hopleaf, again (plus a note on music at Rioja)

I know that I may be covering old ground but we ate at the Hopleaf last night and, damn, they are on top of their game. We (Kasia F and I) have eaten there before and never felt to compelled to talk about it but last night... We started with the fried smelt: really fresh, really crisp, nicely salty and topped with onions marinated in lemon -- nothing fancy, just absolutely perfectly prepared. I had the ham sandwich with frites. In the past the Hopleaf fries have been a little inconsistent. They are thin. The can be over cooked. They can be soggy. Last night they could not have been better. They seemed to arrive within seconds after leaving the fryer. Crisp not greasy. The right amount of salt. Exactly what one imagines frites to be. KF, not being particularly hungry ordered the sauteed mussel salad, or, as she put it, the cruel joke on skinny girls: spinach, sauteed in butter, tossed with mussels, sauteed in butter, topped with melted butter, accompanied by toast points drenched with butter. Really well prepared and tasty but that is a lot of butter.

I know it's a cliche but it can be very difficult to get simple things exactly right. The Hopleaf did that last night. The kitchen seemed to really be in a groove and the service, which has been maligned in the past, was excellent. We were expecting to a pleasant, competent meal but got something much better.

(Andersonville note (for the techno allergic): Saw the Reader review of Rioja last week and were concerned about the reference to loud techno being played in the dining room. I liked Atlantique, I liked Daniel J's, but I HATE techno, especially loud techno (Techno reminds me that our society is devolving into mechanized chaos. I don't want to think about that while I eat.) Last night, curious about whether we would be ever be able to stand Rioja's atmosphere on some future occasion we stuck our heads in as we walked by. We heard no techo, just restaurant din. There is hope.)

Hopleaf is on Clark just south of Foster.

Rioja is on Clark at the corner of Winnemac (I think).

The Hop Leaf has been a mainstay for me and my mussel-desirous friends ever since I moved to the area. They're among the best I've ever had. The variety stemed in the Leffe beer is the lesser of the two preparations, IMO, but even they're quite good. And ever since I tried the garlic aioli with the frites, I've had NO desire to slop ketchup on top of any fried spud. My dining collective has also noticed that they've recently updated the menu, adding Duck Confit as an app, among others!

And this group also took me to Rioja for my birthday. We're all aware that such a new restaurant can hardly have its "legs" at this time, but service and food were wonderful. The noise level was minimal (no Atari-inspired techno!! ); the chief complaint, however, is that the booths are slammed WAAAY too close to the table. Once I wedged in the seat, it felt like I was lurking completely above the table!