Tac Quick, take 2: "secret" menu edition

This should be considered an addendum to my previous Tac Quick post.  A few of my wine folks gathered to explore the menu & pair it against many older Rieslings.  This made for a great night.

The Food
From multiple sources, I have seen mention of Tac Quick’s “secret Thai menu,” but never took the opportunity to explore it (somehow, even when taking a date of Thai descent).  We changed that on this trip, ordering many items from the “secret” menu that is actually posted and available on the front page of Tac Quick’s website.  Our group ordered several dishes, feeding 5 of us family style.  Nothing disappointed.  Crispy fried pork was a highlight, and river snails (pictured) provided chewy enjoyment to those of us who enjoy eating odd things.  Duck with noodles (Kuay Teaw Pet) was also excellent.  Once all said & done, I owed only $20 after tax and hearty tip.  For my wine group, this low tariff is unheard of--another reason that I am thankful to have Tac Quick within walking distance.

The Wine
Thai food and Riesling is a no-brainer; it‘s like milk & cookies or cheese & crackers--they just work.  Find a Riesling with a hint of sweetness & a Thai dish with a little heat and the results will be good.  This night brought many older (10+ year old) bottles, most with significant residual sugar, and all were great with the food.  I prefer my Riesling a bit on the leaner (less sweet) side and found the Austrian bottlings a bit more enjoyable than the German offerings, but there were no losers on this night.  If I began to think a wine was too sweet, I need only to add a bit more sauce to the food & the extra sugar then made perfect sense (yes, wine can give us permission to play with our food). 
Ask your local wine salesman for a Riesling with a touch of residual sugar.  They will most likely point you to a German bottle with a lot of strange words on it, but just trust it--especially if it says Spatlese (slightly sweet) or Auslese (a bit more sweet).  In Chicagoland the best place to start is Wine Discount Center on Elston.  There's a good German selection, and over the past 6 months they have had a glut of outstanding Austrian Rieslings at closeout prices (Prager & Hirtzberger being two fantastic producers).  Fear not the $11 bottle that was once $45--it’s legitimate and will give a peek into serious Riesling at a price where many wines are seriously lackluster.

The Whole
Go to Tac Quick and take a Riesling.  I’ll throw a bone & say that a nice beer (Half Acre Gossamer, Anchor Liberty) would be good too, but I hope you experience the balance between Thai food & Riesling.  Tac Quick remains the best Asian cuisine I’ve had in Chicago and I hope you get a chance to explore the “secret” menu alongside a nicely chilled Riesling, as I believe that anyone who does this will have a great dining experience.

2000 Franz Hirtzberger Riesling Smaragd Hochrain - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau (2/26/2010)
Opened cold, drank over several hours while it warmed & opened.
Nose of soft white peach, apricot, white floral tones, a hint of tangerine, and just a little underlying peach pit & a mineral tone. Up front this brings great, pure white tropical fruits that juicily transition to a finish that fans out with medium acid, full fruit flavors, medium acid, and a thin bit of stoniness. (91 pts.)


Posted from CellarTracker

(k)new

The Start
A friend and I separately saw “Inception” its opening weekend and decided we should see it again, together, to fully understand & discuss its twists (yes, it’s great and you too will want to see it multiple times). Planning to catch our repeat viewing on a Wednesday, I had in mind to visit Sweets & Savories for $10 burger night and walk to the Webster movie theater after. As I didn’t call until that evening, S&S was completely booked. A couple of Google searches for restaurants near the city’s northern theaters showed that (k)new, right around the corner from the theater on Western, offers a $20 three course prix-fixe dinner. Having been to (k)new once and enjoying the food (but I found it expensive that first trip), I decided to give this discounted menu a try.

The Place
As many may know, (k)new is an iteration from chef Omar Rodriquez’s first restaurant, Think. Anyone who visited Think (formerly in Wicker Park) will quickly recognize similar décor in (k)new (located in Logan Square). Medium lighting, light-colored walls, white tablecloths, candles, clean lines, and accents that integrate glass & natural wood. Sunlight filled the front half of the restaurant early in the evening, but after sundown the space began to dim and the feel is comfortably intimate.

