Category Archives: Gene’s Sausage ShopChicago restaurant public relations

Zealous: Michael Taus is passionate and consistent in offering a serene, imaginative fine dining experience

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Zealous Restaurant
419 W. Superior St., Chicago
(312) 475-9112, www.zealousrestaurant.com

Hours: 5:00-11 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; open select Sundays and Mondays
Prices: Ala carte entrées, $15-$39; Tasting menus: five course, $75; seven course, $90; Spontaneous Seven Course Chef’s Table Menu, $125

By Lee Barrie and Cindy Kurman
Story originally appeared in StreetWise Magazine

One of the best compliments we can give to a chef/owner is that all the dishes ordered by a table for four were consistently delicious. Such was the case recently when we stopped by Zealous, a beautifully serene, contemporary American restaurant that is the passion of chef/owner Michael Taus. Zealous has, notably, been popular among Chicago’s food lovers for many years. This is no easy thing to accomplish in Chicago’s highly competitive fine dining arena. Staying power means a lot.

Taus is very hands on about what he does and he’s very appreciative of his customers, many of whom are long time regulars. Zealous is one of those places that works well in a variety of contexts. It’s a romantic and relaxed date spot but it’s also a pleasing way to entertain a group for a special celebration. The semi-private chef’s table is in the middle of the dining room, situated so that a group can have some privacy and still experience Zealous’s airy spaciousness. As a spot to discuss business, Zealous offers a conversation friendly atmosphere and creative food that will help stimulate any discussion.

With that introduction, let’s get down to the food, which is creative and complex without being stuffy or pretentious. Taus is an authentically good contemporary American chef: he stays tied to the roots of American food but brings a wide range of global interpretations into play. The seasonal menu offers Taus’ creations in a variety of assortments. You can order ala carte from the generous regular menu or choose either a five or seven course tasting menu. What’s great about this is you can spend a relatively modest sum and enjoy a really fine meal or you can splurge a bit and immerse yourself in a wondrous culinary journey.

Take your pick—either path is scenic and it makes Zealous a restaurant that you can come back to on a fairly regular basis.

To start our meal, we were offered Zealous’ addictively good soft signature rolls—pleasantly herbed and freshly made in house. We asked our attentive server to keep the rolls coming, which she did throughout the meal and it was such a treat. First course selections are beautifully presented and the flavor combinations are surprising in a good way yet accessible. We enjoyed the Flatbread with duck confit, caramelized Cipollini, fresh Ricotta, petit basque, topped with a green apple & frisee salad. We also loved the Blue Crab Cake “Sandwich” with dill toast and whole grain mustard-tarragon sauce. Our dinner companion ordered the Polynesian Chopped Salad of Romaine, hearts of palm, Panko crusted tiger shrimp, macadamia nuts. He loved it so much he kept it all to himself, not accepting any tastings of the other appetizers. We chuckled at his pure enjoyment.

For entrées, we had the truly outstanding Sesame Crusted Chilean Sea Bass with pan-fried rice noodles and red coconut curry sauce. The sea bass was topped with a beautiful coating of black and white sesame seeds that added a nice crunch to the tender and moist fish. We also ordered the Grilled Salmon with Pear-Kohlrabi Savory Tart & Apple Cider Nage. It was nicely chosen combination. The salmon, served rare, was delicate and the tart added a hearty, sweet touch that perfectly complemented the fish. Another fine entrée was the Grilled Beef Filet with Exotic Mushroom-Potato Lasagne & Truffle Reduction. This was no pedestrian steak—the beef was exceedingly tender, delicately sauced and the dish was nicely rounded off by the mushroom-potato lasagna.

To fully experience Taus’ creativity and attention to quality, you’ll have to stop by for another meal or two (or three). Here are some other dishes that are worth your consideration: For appetizers, you might want to try Duo Seared Sea Scallop, Braised Pork Belly and Sunchoke Puree; Yellowfin Tuna Tartare, White Sturgeon Caviar, Avocado Mousse & Cauliflower Blinis, or the Butter Poached Maine Lobster with Braised Shortrib, Chilled Vichyssoise Puree. For entrées, you should also consider the Prime 16 oz. Rib-Eye with Creamed Spinach Gratin and Truffle Potato Croquettes; Seared Duck Breast with Shiitake Mushroom-Confit Mushu and Hoisin Glaze, and the amazing Z’ Burger with Havarti Cheese, Tomato Rémoulade on House Made Dill Roll. We mention the Z Burger because it’s made from the same custom designed ground beef blend that’s used at Taus’ other restaurant, the more casual bistro, DuChamps. He brought it to Zealous by popular demand.

