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
FLAVOR OF THE MONTH toasts of the town THIRSTY IN '13: CHICAGO'S TOP MIXOLOGISTS RAISE A GLASS TO THE NEW YEAR. BY MEG MATHIS Fresh fare from Indie Cafe. with a nice salted butter. One of our other favorite bites was an amuse-bouche of brioche topped with Dijon mustard, pickled banana peppers, and pork pâté. [Michael and I] both loved it." 2947 N. Broadway, 773-472-4781; pastoralartisan.com NoMI "NoMI is spectacular—one of the most elegant rooms I've been in. It's the place to celebrate an anniversary or a really special occasion. The food is impeccable: simple, classic, and across-theboard appealing." 800 N. Michigan Ave., 312-239-4030; nomirestaurant.com Antica Pizzeria Ristorante 4343 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-477-7144; chalkboardrestaurant.com May St. Cafe "It's out of the way, but I think there's some romance in the fact that you have to drive this kind of strange distance to get there; you're not going to a neighborhood where there's restaurant after restaurant. It's a little adventure. They have the most incredible lobster, which they serve with chipotle butter and an assortment of oven-roasted vegetables. I always order the large size, and I could lick the plate when I'm done." 1146 W. Cermak Road, 312-421-4442; maystcafe.com Indie Cafe "This is a really comfortable Andersonville neighborhood place with a sexy feel to it. I love their pizzas—especially the one with arugula, speck, and roasted pistachios—and their pastas are all made in-house." 5663 N. Clark St., 773-944-1492; anticapizzeriachicago.com "Sushi is a sexy thing to eat. The Santa Fe roll is one of the things I love, and the room is very comfortable and beautifully lit with candles." 5951 N. Broadway, 773-561-5111; indiecafe.us Chalkboard "This is a great to-go place in Rogers Park with the best Mexican food if you want to stay in for a romantic meal and not cook. Michael loves their chicken bollito. The proportions are great; it's the right amount of everything." 6922 N. Clark St., 773-338-5425; la-cazuela.com "Chalkboard has a completely different vibe than any other restaurant in Chicago. It's very intimate, and it feels like you're in somebody's cottage with candles lit and soft, inviting colors. Their fried chicken is the best in the world." La Cazuela A s the head bartender at Sable Kitchen & Bar, Mike Ryan has made a name for himself as one of the city's best cocktail maestros. His resolution for the New Year? To reintroduce Chicagoans to brandy. "I really want to see more people understanding the cool complexities that come about Mike Ryan with great brandies, which lend themselves well to cocktails because they have that built-in acidity with a great, austere character." Sable's Cantrip features the French brandy Calvados for a bright apple flavor that's heightened by the classic herbal liqueur Bénédictine. Blackbird's chief mixologist Daniel Lynn House looks forward to Finnigan continuing the culinary trend of emphasizing all things local. "I'm a huge proponent of exposing people to small-batch products," says House, who frequently uses spirits by Koval Distillery. A gardener, House literally finds inspiration in her own backyard; she cites cucumber and ginger as her favorite flavor combination but foresees hot peppers as the next big thing. A more contemporary drive motivates beverage director Daniel Finnigan of Gold Coast pan-Asian hot spot Jellyfish. While Finnigan appreciates pre-Prohibition drinks, he's eager to use exotic fruits for more playful concepts. "The citrus fruit yuzu is such a great ingredient; it's very unique, and it really holds the cocktail together well. I'm infusing a clean, organic, gluten-free vodka with tea, and I'm going to start using more herbs for a kind of 'East meets West' push." MA Lynn House Sip a Three Sovereigns cocktail at Jellyfish. GOTHAM-MAGAZINE.COM 058-061_MA_FOM_FlavorOfTheMonth_Winter13.indd 61 61 1/2/13 6:52 PM