Cherry Circle Room

I've never been one to attempt to review food. I'm not much of a cook myself. I can make a really good pot of soup. I'm pretty good at scrambled eggs, omelets, sandwiches and salads but I don't know enough about cooking to evaluate someone else's. I do feel like I know service, well enough to judge it. Having been in customer service basically all my life as an actor, as an educator, and as a client service and sales person I understand service, I understand relationships. I understand the exchange. As an actor I know how to read the room and how to judge an audience so service I feel qualified to evaluate. 

I had dinner tonight at the Cherry Circle Room inside the Chicago Athletic Association. I think it's one of the most beautiful dining rooms in the city. I don't usually care for a room that has no windows. But this room is warm, inviting, it's big enough that it doesn't feel too intimate and crowded. It's just a lovely space. I read that Mari Katsumura is the executive chef there now and I didn't get to experience her cooking at Yugen, I was only familiar with her as a pastry chef at Grace and I believe I met her at Yusho during a brief stint that she did there. 

I have to say that this was one of the best meals that I've had in Chicago. I started with the housemade milk bread which blew me away. It was incredible with whipped ricotta on the side. Really nice. Then I had the little gem salad which had a carrot and ginger dressing, everything about it was perfect. For my entree I went with the tenderloin 8 ounce fillet, served with a Béarnaise sauce. I ordered it medium rare and it was perfectly prepared. On the side I ordered the charred Shishito peppers served with a garlic aioli, preserved lemon and yuzu. Could snack on these for days. I managed to enjoy a dessert as well, molten lava cake, candy cap mushroom ice cream, and Oreo crumble, with a miso butterscotch. Transcendent. I had dinner at the bar and was especially well cared for. 

Next to me were four friends celebrating 50 years of friendship, one of whom had been married in the Chicago Athletic Association 30 some years ago. 

The atmosphere is classic elegance, club feel but minus the pretension. Background music unintrusive, dimly lit for dinner service. Hushed. 

When LSD opened the variety of venues in the Chicago Athletic Association Pete Coenen was the opening chef and I will never forget ducking out of the festivities of IML to experience Chef Pete's Nicoise salad. Transcendent. 

I believe Chef Mari's deft hand coupled with the exquisite service will elevate Cherry Circle Room back to the stature of which it is most deserving.