Pasta with Mixed Mushrooms and Thyme

Martha Stewart provided me one of my all time favorite recipes in her magazine a few years ago. I had my two best guy friends over for dinner last week and I made this for them. Although it wasn't as good as I remember it being the first time, with the right amount of salt, this simple dish can be amazing. And so easy to throw together!

Ingredients

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 12 ounces gemelli or other short twisted pasta
• 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms (about 1 cup), rinsed in cold water
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
• 10 ounces button mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente; drain, and return to pot. Set aside. While pasta is cooking, in a small bowl, soak porcini in 1 1/2 cups hot water until tender, at least 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallot begins to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add wine; cook until almost evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Add button and shiitake mushrooms. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and begin to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Add porcini and their soaking liquid (leaving any grit at the bottom of the bowl) and thyme to skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid reduces by half, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer porcini mixture to pot with pasta. Add Parmesan and remaining butter, and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, and serve with more Parmesan.

 

 

The Refinery

A few weekends ago I went for an impromptu brunch at The Refinery in Old Town. I don't have much to write about this place except don't come here. The hostess will prove to be the weirdest social interaction you ever have, the food is mediocre, the prices are high, and the place is totally empty. I think that there is too much competition on Wells Street and this place just isn't up to snuff. For a similar look and feel, but a much better atmosphere and menu, go down the street to Pour House.

CH Distillery

CH Distillery is a cocktail bar in the West Loop that has been on the hot list recently for new craft cocktail places. Because they've gotten a lot of buzz, I obviously thought I had to go and was excited to check out this place. They distill their own drinks onsite so even classic cocktails such as a gin and tonic are amazing. There are about fifteen crafts cocktails on the menu and you can't go wrong. The food menu is very limited, so don't come here expecting to get some grub.

Although the drinks are great, the atmosphere wasn't my favorite. The pictures make the place look much cooler than I remember...as the feeling I was getting was more clubish with bad lighting. Maybe I should have sat at the bar. There are so many places to go in Chicago, and if I had to choose, I'd probably skip this in the future. 

The Four Seasons ...Christmas Tea

So I am clearly still playing catch up, as I am writing about Christmas Tea. Me and two of my girlfriends go to tea every year during the holidays and it's become a fun tradition. We like to try out new places and decided to go to The Four Seasons this year.

Let's just start this by saying I would have had fun on this occasion no matter where I was going because of the company, but it could have been better if we went somewhere else. When booking tea, the Four Seasons seemed like a good option. This was the first year they were doing such a thing and they were really excited on the phone. They had what seemed to be a good menu and promised lots of Christmas decorations. Well, when we got there the reservation was extremely late, and the decorations were few and far between. The staff was fine, but nothing impressive...and very slow. The food was decent - there were lots of very tasty sweets, but if the savory stuff is your thing, don't come here.

Overall, my recommendation would be to stick to the oldies but goodies for holiday tea, being The Peninsula or The Drake. I have been to both of these and have phenomenal experiences I'll remember forever. A word to the wise though, I had to book Christmas Tea at the Peninsula a YEAR in advance!

The Lobby at The Peninsula

I've been gone for a while, I know. I've been busy with the holidays, traveling for work, moving and buying a condo.

As one of my last dining treats as a city resident, I went to The Lobby at The Peninsula with my girlfriend Michelle. She has a good friend who was the sous chef at The Lobby. We were treated to an amazing ten course dinner. The chicken dish was absolutely to die for, and I highly recommend going just to get this. We were allowed to spend three hours enjoying the meal, and believe me, it's such a relaxing atmosphere. The service was exceptional; I have never felt so spoiled or pampered.

The Christmas decorations here are also pretty amazing. You have to make reservations for holiday tea here almost a year in advance!