Although drawing to a close all too quickly, Spring Break Chicago '11 has been excellent. I've managed to balance work and play all while catching a copious amount of zzzzz's. While it's been an awesomely balanced week, a teensy part of me is starting to miss the grind. The grind being my 5am wake-up call, commuting to the burbs, chatting with/counseling some seriously amazing students, and attempting to solve the psychological mysteries of teenagers. I enjoy having lots of free time, but find solace in a busy schedule; it keeps me motivated, inspired, and happy. I guess what I'm trying to say, in an all too long-winded way, is the end of SB '11 is bittersweet. Good thing summer break is only 2 months away...
Now, back to the point of this post: province. Part of the "play" during SB '11 included checking a few places off of my "must-dine-at" list, including Ceres' Table and province. I'll be back later with a review on Ceres' Table, but for now let's talk about province. Province opened up in the West Loop of Chicago just over 2 years ago with cuisine inspired by the flavors of South America and Spain. Executive Chef, Randy Zweiban, incorporates green equipment, sustainable foods, and colorful flare into province making it a fun and conscientious dining experience. A hot pink accent wall dressed in food photos resembling Rorschach inkblots and the utilization of colorful clipboards as menus create an atmosphere that is fresh and chic. The menu is uniquely divided into size categories (i.e., Bites, Small, Big, Bigger), which makes picking dishes quite fun -- a little of this, a little of that. The drink menu includes unique cocktails, a selection of beers exclusively from Three Floyds Brewing Co, and an extensive wine list. Here is the rundown of my choices and what I thought about each:
{Drink Selection} Dan's Diablo
A drink after my own heart and man. Dan's Diablo consists of Olmeca Altos Plata Tequila, St. Germaine Crème Yvette, ginger liqueur, and lemon -- a tequila lover's version of a sophisticated margarita. This sweet cocktail is shaken, chilled, and served in a martini glass. Loved it.
{Small Plate} Nichols Farm Beet Salad | Spanish Blue Cheese, Spiced Pepitas
Thinly sliced red beets piled high with spiced pepitas and served atop a pool of creamy Spanish blue cheese. This was like my dream come true on this particular evening. The saltiness of the blue cheese balanced the sweetness of the beets and the spiced pepitas added a crunchy burst of kick. This salad can't be beet at province.
{Big Plate} Ancho Pappardelle Pasta & Sweet Fried Piquillos | Roasted Garlic, Queso Fresco
This dish was decent, but I expected a lot more out of it. Given the description, my expectations included the incorporation of fried piquillos; however, fried apparently translates to lightly sautéed in province's kitchen. As far as flavor goes, the queso fresco was washed away by the potency of the garlic (remember, this statement is coming from a garlic lover). The one thing I will boast about for this dish is that the pappardelle was really tasty. It's nice to eat a pasta dish that showcases the flavor of the pasta rather than the glitz and glamor on top. A few minor adjustments, and this dish could be excellent. For now, it's just going to have to be slightly above average.
Despite my mixed feelings about my {big plate}, I was ordering vegetarian in a kitchen that specializes in seafood and meat. Given that Dan became putty in the hands' of his Dietzler Farms Grilled Skirt Steak | Nichols Farm squash gratin and province chimichurri, I'm guessing he would rank province at around an 8.5. I'm going to give it an 8. Overall, province is a chic date night spot and worth checking out. The prices are reasonable, the service is friendly and unpretentious, and the menu is full of flare. Oh yes, and they have adorable little province-packaged Dulce de Leche cookies to enjoy on your way out!
walktothemailbox says
Ashley! I didn't know you had this blog. I love everything about it. can't wait to follow your adventures! xo
Ashley says
Thank you so much, Gina! I was actually just reading your blog the other day, and I love it. Reading about your running adventures inspired me to up the difficulty of my workout routine during my week off!
veggiegrettie says
I love checking out new restaurants...it's always a fun adventure :-)
Ashley says
Me too, and it really is like an adventure! :)
Celeste Jackson says
This looks amazing....thanks for sharing!