Tasty Indian Restaurant Near Chicago's O'Hare Airport

If you happen to find yourself looking for a meal near Chicago's O'Hare Airport, as we did this week, Maharaja is a tasty Indian restaurant in Rosemont that is worth trying. We were at the end of a week of travel, staying near the airport to catch a morning plane. We weren't too motivated by the end of the day to head back into downtown in search of a restaurant. Jodi and I have always loved Indian food, and our lad is developing a taste for it as well--OK, mostly mango juice and the breads, but he likes those enough to happily join us for Indian!

We started with vegetable samosas. That's another item B will now eat. In fact, he watched carefully to make sure he got his fair share of the 2 large samosas that came with that appetizer order. For entrees, we shared the chicken curry and a palak paneer, Indian cheese cubes cooked in spinach, tomatoes, onion and spices. Everything was very flavorful, and the palak paneer dish was especially fresh tasting, and not as heavy as this item can sometimes be.

Indian also tends to be a good option among ethnic cuisines for B's food allergies (egg, nut, dairy). Other Asian food like Thai and Chinese features peanuts so frequently, we tend to avoid them when dining as a family. Like the Indian restaurants we frequent around home, the staff at Maharaja were attentive to helping us identify which dishes aren't prepared with dairy or could be adjusted to meet our needs.

Wine pairing: I had to try one of the Indian wines featured on their menu, as I don't think I'd had it before. The Sula Vineyards Chenin Blanc was rather oaky when first tasting it. Surprisingly, the oak character seemed less noticeable when having it with the food--the wine tasted better with the samosas then when sipping on its own. It was fun to try, but I did opt for the Chateau St. Michelle Riesling for a second glass. Not exciting, but a solid pairing for the Indian food spices.  I asked to get a photo of the bottle, but they brought out the Sauvignon Blanc by the same producer as the Chenin Blanc.

Try it yourself: Maharaja is in Rosemont at 9765 W. Higgins Rd, a bit over a mile from the O'Hare Hyatt where we stayed. A short drive or cab ride from the airport hotels, or walkable if you want some exercise. The restaurant is also a friendly on the budget; our entire meal for three including wine wasn't much more than the cost of one steak at some other eateries in the area. Another good reason to go for a taste of India when you are staying near O'Hare! I'm recommending the restaurant to fellow travelers, but should also note there seemed to be plenty of locals there enjoying it, too.

A Tavola: An Italian Take on Fresh, Local Food

Not sure why it took me so long to try A Tavola restaurant in Winchester center. It's just a couple of miles from my house, has a good reputation and a strong commitment to fresh, local food. Plus, they have an innovative food education program for children called Seed to Plate. Oh well, glad I had the chance to finally get there last weekend for a dinner with my sister and her husband, who are fairly regular there.

burrata to the left, prosciutto on the right

They have a nice selection of "piattini", small plates for the table. We started by sharing duck prosciutto with foie gras and balsamic, Maple Brook Farm Burrata with Shaved Mushrooms and Pea Tendrils, and an arugula salad with pickled ramps (photo on top of post). I definitely had to try some salad when I saw they grow their own greens, and I wasn't disappointed with its peppery freshness. The burrata, a fresh Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream, was especially tasty.

what's under here?

Pork seems to be a specialty of the restaurant, so I ordered the lightly smoked pork roast for my entree. It was presented with some flare, coming to the table with a cover that was dramatically lifted to let hot steam pour out. There were a couple different cuts of the pork on the plate. The larger piece was soft and tend, prepared with an herb blend of some sort. Then there was also what seemed to be a smaller chop. Very savory, and the grilled polenta side I ordered with it was a nice touch. It was also served over some well cooked kale, which soaked up the pork flavor well.

A Tavola has a pretty good wine list, primarily Italian, which certainly makes sense given their menu. My one critique of the experience was the red wine that we ordered was served warm, like it had been sitting around the kitchen. I certainly run into this issue at plenty of places, but one would like to see a restaurant which overall provides high quality food and service more aware of how to properly store and serve their wines.

