Eggs N' Ham

After reading my sparkling review of Catch 35 a friend suggested that it was a mistake to try out a seafood place in a city that is nowhere near an ocean. I suppose I'll have to fly back to NYC for my scallops from now on, but I bet you they don't fish them out of the pristine waters of the East river over there.

In any case, after the delights of Catch 35, B and I decided to go for something completely different, as they say, and chanced onto a brunch at Magnolia Cafe (http://www.magnoliacafeuptown.com/home.html). Right off the bat I'll tell you it was good - not great - but definitely an improvement.

The place was cozy, down to earth. A neighborhood spot it seemed. It had a warm Brooklyn feel to it. No over the top decorations and no Sinatra. The waiters were not overly subservient - a good vibe to the place.

We ordered omelets. They turned out to be huge, but very tasty and with lots of fresh ingredients. I watched in amazement as a man at the next table finished off a similarly proportioned omelet and proceeded to down at least three good size pancakes followed by coffee and whatever else there was on his table. Needless to say I couldn't clean my plate, but not, for a change, because the food wasn't good.

Zagat gives Magnolia Cafe a 25 for the food and I agree. For the price ($11 for that huge omelet and free refills on coffee), the place is certainly better than Catch 35. I'd like to go back there and try those pancakes!

Sinatra and Catch 35

Back to Chicago restaurants. A New York friend who had gone to school in Chicago recommended Catch 35 http://www.catch35.com/. He said the seafood there was superb. Alright, determined to be open-minded, B and I ventured out to the Loop location.

It was a nice early Sunday evening, the place was half empty. The decor was grandiose - like in a few other Chicago places I've noticed. I always feel a bit uncomfortable in places like that. There's just too much space, too much show - perhaps it's the New Yorker in me, used to cramped surroundings. No matter, the place was nice. Big pretty bar, tall ceilings, big ugly paintings on the walls, big tables... big big big. The service was very attentive - made us feel like we were tourists who'd come in for a show. Not my cup'o'tea, but we went with it.

But can I ask - what's with the music? The old Sinatra songs about New York, 50-60's extravaganza of elevator music playing non-stop at this and most of the other restaurants around the Loop. It must be a requirement in the city ordinance that compels them to all play the same old tired tunes over and over again. Either that or they're using the same report from some wacky consumer research agency that thinks tourists (the obvious target market for this place) have to be bombarded with Sinatra or else they'll leave.

Back to the food. Since this was a seafood place, we ordered Crab Bisque, Seared Scallops (szechwan glaze & chive pot sticker), Stir Fried Shrimp & Scallops (chinese broccoli, mushrooms, carrots & peapods), Pan Roasted Boston Cod w/ Seafood Newberg (king crabmeat, baby shrimp and cape scallops in Newberg sauce). What can I say - for the not so little amount this place charges, it was a total waste.

The crab bisque tasted like something out of a can - too buttery and thin; the scallops were so overdone that I thought they must have kept them in that wok for an hour; the Cod was drowned in the sauce to the point where you couldn't tell where the fish was. Ah! And Zagat's gives this place a 23?! I've had better scallops for half the price at a dozen New York hole-in-the-walls. Disappointed yet again.

I know there must be good places to eat in this city. Somewhere. The search continues, but the following exchange that B overheard at work really makes me wonder. Some woman on his floor was complaining that she'd gone to a restaurant that weekend only to be severely disappointed by the rude service. She was indignant because as she put it - "what's the point of going to restaurants if the food I make at home is better?!" Gloomy prospects indeed.

A Side-Step

I have to take a minute to talk about the Olympics. I know it has little to do with restaurants in Chicago, but I must say - what is the deal with those gymnastics judges?! Seriously! Do they get distracted by the lights and do not see what's going on on the floor? The womens' uneven bar competition was outrageous. Poor Nastia! Everyone knew she had won and to get bumped down to a silver because FIG can't afford two gold medals - what the $%^%?

The women's vault was even worse. The woman who won the gold landed on her knees and beat out the ones who didn't. One of the NBC commentators said to avoid controversy, the judges have to be from countries other than those of the competing athletes and that four out of six of those judges were from countries that had never won an Olympic medal. No wonder they judge the way they do. They probably think - "oh - that girl landed on her knees - that's how our athletes do it. She must get the gold!"

Here, take a look for yourself: http://www.nbcolympics.com/gymnastics/video/index.html

Worst Pizza Ever

I am a New Yorker who has recently moved to Chicago and my first question is why?!!! Why are there no good restaurants in this city?! Those of my friends who were not horrified at the thought of my move told me that they heard Chicago's culinary offerings were quite good. So, used to going out for lunch or dinner at least 4-5 times a week, I ventured out to the closest restaurant on my first day here. It happened to be Giordano's - "Chicago's world famous stuffed pizza" - a popular chain. Perhaps I was too hungry or too excited about a first day in a new city or too lazy to look for another place to eat... whatever it was, I can no longer pinpoint the reason why I did not run at the first sight of the place.

Chain restaurants are normally not on my list of possible dining options. Last time I set foot in a McDonald's was in college (and that only from peer pressure). I've never been to a Taco Bell, a White Castle or a Burger King. What possessed me to try out a pizza chain that day I cannot tell. Suffice it to say - never again! My first day in Chicago will forever go down in history as the day I had the worst pizza ever.

Now, several weeks later, thinking back on it, I should have known. First, the place didn't even smell of pizza. You know, that haunting, seductive pizza smell that is sometimes even better than the pizza itself. When you walk down a street and all of a sudden you catch a whiff of the gooey cheese, the aromatic tomato sauce baked into the irresistible crust... and do everything possible to resist elbowing yourself into the usually tiny pizzeria and grabbing a slice almost before it comes out of the oven. Nope - none of that.

This place had a smell of some cleaning liquid recently spilled, the view of an utterly generic suburban "eating establishment." The customers, all large, overweight, short and t-shirt wearing were hungrily devouring the humongous thick pies of whatever-it-was that they had perched up in front of them. After enjoying this scenery for over 40 minutes, we got our pie (veggie). I have not had a deep dish pizza before this day, but if this is supposed to be a representation of a deep dish pizza, I'll never eat it again. (Please someone tell me there is a better version somewhere!)

There was no sauce. The vegetables, in large unseemly chunks were piled high over an enormous amount of cheese sitting on top of a mushy thick parody of a crust. I can't even call it a crust - a spongy substance perhaps? Trying to be open minded, I ate one piece. That was as much as I could manage, and that after not having eaten for at least 8 hours. The remnants sat menacingly on the platter. I could not bring myself to bring the rest home even though I really dislike wasting food. B took the rest home and told me the next morning that the cold version was even worse than the hot.

I have not had a pizza in Chicago since. I'll write about my other encounters with Chicago cuisine in my next few posts.

Meanwhile, people, please, I beg you, tell me where the good places are!