If You're in Virginia, Say Hi to Cafe Stella

One of my best friends in the world is Stella, who used to live in the Bay Area and we'd bake together sometimes. But when she moved a few years ago to Virginia, it was a sad, sad day.

But she and her husband, Mariusz, had a dream, and that was to own their own place. And when they landed in Norfolk, Virginia, they knew right away they had to bring a little bit of California to the area. And that has now percolated into their own cafe, where Mariusz roasts fresh coffee beans every morning and Stella wakes up early to make her baked goods.

Cafe Stella just opened in a neighborhood called Ghent Norfolk. So if you're reading this and live nearby, you should drop by. Stella has amazing taste (it's kind of shabby chic) so you'll probably find a comfortable spot that's bohemian and fun. I still have to plan my trip to check it out myself, but until then, drop on in and tell them The Single Guy sent you. (Who knows? Maybe you'll get a free scone. :)

Cafe Stella, 1907 Colonial Ave., Norfolk, Virginia. Open weekdays, 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sundays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. PH: 757.625.0461. Visit them on Facebook.




Photos courtesy of Cafe Stella

Summary only...

Longman & Eagle in Chicago

Farm to Midwest Table Dining in the Hood
2657 N. Kedzie Ave., Chicago
Logan Square
PH: 773.276.7110
Open Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-2 a.m.; Sat., 9 a.m.-3 a.m.; and Sun., 9 a.m.-2 a.m.
No reservations, major credit cards accepted
Longmanandeagle.com

CHICAGO
I've found that in visiting this city, some of its more innovative and interesting restaurants are found far from downtown. Last year I had a lovely dinner at this spot in a neighborhood known as Wicker Park. This time I traveled by the "El" to Logan Square to have dinner at Longman & Eagle, which Esquire magazine deemed one of the best new restaurants in America.

My co-workers (I was in town for a design conference) joined me as we went to Sunday dinner. The restaurant is at the end of the block in a non-descript strip, bordering a bunch of residential homes. Since it was a beautiful early summer day, a lot of people were eating in the patio area, which left us with a lot of tables inside to choose from. We were glad to just get seated since Longman & Eagle doesn't take reservations, and on most nights the wait can be long.

Because we all have a design background, we were all enthralled by the setting, a homey, rustic saloon-type restaurant with unique touches of artwork in the back. We kept looking at the ceiling above us, which looked like it was made from an array of reclaimed wood.

The menu from Chef Jared Wentworth was just as interesting and eclectic, with an emphasis on American fare using locally-sourced ingredients. Chef Wentworth also has a "head-to-tail" approach to his dishes so that meant items on the seasonal menu ranging from bone marrow to veal heart.

After a round of drinks, we jumped into our meals. The chef sent out an amuse bouche, which I thought was quaint in such a casual restaurant like this. The spoon-sized bite was a smoked salmon with a cream sauce and some kind of roe on top. I didn't remember the specifics, but it was savory and light.

One of my co-workers, Chen, started with a recommendation of our waitress. It was the Slagel Family Farms Meatballs ($6), served on top of creamy polenta, parsley pesto, and Fonduta cheese.

I had the Pastrami Cured Sweetbreads ($11), with Gruyere, pumpernickel, saurkraut, and Thousand Island dressing. Even though I had sweetbreads the night before, I wanted to see what pastrami-cured sweetbreads were like. My stack of sweetbreads turned out looking quite burnt, but they didn't taste that way. They were crispy but tender in the center, and had maybe a bit more salty flavor than sweetbreads I've had before. But it was the combination of contrasting flavors on the plate that made this dish a winner, from the saurkraut and Thousand Island smear on the side to the fluffy Gruyere puff on the side.

The girls in our group skipped a starter and went straight to the entrees. One ordered the Wild Alaskan Sockeye ($25) while another ordered the Roasted Miller Half Chicken ($18), which came on a pomme puree with Swiss chard and carmelized onion and pickled cherry and date jus. I tried a piece of the chicken because the waitress says it's one of the most tender roasted restaurant chicken she's ever seen, and it was. I don't know if maybe it's better than, let's say Zuni Cafe, but it was definitely a fresh and perfectly cook poultry.

