Long Lunch...To nourish and warm our souls...

Ash and I were cold and hungry. We wanted to find a nice quiet spot for "long lunch" We stumbled onto a nice place called Farmerie 58. This was a very quiet spot...(we were there at about 3pm on a Monday) but the menu looked great and we weren't going to walk any farther. It was a menu that stressed simple yet great meals... Seasonal menus, sustainable producers, and a chef that takes an inspiration from Asain, French, and American Cuisine. They also have a raw bar but we went with the hot food. (it was seriously 20 degrees with wind)The cool thing about this place was that you order the lunch and it is a three course meal. There were about 5 options for each course. Ashley and I also wanted to try the spring rolls (see me smiling). Duck Confit Spring Rolls.
Awesome...And look at the presentation. The yellow sauce was a spicy mustard that was delicious with the rolls and wine!

Our waiter Steven was very nice and informative. He picked out his favorite Sauvignon Blanc from the menu (for Ash). It was a crispy tart selection from New Zealand. As many of you know Ashley is a fanatic about this fun little grape, the Sauvignon Blanc. Originaly used in Bordeax blanc blends, the grape has become a hot item in warm climates such as New Zealand and Chile. See Morande<---

We were drinking The CrossingsTheir sauv. Blanc is there flagship varietal and really was a great accompionment to our food. While I like a bit more grassyness in my Sauvignon Blanc's, (think French Maid, Boeger in our Vault) Ash loved the gooseberry and lime flavors. (think Chilean Sauvignon Blancs)


Ok on to the food... Three courses of goodness, about a 2.5 hour lunch!

Arugula Salad.
All arugula with lemon aioli and flaked parmiggiano reggiano. The salad looked great. It was so so fresh. The dressing was just way to salty. I am not sure if that is how it was supposed to be but it was really over done. We picked away at it and decided, if it were to have our lemon vinagrette from the deli instead, it would have been a winner.Lobster Bisque
I can never turn down a good lobster soup when presented. I really enjoyed this creamy, and rich soup. It wasn't overly sweetened like some bisques and had just the right spices to set off the lobster. I would have liked larger lobster pieces, but it was the lunch portion and therefor sufficient.

Salmon BLT
This was Ashleys pick for the main entree and it was very nice. It was a huge portion of salmon on toasted whole grain with bacon, lettuce, tomato. Served with REAL shoestring fries.

Grilled Chicken Sandwich
This too was a huge portion of protien. I am not sure how they could make money on that? The chicken was very tender and moist. I wasn't a huge fan of the roll so I ditched that after about three bites and just went for the chicken. It also had a lemony-mayo that was very tasty. This too was served with shoestring fries.

Chocolate Trio
Ashley ordered this decadent dish as her third and final course and it was so, so, so rich. There was a flourless chocolate cake component, (Don't worry John, your's is still the champion), chocolate pudding and then chocolate gelato. Steven told us that he had never seen anyone finish it all and although we tried were also unsuccessful.

Ginger Creme Brulee
This was the best dessert either of us have had in a while. The creme brulee was so smooth and creamy with vanilla, ginger and lemony flavors. The top was flamed to a crispy perfection that was candy-like. This was the winner of the meal and I really would go back here just for this dish. The berries were super fresh and complimented the creamy pudding well. You have to go try this when in Chicago!!

We were very impressed with Steven and since his shift was over he invited us to go have a drink with him and his friend in Wrigleyville. This is the neighborhood around Wrigley Stadium and was just a quick EL ride north on the red line. Alot of young professionals and students reside in the beautiful row houses here. Steven and his friend Chris had been roomates in Boston as undergrads and now were in Chicago doing more studies.

Jared, Chris, and Steven. Now our connection in Chicago..












Dinner that night wasn't all that great as we went to Bin 36 and had very bad service but decent wine. More on that later.