why the six course and ten course were so similar both in length and composition to which he confirmed my suspicion that the table next to me were “friends of the house.”

With the room still loud but starting to fade as the hour approached 9:30 the check was delivered along with two small macarons described as “Chocolate Almond Tobacco” and although their dry texture was not ideal the flavor was certainly intriguing. Also delivered with the check was a comment card, something I always take the time to fill out whether good or bad but especially in this case as it came with check-boxes a long note from Chef Maws requesting feedback. Of course, since Joseph had also forgotten to pass along word of my desire for a printed menu I had a good fifteen minutes to fill out the card and as such became rather wordy – mostly praise but also noting that while some dishes shined others disappointed, especially in the setting of a “ten course menu” when four courses could have been served as amuses or palate cleansers rather than proper courses.

Having now been up for nearly twenty hours I settled my bill and with menu in hand I made my way to the door where my bags were gathered and within moments I found myself in a cab en route for the South End. Having spent a good portion of the day eating I most certainly was not hungry, but at the same time I also wasn’t terribly satisfied with my visit to Craigie on Main either. Sure some of the courses were good – as a matter of fact, some were excellent – but for $150+ I tend to expect more from a Beard Award winning chef…and when I returned home to Ohio perhaps I found out just what I should have expected and received in the form of an apology and offer from Marjorie Maws stating “…ff course we're upset that you weren't blown away by our food. Here's a possible explanation (but definitely not an excuse.). You came in at a time when there are lots of out of town visitors who are here for one of the many graduations in the area. We learned a few years ago that many of these diners were not as adventurous as our local crowd and so we made the menu a little more "normal" for a couple of weeks. We do, however, still have several "funky" preparations available and our servers are instructed to ask where each party is on the "funk scale." It sounds like that may not have happened in your case and, if that's true, we are terribly sorry. May I offer you a gift certificate for a return visit to Craigie so that you can enjoy our full range of our selections? Again our apologies and we really appreciate your feedback. We can't wait to cook for you again!”

I’ll also note that since that visit the online description detailing the “Ultimate Craigie Experience” has been truncated from ten to eight courses while the sample menu itself still lists the same ten courses I received. While I can't say my first visit to Craigie on Main was my best in Boston all things being equal I'd definitely be willing to give anyplace that classy a second chance and on my next visit to the North East I shall.