Feast

...as in, the restaurant!  Yes, have a feast at Feast, the classy, nouveau riche restaurant on Damen, just north of Milwaulkee in Chicago's Wicker Park.  It's cute outdoor cafe is perfect for the summers and late spring / early fall weather, and the indoor decor is extremely inviting. 


And the food?  AMAZING!!  It was girls night last weekend, and a few friends and I met up for wine, good friends, and some really great food.  The drink menu is well rounded, from standard good wine to girly ___tinis and mixed fares, and all are average priced for the city.  The food is phenomenal, and we tried lots of things.  We're girls.  We dabble in each others' entrees.  


For starters, we had their guacamole and standard bread rolls (the bread rolls were free and had a delicious red pepper/butter spread with them!)  The guac came with homemade chips and they were, hands down, some of the best tortilla chips I've ever hand.  In the same vein, though, I love fresh, deep fried dough, so this was heaven on a plate.  We were initially a little worried by the size of the guacamole bowl, but the dip was dense and the bowl much deeper than it appeared.  It was plenty of food for a starter for 3 people.


Main courses included a black bean burger and sweet potato fries for one girl and a breaded chicken dish for the other.  Trust me, they don't skimp on the portions.  There were lots of leftovers and loads of sharing.  My dinner was a compilation of a side salad and appetizer.  The apple, pecan, and manchego cheese salad was awesome.  The textures and flavors were light and just fruity/ nutty enough to work together, and it was the perfect lead-in to my main dish:  chorizo stuffed, bacon-wrapped dates.  W-O-W!  


I fell in love with bacon-wrapped dates at a friend's dinner party a few months back.  I'd never had a date, on its own, before, let alone one wrapped in bacon.  Well, because bacon makes everything better and the bacon is countered by the sweetness of the date, it was a combination made in Ratatouille heaven.  Remy would have loved it!  And so did I, so when I saw this restaurant had them AND that they were stuffed, it was a no brainer.  I received four, plump, overstuffed, wonderful dates on the plate and savored every one of them.  They were magnificent, a "must" for all people who also love bacon.  


In short, a great find and wonderful twist on regular gastro fun.