114359 Tue Dec 02 11:24:27 -0800 2003 22 7 Chicago Area 0 622317 I've usually operated on the premise that if I have a truly awful meal somewhere, it's neither kind nor necessary to loudly publicize that fact. Bad restaurants can fail under the weight of their own leaden gnocchi I figure, and I'm also not so arrogant about my own palate to think that it's the final arbiter of taste. Nevertheless. The current issue of The Reader (from last Thursday) has a glowing profile (by Laura Levy Shatkin) of an absolutely charming and lovely woman from Rome, who just opened her own restaurant, the eponymous Cucina di Donatella, in Rogers Park. I had occasion to eat there and talk with Donatella de Vette about 2 weeks ago, BEFORE the review was published in the Reader. She is in fact charming and lovely and passionate about her culinary heritage. She speaks warmly about her mother's recipes and about how she's the product of both northern and southern Italian traditions, which she's tried to bring together on the menu. We started off ordering five dishes, two appetizers and three entrees. In appearance the Caprese Salad was straightforward enough, although pretty lifeless. The cheese wasn’t mozzarella di bufala, but I don’t think they said it was. Yes, there are some good domestic mozzarellas, but either this wasn’t one or someone thought that aging fresh mozzarella was appropriate. The flavor and texture just weren't there. The tomatoes were as bad as they get in a Chicago winter, and had just been pulled out of the icebox to boot. They were ice cold, hard, and flavorless. There was little to no seasoning-- even a great summer tomato's flavor can be brightened by a tiny bit of salt, pepper, and olive oil. I asked for some balsamic vinegar to try to boost this salad into the edible category, and the response from the waiter (Donatella's American husband) was surprise. But he brought me some -- in a metal pitcher. This in itself isn't any great faux pas, but I was already a little suspicious of the whole place (more on that later), and at that point felt like we weren't being told the whole truth about anything on the menu. Next came the vaunted minestrone soup, eloquently extolled not only in the Reader article but also in a conversation one of my tablemates had with Donatella over the phone, when making the reservation. I'll be brief about what my tongue figured the recipe to be: finely chop up some cruciferous vegetables in your food processor, put them in some boiled water, serve. Oh, I forgot-- lastly drizzle a thin stream of olive oil on top for dramatic effect. First entree was a fish- Orata (bream?) con fagiolini. Maybe the fish was cooked in cleaning vinegar, or pickled, but the flavor and odor of sour vinegar was so overpowering in this dish as to render it inedible. I have no idea what the mushy green sauce was on top, but that may have been the source of the vinegar flavor. It was probably a blessing that the fish was overcooked, and the portion size so small. For $18, with no side. Second entree- Straccetti e rucola (steak with arugula). The waiter described this dish in magnificent terms-- a filet cooked to perfection, then sliced very thinly, then tossed with lightly sauteed arugula until the cooking juices blend to form a delicate sauce. What we got was a plate of tough, gristly, shriveled, overcooked, unseasoned "Italian beef" meat, with some unrecognizable, cooked-to-a-pulp greens mixed in. It wasn’t edible. If it had been, it should have cost $4.95 with fries, instead of $14 with no side. Third entree- Fettuccine alla boscaiola (fettuccine in the style of the forester's wife). The waiter described it as: green and white fettuccine cooked al dente and then topped with a ragu of three different kinds of ground meat and equal number of mushrooms, simmered all day long. Hmmm, I thought, it could be her special version of a bolognese sauce, which might be good. I give them credit-- this dish was edible, but only because the pasta was cooked well. The meat "sauce" may have been cooking all day, but they certainly hadn't added any liquid to the simmer. And sauce is perhaps too generous a word, since what came on the plate were pieces of crumbled meat that had been cooked completely dry, and which then fell to the side of the plate, almost refusing to have anything to do with the nice pasta in the middle. Or perhaps it was the other way around, looking at things from the point of view of the pasta. We ate it, because after all, we were a little hungry at that point. Price was around $11 or $12. There were 4 or 5 kinds of pizza on the menu. We tried to order one, but the waiter told us they were out. At 7:30 on a Friday night. We declined dessert