For his entree, Chen actually ordered from the small plates section because he really wanted to try the Gulf Prawns and Grits ($13), which came with an organic egg and black pepper shrimp gravy. The prawns came whole and looking a bit blackened, but that was probably the black pepper gravy. Chen loved the prawns, and ate all of it, even sucking the heads.

I also went a bit off type and ordered from the daily vegetarian menu. I respect a place that goes through the trouble of creating a vegetarian menu each night. I was enticed by one item on the menu, which was a Spring Vegetable Risotto ($16) with asparagus, English peas, and morels.

What I loved about this dish was the intense flavor of the risotto. There was what seemed like a brown gravy encircling my plate of risotto, and that brown gravy (maybe it was the jus of the morel mushrooms) just added a rich and deep flavor to the overall dish, which was fresh and bright like spring.

We all rounded off our meals with dessert, and Longman & Eagle had an impressive list of unique creations. We each ordered a different dessert ($9 each) and tried a little of each. Here's what we ordered: Bittersweet "Manjari" chocolate tart with bourbon tapioca, gruyere donuts with whipped citrus goat cheese, an olive oil pound cake with poached rhubard and, finally, a banana and toffee English pudding and ginger and black pepper panna cotta.

As we tried a little bit of each, we enjoyed the sweet flavors and the interesting contrasting tastes reflected in our beautifully plated desserts. But I have to say I think I ordered the best dessert (well, everyone loved the donuts but you know I didn't have any), which was a light but rum-soaked English pudding that was more like a cake, and the little cup of panna cotta that was creamy and rich.

Dining at Longman & Eagle is a real adventure for both your eyes and your stomach. The funky but familiar vibe (all the servers were extremely friendly and helpful) makes you feel comfortable, but the innovative dishes from the kitchen (with the servers introducing each dish as they arrived) elevates the food to a fine-dining experience but without the pretension. I believe Longman & Eagle and Chef Wentworth will be known far beyond the Logan Square neighborhood.

Single guy rating: 4.5 stars (Refined but casual)

Explanation of the single guy's rating system:
1 star = perfect for college students
2 stars = perfect for new diners
3 stars = perfect for foodies
4 stars = perfect for expense accounts
5 stars = perfect for any guy's dream dinner

Summary only...

Xoco by Rick Bayless in Chicago

An Abundance of Bold Mexican Street Food
449 N. Clark St. (at Illinois), Chicago
River North
PH: 314.334.3688
Open Tuesday through Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. (till 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday); closed Sunday and Monday
No reservations, major credit cards accepted
Website

CHICAGO
One the major celebrity chefs from Chicago is Rick Bayless -- master chef, feeder to the Obamas, and major re-definer of Mexican cuisine in the United States. In this city alone, he owns and runs four major restaurants running the gamut of formats from the fine-dining Topolobampo to the casual Frontera Grill.

But when my co-workers and I went looking for lunch, we decided to try the newest spot to the Bayless family, and that's Xoco, a fast-casual restaurant emphasizing the street foods of Mexico.

As you can imagine, the place is extremely popular for lunch with the district's workers. We arrived a bit before noon and there was a long line going down the equally long corridor of Xoco. And there were several lines: one for takeout, another for dining in, and I think another for phone pick ups. It all seemed very confusing, but this one hostess did a really good job of keeping everyone in the right line and keeping things moving.

The long line gave us a good opportunity to study the menu, which really seemed extensive. It's as if Bayless wanted to recreate every single possible food item you'd find on the streets of Mexico. I've never been that excited about Mexican food because of the lack of variety beyond burritos and tacos, but Xoco definitely proved me wrong.

When we finally ordered and sat down and waited for our food, my co-worker Chen started us off with a treat, some freshly made churros ($3.75 for three). Because I don't eat a lot of deep-fried foods, I passed on trying these, but don't they look creative as a twist? I typically see churros as just long sticks.

Side note: Xoco also offers a nice choice of drinks, including house-made agua fresca and hot chocolate drinks. I ended up getting the special for the day, an iced chocolate drink that was like a liquid Fudgesicle.