Overall, A Tavola shows a strong commitment to well-prepared fresh foods. The menu offers a nice array of choices with the small plates, pasta dishes and meat/fish entrees. I look forward to a return visit!

The tasty pork roast was revealed!

A Taste of Saratoga Springs

When Jodi came home from a conference with the surprise that she'd won a stay at Batcheller Mansion Inn in Saratoga Springs, New York, I looked forward to the chance to get away and relax in a nice setting. I was pleasantly surprised by the way our recent stay there turned into quite a nice treat for this foodie, too! Let me share some of the highlights in case you find yourself visiting--or, if you're weighing options for a long weekend destination, perhaps this taste of Saratoga might nudge you in that direction.

After four hours of driving to get to our destination, we were ready for a stroll into Downtown Saratoga to quench our thirst. A brewpub called Druthers was our first stop, and Jodi and I both enjoyed our beers. I opted for their All in IPA, and liked its lively hoppiness.

Foursquare's "discover" feature helped us find our dinner spot. Maestro's at the Van Dam Hotel got a lot of good reviews, and we weren't disappointed at picking this spot for our dinner.  They have a creative menu focusing on fresh local ingredients and seem to make as much as they can themselves. We opted for the three course prix fixe, which is just $33. That turned out to be a good choice. I started with some homemade mortadella, served along with very tasty mustard that they also made (if you like mustard, order something that will give you an excuse to try theirs!). The Qupe Chardonnay was a nice pairing for this dish. I'd previously enjoyed some Qupe zinfandel, I liked the nice clean taste of their chard.

I had a Faroe Island salmon dish for my main course that night, served with a 2010 Evening Land Pinot Noir from Oregon. A nice combination! My biggest critique of Maestro's is they could improve their lighting so us food bloggers could do their food more justice! They nicely offered to substitute a cheese course at the end of the meal in place of the regular dessert. I was more in the mood for savory to enjoy with the remainder of our pinot, so appreciated their accommodating my whims.

Breakfast both mornings at the Batcheller Mansion both mornings was a treat. Dining room is gorgeous, and Jodi and I got a nice window seat that gave us a good view of the early spring morning, not to mention better light for my food photos (see omelette top of page). Our gracious host cooked our meal to order as we nibbled on tasty homemade scones. I could get used to that!

We headed to the Spanish restaurant Boca Bistro for lunch on our one full day in town. Tapas and a salad sounded like a light choice after a hearty breakfast. It was tasty but we could have ordered one less plate! Definitely a good spot for lunch or dinner, with some good Spanish wine selections.

We stopped by the Wine Bar for a glass before heading to dinner. They do have a full menu there, too, but we wanted to try a place recommended by my sister and brother-in-law for our meal. The Wine Bar has an interesting list of wines, so I wanted to try something different and ordered a glass of Zilavka, a grape native to the around the former Yugoslavia. Nice views of Downtown Saratoga as we sipped our drinks!

Our final foodie stop for the day was dinner at Chianti Il Ristorante. The picture of the salad was better, so that is shown below. But the highlight there was definitely the main course risotto with filet mignon. Very extravagent, and as tasty as it sounds! After conferring with our knowledgeable server, we landed on a Nebbiolo to go with our meal. As is often the case, getting a bit outside the pricey Barolo region led  us to a good value with this wine choice.

As you can see, we managed to pack a lot of good eating into less than two days in Saratoga! I hope if you find yourself there you too enjoy a good taste of the town.

Boston's Best Burger?

Actually, I'm really in no position to judge Boston's best burger.I like to throw a burger on the grill at home, and occasionally get creative with the preparation--see for instance Burgers topped with Garlicky Arugula. But when I go out to eat, I tend to order something more off the beaten path than a burger, especially when going to a top notch restaurant with lots of interesting choices.

This week a business lunch meeting gave me a good excuse to try Radius. As I was waiting for my lunch appointment, I reviewed the Foursquare tips for the restaurant. The overwhelming recommendation was to try the burger. Who am I to question the wisdom of the crowd?

