Wednesday night, though, I did get out of the house for a good dinner with a friend from grad school.
Deanna was in town, on a work trip that is seeing her through a few major US cities. Conrad and I had shared a meal with her in Paris a few years back, and now that she was on her first time in Chicago, she returned the favour. Over a few hours at Custom House, we caught up. An enjoyable time, most of all for the company. The food, however, did it's part, too.I'd only been to Custom House once before, not long after it opened (I think) and for brunch. I had been curious about it for dinner, in fact, and with Deanna's hotel within walking distance of the restaurant, it was convenient to meet there.
I don't have full menu descriptions, just a rough idea of what we had.
My dinner: veal cheeks served with a marrow bruschetta. I've long liked marrow, in fact, though I seldom have it. This was deliciously nutty in flavour.
We shared side dishes: a squash puree and a potato and sheep's milk cheese gratin. Behind those two dishes you can see Deanna's dinner of rabbit.
I liked dessert more than dinner, though dinner was fine. Deanna had a gingerbread,
which the waiter advised us had some real kick to it. It tasted fine, but it was not so strong as he seemed to think. My dessert was a frozen honey custard (lovely!) with caramelized onion cake.
Think zucchini bread, but made with caramelized onions, and light and spongy. I could definitely taste the onion, but it melded well with the custard and sauce. Good stuff.So add Custom House to the list of places to go back to and try more things. Meaty meals to be had there - no bad thing. In the meantime, Deanna should be winding down her trip in San Francisco before heading back to Paris. I hope she's enjoying the west coast and dining well there!
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