Thanksgiving in Chitown

First, we went to the Christkindlmarket, a German open-air market, for a snack. Now, a snack at the market consisted mostly of meaty bits.

Christkindlmarket

That evening, we saw a great production of A Christmas Carol at the Goodman Theater.

Goodman Theater's stage

After the play, we went to Quartino, a lovely wine bar, for a light dinner, and then on to a local jazz club.

The next day, we had breakfast at Wildberry Cafe.

at Wildberry Cafe

Chicago's version of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Woody!

We hit Navy Pier and the John Hancock Building.

at Navy Pier

Canoe sculpture at Navy Pier

View from Hancock Building's bathroom

For Thanksgiving dinner, we went to BIN36. Here's the Thanksgiving menu:

My wine flight included a lambrusco secco, an uva de troia, a montepulciano d'Abruzzo, and a sangiovese/cabernet sauvignon/merlot blend. I was a very fond of the lambrusco and the uva de troia.

first course: roasted chestnut-brown butter soup with fried sage and cornbread croutons

Chestnut-brown butter soup with fried sage and cornbread croutons

This was amazing, but goddess knows how much cream and butter were in it. I'm convinced that anything would taste delicious bathed in butter and heavy cream.

second course: salmon and crab coulibiac with beurre rouge (Others had maple syrup-brined turkey with gingersnap gravy.)

salmon and crab coulibiac

maple-brined turkey with gingersnap gravy

Wikipedia defines a coulibiac as a Russian loaf--you know you're in for something incredible when it's described as a loaf--made up of sturgeon or salmon, rice, hard-boiled eggs, and dill. Mine was more like a piece of salmon spread with the mushroom mixture and topped with a piece of puff pastry. Overall, the effect wasn't great. The pastry was mushy and ended up mostly left on my plate, and the salmon was fairly bland. However, it was firm and was a generous portion.

When it arrived, the turkey did not look appetizing at all, mostly because the gravy that had been poured over the turkey slices had congealed a bit. Despite the unattractive presentation, the turkey was surprisingly moist and flavorful. I think the brining helped. I don't recall detecting any gingery hints in the gravy.

sides:

• sourdough stuffing with housemade sage sausage and fresh herbs
• wild mushroom and garlic confit strudel
• creamy pumpkin polenta
• butterscotch-glazed turnips
• dirty rice (with wild and jasmine rice)
• butter-whipped potatoes
• apple cider-glazed Brussels sprouts
• cranberry, ginger, and almond relish

sides

Of the sides, I think my favorite was the sourdough stuffing with sage sausage and fresh herbs.

dessert: manjari dark chocolate tart with cranberry conserve and cranberry chantilly

This was overdone. A chocolate tart does not need a chocolate crust, and the "cranberry conserve" was one, tiny cranberry. The chantilly was just a fluffy whipped cream. (By definition, Chantilly cream is simply whipped cream with vanilla added.) The pumpkin tart was more satisfying.

Pumpkin tart

Tiffany ceiling at Macy's