Chicago: Au Cheval (Revisited)

My family flew into Chicago after 8:00pm, so we didn't get around to eating dinner until closer to 10:00.  We wasted quite some time agonizing over where to go.  All the places I'd originally considered were either closed...or would be by the time we got there.  

Then I remembered Au Cheval.  Or maybe CK brought it up.  Regardless, it was perfect.  While it might not have exactly been my parents' kind of scene (loud music, dim lighting, craft beers on tap, hipsters), it's open until 2:00am everyday except Sundays (when it closes at 1:00am) and I definitely wanted to eat there one last time before I left Chicago.  

Au Cheval doesn't take reservations, so on the way there, we called ahead to see how long the wait was.  30-45.  Not too bad.  We told them we would get there in 20.

The minute we walked through the door, we were hailed by the hostess.  Apparently she'd been watching the door for us because a table had just opened up and she kept hoping we would be the next ones in.  Whew.  Perfect timing.   

As usual, we ordered way too much food.  Granted, there were five of us, but it was late and the members of my family aren't exactly known for our large stomach capacities.  Then there was the addition of CK who eats like a bird but orders like a beast.  

We were bummed when we found out that the last pork porterhouse had been claimed before we sat down.  I remember sneaking a bite from Queen G's table during her birthday dinner and it was fantastic.  I really wanted my family to try it, but oh well.  According to our server, Au Cheval keeps upping the number of porterhouses they have each night because of how popular it is.

Even without the porterhouse, our meal was quite memorable.  

I'm a big sucker for bone marrow, but I think everyone would agree that Au Cheval's roasted bone marrow with oxtail marmalade and toast is to die for:

First of all, I'm obsessed with the toast.  Add to that the succulent bone marrow and the sweet oxtail marmalade...guh.  I give up.  There are no words.

My mom wanted to try the fries with mornay sauce, garlic aioli, and farm egg:

She still brings up that garlic aioli from time to time.  While it was good, it wasn't exactly the highlight of the dish.  Moms are weird.

I've heard lots of talk about the foie gras scrambled egg and toast:

Can anyone say MORE TOAST?  I wasn't a big fan of the egg part (too much like flan in texture for me), but the foie and the sauce...perfection.

This is the one dish we probably should have left out.  The single cheeseburger with egg and bacon:

Don't get me wrong, it was delicious (just look at those thick slabs of bacon!), but I think it was the burger that put us over the top.  I was actually intimidated just looking at it.

Not to mention we also had the griddled bratwurst with smashed potatoes and roasted garlic gravy:

Gawd the potatoes.  And the garlic gravy.  I love how there were still chunks of potato hanging out and how the garlic just melted in your mouth.  So.  Damn.  Good.

The food was rich, rich, rich and yummy in my tummy.  (Though the accumulation of salt did get a bit too much by the end of the meal.)  In hindsight maybe we should have ordered a salad.

Heh.

Please forgive my lame attempt at a joke.  It's late and I still have 36 practice MBE evidence questions to bomb.

Anyway, I love Au Cheval.  Just thinking about it makes me wish I still lived in Chicago.


Au Cheval
800 W Randolph St
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 929-4580
http://aucheval.tumblr.com/