Restaurant Review: Osteria & Publican Restaurant Swap

Hey all, I know it's been a while since we talked, but much like old friends who haven't seen each other for a while, I know we can pick up right where we left off, inside jokes and all.

I had a couple photos lounging on my phone from October 2015, and they were too delicious, I couldn't keep them from the blog. So cast your memory back to days when the leaves were changing colors, the heat of summer was subsiding, and we all were counting down the hours until the Trump campaign would self-destruct (who knew - right?).

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Thank goodness for food bloggers. More often than not, they know about some truly awesome food events. It was almost buy chance that I heard about this awesome phenomenon, where the staff at Osteria would swap kitchens with the staff at the Chicago based Publican, for one night only.  I was lucky enough to grab a table for this event and taste a wonderful selection of dishes with a good looking guy to boot.

Check out the food we tasted below!

Gotta start with a cocktail.

I'll be the first to admit that it's getting a bit intimidating with the alcohol selection out there. Every establishment is pulling together craft cocktails, craft beers, brewing their own spirits in house - it can be a bit intense. But I challenge you to you all dear wine-nerds, that if you choose to imbibe, choose something adventurous or from another country. 

And when I saw calvados as a main ingredient in the Healer's Choice, I knew I had a winner. Calvados may sound Spanish, but it's actually French! It is an apple brand distilled in the French region of Normandy. It's deep apple flavor is great for an apertif on its own, or is a great addition to mixed drinks!

Healer's Choice: Ternheim theater whiskey, calvados, mint honey syrup, lemon, and angostura bitters.

When it came to the food for the evening, I will let the pictures speak for themselves. (May seem like a cop out) But really! The food was seemingly simple but layered with interesting details. We opted to order a few (sturdy) small plates and share, and it all was delicious.

Check it out below!

Publican oysters + hama hama. 

Charcuterie plate with whole grain mustard perfection.

Blood sausage, squid, green chili dressing served over veggies with parmesan and macron almonds.

Butterscotch pudding, vanilla ice cream and homemade oatmeal cookie.

The moral of the (photobook) story here is... if you have the opportunity to visit Publican while in Chicago, it is definitely worth it. While most of the plates weren't particularly veggie-friendly (and I can't speak for the full restaurant), it's a place your carnivore friends would love!

Cheers!

Wine Reviews: Galer Estate Albariño

Happy Friday Friends!

Have you ever cleaned our your closet during those transition seasons and stumbled upon that perfect statement piece that has been missing from your life for way too long? Well, I was searching through my old drafts and found the blog equivalent of those perfect statement knee high leather boots for fall. (Or for the boys, that perfect plaid shirt. Or maybe an unopened bottle of bourbon that you put away to "age" and accidentally forgot about...)

For this post I want you to think back to almost a year and a half ago. It was April, after that insanely harsh winter. We were celebrating warm winds, spring flowers, and the hope of fun fresh white wine. I give you a post I drafted after visiting another great Pennsylvania winery.

Galer Estate.

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Spring has finally sprung folks! And I could not be more excited! Warm weather, sunshine and wine tastings! Tons of wine tastings actually! A while back, I had the opportunity to visit several wineries in Pennsylvania and taste some delicious wine. It was a really special day for me because when I'm at my favorite winery, I usually spend my time pouring from behind the bar rather than in front tasting wine - so it was great to see what other local wineries had to offer. Two in particular were especially interesting: (1) Stargazers Vineyard and Winery (interesting post on sustainable winemaking to follow), and (2) Galer Estate Winery.

I believe I have said it before, but I will say it again, wineries are definitely the unsung heroes of happy hour! Now that I am no longer a student, but a full time employee, I have come to appreciate happy hour that much more. For me, a great happy hour has a great location, ambiance and drinks. Once location that definitely has all three (and then some) is Galer Estate Winery.

Galer Estate Winery is located in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania - close to Longwood Gardens! ThIs tasting room had a great vibe. The space has both indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor seating overlooks a field of beautiful grape vines. Inside there is a great bar in the middle of the room where you can try the wine, check out the wine tanks, and even listen to live music. The owners also display art made by local artists on the wall, which is ever changing, and really brightens the space.

The wine was definitely just as fun, if not even more fun, than the great atmosphere. I tried several of their wines and all were delicious. However, I walked away with a bottle of their Albariño. 

The 2012 vintage was 100% Albariño aged in steel tank for approximately five months. This wine smelled super fresh, with aromas of herbs, fresh cut grass and a hint of citrus. This wine was definitely what I was looking for in a Albariño, it smelled like putting your face in a tropical fruit bowl. I particularly noticed notices of grapefruit, lemon and lime.

The taste was surprisingly smooth. With most Albariños, I expect almost tingling acidity. Kind of like licking a lemon (which is something I like!). But the Albariño at Galer was super smooth, it almost reminded me of Chardonnay, until I hit the slight tang of acidity on the finish. It left my mouth watering. I think it would have paired nicely with a fish dish, like ceviche!

So if you have some time to get out of the City, Galer Estate is definitely a worthwhile stop!

Cheers!