Last week, I went to Mercat a la Planxa for a birthday dinner.  Looking at the menu, it was like I was back in Spain: jamón ibérico de belota, boquerones en vinagre, pulpo con patatas and setas al horno.  It was heavenly, and nostalgic. Mercat’s warm and expansive interior full of yellows and reds cultivates the sexy and sensual side…just like Spain!  Walking in, you circle around a sunken center dining area, the bar is on your right and it absolutely gorgeous (as is the grade-A mixologist!).  The open-air kitchen stretches out on the left, letting all the smells mingle and drift into your nose.

Our meal started with drinks, I had the Shoko Cocktail– Peach vodka, fresh sour, orange juice, cucumber and basil leaves.  I detest sweet drinks and so I asked about this…our waiter assured me that I was safe. It was delicious. A true sock rocker.

The menu is focused on the Catalan region of the country– think Barcelona area. In Spain, they say they are a nation of nationalities, and it is true. From Madrid to Galicia and down into the south, regional foods are key and everyone has a favorite.  I’m a big fan of everything I ate at Mercat….

Here is a run down of my tastings:
Piminetos De Padrón– fried little green peppers with sea salt

Dátiles

Dátiles con Almendras– bacon wrapped dates with almonds

Cocas con Costillas de Ternera– flat bread with beef shortribs and horseradish

Espinacas a la Catalana– Spinach with pine nuts and raisins

Hongos Al Horno

Setas al Horno– Sauteed wild mushrooms
Escalivada– Roasted red peppers and eggplant with cipollini onions

Patatas Bravas

and of course….Patatas Bravas– potatoes with heat!

Mercat combines traditional food with haut cuisine styling. Everything gets a make over.  Honestly, the tastes were great, but there is something to be said for non-frou-frou presentation. The patatas were a little much (pictured above), who needs them to be so formatted!

I would go back, if for nothing else the great service and the Shoko Cocktail.

Things to eat right away: Pimientos De Padrón and the Hongos.
What I want to eat next :  A big plate of boquerones. I miss those little fish
Maybe take a pass: Cocas con constillas
Other Note Worthy Crumbs: stop in for a few drinks and a small plate or two for a VERY reasonable price. Its a great spot for a group, everyone can try a little taste and get to know the food. Mercat is a chef owner establishment, Jose Garces has cooked all over the world, focusing on Latin American cuisine.  Dig in to the archives of Iron Chef and you can see him defeat Bobby Flay!

Only 7 days ago, The Stained Glass, a classic wine-lover’s outpost in Evanston opened a lower priced, beer intensive annex called The Cellar. And in five days, I’ve already been there three times, tried nearly half the menu, a Dirty Bird martini and of course, hand crafted artisan beers from around the world.

The Cellar has a great thing going. The menu has three parts, Europe, America and Other Worldly. On my first meal, my compatriots and I hit every category with a drink to match.  We started with three mini burgers: lamb, beef and salmon with shoestring potatoes.  Each meat was succulent in its individual “meatiness” and the softer flavor of the salmon was not overpowered by the lamb. Along with a glass of Leffe Blond Ale from Belgium, I was a happy camper.  I also tasted a little bit of Orrechetti Pasta with kale, white beans and veal meat balls as well as the muscles in ginger beer.

On my second visit,  I got my mouth on a few fish tacos ceviche style with avocado and red onion,  a smoked salmon flat bread with arugula and goat cheese and lastly, the increasingly popular soft shell crab Jibaritos.  This is an interesting dish-  two “buns” made of fried plantain house the crab, flash fried in his shell, with mango mayonnaise and onion.   Though it may become the signature dish,  it does need some work. A bit heavy and a mouth full of chewing, but a great idea.

Wednesday night was the grand opening.  A perfect Evanston evening: great staff, great food, delicious wine.  They were pouring a 2008 Alta Vista Torrontes and a 2006 Old Vine Malbec, both out of Argentina. From passing trays of appetizers, I sampled the bacon wrapped-chorizo stuffed dates, Cubano and Tramezzini sandwiches, tempura vegetables, more tacos and of course, more burgers.

At the end of the night (yes, I stayed the whole time) they brought out a huge bottle of liquid, a totally sexy 2 feet of something delicious.  Instead of the cliche champagne, a liquid the color of burnt carmel poured into my glass.  Smooth, rich and slightly sweet, this Belgian temptation was a tribute to the greatest beer menu I have ever seen.

Things to eat right away: Fish Tacos, mini burgers and salmon flat bread
Maybe take a pass: Orrechetti pasta (not as interesting as other things and you have to LOVE mussels to like the ginger beer steamed flavor dish (I do)
What I’m trying Next Time: Maryland Crab Cake, Braised Short Rib (with marrow potatoes!)
Other Note Worthy Crumbs: Killer date spot, the location every budding college romantic has been waiting for.

check back for photos soon!

Cheers Evanston!

“Excuse me, but what delicious thing did you order?” I asked the innocent women unwittingly seated next to me at Kramer Books and Afterwords Cafe. The plate of beauty had three little mounds of grain: farro, cracked wheat and quinoa, surrounded by slow cooked chicken and slices of deep purple heirloom tomato. I ordered it immediately with the recommended white wine and it was exactly what I needed on a hot and steamy night.

Farro is staging a resurgence in restaurants all over the country. It can be used in almost any recipe calling for barley or spelt (its closest sibling) but the cooking time must be adjusted. Usually, I think of farro as a savory item, but as noted in Cook & Eat, making farrow pudding is an outstanding concept. I like the looks of this epicurious recipe: Farro Salad with Peas, Asparagus and Feta.