The Food
My first trip to (k)new came with wine friends. In typical fashion, we ordered multiple appetizers, large main courses, and many desserts. I recall the appetizers being interesting but slightly disappointing; conservative serving sizes made it difficult to share. The venison rack I had was delicious--as were all desserts--but the price tag outmeasured the dining experience, and it took the $20 special to draw me back (entrees here typically cost $18-$32).
This latest trip kept me to this prix-fixe menu, which includes a soup or salad, any entrée that isn’t lamb/ venison/buffalo, and a choice of two desserts. I had spinach soup (very good, with crème fraiche & a shrimp waiting at the bottom), shrimp & lobster cavatappi (an excellent take on grown up mac & cheese; pictured below), and tried both desserts (I preferred the blood orange crème brulee). We were also given an amuse bouche of tuna ceviche, which was a fun way to wake up the palate. My friend enjoyed her salad & pumpkin-seed crusted fish, and preferred the brownie for dessert.

We both came out fulfilled & pleased with the food, but there was one drawback: service time. We were in the restaurant nearly 2 hours and didn’t make it to the movie. While we didn’t especially mind and didn’t make our time constraints known to the staff, I was surprised at the amount of time spent waiting for each course. Ours could have been a unique experience, but keep this in mind if planning an evening here.

The Wine
As I mentioned, my first trip to (k)new was with a wine group. We tasted through several Barolo wines with age on them. These were great with the red meat dishes we ordered. If planning to dine from the full menu, hearty Nebbiolo (Barolo, Barbaresco, Langhe) is a great choice. Ask your wine merchant for a bottling from a traditional producer, which should give you something with some nice leather and/or floral tones.
The prixe-fix menu is a different story.
The only prixe-fix entrée that calls for red wine is the duck dish; if you plan ahead for duck, bring a Pinot Noir--I recommend a New Zealand bottling if you want to spend <$20, 2008 Washington or 2007 Californian if you can swing >$25.
Otherwise, the prix-fixe menu is white wine territory. In my rush to make reservations, a quick scan of the menu pointed toward Chardonnay as a great choice. I selected one from New Zealand, which honestly was just a decent pairing with the meal. It was vibrant and tropical fruit-forward; I was hoping for something with greater (medium) weight & a gentle touch of oak. Learn from my experience: stick to Californian (or South American, if branching out) Chardonnay here; Calera’s base Chard bottling ($15) is a favorite of mine and would have been outstanding.

The Whole
While the service this night was slow and caused us to miss a second digestion of Inception, the degaustation at (k)new provided a night of interesting food & comfortable conversation (no need to either yell or whisper here; I appreciate being able to use my standard inside voice while dining). The $20 price tag for Wednesday’s prix-fixe menu is one of the best dining values I have come across and is highly recommended. Take a bottle of Chardonnay and prepare for interesting flavors mixed into familiar dishes--(k)new pleases on many fronts, and in a ranking of mid-week dining options, I’m convinced most will place it high on their list.


2008 Craggy Range Chardonnay Single Vineyard Kidnappers Vineyard - New Zealand, North Island, Hawkes Bay (7/21/2010)
This was driven by crisp white peach, some yellow pear, and a bit of canteloupe. It was rather crisp in the spectrum of Chardonnay, finishing vibrantly with good hints of tropical fruit and a bit of minerally verve. Med length finish, decent mouthfeel had some viscosity but didn't have noticeable density.

Part of me wishes this had some more weight to it, but regardless--still a very good wine. (85 pts.)


Posted from CellarTracker

Mado

Many of my wine drinking friends have given Mado ample praise for its provision of food that is simply prepared yet interesting. With a $40 Groupon waiting to be used, I decided to give it a go on Saturday night. I checked OpenTable.com that afternoon and reserved a table for 2 at 9 PM.

The Look & Feel
Mado stresses simplicity in its farm to table cooking. This dedication is well reflected in the restaurant's interior. Picture a farmhouse or old one room schoolhouse that's been altered to fit in an urban environment. That's Mado's dining room: large natural wood table in the center, hardwood floors & table tops throughout, gritty exposed brick, and artwork that isn't at all imposing or distracting. Add in comfortable chairs to stress the urban setting and it all mixes well. Of note, they didn't actually have wine glasses but instead served into small glass tumblers.

