Nana (for dinner)

A couple of years ago we went to Nana for breakfast and loved it (see our posting for that here).  So when we saw they were participating in Restaurant Week we wanted to try their dinner fare.

Avocado Fries

Starters
- avocado fries, cilantro, chipotle - lime aioli
- pulled pork tostones, cirispy plantains, cilantro-lime slaw, harissa honey
These were both great.  We would definitely order the avocado fries again. Good flavor combinations for both.

Tostones

Main
- ancho chile braised short ribs, bacon and brie mashed potatoes, leeks, sun-dried tomatoes
- chili rubbed pork tenderloin, squash puree, kale, apples, cider jus
Awesome flavors in both dishes. Unique combinations of ingredients. The short ribs had a bit of heat but that was balanced with the bacon and brie mashed potatoes. The pork was sweet with the squash and apples so getting to try both dishes together was enjoyable.

Short Ribs

Pork Tenderloin

Dessert
- Chocolate Sformato
There were other choices but this sounded the best so we both ordered it.  It was kind of a chocolate mousse and it was VERY rich.  The serving size was pretty large as well so we were more than satisfied when we were done.

Chocolate Sformato

Final thoughts on Nana:
Food - great local food. We enjoyed all of the courses, but especially the appetizers and the dessert.
Service - fast and friendly service.  All the dishes came out more quickly than we expected.
Atmosphere - they have a more casual vibe than the other restaurants we went to during Restaurant week.  It felt cozy.

Nana

We went to breakfast at Nana in Bridgeport.  It has been featured on Diners, Drive ins and Dives and Check Please and has only been open for 3 years.  They don't open until 9 am so it really is more of a breakfast/brunch and they also serve lunch and dinner. We decided to go with both a savory and a sweet dish for our breakfast.

Savory option:

Biscuits and Duck Gravy

Biscuits and Duck Gravy - 2 eggs any style (we had over hard), 2 smoked cheddar biscuits, duck gravy, duck ragout, spring onions and corn. The biscuits were a bit dense, but that was good so that they didn't fall apart easily with all of the other ingredients.  With some bites the gravy was a bit salty.  But, the duck elevated the traditional biscuits and gravy to another level. Overall it was very rich in a savory sort of way.

Sweet option:
Lemon Pound Cake French toast - with whipped cream, chocolate mousse and peaches.  This was practically a dessert.  This was definitely at the other end of the spectrum with taste and richness versus the biscuits and gravy. It was great to be able to sample both of these breakfast items - they were a good balance for each other since they were both rich meals in different ways.

Final thoughts on Nana:

Lemon Pound Cake French Toast

Food - it was different than any other breakfast place we have been to recently because it was fresh, clean, and not overly heavy.  Compared to other Diners, Drive ins and Dives picks this seems a bit more upscale, especially for the neighborhood.
Service - it was ok, there was one server for lots of tables.  We waited a bit to order but the food came out relatively quickly.
Atmosphere - had a lot of original artwork on the walls, we got their right when the place opened and were okay but it definitely got hopping as we were leaving.

Interior

Interior

Seasons 52

Spicy Chipotle Shrimp Flatbread

We had heard about Seasons 52 from a few different people.  It is located in the Oak Brook Mall (where Braxtons used to be). There are about 20 different locations of this restaurant throughout the United States.

     The concept is fresh seasons foods as locally sourced as they can be.  The main menu changes every season and there are weekly specials - thus the name of the restaurant.  Supposedly every dish is designed to be under 475 calories.  (Almost makes you not want to order much when you know this piece of information.) The lower calories are accomplished by using the fresh ingredients, herbs and spices and not as many sauces.  All of the food was very tasty and you wouldn't necessarily be able to tell it is lo-cal.

Artichoke Stuffed Shrimp

We went to Seasons 52 with Nick's parents to celebrate his birthday (a few days early).

For appetizers we shared the following:

Spicy Chipotle Shrimp Flatbread - grilled pineapple, poblano peppers, feta cheese.  This was Nick's father's introduction to flatbread and it did not disappoint. The flat bread itself was very thin.  All of the ingredients went well together, even though as a separate list you might not think so - there were sweet and spicy tones to it.

Tuna & Avocado Sushi Roll

Maryland Crab, Roasted Shrimp & Spinach stuffed mushrooms under Parmesan-panko crust.  The mushrooms were served in an escargot serving dish.  They were a bit slippery and hard to get out of the dish but they were tasty. There was a generous portion of shrimp on each mushroom and the whole bite of it wasn't too heavy due to the light panko crust.

Tuna and Avocado Sushi Roll - quite fresh and tasty, you could tell the tuna was of a high quality.


Stuffed Mushrooms

Organic Arugula salad with watermelon, grilled golden beets, goat cheese, jicama and toasted pistachios.  This was a great combination of flavors for a salad.  The combo of the watermelon and the beets made us want to get it.  For a side salad it was large enough for us to split.

