At the rate I'm going, I'll have my Italian blogs blogged by Fall. Sigh. In the meantime, I have several Chicago posts to share, the first devoted to The Bristol. How did I forget about this place? Never again. The space is warm and rustic with a cozy bar. The only drawback is not being able to stand at the bar (fire hazard), so if no seats are available, one must either venture upstairs or to a neighboring watering hole. I recommend Danny's (@ Dickens & Damen), although you may not want to leave once you get there!
It was just Amy and me so we ordered what anyone else would deem a completely unnecessary amount of food. But that's what we do. Our perfectly-coursed meal started with the spiced olives and fried artichokes followed by the market greens with tarragon-buttermilk dressing and duck fat fries served along side house ketchup and garlic aioli (which I nearly demolished ALONE). We rounded out the meal with ramp fettucine entrees featuring lardons and shaved Parmesan. I put myself over the edge with dessert. I remember peanut butter and chocolate mousse but was too close to a food coma that all additional details escape me.
