In the modern restaurant world, mk (868 N. Franklin St.; mkchicago.com ) is practically Methuselah, marking its 15th anniversary this year.
To this diner, the accomplishment is even more remarkable because this restaurant is not in the most conspicuous space, even though it's in the trendy River North area.
However, word of mouth accounts for a lotand this restaurant deserves all the accolades it has received.
The interior is sleek, with plenty of dark woods. The place is also eleganta fact enhanced by the impeccable service (which Tino provided) and even the patrons, who tend to wear very nice threads.
Executive Chef Erick Williams (who has been with mk practically from the beginning, including four years at his current post) has prepared a tasting menu. The culinary line-up here has items such as Nantucket Bay scallops, bobwhite quail, venison short loin, flagship reserve cheddar and a chestnut financier (a small French cake).
However, my dining companion and I decided to try a variety of items from the a la carte menuand, boy, were we impressed.
Among the appetizers are seasonal oysters; kale salad with lettuce, mustard greens, quinoa and pears; and Hudson Valley foie gras. However, we decided to go with what Williams told us are two staplesyellowfin tuna tartare and endive saladas well as butternut squash ravioli. Befitting a restaurant of this stature, the presentation of the dishes was top-notch. As for taste, the endive salad was practically perfection, with the endive balancing very well with apple, blue cheese and spiced pecans. (I'm not the biggest fan of nuts, except for almondsbut this dish converted me.) My friend also enjoyed his tuna.
Also, Williams sent out a dish of baby octopus grilled over hardwood charcoal, complete with fennel, pearl onions, dried apricots, piparras peppers, preserved lemon and smoked paprika aioli. This was, up until dessert, my favorite dish of the night. While sometimes smoke can overpower a dish, it only enhanced this oneand, thankfully, the octopus was not rubbery.
The list of entrees at mk is equally tantalizing, with featured items such as braised beef short ribs, veal porterhouse, Snake River sturgeon (complete with truffle-scented sunchokes), striped bass, roasted chicken and New York sirloin. My friend chose the Skuna Bay salmon while I went with the duck. The salmon was perfectly seasoned (in fact, Williams told us that there's "no hospital cooking" at mk), and the duck was extremely tasty as well. Delectable truffle fries topped off this particular course.
Lastly, we (naturally) had dessertand Pastry Chef Stephanie Mazzone's creations take the cake, literally. Sure, one can try the artisanal cheeses (which I'm sure are tasty), but our palates were set to "sweet" at this point. While my friend went with the banana popstar (a melange consisting of banana-chocolate mini-pop tarts, marshmallow fluff, chocolate butterscotch ice cream pop and chocolate cake crumbs), I decided to try the cake & shake (chocolate layer cake with mousse and hot fudge, along with a mini-malted vanilla shake).
While my companion appreciated his selection, we both fell in love with mine. It was, hands down, the best dessert I've had in the past several months. By the way, as an editor, I can appreciate the punny names of some of the items, including "papi churro" and "pear down (Chicago pears)."
Also, potential patrons will be happy to know that, although the place had a fair share of people there (even on a Thursday), it's quite easy to have a conversation there without raising your voice.
I highly recommend mk. From top to bottom, this is one place that consistently impresses.
mk will offer 50 percent off all bottles of wine Sunday through Thursday until Jan. 31. (The promotion includes any selection from mk's portfolio, which features more than 1,000 choices.)
Additionally, every Wednesday at 6-9 p.m., mk invites guests to relax and unwind in the restaurant's lounge space with "Wine on Wednesday," the popular wine-and-menu tasting series. For reservations, call 312-482-9179.