MK - We Got Much More Than We Paid For (Chicago Restaurant Review No. 77)

One of the fine orgainizations we support charitably is AAIM, which stands for Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists. They provide a great service to victims of drunken drivers and their families. At a recent fundraiser for AAIM, we won a tasting menu dinner at MK, which is a downtown Chicago institution.

We were a bit skeptical, however, as to whether we'd like the menu, since, as you might have noticed, we're not that adventurous. However, we were very pleasantly surprised. MK has an interesting decor, with brick walls, open spaces and high ceilings. It is sort of the quintessential downtown business meal place, and even on a Monday, when we dined there, the place was packed with power suits. It can also get a bit noisy when crowded because of the high ceilings.

We started with a glass of champagne each and an oyster amuse bouche. We liked the champagne, but the oyster, except for the caviar on top, was not so good. Next we had the scallops, which were served cold and raw. This was a bit unnerving, but we both really liked them. They were accompanied by greens and what seemed to be a hard parmesan.

Our first substantive course was the Cod, with mussels. Steve really liked this dish, but Lisa thought it somewhat fishy. The wine they paired with this was a Pallmeyer (probably not the federal judge) Chardonnay, which we both felt was too dry.

Next, we had a butternut squash ravioli. This was an excellent seasonal dish. Steve remarked this would have been totally appropriate for a Thanksgiving table. We both thoroughly enjoyed it, although it was a bit sweet. We also liked the sauvignon blanc they paired with the dish. It was light and had a nice flavor, which set off the sweetness of the ravioli.

This was followed by a lamb course. Steve, who loves lamb, really liked this. It was two nice sized chops, cooked a perfect medium rare. Even Lisa, who is not a lamb fan, thought this was pretty good. It was accompanied by a cone full of frites, which were also very good, although these came with a white truffle sauce that can only be described, perhaps even charitably, as vile (it is truly amazing that some consider this a delicacy). This course came with a Malbec, which we liked, although again it was a bit dry (by the way, for our recent commenter, no Merlot).

At that point the entrees mercifully ended (for purposes of Steve's expanding girth), and our next course was a cheese plate. Those of you who have read our blog before probably know how much we love cheese. This course, though, was a bit strange. It consisted of only one cheese, which was an Italian mixture of sheep, goat and cow's milk cheese. Lisa liked it, but Steve actually thought it a bit strong. He did, however, love the drizzles of honey which came with it (along with good raisin bread). This course was paired with another Chardonnay, although we liked this one (Four Vines) much better than the Pallmeyer.

We ended with dessert, which was a lemon tart with creme fraiche sorbet and fresh fruit. We both really liked this dish, and Lisa even ate all her tart, which is unusual for her, since it wasn't chocolate or ice cream. This was paired with a muscat dessert wine, which had a very interesting, and not too sweet, orange flavor.

Finally, we got a dessert amuse bouche of pecan sandies, brittle and strawberry jelly candy. These were also all quite good.

The bathrooms were clean but not particularly fancy. Moreover, they felt like Sarah Palin would be at home in their freezing temperatures.

The service here was extraordinarily professional and pleasant. This just added to the nice dining experience. And, because of our charity purchase, we ended up paying only $100, with tip, for the whole thing, although it would have been about $350 without the charitable purchase.

Our ratings for MK, 868 N. Franklin, Chicago:

8.5 of 10 Steak Knives; 2 of 3 Bathroom Brushes