Sometimes my most intriguing restaurant finds are based on totally random experiences.  Last week I was asked to attend a special event celebrating Balvenie single malt scotch (check out my blog on that event here).  I arrived in the area over an hour early, so I decided to park and just take a walk to check out the West Randolph Street area.  I had not been in that part of town for over a year and wanted to see if there were any new restaurants.  Or, more accurately, "new to me" restaurants.

Voila!

Just a few doors down from where I parked my car, I walked past a somewhat unassuming facade advertising a restaurant with what I perceived to be a singularly odd name, "Sawtooth."  Looking in the windows, I was immediately intrigued by the decor and the well-stocked bar, so I decided to check it out.  Note to self, "Boy am I glad I did!"

To clarify the odd name, I found the following information from the Sawtooth website:

Sawtooth Restaurant takes its name from the culantro herb, Ngò Gai also known as sawtooth, named for its long, slender, serrated leaves. This herb is commonly used in Vietnamese cooking due to its wonderful fragrance and taste.

Sawtooth is a restaurant and lounge serving authentic Vietnamese cuisine. The menu is based on small plates served as a communal meal, a shared experience customary in Vietnamese dining.  The interior decor is sleek, sophisticated, and tremendously inviting.

During this visit, I ordered one item from the "Soup, Salad & Noodle" portion of the menu and one from the "Appetizer" portion.  Don't be fooled by the concept of "small" plates.  By the time I finished the salad, I found that could only finish half of the appetizer and had to take the rest home.  Sawtooth absolutely provides value for the money, both in quantity and quality.

For my salad, I sampled the Green Papaya Salad and opted to have that with dried beef (a.k.a. beef jerky).  You can also opt for ham, tofu or vegetables only.  My first few bites were a surprise because the combination of basil and peppers in the salad was just a bit hotter than I had expected.  After a few bites, though, the flavor evened out for me and I thoroughly enjoyed the entree.  To be honest, this was the first time I had tried dried beef as an accompaniment to a salad, and it was a perfect choice.

For my appetizer, I decided to the Wild King Salmon Rolls (crispy egg rolls with salmon, jicama, carrots, and glass noodles).  The portion size was gigantic!  I finished half of it and had to pack the rest to take home.  If you are a fan of salmon, then this is a "must try" item.

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As with all of my solo dining blogs, one of my primary focuses is on service.  I like to assess how I am treated as a single diner and if I feel that either the service or the menu marginalizes the experience of a single diner in any fashion.  Sawtooth lived up to my expectations of fine dining as a single diner.  The service was swift and efficient.  The hostess sat me in a lovely location with a full view of the front windows and the rest of the dining room.  The server was polite, engaging, and extremely knowledgeable about the menu.  She let me know that, like the kitchen, the beverages are held to same standard featuring organic and biodynamic wines, local microbrews and cocktails made from house infused spirits.

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If you want to sample (1) a great restaurant and (2) Vietnamese cuisine and (3) great service and (4) an area with ample free parking (BONUS!), then you must visit Sawtooth.  As either a single diner or in a group, I am sure you will find this one to be worth a visit to West Randolph Street.

You can follow Sawtooth on Twitter or on Facebook.  They are located on the NW corner of Randolph St. and Ada St. in the West Loop at 1350 W. Randolph Street.

Tommy Hensel
Table For One, Please!

 

 

A friend recently forwarded me the link to a fascinating article from the Denver Post.  Here’s a link to the article by Tucker Shaw, titled “Eating Alone: There’s nothing quite like sharing a meal with someone you love – yourself.” 
 

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Although many of the concepts discussed don’t necessarily resonate to me, there are a few that made me go “Aha!”  I particularly love the quote from Chris Gregory:

 

“ You’ve committed to the reservation, the table, the menu.  When we see a single diner come in, we see someone who’s gone out of their way to come here.”

