A Birthday at BOKA

For my Birthday my incredibly generous parents offered to take me out to dinner. Knowing that I was desperately wanting to try BOKA, I asked them if they were interested and they immediately said yes! I had been looking forward to this dinner for a few weeks, as I had heard nothing but amazing reviews about it! When we arrived for our 7:30 reservation we were greeted and seated right away. from the start the service was amazing , the restaurant was the perfect size for an intimate gathering without feeling like you were sitting on top of each other. Each table was set with a single rose and a candle. As the waitress came around and we ordered drinks, we were taken back by all the different flavor combinations on the menu. The one item that immediately jumped out at me was the Broccoli Soup, four year aged Cheddr, Truffle raviolo. I knew that I was going to try this as my first course, and was debating between the Herb crusted whitefish, lobster agnolotti, trumpet royale, boniato, kohlrabi, aji foam and the Grilled Mahi mahi, orange gnocci, braised fennel, maitke mushrooms, carrot and chamomile broth. I decided on the crusted white fish and my friend Emily decided on the other. The Soup was Out of this world and so were the entrees! The portions were just right so that you were able to taste the freshness of the ingredients, feel full but not stuffed. We were also overwhelmed with sides such as the Mac and cheese with edamame, roasted root vegetables, maple bourbon syrup, and confit fingerling potatoes. It truly was a wonderful birthday dinner.

This restaurant is amazing, the staff the food, the ambiance are all note worthy. I would strongly recommend going at some time. It is more on the pricey side, so make it somewhere you want to go for a special occasion or a nice night out.

*The head chef of BOKA is Giuseppi Tentori , he started BOKA in March 2007 after working as chef de cuisine at Charlie Trotters. Originally from Milan he helped with his grandmother’s farm were he learned a strong connection with nature. This would be a very important aspect he would carry with him the rest of his career especially at BOKA. BOKA is best known for his unique style and progressive American cuisine. The menu here is constantly changing due to the seasons and what is fresh. He tries to use local ingredients and spends a great deal of time at the farmers markets. Boka is located at 1729 N. Halsted in Chicago.

Duck, duck,…..delicious!

My first encounter with duck was about two years ago. I was in culinary school and my upcoming 3 week class was meat fabrication. Being an on again off again meat eater I was not looking forward to this class, but new it was necessary! Day after day we would learn the different cuts of different animals. The day came when the duck was placed in front of me…. I remembered this animal specifically in culinary school because it was one of the only animals that came with all of its intestines. When you received your duck you had to turn it upside down and watch the liver, spine, heart and other such goodies pour out. Let’s just say after this I was very skeptical to eat what I was working with, but I was branching out and willing to try. I am very glad that I did, I learned very specific ways to cook duck in ways that enhance the flavor and make any dish served with this tasty bird a true crowd pleaser! I have always had wonderful reviews on duck dishes, and I am learning more and more just how versatile this animal is. Last weekend Jen and I used smoked duck breast in an appetizer that we made and it was a hit. With that on my mind and my mom asking me what I was going be making for Easter dinner, I thought why not make duck part of our Easter tradition!
I wanted to do something different than what we had done the week prior…. I still extra wonton wrappers and a variety of fresh peppers. I decided I would make a wonton crisp with duck confit* and avocado corn salsa. In the process I realized that although very beautiful, with the ingredients spread on top of the wonton, they might be easier to eat of they were inside the wonton, and so it was. A delicious wonton filled with duck confit and avocado corn salsa. They were quick to go and a nice compliment to our Easter spread.
(A great place to pick up specialty meats in Chicago is, Paulina Meat Market, located at 3501 N. Lincoln)
*Duck Confit is a French dish made from the leg of the duck. The leg is usually cured in salt and poached or cooked in its own fat at a low heat for a long time, creating very tender juicy meat.