Chen and another co-worker, Alyssa, actually ordered the same dish (that happened a lot during our eating adventures, we all seemed to have the same cravings), which was from the "Meal-in-the-bowl" section of the menu known as "caldos." They both got the carnitas bowl ($11.50), which actually looked like a hearty soup.

Along with the pork carnitas, the bowl included potato-masa dumplings, chayote, roasted serrano chile, greens, arugula and avocado. Both Chen and Alyssa enjoyed their soup, especially the dumplings.

My other co-worker, Nicole, wanted to order the same thing but she did break out on her own and got the salad version of the same dish. The Xoco Salad with carnitas ($9) looked like a towering dish with the grilled onions and tortilla threads. This was also a winner in flavor, and healthy looking too.

I ordered from the tortas section (sandwiches) but got the daily special, which was aptly named the "Top Chef Torta" ($11.50). The main ingredients of the Top Chef torta were braised beef tongue and chorizo. Oh baby!

The sandwich was nicely toasted, like how any good torta should be. But the bread itself was a bit difficult to eat. Still, that's just a minor quibble when you're embraced by the flavors of chorizo and the distinct offal-ness of the beef tongue bits. The sandwich is taken to another level when I added the salsa verde, an extremely bright rendition that added some zing.

Xoco is definitely a reflection of a high-caliber, Top Chef Master Chef, and it's easy to understand the long lines. Our wait actually didn't feel that long (maybe because when from out of town you don't feel rushed) but I feel the food here is just so good I wouldn't mind the wait. And when the weather's nice, I would suggest hanging out outside when you can really experience Bayless' street food the way it's originally intended.


Single guy rating: 3.5 stars (Mexican delights)

Explanation of the single guy's rating system:
1 star = perfect for college students
2 stars = perfect for new diners
3 stars = perfect for foodies
4 stars = perfect for expense accounts
5 stars = perfect for any guy's dream dinner

Summary only...

HB Home Bistro in Chicago

Having a Proud Time in this Comfy Spot
3404 N. Halsted St., Chicago
Boystown
PH: 773.661.0299
Dinner, Tuesday through Sunday (closed Monday)
Major credit cards, reservations accepted
homebistrochicago.com

CHICAGO
Whenever I’m in the Windy City, I get together with my Hawaii childhood friend Angel. We always have a good time together (in fact, sometimes too good of a time because I often can’t remember our meals because we drink so much).

Because it also happened to be Pride weekend, I suggested that we meet up in Boystown, Chicago’s gay neighborhood (just a couple of blocks from the CTA Belmont station). There were a lot of people out and about, but we weren’t there for people watching (well, maybe a little) and started looking around for a place to eat.

I didn’t do any research on the neighborhood to find out what’s good, but Angel said there were a few new restaurants. While walking up the major street Halsted, I spotted a cute little restaurant called Home Bistro. I like any kind of bistro, and the low lighting and tiny spot made it look quaint compared to all the loud and crowded bars surrounding it.

Checking out the specials board outside, the menu offered up some interesting things like pork cheek and lamb belly. So I knew this was my kind of place.

When we walked in, we were greeted by the owner at the front, Joncari Lachman, a trained chef who worked for years at another nearby restaurant and decided to strike it on his own with this French-style neighborhood spot four years ago. Because we had no reservations, we had to wait since the tiny space was packed. Since the restaurant has no corkage fee, Angel went out to get a bottle of red wine for us to drink while we waited.

When we were finally seated, we got one of the two tables in the window (this used to be a storefront, so it has a display window). Angel and I (mostly Angel) waived at people on the street all night, wishing them a happy Pride.

Side note: Even though owner Lachman is a chef, the kitchen is headed by Chef David Cooper.

For starters, I ordered the Crispy Veal Sweetbread ($12), which came out beautifully presented with some greens on top. The sweetbread were huge, with one piece looking like they were two still stuck together. They had a crispy edge, but a soft center. On the bottom of the plate was a nice hummus with a few drippings of jalapeno hot sauce. I felt I really got a lot of sweetbreads and enjoyed the overall dish.

