Pluton, Krazy Kabob, G.P. Franklin's [pics]

Another fancy meal, but I just can't see my way to a Moto-sized evaluation of it, so I'll just cover it quickly, along with some other things of recent note from a busy week of, until now, little posting:

Pluton

For my wife's birthday, a seven-course tasting menu at the River North spot opened by the owner of the former Jacky's Bistro (who, like Marco Ferrari and Jack Daniel Jones, is risking running out of names before he runs out of restaurants). When I mentioned this to GWiv, he expressed a certain desire to escape the tasting menu routine and have a whole plate of something-- and you'll notice that he and his wife celebrated their anniversary at Morton's. I admit to a little of the same, but I couldn't think of anywhere else new to try, so we did it anyway.

As it happens, the whole experience made a striking contrast with Moto-- and, maybe, an object lesson in what makes a restaurant work. Pluton is pretty much the anti-Moto in every way, indeed it seems a classical restaurant, fit for the bluehair crowd, until you realize that the small portion on a big plate with little dots of sauce thing is still cutting edge to most people. On the minus side, I'm not sure I was really dazzled by anything I tasted, as I was two or three times at Moto. A couple of things were a tad bland, even. On the plus side, a nice, quiet, classy room and attentive, somehow both friendly and formal service left us feeling like we were, if not royalty, at least diplomats or ministers without portfolio. Where Moto seemed to be working so hard to be hip, and was occasionally comically pretentious as a result, this was a smoothly functioning, very high-toned staff that would even impress your 86-year-old uncle Irv, whose idea of a waiter is an old German guy named Gus who's looked 60 for 50 years.

Here's what I think we had, reconstructing the meal a few days later:

- Amuse-bouche of a tomato-rhubarb soup. (Second soup amuse-bouche in a row, you'll note. A trend!)

--Teeny lobster salad, subtle but nice.

--A salmon terrine-- checkerboard chunks of smoked and cooked salmon in aspic-- accompanied by some ossetra caviar and little mini-bagel slices topped with things like egg or onion. It is what it is, but I really liked it. Everybody seems to be doing this kind of high-low thing, I was glad they stopped at deli food and didn't try to imitate Funyuns like Moto did.

- Chunks of raw-center tuna speared on little bits of licorice stalk (which we were encouraged to chew), accompanied by a slice of sashimi tuna topped with bitter chocolate and-- shades o' Trio-- a hint of olive flavor. I didn't like that at Trio, actually got the idea a little better here.

One of these, I forget which now, had a palate cleanser on the side of a grapefruit sorbet with candied grapefruit at the bottom which I liked a lot.

--A piece of some white fish, mori or something, on a bit of cooked peach, with balsamic dots around it. Bland, really.

--A bit of tenderloin, welcome but not dazzling, topped with a "foie gras beignet"-- and for all that liver-flavored donuts may seem an idea whose time has NOT come, that was hot, crunchy and excellent.

- Cheese course. All American, interestingly.

--Bunch of little tastes of desserts-- the best two being a blueberry and ice cream thing with really good homemade vanilla ice cream, and a pineapple cobbler or something.

Krazy Kabob

The one time I took the train a long distance in the U.S., I was struck by how different things look from trains than from cars-- surprisingly, perhaps, you're often much closer to things on a train. A factory presents an official face and 100 yards of lawn to the highway, but trains run 10 feet from its back door and no one thinks to construct an image for that side.

Going up and down Lincoln all the time in the car, I see a lot of places from a distance. Today, I was on my bike, going up the riverfront trail, and I decided to take advantage of the utter lack of foot traffic due to the Labor Day weekend and illegally barrel down the sidewalk. No one would accuse Lincoln between Foster and Peterson of being a pretty part of the city, but that's precisely why I found myself fascinated by the little businesses behind tackily-modernistic 60s fronts, the cafes of multi-ethnic origin (Korean Japanese restaurants, Korean Vietnamese restaurants, even a Korean Italian restaurant, not to mention a Balkan Italian cafe which was packed at noon on an otherwise dead strip). And how many times had I seen the boat place without noticing how beautiful, really, the display of wooden oars in its window was?

Okay, that was fun, now time to eat. All the sushi places were closed, I wasn't in the mood for grilling my own Korean beef, and then I saw one of the businesses whose precise nationality was impossible to judge from outside: Krazy Kabob. Middle-eastern? Korean (it did say something about "Asian style kabobs" on the window)? Who knew?

Well, long story short: it's Korean. It's basically mall Korean without the mall, very much modeled on Panda Express and their ilk-- a plate of two grilled skewers, rice, and ginger dressing salad. (Also a few other staples like bibim bop.) You have your choice of a dozen homemade dipping sauces for your skewer. My efforts to get a recommendation of something more unusual wound up with sweet and sour sauce ("But it's not as sticky sweet as in a Chinese restaurant"-- true, I guess, but not THAT different either).

