Charleston: Peninsula Grill

I have eaten at the Peninsula Grill before, and its wonderful . . . but when I'm in Charleston I always head to the Peninsula for their Coconut Cake. Its absolutely the best ever, a fairly dense cake [that seems light], with multiple layers filled with a fluffy white icing and toasted coconut. The outside is dusted with more coconut and a piece regally fills an entire dinner plate. I am a big fan of coconut cake and this and the one at the Halekulani in Honolulu are my two favorites [and are very different from each other]. When you're in Charleston don't hesitate . . . head to the Peninsula Grill and get you some cake . . . and to be really decedant get it to go and take it back to your hotel room where you can enjoy it privately, even perhaps licking the plate.



EatHereOrNot: EAT HERE

Chicago: Frontera Grill

I am always wary of restaurants helmed by big name TV celebrity chefs, so I approached dinner at this Rick Bayless establishment with some trepidation. I had heard it described as “uppity Mexican food” so went with more curiosity than anything else and was pleasantly surprised. I sat at the kitchen bar and ordered small plates and heady apricot infused margaritas with a spicy rim, and nothing disappointed. The ambiance is casual in a kitchy southwest kind of way, and the service efficient and smiling. The one thing to know is that they room is LOUD, so don’t plan on intimate conversation over dinner. The vibe is fun and exuberant, go have a good time and enjoy the experience.

The flavors here are robust and combined with different textures for maximum impact; everything I tasted was vibrant and delicious. The taquitos de pollo, stuffed with smoked chicken and salsa verde were crispy and flavorful and the accompanying guacamole velvety perfection. The sopes rancheros were little cornmeal boats filled with a hearty beef stew and roasted tomatoes that I could have eaten all night and the quesadillas were a revelation. Not tortillas filled with cheese and griddled, but croquette-like pockets of cornmeal dough filled with jack cheese that were absolutely amazing. Again, I was hooked.

The one thing that you just have to ignore are the pouty faced faux-models at the front desk, who seemed annoyed that they had to interact with clients. Ladies, neither you nor the restaurant are that big a deal, so get over yourselves and remember that without diners you’d be back under a streetlamp in the cold Chicago night. Check this place out and have a good time, you’ll come away with a happy stomach and a new appreciation for celebrity chefs [or at least Mr. Bayless].

EatHereOrNot: EAT HERE

Chicago: BIN36

Wine bar? Restaurant? Movie theater? Cheese bar? Wine shop? All of the above? Yes, that’s it. BIN36 is a wide open, sleek space with light wood floors and high ceilings that perfectly set the stage for the dining experience that is offered. And, there are choices there as well. You can sit at the bar and enjoy a flight of wine or perhaps relax in the café area with a snack. Or head into the dining room, really all parts of the same large space, for a more formal meal. You can even head up to the loft area and catch a movie on certain nights. Then, just to the right of the front door, is my favorite spot, the CHEESE BAR. Yes fellow fromage-whores, there is a bar with a massive selection of cheeses all waiting to be discovered. For my cheesy friends, and you know who you are, this is nirvana. Flights of cheese in the same style or perhaps a selection of cheese from one country? It is all possible, and beautifully presented, at the Cheese Bar.

In the dining room the food is simply prepared and beautifully presented with some inventive combinations that are always interesting. On my last visit I had a beautiful asparagus salad [short lengths stacked Lincoln-log style] topped by a light and yet sumptuous crab salad. The combination was perfection, a culinary herald of spring. Also on offer is a wonderful beet salad with blood oranges and goat cheese that is rollicking in its flavor and color composition. Red and gold beets made the plate sparkle and the flavors were intense without being overpowering. A winner for sure. As an entrée I selected the roast chicken [always a good test for the kitchen, something so primal is often poorly executed] which arrived moist, crisp, and flavorful, really perfect. The only misstep were the accompanying “lemon and black pepper dumplings”, which seemed like a nice idea but were overly salted and remained on my plate when it went back to the kitchen [and, interestingly, were not commented on by the waiter . . . but we’ll get to that later]. Desserts can only be described as fun, a chocolate and peanut Nepoelian layered with a coffee caramel that was a small delight on the plate. Crunchy, salty, chocolaty and gooey all at once, what a dessert should be.

The only real drawback to a dinner date at BIN36 is the service, which I would characterize as casual at best: long waits to get the affable waiter’s attention followed by equally long pauses between the courses during which nothing was cleared. While this is not fine dining in the formal sense, its not Red Robin either, and with more attention to the mechanics of good service [and maybe more care by the staff] things would really be elevated. The kitchen obviously cares, as evidenced by the food, its time for the front of the house to either step up or step out of the way.

EatHereOrNot: EAT HERE

Chicago: Marshall Field [well, Macy's]: Walnut Room

OK, I know you’re going to think I’m crazy for talking about a restaurant in a department store, and an old one at that, but this place is a classic and I love it. This is what shopping downtown and having lunch during the excursion was all about in the heyday of American cities. I remember it from my smaller city experience with my mother at Buffum’s in Long Beach, and we are the poorer for its decline, both as a reprieve from the frenetic pace of shopping and the civilized stop for a fine lunch and conversation that it offered. Happily the Walnut Room remains a beacon in downtown Chicago, a reminder of a time gone by and yet still here. The room is elegant and formal; at my last visit the spring flower show was on and the room’s center was dominated by a huge fountain overflowing with flowers and flamingos . . . who could ask for more. Come for lunch or tea and don’t hurry. And, let the Macy’s goons know that this kind of place should be celebrated and cared for, rather than removed as has happened at Meier and Frank [Portland] and Wannamaker’s [Philadelphia] and I’m sure other of the old downtown landmarks no longer know by their “real” names.

