Blog Archives
Special Edition: Best of Year Two
The Savory Sisters: Best of 2015
Ashley: I can’t believe it’s been two years already since I moved to Chicago and we started this blog. Time flies when you’re eating for fun! Year two brought many new experiences, including a culinary adventure through Spain. I can’t wait to see what the next year brings! Also, I’d like to thank the lovely Heather Marley for our ‘Best of’ logo. She is an amazing artist and if you want to reach out to her about her work, you can contact her at hmarley218@yahoo.com. Now, let’s get right down to business…
Best Egg Dish
Tortilla & Txakoli
Ashley: My vote for best egg dish comes from our trip to Spain, where we experienced the Tortilla Española (Spanish omelet). The Spanish Omelet is one of the most commonly served dishes in Spain and Hilary found a place that supposedly had one of the best. It was Los Candiles in Bilbao. It certainly was delicious. The tortilla was great. It was rich but not too rich and I even ate the caramelized onions. I really enjoyed this.
Hangover Breakfast
Hilary: My vote for favorite egg dish was the Hangover Breakfast from The Bristol. It had such a complex flavor profile that it satisfied many of my taste buds at once. As far as ramen goes, it wasn’t the most unique but I loved that they had it on a breakfast menu. I have wanted ramen for breakfast pretty much every day since then!
Best Seafood Dish
Scampi with Sautéed Vegetables and Fresh Pasta
Ashley: For my best seafood dish, I knew immediately which dish I would choose. My favorite was a dish we had at Etxanobe in Bibao. It was also the most surprising dish for me. It was the Scampi with Sauteed Vegetables and Fresh Pasta. I was expecting this dish to have the tough texture that I normally dislike in seafood but it didn’t. It was like butter (think Mike Meyers from Coffee Talk on SNL). The soft texture of the scampi with the crunch of the veggies made this a top vote for me. I loved the thin won ton-like pasta square that was on it as well. Such a great balance of seasoning and textures.
Fluke
Hilary: My favorite seafood dish was from Intro when CJ Jacobson was the chef-in-residence (he is no longer there =\). It was the fluke appetizer. I loved the tangy parsley juice it was sitting in. I wished they had served it with a spoon so I could have gotten ALL of the juice! The fluke was so tender and I loved how it was both sweet and citrusy. What a lovely, refreshing dish!
Best Cocktail
Mito Green
Ashley: My favorite cocktail was a no-brainer. It comes from Takashi which, unfortunately, is no longer open. The Mito Green was such a surprisingly refreshing drink. What intrigued me most (and also scared me a little) was the fact that it had wasabi in it. The cucumber & melon flavors really balanced it out though. It was light, refreshing, and had just the right amount of kick to it. I loved it.
Sparkling Vampyro
Hilary: My favorite cocktail was the Sparkling Vampyro from Intro. I picked this cocktail first of all, because it was delicious. It tasted like sweet cherries! But also, it was so unique. Beet juice in a cocktail? Wow! That was so interesting to me. The Kyoto Blossom from Takashi almost made the cut. It was also a very unique cocktail for me, in that I didn’t even know what most of the ingredients even were! I loved it, though.
Sweetest Treat
Rhubard & Almond Coffee Cake
Ashley: For my top vote on a sweet dish, I actually have two that are so close, it’s tough for me to say which is my actual favorite…so I’ll just say it’s a tie! The first dish is from The Bristol. It was the Rhubarb & Almond Coffee Cake. This was just a perfect combination of flavor and texture. The crust was crumbly and I could really taste the almond, butter, and sugar. Combine that with the bitterness of the rhubarb and you have the perfect blend of sweet and savory. My other favorite was the Honey Ricotta Cheesecake from TWO. It was the best cheesecake I have ever had. It was creamy but not heavy and the crust was sweet and crunchy.
Honey Ricotta Cheesecake
Hilary: My favorite dessert was also the honey ricotta cheesecake! I’m not big on sweets but this cheesecake was just perfect. It was so creamy and light.
Best Sandwich
Poutine Burger
Ashley: My choice for favorite sandwich comes from a place around the corner from my house, Spritzburger. We got the Poutine Burger and it was delicious. The burger itself was cooked perfectly. It was so juicy even though it was covered with other things. The fries that came with it were thin, crispy, and salty. What more do you need in a fry?
