The tips from Tami keep on coming. Last night we checked out another restaurant from her list of suggestions, Nellcote. It was named after a town in the south of France where the Rolling Stones recorded their ‘Exile On Main St’ album.
It wasn’t sure if we were walking into a night club or a restaurant when we first entered. Music was pumping. I could see people at each table (and every single table was booked, plus people loitering at the large bar that spanned the entire restaurant) huddled close so they could hear each other.
The decor was very swanky. All chandeliers and marble. Split level with lots of high chair table in the center. We sat at one in the middle of the room. I was surprised that din seemed to work out fine. We did not have any trouble hearing each other if we spoke loudly, and as an added bonus we didn’t hear anyone else’s conversation either. We were ensconced in our own private dinning experience in the middle of it all.
We found out from the waitress that they milled their own flour in the basement. This meant we had to try the bread selection, along with a pizza and some pasta. We chose a squid ink one with lobster. Nellcote is doing what all the trendy restaurants seem to be doing these days, they just make a huge list of small plates and everyone shares. Everything was super yummy, there was not one dish that wasn’t delicious.
After dinner Jamie asked what our favorites were. I picked the Hamachi ‘crudo’, local mustard greens, fresh apricots, fleur de sel.
Another great Chicago dining experience.
Out for Jamie’s belated birthday dinner
