Today we look at two cocktail-forward restaurants seeking to reclaim former glory: Sable Kitchen & Bar, a drink destination in search of a food identity, and Gideon Sweet, which is another makeover of Graham Elliot Bistro.
Sable Kitchen & Bar
Under opening chef Heather Terhune and head bartender Mike Ryan, Sable Kitchen & Bar (in the Hotel Palomar in River North) quickly established itself in 2010 as a fine dinner option and one of the best cocktail destinations in the city. But both left Sable in early 2015 (for bigger opportunities within the Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group), and Sable has struggled with its identity since, going through two additional chefs in three years.
With luck, Amber Lancaster, who came aboard in mid-2017, will stick around awhile. The French-trained chef has worked at Alinea and Moto, then as a private chef for a family that shuttled among its five homes.
“I took the job to see some other states,” she said, “to be sure I wanted to be here.”
Lancaster is making gradual progress in turning the ship around. “I’m slowly picking and choosing, without pushing the staff too hard, too soon,” she said. Her first full menu launched in January and is an appealing, though short, mix of Mediterranean influences — safe dishes that easily match Sable’s still-excellent cocktail program (overseen ably by head bartender Mike Jones).
Lancaster’s deviled eggs are kind of fun, perked up carbonara-style with Parmesan crisps and crumbled pancetta; a little hot sauce in the filling gives the eggs a nice accent. Meat and cheese combos are available a couple of ways. There’s a cheese and charcuterie platter of country ham and wild boar meats against cheeses from France, California and Wisconsin; and a jambon et fromage duet of burrata cheese, tomatoes and speck on pieces of toasted ciabatta. (Sloppy timing marred the latter preparation; by the time it reached my table, the ciabatta was already soggy from the tomatoes.)
Larger plates include very good mussels in chorizo broth and more of that excellent ciabatta toast. (I swear, Publican Quality Bread’s ciabatta is going to take over the world.) Roast chicken with cannellini beans and glazed carrots is a keeper, though undoubtedly the cassouletlike presentation will change when the weather does. Ricotta gnudi are as pillowy as you’d want, aided by a soothing onion broth and chanterelle mushrooms.
Sable’s entry into the double-patty burger realm is capable, dressed with pickles, aioli and an optional fried egg, but it needs a more robust companion than the pallid American cheese used now. (How about some of that Red Rock cheddar from the charcuterie plate?) The accompanying fries were bottom-of-the-bag tiny, though nicely crispy.
What was once Sable’s back dining room has been relegated to private-party space; now there’s just the bar, though it’s a handsome, gently lit space ideal for a quick drop-in.
Sable Kitchen remains a good neighborhood spot, but if it’s to become anything more, Lancaster’s menu is going to have to take some chances.
505 N. State St.
312-755-9704
sablechicago.com
Tribune rating: One star
Open: Breakfast and dinner daily; brunch Saturday and Sunday
Prices: Large plates $14-$38
Noise: Conversation-friendly
Other: Valet parking
Gideon Sweet
G.E.B. opened in 2013, the monogram alternately standing for Graham Elliot Bistro and the celebrity chef’s full name, which is Graham Elliot Bowles. It started like a hit single, delighting diners with its rock ‘n’ roll atmosphere (devotional candles to rock-star “saints,” a Marshall-amplifier host stand, a cocktail named for Ghostface Killah), but the early success proved difficult to maintain.
In April 2016, Elliot partnered with DMK Restaurants to revamp the restaurant, at the time officially called Graham Elliot Bistro, but four months later, the restaurant closed. Then last year, Elliot united with former mentor Matthias Merges (who had been chef de cuisine at Charlie Trotter’s during Elliot’s time there) to create Gideon Sweet (named for an apple variety), which opened in November.
Gone are such dishes as the GE Caesar and its Twinkie crouton (though a version of that dish lives on at Booth One, where it’s called the Sir Graham Caesar). Instead, there are about 20 small bites (ranging from $5 to $16), ideal go-withs for a glass of wine or one of Gideon Sweet’s cocktails. And cocktail matching is something Matthias Merges (Billy Sunday, A10, Mordecai) understands well.
But to the food. Start with the bone-marrow croquette, a crunchy package topped with crab mayonnaise and bonito flakes, a very satisfying one- or two-bite experience. A tempura-fried oyster sits in a puddle of chile soy (in the curl of the oyster’s shell), topped with salmon roe and dashi foam; the soy and roe restore the salinity that frying took from the oyster.
Roasted heirloom cauliflower, with smoked dates and Marcona almonds, is a triumph of crunchy textures; warm king crab with sea urchin and smoked trout roe excites with soft textures. A crispy potato spiral, doused with sour cream, green-onion threads and micro-shredded bottarga, was inspired by street food but strikes me as elevated-beyond-belief ballpark food.
Specials, always a good bet, might include squid-ink cannelloni with a scallop mousseline center, in a Thai red-curry sauce, or charred and smoked Spanish octopus with chorizo and smoked potato puree.
For those with late-night cravings, Gideon Sweet’s kitchen is open until 1 a.m. Thursday to Saturday; the bar closes 2 a.m. most days, 3 a.m. Saturday.
Desserts are Gideon Sweet’s secret weapon; the pastry chef is the highly regarded Mari Katsumura (daughter of the late Yoshi). She offers just four desserts, but each is extraordinary. A quartet of beignets, filled with parsnip cream, arrives in a double-rocks glass with slivers of cinnamon-sugar-fried parsnip, alongside a dipping sauce of fleur de cao dark chocolate. The architectural citrus parfait is a vertical composition of angel-food cake, Meyer-lemon sherbet, ruby grapefruit segments and coconut meringue.
Caramel-apple tart with cheddar ice cream is like the comfort food of my youth; her version of halo halo, the classic Filipino sweet, is a you-mix-it parfait of shaved ice, condensed milk, fresh fruit and purple sweet-potato ice cream. I don’t know how long Katsumura will be found at this address, so I urge you not to waste any time.
Gideon Sweet
841 W. Randolph St.
312-888-2258
gideonsweet.com
Tribune rating: Two stars
Open: Dinner Tuesday to Sunday
Prices: Small plates $5-$16
Noise: Conversation-challenged
Other: Valet parking
Ratings key: Four stars, outstanding; three stars, excellent; two stars, very good; one star, good; no stars, unsatisfactory. The reviewer makes every effort to remain anonymous. Meals are paid for by the Tribune.
pvettel@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @PhilVettel
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