The Food
The menu here is printed daily, based on what's available fresh from farms in surrounding states. Many pieces reflect snout to tail selection--beef heart was available when I I visited and pighead stew is mentioned on the Mado website. While tempted, I stayed relatively middle of the road. Pictured below is the meat charcuterie platter--a country pate, cured thinly sliced pork shoulder, and a pate made from cheeks & jowels. The latter was absolutely outstanding--meaty, dark, heavier than expected, but still very clearly pork. The grainy mustard served with was excellent as well.
As an entree, we had the pork leg raillard. This was grilled & served with faro on the side. The meat was perfectly prepared and full of flavor. I had a side of gorgonzola polenta, which was a bit too salty on its own but was great with the pork. We took a 1/2 pound of "migas bark" to go. This is dark chocolate bark with some tasty/savory add-ins and very very addicting.

Meat Platter. 

Wine Time
A more experienced wine buddy of mine suggested that if taking 1 bottle, I take Nebbiolo. This is always a safe bet, but I didn't have any on hand. I ended up taking an older Zinfandel and a Riesling. The Zin went great with the grilled pork, while the bold Riesling was able to stand up to the strong mustard and paired quite well with the meat platter.
I could see Pinot doing ok here, but if buying a red I'd go with a Nebbiolo (look for "Langhe" or "Barolo" or "Barbaresco" on a label of Italian wine) or a Syrah (esp if ordering grilled foods) that hasn't seen much oak--ask the folks at the wine shop, there should be plenty of options in these categories.
If planning to order the meat platter, picking up a dry Riesling from Austria or Australia could be a great option. Or ask a wineshop attendant for a bone dry Riesling from Germany or Alsace if you want to spend a few more dollars.

The Whole
I was impressed and will definitely go back. The food is interesting and well-prepared, pairing well with wine. Knowing the menu changes with the season and that any given piece of an animal can be featured is great; I look forward to a vastly different menu when I head back later this summer. Even in my fairly pedestrian ordering, I encountered some new vegetables & flavors I had not tasted before--always worth bonus points in my book. Take some wine, order daringly, and dig in: I don't see many being disappointed with what Mado brings from the farm to your table.

Wines I had:

• 2002 Joseph Swan Vineyards Zinfandel Lone Redwood - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (5/15/2010)
  Nose of cedary twigs, dusty red fruits, bits of blackberries, and occasional hints of something in the coffee/bitter chocolate realm of scents. Tasting brings forth dark red strawberries & notable black fruits that still have some juiciness with a coating of dustiness & woody/cedary spices. A touch earthy at times. Transitions to the finish with a pop of tart (pomegranate/unripe raspberry) acidity, little tannin, and slightly clipped length.
  This went great with grilled pork leg raillard, having still enough acidity to stand up to the meat & char, which worked well with the earth/spice tones. (88 pts.)
  

Posted from CellarTracker

• 2000 Prager Riesling Smaragd Dürnsteiner Hollerin - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau (5/15/2010)
  Perfumed florals and tropical white fruits present themselves at first, but with time deeper aromas exude--not quite petrol, but a mossy scent comes out that is quite interesting. Hints of white grapefruit in the background give a sense of power. In the mouth this has gorgeous, bold presence; it's the tall beauty pageant contestant winning on determination & class. Rich pineapple, apricot, some citrus hints up front. Back end keeps those going with a well-balanced acid as some mineral, slightly earthen tones flow in beneath the fruit and bits of lemon. Dry. None too heavy, none too delicate, this is a great Riesling.
  This was strong enough to do great with grainy, spicy mustard and a few charcuterie options. (90 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Tac Quick

I'd been to Tac Quick once before, and this past week when I felt like a decent dinner out it came to mind as a place worth revisiting. I recalled a large menu with interesting specials & well done entrees. It repeated a good performance, giving me a good dinner out for not much cash.

The Place
Tac Quick is just about directly underneath the Sheridan redline stop. Inside is hardwood & nice tables. It feels urban enough and the glass front maintains that city setting with its view. I like the simple decor & felt it a good setting. They also have pretty impressive stemware for wine--always a plus.

The Food
On my first visit, I'd had the fish cakes (can't remember the Thai name--sorry) appetizer & Basil Duck special. Both were very good. This go around we had grilled octopus as an app. The meat was good, and the dipping sauce served with it packed a punch. My date & I split the clay pot noodle dish and both enjoyed it. Big shrimp, plenty of veggies, and tasty noodles. With mild heat, it was a tasty entree. Notably, Grilled Snails were a special of the day that tempted us, but we refrained.

