HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND Let's not forget what this weekend is actually all about: our fallen heroes. These are people who raised their hands to defend our country, "put on the cloth of our nation" and paid the ultimate price for us. Thanks to them, we enjoy freedom today.
I had the pleasure of attending the Armed Forces Ball at Chicago's Union League Club last night. What a tremendous event. The Keynote Speaker was Vice-Admiral Robin Bruan, Chief of Navy Reserve, and she gave a wonderful speech. The American Ukrainian Youth Association Choir sang military melodies and brought many in the audience to tears. (Sample of their performances here.) What a wonderful evening. Thank you to our hosts, the Faulks, and our friend Bob; in the picture below with us (on the left):
WE HAD A BIRTHDAY DINNER for my elder son Sam, who turned 24 on 5/20, at the Rustic House in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago. All I can say is 'wow'. Follow them on Twitter at @RusticHouseChi, on Facebook and of course, you can click the image below to go to their home page. Note: I receive no money from any of my recommendations in my blog, EVER.
Great service from Michael, with his professionalism, quick ascerbic wit, and astonishingly good food. We were quite surprised.
I ordered the pork chop, and, of course, bacon. They delivered the bacon in a mug. It was very flat (they cook it between two cookie sheets to ensure minimal curling) and also candied with maple syrup. A little over the top on the sugar, but the bacon is from Nueske's, which, as my readers know, is my top-rated bacon of all time.
We started with the octopus appetizer; no pic but an outstanding dish. A photo of our main courses is below; sorry for the quality of the photo. THIS is fine dining:
Clockwise from the bottom: my pork chop, Jack's roasted lamb, Debbie's collarbone-in swordfish steak (wow again!) and Sam's lamb. According to Michael, the restaurant pretty much snaps up all of these cuts of swordfish steak in the Chicagoland area; only two of these cuts are available per swordfish (one on each side of the fish, obviously). This cut definitely has a better taste than your typical swordfish steak. Michael suggests that you call to reserve yours on Saturday evenings, as they typically run out by 8pm.
I can tell you that the pork chop was more tender than any I've had out. It was thick - about three-and-a-half inches. At home, I use a sous vide to prepare my chop, followed by searing on a cast iron skillet. At the Rustic House, they use a rotisserie to slow-cook the chop, followed by a quick flip on the grill. It produced a very similar result. I tasted the other dishes as well, and they were spectacular. A highly recommended restaurant, and I can see why its been rated so highly.
Oh, and when you visit, make sure you have room on your credit card too.
BACON IN THE NEWS
Top story right now is that bacon prices continue to fall, with current levels at 25% less than last year at this time, according to US Department of Agriculture data. Signs are that it will continue to drop. Naturally, this is due to increased supply. Demand, at the same time, continues to rise; you're seeing bacon everywhere! It's about time everyone jumped on the bandwagon. Here's a great article from Time Magazine (hmmmm... when was the last time you saw the words "great article" and "Time Magazine" in the same sentence?) The reverse correlation is interesting.
And a quite entertaining video from Epic Meal Time about bacon inside bacon wrapped in burger wrapped in bacon wrapped in onion rings wrapped in bacon. Turn your volume DOWN if you start the video. Click embedded video below:
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