A couple of weeks ago, I found myself a year older — okay maybe a day older if you were asking me the day before — and on my way to 10 days of eating in both Chicago and San Francisco. I was quite excited by the prospect of dining in some new spots in both cities, as well as making a return to a few places that I had been to before.
seared foie gras, cocoa nib brittle, apricot jam; Schwa, Chicago.
goat liver mousse, housemade crumpets, pickles, pineapple relish, pear mostarda; Girl & the Goat, Chicago.
My time in Chicago started with a breakfast torta of queso and jam from Tortas Frontera by Rick Bayless at O’Hare International Airport and ended with a few plates at The Girl and the Goat a few days later. While I enjoyed dining at both Charlie Trotter’s and Alinea in between, it was dinner at Schwa that I found to be most memorable.
forbidden rice risotto, enoki mushroom, pea sprout, uni butter; Haven, Oakland
Landing in San Francisco on a Sunday afternoon, I took the opportunity to rest up before heading over to Oakland to meet up with some friends for dinner at Haven. A week later, I found myself finishing off my trip with two scoops of ice cream at Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous; a scoop of cake & cream and a scoop of peanut butter malt finished with a generous sprinkling Valrhona chocolate crispies.
aji, abalone, jalapeño, celery, ginger, brown butter; Parallel 37, San Francisco
razor clam, carrot foam; Atelier Crenn, San Francisco
vegetables, lardo raviolo; Saison, San Francisco
coffee and doughnuts; The French Laundry, Yountville
Photos from Schwa and Girl & the Goat were provided by Dale at the Nom Nom Foodie.