The Wine
Thai food = heat; heat = sweeter wine. On my first trip I took an off-dry German Riesling that did great with my spicy duck & the heated fish cakes. This go around, I brought an Austrian Riesling that was a little too dry to handle the heat of the dipping sauce beside our appetizer, but worked great with the entree.

I'd look for an off-dry German Riesling here. Urbans-Hoff bottlings are a widely available, affordable option that I can recommend. Stepping up to Zindt-Humbrecht can give a higher-end option worth the extra bucks. Or, ask your wine merchant for a German Riesling with some residual sugar, but not more than medium sweetness. They'll probably hand you something with "Auslese" or "Spatlese" on the label--this means it has noticeable sweetness, which in our case means it will pair great with Thai heat.

The Sum
Tac Quick is great affordable Thai food with interesting specials and they do a great job covering the basics. Try out a special or give your favorite Thai dish a try here and my experiences tell me it won't disappoint. $2 corkage is reasonable and it's a great place to showcase a tasty Riesling. Worth the trip, which is an easy one if you're taking the redline, and worth the few bucks for a good atmosphere & enjoyable dinner.

Fun with pairings

Bbq, terragon pepper, "butchers rub," and sweet & sour grilled chicken with cauliflower and cous cous served alongside 3 wines from the past week.  Interesting and educational!

BBQ--paired best with the Gewurz
Terragon pepper--best with Gewurz, good with the rose too
Sweet & Sour--great with the Pinot
Butcher's rub--outstanding with the Pinot

• 2004 Franz Hirtzberger Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Rotes Tor - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau (3/30/2010)
  Note after a few hours of being open while on ice.
  Nose of honey, a touch of florals, white peach, pear, and an occasional mineral streak. Feel in the mouth is medium or richer, with a nice honey backdrop allowing for various white & citrus fruits layered on top; nuances of dried florals present themselves as well. A touch of sweetness is intriguing. Finishes with a mineral acidity accented by a touch of mild white pepper on apricot, white melon, and generic citrus fruits. Juicy, mouth-watering acidic flavors carry on for quite a while. Drinking great tonight. 90-92 (91 pts.)
  
• 2002 Mount Cass Pinot Noir - New Zealand, South Island, Canterbury, Waipara (3/30/2010)
  After a few hours past opening (no decanter though), nose is cherry, some root vegetable, and a touch of funk. Tasting brings an overarching earthiness, with bright acid in cherry form buttressing a medium, complete mouthfeel. Transitions to vibrant, more fruit forward black cherry, raspberry, cherry, and nicely acidic finish. Tannins are almost completely resolved.
  
  Likely drinking at peak, but food friendly despite leaning (slightly) toward a fruit-forward profile. Had with a sweet corn, bacon, and cheddar risotto and proved to be an admirable pairing. (88 pts.)
  
• 2007 Murphy's Law Lemberger Rosé - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley (3/29/2010)
  Nose of strawberry puree, bubble gum, and a hint of floral & citrus too. Tastes of strawberry bubblegum, transitions to candied bright red berries & that hint of citrus. Good acid, enjoyable body, but a short finish. I like it though; a nice food friendly sipper (82 pts.)
  

Posted from CellarTracker

Cafe Lucci

North of the city in Glenview lies Cafe Lucci. I have dined here several times now, for both business & pleasure. The restaurant actually has a great wine list but also allows patrons to BYO. 6 days a week corkage is rather expensive--I believe $25--but on Mondays there is no corking fee. My visit was on a Monday after work.

The Place
First, being in the suburbs affords the luxury of an ample parking lot and a complimentary valet is offered. Inside, the restaurant provides a feel that is certainly classy and inviting. White table cloths, some booth seating, rich wood, etc. etc. It's a good atmosphere.

The Food
I have been pleased with the fresh, comforting, Italian fare each visit here. This time I had the duck ragu with pasta; excellent. My date had a veal dish with mozzarella and tomato puree--it was also delicious. I have previously enjoyed both steak and seafood here quite a bit, too. In my experience, the specials & waiter's suggestions are worth listening to. Desserts are worthwhile here, with the Fantasia being a classic I've enjoyed a few times. It's a chocolate egg fill with a bit of cake, berries, and a little cream & raspberry sauce. Pictured below with a birthday candle.

