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    Post #1 - May 14th, 2018, 10:37 am
    Post #1 - May 14th, 2018, 10:37 am Post #1 - May 14th, 2018, 10:37 am
    I may be the only child to not give my mother grandchildren, but thanks to Meg Galus's desserts at Somerset, I won Mother's Day last night. Once she was done with a mediocre early dinner at a kid-friendly restaurant with the rest of the family, I took the woman who made me out for a 3-dessert feast at the newish Gold Coast restaurant from the Boka Group. Each dessert offered a fantastic array of flavors and textures that demand a visit from every sugar aficionado out there.

    The lightest of the three was a rhubarb raspberry pavlova- a perfect pavlova with cooked rhubarb, fresh raspberries, cake, and frozen yogurt. We had that light dessert first and while it alone would have made for a great night, it was actually our least favorite of the three.

    Up next was a decadent butterscotch pudding with pecan pralines, white coffee-kahlua ice cream, and caramelized grains (with heavy emphasis on the caramel). If anyone has had the butterscotch budino at Mozza in LA and thought they'd found peak butterscotch pudding, this one might make you reconsider. It's incredibly rich and probably should be shared.

    A version of the Somerset Sundae is always on the menu. The current iteration includes candied pistachio ice cream, coconut sorbet, mango passion fruit jam, salted caramel, and white chocolate nut crunch. While my love of butterscotch made the pudding my favorite, there's no denying this sundae is a showstopper that should be ordered on every visit.

    I'm pretty sure I'll get back to Somerset for a proper meal at some point, but I am absolutely certain I'll return for dessert. And also, based on this picture, a brunch of nothing but pastries is in my future.

    Somerset
    1112 N. State St.
    (312) 586-2150
  • Post #2 - June 1st, 2018, 6:34 am
    Post #2 - June 1st, 2018, 6:34 am Post #2 - June 1st, 2018, 6:34 am
    For anyone who has enjoyed the mushroom bolognese at Somerset, you can thank me later:

    https://thetakeout.com/this-mushroom-bo ... 1826465596
  • Post #3 - July 22nd, 2018, 1:02 pm
    Post #3 - July 22nd, 2018, 1:02 pm Post #3 - July 22nd, 2018, 1:02 pm
    As noted in the initial post, the brunch menu at Somerset is loaded with pastries. What I didn't know at the time but learned this morning is that the lunch dessert menu is actually available for brunch as well. I took full advantage of that this morning, and while calling it hit or miss is definitely too negative, my hunch is that Galus is not in the kitchen for brunch service and a couple of things fell through the cracks.

    Let's start with the clear winners. The Somerset Sundae was the star of the morning dessert feast. The current iteration has roasted blueberry ice cream, blueberries (seemingly roasted as well), frozen yogurt, a graham oat crunch, and coconut lavender marshmallows. The mixture of textures and flavors was just fantastic.

    On the pasty side, we went with the monkey bread with with cinnamon caramel sauce. Monkey bread is generally not my favorite but I thought this soft gooey treat was really good. A couple of dining companions who are partial to monkey bread adored this version.

    The other two desserts we got were both really delicious (which is why calling it hit or miss is too harsh), but I think there were some mistakes made in the kitchen, which is why I'm assuming Galus wasn't around. The dark chocolate mousse (70% chocolate) was an outstanding mousse, but kind of one note note. The menu states that it came with caramelized cacao nibs, but none of us could find any. The missing crunch and nuttiness would have made it better.

    The cherry pavlova was also great but also not quite reflective of what was listed on the menu. The pavlova was flawless and the roasted cherries and fresh raspberries made for a great summer fruit combination. The frozen yogurt brought everything together to make a complete dessert. However, the menu listed thai long peppercorn as an ingredient and there was not even a hint of it in the dish. Unlike the missing nibs in the mousse, it's tough to say this one would necessarily have elevated the dish, but it definitely would have been more interesting.

    I'm still incredibly high on the desserts at Somerset, but I think I'd probably stick to the pastries at brunch. And, of course, the sundae that should be ordered by all who walk into the place.
  • Post #4 - July 17th, 2020, 10:21 am
    Post #4 - July 17th, 2020, 10:21 am Post #4 - July 17th, 2020, 10:21 am
    A significant shift is underway at glitzy Gold Coast restaurant Somerset inside the Viceroy Chicago hotel. A spokesperson says chef Lee Wolen (Boka) and Boka Restaurant Group have left the property, transferring management to Viceroy Hotel Group and Chicago real estate company Convexity Properties.

    https://chicago.eater.com/2020/7/17/213 ... alit-intel
    Never order barbecue in a place that also serves quiche - Lewis Grizzard

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