Review: Simplicity And Restraint Shine At The Winchester
By Melissa McEwen in Food on Mar 25, 2014 4:00PM
At dusk on Augusta street, the globes of lights out front of The Winchester cast a welcome glow. The name evokes an old-fashioned British pub, perhaps even the one used as an anti-zombie fort in Shaun of the Dead. But nothing much else is reminiscent of that. The minimalist interior instead reminds one of a cafe in Amsterdam and in the day it is flush with bright warm sunlight. The food itself, however, seems to come from somewhere warm with lots of hippies.
The avocado toast is a perfect example. It is vegan and available on gluten-free bread, which for me was a red flag that it was for those who choose food based on what’s absent and aren’t too discriminating about taste. But not this time. It’s slightly savory with flecks of red chilies, but also has lightly sweet and tart notes from the grapefruit.
The restrained “eggs benedict” completely lacks the usual decadent hollandaise sauce, instead opting for a bed of slightly creamy kale. It might seem a bit too restrained if it weren’t served with triangles of liege waffles, which bear the tell-tale marks of crispy caramelized pearl sugar pockets lying await in the flaky dough. Each is topped with juicy thick-cut bacon.
It’s a perfect example of the kind of balance you’ll find here. The arctic char, while certainly well cooked, is mild bordering on boring with an unextraordinary arugula salad, but below it lies a bed of rich buttery parsnip puree and the salad contains tender smoked cipollini onions that provide aromatic and savory bursts of flavor. A smoked trout sandwich is luscious with mascarpone, but fennel seasoned with honey and lavender provide a remarkably delicious contrast.
One of the best surprises is the Brussel sprout salad. Many Chicago restaurants char Brussel sprouts until they are crispy, but The Winchester anoints them simply but deliciously in nutty flavorful brown butter.
Weirdly, the brown butter, which is by far the defining characteristic of this dish, isn’t listed on the menu. The menu itself might be a little too terse for some people, who might imagine the Brussel sprouts as a more traditional salad or the eggs benedict as a traditional eggs benedict with hollandaise sauce. The menu is just long enough that it would be annoying to have the staff explain each item that isn’t what you might expect.
The one miss I had in my meals at The Winchester was a potato soup that looked delicious enough with its garnish of crispy potatoes. Sadly, it was lukewarm and bland.
The quiet atmosphere might change when The Winchester finally gets its liquor license. Currently a promising-looking pub area serves coffee, tea, kombucha and Season’s soda with cafe snacks. When the liquor arrives, I expect it will be packed.
The Winchester is located at 1001 N Winchester Ave.