for the love of food: Sepia (02.19.2012)

as part of Restaurant Week, we decided to check out some fancier spots that'd typically be too spendy for us to even want to consider. I watch Top Chef like its a job, and wanted to see what all the fuss was about over terrines and giant plates topped with a tablespoon of rich food. I'd heard good things about Sepia via various blogs, and snagged an early evening reservation on the first Sunday of RW. the restaurant was built in an old 1890s print shop, and actually features original flooring. its dark and cozy, and a modern-day printing company still uses the upstairs space.

cool tile

cocktails

r & r smash (templeton rye, carpano antica vermouth, cherry heering, brandied cherries, rosemary, lemon, old-fashioned bitters): so so good. I learned that templeton rye is a whiskey, and it was crazy-good with the brandied cherries and lemon. so good.

boston martha (magnolia & oolong tea infused michael collins irish whiskey, yellow enartreuse, honey, lemon, eggwhite, orange bitters): tea and whiskey was yummy. topped with frothy eggwhites, it made me think of a more mellow pisco sour. it was sweeter than the other drink, so it was fun to sip different drinks with different courses.

r&r smash ... boston martha

course one

cavatelli, duck sugo, grana padano: this was really really rich. and the portion teeny tiny. the sauce was light but creamy, and the the little pastas were like mini-gnocchis.

salad of fennel, blood orange, baby arugula, ricotta: when we scooped up a little of each component on the fork, this was yummy as hell. it was fresh and bright and really light.

course two

hot smoked rainbow trout, dill, apple, buttermilk: the smoke made me think of camping, and the apple + dill + buttermilk combination killllllllled it. the portion was generous, and the skin was crispy.

fig-stuffed pork tenderloin, sauerkraut, potatoes: bites with fig in 'em were deadly and juicy. the fig-free bites were less impressive, though I liked bites of pork and sauerkraut and potatoes. Rob was happy that we got more food in the second course, and the housemade bread and butter was awesome.

course three

chocolate port mousse, chocolate cake, meringue, almonds: hellllllo. little bites of marshmallow-y meringue with super-chocolatey cake, a light chocolate mousse, and candied almonds? yeah, I'd eat this again.

rose yogurt bavarian cream, coconut cake, dried fruit: so light and delicate, the coconut cake was almost like a souffle. the cream was delicious, and I could actually taste the rose (read: it tasted like roses smell...does that make sense?!)

overall, the food was tasty. rich. different than our typical fare. the drinks were pretty damn good. service was exceptional (to the point that the frequency of check-ins made Rob a bit uncomfortable). looking around, it seemed as though other young-professionals had the same idea, as no one really looked like they were 100% comfortable in the surroundings. they stored our coats in a heated closet, for God's sake. I don't think Sepia is a place we'll frequent, or really even visit again, but it was fun to try something fancy and new.

for the love of food: Cafe Ba Ba Reeba (02.18.2012)

we kicked off Restaurant Week at a little Spanish place that I'd heard lots about in the blog world. I was pumped, to say the least. Rob was excited that we'd be eating tapas, since he loves appetizer-style small plates. our prix fixe menu consisted of our choice of one pinxto + two tapas + one paella + one dessert from their extensive menu. our strategy (is there ever not one with us?!) was to order things we typically wouldn't if we were paying a la carte, so we kinda honed in on the most expensive options on the menu and really really got our money's worth at this place...

we chose...

classic white sangria: Rob prefers his drinks sweeter than I do, so we met halfway and chose this to drink. it was really good, and full of apples and oranges and lemons...

short-rib stuffed piquillo pepper: so, so good. they had a little kick to them, but not so much that Rob-the-anti-spice didn't like it. the short ribs just melted in our mouths.

ahi tuna poached in olive oil on avocado toast: these were mild and mellow, but still pretty rich. I would have liked a little more acid (listen to meeee, all TopChef-esque).

scallops, spaghetti squash, cranberry vinaigrette: these were amazing when all the parts were combined on one fork. I've not had much experience with spaghetti squash, but I'd really like to be its friend now. the cranberry pulled the saltiness out of the scallops and really made the dish cohesive.

beef tenderloin & blue cheese: Rob was hesitant to order these, since he doesn't care for blue cheese. in this case, it made the dish. tender meat + salty creamy cheese, served with housemade kettle chips...holy tastebuds, Batman.

spiced lamb kebabs with lemon, mint & tomato: these had just the right amount of spice, and the tomato sauce and torn mint highlighted the flavors. I love each and every one of these components separately, so slamming them together was awesome.

pork ribs, dry rubbed & sherry glazed: OH. MY. GAWD. these fell off the bone as soon as they touched our lips. the serving size was generous (5 decent-sized ribs, if I remember correctly) and the glaze was perfect.

paella with shrimp, sea scallops, mussels, green beans & cherry tomatoes: of everything we tried, this was the least exciting. I'm not exactly obsessed with paella in the first place, and I'm certainly no expert...but this dish was a little bland/flat. we still did our best to polish it off, though!

dulce de leche with tres leches cake: you could smother my hand with dulce de leche, and I'd probably be willing to chew off my hand. for realz. this was so rich and sweet and terrific, and the tres leches cake was a perfect 'background' for it.

pistachio olive oil cake with marinated oranges: Rob was initially drawn to the banana ice cream, but swapped his order to this at the last second, and it was incredible. the olive oil cake was super moist, and the macerated oranges were the perfect balance of sweet and tart. the marinade wasn't overly sweet, which I was grateful for.

overall, I love love LOVED Cafe Ba Ba Reeba. we left with full tummies and looking forward to our next visit. the menu was long, and I can't wait to try more. all of the pics that I took came out too dark :[

(sidenote: our friends Chris and Jen took us to another tapas place up in Wrigleyville on Saturday night...so unreal. I can't choose a favorite just yet...I'll have to go try 'em again)