Avec

While in Chicago for the food show, I went to Avec last Saturday night with some friends and let me tell you, this place was packed. We honestly could not get near it and once we sat down, we were sharing a table with other diners; so I knew right off it was going to be great! Their dining philosophy is all the food is meant to be shared, so everyone tasted everything.

In a place like this, which is crowded, loud and not comfortable, it is important to have a fun group of people with you. And what is more fun then a bunch of chefs? Lucky for me, I was asked to go to dinner by my friend Forrest Parker, chef at the Old Hickory at Opryland Grand in Nashville, along with another one of our old buddies, Brian Owenby, chef of Boxwood Bistro in Franklin, TN. Rounding out our table were two chefs from Sushi Samba, Martin & Fernando, who oversee both kitchens in New York. These guys were a lot of fun and were also food crazy like us!

So, what was my favorite dish? The madjool dates stuffed with chorizo and then wrapped in bacon – Pork wrapped in Pork need I say more!! Then the braised pork shank with apricots & prunes with slab bacon, again it was so good. Other pork-free stand outs – the Brandade, which is potatoes whipped with olive oil and then salt cod is folded in. Wait a minute…. I just remembered crispy lardoons of bacon were crumbled on top of the Brandade. So, not pork-free after all, but really excellent! We also had an amazing wood-fired pizza with favas, smoked sardines, arugula, tarragon and poached eggs.

Not your traditional Chicago-style deep dish pizza!

 

The Brandade

Roasted Pork Shank