Monday, March 31, 2014

And a Blog is Born: Little Goat Sunday Rooftop Tapas

       It's a nice day to start a blog! It's the first day of real spring like weather, sunny, a high 61 degrees Fahrenheit, and most importantly...Im on a roof!!! It was my version of a rain dance, but instead of rain, I was demanding asking for the return of the long lost historical artifact called spring and summer. If you were one of the people traipsing, slipping and sliding, and falling on your behinds in and around Chicago this past winter, you had better join me in that "summer dance!"

      Now the roof I was on was not just any roof, it was Chef Stephanie Izard's Little Goat roof. If you've never been, put your wallet with your (insert some big spender credit card name here)credit card down! It's not that type of roof! Think of it as having a fabulous, but down to earth bff, and she just happens to love to cook, and invite you over on this gorgeous day for a Rooftop Tapas Party! This event is part of their Sunday Suppers. 

    As I walked into the roof dining room, I was greeted by the sight of Stephanie toiling away in the kitchen. I must admit I was a little chef-struck, and I was transported back to watching Top Chef Chicago. So geeked!




The menu today was served family style, accompanied with sangria      (it was booze, no questions needed):
                   

I'm not going to get all foodie on you and describe every morsel. You would be asleep by then. Instead, I want to take you through the whole experience, and browse through the "Nosh" that made me want to accost someone for more! 

Crisp White Anchovies
If you asked me if I would like some, I would answer with a hard NO! Not even if you entice me with the words "deep fried tempura batter." I'm glad no one asked me, and just served it...and I can't say no to something that looks this good. It looked and tasted like it had some parmesan cheese on it

 Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Fritters
Where was Stephanie when I was a vegetable hating kid?! She does wonders with cauliflower! You can find another of her genius versions of a cauliflower dish at her other restaurant, Girl and the Goat.

Duck Tongue Salad
Speaking of vegetable hating, I don't hate this at all. My friend and I looked at each other with skepticism when we saw the word "duck tongue." As I shoveled every bit of this dish while agreeing to my friend's description of the duck tongue as "crispy fat," my mind traveled, thinking of the anatomy of a duck. It just dawned on to me that... gasp! I just french kissed Donald duck!!! and it tasted like a non greasy piece of crispy bacon fat.  That Daisy Duck is one lucky duck!   The picture beside quack quack,  came as a surprise. It was not on the menu. It was steak with MOJO. Although it's pronounced moe-hoe, this sauce' got mojo! It's like a citrusy pesto. It definitely elevated the perfectly cooked steak. Hmmm, good idea to fancy up your balcony barbqs. 
Ham and potato or Skate Croquettes they looked the same...One was filled with with cheesey goodness, the other was deliciously creamy. Beside the croquette picture, the sangria has creeped in and I've made friends with THE Goat, sharing my Shrimp Skewers with him/it/her. It would be rude not to. The shrimp was coated with some breading that's not Panko. I can't put my finger on what it was, (corn flakes perhaps?) but it was a good crispy balance to the perfectly cooked shrimp. Is it ok to describe shrimp as juicy? because it was delectably juicy!

The grand finale...What's a meal without dessert? I'm the type that would be willing to skip the meal and have 3 courses of just pure dessert.

Marcona Almond Olive Oil Cake and Salted Chocolate Crackers
I've only heard of Olive Oil cake from the constant hum of the Food Network Channel as my background noise.  I really did not taste the Olive oil in it, but it was really (brace yourselves, for the word) moist. It had a drizzle of something citrusy or was there?(or was it my sangria mixing in with everything), and topped with whipped cream. It would have been perfect, if it came with ice cream. The crackers, are not the crackers you and I were thinking of. They did not taste nor resemble a saltine. It had a wafer consistency, almost like a Pizzelle, and dipped in chocolate. Need I say more? Yep! MORE!!!



As I loosened my belt, I tried to suck in my belly full of food because THE chef came out to mingle, shake hands, and oblige to a billion pictures. I should've "selfied" with her (hehlk!)  Yah I was too excited to form any intelligent words to ask her the typical questions of... what her inspiration  behind the theme was, what was her fave dish of the night, did you do a rain dance because it's beautiful out, and yada yada yada. Amateur here! Guess I'll just have to go back. Sunday Supper is definitely a must go. It's so worth the money ($65+.) Overall, it was deliciously poetic to start the roof top season...and this blog! on the very same roof that I ended last summer at.

Where to next? Leave me a comment as to where I and the cast of characters in my life should Nosh next!