Sunday, March 21, 2010

McCormick and Schmick's



3.15.2010
Wacker Location-Chicago, Illinois
Menu:
1. Large Oyster Sampler feature 2 of the following
-Chef’s Creek Oysters, Totten Inlet, Washington
-Cortez Oysters, Vancouver Island, Canada
-Delaware Oysters- Delaware Bay, New Jersey
-Skookum Oysters, Skookum Inlet, Washington
2. Spiced Jumbo Prawns with Traditional Cocktail Sauce
3. House Salad with Blue Cheese Crumbles and Glazed Walnuts
4. Barrumundi Marlborough Sounds, Australia
5. Lobster Stuffed Ravioli with Blue Crab

Cost: $98 for two diners

Alright, let's start with the oysters. The waiter, though very nice, did not tell us which oyster was which...not cool waiter. Once we finished these delicate little molluscs, I was able to get the waiter to find out were my favorites were from. The winner is: Delaware Bay! Now for future reference, fellow diners, the oysters are typically arranged based on the location of the lemon wedges when you order a sampler. For example, the oysters were listed on the menu as I've listed them above, and were placed in order moving counter-clockwise from the lemon wedges- a fact I wish I would have known previously. (don't refer to the above picture)
Now for my palate, the Delaware Bay Oysters tasted the best. The flavor was clean and fresh; perfectly accompanied by just a squirt of lemon or topped with the the shallot vinegar wash and cocktail sauce. A good starter.
The Spiced Jumbo Prawns where just that, lightly spiced, but not spicy. The prawns were succulent and perfectly cooked. I think the traditional cocktail sauce could use a bit more horseradish, a little too ketchupy as is.
The House Salad was simple and good, nothing spectacular, however, I would like to applaud the chef's dressing choice. The salad is tossed in a very light white balsamic vinaigrette, which I believes pairs better than a traditional balsamic when using a strong flavored cheese, in this case blue cheese.
Now on to the main plates!
The Barrumundi and the Lobster Stuffed Ravioli with Blue Crab
Ah, dios mio is what I have to say about these two delightful dishes.
The barrumundi was sauteed with spinach, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, and bacon. HEAVEN IN YOUR MOUTH people, heaven! The fish was so tender it melted like butter in your mouth. It was hard to keep a good bite-full on your fork with out it flaking away. The bacon was a wonderful addition of smokeness without being overpowering. The sun-dried tomatoes were a bit too much. They would have been better addition, had they been diced smaller and roasted less. The tomatoes on our plate were a bit charred...in a bad way. Spinach and mushrooms always good!
The lobster stuffed ravioli with blue crab were tossed in a white wine cream sauce with roasted tomatoes and spinach. My mouth is watering while writing about this! This dish came with 6 to 8 moderate sized ravioli ...I don’t remember the number because I ate them so fast! The blue crab was sweet and delicate. The flavors of the seafood really stood out because the white wine cream sauce was so light and the ravioli weren’t swimming in sauce. The roasted tomatoes were sweet yet pungent and seemed to bring out the flavor of the lobster well. The lobster inside the ravioli was perfectly cooked and seasoned and married well with the blue crab that was sprinkled atop them.
All in all, this was a fantastic meal!

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