Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Graham Elliot Bistro and Apothic Wines
Graham Elliot Bistro and Apothic Wines
Location: 841 W Randolph
Cost: Complimentary meal, probably about $60 per person
Apothic Wines was hosting a promotional dinner at Graham Elliot Bistro (G.E.B) the other night to help get the word out about their new Rose wine. Their head wine maker, Boyd Morrison, came out into Chicagos miserable spring weather to join in too. They were generous enough to give me a plus one and Noam just so happened to be in town on business.
Logistics
G.E.B is on Randolph amongst many of Chicagos trendier spots. The vibe fits right in. There are a few bar seats near the front door. The whole restaurant takes on this dark, private feel as you go further back into the dining room. Also, no matter where you sit, you get a decent look into the kitchen, providing some life to the room. Our service was excellent although its hard to judge when youre with a special party. The courses were well spaced, and everyones wine glasses were kept full.
The Food and Wine
Our first wine was the Rose. It was a semi-sweet blend that had strong fruity flavors, the most predominant of which was watermelon. I kept thinking how much my mom would love it, and fortunately, they sent me home with a bottle for her. It went great with the appetizer and fish course.
To that point, the first dish was an Onion Bisque. It was very creamy and had almost a cream of broccoli feel. The croutons maintained some crunch despite soaking in the soup for a little while. The dish was rich, but Ive never had an issue with that.
My next course was the Whitefish. It went well with both the Rose and the White which was also moderately sweet with strong fruity notes. The fish was bread crusted and served over some potatoes and leeks. The crust provided nice contrast to the flaky fish.
I chose the Veal for my main course. It came with some crunchy pancetta over the top. The tender and fatty cut went nicely with the much bolder Red blend.
For dessert they served Stuffed Beignets and Banana Splits. The beignets were light and stuffed with a nutella like chocolate sauce. The banana split came in a mason jar of sorts with some candied nuts on the bottom and plenty of fudge.
Overall
G.E.B. has a befitting seasonal menu with some surprises hiding behind what appear to be rather classic dishes. It was great to be the guest of Apothic Wines. Their three options paired nicely with the whole meal. As the meal was complimentary, there will be no Pearl rating, but it was quite enjoyable.
Cost: Complimentary meal, probably about $60 per person
Apothic Wines was hosting a promotional dinner at Graham Elliot Bistro (G.E.B) the other night to help get the word out about their new Rose wine. Their head wine maker, Boyd Morrison, came out into Chicagos miserable spring weather to join in too. They were generous enough to give me a plus one and Noam just so happened to be in town on business.
Logistics
G.E.B is on Randolph amongst many of Chicagos trendier spots. The vibe fits right in. There are a few bar seats near the front door. The whole restaurant takes on this dark, private feel as you go further back into the dining room. Also, no matter where you sit, you get a decent look into the kitchen, providing some life to the room. Our service was excellent although its hard to judge when youre with a special party. The courses were well spaced, and everyones wine glasses were kept full.
The Food and Wine
Our first wine was the Rose. It was a semi-sweet blend that had strong fruity flavors, the most predominant of which was watermelon. I kept thinking how much my mom would love it, and fortunately, they sent me home with a bottle for her. It went great with the appetizer and fish course.
The Apothic Rose
To that point, the first dish was an Onion Bisque. It was very creamy and had almost a cream of broccoli feel. The croutons maintained some crunch despite soaking in the soup for a little while. The dish was rich, but Ive never had an issue with that.
The Onion Bisque
My next course was the Whitefish. It went well with both the Rose and the White which was also moderately sweet with strong fruity notes. The fish was bread crusted and served over some potatoes and leeks. The crust provided nice contrast to the flaky fish.
The Whitefish
I chose the Veal for my main course. It came with some crunchy pancetta over the top. The tender and fatty cut went nicely with the much bolder Red blend.
The Veal
For dessert they served Stuffed Beignets and Banana Splits. The beignets were light and stuffed with a nutella like chocolate sauce. The banana split came in a mason jar of sorts with some candied nuts on the bottom and plenty of fudge.
The Banana Split
The Beignets
Overall
G.E.B. has a befitting seasonal menu with some surprises hiding behind what appear to be rather classic dishes. It was great to be the guest of Apothic Wines. Their three options paired nicely with the whole meal. As the meal was complimentary, there will be no Pearl rating, but it was quite enjoyable.
Available link for download
