Perennial Virant
WHAT: Perennial Virant
WHERE: 1800 N. Lincoln Ave.
OUR RATING: Chance It!
(perennialchicago.com)
If there’s one thing that you can take away from Lincoln Park’s Perennial Virant its the ever-changing menu that moves with the turning of the seasons. One can view this from two perspectives: either it provides an endlessly rotating variety of fare and dissuades palate boredom, or it makes the process between visits majorly confusing. We would say that Perennial Virant manages to tread the line between the two quite well, but not well enough for us to outright recommend it.
Adam: When you enter Perennial Virant, the first thing you are struck by is the cacophony of voices intermixed with inappropriately loud music. OK, that is a little harsh…you are also greeted by a beautiful open space with the modernist touch of raw open metalwork and comforting leather seats. However, the sheer pulsating nature of the music required us to ask for its lowering, a request that was only partially fulfilled.
But, I’m too glum! The wait staff were immediately attentive to our service needs, providing the table with deliciously delicate complimentary bread, and a choice of wine. While I decided to sip on the Sauvignon Blanc, Quintay “Clava” 2011 (Casablanca Vly, CHL), I can highly recommend the Grenache Blanc, Famille Perrin “Reserve” 2011 (Rhone, FRA), which was enjoyed by Alicia.
(perennialchicago.com)
We decided upon a starter to share, and honed in on the butternut squash panna cotta, mainly because of its unusual combination of the aforementioned squash with caramelized egg, prairie breeze cheddar, apple, and pickled onions. I am afraid to say, we were not impressed. It, honestly, seemed dull, and once you got over the fact that panna cotta could be an appetizer as well as a dessert…well, let’s just say you would be wiser to try the beet salad (fantastic and worth a taste).
(perennialchicago.com)
For an entree, the duck leg confit did me nicely. Almost unnaturally, wafer thin slices of duck graced the platter, laid so daintily that it might almost be sacrilege to move them. Drizzled lightly with duck jus accompanied by vanilla melon jam, perhaps the most interesting side was the persimmon pudding cake which embodied the traditional elements of a real pudding: supple and succulent with a most wonderful, herby taste. Persimmon was known to the Greeks as the “Wheat of Zeus”, after all. Pickled sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes) and red cabbage complete this dish, which is to be highly recommended as a fine piece of duck.
Tea finished the night, and a good selection they have too. I enjoyed the Earl Grey, served in full teapot with loose leaves. Definitely a good cap to the evening.
(perennialchicago.com)
Alicia: My favorite aspect of Perennial Virant is the aesthetic, in particular the clear light bulbs that fully occupy the space and hang all along the ceiling. It’s trendy in a very unassuming and homey way, and had me thinking ‘Nikola Tesla on vacation to the farm’ the entire night. My least favorite aspect were the oddly placed bathrooms, which were located outside of the actual restaurant in the lobby of the Hotel Lincoln.
For a Chicago Gastropub/New American restaurant, Perennial Virant is a little more vegetarian/pescatarian friendly than others, but it’s still pretty limited. Many in our party, including myself, ordered the pan-roasted rainbow trout, which was accompanied by grits, greens, a sweet corn medley (what they call “chow chow”) and a spicy butter sauce. You would think this dish sounded okay for pescatarians, but in fact the greens are cooked in bacon fat and are accompanied with bits of bacon as well. Luckily, I’m not limited in this fashion, but it’s really annoying when a place doesn’t list all of these components in their menu descriptions, and when they severely limit one’s options if they have any dietary restrictions. Worse yet, our vegetarian had one option, a vegetarian skillet, and even that was so spicy as to be unpalatable. After taking a bite, even I had to have a few sips of wine before I could enjoy eating anything else.
(chicagomagazine.com)
However, when the waitress was made aware that some of our party could not consume pork, she was readily able to assist in menu recommendations and even warned me that my dish contained pork once I ordered. As for the dish itself, while the sauce and corn were almost too spicy, I thought the dish as a whole was a success. The fish was beautifully cooked and stood up to the loud and savory greens, with the spicy corn and butter cutting through it all with a sweet punch. I expected a few more surprises and more unique flavors, but it was successfully ‘homey.’
For dessert, our party ordered pastry chef Elissa Narow’s mint chocolate sundae with chocolate clusters and fudge sauce, a maple cheesecake and a caramel apple crepe with butterscotch ice cream, candied chestnuts and fresh cooked apples. All three desserts were delicious, with fresh picked mint enveloped in dark chocolate for the sundae and a sumptuous crepe with tangy caramel. Our favorite of the night by far, however, was the maple cheesecake, which was amazingly luxurious with exciting cameos from fresh, tart cranberries.
Final Thoughts: Perhaps our only real criticisms of Perennial Virant are Chef Paul Virant’s inconsistent menu and the unwarranted racket. It’s not that good food isn’t served here, it is–as our enjoyment of most of it goes to show. But, the “virant” of quality is not really up to snuff: a restaurant needs to have a menu that is delicious for all who patronize it, not just the few who are lucky enough to choose the right dishes.
Tea!
If you’re vegetarian, this restaurant has nothing of real merit for you, and we would advise you steer clear. If not, start out with the beet salad, accompanied by one of their white wines. Order the duck for your main and the cheesecake or a scoop of plain ice cream for dessert and finish the night with a cup of Earl Grey. With this particular menu, the right choice is everything.