If you’re dining vegetarian style, you’ll be pleased with Taus’ attention to your palate: There is a five-course vegetarian tasting menu or, if you’re dining ala carte, try Tagliatelle Pasta with Braised Baby Goat Ragout, Artichokes, Olives, Tomatoes & Aged Goat Cheese, or the Eggplant Gateau with Greek Style Green Beans, Petite Tomato and Feta Cheese Salad.

As you come to your meal’s finale, you’ll be pleased at Zealous’ unique dessert renditions. Chocolate lovers will enjoy the Valrhona Chocolate-Almond ‘Opera” Cake with Espresso Ice Cream and Chocolate Brittle or the Caramelized Banana Tiramisu with Macadamia Nut Brittle Crust and Chocolate Biscotti. If you’re looking for a fruit-focused dessert, try the Ginger-Spiced Poached Pear, Fromage Blanc Layer Cake with Pecan Granola Crisp, Granny Smith Apple Brown Butter Custard Tart with Goldschlager Ice Cream or the Brûléed Key-Lime Tart with Créme Chantilly and Mixed Berries.

Also keep in mind that Zealous offers one of Chicago’s finest wine collections, including many by the glass, and there is also a nicely conceived signature cocktail menu.

Cindy Kurman Barrie and Lee Barrie are the principals of Kurman Communications, Inc., a Chicago-based marketing and public relations agency. For more information, please call (312) 651-9000 or stay in the know by visiting their blog at www.gotbuzzatkurman.com. For more DineWise features, subscribe to http://dinewisechicago.blogspot.com. You can also follow us on Twitter @DineWise and @KurmanStaff, @LeeBarrie and @PRCindy.

90 Miles Cuban Café: It’s like going home to your Cuban neighborhood

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90 Miles Cuban Café
3101 N. Clybourn, Chicago
(773) 248-2822; www.90milescubancafe.com
Hours: 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Mon.-Thurs.; 8 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat.; 9 a.m.- 6 p.m., Sun.
or
2540 W. Armitage
Chicago, IL 60618
773-227-2822; www.90milescubancafe.com
Hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Mon.-Sat.; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sun.

Prices: sandwiches, $4.25-$6.50; entrees, $8.95-$9.95; sides, $1.50-$3.00

By Lee Barrie and Cindy Kurman
Story originally appeared in StreetWise Magazine

We don’t know how many times we had driven by 90 Miles Cuban Café on Clybourn before we decided to stop in. From the outside it looked like a simple, standalone makeshift sandwich shop that was hardly worth a second look except for the fact that it was so unusual looking. So when we walked in, the magical décor, featuring myriads of newspaper and magazine layouts from pre-Castro Havana pasted on the walls to form a three walled, room sized collage, took us quite by surprise. Our smiles went from ear to ear.

The other surprise was the culinary-oriented, professional staff, including chef-owners Alberto and Christine Gonzalez, who have an obvious passion for what they are doing. In addition to the sandwich board covering both breakfast and lunch/dinner items, there is a second chalkboard featuring daily entrée specials that are much more inspiration than improvisation, which is a good thing. What is most apparent is that this surprising eatery has an obviously loyal following—there isn’t much seating but this place does a great take-out business.

We also learned that the owners had opened up shop in Wicker Park with a second, larger location. So take your choice. When you’re in the mood for casual Cuban homespun fare at breakfast, lunch or dinnertime, this is a restaurant to try.

If you’re up early, a Cuban breakfast sandwich makes a fine choice. Choose from an omelet sandwich with onion, onion and ham, ham and Swiss cheese or an omelet with maduro (sweet plaintain). Enjoy it with a strong Café Cubano or a Café Con Leche (with milk).

Lunchtime is grilled sandwich time, and there are many to choose from. We tried the Cubano, made with Cuban ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard. Good and authentic. We also liked the Media Noche, a variation made with midnight ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard on sweet bread. Other sandwich choices include the Bistec, steak with Romaine lettuce, tomato, grilled onions, shoestring potatoes and a chimicurri; Pollo, chicken with Romaine lettuce, tomato and grilled onions; Lechon, roast pork with Romaine lettuce, grilled onions and sweet plantains. The Frita Cubana is a Cuban version of the hamburger and the Guajirito comes with your choice of meat or tofu, green plantains; the Croqueta features ham, grilled onions and Swiss cheese.

Regular entrées are served with white rice, black beans and sweet plantains. Choose from Bistec (steak), Pollo (chicken), Lechon (roast pork), Ropa Vieja (shredded beef), Tofu or a Veggie. Every day, there are entrée specials, which give you an authentic taste of some Cuban specialties.

The side orders do a great job of giving you a sampling of some foods that are common Cuban street fare. There are several flavors of empanadas: beef, ground soy, veggie, chorizo, goat cheese or guava and cheese. You might try the Yuca con mojo (cassava in garlic sauce, the Yuca frita (fried cassava) or the Yuca Rellena (stuffed cassava). If you’re a plantain lover, you can choose Maduros (sweet plantains) or Tostones (green plaintains). A nice side dish with a sandwich is the Mariquitas (plantain chips).