The food at the Walnut Room is actually very good, updated luncheon fare from some of the chefs featured in the food hall of the store. The chicken pot pie arrives fragrant and steaming under its chapeau of puff pastry, just like it has for ages I’d imagine. Swedish meatballs with chive mashed potatoes, accompanied by the obligatory ligonberry sauce, updated by Marcus Samuelson, are heartier fare perfect for a chilly day [which was the case on my visit].

The wait staff seems to have been around for ages and is a perfect fit for the ambience of the room. Mostly women of a certain age and size, they graciously welcome guests into this sanctuary on the seventh floor and time slips away. Wonderful. When you’re in Chicago and on State Street, don’t miss the opportunity for a visit to the Walnut Room. My only complaint was the disappearance of the foil wrapped walnut candies that used to be presented with the check. They were a nice touch and I would celebrate their return.

EatHereOrNot: EAT HERE

Chicago: Cite

This restaurant reminded me of the hot guy you see across the room . . . great looking, well dressed, sparkling eyes . . . you say hello and he responds and he's, well, vapid. Nothing to say, not exciting, banal and disappointing. From service to food to presentation, Cite was vapid and banal. The only thing is has going for it is the view . . . so go up and enjoy the view for a cocktail and then find a good restaurant for dinner. Otherwise you're going to be disappointed.

The menu on line looked promising, and the reviews were good, so I figured I'd give it a chance [against my better judgement]. For the entire evening it felt like somebody wasn't paying attention, neither the dining room nor the kitchen were anywhere close to adequate for a restaurant of this price range and calling itself fine dining. First the service: I don't need the waiter to tell me what's on the menu by reciting the names of the dishes and their preparations just as they are printed . . . I can read. I shouldn't have to ask for a napkin or water or bread . . . that's supposed to happen automatically. When the food arrives the waiter should check back quickly to see if everything is alright [it was not]. When presenting the cheese course, the waiter should know what kind of cheese is on the plate, duh! And, there shouldn't be a squirt bottle of cleaning solution left on the adjacent table through the meal . . . this is, after all, supposed to be fine dining. And lastly, the waiter shouldn't be glib about everything that went wrong during the evening, that doesn't make it better and only cements the impression of amateurism on every front.

Now for the food. The best thing we ate was the amuse, a tiny cup of a chilled mango and pepper soup that was divine. And, unfortunately, set our expectations for wonderful things to follow when we were actually at the top of the peak and it was all down hill from there. The jumbo lump crab souffle was OK, really just a couple of crab cakes, and why it was "jumbo" I'll never know. Was it from a large crab? Then came the entree, a New York strip served with "chef's wild mushrooms" and Pomme Puree . . . the steak was over cooked to leather [well done rather than the medium rare that was ordered] and the Pomme Puree was a blob of mashed potatoes placed on the plate as if by a cafeteria worker at a grammar school. The cognac sauce on the plate was cloyingly sweet and more appropriate for dessert. Also on the plate was a blue cheese ravioli which was undercooked [tough pasta] and obviously from the freezer section at Costco. My companion had the rack of lamb, which she said was good but not remarkable. Finally, a cheese plate with four cheeses . . . only three of which the waiter could identify and he didn't know what the other things on the plate were either. What??

The overall dinning experience was disappointing to say the least . . . for a restaurant this expensive at least the service should be competent. I have always been wary of restaurants with views [this place is 70 stories up] and should have trusted my gut on this one [rather then filling it with mediocre food in this town full of good restaurant options]. With a view like this the place is compensating for something, and like a guy with a big truck, something is going to come up short. And in this case the short was service, food, experience. Don't bother with this place, its a disappointment from start to finish.

EatHereOrNot: NOT

Charleston, SC: Charleston Place: Charleston Grill

The Charleston Place hotel is one of the Orient-Express properties and that are justly known for their elegance and luxury and the Charleston Grill is the fine dining room on the property. While it is a beautiful and finely appointed room, it is not stuffy and the atmosphere is almost jovial [perhaps its just the southern way]. The room was comfortable and the staff friendly, but the food was a disappointment. The menu is divided into categories: "cosmopolitan", "southern", "pure", "lush". WTF? It made no sense to me and the dishes in each category were neither consistent nor related. I found it all kind of weird.

From the "lush" category I choose Truffled Mushroom Soup . . . you already know how I feel about truffles, so this was a no brainer. It was, sadly, a waste of truffles . . . inedible. It was so heavily salted that it was like drinking sea water. I sent it back after two bites and hoped for better things. Next from the "pure" section was Sauteed Pheasant Breast with winter root vegetables and lemon roesmary jus. The pheasant was a little overcooked but flavorful, and the vegetables tasty. The overall effect was of an "almost but not quite". I skipped dessert.

Highly recommended, beautiful and ultimately unsatisfying . . . have you had dates like that?

EatHereOrNot: MAYBE