eatchicago wrote:Of all the delicious items mentioned and photographed in this thread, this is the one that has me re-arranging my weekend schedule to head to Milwaukee.

Michael,

Jake's is terrific!

Try this Jake's pic on for size.


Enjoy,
Gary

Another vote for Jake's. It's worth the trip.

While visiting San Francisco last month I was fortunate enough to go to Fifth Floor at Hotel Palomar, and had the chef's tasting menu. They brought out an eggshell with caviar and creme fraiche on top with a bit of brioche. My sister and I were eating it appreciatively when the waiter comes up and says "Is this the best thing you've ever had in the world or what?" We smiled and said it was good. It was certainly delicious until.... we got to the poached duck egg in the bottom.

And THEN it was the best thing we'd had in the world. I believe we both discovered it at the same time and as we put it in our unknowing mouths said, "Oh my god."

had the Alinea one-year anniversary dinner last night, so this is a no brainer for me.

Unless you force me to pick a specific course.

mersmann wrote:had the Alinea one-year anniversary dinner last night, so this is a no brainer for me.

Unless you force me to pick a specific course.

OK. I'm going to force you to use your brain. Pick a specific course!

Lobster with morels, meyer lemon paste, lavender foam, and fresh violets at Schwa.

In terms of just "oh wow, this is so good" I would probably have to go with the honeydew, kobe beef, cucumber, cilantro, lime rock and pink peppercorn course. In terms of "oh wow, this is so neat" I would probably have to go with the liquid pear. In terms of "oh wow, this is so perfect" I would go with the last of the five peanut flavors that ended the meal - peanut with banana. My girlfriend's favorite flavor combination and the last thing we tasted before we left.

geli wrote:The tuna fish "sandwich" at Number One Dumpling in Chinatown in NYC. A light mixture of tuna, cilantro, peas(!), and mayo in a freshly made xiao bing (chinese sesame bread). Comfort food at it's best, even when eaten standing up in the corner of a busy takeout joint. (Plus the company was good, too.

Damn good call, Geli!

You forgot to mention the most amazing thing about this sandwich: it costs a mere $1.50. One of the all-time great culinary steals anywhere.

For me, no question: the vanilla cardamom souffle with macadamia at Avenues. I had it first as part of the tasting menu. It was so good I went back the next weekend just for dessert. At only $10 when bought separately, it's a steal, and a great way to cap off any evening. They served it with a Kracher Beerenauslese on my first visit, and with a Barsac--which they threw in for free--on my second. (On both visits, I was accopanied by r2g, and I'd be shocked if he didn't have the same answer to this topic.)

Lunch yesterday at Mambo Grill. I had a plaintain crusted halibut over a bed of pureed sweet potatoes. Both were surrounded by a pretty spicy chile cream sauce. For dessert they had guava cheesecake.

Every bite was awesome......

Wednesday night, the Cornish Hen in an amazingly complex mole at Taqueria la Oaxaquena - 3382 N. Milwaukee Ave.

Sorry - didn't get a pic.

A couple of days ago I posted this response:

CTB wrote:The quail egg ravioli at Schwa. Warm, gooey decadence. Yum.

I have an update. This morning , on my way to work, I stopped at Old Fashioned Donuts at 112th and Michigan and picked up several apple fritters for the staff. They were hot out of the fryer and the excess glaze pooled at the bottom of each styrofoam container. Not only are they the best thing I've eaten lately; they are the best thing everyone in my office has eaten lately. Crunchy edges with slightly tart moist chuncks of apples throughout. Mmm...mmm...mmm

CTB wrote:The quail egg ravioli at Schwa. Warm, gooey decadence. Yum.

Even as I fondly recall the quail egg ravioli at Schwa, the cheese bread from Baltic Bakery on Hermitage ( a stop during last week's 47th Street-a-Thon) is the best thing I have eaten recently. It evoked for me a sense of nostalgia for some long-lost celebration and held a secret inside: the best of a cheese danish inside an airy pannetone. It makes me think of the first time I had a tootsie-roll pop. Isn't that odd and wonderful?

Probably the blue crab and cheve quesidilla at Simmer in Canton, CT 3 days ago... sorry no pics.

Freshly squeezed blood orange juice in Rome about a month ago. Perfectly sweet and perfectly tangy. It made me want to stay in Italy forever.

A few weeks ago I went to the home of an Isaan-born (NE Thailand) friend for a blessing ceremony.

His mother put on a huge spread of Isaan foodstuffs.

The highlight for me was náam phrík maeng daa naa.

