Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Gino's Chicago
We would be remiss to visit Chicago and not eat deep dish pizza. Refusing to settle for any old Joe’s version of the windy city classic, we went to the place where the stars get their fix – Gino’s East. Gino’s walls, benches and even seat cushions are filled with the markings of past patrons, including someone who was smitten with the latest “Harry Potter” movie.
Deep dish takes about 45 minutes to cook, so we started out with calamari and a salad.
The calamari were the usual fare, but interestingly enough they came with a side of cocktail sauce. However, we were still starving and a touch impatient – we’d finished the games on the kiddie menu and even drawn extra eyes and arms on the pizza man.
Finally dinner arrived – and it was huge.
We ordered a medium when we should have got a small. Two slices of the monster and Yoi and Gavin were toast.
The beast must have had 10 pounds of mozzarella baked under a tangy layer of sauce. The crust was more like a butter-soaked biscuit than pizza crust – and we mean that in the best way possible. The homemade, crumbly sausage was not spicy, but still tasty – it was recommended, but pepperoni might be better.
Will wasn’t feeling the pizza vibe, so he ordered spaghetti, which was covered with the same sauce as the pizza. He could only get through half the plate – not just the pizza is overwhelming.
A slice of Gino’s deep dish is heavy and filling, but it’s grossly satisfying as long as you don’t overeat. Oprah apparently loves the bacon cheeseburger deep dish, which sounded like a heart attack special. While it was a treat, we won’t need that urge to be filled again for some time. Walking out, the line to be seated was around the block.
Its popularity is well deserved.
Ina’s - Chicago, IL
I wake up in the morning and I don’t know where I am. Great. Time for breakfast!
Seana, Martha Petry’s friend from the night before, invited Will, Gavin and I to have breakfast at her restaurant, Ina’s, while Jeremiah flew back to Brooklyn to attend a wedding. I was in a harsh state, mind-bogglingly hungover. Will drags my carcass and Gavin to Ina’s in the Blue Torch. As soon as we step into the restaurant, we are greeted by Ina and Seana. Our table will be ready in five minutes. Do we care to have a drink at the bar while we wait? Yes, please. More like, oh god, please yes! We all order bloody mary's and they are delicious. The horseradish and black pepper kick goes straight to my shriveled brain. The glasses are rimmed with celery salt and the whole thing is garnished with an enormous stalk of celery. This might be the drink they serve in heaven. Alcoholic heaven.
The table is ready in three minutes and it’s a lovely table, by the French doors where the sun streams in from the sidewalk. Seana comes to the table and informs us that Martha is buying the meal for us and takes the bar tab off the table and crumples it up in her hands. Without a beat she goes on to explain the whole menu and makes suggestions. What were we, celebrities? I don’t know what we did to deserve such VIP treatment.
Will goes for the vegetable hash with eggs.
Gavin orders one of the specials, pulled-pork hash.
I go for the smoked salmon omelet with bagel and cream cheese.
We also follow Seana’s suggestion and share the meat sampler. We chose the chicken, andouille, and veal chive sausages.
It’s hard to say which one was most delicious. I loved the texture of the veal sausage. It was very authentically German and would do any of its wurst brethren proud. My omelet was a fantastic cross between bagel and lochs and a smoked salmon omelet. The saltiness of the salmon and the capers melded with the sweetness of the cream and the bite of the red onion - delicious. My screaming brain is slowly regaining form.
Seana comes by during the meal with a plate of their coffee cake. The best coffee cake Will’s ever had. I even dip a piece into coffee (I don’t drink coffee) after Will and Gavin explain to me the origin of this cake’s name (remember, I don’t drink coffee. I’m not an idiot. Entirely.) Yum!
We gorge ourselves with this bounty until we can eat no more.
What a lovely, life-affirming meal. We can’t thank Seana and Martha and Ina and everyone at Ina’s enough for this splendid piece of civility in the middle of our grimy road trip. Cheers!
Seana, Martha Petry’s friend from the night before, invited Will, Gavin and I to have breakfast at her restaurant, Ina’s, while Jeremiah flew back to Brooklyn to attend a wedding. I was in a harsh state, mind-bogglingly hungover. Will drags my carcass and Gavin to Ina’s in the Blue Torch. As soon as we step into the restaurant, we are greeted by Ina and Seana. Our table will be ready in five minutes. Do we care to have a drink at the bar while we wait? Yes, please. More like, oh god, please yes! We all order bloody mary's and they are delicious. The horseradish and black pepper kick goes straight to my shriveled brain. The glasses are rimmed with celery salt and the whole thing is garnished with an enormous stalk of celery. This might be the drink they serve in heaven. Alcoholic heaven.
The table is ready in three minutes and it’s a lovely table, by the French doors where the sun streams in from the sidewalk. Seana comes to the table and informs us that Martha is buying the meal for us and takes the bar tab off the table and crumples it up in her hands. Without a beat she goes on to explain the whole menu and makes suggestions. What were we, celebrities? I don’t know what we did to deserve such VIP treatment.
Will goes for the vegetable hash with eggs.
Gavin orders one of the specials, pulled-pork hash.
I go for the smoked salmon omelet with bagel and cream cheese.
We also follow Seana’s suggestion and share the meat sampler. We chose the chicken, andouille, and veal chive sausages.
It’s hard to say which one was most delicious. I loved the texture of the veal sausage. It was very authentically German and would do any of its wurst brethren proud. My omelet was a fantastic cross between bagel and lochs and a smoked salmon omelet. The saltiness of the salmon and the capers melded with the sweetness of the cream and the bite of the red onion - delicious. My screaming brain is slowly regaining form.
Seana comes by during the meal with a plate of their coffee cake. The best coffee cake Will’s ever had. I even dip a piece into coffee (I don’t drink coffee) after Will and Gavin explain to me the origin of this cake’s name (remember, I don’t drink coffee. I’m not an idiot. Entirely.) Yum!
We gorge ourselves with this bounty until we can eat no more.
What a lovely, life-affirming meal. We can’t thank Seana and Martha and Ina and everyone at Ina’s enough for this splendid piece of civility in the middle of our grimy road trip. Cheers!
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