Prairie pictures.

Chicago.

As a follow-up to Saturday's dinner, Jonny and Tim have posted their photos. Tim, it seems, was a little less busy in the kitchen.

I realize that I forgot to include the post-dessert coffee and cookies on the menu. (It even appeared on the written menu; I just didn't type it in.) Underground provided a tray of raspberry crumble bars and shortbread/lemon curd sandwich cookies for our post-dinner enjoyment in the French Room. Both were excellent, but the raspberry bars really shone. Makes sense, since Mary - I think it was Mary - used to create the same level of goodies at L'Etoile. She has some real talent, and it shows. (Pound cake? Also highly commendable.)

The rest of the collective performed spectacularly, as well. Big on talent. Low on ego. Not much else you could ask for. Well, maybe recipes, but they offered those to anyone who was interested.

Dinner was, despite the elegant menu, refreshingly informal. Rather than feel like a restaurant - even a laid-back one - it was more akin a dinner party at a friend's house. Which it was, in a sense. Seems like the only difference was that no one popped into the kitchen to offer help with the dishes afterwards.

To point out a few key highlights to the experience:

• Paired wine and food. The wines all seemed well-chosen, but the most important point is that we had several courses featuring asparagus. Always delicious, but not wine-friendly. My favorite trick was creating a flan to soften the asparagus-ness, and hence allow it to get along really well with a none-too-oaky chardonnay.
  
  
• The crazy-intense sauvignon blanc. The nose was really strong and full of litchi and pineapple, with a fruity background and a little sweetness. I could really enjoy just drinking this wine on its own.
  
  
• Morels stuffed with mascarpone and chives. Chances I'll remember this by next year's morel harvest? Not much, but it was a great combination, all earthy and creamy-smooth, contrasted with a little sourdough toast.
  
  
• Potato gnocchi. Light and delicate, well-matched to the accompanying salad. Not the same experience as the braised beef cheek - with its rich, deep flavor - but definitely worth noting. Jonny's only tip was to be sure to use a ricer to keep the potatoes as fluffy as possible.
  
  
• Raspberry crumble bars. Perfect with coffee, although I should have eaten mine sitting down. (Note the crumble part.)
  
  
• Accommodating the vegetarians. Two out of, what, fifty people? And this took place on a cattle and hog farm. They were under no obligation, but made a secondary set of dishes the equal of those for us carnivores.

The rest was also well worth it, but those are definitely my favorite little details.