Posts Tagged ‘Lobster Roll’

Yesterday was an exceptionally hot experience for Beauty and Her Feast. And I mean hot on many levels. I was invited to help out and ride along with Chicago's most popular food truck, gaztro-wagon! To make the deal sweeter, Chef Giuseppe Tentori, one of my favorite chefs in Chicago, was along for the ride with a special Lobster Roll. Gaztro-wagon has partnered with several chefs around the city along with Share Our Strength to promote Taste of the Nation to help efforts in ending childhood hunger. Taste of the Nation is one of Chicago's biggest food-focused fundraising events with more than 60 chefs dishing up food and 20 mixologist on August 10th at Navy Pier. Beauty and Her Feast will be in attendance for sure! Guest chefs are riding along for another week with a special sandwich on board the wagon. To view the gaztro-wagon schedule, click here. And make sure to follow them on twitter or facebook for future lunch locations. 

This was the longest shoot we have had to date…and the hottest…and the hardest! Beauty and Her Feast was hot mess by the end of lunch. We started out at 9 am helping prep the sandwiches to get loaded onto gaztro-wagon. We popped into GT Fish to check on Chef Giuseppe who was ready to go. The whole crew then headed to the Loop to find a spot to park and open for business. I was in charge of enticing customers to enroll in the raffle to win 2 free tickets to Taste of the Nation…and I did a darn good job I might add. 

To learn more about Share our Strength, click here. Take a few minutes to see me sweat it out with the wagon…

I recently wrote a review on Fish Bar for Cheeky Chicago. When reviewing restaurants, I don’t always get to interview the chef which I love to do. In fact, some restaurants are awful about getting back in touch via phone or email. It’s interesting that they all want press yet some owners or chefs ignore emails. While I understand I’m not Pat Bruno or Sam Sifton, I guess I’ve always believed in “no small person, only small minds” and I chalk up their elevated attitude to the “big press” they have received. There are a few places in Chicago with bigger ego’s than good food. But I’ll never tell…

When I spoke with Chef Michael Kornick (MK, DMK Burger, Fish Bar), I realized that there are still some great chefs who go out of their way. They accept the new age of publication and welcome speaking with us small fries. There is NO BAD PRESS, unless  of course, you’re Lindsay Lohan. Anyhow, it was such a fun interview, that I wanted to share a few additional comments we discussed that I couldn’t quite fit in my Cheeky article. 

When referring to Fish Bar, Michael continuously pointed out his inspiration of the East coast and the South. It’s clear from the moment you walk in that the place is modeled after a little shrimp shack. Having a background in design, the first thing I do in a restaurant is check out the space: the lighting, the seating, the textures. It’s not just the food that needs to work. Fish Bar is simple. It’s supposed to be. The day I went, Michael’s partner, David Morton, was standing right inside the door greeting guests. He was expecting me and I received a warm welcome. Once seated, I view the space from that perspective and dig into the menu. As I mentioned in my Cheeky article, I love that Fish Bar’s menu is written and categorized by food preparation. While the menu appears uncomplicated at first glance, Kornick will assure you that every detail, in every dish was given great consideration. He points out that the “tarter sauce is on steroids.” It’s his way of saying he took the standards and built up on that foundation. Kornick comes from a background as a chef in fine dining for over twenty years and he isn’t shy about mentioning it, nor should he be. Thus, the details in a straightforward menu makes the difference. He spoke about flavor profiles of his already famous Lobster Roll and how he chose that delicious bread or as he called it, “the vessel.” He explained to me, “It’s like a tortilla to a taco. There needs to be no interference in the food. It’s a part of the flavor.” I get it Michael. It’s balance. Something that comes natural to a veteran chef. 

I couldn't help but notice the huge jars of infused liquor perched behind us. When Stanford (my plus one) and I inquired about their jugs (funny, right?), Fish Bar was excited to share info on what filled the jars…but not the liquor itself. It wasn’t ready. I asked Michael about the contents. He and some of his bartenders from MK and Fish Bar created the drinks together. He wanted to feature “sippers” like the fruity drinks you would find in a beach resort, such as the pineapple thai chili vodka they were marinating. The flavors work well with the menu. He made sure to tell me that the drinks are numbered and there is no No. 1. All the drinks are equal, just another way to amuse diners. It’s great to see a chef with a sense of humor. I agree with him 100% that too many in today’s culinary scene take themselves WAY TOO SERIOUSLY. But that’s a whole different article. 

For now, I was able to connect with one great chef from Chicago. I didn’t realize he had spent time in New Orleans which is where my entire extended family lives and where my parents and brothers were born. Right at that moment, I told him that Fish Bar reminds me of a place I used to go as a kid every time I visited New Orleans, Camellia Grill. I think he was a little surprised because he then told me that is the exact photo he used, a photo of Camellia Grill, when building out Fish Bar. How about that for tuned in and connected? 

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Mention Beauty and Her Feast at MK Restaurant from now until May 1 and receive 25% off your dinner. 

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