Los Drowned
Hilary: My top choice was the Los Drowned from Little Goat Diner. It was like a zesty version of a French dip sandwich, with mexi-slaw and avocado on top. The crunchy slaw paired with the tender meat was my favorite combination. My second favorite “sandwich” (we had to assemble it ourselves…) was the Soy-Ginger Caramel Pork Belly from Takashi. I absolutely LOVED the caramel in the sauce and the spicy mustard that came on the side.
The Meat to Beat
Carrillera de Tenera
Ashley: My favorite meat dish is another dish that comes from Spain. The Carrillera de Tenera at Borda Berri in San Sebastian was amazing. Thanks to Hilary and her diligent researching, we found this place that came highly recommended. Now, I was little nervous for this one because, after all, it is veal cheek but it was so tender and tasted like pot roast that had been cooking for hours. It was amazing. I also had another dish that I wanted to include but wasn’t sure where to put it…but it has pork in it, so it qualifies as a meat dish. In Bilbao, we had our first paella at Agape. This was a recommendation from our AirBNB host and it was such a good choice. I couldn’t get enough of it.
Prime Beef Meatballs
Hilary: I agree with Ashley that the veal cheek in San Sebastian was incredible. I couldn’t NOT choose it. But, I also chose the prime meatballs from RPM Italian! They were so flavorful and tender. And the sauce was acidic and salty, while giving off a hint of sweetness.
Best Pasta
Sauteed Maine Scallops and Soba Gnocchi
Ashley: My favorite pasta dishes come from two restaurants that I have mentioned already for other foods. The first is the Sauteed Maine Scallops and Soba Gnocchi from Takashi. The scallops had a slight crust to them but melted in your mouth. The gnocchi was so soft but not at all mushy. It was all brought together in a light alfredo-like sauce. I really miss Takashi… My other favorite pasta dish was the Risotto at Borda Berri in San Sebastian. It was so creamy and rich and the rice had the perfect texture. If this place was closer, I’d be in trouble because I would eat it all the time.
Risotto
Hilary: I agree with Ashley that the risotto from Borda Berri was amazing. It was, without a doubt, my top choice. Ever since then, I’ve compared every risotto to it and nothing can quite hold up. It was so creamy and cheesy and salty…yum!
Best Soup
Cauliflower Bisque
Ashley: My favorite soup, by far, was the Roasted Cauliflower Bisque from TWO. It tasted just like cauliflower, which I love. It was so creamy and the bacon on top added a nice saltiness and bit of a crunch. My second favorite was not actually a soup, but tasted like one. It was the Scallop Gratin from Dakara in San Sebastian. Not only was it delicious…like a cheesy scallop soup, but it was served in a shell and was so cute!
Oxtail Tea
Hilary: My favorite soup was the Oxtail Tea from Intro. It was like nothing I’ve had before. Plus, the extravagant story and presentation that came with it made it so much more interesting. The broth was cooked in a tea pot that they brought out and poured over the top of the noodles in front of us. Very cool.
Most Comforting
Homemade Biscuit
Ashley: My top choice for comfort food was my meal at Work & Class in Denver. The meatballs were the best part of the meal for me but honestly, all of the meats were good. What really made this “comfort food” was the housemade breads. The biscuit had the perfect butter flavor and the cornbread with jalapeño had the perfect blend of sweet and spicy. This place was worth the 90-minute wait and we couldn’t stop talking about it the rest of the trip.
Mac & Cheese
Hilary: I knew right off the bat that the Mac & Cheese from Little Goat Diner was my choice for comfort food. The crispy breadcrumbs on top of the cheesy, thick noodles…so wonderful.
Most Adventurous Meal
Etxanobe
Ashley: My choice for most adventurous meal was a no brainer. Etxanobe in Bilbao was definitely the most adventurous meal I’ve ever had. Etxanobe combined such great flavors with a little molecular gastronomy. I was a little nervous about so many of the dishes going into the meal but was happily surprised when some of them quickly became my favorites! What I can’t decide is which dish was the most adventurous of the meal. It’s a toss up between the Sardine Lipstick (which was exactly how it sounds…lipstick made of sardines) or the Tartare of Prawns and Lemongrass Gel. Both were strange and hard to get down but I’m still so glad I tried them. This was an amazing meal and definitely one of the highlights of our Spain trip and year two of The Savory Sisters!
