After spending nearly a decade dishing about Chicago eateries as the host of Check, Please!, Alpana Singh is checking out life on the other side of a restaurant review. Singh opened her first restaurant, Boarding House, in a sophisticated three-level space in River North at the end of 2012.
Singh may be most popular for her role on Check, Please!, but that is certainly not her only claim to fame. She's also a Monterey, Calif.-bred master sommelier, who honed her craft at Chicago's upscale Everest Restaurant. Singh's knowledge about and passion for wine is obvious from the moment you step into her beautiful restaurant. When you enter, your eye will be drawn to the 9,700 shimmering wine glasses hanging from the ceiling in an art installation over the bar on the ground floor.
Next, you'll be escorted via an elevator to the main dining room on the second floor. The elevator ride is a nice touch that makes you feel like you're on your way to something very special. Once seated, you'll be handed a massive wine list with an impressive selection of bottles and glasses from Europe and Singh's native California.
Once I was settled at my table with my first glass of wine — a bubbly and dry rose — I took a moment to peruse the menu and take in the architecturally stunning and beautifully decorated space. Graceful arched windows provide a floor-to-ceiling view of Wells St. and the warm and inviting décor beckons diners to sit back and relax. The menu tempts with decadent offerings like lobster poutine and duck breast with mascarpone grits. Before I placed my order, I felt confident I'd be in for a real gastronomic treat.
My meal started out with a bang. I ordered the house made tagliolini as an appetizer. The tender pasta was tossed in a creamy pecorino cheese sauce, which was made even richer when I pierced the poached egg perched on top of the dish and mixed the yolk into the sauce. Savory bits of bacon and braised chicken added a perfect one-two punch of flavor and texture.
Sadly, this delectable little pot of pasta was first and last outstanding dish I had at Boarding House. The beef short rib was just fine, but nothing more. The meat was flavorful and tender enough to cut with a fork, but there was simply nothing special about it. The menu advertised a leek fondue to accompany the short rib. When I lifted up the piece of meat, what I found was a few strips of cooked leeks — not a drop of the delicious-sounding fondue in sight.
I also tried the scallops, which, like the short rib, were perfectly fine. There was nothing wrong with the scallops. They were cooked correctly and seasoned nicely, but they were just boring. The spoonful of bland cauliflower puree beneath the scallops did nothing to help their cause. In a town with as much exciting and creative food as Chicago, a plate of ho-hum scallops just doesn't cut it.
Perhaps the biggest disappointment of the evening was the lobster poutine. Lobster, French fries, gravy and cheese curds? Um, yes please. I was ready for my life to be changed. What sounded like a culinary dream was actually kind of bizarre. The French fries were average at best, the gravy was watery and the lobster and cheese curds were both cold.
My visit to Boarding House wasn't unpleasant. The knowledgeable wait staff kept my glass full of above-average wines, which were served at the perfect temperature and poured tableside (a very nice touch). I certainly didn't leave hungry. Everything I sampled was good enough. I even caught a few glimpses of Singh working the room, which was an unexpected treat. It's just that the forgettable food didn't live up to the glamorous décor and the expertly curated wine list.
I would consider returning to Boarding House to enjoy a glass of wine and perhaps a small nibble at the handsome marble bar. But, until I get word that the kitchen is churning out more inspired meals, I'll head somewhere else for dinner.
Boarding House is located at 720 N. Wells St., call 312-280-0720 or visit www.boardinghousechicago.com/dine/ .
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