Wandering Goat (Veal) Dinner

We arrived at the Logan Square Kitchen a little after 6:00.  I had been waiting for this dinner ever since Stephanie Izard had started her teasing tweets over two weeks earlier.  Her wandering goat dinners had started last year while she was setting up her restaurant.  But it seemed like I was never going to be able to get in.  How was I supposed to hunt down tickets with locations posted via twitter during the week?  Or win a virtual kitchen stadium battle? This time I got tickets the old fashion way; I paid for them.   

 Around 30 people had already arrived and were milling around the front of the room.  A small bar was set up to the right and was serving up Three Floyds Gumballhead beer.  The tables were set up to the back of the room in three rows.  A velvet curtain sectioned off the back kitchen from view. 

More people had started to arrive and soon the hors d'oeuvres were on their way out.  Grace and I set up close to where the food came out ready to pounce.  First to reach us was Boka Chef Giuseppe Tentori’s crispy Veal Brain with a Moroccan BBQ sauce.   They were a bit like chicken nuggets (as Chef Tentori would later describe them) if chicken nuggets melted in your mouth into a smooth creamy jelly.  

  Then came Primehouse Chef Rick Gresh’s Veal Saltimbocca Dumplings with Preserved Roasted Garlic and Tomato.  We would find out later that the garlic and tomatoes actually came from Chef Gresh’s own garden. It seemed that only half of the people in the room were as excited as we were about the food coming out.  While I actually watched as a woman dropped a veal saltimbocca onto the floor only to pick it up and eat it, there were just as many people who seemed indifferent to the food coming out. I half expected the crowd to be full of food geeks and food nerds with the DSLRs all about.  But there was only one in the crowd other than my own.  True most everyone took some pictures with their phones and people were tweeting about the dinner during the dinner, I just felt people were acting so much cooler than me [I know, everyone is cooler than me]. 

The servers started to push past us in an attempt to get food to people waiting further back. I felt a bit thwarted.  But soon enough food was steadily streaming out.  The last two hors d'oeuvres were my favorites.  The Tongue and Cheek with Pistachio Picada and Fingerling Potatoes was a rich bite on a spoon.  

  The Smoked Sausage with Melted Cipollini, Ahi Aioli and Crispy Fried Dough had the elements of a great pizza.  The veal sausage was a touch sweet and actually reminded me of a Chinese sausage (lap cheong). 

            As the sun was setting we sat down for dinner.  Grace and I found a seat along the wall.  We introduced ourselves to the guests around us.  We found the two people across from us worked for Vintage Wine Importer and the woman to our left was an editor for Plate magazine.  Then it dawned on me that many of the people at the dinner were in the industry, around the industry or just friends with people in the industry.  Could this be why some of the other guests weren’t as giddy as we were, this was just another work night for them?

          Before dinner the chefs all came out to talk about their dishes.  They spoke of the Kilgus Farm and dear Guillermo, the calf we were about to eat.  As we waited for the food to come out I spoke to Chandra, the editor and food writer.  She was very nice and had been invited by Stephanie.  Unfortunately her friend couldn’t make it; so I tried my best to be interesting.   

             The first course was Chef Tentori’s Veal Gallantine, Sicilian Pistachio and Bourbon Mustard.  The mustard was a bit strong but the veal was pleasant and the pistachio was very nice. 

            Chef Izard’s coarse was second and was for me the best of the night.  It was a Sliced Veal Loin over Veal Breast filled Crisp Masa with Celery Root and Green Garlic Broth.  The green garlic broth was a buttery spicy soup with a light yet rich garlic flavor.  The masa was like a crispy dumpling filled with soft veal and the loin tender as could be. 

             Chef Gresh prepared an homage to the steakhouse with a Veal “Blanquette,” Potato Pave, Creamed Ramps and Mushroom Black Pepper Vinaigrette.  Potatoes, ramps and veal – how could it be bad? 

             The meal ended with an Apple and Eggplant Tart with a Lemon-Ginger Gelato from Black Dog.  I was curious about eggplant in a dessert, but it had lost all of its flavor and became a textural element.  The gelato was delicious and very smooth. 

            The entire crew came out at the end. They seemed like they had fun, and I think it showed in the food.  Thank you Guillermo, you were delicious.