Entrees - the entrees were a bit smaller than the size you might get at a traditional restaurant, but that way you didn't leave feeling over full.
 

Arugula Salad with beets

Caramelized Grilled Sea Scallops with roasted asparagus, sun-dried tomato-mushroom pearl pasta. The scallops were nice and firm nestled in a bed of pearl pasta and latticed asparagus.  It made for a scrumptious entree.

Sea Scallops and Asparagus

Wood-roasted Pork Tenderloin with soft herb polenta, cremini mushrooms, broccoli and shallot-Dijon glaze. The pork was super tender and very tasty.  The polenta was a nice touch (instead of the traditional mashed potatoes).  We didn't miss any gravy or sauces; it was well flavored.

Pork Tenderloin with Polenta 

Mini desserts (in shot glasses)

We ordered Peanut Butter Mousse and Blueberry Cheesecake.  They did literally come in shot glasses.  The presentation of the 9 different types of desserts was fun - the waiter brings out a tray of all of them and you can pick right there what you want. These desserts were just ok; we realize the point is to have a small sweet note at the end of the meal. They relied on a lot of mousses so you can get the flavors without the calories.

The others in our party ordered - Pecan pie with vanilla mousse dessert, Chocolate rocky road dessert, Roasted Artichoke Stuffed Shrimp with wilted leaf spinach, pasta pearls and clam cioppiono sauce entree - we didn't hear any complaints.



Shot Glass Desserts

Final thoughts on Seasons 52:

Food - very good food without feeling the guilt of a much heavier meal.  We felt full but not stuffed. We didn't miss any flavor due to the lower calories.

Service - great service, our waiter was very engaging and gave us good explanations of the restaurant and dishes he enjoyed. To celebrate the birthday we got a complimentary picture and comped dessert

Atmosphere - very busy for a weeknight and for the fact that they have only been open a few months.  They had live piano music at the bar. You could go here for either a casual or fancy meal due to the ambience.

　

Prasino

Warm Olives

To celebrate Natalie's grandmother's birthday we decided not to go into Chicago in case we would have any NATO related traffic or disruptions.  Instead we decided to stay close to home and go to Prasino in La Grange.  Natalie had been there twice before but Nick had never been there. Since we came with a group of 5 we were able to sample a few more things than we would have otherwise

Appetizers:

Mushroom Bruschetta

Warm Olives with piquillo pepper, sun-dried tomato, herbs, feta and grilled bread.  They were a little salty and much spicier than we had anticipated.  We enjoyed the olives at Girl and the Goat better - less spicy and oily.
Creamy mushroom bruschetta with grilled bread, Parmesan, tomato and basil.  The waiter recommended this and it was really good. It had a creamy sauce instead of a more traditional tomato sauce, but sauce made the mushroom flavor pop.

Entrees & Sides:

Braised Short Ribs

Grilled Thai Curry Pork Loin

Grilled Thai Curry Pork Loin with  brown rice, mango salad and coconut cashew sauce.  This was definitely spicier than we thought it would be; maybe it would have been a little better if it were sweeter, i.e. a few more mangoes to offset the heat of the curry.
Braised beef short ribs with cauliflower cheddar gratin (roasted cauliflowers, sharp cheddar, bechamel sauce) greens, truffle mushroom Cabernet sauce.  The short ribs were very tender and definitely the best entree.  The cauliflower gratin was really good and came in an interesting shape like it had been cooked in a muffin tin.

Turkey Blue Burger

Taste of Turkey Blue burger with caramelized onions, sauteed apples, spinach, and bleu cheese on a multigrain bun.  Definitely an interesting combination of ingredients, especially apples on a burger.
Taste of Vegetable flat bread (pizza) with corn, tomato, onion, pesto, mozzarella and balsamic.  It tasted really good.  If we were returning to the restaurant we would order one of the flat breads.
Chilled Beets with goat cheese, candied pecans, balsamic glaze.  We must need to eat more beets in our lives because whenever we go out we like to order them and they are super tasty. This was a good light dish.

Veggie Flatbread

Chilled Beets

Fish Tacos

Chocolate Molten Cake

Gooey Butter Cake

Dessert: 

Chocolate molten cake with vanilla ice cream and blueberry compote - true molten with gooey chocolate inside.  The blueberries were really tasty and went well with chocolate.

Taste of Gooey butter cake (for the birthday girl) - it definitely lived up to its name - warm and gooey, slight crust.  Would order this again.

Final Thoughts on Prasino:
Food - Nick would like to come back and try their summer menu.  We should mention that they try to locally source their ingredients and offer many vegetarian and gluten free menu items.
Service - very good, the waiter was willing to give his opinions and recommendations.  Grandma ordered the fish tacos and they made sure to put the hot sauce on the side.
Atmosphere - casual, located right on La Grange Road in downtown La Grange, lots of seating both indoors and outdoors.