A Visit to Paciugo & Gelato Quest 2010

Posted by Bridget at 8:39 am

Aug 102010

One look at this and you'll understand why a gelato quest is required!

They might say we all scream for ice cream, but here at Chicago Bites we clamor for gelato. The Italian version of ice cream made with milk instead of cream, gelato is the pinnacle of frozen treats. We recently sampled delectable flavors at Black Dog and Spiaggia and have decided that gelato is worth more dedicated study. So now we embark on Gelato Quest 2010, a tireless and extensive search for the best gelato in Chicago! It’s a tough job, sure. But we got to do what we got to do!

Our first “official” stop was Paciugo in Lincoln Square, where master gelato maker Cristiana Acerbi Ginatta met us Sunday to chat about her craft and lead us through a tasting of the goods. Ginatta and her husband started their business ten years ago in Dallas with a base of eight gelato recipes from Ginatta’s grandfather who owned a restaurant in Milan. Now 30 to 38 different gelato flavors are served daily at a total of 41 Paciugo locations in 10 states, including three in Illinois — the new Lincoln Square location (across the square from Cafe Selmarie) that opened the end of July, a store in boystown, and one in Forest Park.

Master gelato maker Cristiana Ginatta serves it up.

The gelato is made fresh every morning in-house, and the flavors are Ginatta’s brainchild. From the Mediterranean Sea Salt Carmel to the Tutti Fruity with its grapefruit undertones, Ginatta aims to achieve a complete flavor experience.

“Because gelato is made with milk, all the flavor is up front,” Ginatta explained. “You can create a layered taste — Carmel in one bite, salt in the next — with a smooth clean feel.”

Ginatta’s passion for flavor — and experimenting with it — is unmistakable and positively contagious. In fact, it appears that she tries to turn nearly every favor combination she likes into gelato with varying degrees of success. Her list includes banana and carrot, several attempts at using both saffron and ginger, and a rather spectacular combo of blue cheese and candied pecans. The blue cheese was in stores for awhile but was removed when Ginatta discovered the cheese itself continued to get stronger throughout the day and was completely overpowering by the end of it. Now she saves the blue cheese for special occasions like food festivals.

There are roughly 30 gelato flavors available at Paciugo on a given day and all of it is made in-house.

The name Paciugo directly relates to Ginatta’s love for flavor testing as well. Pronounced “pah-CHOO-go,” it means “messy concoction” in Italian, and that’s usually what Ginatta is in the process of making in her kitchen. She also makes a number of sorbets and soy milk based gelatos to accommodate vegans and people who eat gluten-free, all while keeping to a high standard — the very best in color, texture, and taste. And I think she achieves it.

Last night I had a lovely fresh honey ice cream, and if I hadn’t had gelato the day before, I would’ve been blissed out by it. As it was, it paled in comparison to what I had at Paciugo. We must have tried at least 15 flavors during our visit, and although I certainly liked some better than others because of my personal tastes, all were quality desserts. We also tried the coffee and blended treats, and my mouth waters at the very thought.

Paciugo may be a chain, but it’s a excellent addition to Lincoln Square, and I look forward to going back.

So where should we head to next on our gelato quest? Ideas? Want to join us? Leave us a comment or drop us a line on Twitter, and we’ll sort it out!

Add esspresso to any flavor of gelato you like for someting to sip.

Paciugo

Lincoln Square
2324 West Giddings
Chicago, Illinois 60625
(773) 989-1926

Lakeview
3241 N Broadway St
Chicago, IL 60657-3560
(773) 248-8433

Forest Park
510 Madison St
Forest Park, Illinois 60130
(708) 366-6080

This was a media tasting so we sampled free-of-charge.

Other Gelato Stops:
Black Dog
Spiaggia

Feelin' French: A Visit to LM

Posted by Bridget at 8:56 am

Aug 092010

The dining room is small but comfy.

LM is what a bistro should be. Its dining room is intimate and friendly, its staff knowledgeable and attentive, and its food strikes the right chord. Sandwiched between the bars and larger restaurants on Lincoln Avenue, LM is across the street from the Old Town School of Folk Music where the restaurant Tallulah used to be.

The interior looks quite different from what we remembered, decorated in warm oranges and earthy tones, but the layout of the restaurant is the same. It’s a tight squeeze between tables — in fact while we were there, two empty wine glasses were knocked to the floor as the staff rushed by — and it might feel a tad claustrophobic if the restaurant was overflowing with customers. It was fairly quiet when we went though and proved to be an excellent place to linger.

Tuna tartar with citrus.

The food itself is worth lingering over. LM offers a three-course prix fixe menu for $35 per person that is an excellent deal, but in the end, we ordered off the menu. We started out with the tuna tartar with espellette aioli and heart of palm and a spinach salad with Saint Agur, pears and candied pecans. The tuna was particularly good — fresh with citrus undertones that our waiter articulated perfectly in advance of our order.

For our main dishes we tried the monkfish with wild mushrooms and mussels and the roasted leg of lamb served with tomato jam, chanterelles, and toasted hazelnuts. The monkfish came in a cider broth that was tasty and the lamb and its accompaniments were fantastic. The meat was juicy and tender, the tomato jam a perfect complement. The portions were right-sized too… I wasn’t hungry after finishing my meal, but I wasn’t about to pop the button on my jeans either.

The apple tart is meant to share.

For dessert we shared the tarte tatin. Meant for two, its essentialy an upside down apple pie, with one of the best flaky crusts I’ve tasted in a long time. Gobbled down between sips of french press coffee, it was a worthy finish to a solid meal all around.

LM is a place you should absolutely check out. At roughly $45 per person, you can’t go wrong. It’d be a great place for a date or to catch up over a meal with a friend, but don’t plan on it for large groups.

LM Restaurant
4539 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 942-7585
Get directions

Cafe Selmarie - Croissant Quest 2010

Posted by Tammy at 3:00 pm

Jul 302010

Croissant ala Cafe Selmarie.

Cafe Selmarie is a lovely restaurant and bakery in Lincoln Square and the tenth stop on Croissant Quest 2010. I tried a couple of times, but was never early enough to snag a chocolate or almond croissant. The fact that they’re always out of them should be a big hint for me to get there earlier. Oh, well. The run out of their plain croissants too, but I managed one morning to get one.

I have to say this is the most reasonably priced croissant for the quality on the Quest. $1.85? Yeah, I wish I’d picked up a couple of more. Cafe Selmarie’s croissants are light and buttery and are definitely in the top-half of spots. A side-effect of having such tasty treats is that the bakery is always crowded and it’s difficult to get a seat at the counter. Fortunately, you can take your baked goods to the square next door and eat them on a park bench.