he devil is said to be in the details. This may be true. However, sometimes the divine also inhabits the small spaces, the margins, the tiny touches that make a place stand out from the crowd. Such it was for Province.
One of the best parts about going to a good restaurant is the feeling afterwards that "wow, they really did everything right." The feeling that for a short while the world was in perfect harmony. That's how we felt after leaving Province. We were happy and satisfied, so much so that even the rain wasn't able to bring us down.
We had a very early reservation, right as the restaurant was opening for Saturday night dinner service. The hostess was very pleasant when we arrived, and both she and our waiter were very concerned with our timetable regarding any plans we had for the evening. As we actually did have another engagement that evening it was nice to know they would be keeping in mind our timing needs.
Our waiter was helpful, explaining their menu that can be a bit confusing on first glance. Throughout the evening he was attentive, making sure drinks were filled, questions answered, and any issues dealt with quickly. This extended to the whole staff. Special kudos to the lady who brought us extra flatbread for our Bleu Cheese Fondue dish.
Before our orders arrived there was a complimentary amuse bouche brought to the table. A small cup containing mushrooms, garlic, and creme fraiche. This was an excellent way to begin as it was chock full of flavors, with sweet and savory playing against each other and rousing the taste buds to attention.
We began with splitting the Bites, one or two bite small dishes. They were decent though not very memorable. The shrimp, beans, chimichurri brioche bite was a nice touch to have as the cold shrimp served to contrast the warm shrimp in a later dish.
Rather than going to the large dishes we decided to sample most of the small plates:
- Melted Blue Cheese Fondue was addictive. Tangy and with smoked onion strings clinging to the crispy flatbread. One of our favorites.
- Spice Rubbed Grilled Ahi Tuna Taco. Spicy and fresh, it tasted like the ocean for lack of a better term. I'm not usually much of a seafood eater, but this was enjoyable. The salsa had a kick to it but not in the overpowering pure heat way. It was a subtle heat that never made me feel like I was just eating fire.
- Charred Calamari & Chorizo. The least impressive dish. The spicing seemed a bit off on this one. It was too strong on the calimari, and the chorizo was a touch bland. About halfway through this plate we threw in the towel. Not a bad dish, but not their best by any means.
- Brioche French Toast and Iberico Pork Belly. I really loved this one. The sweetness of the syrup and the saltiness of the syrup and the pork was a treat. I was so glad that the mrs. isn't a big pork eater, as it meant I got to eat most of this dish. I want to have a huge sandwich like this at breakfast one day.
- Farm Raised Shrimp and Anson Mills Organic Grits. When I have that breakfast sandwich, I WILL have this on the side. This was awesome, the highlight of the meal. The shrimp were warm and just seemed born to live inside these grits. I'm sorry there's not a better description here of flavors. But that is because this hit the real fifty taste bud group, the "Holy crap that's Awesome!" taste buds.
We really weren't sure about dessert at that point. We were full, but there has yet to be a dessert menu I won't take a look at. Or usually order from. We ended up getting three things. She got the chocolate sorbet. That was like chocolate and chocolate came together and created mega-chocolate. I love rich foods, but this damn near was too rich even for me. Note, I say "near", not actually too much. Because it was great.
I went for the scoop of vanilla ice cream, and a white-chocolate rum shot. Here Province lies. This isn't a shot. This is a small milkshake of white chocolate, eggnog, and rum. And it is glorious. They should offer it as a full size drink and charge your immortal soul as the price. They will sell millions of them and no one will mind the chance of an eternity in hellfire as a price to pay.
I have nothing bad to say about our time there. Sure a couple dishes weren't to die for, but really, for the amount we paid and what we ate, there is nothing to complain about or speak ill of. The service, the decor, the bathrooms, everything about the experience was of the highest quality, the food had moments of excellence and was consistently very good. So what the hell, let's give it the fourth star. It's earned it.
Province
161 N Jefferson
Chicago, IL 60661
(312) 669-9900
HCH Rating - 4 stars
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