North Side Review: Eno

By Laura Oppenheimer in Food on Dec 21, 2006 5:10PM

Chicagoist thinks that there are two kinds of people in the world. The first kind of person is the person who orders the $11 cheese flight at newly opened Eno in the InterContinental Hotel and is impressed by the clever presentation and delicious morsels to be had. The second type of person looks at the three minuscule pieces of cheese sitting in front of them and thinks "I paid $11 for this?" These two people can be distinguished by one thing; the first has an expense account, and the second ... alas, the second is Chicagoist or anyone else lacking said expense account.

Eno is the new high-concept lounge on the southwest corner of the InterContinental Hotel which only serves three things: wine, cheese and chocolates. Wine can be purchased by the glass, in a flight of three, or by the bottle. Cheese can be consumed either by the piece ($4 for a half-ounce serving) or by the flight ($11 for three different cheeses). Chocolate is available by the piece, for $5 each, which we opted not to try.

For the wine flights, we ordered the burgundy flight, featuring three different wines from the Burgundy region of France, and the bubbly flight, featuring three different sparkling wines. The wine was served with a cheat sheet, so you can read about what you should be tasting, if you are a wine novice. We particularly liked the 2005 Domaine Raquillet; it had a nice aroma of berries, and the tannins were manageable. From the bubbly flight we enjoyed the Chandon Rose and the Pierre Dlize; the third bubbly, which was the Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noir, however, prompted one of Chicagoist's dining companions to remark that it tasted like beer. Not exactly what you look for in a sparkling wine. On to the cheese course.

Now we all know that Chicagoist loves cheese. We don't have a problem shelling out the dough for a nice round of camembert or wedge of cave-aged emmental. Our problem at Eno was not with the quality of cheese, but with the quantity. We ordered the Skunky Punk flight, which came with three deliciously smelly cheeses: the Pont L'Eveque A.O.C., the Robiola due Latti and the Brescianellla Stagionata. All three were enjoyable, but we were particularly fond of the Brescianella Stagionata, which reminded us of softer, more fragrant fontina. Served with quince paste, marcona almonds and bread, you are able to try each cheese with a variety of sweet and savory flavors. Our problem was once we got into our cheese-tasting groove, the cheese was gone, as one serving, Eno-style, is equal to two quarter-sized slices. The comte we tried was delicious as well, perfectly hitting both the creamy and nutty notes it is known for.

We guess our first clue should have been that Eno is in a hotel on Michigan Ave. We should have known the portions would be small, the prices high. But still, we hoped for something more. Instead, we received less, at least in quantity. Sadly, we left disappointed and hungry.