I followed the tip, and was very pleased with the amazing burger! Plenty of good quality beef, seared to be just a bit firm on the outside, was topped Vermont cheddar and thin crispy onions--kind of like mini onion rings. Quite the mix of salt and savory flavors going on there. Also had a bit of horseradish sauce for a little kick. The fries on the side were outstanding, too.

So, I haven't tried many Boston restaurant burgers, but one would be hard pressed to top this! But if you know somewhere that might be able to, let me know, I'm open to trying!

As if this weren't enough for the meal, I started with a parsnip veloute which was served with great flair. First, some kind of candied vegetable concoction was placed in the bowl, then the soup was gradually poured on top. I wish I'd taken a video of that--but alas, I was there for other business after all.

We declined the dessert menu, but accepted the offer of a cookie plate to go with our coffee. A nice finish to a great lunch!

Back to Buca's for Bolognese and Barolo

It had been a few years since we'd dined at Buca's Tuscan Roadhouse, but last year when we stopped for a post-dinner glass of wine we were reminded we needed to get back. That visit followed a few frustrating experiences with otherwise decent restaurants mistreating their wine (e.g. storing it by the oven). Buca's clearly puts a focus on a good wine list, and they know how to treat the wine right. But of course, there's much more to the restaurant than the wine!

A year might seem like a long time to wait for a full meal, but we only get to Cape Cod once or twice a year. Vacation fell around the time of our anniversary last week, which seemed like the perfect reason to visit this Harwich restaurant. We pulled up to restaurant, with its Capey weather-beaten exterior a bit in advance of our reservation. We were not all disappointed to hear our table wasn't quite ready, and happily made our way to the porch to offer a pre-dinner glass of wine. We went went with a very full-bodied Italian rosé, which we enjoyed with a nice view of the sunset.

Sipping rosé from Buca's porch @ sunset

We didn't have too much of a wait before being escorted into the cozy dining area. We started by splitting an   arugula salad, very tasty with pancetta, pistachios and a lemon basil dressing. I was pleased to see them split the salad in the kitchen and serve us each a nice portion, without even being asked. We had a bit more of the rosé with this, a nice match.

I went with the Buca's Bolognese, made with wild board meat, a bit of tomatoes and some fresh ricotta. The hearty meat combined nicely with the fresh tagliatelle pasta. I was very pleased with the dish--but not my photo of it, so you'll have to use your imagination on that! Jodi ordered the grilled sirloin served on bruschetta and melted fontina cheese for her entree, and was pleased with it.

Now, back to the wines. There was a special Italian red blend that sounded interesting, but the $60 Barolo really caught my eye. That seemed to good to be true, and I basically asked my server if there was a catch. She offered to let me try some of both to make my choice. I readily accepted! The red blend was good, but the 2007 Paolo Scavino Barolo had a powerful acidity and nice long finish. The wine adhered to the classic Barolo style yet was approachable for the young Barolo age of 2007. Pleasant enough to drink on its own, it had the heft to stand up to the meat in the sauce and the acidity to go with the tomatoes.

There was still a glass or so left in the bottle when dessert time came, so I was looking for something savory rather than sweet. The only cheese on the dessert menu was a soft blend of three cheeses served with bruschetta. I was hoping more for a sampler of a few hearty cheeses that would complement the wine. The lack of a cheese selection to go with their nice list of red wines was my only small disappointment with the offerings.

Don't get me wrong--I still enjoyed that last glass of Barolo to conclude our nice evening at Buca's. The food and service was high very high quality, and I suspect it won't be long before we are back at Buca's again!

A Taste of Something New at Lucia Ristorante

I had been curious about Lucia Ristorante for awhile, as I pass it fairly often in Winchester Center. So I quickly accepted the invitation to sample their new menu at a recent event, focusing on seafood dishes based on family recipes from Abruzzo, Italy. I was glad I did, for it was a fun evening full of great food, lively conversation and warm hospitality.

We started by mingling while enjoying some passed brushcette. I might have resisted trying all three types--wild mushroom (my favorite), artichoke, and broccoli rapi--had I know how much food was to follow...oh well, let's say I did it as a service to Cooking Chat readers! I was also surprised by how much I enjoyed the fried Duxbury oysters. I'm not usually a big oyster fan, but they way they were prepared with peach and roasted garlic aioli made them very tasty indeed.