Hilary: Etxanobe was truly the most adventurous meal I have ever had in my life. Not only because of the food they served, but it was my first time really traveling out of the United States. That whole trip was one of the best experiences. I totally have the travel bug now! Plus, I have very limited experience enjoying Michelin star restaurants, so that was great too. I had never had sardines, anchovies, raw prawns, or sweetbreads before and they were all included in this meal. While I wasn’t a huge fan of everything, I’m so glad I tried it. My favorite dish ended up being the Truffle Ajoblanco (garlic soup).
Best Brunch Spot
Brunch at The Bristol
Ashley: This year, we didn’t actually have many brunch options to choose from but when I was looking through the list, I knew that The Bristol was my favorite for the year. The Rhubarb & Almond Coffee Cake was amazing, as I mentioned in the sweet section, but the rest of the meal was just as delicious. The ramen especially was great. The broth and pork were my favorite parts of the ramen. I also really loved the biscuit in the Chicken ‘n a Biscuit. It was soft and buttery and you could tell it was housemade. I can’t wait to go back for dinner sometime!
Brunch at Little Goat Diner
Hilary: My favorite brunch of year two was Little Goat Diner! That mac & cheese and the beef sandwich? Ah-mazing!! So glad we got to check this place out.
Best Dinner Experience
Dinner at Takashi
Ashley: For my favorite dinner spot, I had two restaurants that were both such amazing meals, I couldn’t pick one over the other. First off was Takashi. This whole meal was so amazing and I remember constantly expressing my joy with “mmms” and “OMGs” throughout the meal. My favorite dish of the night was Sauteed Maine Scallops and Soba Gnocchi. My second choice was TWO. Again, a meal that was filled with expressions of joy. Every time we got a new dish at TWO, it was just as good as the one before.
Dinner at Intro
Hilary: My favorite dinner this year is probably not a surprise now that you’ve seen all my choices for the year. It was Intro! I loved CJ when he was on Top Chef so being able to taste his creations was a treat. Plus, everything we had was unique with some surprising combinations. I will definitely have to follow CJ to see where I may be able to try his food next since he is no longer the chef-in-residence at Intro. We did go again with the new chef (post coming soon!) and it was totally different. Takashi was my runner up because we got to try SO many things. I loved that each plate had multiple components.
Year two has certainly been an adventure for us. We really branched out and tried some new things this year! And it’s mostly because we have this blog. We have you, the readers, in mind when we make our decisions. We don’t want you to get bored by us eating the same foods or trying the same restaurants over and over again. That being said, we love hearing from you! Have a favorite photo? A restaurant suggestion? Something you think we’re missing? Let us know and we’ll try to incorporate it in year three!
Chic Italian Comfort
Hilary: I have been wanting to try RPM Italian for what seems like forever! I was so excited we finally had the chance. It is a very popular spot! We had a reservation but still had to wait about 20 minutes for our table, which was good time for people watching, as several people came in and out. Once we were seated, our server asked us if we wanted to order any wine. We asked for his help since our tastes are so different (Ashley prefers Malbec, I prefer Pinot Noir). He brought us over a couple of Italian wines to sample but I wasn’t a big fan of either. Then he brought us a California Pinot Noir and we decided to go with that.
Ashley: We tried to go to RPM Italian for restaurant week but schedules wouldn’t allow, so I was excited to finally get to try it as well. I really enjoyed our waiter. He was very helpful with the wine and food choices and I think his recommendations were good. I was also excited because I had my first Chicago celebrity sighting! While we were sitting there, I saw Lebron James come in with some of his teammates (Note to the Bulls fans, I’m not a Cleveland fan and I’m sad that the Playoff run didn’t end better for the Bulls). I was surprised that I even recognized him but I did…and I stared at him as he walked by, like a creepy fan…with my mouth open. Thanks to my personal trainer, Ed, for making me watch NBA playoffs during our sessions, or I never would’ve known it was him.
Provolone Stuffed Peppers
Hilary: For our first appetizer, we went with the Provolone Stuffed Peppers. For some reason, I was expecting the peppers to be sautéed or grilled or something and for the cheese to be melted, but it came out more like a bloody mary garnish with cubes of smoky provolone inside cherry peppers. It tasted good, but it wasn’t a very exciting dish.