and coffee. Decor is reminiscent of a partially renovated White Hen Pantry. Bright fluorescent lights and the glare of a Snapple refrigerator case become a little hard on the eyes after a while. Don't miss the photo of Gomer Pyle slurping up a plate of spaghetti, high on the east wall. Service from the husband-waiter came with a maximum amount of aggressiveness and attitude. Granted we were curious about every dish, and asked a lot of questions about recipes and sources of some unusual ingredients, but his defensiveness was over the top. At the end of the meal he apologized to the table, but it came with a tinge of arrogance and suspicion that seemed to convey the need to protect the value of their franchise. I'll disclaim now so as to get any possible flame wars settled beforehand. If you've eaten here and like it, it's always chaq'un a son gout on this board, as far as I'm concerned. With dining recommendations it’s obvious that caveat comesor applies, and one man's meat is another man's poison, . . . and I've probably run out of multi-lingual cliches. Have I been too harsh? Probably, but I thought something should be said after LLS's review, which read like a publicist's dream. Perhaps I've prevented anyone on this board from ever trying it and thus saved you, my virtual tablemates, from falling on an ugly sword. But I also feel as if I'd LIKE someone to go there now and convince me that it's not really as bad as we thought. If you go, it is BYOB. joel La Cucina di Donatella 2221 W. Howard 773-262-6533 (Right next door to the Fish Keg.) Tue Dec 02 11:24:27 -0800 2003 0 joel 1 622320 Joel, Interesting review, but I just couldn't get a sense if you liked the place or not. Maybe next review you could be a little more definitive. Enjoy, Gary Tue Dec 02 12:40:00 -0800 2003 622317 0 G Wiv 1 622322 As I have said before "Beware of dilette Chicago food writers", especially LLS. She more than the others (Vettel, Eng, etc. --still ALL dilettantes) is seduced by the perceived romance and importance of her station. She IS more of a "publicist" than critic. A toughtful critic visits anonymously and does not "bond" with the owners before or after the review is posted. We all know that an owner with an great personality can offset set less than stellar food. Ms, Shatkin easily falls in love with every dimmunitve, ethnic restaurant she visits (especially BYOB's -- see next comment). What irks me most recently as that she now fancies herself as a "wine writer" as well. Where are their credentials???? What culinary training do they have? Where have they cooked, served, etc.? We are certainly at a disadvantage living in such a large city without a single qualified food critic (Mimi Sheraton, Ruth Reichl please save us!). SSS Tue Dec 02 13:07:53 -0800 2003 622317 0 so, sorry-sari 2 622323 'What irks me most recently as that she now fancies herself as a "wine writer" as well.' You are correct. The big problem is that she does not know much, if anything, about wine. If you do not have a thorough knowledge of wine, or food for that matter, you should not be writing about it as a presumed expert. It makes me question their journalistic integrity. Tue Dec 02 13:25:59 -0800 2003 622322 0 Peter Piper 3 622432 the weird thing is, if you reread LLS's 'review' of donatella's restaurant,in light of joels very negative experience, you can see she never actually claims to have eaten there. she basically quotes the chef. this is really despicable journalism. if she hasnt eaten there, she should say so. if she has, why is there no reference to what she herself has eaten? Wed Dec 03 18:36:25 -0800 2003 622323 0 joan 4 622442 .I searched for it on the Reader site, but came up empty. Do you have a link, or do you remember what week's issue contained it? Wed Dec 03 21:01:05 -0800 2003 622432 0 peg 4 622497 I as person who has actually met LLS -- I don't believe she eats at all. She about a size 1 or 2!!! Promblem #1 - skinny food writers...... SSS Thu Dec 04 16:20:30 -0800 2003 622432 0 So, sorry-sari 1 622327 Thanks, Joel. I, for one, found the review well-written, informative, and appropriately wary of being the definitive word. Maybe your experience was unique, maybe not. That's why we have this board. I am grateful for your review and look forward to others--whatever their view or opinion. Thanks for contributing. Gypsy Boy Tue Dec 02 14:36:36 -0800 2003 622317 0 Gypsy Boy 1 622348 But why in the world would you order a tomato salad in the month of November? Tue Dec 02 21:05:59 -0800 2003 622317 0 Evil Ronnie 2 622371 - It was glowingly recommended by the waiter? - I was still under the spell of Donatella's charm? - I wanted to try the mozzarella, not the tomatoes? - Hope