mEAT

1 Reviews on “mEAT”

• Just Jamie

  MEAT is mIGHTY tasty, but expensive for mINIMAL portions. Right in the shadow of the Hancock Building, mEAT has opened one of their skewer-centric restaurants in Streeterville, quietly sliding into the spot that once housed Le Grande Vie at 215 E. Chestnut Street. You enter through the apartments lobby next door, up the stairs into a very dark, long hallway with four-top booths down the left wall, two-top caf tables on the right, followed by a long, wooden bar. The lighting over the caf tables is horrendous, so if you struggle to read small print on less-than-contrasty menus, kindly request a booth, or pack a headlamp for the cave-like spelunking along the west wall. There was some lovely outside seating staged on the sidewalk, but an evening thunderstorm nixed that as an option during our first visit.We were greeted by the cheery hostess for our 7:30pm weekend reservation, and were immediately seated and provided a small bucket of crunchy, fried kale leaves, lightly salted and drizzled with olive oil a tasty table offering that was made even better by a free refill once we had reached the bottom. Our waitress was charming, and knew the menu items very well, so we allowed her to guide us through the evening, starting with our drinks.The first round of cocktails consisted of a perfectly prepared Maple Foam Manhattan ($12) and a Jalisco Old Fashioned ($10), featuring two ounces of Reposada Tequila, Cointreau and orange bitters floating next to a softball-size sphere of ice, with sugar and cinnamon on the rim. Craft beers are available and were listed between $6-$9 a pint, with only a dozen wines available, between $9-$14 a glass, or $40+ a bottle.The menu is rather simple, starting with a handful of flat breads ($14) for appetizers, as well as stuffed mushrooms ($8), a gorgonzola salad ($10) and a pair of fondues, including a Wisconsin Trio of cheeses ($16) and a truffle pot bubbling with fontina and gruyere ($16). Following our waitresses lead, we chose the Bacon Onion Tart, a keyboard-sized puff pastry crust loaded with smoked bacon nibs, lightly sauted white onion and crme fraiche undoubtedly the star of the evening! The pastry was light, incredibly flakey and perfectly prepared.The entre menu is pretty straightforward as well, with your chosen proteins arriving at the table on skewers that are hung from a horseshoe-shaped metal rack which, for some unknown reason, was moved off our table. Then placed back on. Then taken back off. Only to return mere moments before the waitress delivered our seared samplings. As we waited to place our entre orders, we admired the gorgeous, well-stocked wooden bar, and planks of rough-cut wood hanging from the ceiling. We also noted the volume level in the room ticked up dramatically as the evening went on and while the four folks immediately behind us were certainly having a good time, the televisions, bar machinery and low-hung ceiling added up to a rather loud dining experience. There is a small, dark area at the front of the restaurant that might offer a quieter, date-night atmosphere.Following our waitress well-presented suggestions, we ordered three skewers for our first visit; Bacon Wrapped Dates (six smallish, two-bite nuggets for $10), the Pistachio Crusted Pork (about 8ozs for $14), and Seared Scallops (four medium-to-large pieces for $21). The dates were super sweet and gooey inside their charred bacon blankets- almost the perfect dessert- so we saved most of those for the end of our meal. The scallops were perfectly seared on one side, but had no markings on the other I guess thats better than overcooked, right? While still very tasty, we thought five bucks a scallop was rather miserly. The pork itself is ground, then molded onto a skewer, shish kabob-style, and featured a thick, dough-like coating of pistachio crumbles. Sadly, the sesame oil really overpowered the flavor of the meat. Other entre offerings included; Lemon Chicken ($12), Bacon Wrapped Chicken ($13 and looked awesome!), Beef Tenderloin Tips with horseradish dipping sauce ($15) and their only veggie option, a skewer of yellow squash, zucchini, red onion and a tiny disc of corn on the cob ($9). Maybe well try the Wasabi Crusted Salmon ($19) next time.Their side dishes are offered up family style in large, molten-hot, cast iron skillets one order would certainly be enough for four folks to enjoy a sampling, and two cauldrons would easily serve six guests. Upon arrival, we politely sent our Baked Brussels Sprouts with bacon and balsamic reduction ($8) back to the kitchen because they were very, very undercooked – practically raw. The dish returned tableside in less than ten minutes, perfectly al dente, with a fresh drizzling of reduced balsamic vinegar over their smoky, lightly-charred leaves. And despite its long list of ingredients, the Fondue Mac and Cheese ($9) was, sadly, rather bland simple rigatoni shells in a tasteless bchamel of Vermont cheddar and gouda, sans the promised sun-dried tomatoes and splash of white wine. Also available was a Cauliflower Puree ($7), Creamed Corn ($7) and Steak Mushrooms ($8). Factoring in the $40 worth of cocktails, our $125 tab (before tip) felt a little pricey for what we sampled. The entre portions could have been a smattering larger, and the liquor pours could have been a tad stronger, especially on the premium cocktails. Well certainly give them another try in the next few weeks.

  September 30, 2014, 11:51 pm

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