The Chicago Riverfront is gaining a new restaurant! Today is the highly anticipated opening of Four Corners Group venue Porter Kitchen and Deck. You can expect delicious American classic cuisines, crafted cocktails, and of course great views!
I was lucky enough to get to preview the restaurant for dinner last week. The space is HUGE! Thereโs bar seating, big cozy booths, tables, and outdoor patio seating. We opted for the cozy booth in the middle to take in all the action. Itโs not often you get to see boats cruising by as you eat and were all about extending these last few days of summer.ย ๐ย Looking around I can already picture this as the place for client meetings, after work socials, and good for small or big gatherings. The ambience was elegant, but yet relaxed and didnโt have a stuffy feel.
Our server Hayden was very knowledgeable and recommended a plethora of items for us to try throughout the evening. He suggested we clean our palettes first and started us off with Aperol Spritz Cocktails. Iโve never heard of it before, but apparently they are very common cocktails in Italy. Judging the ingredients I didnโt think I was going to like it, but it was surprisingly refreshing and had a hint of sweetness. The cocktail that really blew me away though was the Kickstarter! OMG I like my cocktails sweet and this tasted just like a chocolate milkshake and who can resist a wafer cookie on top?!?! I may or may not have had 3 of these throughout the evening. ๐
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- Aperol Spritz
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- Kickstarter
Now that we got my cocktail suggestions out of the wayโฆ.letโs talk FOOD. Our server suggested we start with a couple of apps and recommended the Salmon as well as the Charred Octopus to us from the Boards and Bites section of the menu. The Salmon was perfection. I loved the toast it was served with and the flavor of the whipped cream cheese that accompanied it was awesome. It was a little garlicky and paired perfectly with the salmon and toast. The Octopus was also delicious. If youโve never had Octopus before definitely give it a try. We also tried the Burrata and I wasnโt a huge fan of the taste, but one of my friends loved it.
Salmon
Charred Octopus
Burrata
I like to think a Salad offsets any of the sinfully delicious food choices we were going to make for the rest of the evening. We opted for the Lobster Cobb salad and the Caesar Salad. The Lobster Cobb salad wasย hearty and I loved they werenโt stingy on the Lobster. The bacon pieces were also delicious andย provided a tad bit of ย sweetness throughout the salad. Our only disappointment of the evening was the Caesar Salad. It was way too salty. I honestly think someone just made a mistake with how much salt was put in it and hopefully it wasnโt the way it was supposed to be served.
Lobster Cobb Salad
Caesar Salad
We all tried something different for our entrees. One of my friends got the Salmon and the other the Lobster Roll. They both liked there entrees, but I was getting full by this point, so I didnโt try any of theres. I saved room for my Steak Frites. It was suggested I get it Medium Rare, but I went with my normal Medium Well.ย ๐ It was good and the seasoned fries it came with were the perfect combination. I canโt resist fries with garlic aioli dipping sauce.
Salmon
Lobster Roll
Steak Frites
I know what youโre thinkingโฆ.how oh how did they have room for dessert?!? We didnโt really, but were troopers and decided to order two of the four desserts listed on the menu. By far I was told that the Banana Pudding is going to be the highly sought after dessert and I can see whyโฆ.soooo good. Weย alsoย ย went with the Spumoni. What is it you ask? Cherry, Pistachio, and Chocolate gelatoโs individually stuffed in wafer cookies. Are you drooling yet?? That Pistachio gelato wafer had to of been my fav! Next time I want to try the Peanut Butter Mousse. Decisions, Decisions!! ๐
Banana Pudding
Spumoni
Soooo my verdict as a Chicago foodieโฆ.would I venture back to Porter Kitchen & Deck??? Ummmm….YES! There open for lunch and dinner. Check them out at www.porterchicago.com.
Porter Kitchen & Deck
150 N. Riverside, Chicago, IL 60606
www.porterchicago.com
All photos were taken by Tavi J of the Chicago Lifestyle Blog Chi@Glance.
Meal was complimentary, but opinions and comments are ALL honest commentary by Tavi J of Chi@glance.
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