Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/101703
Tesori's menu offers an abundance of satisfying dishes. Chef Andrew Deuel at work in the kitchen. Pizza stars on Tesori's bar menu. PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVE GRANITZ/ WIREIMAGE/GETTY IMAGES (WACHOWSKI); ANDREAS RENTZ/GETTY IMAGES (MA) Sweet polenta fritters with poached blueberries and popcorn gelato. Lana Wachowski, Yo-Yo Ma (RIGHT), and his wife, Jill Hornor them simply; I let them speak for themselves by not adding too much or getting carried away." That less-is-more mentality expresses itself in remarkably flavorful dish after dish: delicate, full-bodied tuna tartare; utterly decadent pockets of agnolotti stuffed with a triple threat of duck confit, foie gras, and truffle butter; cavatelli with robust, meatball-esque beef cheeks and shavings of caciocavallo cheese; duck two ways (confit leg and roasted breast), a rustic, filling dish whose dark, meaty flavors are offset by the bright sweetness of Concord grapes; and an incredible wild mushroom pizza with white truffle oil boasting a nearly perfect, crisp-chewy crust. All in all, with Deuel's menu and the bar's smartly curated beverage program—including four wines on a tap and a selection of creative cocktails—it's hard to make a wrong turn in this place. Indeed, from the approachable menu to the neighborly vibe, Tesori is a different creation entirely from the super-civilized Rhapsody: warm, welcoming, and decidedly low-key, while still maintaining a real dedication to serious cuisine. According to Su, the restaurant has been received just as warmly. And continued on page 60 DOUGH-RE-MI It takes a serious pizza to get foodies' attention in this piecrazy town, and Tesori's fits the bill with its puffy, crisp-chewy crust and smart topping combos like asparagus, prosciutto, fontina, and cipollini onions. What's the secret? Says Executive Chef Andrew Deuel, "We make our dough with a really fine-ground flour and let it age the right amount of time, so it develops a kind of sweetness." A sleek Marsal stacked pizza oven that powers up to 650 degrees seals the deal. "That high temperature gives our dough just the right amount of caramelization and crusting and even gets some little charred spots—that's what we shoot for with each pizza." GOTHAM-MAGAZINE.COM 058-061_MA_FOM_FlavorOfTheMonth_Winter13.indd 59 59 1/2/13 6:45 PM