During the the pre-dinner socializing, I had a chance to chat with members of the Frattaroli family. The third generation of the family to be involved in the business is bringing some new ideas to the menu, while retaining Italian roots and flavors on the menu. Then owner Donato Frattaroli gave us a warm welcome to the restaurant, and it was time for some serious eating!

I joined a table comprised of fellow food bloggers and some long-time patrons of the restaurant. The primi course featured three seafood dishes. I especially liked the fried soft shell crab with heirloom tomato salad and the tuna crudo. I was impressed when Rob Merlino, a.k.a. Hot Dog Man, picked up fennel on the tuna dish, I didn't notice at first but saw what he meant when I re-tasted it. The chef came out and explained that it was fennel pollen used in the dish.

I was especially impressed with the light touch given to the seafood risotto (shown above) that came out for the pasta course. A lot of restaurant risotto gets rather gummy, presumably from sitting around too long. This risotto was cooked just right, showcasing the nutty grain, cheese and chock full with a variety of fresh seafood.

After pasta, there was still more to try. I found the pork tenderloin cooked cacciatore to be an interesting preparation. I've only had this dish with chicken, but the pork version of it was hearty yet tender. I'd look for this new menu item if you like pork. Oh yes, as if that wasn't enough, there was also seared salmon with Italian white bean salad and pesto oil!

Clearly highlighting the good food on the new menu was the point of this dinner. But given my interests I do need to say a word or two about the wine. I started with a glass of pinot grigio with the appetizers, which was refreshing and pleasant, if unremarkable. I was quite surprised though when I saw a California cab served with meal. Though it was a good quality wine, Italy has so many good options to pick up the acidity in the tomatoes found in several dishes. I mentioned this to the server and she quickly brought me a glass of Chianti. That was more like it!

In addition to the good food, it was fun spending an evening chatting with some fellow food bloggers, unabashedly snapping dozens of photos of each course. Much sympathy was shared about the challenges of taking good photos in dimly lit restaurants, though I noted my colleagues had some interesting solutions for that. Two of my fellow bloggers were quicker to press than I was, check out Boston Food Fan and Hot Dog Stories for more info and great photos.

The fun evening was capped off with one of the guests booming out several Italian classics as we nibbled on some dessert that no one had room for! He performs there each Friday night. For some good Italian food with some creative twists, Lucia Ristorante is worth a visit!

Olivia's by the Sea

Looking for a good place to eat next time you're making a trip to the beach in Gloucester? Give Olivia's by the Sea a try! The restaurant has just recently been opened by local businessman and philanthropist John Flaherty. He's done an amazing job quickly transforming what had been a simple sub shop for many years into a tastefully decorated, comfortable family style restaurant. I'd been admiring the gorgeous black and white photos  of scenes from around Gloucester, and during the conversation they had been taken by John's daughter. A good example of the personal touch that has gone into creating a good atmosphere.

We'd actually been due to meet up with John for Social Capital Inc. business (what I do when I'm not cooking or blogging about it!). When he mentioned he'd been busy with this new restaurant, we eagerly suggested we'd come up and meet there.

Olivia's offers the traditional fried seafood you expect to find by the beach. I wasn't in beach mode, though, and wanted something lighter. I was pleased to see plenty of options in that department, and ordered the swordfish kabobs. The fish was tasty, and served with a side of rice pilaf and grilled asparagus--a nice seasonal touch. My colleague Karen had the scallops, which she also enjoyed. In addition to the seafood option, there are a variety of pasta dishes and subs offered.

As we nibbled on a side of onion rings, we heard about the cook that arrives in the wee hours of the morning to prepare the batter and chop onions for them...and the results are evident in the good taste! Similar effort is put into making the tartar sauce from scratch.

The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. For now, it is BYOB (a nice way to save on wine!), though there are plans for a liquor license. They plan to stay open year-round, unlike many spots on Cape Ann. Thus, it should be a good option for locals as well as those heading to the area for the beach or to explore.