How was it? Healthy. Fresh. Not very grilled-tasted. Bland. If I still worked downtown I'd rather have this in the food court nearest to me than a Chen's. Living near better things, not sure I entirely need to go back, though it may serve its purpose one day.

G.P. Franklin's



Speaking of places to take Uncle Irv, here's where Aunt Sadie and he can treat the whole family-- a genuine slice of fake Americana, a picture-perfect recreation of a 1970s imitation-1910 ice cream parlor, down to the tin roof, tables with formica showing old ads (a la Wendy's some years back-- ours disconcertingly was for fat reduction), black and white photos on the wall, and player piano (25 cents please). (Also a very cool device that runs three ceiling fans off a single motor via belts on the ceiling.) It's like being back at the Farrell's in Towne East in Wichita, or Dr. Redbird's Medicinal Inn, where my friend Scott and I went after school nearly every day for a year or two and had a European Restorative (aka a Hoagie with chips).

Here's my "Buster Brown," chocolate ice cream with banana and pour-it-yourself hot fudge (note fat reduction text below):



I liked that the chocolate ice cream was chocolatey but not overpoweringly so, like some places where it seems more like frozen chocolate than ice cream. And how did Liam like his?



Pluton
873 N. Orleans, Chicago
Tel: (312) 266-1440

Krazy Kabob
5433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago
773-878-8500

GP Franklin's
4767 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago
773-293-1900

Mike G wrote:Pluton
<snip>
When I mentioned this to GWiv, he expressed a certain desire to escape the tasting menu routine and have a whole plate of something-- and you'll notice that he and his wife celebrated their anniversary at Morton's.

Mike,

Funny thing is I had made reservations at Pluton, but we called an audible and changed to Morton's. I have not been to Pluton, and am very much looking forward to trying the place, maybe with Uncle Irv in tow , but we've had a few recent tasting dinners and, as you said, a whole plate of something just sounded appealing.

Morton's certainly qualifies as a whole plate of something.


I glad you posted on Krazy Kabob, I've passed by and wondered about the place myself. Sounds like the place is ok for a quick bite if one is passing by and hungry. In that immediate vicinity there are two other, I can think of at the moment, quick, inexpensive meal options, Lincoln Korean Restaurant and Mekato's.

Lincoln Korean Restaurant has a standard small coffee shop decor with one older Korean lady doing everything, cooking, waitressing, busing tables. Good homestyle Korean, though the lady can be sweet or cranky, helpful or not, depending on her mood. Mostly Korean customers and the lady speaks little or no English.

The other place is Mekato's, a Colombian bakery with a 5-stool counter for eat-in. Very good coffee, excellent empanadas and arepas. Bread, bakery, desserts and a friendly helpful staff. Mekato's also has a very cool 12-foot long wooden bread kneading table in the back. OK, it may not be 12-feet long, but it pretty damn long.

Given your love of interesting spaces, you may want to check out the Colombian restaurant next door to Mekato's, Pueblito Viejo. This place has one of the oddest interiors I have ever seen. Every inch of the place is covered in plastic flowers and there are plasticized trees growing out of the park bench style tables.

The really odd thing is that, somehow, it all works. Waiters are in 'costume', but the food is pretty good, especially the arepas, empanadas and grilled chorizo. Reasonably priced daily specials and quite good fried chicken, decent table salsa as well.

Great pictures from GP Franklin's and I'd say yes, Liam enjoyed his ice cream.

Enjoy,
Gary


Lincoln Korean Restaurant
5501 N Lincoln
Chicago, IL

Mekato's
5423 N Lincoln
Chicago, IL

Pueblito Viejo
5429 N Lincoln
Chicago, IL

I found Franklin's to be a perfectly fine family place as well -- my kids liked the ice cream quite a bit, along with the chocolate "waterfall" out front and all the other kid-friendly touches. I would note, though the decor does look rather "chain-ish," that on closer inspection all the old newspapers laminated onto the tabletops are actually from Chicago (at least the ones I examined) as are all the old pictures -- Tinkers to Evers to Chance, and etc. I took my ethnic-food averse in-laws there and they were happy, though they were put off by the fact that the egg cream they ordered came in a bottle -- they're from Queens and they know from egg creams. When they complained, though, they got a real one.

Mike G wrote:Pluton

- Cheese course. All American, interestingly.

Ah, the indefatiguable Giles Schnierle strikes again!

"He's here. He's there. He's everywhere!"*


* At the risk of going off topic, I cannot for the life of me remember what that's a quotation from. I thought it was Chickenman, but that was "He's everywhere! He's everywhere!" It's not the Scarlet Pimpernel, either. Demmed elusive, though.

GWiv reports that Krazy Kabob is closed. It was a concept that didn't work, that's for sure.