Ashley: I agree with Hilary on this. I also thought they would be grilled with melted cheese, so I was a little thrown off by what we got. The peppers were really fresh though and tasted good. They had a good amount of spice to them and the cheese was tasty but not overpowering. Although, the cheese seemed more like parmesan to me than provolone. I guess I was expecting the cheese to be slightly creamier.
Prime Beef Meatballs
Our second appetizer was the Prime Beef Meatballs. These were delicious. I’m not usually a fan of red sauces as they tend to be a little thinner and lacking in seasoning but this one was delicious. The meat in this dish was so tender and the meatball just fell apart as I was cutting it. I would love to eat these again.
Hilary: Oh boy were these delicious!! They immediately erased any doubts that had formed in my mind based on the stuffed peppers. The beef was tender and the sauce was delightful. It tasted like it was made from fresh tomatoes and was a great balance of acidic and salty with a hint of sweetness. I would definitely order these again!
Risotto Primavera
Our first pasta dish was Risotto Primavera (spring vegetable, basil pesto). I was a tiny bit disappointed in this dish, mostly because I was hoping for a creamy, cheesy risotto but it was not creamy at all. I was also hoping that the vegetables would have been larger chunks vs. chopped into tiny bits and the herb on top tasted piney and overpowered the otherwise mild-flavored dish. On the positive side, this dish was very light and fresh, which is unique for pasta dishes.
Ashley: I was disappointed with this as well. Like Hilary, I was also hoping for creamy, cheesy risotto. This was one of my top choices for our meal because I was looking forward to the spring vegetables but it just wasn’t as exciting as I’d hoped. I could taste the parmesan though and the dish was really fresh, which I liked.
Pappardelle Bolognese
I don’t actually think I’ve ever had Pappardelle Bolognese (pecorino, rosemary) before, so I was intrigued by the wide noodles. When I first took a bite, I thought the noodles were slightly undercooked for normal people standards (I think I’ve mentioned before that I like my pasta more on the al dente side). I was glad to hear that Hilary didn’t think so though. The sauce was really good and lighter than I expected. There was a lot of meat in it, which to my surprise included shredded pork, and I really enjoyed the flavor. I like ordering dishes that I don’t really know what to expect because then I get to try so many new things and am usually pleasantly surprised. This dish did not disappoint. I only wish there was more because I loved it so much.
Hilary: Pappardelle is one of my favorite types of pasta because of the width of the noddle. I find it so satisfying. This dish was no exception! With the Bolognese sauce, it was so hearty and delicious. The sauce tasted a lot like the sauce that was on the meatballs but with shredded pork and beef. The meat in the sauce was very tender which almost created a mushy texture but the al dente noodles made up for it. There was rosemary on top which added a nice earthiness. I loved this pasta!
Hazelnut Tartufo
For dessert, we had the Hazelnut Tartufo (dark & milk chocolate). This dessert was huge! It was milk chocolate gelato shaped into a ball with chocolate in the middle and coated in dark chocolate with crunchy hazelnuts. The coating is what made this dessert…it was really good! It took me back to my childhood when I used to go to the corner ice cream store and get a chocolate dipped cone with nuts on top. However, this was pretty difficult to eat. I don’t usually have a hard time eating cold foods but this was really hurting my teeth for some reason. I was glad I ordered a coffee to accompany the dessert, and it was served in a giant mug!
Ashley: I really enjoyed the crunchy coating as well. You could really taste the hazelnuts and the chocolate was creamy and not too sweet. The chocolate in the middle was semi-sweet and didn’t really taste like dark chocolate to me, so my guess is that the coating was the dark chocolate. The gelato was milk chocolate flavored. This is definitely a dessert for all of the chocolate lovers out there!
Hilary: Our dinner at RPM Italian was about 50/50 for me. I would definitely go back to get the meatballs again and would stick to the recommended dishes so I know I’m getting their specialties. It’s a very trendy spot and seemed to be much better for small groups than romantic dates because of the amount of noise and people throughout the restaurant.
Ashley: Even though some of our dishes were a little less exciting than I expected, I thought this was a good meal. I would love to go back and try more of their dishes. They had a lot to choose from, so there are many other options. I also liked the space and thought it was cozy with a lounge vibe.
The Savory Sisters 