 

Hooray!  I hope every restaraunt owner/manager in the universe reads that one.  I also resonated strongly with this quote:

 

“People eating alone aren’t paying attention to flirting with a date.  Instead, their attention goes to themselves and their food.”

For me this is entirely the case.  When dining alone, I get to eat what I want and never have to feel pressured by someone else to order something.  Also, while eating, I am focused as much as possible on my experience and am not distracted by feeling the need to engage in conversation.

 

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Take a moment to read the article and leave your comments here.  I would love to start a lively discussion of the interesting points brought up here, particularly the reference to being “sleazy.”  I can’t wait to read your commentary on that one! 

You might also get a laugh reading the comments on the article’s page.  If you can avoid getting indigestion from the poster who calls himself Napoleon B (what a pretentious jerk!) then you might get a chuckle from the comments.

 Here’s the link again.

 

Please read the article and comment here.  Let’s get a good discussion going!

 

Epicuriously Yours,

Tommy Hensel

Table For One, Please

 

 

I have maintained for many years that I simply do not like Mexican food.  My exposure to “south of the border" cuisine has always been that unappetizing combination labeled "Tex Mex."  In my mind, that was obviously what all Mexican food must be like.  Luckily, some persistent friends here in the Chicagoland area finally convinced me to try authentic Mexican food in the city and my perspective changed. 

 

True "Mexican" cuisine is not only amazingly tasty, it is varied and exciting.  I still don't enjoy the taste of jalapeño peppers or cilantro (just a personal idiosyncrasy), but moving beyond those two flavors I have discovered a whole new horizon in cuisine.

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Living in the suburbs, many of my culinary adventures happen outside of the Chicago city limits.  One of my favorite haunts for both food and culture is Oak Park.  From the wonderful Frank Lloyd Wright properties to the charming Marion Street area, Oak Park is a walkable and exciting place to visit, and there are some wonderful restaurants there.  One of the most concentrated areas for great dining is near the intersection of Oak Park Avenue and Lake Street.  Just south of this intersection, only steps from the Green Line CTA, is a Mexican restaurant called Maya del Sol.

In order to explore my newly-acquired taste for Mexican food, I recently ventured into Maya del Sol for a solo dining experience.  For both cuisine and for decent single dining treatment, I definitely recommend a visit to this charming restaurant. 

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Here's where what I call my "Single Diner Assessment" module kicks in.  I have a series of parameters by which I judge any dining experience, but particularly when dining alone.

 First Contact

Here is one of the few areas in which Maya del Sol fell just a bit short in my assessment.   When I entered I requested a table for one and the hostess uttered the dreaded, "Just one?"   I took a deep breath and responded (probably just a bit snarkily), "Yes.  I am dining alone tonight so I only need a table for one."  She paused for a second, then smiled and said, "Right this way, Sir."  In general, she was quite pleasant and I know she didn't mean anything by her use of the word, "just."

Seating

As a solo diner, I absolutely don't mind when they take me to a two-top table.  After all, why waste a huge table on a busy night?  The two-top booths at Maya del Sol are a bit on the small side and I can imagine with two people they might feel crowded.  But for one, it was a comfortable location with a nice view of the dining room.

Second Contact

Here again, there were two minor irritating moments.  The person who came to pour water asked me if I was expecting another person.  When I said, "No," he paused with a strange look on his face and said, "Oh, I guess I should remove the other place setting."  He then stood there, apparently waiting for a response, so I said, "Yes, that might be a good idea."  I actually found it humorous until the server came up, looked at the table and said, "Are you dining alone tonight?"

 

At this point, I had a minor snarky moment again and said (quite pointedly), "Yes.  I am sitting here alone and I intend to have dinner alone.  Is that ok with you?" 

 

OK, OK.  I know . . . that was a bit abrupt, but after three times I think I was just a bit sensitive.  To her credit, the server laughed, broke the tension, and spent the rest of the meal both attentive and funny.  In fact, she and I bonded by laughing about some high-maintenance diners who had been sitting near me.  Overall, once we became friends, the rest of the experience was superior.