From Drop Box

The Wine
First, let it be known that Cafe Lucci's great wine program extends to their service and glassware. They decant, have multiple glass shapes, and generally just know how to treat wine.
Per actual wine, I took a young Barbaresco. Another time dining here we enjoyed various grape varieties, but it's hard to recommend anything away from the Nebbiolo grape. Langhe, Barbaresco, Barolo are key regions to look for. I've had a couple of Chiantis here that did work with a steak course, but Nebbiolo's acidity makes it work great with anything from a creamy seafood dish up to richly acidic tomato sauces on braised meats. Both the duck ragu and veal dishes enjoyed last week paired beautifully to the Barbaresco.

The Sum
This is a great restaurant. The help is knowledgeable and refreshingly, well, helpful! If you're lucky the loquacious owner Bobby will be around and visit your table--very friendly guy. Excellent wine service could actually justify bringing a special bottle in and paying the high corkage, but if such a large sum irks you then there are plenty of good bottles on the wine list and there are Mondays with no corkage. Talk to your server, find what they like, sit back & enjoy the comforting Italian experience of Cafe Lucci.

2005 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Torre - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (3/22/2010)
Nose of some rustic earthen tones, great soft floral/violet scents, and some rich red & dark cherries. Tasting brings in those earthy tones with clear, fresh cherry wrapped in a layer of vibrant acidity. Finishes with pulling tannins and strong acid, which slightly cover the flavors here (popped & poured, drank over 2.5 hours) but there is some length to all the elements. Certainly very good now, but there's more waiting down the road. 87-88 with plenty of upside.

Went great with duck ragu pasta (88 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Yuki Hana

On Friday night I felt like sushi. Hmmm...Restaurant.com lists a Yuki Hana coupon for $25 off of $45. When I visited a few months back the spicy rolls dominated my wine selection and the sushi wasn't overly inspiring. I took this visit as a chance to try a better fit of wine & order rolls that weren't dominated by heat--a second chance for Yuki Hana.

The Place
...is not much to look at. It occupies a small space on Clark street. Inside, it's filled with typical Asiany decorations--nothing remarkable, really, but at least it's an adequate space.

The Food
As mentioned earlier, take heed that the spicy rolls are pretty spicy. This trip I aimed to avoid exorbitant heat. Miso soup and edamame weren't bad; Yuki Hana checked the box with those. We ordered a Tuna/Avocado roll and a roll with eel, avocado, and cucumber. Both were plated nicely (sorry, forgot pics this time) and pretty tasty. We also ordered the spicy scallop entree, which was good but not great. Mochi ice cream was good, but $2.50 per piece surprised us when the bill came. Overall, the food is good but nothing is memorable as creative or outstanding.

The Wine
I took along a bottle of Cava that, while not as sweet as I had expected, went pretty well with the food. As mentioned in my Sura post, sushi=bubbles and spicy food=sweeter wine. Try a Cava for good value drier bubbles (Seguras Aria, Cristalino are good budget choices) or Prosecco for if you plan to order spicy food (Riondo is my go-to cheapie here). I wouldn't be afraid of a demi-sec Vouvray either. Ask your wineshop worker for something "slightly sweet and lighter bodied. Bonus points if it has bubbles."

The Whole
Yuki Hana serves up pretty good food & sushi (although the spicy rolls are overdone, IMO--maybe try one but they were not to my taste). The service is good, fish wasn't bad, and while menu items aren't overly creative all the standards are here. The bill surprised us a little bit; even after the $25 coupon ours was $33 before tip (damn you Mochi). I probably would have been happier spending $33 elsewhere and would certainly say to skip this place if paying full price. Yuki Hana did not deliver on this 2nd chance opportunity, and will likely not get a 3rd from me.

Friday's bubbly, a Cava:
N.V. Segura Viudas Cava Aria Brut - Spain, Catalunya, Cava (2/19/2010)
Nose of apricot, white pear, and citrus-basted toasted nuts. Good fleshy white fruits lead to a citrus, nutty, clean finish with nice length.

Had the Extra Dry last weekend and believe they are both excellent. These set the standard for value in wine buying. (88 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker