Gazpacho

I am lucky to live in one of the best food cities. Chicago has some of the best restaurants, and the vast majority are affordable. Food is a huge part of the culture here. It is a city where chefs are local (if not national) celebrities. Food trends are born here – and there is always something new.

Charles and I go out for dinner at least once or twice a week. I am a huge fan of Yelp and I post about every restaurant there, but I thought that I would share the best of the best here.

My friends Woody and Mary had recommended Gemini Bistro to me a long time ago, but I forgot about it until I was searching Open Table this past Saturday. Side note: Open Table is best, you can filter restaurants based on which have available reservations, the cuisine, the neighborhood, price, etc. So when Open Table listed that Gemini Bistro had availability my decision was made. Trust me, restaurant selection is something I can spend hours considering.

My meal at Gemini Bistro was the best meal I have had in recent memory. Plus, I felt that the price wasn’t too bad at $120 for two people who each ordered 3 courses, plus I had 2 glasses of wine. We are definitely adding this place to our list of favorite restaurants.

Salad with Pork Belly

Charles started with the gazpacho. He loves gazpacho, he is Spanish so he is probably genetically programed to like it. It was very refreshing and I am quite sure it was a combination of tomatoes and cucumber with a hint of cream. Charles wants me to try to make it at home, which I will at some point.

I ordered a special salad because its ingredients were so wildly creative that I had to try it. It had pork belly, peaches, pecorino, walnuts, sweet onions and a light dressing. It was a playful combination of flavors and textures. Definitely not something I would have thought of, and that is the entire point of going to a restaurant, right?

Charles had the pork tenderloin for his entree, which in true Charles fashion he ate so quickly that I didn’t have time to try it. Clearly he loved it. I had the short rib ravioli. It was incredible. When I go back to Gemini Bistro there is a strong chance I will order it again. Sometimes I have this problem where I fall in love with a dish the first time I visit a restaurant and I always want to order it when I go back to the restaurant. I do get exactly what I want and expect, but I fail to try the rest of the menu. The short rib ravioli was a medium plate, and I loved the somewhat sweet sauce with the melt in your mouth ravioli with the contrast of salty parmesan. Of course I ate every bite.

Ordering a medium plate instead of a large plate for my entree meant I had room for dessert- perfect planning! It is very rare that Charles and I order dessert, and this might have been one of only a couple times when we both ordered dessert. The first two courses were so phenomenal that I had to try dessert. The dessert menu was also very tempting. I had the Peach Cobbler. It was the perfect thing to order on what was a very fall-like evening. The cobbler was baked in a ramekin. Why is this important? More delicious crust! The peaches were fresh, and the topping was crisp and sugary. The vanilla gelato on top was from Black Dog Gelato and was just as good at the gelato I had in Italy. Charles had the cheesecake. The chef started off as a cheesecake maker, and the cheesecake was creamy and rich. I just liked the peach cobbler more.

Gemini Bistro is located at 2075 North Lincoln Ave in Lincoln Park Chicago. They have a lovely sidewalk patio area with seating, and the inside is both modern and welcoming.