 

The Meal

 

 

Of course (as I have often stated), the meal is the point!  Here Maya del Sol gets very high points from me.  The chips and salsa (a seemingly ubiquitous accompaniment at all Mexican restaurants) were far better than any I have had in a long, long time.  The chips were clearly home-made and the two salsas were both just on the right side of spicy for me.   I detest what I call "painful food" so I often avoid salsa because it burns my mouth.  These two (one green, one red) were superb!

  

I indulged in a margarita (actually, two of them).  Again, this was an excellent choice.  They use top-quality tequila and the drinks are made fresh without any pre-packaged mixes.  This was a true and tasty cocktail made with fresh lime juice and served "up."

Because I was scarfing down the chips at such a rate, I realized that I did not require a full meal.  As a result, I ordered from the appetizer menu and decided on their Ceviche Trio.  You can get a full description by taking a look at the Maya del Sol menu, but the three portions were Piña Colada, Coctel de Camaron and Tradicional.  Here's a shot I took with my phone camera.  Wow!  I loved all three.

  

The Exit

 

When I left, the server engaged me in conversation and thanked me for coming.  The hostess also stopped me, asked about my experience and invited me to return.  In general, they left me with a very positive feeling as a single diner.

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Maya del Sol is located at 144 S Oak Park Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302, just a few steps south of the Oak Park Green Line CTA stop. 

During nicer weather, they have an astonishingly lovely outdoor patio for drinking/dining!

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¡Hasta luego!

 

Epicuriously Yours,

Tommy Hensel

Table For One Please

  

 

 I recently had two excellent solo dining experiences in downtown Chicago and wanted to take a moment to share them with you.

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The Gage

Recently, my friend Ron de Jesus had invited me to a preview of his exciting new dance company, Ron de Jesus Dance.  The preview and party took place in downtown Chicago.  I arrived downtown early and extremely hungry.  I suddenly recalled that we were in the heart of Chicago Restaurant Week 2011.  One of the better downtown restaurants in my experience is a wonderful spot called The Gage located on Michigan Avenue just across the street from Millennium Park.  I had been there with friends several times, but never as a solo diner.  Since their restaurant week menu was reasonably priced, I decided to give The Gage a try as a solo diner.  

 
According to their website, "The Gage is a 300 seat Restaurant and Tavern steps from Millennium Park. Situated at 24 South Michigan Avenue we are open late, seven days a week. We invite you to savor our delicious, upscale comfort food, fine wines, boutique beers and whiskeys while enjoying the relaxing ambience of our vintage decor."  Their Executive Chef Dirk Flanigan was recently named a Semi-Finalist, Best Chef Great Lakes Region in the 2011 James Beard Awards.  It's a bit difficult to categorize The Gage, but they call themselves a gastropub.  In essence, it has a 'pub-like' atmosphere but with a far more upscale version of food and cocktails than a traditional pub.

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Using the "single diner assessment" model from a recent post, let's see how The Gage measures up:

 

First Contact

 

Excellent!  When I first walked in (more like blown in by the icy Arctic winds), they greeted me cordially.  When I requested a table for one, they immediately checked their chart, handed off a menu to someone.  They didn't ask if I would "prefer to sit at the bar" nor did they offer any type of "strange look" or "momentary hesitation" about my desire to dine alone.  Their attitude was precisely what one would hope to find in any good restaurant, treating me with respect and no different than a larger party.

Seating

 

Even when the First Contact is handled well, the seating will sometimes determine whether or not a restaurant is truly friendly to a solo diner.  All too often, they will guide the single diner to a two top next to the kitchen or at a busy area where servers congregate or bring dirty dishes.  In the case of The Gage, they sat me at a two top in a central section of the restaurant - a nice choice which allowed me to "people watch" throughout the meal.

