-Grubbing in Chicago
Live Fire Cooking in Lincoln Park
Every time I travel I seem to come across a place like Ox Bar & Hearth. I’m talking about the restaurants that revolve around a hearth where live fire cooking is done in an open kitchen setting. These places are usually decked out in exposed brick giving it the feel of a loft. Another common trait you’ll find in these places is a commitment, or at least the claim of being committed, to seasonal and local ingredients. It was only a matter of time until a restaurant liked this opened in Lincoln Park.
Recently Opened in Lincoln Park
Ox Bar & Hearth is the product of two Chicago restaurant veterans - Chef John Asbaty and Restauranteur Alain Uy. Chef John previously helmed his chops in high end kitchens like Alinea and Trio, the latter of which is where he first met Alain Uy. Both of them were in the house on a recent Sunday night visit which came on a cold December evening. Upon being seated we warmed up quickly with a plate of potato pierogi with cabbage, sauerkraut, and horseradish sour cream. These were some of the better Polish Dumplings I’ve had the pleasure of eating. It felt like the dough was thinner than most and all of the condiments it came with were of the highest quality. The addition of dill gave these another layer of flavor that tastefully matched all the other flavors on the plate.
Pierogi at Ox Bar & Hearth
Next out was the ‘lettuces’ which is a bit of an undersell as far as the name of this dish goes. Crisp lettuce leaves are snowcapped with cave aged cheddar, anchovy vinaigrette and sourdough croutons in a wonderful rift on a Caesar Salad. It was super satisfying despite it being the dead of winter when salads don’t hit quite as hard. Unfortunately the ‘Salt Roasted Carrots’ with harissa and pickled cherries was a big miss. The carrots are cooked on the hearth and I love harissa which is a spicy North African chili paste but they came out burnt and flavorless. We brought it up with the waitress but she insisted they were supposed to come like that. There’s a big difference between charred and burnt and these were overcooked to where there was actually no texture or taste to them either.
Lettuces at Ox Bar & Hearth
A plate of Rainbow Trout with fried garlic and caramelized onion oil was the first of the entrees to come out. I got to try a little bite and it had that smoky flavor that you can only achieve using a live fire grill so that was a plus as was the crisp skin you get when it’s placed directly over the flames. But in the end it was the pork collar with rutabaga mostarda and black walnut-cider jus that really stood out. Mostarda is an Italian condiment from Northern Italy made from candied fruits preserved in a mustard-flavored syrup. In Italy mostarda is common with charcuterie but at Ox Bar it’s served next to a really well marbled and rich tasting piece of pork neck sitting in a flavorful black walnut cider au jus. This cheffed up version of a pork chop with apple sauce was one of the best things I’ve ate this winter.
Rainbow Trout
Pork Collar at Ox Bar & Hearth
I’m not one to always order dessert but if you have one that speaks to me I’ll try it as I did with a Pavlova with raspberry sorbet and sage cream. I like most any meringue based dessert as well as contrasting textures so pavlova is one of my favorite deserts and the version served at Ox Bar is up there among my favorite deserts in town right now. It’s light and refreshing and was the perfect ending to a very satisfying dinner. I’ll be keeping my eye on the menu as it changes up with the seasons.
Ox Bar & Hearth
1578 N Clybourn Ave
Chicago, IL 60642
(312) 763-2222
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