One of the highlights of the recent girls weekend in Chicago was dinner at Cabra, Stephanie Izzard’s Peruvian restaurant. On my prior visit to Chicago, I had enjoyed a fantastic evening at the bar of one of Izzard’s other spots, The Girl and the Goat, and I was excited to try another of her venues.
I selected Cabra because of its location (convenient to where we were staying) and the rooftop terrace where I hoped to take in the skyline in both day and dusk. A few days before our reservation, I took a look at the current menu and felt a twinge of worry. This food was not mainstream cuisine and I worried that not everyone in my party would find it approachable.
From my own experiences as a diner and server, I knew that the right server would make all the difference in our experience. We needed someone who understood the food and could talk us through the selections – and our server was exactly the right person for the job. After my friends and I discussed what sounded most interesting, we consulted with our server and she helped us nail an order of plates to share.
We opened (to the best of my memory) with the shrimp ceviche, crab causa and seared duck salad, followed by the pork shank, blistered green beans and grilled asparagus. Everything was served family style and paced beautifully.
As bites were sampled, there were audible moans. This food was exceptional. Flavors were balanced, taste buds tingled and contented sighs were heard around the table. Unlike the 7-top of young women near us who were there, it seemed, just for the ‘gram, we were there to dine and that we did. In fact, our attention was so devoted to the plates on our table, that I didn’t even bother to look for a skyline photo opportunity. My only picture from the meal that wasn’t food, is the quick shot I took of the night sky above our heads, which I used for this post.
What a wonderful evening!
Now, why would this experience stop me from dining locally? Well, there’s a place not too far from where I live that I’ve eaten at a couple of times. Everyone I know seems to love this restaurant – one person I know even claims it as his favorite restaurant. On each occasion that I’ve dined there, I’ve been generally satisfied with the quality and preparation of my meal, but I’ve never been wowed. The space is nicely decorated, the owners are welcoming and the service has been pleasant. The food, though, has never once blown me way – at least not in the same way the total of the check has.
This local place is pricy.
Now, you know that I have no problem spending money on a dining experience. I appreciate all of the components that go into a memorable meal – atmosphere, quality of food, service, etc, but I also feel like value is something to be taken into consideration and this local spot just doesn’t add up for me. It’s good, maybe even very good at times, but it has never been outstanding, and when dinner for a party of four exceeds $350, my expectations are going to be equally elevated.
Having dined at the local spot, so shortly prior to dining at Cabra, has unfortunately highlighted (to me) that the local choice isn’t, for me, a good value. If I’m going to lay out a couple of hundred dollars for a meal, I want the experience to take me somewhere special and memorable.
Like Cabra.
DelSo 