 

Second Contact

 

The Gage did a great job here, too.  The server was prompt, polite and efficient.  I could tell he was a bit harried because it was restaurant week.  I think of restaurant week as "amateur diner" week.  No offense intended, but it's definitely a time when people who normally don't dine out a lot will indulge.  I would imagine the servers find it a bit frustrating, dealing with people who are not necessarily easy.  My server was definitely having some minor issues with a table near mine, dealing with some strangely demanding restaurant week patrons.  Nevertheless, he did a superlative job all around.

The Meal

 

What can I say?  I love The Gage and the menu is excellent.  I decided to give their restaurant week menu a whirl and indulged in a salad, hangar steak and a white chocolate dessert.  Everything was excellent and they didn't blink an eye when I requested to substitute a vegetable for the potatoes that normally come with the steak.  The Gage had an amazing dinner menu, their wine list is superb and they have some intriguing cocktails .  This is definitely in my "Top Ten" list in Chicago.  Although I didn't take a photo of my meal, I did find a picture of one of their signature dishes, Fish & Chips!  Yum!

 

The Exit

 

Once again, they excelled here.  As I was preparing the leave, the server thanked me.  On the way out, the host and hostess thanked me and asked me about my experience.  Overall, this final moment of leaving a restaurant is significant to me because it is the last taste (as it were) of the dining experience.

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Custom House Tavern

 

 

Last Friday I had two tickets to see the Joffrey Ballet performance of The Merry Widow at the amazing Auditorium Theatre in the Chicago Loop .  A good friend was meeting me at 7 p.m. at the theatre, so I took the El to the south loop earlier and wandered around to find someplace interesting for dinner.  I recalled over a year ago that another friend had taken me to Custom House Tavern, located on the corner of Congress and Dearborn .  The meal we had then was superb, so I decided to give Custom House Tavern a try as a solo diner.

 

 

According to the blurb at Open Table (one of my favorite online restaurant booking sites), "Custom House Tavern Chef Perry Hendrix offers a modern take on the American tavern favoring local sources and embracing seasonality served in a sophisticated, urban setting with warm inviting service."  In my opinion, Custom House is not particularly "tavern-like," at least in my definition of a tavern.  I find it to be a lovely, sleek, upscale dining establishment with a definite flair for intriguing food and superb presentation.

First Contact

Again, just like The Gage experience, this one was excellent.  No hesitation, no offer to seat me at the bar - just a pleasant greeting and immediate service.


Seating

Custom House Tavern has some comfortable "booths for two" which amount to a booth version of a two top table.  They sat me at one of those in a very nice section of the restaurant, with a full view of most of the room.  Another excellent seating choice for a single diner.

 

Second Contact

The server was really excellent.  On this particular evening, I had brought along a book to read during the meal, so when I was seated I arranged all of my things and put the book on the table.  When the server arrived, he glanced down and exclaimed, "I love that book!"  We established an immediate rapport.  The book in question is "The Wine Bible" by Karen MacNeil  - truly one of the best books I have ever seen about wine.  Throughout the meal, the server and I had some intriguing conversations about wine and pairing with food.  At his suggestion, I tried a couple of surprisingly good wines that night.

 

The Meal

 

Wow!  I love the food at this restaurant.  I started out with the chicken liver terrine and for the main course had duck.  There wasn't time for dessert (I was running late to the ballet), but their dessert menu was very tempting.  Both the pate and the duck were exquisite.  I know that sounds like hyperbole, but it was honestly one of the best meals I have had in a while.  The duck in particular was prepared better than any duck I have had thus far in Chicago.

 

The Exit

 

My only minor complaint with the experience at Custom House Tavern was my exit.  As I bundled up and left the restaurant, there was no interface with staff.  I know it was because of a busy, pre-theater dinner crowd . . . but it would have been nice to have someone just say, "Have a good night!"  This is such a minor complaint, though, that I would still give Custom House Tavern a huge "yes" as a place to try out as a solo diner.

 

 

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I think I just made myself hungry again!

 

Epicuriously Yours,

Tommy Hensel

Table For One, Please!

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