Longman & Eagle

~~~

I flew into Chicago on Friday night, arriving around 8:30pm central time.  The air was clear and crisp, and the city was buzzing with people out and about enjoying the city's nightlife.  And I. was. hungry.  Like, on the verge of sulking and being angry for no reason- you know that ugly side of hunger right? Enter Longman & Eagle.  The first stop in the city was this awesome restaurant and bed & breakfast in the hip Logan Square area of Chicago.  It also just so happens to have a Michelin star... casually.


First things first... a manhattan! Longman and Eagle does their version of the classic drink with Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon, Punt  é Mes, Angostura and Cherry bitters.   The perfect pick me up, along with warm cheese gougeres filled with Dunbarton Blue mornay sauce.  I was too enthralled with these to document, but trust me.  Insane.

~~~

Next up, roasted marrow bones, with bacon shallot jam and pickled kumquats served with toasted sourdough.  Yum.  To balance it out, we chose a simple shaved pear salad next.  Let's just say we licked our plate.

~~~

The best dish of the night was crispy pork belly, served on top of butternut squash with a soy chestnut broth.  It was so perfect! Balanced and satisfying but surprisingly not too heavy.

~~~

Warm gruyere donuts with fig jam, hazelnut mascarpone, and wild flower honey.  Need I say more?


Clearly the eats and drinks were insanely awesome, but to make it even better, the atmosphere was perfect.  The crowd completely eclectic with everyone from older couples with a classy bottle of wine to young hipsters wearing sunglasses inside.  The music was perfectly current, featuring the Arcade Fire, the Shins, and others.  Decor was minimal, with a fun juxtaposition of candles and glass jars against industrial oversized vents and posts, all surrounded by exposed interior brick.


If you are in Chicago, go! Run! Get there as fast as you can! And bring be back a manhattan...