Wine and Spirits Travel: New Finds and Old Favorites in Chicago

I try to make it in to Chicago as often as possible, but no
matter how often I do go there I always seem to find new things. In this case,
it wasn?t only the restaurants that were new to me. I was meeting with my
publisher, Dale Winespeare, at Cocktailsand Joints for the first time.


We checked into our rooms at The James Chicago, a hotel I
always loved for its modern comfort. This time they gave me a two bedroom suite,
which I settled quickly in before meeting Dale to go to Tavernita, a new restaurant with an exciting
new cocktail program.



Tavernita doesn?t just make unusual cocktails for individual
customers, they make cocktails for kegs. They also make their own sangrias and
sodas, and serve wine on tap. We were lucky enough to get to try a little bit
of everything and I was quite impressed.


I liked the Booty Collins, consisting of green tea-infused
Absolut Vodka, passion fruit, lemon and cayenne. I also loved the nutty flavor
of the Comandante Big Nose with hibiscus-infused Cruzan Rum, macadamia liqueur,
falernum, lime and nutmeg.? The Jay &
Tay is gin and tonic, in this case Plymouth Gin blended perfectly with a
homemade tonic ? that contains agave syrup and allspice.



I preferred the Red Sangria (which has some Hennessy Cognac
in it) to the white. As for the sodas, the Ginger Chile Ale is a must try, made
with fresh ginger, guindilla orange and blossom honey.


We tried a sampling of food, including the Croquettes,
little sandwiches filled with ham and cheese, and Greg?s Meatballs, which are
made from beef and pork and have a hazelnut romesco sauce which is quite spicy.
My favorite food item was the Grilled Queso, with aged cheddar, tomato
marmalade and brioche toast. Dale enjoyed the snapper, with artichokes, basil
and pine nuts.



We headed back to The James where I met with Jamie to learn
more about some of the exciting programs the hotel has going.? She told me about the seasonal menu changes
at David Burke?s Primehouse, as well as the Tails in the City program for pets,
and the Paul Frank?PJ program for kids.?
There is also now something at The James I find particularly
fascinating, the In-Room Cocktail Experience.



All of the rooms at the hotel now have supplies, including a
glass with recipes, to make your own cocktails. For under $30 (not including
the liquor), you can receive all the mixings and garnishes for some of your
favorite drinks. You can even learn how to make them right with a private
mixology lesson.



Dinner was at III Forks, restaurant in the new Lakeshore
East neighborhood. This large, modern place was very busy (even during the
week), and it?s no wonder with a huge wine list, interesting cocktails and a
varied menu that is also filled with great steak options. They also have a rooftop where you can get drinks and snacks, with a breathtaking view of the Chicago Skyline.



Dale started with an amazing crab cake and continued with
the Chicken Fried Steak, a dish that he couldn?t possible finish. I had the
onion soup and Tenderloin Tips, which were definitely tender and flavorful. We shared
some sides, the best of which was the Sweet Potato Hash (I took the leftovers
and couldn?t wait to have them the next day) and Six Cheese Potatoes.



It was tough to even think about dessert, but we were glad
we sampled the cheesecake and pecan cake before heading back to The James for
the night.

Source: http://www.wineandspiritstravel.com/2012/07/new-finds-and-old-favorites-in-chicago.html

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