Though Labor Day weekend is often seen as the unofficial end of summer, we actually still have a few weeks left of Chicago’s favorite season, and Entente {3056 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago; 872.206.8553} is making the most of them. The one-Michelin starred destination in Lakeview, is still dishing up seasonal ingredients and special tasting menus. They are always offering a playful take on high-end eating that makes for an out-of-the-box dining adventure. This is largely in part due to the influence and leadership of James Beard Foundation nominee, Chef Brian Fisher. The Entente menu is continuously updated as Chef Fisher sees fit, and as warm weather hits, new star items have come into play. At Entente, he’s helping Chicago make the most of these fleeting summer days…
DiningOut: What are some of summer’s best seasonal ingredients? And what of those can we get locally in Chicago?
Fisher: There are so many, including squashes and melons, but for me it’s hard not to be the most excited for tomatoes. They’re available at many farmers markets around the city daily/weekly from farms such as Nichols and Mick Klug.
What are some of the local farms and companies you source from?
Nichols, Mick Klug, Seedling Farms, Aurora Bee Company, Chefs Local Choice, Slagel Family Farms, The Fish Guy.
Why is local sourcing so important?
It’s always best to source from those that farm responsibly and locally. It’s the best for your local economy as well as environment.
Photo via Entente
How do your local partners help shape your menus?
I always try to keep an eye out for what’s coming into season to start planning dishes, usually around a single ingredient, to use the best of what’s available that’s produced or grown closest to Chicago. It also gives us the ability to pick ingredients in their prime and preserve them for use later in the year when offerings in the Midwest are a little harder to come by.
How do you stay creative when making menu updates?
I generally try to make the most of a single seasonal ingredient in multiple preparations within the same dish without repeating that ingredient on the menu. I use the same ingredient multiple ways in a singular dish and that ingredient is confined to that singular dish. This lets the diner see the impact one ingredient can have in various forms. This helps me to push myself and make sure we’re taking full advantage of what’s available, especially in the spring and summer months when ingredients can be hyper seasonal.
What are some of your favorite menu items right now?
I’m really feeling the foie torchon with candy cap mushroom and bourbon peach jam, pickled blueberries, and matcha aebleskivers and the chilled lobster with cucamelon, peanut, black garlic, and a consommé of blistered shishitos and cantaloupe “pho” broth. If you asked me about pairings, it would be Riesling and Champagne for 9/10 dishes. Thankfully, I have Christopher Harris and he saves me from myself.
What are some unexpected ways to use more traditional summer ingredients?
I’ll use our current lobster dish as a prime example. The progression of the current lobster dish ended with the idea of a chilled pho broth and cooling summer melon. We make our pho broth without beef bones by replacing it with blistered shishitos, lemongrass, thai chili, kaffir lime leaves, burnt ginger, etc., and the end result is a perfectly clarified and intensely flavored broth that’s very close in flavor and mouthfeel thanks to the addition of lobster chili oil that floats at the top of the broth.
What is your favorite part of summer in Chicago?
That people are reminded of how much Chicago has to offer culturally, and they (hopefully) get out of their bubbles and try something new and different.
What is coming up next for the restaurant?
We’re going to enjoy the rest of summer’s bounty, finish stocking our larder, and then get ready for what we hope is a bustling winter. I’m excited about the dishes that are coming down the pipeline for fall and winter.
By Kaleigh Glaza | Online Editor
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