Dinner Social Club

A very wise friend recently created Dinner Social Club. What's Dinner Social Club? 

Dinner Social Club: a non-exclusive monthly club for friends to get together, share a great meal and better company.

Details: 
- Dinner will occur on the last Wednesday of every month, around 7:30 p.m.
- Restaurant locations will vary
- Diners are encouraged to make restaurant/cuisine recommendations for upcoming dinners
- All participants will order with 'sharing' in mind and split the bill evenly
- RSVP the week before the dinner
- Friends can bring friends
- No cell phones allowed at the table! (I am the exception, however, and will write a review of each restaurant visited)

Homestead on the Roof was the first location for Dinner Social Club. The farm-to-table restaurant is located above Roots Handmade Pizza at 1924 W. Chicago Avenue and has recently opened its doors to accommodate year-round dining. DSC founder is convinced Homestead is "one of the most underrated restaurants in the city"and I agree. 

Start out with a specialty cocktail, crafted by Beverage Director Benjamin Schiller. If you're a fan of Bourbon, Chicagoist named The Weston (Bourbon, Dark Matter Coffee Essence, Pipe Tobacco) in their "Top 10 Cocktails in Chicago." There's something for everyone, depending on your spirit of choice, so taste one, or try them all. 

Executive Chef, Chris "Chip" Davies, takes advantage of seasonal ingredients, as the menu changes often. He also does an excellent job of combining different flavor profiles to produce stand-out dishes with perfectly paired ingredients. Some of my favorite selections:

From the garden:
- Kale Salad: Local Apples, Burnt Cheddar, Pomegranate, Bacon and Cider Dressing 

From the water:
- Moroccan Spiced Mussels: Sumac Apples, Calvados, Fried Chickpeas, House-made Sour Dough

From the mill (my personal favorite):
- Beef Short Rib Sugo: Pappardelle Pasta, Pecorino, Pickled Chilies, Saba

From the land:
- Chicken Skins: House Sriracha-Honey Mustard, Pickled Mustard Seeds

While we were all stuffed by the time the dessert menu came, we still saved a little bit of room to order two. Not only did Executive Pastry Chef, Chris Teixeira, nail the pastry presentations, but they tasted incredible too. 

We shared a bunch of small plates/desserts and we were pleasantly surprised when the check came that it wasn't more expensive. If you're looking for a truly unique farm-to-table intimate dinner experience, I highly recommend Homestead on the Roof. 

Up next for Dinner Social Club, Oiistar. Check back for a review and follow the hashtag: #DinnerSocialClub on Instagram for a sneak-peek!

Sweet & Spicy Mandarin Beef

Lately, I've loved making homemade sauces and dressings (garlic horseradish aoili, red wine vinaigrette, buffalo sauce, meat sauce, teriyaki sauce)... and now sweet & spicy mandarin orange sauce. 

When deciding what to cook for dinner tonight, I wanted to combine meat with vegetables and rice, but didn't want traditional stir-fry and I was looking for a sweet and spicy sauce with an elevated flavor profile. This stand-out dish is easy to prepare, tasty and has a beautiful presentation. 

Ingredients & Directions:  Sweet & Spicy Mandarin Sauce 

1 teaspoon Garlic

1 teaspoon Rice Vinegar

3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

3 Tablespoons Mandarin Orange juice

1 teaspoon Sake

1/2 teasoon Plum Gekkeikan

1/2 teaspoon sesame seed oil

1/2 teaspoon Sriracha (add more if you like a lot of spice)

1/2 teaspoon Honey

1/2 teaspoon Brown Sugar (add more if you want a thicker sauce consistency)

Orange Zest & Orange Peel

Ground Ginger

Sesame Seeds

Mandarin Oranges

Servings: 1-2

Combine garlic and rice vinegar in a small sauce pan on low heat. Let the garlic brown a little before adding in soy sauce, mandarin orange juice, sake, Plum Gekkeikan and sesame seed oil. Stir in between adding each ingredient to meld the flavors together. Next, add in the Sriracha and honey. When pouring in the Sriracha, add a little bit at a time, to ensure it is not too spicy for your liking. Finally, add in the brown sugar, followed by a little bit of orange zest, ground ginger, sesame seeds and mandarin oranges before letting the liquid mixture simmer for 15 minutes. Remember to stir the sauce a few times. 

While the sauce is simmering, you can get started on preparing the rest of the dish. After about 15 minutes, taste and add in any additional sweetness or spice, then reduce heat.  

Steak:

In this particular dish, I used sirloin, but flank steak is also a good option. You want the steak to be at room temperature prior to cooking (take out of the refrigerator approx 30-40 minutes before cooking), season with salt and pepper and brush with wok oil. Cook the steak on one side for 2 minutes and then flip and sear for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes on the other side. Then, let the steak cool for about 10 minutes and slice into pieces. 

Vegetable:

Pour a small amount of oil in a skillet and pan-sear rinsed asparagus for approximately 10 minutes. 

Rice:

Next, cook your brown or white rice - I used Trader Joe's frozen brown rice, which cooks in the microwave for 3 minutes. 

Now that all of your ingredients are prepared, it's time to plate your dish. 

Presentation:

Place the asparagus on the bottom of your plate or bowl. Take one large orange peel and place in the center of the dish and put the steak on top forming an "x". On both sides, scoop brown rice and top with mandarin oranges. 

Drizzle the mandarin sauce over the steak and rice, then enjoy!