LAZ wrote:* At the risk of going off topic, I cannot for the life of me remember what that's a quotation from. I thought it was Chickenman, but that was "He's everywhere! He's everywhere!" It's not the Scarlet Pimpernel, either. Demmed elusive, though.

Underdog

No, it's not Underdog though I can't place it right now.

Underdog lyrics: http://www.tvtunesonline.com/lyrics/toons.asp#Underdog

Mekato's is a treat. I go to Frank's next door for a shave and a haircut (that's the real secret spot) and stop in at Mekato's to show off my doo (that's a joke if you've seen my head) and get empanadas, cheese sticks, chorizo, or the best thing.. arepas- hot corn fritters get them with squeeky melted cheese on top. Also get the empanada salsa to go if you're taking out. They have a cool tiled counter to eat on!

GP Franklin's is history as well --- probably < 6 months after it opened last summer.

....and Pluton is closing very shortly, like Monday, I think - not permanently, but to relocate in Streeterville. Won't reopen til next fall. Weird.

Pluton was in an odd location for that sort of place.

Chef Pluton agrees with you - but he's doing the move in a kind of oddball way (see following, from the current Chicago Magazine "Dish" email newsletter). Pluton makes some.....interesting business decisions at times; he had a retail operation at Edens Plaza in Wilmette, and abruptly closed it. He had a chic little French cookware store/catering operation on Central St. in Evanston - and abruptly closed it. Hmmmm....I see a pattern here:


"Pluton (873 N. Orleans St.; 312-266-1440), Jacky Pluton’s River North stunner, is relocating to the Gold Coast this fall. Its last day of operation in its current location is April 2nd (this Saturday)—which qualifies this news as a dining bombshell. “It’s not a bombshell,” Pluton said. “It’s good news. It’s an opportunity to make Pluton better and so I have to take it. I had the choice to stay where I am or to move on to a grander space. So I decided to take the chance.” Pluton says the contract is still not signed regarding the new space, but should be in the coming weeks. Expect an early fall return by Pluton."

He's closing Pluton tomorrow, but hasn't even signed a contract for the new space yet? Excuse moi? Sacre bleu!

In the meantime, Pluton will be behind a new restaurant in Evanston's Hotel Orrington.

To quote from Chicago Magazine's Dish ...

The chef/owner of Pluton (873 N. Orleans St.; 312-266-1440) has been working on an upcoming restaurant called Narra (Hotel Orrington, 1710 Orrington Ave., Evanston) for the past six months. In a recent conversation with Dish, here’s what he had to say about it.

Dish: What is your role with Narra?
Jacky Pluton: The concept chef.
D: What does that mean?
JP: I’m the one who came out with the menu design. I am part of the management team, not involved financially. And I gave them some of my knowledge from living on the North Shore. I’ve lived there for the past 11 years, and I know the market very well.
D: So what exactly is the concept?
JP: It’s going to be a steak house with a European savoir faire. That means we will have a large selection of sauces. If you order a steak you will have a choice of three different sauces from 14.
D: You can have three different dipping sauces with your steak?
JP: Correct. Like one could be blue cheese, one could be black peppercorn, and maybe one will be spicy, like a chili sauce or something.
D: What is the timetable?
JP: We will announce the chef de cuisine in the next two to three weeks. The restaurant should open, if everything goes well, the week of June 6th.
D: What does the name mean?
JP: It’s a red wood from the Philippines. Red will be the main color of the restaurant. Meat is red.
D: Will this be another testosterone-filled steak house?
JP: The design is feminine and masculine. It’s a steak house, but something that is European tends to be more feminine. I believe that the restaurant will be one of the prettiest steak houses in all Chicagoland.

He's closing Pluton tomorrow, but hasn't even signed a contract for the new space yet? Excuse moi? Sacre bleu!

Just as appalling as La Francaise, those two brothers who closed their restaurant in the Western Suburbs, moved their equipment and crew to Wheeling WITHOUT a contract. One morning, they woke up realizing the contract (which included a purchase of the property over 10 years) was never going to be.

Likely to be continued in a court near you.

Boy, this has really been the cursed thread, hasn't it? Too bad I didn't mention Hot Dog Island in it.

I have to say, looking back over the fanciest meals I ate in the last year, Pluton is the one that has faded the most. Avenues blew them all away; Moto I was highly critical of, but achieved the same exalted level a couple of times over the course of the evening. Pluton was nice, things were well prepared, but I can't really think of anything I had offhand, without going back to look at my writeup. Also, looking back, the windowless room seemed a little claustrophobic. We had a pleasant meal, and it seemed the antidote to Moto's excesses at the time (though part of my problem with Moto, I later came to realize, was that I didn't get the full extent of the excess), but I kind of feel like it wasn't quite as big-league as the others.

SundevilPeg wrote:

He had a chic little French cookware store/catering operation on Central St. in Evanston - and abruptly closed it.

I heard that he sold the building on Central Street and the new owner wanted the space for a different retail operation.