Angel let me order for him, so I got him the Artichoke and Edam Fritters ($9) because I don’t eat deep-fried foods but love artichokes and wanted to see what the dish looked like. It came out looking like meatballs, but of course they were light and fluffy fritters. I tried one and while it seemed like they were fried well, I could barely taste the artichoke.

For our entrees, I ordered Angel the Wild Boar Ragu ($20), just because it sounded interesting with wild boar. It came out with the ragu sauce mixed with pappardelle-like pasta. I tasted a bit and it was good and hearty, a very homey flavor, but not a lot of wild meat flavor.

I ordered the Lamb Belly ($23), which came on a plate of beluga lentils. The lamb belly looked black, so they could barely be seen against the lentils. (And the dim lighting made it even harder to photograph.) The only pop of color on the plate were what tasted like pickled radish on the top.

The lamb belly was tender, like it had been braised for awhile. There was a nice flavor, but nothing different. The website describes the approach as grandma’s cooking, and that seems like an appropriate description. Nothing fancy, but hearty and comforting.

I always have a great time getting together with my friend Angel, and we enjoyed our meal at Home Bistro. The service was spectacular and the setting is cozy and fun. And you can’t beat the people-watching from the window tables.

Single guy rating: 3.25 stars (Comforting French fare)

Explanation of the single guy's rating system:
1 star = perfect for college students
2 stars = perfect for new diners
3 stars = perfect for foodies
4 stars = perfect for expense accounts
5 stars = perfect for any guy's dream dinner

Summary only...

The Purple Pig in Chicago

Porky Goodness and More
500 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago
River North
PH: 312.464.1744
Open daily from 11:30 a.m.
No reservations, major credit cards accepted
www.thepurplepigchicago.com

CHICAGO
The conference I attended didn't include meals, which meant we were on our own in figuring out where to eat and get back in time for the next session. Luckily, I spotted The Purple Pig near our hotel on our first day and remembered reading that this restaurant was named one of the top 10 new restaurants by Bon Appetit last year.

My co-workers and I went for lunch, and after a 30 minute wait, we were seated at one of the high communal tables. The Purple Pig had a whimsical feel with a cheat sheet explaining ingredients tacked on lamp shades above the table and quotes on wine from famous people written on the wall.

The menu is extensive, with a variety of dishes that has a Mediterranean slant. Our server said the plates were small and meant to share, so we ordered a few plates and started to pig out.

When you visit a place called The Purple Pig, you have to order the Pig Platter ($29). And when it arrived, it literally was a pig platter, a wooden plank with a carved pig's head.

The Purple Pig makes all its charcuterie, and there was a nice variety on the platter although I don't know what they were since there wasn't a guide and the server who dropped it off didn't give us the run down. I know there was a prosciutto and a few salumi, and maybe a version of mortadella? Doesn't matter because they were all good, with subtle differences in taste and intensity.

Among the small plates that arrived was this Salt-Roasted Beets with whipped goat cheese and pistachio vinaigrette ($6). I'm a fan of beets, and really enjoyed how the deep flavors of the beets were balanced with the creamy whipped goat cheese and the contrasting vinaigrette. This was one of our favorite plates.

One dish that gave off a strong Mediterranean feel was this Olive Oil-poached Tuna with Greek lima beans ($7). The tuna chunks were so tender, and so were the huge lima beans. They were a perfect combination.

The menu also has a section called "Smears," which are spreads on croistinis. We tried the Fava Bean, Pea and Ricotta Salata smear ($6), which had a beautiful bright green color topped with the ricotta salata. The actually smear was light in flavor, and not as bold as the color.

Here's the Charred Cauliflower with toasted breadcrumbs ($6). You might not be able to tell since the cauliflower is covered by the breadcrumbs (and some cornichons), but the cauliflower was actually lime green. I don't know if it's actually cauliflower or the romesco version that I sometimes see in the spring markets? Either way it was crunchy and tasty, with a slight grilled flavor from the charring.

While most of the dishes we ate were served room temperature, I felt we needed more of a hot dish so I ordered something from the Ala Palancha section, which is the Spanish hot platters. We got the sepia, another nod to my Barcelona memories when I would eat grilled sepia (cuttlefish) almost every day.