springs eternal? - So now it was my fault? But this actually brings up an interesting point. Which is why even competent and aware chefs keep something like a caprese salad on the menu during off months? When we were at Follia last week, and sitting at the bar, the chef/owner came over to chat and ask about what we had ordered, etc. He suggested his insalata caprese, but I demurred, for all the reasons one should demur, especially in the winter. But he persisted, explaining that he gets his mozzarella di bufala shipped in every Wednesday from Naples, and his tomatoes were from Israel, and it was really a special dish in his hands. I persisted in my demurral, even counting out loud the six long days I estimated his mozzarella was away from being truly fresh. We declined. We must have hurt his feelings or given him a challenge, because soon a complimentary insalata caprese arrived for us. It wasn't bad- the tomatoes had an OK texture and a little bit of flavor, but the mozzarella was clearly about 6 or 7 days old. A skin had begun to form on the outside, and the middle of the ball had already gone stringy. What made this dish palatable however, was the masterful light seasoning of finely crushed oregano, maybe a little pepper, and an incredible olive oil (whose name he would not divulge) that was drizzled over everything. He was clearly a concerned and committed chef and was definitely not just phoning in this dish. Decisions like these about the use of unseasonal ingredients really do go to the heart of the quality of a restaurant. For example, did you know that Spiaggia, that temple of Italian cuisine, does not use tomatoes in any of its dishes for 10 months out of the year? That kind of stunned me, impressed me, and made me think about quality control in the kitchen at a whole different level. joel Wed Dec 03 09:51:44 -0800 2003 622348 0 joel 3 622372 >>For example, did you know that Spiaggia, that temple of Italian cuisine, does not use tomatoes in any of its dishes for 10 months out of the year? That kind of stunned me, impressed me, and made me think about quality control in the kitchen at a whole different level. That is impressive. Too bad others could not follow. One thing, I am sure Evil Ronnie can fill out, but it seems to me that there is very little ability of local restaurants to get local tomatoes anyway. It seems generally, that restaurants are not using local produce period, that this is just not an option. Wed Dec 03 10:13:25 -0800 2003 622371 0 Vital Information 4 622388 cynical ol' me . . . but does Spiaggia not use ANY tomatoes or only refuses to use fresh tomatoes. i.e. I wonder if they use canned tomatoes for sauces? While fresh is best, albeit brief, canned romas (canned san marzanos have their own loyal following) are how we get through winter in my house. But you can't make a caprese with them, obviously! Wed Dec 03 11:50:50 -0800 2003 622372 0 bjt 4 622429 They can get them and get a lot of them, but they are not necessarily cheap. For example, City Farm has cases of tomatoes in August/September that are offered and sold mainly to restaurants. Wed Dec 03 17:55:15 -0800 2003 622372 0 MAG 5 622454 It's surprising how few the restaurants are in the city that are aware that there are local options, some of which are (today) no less convenient and reliable and not necessarily much more costly than any of the powerful large produce distributorships. The chef at Follia for instance had never heard of Kinnikinnick Farms (the one reference point for Italian vegetable varieties in Chicago). Granted: he is a new-comer from Milan and has only started to get a feel of the city but I have also been wondering whether it's that old deep-seated prejudice about Chicago produce at work here. I also did not get the impression that he is particularly attuned in his chef-upbringing to the importance of such ideas as seasonality or local options: he did not seem to attach too much importance to such things. At any rate, we wrote out the name for him and encouraged him and his right-hand man (who has worked at Le Cirque in NYC) to look these folks up and try the vegetables from them if they can. Thu Dec 04 01:29:31 -0800 2003 622429 0 RST 6 622528 It is December 3rd!!! There is no fresh Midwest produce available that is not being grown in a hothouse. Everything else must come from warmer climes. There are long standing relationships (and friendships) between chefs and their produce purveyors. Chefs have come to enjoy the service, reliability, convenience and credit extended from said purveyors. Also, many of these producer dealers are small family run operations that deal directly with the farmers, they are quite different the massive