Despite the temps, today’s the last official day of summer. So instead of lamenting the loss of barbecue and watermelon, get excited about fall’s seasonal flavors. From Jerusalem artichokes to heirloom apples, autumn ingredients are already finding their way onto chefs’ menus.
Kaze
2032 W. Roscoe St. 773-327-4860
Hot pick: Monkfish liver
Word of mouth: “The best time for monkfish is right now. The fish are getting pregnant, so they’re fatty and oily and [of] a better quality,” chef Macku Chan says.
On the menu: Monkfish liver pate ($6). Even if you’re turned off by traditional goose liver pate, there’s a good chance you’ll like this inventive new sushi spot’s seafood version. After marinating it in sake, Chan steams and sears the round pate. The result is creamy and sweet–not smoky like most kinds. Asian pear and a tomato breadstick help balance the intense creaminess and a yamamomo (mountain raspberry) cleanses the palate. Order this dish until November or December, depending on the quality and availability of the monkfish.
Think Cafe
2235 N. Western Ave. 773-394-0537
Hot pick: Organic fennel
Word of mouth: Chef Omar Rodriguez says, “Few people use fennel, but the aroma and flavor has a nice kick. When you cut it, the perfumelike anise aroma comes out.”
On the menu: French-cut pork chops with sauteed spinach, green asparagus and tequila-fennel sauce ($20). To make the sauce, Rodriguez sautes and purees fresh organic fennel with garlic and olive oil. The puree is then boiled with chicken stock and tequila, reduced and stirred with butter, to make a demiglaze. The result? A rich white sauce infused with the sweet flavor of fennel. Find the dish on this romantic Bucktown spot’s fall menu beginning Oct. 1.
Avec
615 W. Randolph St. 312-377-2002
Hot pick: Heirloom apples
Word of mouth: Chef Koren Grieveson plans on taking advantage of the fall apple harvest at this Randolph Street buzz spot. “It’s a great time for heirloom apples. They’re just a better-tasting apple–the flavor is more intense, more true to form.”
On the menu: Heirloom apple salad ($8). This crisp, autumn-inspired salad of shaved apples, manchego cheese, watercress, Spanish almonds, shaved celery and chives is tossed with apple-cider vinegar and drizzled lightly with an apple-cider glaze. Available through January.
Wave
644 N. Lake Shore Drive, 312-255-4460
Hot pick: Squash
Word of mouth: “I like [autumn squash] because it has integrity–it doesn’t get watery. It has a nice, buttery flavor but is still mild,” says Wave’s new chef, Kristine Subido.
On the menu: Vegetarian b’stilla ($17). Set in the chic W Hotel-Lakeshore restaurant, this Moroccan pie is traditionally made with braised pigeon, but Subido uses roasted pumpkin and acorn and butternut squashes instead. A flaky crust holds the savory filling of squash, raisins and almonds ,and, once baked, the whole deal is dusted with powdered sugar. A cup of broth comes with the pie.
Cafe Matou
1846 N. Milwaukee Ave. 773-384-8911
Hot pick: Jerusalem artichokes
(a.k.a. sunchokes)
Word of mouth: Chef Charlie Socher says, “They’re a lot of fun to work with because of their flavor, which is similar to artichoke bottoms. It’s a nuttier flavor, almost like a Brazil nut but without the tang.”
On the menu: A cross between ginger and potato, this hearty root vegetable pairs well with game meats. Socher cubes and fries the tuber in duck fat to pair with venison ($24) and purees it to top Gruyere cheese and garlic crouton-stuffed quail ($19). Expect Jerusalem artichokes to dot the menu of this adorable bistro beginning in October.
