Good Eats For Cheap

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Finding a good place to watch the big game can sometimes be a challenge. The challenge is finding a place that has a good crowd, plenty of televisions, but most importantly great food and drinks. Chicago has a lot of those places to choose from, but if you just head a little north of downtown, O'Donovan's Pub & Restaurant is the place to be.

O'Donovan's, located in the North Center neighborhood, can attract a large crowd. However, the venue is spacious enough for everyone to get a table or a seat. The food tastes much better than the average pub in town and the cocktail specials are just what you're looking for in this economy. Their menu consists of burgers, sandwiches, paninis, wraps, soups, salads and a variety of appetizers. But they also have hearty entrees such as "Prime Rib", "BBQ Baby Back Ribs", "Brick Chicken" and "Chicken Marsala". The mashed, baked and au gratin potato side dishes alone will have you salivating. O'Donovan's has weekly drink specials. Depending on the day, you can enjoy five dollar martinis, five dollar champagne cocktails, or half off a bottle of wine. There is also a thirty cent wing and two dollar burger and fries night. Their Sunday brunch features an all you can eat buffet for $13.95 that includes an omelette and waffle station. O'Donovan's Easter brunch will increase to $15.95 per adult and $7.95 per kid.

A nice touch that also adds a little entertainment to O'Donovan's is Al James the magician. Al provides 'table-side" magic for guests that includes card, coin and rope tricks. He creates images with balloons for kids, which makes the restaurant family friendly. O'Donovan's outside cafe and beer garden makes it the perfect hangout place during the summer months, which keeps north-siders coming back again and again.

O"Donovan's is located at 2100 W. Irving Park Road. For more information or to make brunch reservations call (773) 478-2100 or log onto www.odonovansbar.com. For more restuarant reviews and to get an inside look at the newest and best Chicago restaurants, watch Fete Select TV on www.efete.net.

Labels: cheap dining, chicago dining, chicago restaurants, cocktails, dc crenshaw, fete select tv, irving park road, o'donovan's pub, sports bars

Old World Italian Inspires Gold Coast Supper Club

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

The word "authentic" is sometimes over used in restaurants when referencing cuisine. If you have ever traveled to Europe, more specifically Italy, then you probably have a good idea of what "authentic" food is about. Chefs that didn't grow up in Italy sometimes draw on their childhood family experiences in the kitchen that help to inspire their menu. Executive Chef Tony Navarro was no different when he opened 200 East Supper Club.

Located in the Gold Cost on the main level of the historic Seneca Hotel, the 200 East Supper club is a moderately priced, business-casual spot that features live entertainment Tuesday - Saturday. The ambiance feels somewhat old school with a little bit of elegance sprinkled throughout the main dining room. The menu is plastered with eclectic, contemporary Italian dishes complemented by recipes handed down from the Navarro family. My meal started out with a couple of appetizers, including the "Melrose Peppers" stuffed with Italian sausage and the "Spinach and Artichoke Dip". However my favorite starter for the evening was their "New England Clam Chowder", which happened to be the soup of the day. They should make that a mainstay on the menu by the way. One of their signature dishes, "The Brickhouse Chicken" boasted flavors that were better than most chicken dishes I've experienced and the "Rigatoni ala Bruno" was another signature dish nicely done that featured fresh spinach, ricotta cheese and fresh homemade Italian sausage. I could definitely tell that all of their dishes are homemade, including the salad dressings and desserts. Be sure to bring your appetite, because the food is not only tasty, but the portions are plentiful.

One of the stars at 200 East Supper Club is bartender George Cozzi. A familar face at Gibson's Steak House for about 13 years, George is one of 12 bartenders inducted into the Bartender's Hall of Fame in Las Vegas. George made me a killer Manhattan and has a passion for concocting other specialty martinis. His Patini martini is named after Pat Brickhouse, wife of famed Chicago sports broadcaster Jack Brickhouse. The Patini is made with vodka, pnieapple juice and topped off with champagne. George has a following of his own that keeps customers returning to the supper club.

200 East Supper Club has a $21.95 prix fixe menu special on Sunday's, Monday's and Tuesday's. Enjoy an appetizer, salad, entree and dessert for the aforementioned price. Their nightly live entertainment and upbeat music encourages customers to dance, which is a nice way to cap off a good meal.

200 East Supper Club is located at 200 East Chestnut St. For more information visit www.200eastchestnut.com. To get an inside look at the newest and best restaurants in Chicago watch Fete Select TV on www.efete.net

Labels: 200 east supper club, chicago dining, chicago restaurants, cocktails, dancing, dc crenshaw, fete select tv, gold coast, italian food, jack brickhouse, nbc chicago street team, tony navarro

10 Cane Rum Hosts Ministry of Bartenders at Le Lan

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Bartenders, as we once knew them are becoming extinct. They are being replaced by professionals that are more creative, specialized and that take their craft a lot more serious. The new age bartender has emerged to become a "mixologist" and many of them were on hand at the recent "10 Cane Rum Ministry of Bartenders" at Le Lan restaurant downtown Chicago.

