Thursday, January 24, 2013

GooseFoot

Recently, Chicago Tribune named Chris Nugent as their chef of the year in 2012. Lucky for me, my reservation at Goosefoot comes a few days after that was announced. Hence, I was definitely excited to try Chef Nugent's creation.

One of the best thing at Goosefoot is their BYOB policy. Most restaurants at this level would have wine pairing and charge you if you bring your own alcohol, but not at Goosefoot as there's no wine pairing at the moment. Funny fact though, they can open the bottle, but they can't pour the alcohol for you. So it's straight up a Pour Your Own Bottle type of restaurant! 

Now onto the food....




Golden Beet/ Goat Cheese/ Parmigiano Reggiano



Lobster/ Scallop/ Licorice Root/ Curry

Start off nicely is this beautifully cooked scallop combined with the robust lobster bisque curry. The curry is simple, light but rich in flavor. A great start.


Shrimp/ Preserved garlic/ Rosemary/ Parmigiano Reggiano



Chestnut soup/Alba Mushroom/Potato/Truffle Essence

The chestnut soup brings upon a rich and creamy texture, combined with the earthly truffle foam, creates a nice orchestra of warmth and homey feeling. The potato and mushroom provides a nice munch, which enhances the experience.


Loup De Mer/ Leek/ Yuzu


Duck Braest/ Spiced Beluga Lentils/ Ginger/ Compressed apple


Angus Beef/ Heirloom carrots/ Goosefoot/ Cumin/ Shallot jus

This beef is beautifully cooked: Tender and juicy. Combined with the mild sweetness of the carrot puree, the beef's saltiness is balanced out. Surprisingly, the savoriness of the beef becomes lighter as well. 


Crispy Goats Milk Cheese/ Lemon Balm/ Red Pepper/ Balsamic Vinaigrette

The light crispy crust of the goat cheese combined with the vinaigrette provides a light, yet delicious, cheese course. The goat cheese is so light and airy, it makes gorging this cheese a guilt free pleasure.



Pomegranate & Olive Shooter



Pear/ Armagnac/ Cassia/ Pine

At times, you're at a loss of words to describe a course. This course is exactly that: it's just delicious. The pairing of mousse of Pear, Armagnac and Cassia creates a simple delicious course. 



A little espresso before our final dessert.


Chocolate/ Passion Fruit/ Coconut/ Ice Wine

To the final dessert, this chocolate course provides a nice chocolate flavor with a mild sweet passion fruit mousse, along with the light coconut cream becomes a symphony of gastro-music. Mmm-Mmm-Good.



A little gooseberry as our parting gift.



I came into Goosefoot with a lot of excitement and expectation. But this meal total blows me away. I was intrigued by the depth of this meal: The creativity, the blend of flavors, the correct balance of savory to light and the warm and depth of the food. I'd have to say that it's refreshing to have a chef who can create this kind of meal. Chef of the year? Chef Chris Nugent definitely deserves it.

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