Gazpacho Galore
You scream, I scream, we all scream for… gazpacho! That’s right, I’d argue the case for gazpacho in a smack down with ice cream for the title of quintessential summer refreshment. Since gazpacho lacks ice cream’s indulgent, custardy sweetness, it’s not as heavy. Plus it’s wildly more versatile, with the ability to skew sweet or savory, white or red, smooth or textured. Here are some cooling off gazpacho options for the summer.
Your new summer obsession deserves to be the white gazpacho at Travelle. Here, Tim Graham concocts a chilled soup so bracing and clean that you can hardly fathom enjoying anything else this season. The silken soup toes the line between sweet and savory with the inclusion of cucumbers and grapes.
A nifty take on the classic tomato gazpacho can be found at FIG & OLIVE, the first Chicago outpost of the coastal classic. The multi-level Gold Coast gem adheres to its Mediterranean-Riviera roots with an Andalusia soup brimming with tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, onions, basil-olive oil bread, and sherry vinegar.
The latest addition to the LM Restaurant Group portfolio is Cafe Creme, a cozy Bucktown eatery chock full of wholesome Frenchy fare. One of which is the gazpacho, a produce-packed bowl of watermelon, red peppers, romesco, basil, and Arbequina olive oil.
Nestled in the newly refurbished Silversmith Hotel lies Adamus, an elegant new eatery showcasing contemporary American cuisine. A prime example is their lustrous yellow gazpacho, now on deck alongside other seasonal additions such as summer peach creme brûlée and scallop ceviche.
TWO gets points for creativity (and bacon) for its novel interpretation of the summer staple. The rigorously seasonal, locally driven restaurant is peddling potent bowls of heirloom gazpacho splashed with bacon fat, pea shoots, and Melrose chile relish.
Gazpacho takes a turn towards dessert territory at Sepia, where strawberries lend their innate sweetness to this treacly soup. Fresh berries adjoin with whipped mascarpone, black pepper, and sliced almonds for this summery sensation.
Travelle
330 N. Wabash Avenue, Chicago
(312) 923-7705
Website
FIG & OLIVE
104 E. Oak Street, Chicago
(312) 445-0060
Website
Cafe Creme
1721 N. Damen Avenue, Chicago
(773) 342-6000
Website
Adamus
10 S. Wabash Avenue, Chicago
(312) 372-7696
Website
TWO
1132 W. Grand Avenue, Chicago
(312) 624-8363
Website
Sepia
123 N. Jefferson Avenue, Chicago
(312) 441-1920
Website
