The Gage in Chicago: Uneven

Call it a totally inspired day: we had decided, in the blink of an eye, to drive to Chicago and take in the ice scuplture installation called "The Museum of Modern Ice". On the way down, we decided to drive only to O'Hare and take the train for the balance of the trip to the Loop. Pure inspiration- one of those days when you feel free as a bird, unencumbered by plans, and excited by the pure come-as-it-may energy. This was our Saturday to play and explore.



So we got to Chicago, realizing that we were hungry, and decided that we would try The Gage, an upscale taverna across the street from Millenium Park. However, upon entering the place, we found it to be packed full. No open spots at the bar (for those of you who are regular readers, you know that eating at the bar is one of our favorite places to nosh), and a long line. We decided to take in the ice sculpture first, and let folks eat lunch.



By the time we returned to The Gage, about 75 minutes later, the rush of the noon crowd had diminished, but it was still hopping. We went to stalk a few spots at the bar, but it seemed that each time we got distracted, someone else came in and grabbed the next available seats. I placed our names on a list, and were told 20 minutes would be the wait. Several more foiled attempts to find seats at the bar, and I was crashing from hunger. We finally got a table in the bar - 45 minutes later, and sat there without any attention at all for another 15. Finally, the hostess came by and offered us a table in the restaurant. We took it, thinking that at least the service would be better. It wasn't. We waited a good 15 minutes for someone to show up at the table with menus. The waiter was quite perceptive, and asked us if there was a problem. We explained our wait dilemma to him, and he responded well, letting us know that he would move any order we placed along quickly. We found two appetizers: a brie, spinach and kasse cheese fondue, served with uniquely cut toasts. The fondue was fabulous, a rich and creamy concoction into which they had melted the entire brie- rind and all. The combination of cheeses and spinach made for a sublime treat. They also brought out a beet salad with grapefruit and blood oranges. I am a sucker for beet salads- especially when the beets are roasted, which they were in this beautifully stacked salad. The gorgonzola added pungency and a wonderful sidebar to the combination of roasted beets and citrus.



For as wonderful and creative as the appetizers were, the sandwiches were rather flat. I had the "Fire Roasted Chicken" sandwich, a combo of chicken breast brushed with Frank's Hot Sauce and grilled, with blue cheese and basil on Cuban bread. It was tasty, but not at the same level of inventiveness and inspiration that the appetizers had been. Jim ordered the Gage brisket sandwich, which I have to say met the "inventive and inspired" criteria in its presentation, but not in taste. It came out on what can only be described as a raft of toasted brioche, about 3" wide and 8" long, with the brisket, swiss cheese and apple laid on top of that. The entire plate was covered in masses of arugula- so much so that Jim was removing a portion of it so he could find the sandwich underneath. He reported that the taste was different than any brisket sandwich he'd ever had, but also said he wouldn't order it again.

Would I try The Gage again? Yes- but not during Saturday lunch.