Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

Boarding House
by Meghan Streit
2013-03-20

This article shared 4527 times since Wed Mar 20, 2013
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


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/ .

Do you need some more Sugar & Spice in your life? Follow me on Twitter: @SugarAndSpiceMS—for inside scoop and commentary on Chicago's dining scene.


This article shared 4527 times since Wed Mar 20, 2013
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

SAVOR 'Hot Ones,' 101 complex opening, Casati's closing, Crumbl
2024-04-20
—Feeling hot, hot, hot: The addictive show Hot Ones is coming to Chicago, Time Out Chicago noted. First We Feast is teaming with Stella Artois to bring the show/YouTube sensation—which has featured guests such as Tyra ...


Gay News

SAVOR Arshiya Farheen talks about her welcoming bakery, Verzenay
2024-04-20
Just walking into the Lincoln Park bakery Verzanay, 2507 N. Lincoln Ave., is an experience. Somehow, the patisserie (named after a commune/town in France) simultaneously seems upscale and cozy. Friendly ...


Gay News

SAVOR Vivent Health/TPAN leader talks about Dining Out for Life
2024-04-17
On Thursday, April 25, people can join the city's restaurant community for Dining Out For Life Chicago, an event ensuring people affected by HIV/AIDS can access essential services. We want to show up in the communities ...


Gay News

SAVOR Prairie Grass' honor, Aviary reservations, 4/20 events
2024-04-14
—Congrats!: Northbrook restaurant Prairie Grass Cafe was honored for its Sensory Friendly Hour program at the 18th Annual Disability Matters North America Awards held in Milwaukee on April 4. Victoria's Secret & Co., Walt Disney Imagineering, ...


Gay News

Big Gay Sal's, pizzeria named after owner's larger-than-life presence, opens in Northalsted
2024-04-10
Salvador Mora has always been known for his cheerful smile, warm hugs and big heart, but now it's his pizza that has people talking. Mora co-owns Big Gay Sal's, a late-night pizzeria that opened in March ...


Gay News

Andersonville Chamber announces Andersonville Midsommarfest entertainment lineup
2024-04-09
--From a press release - CHICAGO (April 8, 2024) — The Andersonville Chamber of Commerce (ACC) is pleased to announce the full entertainment line-up for Andersonville Midsommarfest, one of Chicago's oldest and most beloved summer ...


Gay News

SAVOR James Beard nominees, Krispy Kreme, controversies
2024-04-06
SAVOR James Beard nominees, Krispy Kreme, controversies BY ANDREW DAVIS —Congrats!: In D.C., The James Beard Foundation announced the 2024 Restaurant and Chef Award nominees as well as the honorees of the Leadership Awards, Humanitarian of ...


Gay News

SAVOR The casual Italian spot Archive Lounge
2024-04-05
Last year, a friend and I visited Chef Steve Chiappetti's Streeterville restaurant The Albert, in Hotel EMC2 (228 E. Ontario St.)—and having dinner at the Italian spot was one of my top culinary experiences of 2023. ...


Gay News

SAVOR The Inspired Home Show, Uncle Julio's closes, Malort cocktails
2024-03-30
Getting inspired: On March 17-19, The Inspired Home Show—a massive display of current and upcoming products focused on cooking, cleaning, containing and much more—occurred at McCormick Place. Battery-run lawn mowers ...


Gay News

SAVOR Easter roundup for 2024
2024-03-24
Easter is a time to celebrate rebirth, spring, life—and brunches. Chicagoland restaurants will be out in full force on Sunday, March 31, offering Easter meals—some with their own twists (including ...


Gay News

SAVOR WhiskyX, an Easter soiree, a pizza-making class and more
2024-03-24
I'll drink to that: On March 21, I was invited to check out dozens of whiskeys, rums, tequilas and other spirits at WhiskyX, which took place at the Chicago venue Morgan MFG and which hundreds of ...


Gay News

SAVOR REVIEW Sushi By Bou
2024-03-19
Going into a sushi restaurant, I didn't expect to hear a 1920s version of the Carly Rae Jepsen hit "Call Me Maybe" emanating from the speakers. However, that and other Great Gatsby-like flourishes can be found ...


Gay News

SAVOR Gemini Grill opens, 'Rick Bayless Day' and more
2024-03-17
—And I quote: I'm not crazy about reality, but it's still the only place to get a decent meal."—Groucho Marx —Pop life: Don't forget my other Substack: "Pop-Eds: My takes on pop culture." Thank you so ...


Gay News

SAVOR REVIEW La Grande Boucherie
2024-03-14
Just a few months ago, The Group NYC—a hospitality consortium based in you-know-where—opened the Italian restaurant Olio e Piu in Chicago's River North neighborhood. You can read my review of ...


Gay News

SAVOR Let's Talk Womxn's 'More Than March'; Adobo Grill's tequila dinner
2024-03-06
I was fortunate enough to be invited to a culinary event that celebrates the achievement of women—and, fittingly, it happened during Women's History Month. On March 1, Let's Talk Womxn Chicago held its annual "More Than ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor
Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.