10 Cane Rum is considered by some to be the best rum, based on how it is extracted from the best cane and distilled. The ability to concoct creative cocktails from this spirit makes it fun for mixlogists. The Ministry of Bartenders event featured four different specialty cocktails that were paired with appetizers and a three course dinner. One of the notable mixologists on hand was Adam Seger of Nacional 27. Adam discussed how he uses organic ingredients to mix up his creations and lent a hand to make a couple of the featured cocktails for the evening. The cocktails included:

Georgia Peach - 10 cane rum, ginger peach jam, ginger beer, peach bitters

10 Cane Spiced Pear Daiquri - 10 cane rum, fresh comice pear juice, lemon juice, spiced syrup, (clove, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, black pepper corns, sugar, water) garnish pear slice

Rhubarb Sour - 10 cane rum, rhubarb sour, aperol, lemon juice, egg white

Swan Song - 10 cane rum, tamarind syrup, licor 43, coconut water, lime juice

The "Ministry of Bartenders" was hosted by 10 Cane Rum representative Anna Kimball and was the first event held in Chicago. Bartenders from the Park Hyatt, Aja Steak, and Cuatro also were in attendance.

Log onto www.10cane.com for more information and recipes.

Labels: 10 cane rum, adam seger, bartenders, bloomingdales chicago dining, chicago restaurants, cocktails, dc crenshaw, fete select tv, le lan, mixologists

Brunch With Me in the South Loop

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Brunch is arguably my favorite meal on the weekends. My selection criteria for the perfect brunch spot is pretty particular when it comes to my Sunday afternoon feast. I must have good food, an extensive menu with a nice selection of breakfast and lunch items, and great cocktails. The vibe must be appealing, and of course, cost is always a factor. Next to New York City, Chicago has some of the best hidden gems for brunch when it comes to major cities. I found one such gem, maybe not as hidden as most, in the South Loop.

Cuatro Cocina Nuevo Latino has it all when it comes to my criteria. Their Bossa Novo Brunch was delectable. The food was bangin', the cocktails were slammin', and the vibe was on point. In a nutshell, I liked it a lot. Executive Chef Edie Jimenez' menu consists of soulful flavors of Latin America, Caribbean and Mexican cuisine. Brunch standouts include the Tropical Pancakes, Chilaquiles, and Pan Frances (thick french toast with vanilla roasted sweet plaintains and farmers cheese). Cuatro's 10 cane rum cocktails flowed nicely and were a perfect complement to my meal. Great music adds to any brunch vibe and Cuatro has it with the lively Brazilian sounds of "Bossa Tres".

Cuatro's brunch is served Sundays 10:00 am - 3:00 pm. "Bossa Tres" performs 11:00 am - 2:00 pm. Dinner is served Monday - Saturday 5:30 pm - 10:00 pm and Sundays 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm.

Cuatro is located at 2030 South Wabash Ave. (312) 842-8856 www.cuatro-chicago.com.

Labels: bossa tres, brazilian cuisine, brunch, chicago restaurants, cocktails, cuatro cocina nuevo latino, dc crenshaw, fete chicago, fete select, latin america, music, south loop, sundays

P Diddy is "Ciroc Obama"

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

The political discussions are not just happening on NBC, CNN or Fox, but also in bars and lounges. In-fact, Plan B Bar in Bucktown has it's own Barack Obama drink called the Ciroc Obama. P Diddy has actually proclaimed himself "Ciroc Obama", as an homage to the brand of vodka he represents and the candidate he is supporting.

The Ciroc Obama
2 oz Ciroc Vodka 1 oz Chambord Fresh squeezed lemonade, the pulpier the better. Rim a highball glass with sugar and fill with ice. In a shaker with ice, mix vodka and chambord. Strain into glass and top off with lemonade. Garnish with a lemon wheel.

Plan B Bar and Kitchen
1635 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago
Tel: (773) 252-2680

Labels: chicago bars, chicago lounges, chicago restaurants, ciroc obama, ciroc vodka, cocktails, dc crenshaw, fete chicago, fete select, fete select tv, p diddy, plan b chicago, political drinks, sean combs

Four New Hot Spots To Dine!

Friday, August 1, 2008

I’m always looking forward to trying hot new restaurants in the city and Chicago always has a lot to choose from, especially this summer. Therefore over the past week I set out to try four new hot spots that have been generating a lot of buzz since opening. My criteria for deciding whether a restaurant is worthy of a repeat visit boils down to the cuisine, service, vibe, cocktails, cost, and location. For the most part the four dining venues hit the mark on food, but service was a bit sketchy for at least one of them.

