Eats : Carriage House
Eats : Carriage House
Over the past decade or so, while the butter-slicked perniciousness of Paula Deen was undermining mainstream perceptions of southern food, there was a quieter, nonparodic revolution ramping up to take it back to its preindustrial agrarian past. That was when the sheer variety of local crops allowed a diverse family of differing regional cuisines to develop—as opposed to the monocultural set of foods the rest of the country has long held the south to possess. The standard-bearer for this resurrection is the Charleston, South Carolina, chef Sean Brock, whose two restaurants serve as ground zero for this movement. Here in Chicago it's chef Paul Fehribach, whose scholarship at Big Jones has led to many different menus faithful to a number of discrete southern traditions that might as well be brand-new for most eaters.
I suppose it's inevitable that other Chicago chefs would get into this game with increasing specialization, and with Carriage House, from Bedford (and ex-Hot Chocolate) chef Mark Steuer, Chicago has its first restaurant dedicated to the food of South Carolina's coastal low country. Generally that's a cuisine typified by abundant seafood and grains that result in folksily named dishes such as she-crab soup, once (but no longer) made with the crustacean's roe, and frogmore stew, in which no frogs have been harmed.
This neo "old south" movement is also responsible for the resurgence of a bounty of heirloom foods such as Carolina gold rice and purple cape beans, which both appear on Steuer's menu. But the chef is not orthodox, and Carriage House is less reverential and exacting than Big Jones. On Steuer's menu a dozen shareable dishes are divided into "traditional" and "reimagined" columns, distinctions that in some cases are meaningless. I'm not sure how often chefs in Old Dixie prepared sous vide chicken thighs—pressing them in a cylindrical galantine before deep-frying and honey glazing their skin—but it's an interesting preparation, served with a vinegary sweet potato hot sauce and candy-sweet bread-and-butter pickles. The dish would be terrific if it had some balance, but as is it belongs on the dessert menu more than anywhere else.
On the other hand, a trio of "Carolina rice balls"—deep-fried arancini made with the aforementioned heritage rice—is incorporated with pimiento cheese, dressed with pickled cabbage, and sauced with sweet-potato puree and smoked pork neck gravy. The result is a thrilling collection of textures and flavors—sweet, sour, and savory; soft and crunchy—that hits all the pleasure centers, a formula that snack-food manufacturers are forever trying to put in a bag.
Steuer strikes these perfect balances across his menu, particularly in a pair of dishes each served in a rectangular cast-iron pan—one a crispy slice of panfried ham hock terrine set in a succotash of field peas and corn, tarted up with a mustard vinaigrette, and enriched by an oozing soft-boiled egg. The same egg serves the same purpose with cheesy grits and oyster mushrooms buoyed by truffled vinaigrette. These are both extravagant little dishes that could easily get bogged down in their own richness but for equally judicious application of acidic flavors. Those grits, incidentally, show up all over the menu, as a side, with shrimp, and anchoring one of the four larger entrées on the menu, a towering chunk of quivering braised pork shoulder topped with pickled banana peppers and smoked plums. In fact, corn takes many forms here, including a small skillet of light, spongy corn bread topped with sweet onion jam and foie gras compound butter. (Read More)
Carriage House Review By Megan M. : Chicago, IL
I can't say enough good things about Carriage House. Everything about this place is fantastic - great service, cute decor, fun atmosphere, creative drinks and most importantly phenomenal, delicious food. I took my sister-in-law who was visiting for the weekend and we ended up sitting at the Chef's Table which made for a really fun dining experience. Amazing to see those guys at work!
We tried the shrimp & grits, fried green tomatoes, skillet cornbread, and pork shoulder. Everything was amazing. Every bite we just kept saying "Oh my god this is so good." I'm still thinking about the grits...I wish I could eat them every day. They were perfect. We topped off an already incredible meal with beignets w/ espresso froth for dessert. As a girl who loves to spend time down in New Orleans, I take my beignets quite seriously. These were among the best I've ever had. The espresso/chocolate sauce was the perfect side kick. Our drinks were pretty great too. I tried the Singapore Sling and definitely had my party pants on by the time I finished it.
The place had a really fun vibe and you can tell a lot of care and consideration went into even the tiniest of details in the decor. I felt like I was eating in a friend's kitchen rather than out to dinner on a Saturday night. The place was very homey and inviting. I didn't feel like I had to rush out the door after I finished my meal. Our server was really great too. He was friendly and attentive, but never overbearing. He was good about answering our questions and helping us make decisions. The bus staff was great too - clearing plates quickly and always assuring we had full glasses of water. You would have never guessed they have been open for less than a month.
This is definitely a place that I'll come back to for birthdays and other celebrations. A wonderful new addition to the neighborhood.
Contact Carriage House
Address 1700 W. Division St., Chicago, Illinois 60622 | Phone (773) 235-8800
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