The Purple Pig's version was cut in slices, different from the whole sepia I got in Spain. But they were cooked perfectly with a nice grilling to bring out the umami flavoring of the sepia.

We were able to have this amazing lunch and get back in time for our session, and while we did a good job of not stuffing ourselves, we definitely left feeling satisfied. If I lived in Chicago, I would put The Purple Pig on my regular rotation just because the menu changes often and there are so many different and innovative dishes to try. Call me a pig; I don't care when I'm eating here.


Single guy rating: 4.25 stars (Lots to munch on)

Explanation of the single guy's rating system:
1 star = perfect for college students
2 stars = perfect for new diners
3 stars = perfect for foodies
4 stars = perfect for expense accounts
5 stars = perfect for any guy's dream dinner

Summary only...

Chicago Dog Part II: Redemption

CHICAGO
I just got back from a long weekend trip to Chicago, where I attended a design conference. While I was there, I kept thinking about my failed attempt last year to eat a classic Chicago dog, so I knew my mission was to find and eat one.

I was even determined to spend the moolah to hire a taxi to arrive at some of the popular gourmet hot dog shacks in the outskirts of town, but when I asked the hotel concierge which place would be easier to get to, her response was "do you want to eat where the tourists go or where the locals go?"

I felt like such a tourist, wanting to go to the Food Network featured spots and stand in line for more than an hour for a hot dog. Finally, my lazy ass convinced me to go to a longtime spot that wasn't too far from my hotel -- Portillo's.

Portillo is actually in a part of Northside Chicago that does seem touristy with the largest McDonald's across the street along with eateries like Hard Rock Cafe and Rainforest Cafe. When I entered the festive-looking Portillo's, it was like I entered a ride in Disneyland with the dim lights, bright neon signs and city dwellers' facade.

Portillo's sells a lot more than just hot dogs, but I was on a mission. I stood at the stand for sausages and asked someone who worked there what was the Chicago dog. "You're out of town, huh?" she said, noting that there's nothing called a Chicago dog, like how you don't get Chinese food in China.

Basically, anything made with vienna beef is a Chicago dog, but it's also the condiments that go on top. I ordered the Portillo's beef hot dog ($2.45), which was topped with creamy mustard, relish, chopped onions, red tomatoes, kosher dill pickle spear and what's called "sports peppers."

I waited to pick up my order and then sat down to dig in. Even though the Chicago dog doesn't have ketchup, I didn't miss it because of the tomatoes. I didn't think the vienna dog was any different that hot dogs I might get at the baseball park, but it's really all the condiments lather on topped that was genius.

I couldn't eat the dog with the large pickle spear, so I just took that off and ate it as I ate the dog. The bun was a bit mushy and not that special, and the tomato slices were a bit messy to eat. When it came to the "sports peppers," they were tiny hot peppers that were super spicy. I ended up only eating one of them.

After I accomplished my goal of eating a Chicago dog on this trip, I rewarded myself with a small bowl of frozen custard, sold at a nearby counter. I've never had frozen custard, and thought they'd all be yellow like custard, but it actually comes in different flavors. At Portillo's, they sell chocolate and vanilla and have an assortment of specialty sundaes, but I just got a small vanilla with Oreo cookie crumbles.

Frozen custard was really creamy and thick, and I really enjoyed it. The Oreo cookies were a bit stale, but I didn't care. It was a nice way to wash down my dog.

And just to show you that I really went all out with the Chicago traditions on this trip, my co-workers and I went to Lou Malnati's for its deep dish pizza the night before. The deep dish pizza was loaded with cheese and fresh tomatoes that weren't tart, sprinkled with house-made sausages. What was amazing was the crust, some kind of twice-baked crust that held up nicely but was easy to bite into. Most of my co-workers could only eat one slice and save another slice for breakfast the next day.

Don't worry, I ate at a lot more Chicago spots and will be posting about them later this week. But for now, I can say that I'm no longer a Chicago dog virgin.

Portillo's, 100 W. Ontario St., Chicago (and various locations). PH: 312.587.8910. www.portillos.com



Lou Malnati's, 439 N. Wells St., Chicago (and various locations). PH: 312.828.9800, www.loumalnatis.com

Summary only...