My first stop during my week long dining crusade was Ajasteak. Located at 660 N. State St. (in the new Dana Hotel and Spa), they boast on offering the artful precision of Asian cuisine coupled with the robust flavors of a modern steak house. Basically they serve sushi and a very high grade of beef (Kobe). My wife and I had lunch there and were surprised to see the dining room nearly empty. The lunch menu however, provided an interesting choice of sandwiches, although a little pricey. I ordered the Pulled Pork Sandwich, which our server touted as his favorite, and the steak fries deemed the best ever. My wife chose the Seared Tuna Sandwich and a side of their heaping Onion Rings. We both shared a Maki roll to compare to our favorite sushi joints. The sandwiches were tasty; the service not so much. The steak fries were not even close to being the best ever. The sushi was decent, but nothing better than our more affordable BYOB sushi spot in Lakeview. Be prepared to open your wallet for an expensive and tasty meal, but the service may not coincide with the price.

My second stop was at OTOM, the sister restaurant to futuristic cuisine MOTO. OTOM Executive Chef Daryl Nash prepares post modern cuisine without being futuristic. They pride themselves on having stress free and fun food and I have to say that we had a lot of fun trying his creations. Cuisine such as Carbonated Watermelon to cleanse the palate and Butter-poached Shrimp appetizer were big hits. I’m not a huge fan of tofu, but their tofu poached in olive oil, corn puree and topped with freeze dried corn was savory. The Chicken ala King with oyster mushrooms and the Fried Short Rib Ravioli entrees were spectacular. After the Coconut-Pineapple Paradise dessert we were sold. The cocktails and service were great and the ambiance was low key. This is a great place to relax and chill with a significant other or a group of friends. OTOM is located at 951 W. Fulton Market St.

C-House was recently opened by acclaimed Chef Marcus Sammuelson. Sammuelson, out of New York City, is the youngest chef to receive two 3 star reviews from the NY Times. C-House is an American Seafood and Chop House restaurant. I taped a segment of Fête Select TV there recently and had a chance to enjoy some of Executive Chef Seth Siegel-Gardner’s specialty dishes, including Chili Crusted Fluke, Yellow Tail Fish Tacos, and Chorizo Mac & Cheese. C-Bar, their raw bar, offers standard seafood favorites and allows guests to sit and view the preparation of their meal. Executive Pastry Chef Toni Roberts created The Candy Bar- variety of bite size chocolates, confections and cookies. C-View is their upscale lounge located on the 29th floor and I became a fan of their Honeysuckle specialty cocktail. C-House is few blocks off Michigan Ave in the new Affinia Hotel (166 E. Superior St.)

The final destination on my parade route of restaurants was Hub 51. Owners R.J. and Jerrod Melman, sons of Richard Melman (Lettuce Entertain You), recently opened this 10,000 square foot space with a 20 ft bar. Hub 51 has definitely attracted a big crowd early and appears to be the new place to see and to be seen. The food is American cuisine with different influences from California, Mexico, Australia and Asia that includes homemade tacos, seafood, signature sandwiches and sushi. We had a Sweet Potato Roll, Chicken Nachos, Halibut Tacos, and the Sea Bass. The dishes were all very good, but the winner was the Sea Bass flavored with horseradish broth. My very pregnant wife couldn’t enjoy the Hub Punch, which is their specialty cocktail concoction of Grey Goose le Citron, tequila, Lcor 43, and pomegranate. The kicker for the evening was Martha’s Carrot Cake; RJ & Jerrod’s mother’s own carrot cake recipe. I’ll be back just for the carrot cake alone. Hub 51 is not a quiet place to have a romantic dinner, however it does offer a lively atmosphere with a bar scene that revs up as the evening grows. Check it out at 51 W. Hubbard St. (Corner of Dearborn and Hubbard)

Now that you have four new spots to try, drop me a line and let me know what you think at dc@efete.net.

Labels: ajasteak, C-House, chicago dining, cocktails, dc crenshaw, fete, fete chicago, fete select, fete select tv, Hub 51, new restaurants, Otom, seafood, steak house

Jerry Kleiner & Marc Brooks Park 52 on Fete Select TV

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Hyde Park was in need of an upscale restaurant, therefore Jerry Kleiner and Marc Brooks delivered. Park 52 is their creation of an upscale American bistro within the heart of Harper Ct. on the south side of Chicago. Check out our review of Park 52 on Fete Select TV and get an inside look at the cuisine, cocktails and vibe.

Fete Select TV

Labels: cocktails, cuisine, fete, fete select tv, hyde park, jerry kleiner, marc brooks, park 52, restaurants