If you’ve got room for some dessert, the Pastelitos are delicious—choose between guava or guava and cream cheese. The bread pudding is rich and filling and, on the lighter side, there’s a yummy traditional flan. To round things out, there are some cold Cuban soft drinks and tropical shakes, which we haven’t tried but will likely be a refreshing treat when the Chicago weather warms up.

Cindy Kurman Barrie and Lee Barrie are the principals of Kurman Communications, Inc., a Chicago-based marketing and public relations agency. For more information, please call (312) 651-9000 or stay in the know by visiting their blog at http://www.gotbuzzatkurman.com. You can also follow us on Twitter @dinewise and @kurmanstaff

The new Prairie Fire brings excellence, warmth and comfort to casual Fulton River District dining

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by Lee Barrie and Cindy Kurman
Original story appeared in StreetWise

Prairie Fire
215 N. Clinton, Chicago
(312) 382-8300; http://www.prairiefirechicago.com/

Hours:
11 a.m.-11 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-11 p.m. Sat.-Sun.
Entrée prices:
$9-$23 (lunch); $13-$27 (dinner); $39 for the Tallgrass Beef Filet Mignon

When veteran 4-star chefs Sarah Stegner and George Bumbaris left the Ritz-Carlton in 2004 to open the casual Prairie Grass Café in Northbrook, their foray into everyday dining, with a sustainable/organic emphasis, was an instant hit. Now they’ve expanded their empire from one to two with the recent opening of Prairie Fire in the Fulton River District, just across the Chicago River from the Merchandise Mart (Clinton is one block west of Canal St.). We’re very happy—the food is wonderful, the room is beautiful and comfortable, and it’s just a two-block walk from our office.

Even if you’re trip is a bit longer than ours, you will be very pleased with the experience (and valet parking makes it convenient). The restaurant, open for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch, offers a wide selection of contemporary American creations, crafted with a master’s touch yet simply presented and perfectly appropriate when you’re in a casual mood. The menu is similar to that of Prairie Grass Café, and their signature wide screen TVs, showing scenic video footage from Bill Kurtis’ Kansas ranch, are in full display.




Speaking of Bill Kurtis, the menu features his delicious and healthful Tallgrass Beef that he and a network of beef suppliers raise on their prairie grass ranches, following Kurtis’ exacting standards. But beyond the beef dishes, the menu offers many choices that will please fish and poultry lovers as well as vegetarians.

The lunch menu features a delicious assortment of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, burgers, entrées and desserts. There is some overlap on the dinner menu, but the evening selections focus more on the inspired entrées. We’ve eaten lunch and dinner at Prairie Fire, so here is our first take.

The appetizers are wide-ranging and one could easily create a meal from a combination of them. Among the intriguing choices are Baked Feta Cheese with slices of spicy banana peppers and tomatoes; Duck Ballotine Pate with cornichons, whole grain mustard and Cognac marinated prunes; Nueske’s Bacon Pizza with Pleasant Ridge Reserve cheese; Tender Braised Mint Creek Farm lamb with cucumber, mint and yogurt sauce; French Lentils slow cooked with tomato marmalade, crumbled Capriole Farm goat cheese and crispy shallots. Do justice to the apps and share them with your tablemates; this is no time to be stingy.

Salads are creative and very tasty, with sublime flavor combinations derived from primarily organic ingredients. The dinnertime Farmer’s Salad, with Green Sister’s Garden greens, chopped Romaine, roasted root vegetables, pomegranate, pumpkin seeds, Pleasant Ridge Reserve cheese and herb dressing, is excellently conceived, large but not huge. The Citrus Honey Marinated Beets, with sliced pears, Capriole Farm goat cheese and toasted hazelnuts, are fresh, crisp and enchanting. The “Chicago Magazine’s #1 Sirloin Burger,” served at lunch and dinner, is made from Tallgrass Beef, topped with mild Amish Blue Cheese and served with a roasted beefsteak tomato slice and homemade potato wedges. Good call, Chicago Magazine. We loved it—it’s rich and satisfying and the cheese topping has the most wonderful texture.

The flavorful “Tallgrass Beef” Penne Pasta, with basil and a crispy bread crumb topping, was is a perfectly prepared lunchtime dish. It’s hearty and zesty without being over-spiced. We also enjoyed the dinnertime Sautéed Lake Superior Whitefish, served with delicious roasted Portobello mushrooms and creamy mashed Yukon Gold potatoes.

