A Tuesday Tasting at Otom

I’ve lived in the West Loop for nearly four years and deserve a slap on the wrist for not venturing into Otom or its big sis, Moto, sooner. I’ve always known that the two have existed – I’ve covered Homaro Cantu and the molecular mixology scene at Moto numerous times and Chicago Magazine’s 2008 Best New Restaurant issue featuring Otom was unforgettably chic – but I must admit that Otom was never on my short list…until now.

I recently had the pleasure of popping into the contemporary restaurant on Fulton Market for their refined but approachable Tasting Tuesday, pre-fix dinner. It’s a fantastic, wallet-friendly deal. For $25, Executive Chef Thomas Elliot Bowman serves up a three-course tasting menu paired with a well edited wine selection. The offering is a fresh approach and a great way to invigorate 20-something foodies who long for innovative and surprising cuisine.

I owed my dad a night on the town, so I agreed to meet him for dinner at 6:30 pm (very early for my dinner standards, but he needed to catch a train back to the suburbs). Given the early-bird special timing, I wasn’t surprised that when I arrived, there was one person at the bar…my dad. As our courses came out, the restaurant began to swell with people, but it wasn’t until 8:30 pm, that Otom came alive.

I was impressed with the strategic timing in which Chef Bowman served our courses and how each dish presented completely different textures and flavors, leaving you pleasantly surprised.

We started with a cool, chilled dish: Sweet Corn Tamagoyaki, which is barbecued eel and goma wakame salad. It cleansed and opened the palate and didn’t leave me satisfied – which was the point. It was plated in three-bite portions and could have been served as a one-bite amuse bouche. A Spanish cava – Gran Sara – was paired with the eel and it’s important to note that a cava is not intended to be bubbly or effervescent. It will produce a healthy froth when first poured, but upon tasting, it will feel slightly flat on your tongue.

We were then met with a melt-in-your-mouth Milk Braised Pork Shoulder that was so tender and flavorful; it fell apart as the fork pierced the medallion. Too often, proteins are doused in sauce, overly spiced or served with overpowering sides. Chef Bowman got this one right. The pork was complemented by a creamy blue potato aligout, long beans and Spanish pesto. Ad Lib, “Hen & Chick,” a buttery 2008 chardonnay from Australia (Pemberton) was served alongside the pork. The white wine had a crisp, citrus finish that cut through the creamy richness of the milk braised pork.

To end the night on a sweet note, we noshed on Fried Nectarines with spiced whipped cream and caramel ice cream. The ripe nectarines and the pumpkin/cinnamon/nutmeg spiced whipped cream were perfect preludes to seasonal fall flavors and the cool ice cream with the warm nectarines danced happily in my mouth. What’s more, we were then presented with a small, hot cauldron that housed Graham Cracker Grits - my favorite dessert of the two. A sweet asti, La Spinetta “Bricco Qualia” Moscato d’Asti was served with it. We left inspired, satisfied and Otom evangelists.