It looked a lot like this:


náam phrík narók (a gift from Wanna @ Spoon Thai)

But, it was more moist.

And, it had chopped up Giant Water Bugs in it.

E.M.

I took another trip to South Korea this spring, and decided to taste some very regional and very rural dishes. The first, jellylike noodles made from acorns, yes acorns. My parents go crazy when they see acorns just lying about in parks in the U.S. It's like morel mushroom season in the upper peninsula for them, just handfuls and handfuls picked up right from the ground.



Second, black chicken from the hills of Cheongju, a smaller city 30mins east of Daejon, South Korea. Supposedly, black chicken improves male circulation or something or other. Anyway, it was amazing.

Popeye's 3-pc Fried Ckn Dinner (White Meat) with Biscuit and Mashed Potatoes and their awesome (better than McD's) hot apple pie on 35th and Ashland.

05.27.06

"Provincial Fish Soup" @ Sanford in Milwaukee, WI.*

It was "lusty" raised to the tenth power.

E.M.

* A traditional Provençal seafood soup complete with rouille and toasted bread.

Fried twinky with chocolate syrup and powdered sugar from Swank Frank's on the corner of Milwaukee and North, today. I always go by there on the bus to Costco, and had wanted to try the twinky for a while. It surpassed any expectations I had. I want MORE, and I'm glad I don't live near there.

HI,

Last weekend when I was out buying lobsters for Father's Day. I stopped by Chuck's Southern Comforts Cafe for lunch. I ordered the Smoked Corned Beef featuring, "Our incredible smoke corned beef on grilled rye bread with swiss cheese, homemade sour kraut (sic) and mustard."

This was possibly the best Reuben sandwich I've had even though it had mustard instead of Russian dressing, it had all the other components. From the hand cut corned beef with the smoke ring to the really fresh tasting sour kraut made this a fabulous sandwich. I have found myself thinking back on that sandwich fondly once or twice a day since that visit.

Regards,

Dark chocolate-covered pistachio encrusted english toffee from Trader Joe's.

Just perfect. Try a piece, you'll never ever go back to a heath bar.

JoelF wrote:Dark chocolate-covered pistachio encrusted english toffee from Trader Joe's.

Just perfect. Try a piece, you'll never ever go back to a heath bar.

I've had it and you're right. It's crazy-delicious.

Chicken Satay in Kajang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The only place for satay in KL. None of the "chicken breast" nonsense. Where the peanut dipping sauce is actually made with real peanuts, not peanut butter.

Hard to beat good corned beef and pastrami. I'm drooling now, looking at those images.

Slightly less robust but still great were the foie gras ravioli at the monthly Patrick Chabert French Dinner and the braised rabbit risotto with wild mushrooms at Socca.

Beef stew at Bistro Campagne.

And, I don't even like beef stew.

Breaded pork cutlet, Zascianek Restaurant.

Everything one wants in a such a thing. Brittle-crisp crust, nary a hint of grease--a fresh batch of vegetable oil for each cutlet I was told--porcine juice inside. With two scoops of dill-fried onion topped mashed potato and a bowl of mixed salads, yes this was the best thing eaten lately.*

*Discounting the many delicious items my wife, the Condiment Queen makes.

Zascianek Restaurant
5752 W. Belmont
Chicago, IL

PB&J cupcakes at Custom House. One of the best dessert items I've had in a long, long time.

Tie between the seared foie gras with chocolate sauce and pineapple at Sweet and Savouries....and a honey turkey sandwhich with pepper jack, dijon, cucumber, lettuce, tomato on sunflower bread at Austrian Bakery (so simple yet so amazing).

Jack

Eatin's been good when it only takes a few days to get to a best thing eaten lately*

Bun kho with grilled meatballs and grills shrimp paste, Pho 888.

Bun kho is one of my favorites, if not my most favorite thing to eat in Vietamese restaurants, and Pho 888's version(s) I tried 3 recently, is especially good. It is an ideal summer dish, being mostly chilled, and it is, perhaps, one of the most ideal diet foods, as so much flavor gets packed into this bowl without much added fat--even with a bit of egg roll.

Bun kho is a big bowl of cold strands of rice vermicilli noodles, juliened vegetables and some stuff of choice, like my meatball and shrimp paste. You dump a bowl of house sauce, doctor with some chili sauce, stir and enjoy.

NB: One of the worst ice coffee's, if that is possible

Pho 888
1137 W. Argyle
Chicago, IL

*Discounting as always, the great dishes of the Condiment Queen.