Thymeless Openings: Kinmont Restaurant

Kinmont Restaurant,  419 W. Superior Street, Chicago, IL 60654. 312-915-0011
Photo Credit: (Instagram & Twitter) - @ChiJayhawk

Known for their sustainable fish and seafood, recommended for their oysters (and Alaskan King Crab), Kinmont Restaurant is the perfect location to catch-up with friends while sipping handcrafted cocktails or for a romantic dinner date. 

Nestled within the River North neighborhood of Chicago, in the former Zealous space, the cozy & intimate Kinmont, has an ambiance that exudes confidence, bringing in blended styles from Element Collective sister restaurants. Chandeliers that resemble Nellcote, textured damask walls like Old Town Social, exposed brick with intricate details from RM Champagne Salon, and my personal favorites...oriental rugs on the dining room ceiling and the copper bar, now representing Kinmont.

Kinmont: Dining Room Ceiling

Kinmont: Dining Room

Kinmont: Copper Bar

Kinmont: Fresh Crab Gratin (Aged Cheddar, Chives, Crispy Potatoes)

Kinmont: Grilled Hen of Woods Mushrooms (Smoked Buttermilk Ricotta, Lemon)

Kinmont: Smoked Carrots (Hazelnuts, Cumin, Carrot Top Gremolata)

Kinmont: Steak Tartare (Egg Yolk, Caper Berry, Pickled Onion, Grilled Bread) 

Kinmont: Seafood Platter (Raw Oysters, Chilled Shrimp, Alaskan King Crab, Bay Scallop Crudo)

Kinmont opens to the public tomorrow, Saturday, February 1st. Check out the menu featured on Eater Chicago and book your reservations on OpenTable today! 

Chicago Restaurant Week

Restaurant: Embeya, 10-course #CRW menu with wine pairings
Photo Credit: (Instagram & Twitter) - @ChiJayhawk

Chicago Restaurant Week is well on its way! Who doesn’t love amazing food, great wine and even better company?

With over 300 restaurants to choose from, where do you begin? Which restaurants are the best deals? Take a look at my tips for making the most of your 2014 Chicago Restaurant Week.

First, visit the Choose Chicago website and take a peek at the participating restaurants and get acquainted with the menus, then test your luck on OpenTable to reserve your table. Prix fixe lunch ($22) and dinner ($33 & $44) menus are available from January 24 – February 6, 2014. You might even get lucky; some restaurants extend the dates to accommodate their diners.

Need a head start? Here’s where I’m dining: Embeya, Green Zebra, Joe’s Seafood Prime Steak & Stone Crab and Kendall College Dining Room.

Joe’s Seafood Prime Steak & Stone Crab is my go-to restaurant every year with my girlfriends. We get all dressed up and have a sophisticated dinner, while stuffing our faces with Stone Crab Bisque, Filet Mignon or Alaskan King Crab, sides and desserts galore! You can never go wrong there – the lunch is $22 and the dinner is $44/person.

Next, I always try to make reservations at the upscale restaurants, which are usually more expensive to dine at. These restaurants may be more difficult to snag a table because most people are thinking the same way. Call and search for reservations at off-peak hours, so hopefully you can beat the rush.

Crowd pleasers: Blackbird, Embeya, Naha, Henri, Mexique, Table 52, Terzo Piano, Topolobampo, etc.

Or just go to the newer restaurants that have all the foodies tweeting about: Cicchetti, The Dawson, Summer House Santa Monica, Tanta, Travelle Restaurant at The Langham Chicago, etc.

This is the time to explore flavors, chefs and cuisine in Chicago – so, start crossing restaurants off your dining list…I dare you, ready go!

Italian-Inspired Guacamole

Photo Credit: (Instagram & Twitter) - @ChiJayhawk

When in the kitchen, reinventing old classics is one of my favorite things to do. There's something about bringing your own creativity to the table and putting your signature on a dish to make it unique and unlike anything others have made or tasted before. 

Guacamole is one of my trademark dishes. Traditional guacamole includes: avocado, tomato, Serrano peppers, red onion, cilantro, fresh lime juice, salt and pepper. I add fresh garlic and pomegranate seeds to give it that extra flair. After making my version of "traditional" guacamole over and over again, one day, I became inspired to try something new and "keep things interesting". I thought, why not make an Italian-inspired version of this classic dip? What would it taste like with basil, instead of cilantro? Let's find out. 

It's very important to follow the instructions and measure out exact amounts of each ingredient when baking. However, when cooking, I typically go by taste, rather than recipe. I make what I want to in that moment, so, when you create your work of food art from my blog, I encourage you to make it your own and add your own personal touch.

Ingredients:

2 Small Avocados

2-3 Tablespoons of Fresh Garlic/Onion/Shallot Mixture

Small Dash of White Horseradish

1-2 Roma Tomatoes

5 Basil Leaves

5 Drops of White Truffle Oil

1/4 Cup Creamy Toscano Cheese (can substitute for cheese of choice)

1 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

1 Package Parmesan Crisps (can substitute for croutons)

1/2 Lemon

Kosher Salt & Pepper to taste

Balsamic Glaze

Servings: 2

Directions: 

Mash up the avocados to a consistency that's chunky, rather than smooth. 

In a separate dish, after dicing up the garlic, onion and shallots, combine the three ingredients, along with a small dash of white horseradish and 5 drops of white truffle oil. 

Mix together with the avocados, then add diced up tomatoes, 4 finely chopped basil leaves, diced cheese, red pepper flakes and squeeze some of the lemon. 

Take 1-2 crisps and mash up into the dip. Remember that the Parmesan crisps are to add a crunchy texture to the creamy dip, so you won't want to make breadcrumbs out of them. 

At this point, taste and season to your liking. Plate and drizzle with balsamic glaze and 1 basil leaf. 

Enjoy!