Since the first time I visited 42 Grams, there has been a few positive reviews. Hence, my return is totally justified (aside the fact that I really enjoyed the food last time).
Just a little background: 42 Grams was originally started as an underground dinner as Sous Rising with Jake Bickelhaupt after his time with Schwa and Alinea and Charlie Trotter.
Crispy Snacks - Vidalia Onion Parchment, Fish-n-Chips, Flax Crisp & Kale dust
We begin the night with a few crunchy snack. The onion chip is packed with the sweet onion flavor. The Fish-n-Chips is extraordinary as it brings in the nice salmon skin flavor, while the Flax Crisp brings in the simple nutty flavor.
Juniper Jump - Hendricks Gin, Cucumber, Lime, Rosewater, Hibiscus, Orchid
One of my favorites from my last visit. The sweetness from the Hendrick's Gin cube, the floral Rosewater snow and the Lime cube turn this into a fine, sweet and floral "cocktail". In addition, the hibiscus flavor lingers after consumption, giving you a nice floral breath.
Soup - Osetra Caviar, Fingerling Potato, Tomato, Chips, Green Pea, Milk, Pollen
Another favorite from my last trip here. This "cheesy" potato soup delivers the creaminess and flavor that you would crave for more. The simple greens is a great addition to the soup as it balance out the saltiness from the soup. My favorite is the tomato chips, it's exquisitely flavorful and tasty while retaining a hint of tomato flavor.
Salad - Beetroot Macaroon, Shallot, Quail Yolk, Fromage Blanc, Lettuce & Herbs
The fromage cheese puree provides a nice "dressing" for the lettuce, along with the beet flavored Macaroon, turned this dish into a refreshing salad after the soup. The quail yolk is always fun to have as you can pop it in your mouth like a cherry tomato.
Coconut - Tom Yum, Lime, Cilantro
Another one of my favorite from my last trip. This deconstructed Coconut Tom Yum bite makes you think of a tom yum, with all the coconut flavor.
Flavors of the Sea - Scallop, Razor Clam, Shellfish Broth Foam, Phytoplankton, Trout Roe, Sea Grape, Oyster Leaf
This course is a tribute to Charlie Trotter. The scallop and Clam were both cooked perfectly. I especially liked the scallop as it exude the scallop's sweetness. The trout roe adds in a nice poppy crunch to the dish while the oyster leaf adds in the brininess. The combination of all of these ingredients turn this dish into a symphony of the sea.
Peekytoe Crab - Avocado, Tomatillo, Tequila, Jicama, Tostada, Osyter Blossom
The crab is sweet, tasty and quite "meaty" and meshed really well with the avocado. Yet, the broth is the essence of this dish. It's clean, flavorful and packed quite a punch. Maybe it's just me, but this dish reminds me of a really flavorful but clean fish taco, but far more tasty.
Veal Sweetbread - Creme Fraiche Horseradish, Pomegranate, Oxalis, Dried Green Apple
The sweetbread is flavorful, tender and "buttery". I also tasted a hint of peanut in the sweetbread. The pomegranate and green apple provides a nice balance with the heaviness from the sweetbread.
4 ways Duck - Duck Breast, Duck Tongue, Crumble Duck Skin, Duck Juice, Umeboshi, Long Bean, Ash-Baked Eggplant, Red Shiso foam
I mentioned that I didn't enjoy the duck last time, however, the duck this time is perfectly cooked. Flavorful and succulent, the duck breast is cooked to perfection. I also enjoyed the duck skin powder as you can really taste the crispy skin while the duck tongue offers a nice crunchy bite. The bean is also quite flavorful along with the egg plant, which offers a nice contrast to the meaty and "heavier" duck.
Hudson Valley Foie Gras - Pear, Cipollini Onion, Daikon, Mustard, Blis Elixer
The seared foie is creamy, butter and flavorful. It's richness is nicely balanced by the pear puree and the cooked pear. The addition of onion adds in a mild sweetness, which elevate this dish to a creamy blitz.
Tart - Rhubarb, White Chocolate, Cherry Chief Blossom
This is a fun little bite before our dessert. It pops in your mouth as a mildly sweet "cream" with clean rhubarb flavor. I especially like the white chocolate shell though, as it's not too sweet.
Sweets - House-made Root Beer, Bourbon Maple, Galangal cake, Buble Gum Hyssop
Our dessert is a home made "root beer" float. The root beer "skin" offers a nice root beer flavor and meshed really well with the bourbon maple ice cream. The ice cream offers a nice maple syrup sweetness while not drowning out the root beer flavor. The Galangal cake is a bit gingery but mildly sweet, which goes well with the entire dish as it offers a substance to bite. I have to say, I do want another serving of this, or two.
Salty - Pecorino Cheese 3 ways - Crisp, Foam and Fondue
A nice little bite to wrap up the evening is a home made style "Cheetos". The crisp is made with the cheese eaten with cheesy foam and fondue. The saltiness and cheesiness from the crisp make this a nice little bite.
Caffinee - Sparrow's 42 grams Blend, Cardamom cream
To wrap up our evening, we have a coffee moose made with Sparrow's coffee. It's airy, creamy but light. I like the hazelnut and cardamom spice as it gives off the nutty, earthy flavor.
During this visit of 42 grams, I can really taste Jake's improvement on all his dishes. His dishes are more refined while keeping the playfulness of the dishes. Also, the timing of dishes has also become better, at times I have to eat faster to accommodate picture taking and eating. I did worry before the dinner because there wasn't that much gap between my last dinner but I'm glad I did come back. I have to say, 42 Grams can marvel at the Chicago food scene, with ease.
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