Review Revue: Sun-Times @ 200 East & Adobo Grill, Sort Of
This week's Sun-Times food section is chock full of nifty little reports about events and food trends, but not so much about specific restaurants and their merits. As is our duty, we will catalogue the reviews, and as a bonus, summarize the more interesting articles so you don't have to slog through the entire section to find that one piece of information that's actually pertinent to your life.
First up is 200 East on Chestnut, in the Seneca Hotel. The club conjured an older, softer time for Denise O'Neal, who liked the standard Italian menu and the jazzy 50s ambiance. Ms. O'Neal also mentions that it is permissible to smoke by the bar, which surely evokes the atmosphere of a lounge of days gone by, but good luck partaking after this year (if you click through, note the use of "crazy-quilt" to describe the current legal situation in the state)
It is difficult to say which (or whether) Adobo Grill is being reviewed (Old Town / Wicker Park); it's really more of a focus than a critique. We suspect all the hubbub has to do with Cinco De Mayo, which chef Freddy Sanchez will be celebrating in force at both locations. Sue Ontiveros speaks with Sanchez, who gives a run-down of essential CdM accoutrements: music, beer, tequila, guacamole, and we cannot argue with this assessment. Also, Sanchez will be serving up an historical dish which commemorates the 1862 victory of the Mexican people over the French army in Puebla (yes, that is what you will be drinking to on Saturday). The dish is called Chiles en Nogada (above), and represents the Mexican flag, and we quote:
The green by the poblano chiles; the white by a sauce of walnuts, goat cheese, condensed milk and cinnamon. A savory picadillo is topped by a bright pomegranate sauce, signifying the red of the flag.Hey, that sounds pretty good, even for $17.95. Try some before the tequila wears your taste buds down to a nub, although only at the WP location; the OT location is doing a whole other thing for some reason (maybe because OT isn't as cool?). Either location will involve forced Mariachi merriment from 6pm-9pm, though.
Other stuff going on in the Sun-Times:
• A rundown of all the name-brand chef shows on TV (regrettably does not include Alton Brown)
• Dining tables made of unusual surfaces (bowling lanes) are expensive but totally hip
• Italian wine options get fleshed out at local restaurants
• New Latino food pyramid recommends eating like it were 1500 A.D.
• Lobsters are too expensive to serve right now
• In case Adobo's not your bag for this CdM, here are some other options.
The Sun-Times totally brought it today, right? Totally.
[Photo: Chiles en Nogada by El_imaginario/flickr. A bit different than what we'd imagined...]