brokers that supply to grocery chains. To my mind the true "hound" tries the goods ONLY as the chef has prepared them and then assesses whether or not the establishment is to their liking. Telling the chef to change the preparation of a dish or where to by their produce, meat, etc. kind of defeats the purpose. SSS Thu Dec 04 23:51:02 -0800 2003 622454 0 So, sorry-sari 7 622550 Hey, I was at the Green City Market on November 20 (or whatever that date was). At that moment, there was plenty of fresh and interesting produce. Why use tomatoes in December when there is still wonderful squash and cabbage and brocoli and brussel sprouts and beets and turnips and well, see link below. And game, obviously this is game season, so we should also expect or hope for game. I know there are limits in what can be obtained locally. I do not necessarily think a kitchen should be serving a bunch of sauerkraut come February as the last crop of keepers spoils. Surely, a restaurant has to reach outside Chicago for fish and other seafood, truffles and a host of other products. That does not mean that the chef's have to reject locality and seasonality. The purpose of "hounds" is not to blindly accept whatever drivel the chef gives. We should scream at bad winter tomatoes. I know we are a small voice in the foodie universe, but the more people that can get convinced of the value of providing local/seasonal food, the more it might matter to chef's. It may be the way it is today, but it does not have to be the way tomorrow. Or, put another way, we don't have to like it. N.B., it will be interesting to see what is at the December version of the Green City Market. Rob Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/114300#621956 Fri Dec 05 09:49:27 -0800 2003 622528 0 Vital Information 8 622581 Game season? Respectfully VI, while you know your food, you need lack in knowledge of the restaurant business (Have you ever cooked professionally or run a restaurant? I have). What you speak of is a perceived "game season" as this IS the time when deer, Fall turkey, chukker, Canada goose, several types of duck, squirrel and pheasant may be legally hunted in the Midwest. Going back to our rural roots, this would traditionally be the time of year game is eaten. FYI - It is illegal to sell or serve "wild" game (though this has rarely stopped some from doing so). All game "legally" offered in restaurants and meat markets has been farm raised and USDA approved. Thus, game is available year round. Having been a hunter and a cook, I can say that there is a difference between farms - I can also say that farm raised New Zealand or Scottish venison is far superior in flavor and texture to "Wisconsin Whitetail". SSS Fri Dec 05 13:20:32 -0800 2003 622550 0 So, sorry-sari 3 622428 And god bless Spiaggia for that one. I personally would rather forgo a fresh tomato for most of the year until they are in their prime. In some ways, it heightens the experience of eating them when are truly good. Wed Dec 03 17:52:52 -0800 2003 622371 0 MAG 3 622499 I has always been my thought that "fresh" mozzarella should be enjoyed the day is made, the next day at the latest. So in essence, you never REALLY get fresh mozzarella anyway. There are stores (and restaurants) in NYC and STL that do make it fresh daily - anybody know of such a place in Chicago land? SSS Thu Dec 04 16:27:17 -0800 2003 622371 0 So, sorry-sari 1 622351 ....I live very close by, and was planning to drop in and give it a try. Given the number of perfectly good Italian places in Evanston, I think I'll take a pass. Yikes! Tue Dec 02 21:50:15 -0800 2003 622317 0 peg 1 622389 Is this where the ill fated Caribbean place was or is it a replacement to the horrid fried shrimp place? Speaking of, who in their right minds opens a crappy fried shrimp place NEXT door to The Fish Keg?!? Wed Dec 03 11:57:19 -0800 2003 622317 0 Octarine 2 622440 about a block away. Parking in this neighborhood is key. It's called Spice Garden Cafe, and is now at 2055 W Howard St., one block west of Ridge at Hoyne Ave. (Donatella and the Fish Keg are both just west of Ridge, see). I still haven't been over yet, since I make my own blast-furnace hot jerk pork & chicken, but they have goat, which is pretty hard to find.... (773-262-7096) Wed Dec 03 20:47:36 -0800 2003 622389 0 Peg 1 622437 I also have had bad food that was glowingly recommended by Shatkin. After 4 visits to different establishments that she touted and getting bad food I have decided that our palates do not agree. I am with many of you and cannot believe some of the places she praises that are just bad! It makes me doubt her abilities as a critic/reviewer. Wed Dec 03 19:49:51 -0800 2003 622317 0 cheamboy