Chicago - Bravo! Cucina Italiana II

Bravo!'s summer dinner special, Frutti Del Mare. Clams, mussels, prawns, and scallop tossed with egg fettucine in a light, tomato wine sauce. The clams were huge but the cleaning could be better. Of the 5 shellfish, 2 had sandy intestines. The mussels were small but tasty. 1 of the 5 had a string stuck to it. Commonplace but that should have been removed. At least, the restaurant could have been more particular with their suppliers. Frozen prawns were not a big surprise to me. They were fresh nonetheless. Two large scallops complete the melange of seafood. The scallops were the best, if you ask me.

The tomato based wine sauce went quite along the lines of the bread dip. I suspect this is some kind of a lazy coping mechanism adopted by the restaurant - one sauce fits all - but it did work well with the hand made fettucine, cooked to the mushier degree of al dente. The deep fried garlic bits came across strongly but not in an overpowering manner in the tomato sauce. The finely cut scallions in the background provided a colour and texture counterpoint to the well-done, slightly rubbery seafood and the slightly chewy noodles. The tomato bits were observable and very tasty when you put a lump in your mouth. The sauce is a little watery - perhaps from the shellfish as they become more cooked from the residual heat after they are plated - and provided a slight sauce for spooning over the pasta. I had two large tablespoons of coarsely grated parmesan. I found such parmesan more flavourful than the finely grated ones. New thing to try. The chef also applied a touch of chilli padi to the dish, cutting out all risks of any unfresh seafood smells.

Overall, it was worth the USD 13.99 (before taxes and tips) listed.

I also had a mini dessert of a shot of expresso poured over vanilla beans gelato. That was forgettable.  

Chicago - Bravo! Cucina Italiana I

A 5-minutes' walk from where I stay, the Bravo! Cucina Italiana saw a steady stream of diners entering the pretty large restaurant. Curiosity got the better of me as I threw budgeting in the wind and decided to give myself a proper sit down meal after a few days of sitting down with a sandwich. No, I didn't go hard on myself but I didn't find what I like near where I stayed.

So, into Bravo! I went. Service was ok and if you ask me, the foccacia roll was absolutely gorgeous when it was put on the table. The roll was crusty and the insides were light as clouds. However, once it lost its heat, the crust became hard and the insides lost its fluff.

But what is amazing here is the tomato-rosemary-oregano-chilli infused olive oil dip. I suspect the tomatoes and herbs were slowly caramelised in olive oil till they become thick and lose almost all its water, seasoned liberally with salt and some sugar, then poured into a vat of olive oil to infuse. When the guests come, take a scoop of the special oil, throw on the rolls and the restaurant is on its way.

I think I am going to replicate this recipe at home and if it turns out well, I can give this as presents when I visit. Bring a loaf and bring a jar of the tomato olive oil dip. What's there not to love?  

Philly Old and New

 

The Signer

Also along the historical route  

Sights along the Historical Route

Facade of the National Constitution Center  

The famed, cracked Liberty Bell  

The First National Bank Building. This was formerly Benjamin Franklin's residence.  

The sign is self-explanatory.  

A matter of perspective

On the Philadelphia side - what would Penn say if he arrived today? 

On the New Jersey side... All separated by the Delaware River  

Benjamin Franklin Bridge

State one obvious differencfe between the two pictures. Hint: Look at the base of the bridge  

Give up? The train! There is a train in this picture near the middle of the bridge while in the picture above, the train has almost passed, leaving only a bit of it left.  

Penn's Landing

Sculpture depicting immigrants at Penn's Landing and the famed Benjamin Franklin Bridge in the background  

Sculpture depicting immigrants at Penn's Landing  

Stone carving at the entrance to a little memorial  

Afternoon out at Philadelphia

Starting with a trip to Penn's Landing 

Philadelphia Amtrak Station

A glimpse into the inside of the Philadelphia 30th Street Amtrak Station in Pennsylvania