Another wonderful dish is the Tallgrass Beef Slow Braised BBQ Brisket, served as a sandwich at lunch (served on Ciabatta with French fries) and as an entrée at dinner with a Yukon Gold potato purée and mirepoix (butter-sautéed vegetables). The brisket is nicely seasoned and subtle enough to avoid the heavy smoky flavor that often characterizes barbecued brisket. It’s a homemade, wholesome experience.

Here are some other choices that may interest you: Mint Creek Farms Handcrafted Lamb Sausage with giant Greek-style beans—Chef George is a sausage master and his lamb sausage, which we’ve had at Prairie Grass Café, is a work of art. The Moussaka, with braised lamb, potato, eggplant and Bechamel sauce, is a treasure of texture and flavor. The Boneless Half Chicken, with rosemary, thyme and garlic, pan seared until crispy, with roasted honey-glazed sweet potatoes, is a showcase for their mastery of rustic fare.

At Prairie Fire, the excellent desserts are a perfect end to a comforting meal. The homemade pies change often, according to the season. The Double Chocolate Cake is done right: moist, rich with a well-balanced chocolate flavor. The Thin Apple Tart with Crème Anglaise is light, fruity and refreshing. We predict that the Warm Sticky Toffee Date Cake—moist and rich but not cloyingly sweet—will become one of their most popular signature desserts. It’s different in a very good way.

Prairie Fire is a superb addition to the burgeoning Fulton River District. It will be welcomed by the growing residential community, but it’s also a great destination restaurant that’s surprisingly close to the Loop and River North. Spring for the taxi fare and have a great time among very appreciative hosts.

While you’re in the neighborhood, walk south two blocks and stop in at the fabulous new Chicago French Market. There you can purchase the Tallgrass Beef to prepare at home.

Cindy Kurman Barrie and Lee Barrie are the principals of Kurman Communications, Inc., a Chicago-based marketing and public relations agency. Please visit their blog at http://www.gotbuzzatkurman.com/

Best food gifts for the holidays

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by Lee Barrie and Cindy Kurman
Story originally appeared in StreetWise magazine

 Sure bets & local heroes
If comfort and pleasure are your stock in trade, it’s time to bestow some tasty, locally created food items upon your family and friends at holiday time. Here are some local artisans who have made a name for themselves with unique, deliciously fresh goodies.

Ugly Truffles and Damn Good Cookies
http://www.chocolategourmet.com/

Mary Winslow is one of Chicago’s custom cake artists. Her Take the Cake is one of Chicago’s finest wedding cake studios. For gift givers, she has created a line of cookies and candies that have won a nationwide following. Ugly Truffles are handcrafted candies and Damn Good Cookies are a line of assorted cookies. Don’t take the tongue-in-cheek name too seriously; these are truly delicious. Order them online; they’re shipped fresh.

Terry’s Toffee
1117 W Grand Avenue, Chicago
(312) 733-2700; www.terrystoffee.com

Terry Opalek’s artisan toffee has become a fixture at the Academy Awards banquet for good reason: the rich flavors are creatively conceived and the quality is top-notch. In addition to gift boxes of toffee, you can also indulge your loved ones with biscotti, granola and other treats. Check them out by visiting the store or order online.

Windy City Sampler
http://www.windycitysampler.com/

If you would like to share some of Chicago’s signature treats, Windy City Sampler may be just the ticket. You can create a gift basket of your choosing from among these Chi-town wonders: Ricci & Company Nut Wagon Mixed Nuts, featuring cashews, pistachios, almonds, pecans, brazil nuts and filberts; Terry’s Toffee (see above); the Fudge Pot’s chocolate fudge; Sarah’s Pastries & Candies’ Dark & Milk Chocolate Royaltine, dark and milk chocolate mixed with crispy Feuilletine wafer pieces and caramelized almonds; Gary Poppins Cheddar & Caramel Corn Mix—cheddar cheese popcorn mixed with smooth, rich caramel popcorn.

Gene’s Sausage Shop
4750 N Lincoln Ave., Chicago
(773) 728-7243; http://www.genessausageshop.com/

Gene’s is one of Chicago’s newest food boutiques. It’s a deluxe Polish deli and bakery in Lincoln Square, the likes of which you’ve probably never seen before. The beautiful space is filled with homemade foods including meats, bakery, salads, blintzes, pierogies and shelf after shelf of unique packaged foods from Europe. They will make up custom food gift baskets, so head on over and treat your senses while you design the perfect food gift.

Note: DineWise is a weekly column appearing in StreetWise magazine. Lee Barrie is on the StreetWise board of directors and he and his wife Cindy own Kurman Communications, a Chicago-based public relations agency specializing in lifestyle, restaurant and hospitality strategic branding, marketing promotions, media relations and social networking. If you’d like your restaurant to be featured on the DineWise blog and in StreetWise magazine, please contact DineWise@kurman.com.