Hooray for Headcheese
There are a few phrases that I never thought I would write. The phrase that probably leads the pack is: “Try the headcheese.” Had you asked me in the entirety of my life if I would ever try headcheese, the answer would have been a resounding “NO”! And yet, here I am saying just that.
Mark and Liz Mendez’s Vera is about to celebrate its 1st year in business and their seasonal menu is as vibrant and ever-changing today as it has been over the last year. When Chef Mendez recommended the headcheese to me, I was a little skeptical…a gelatinous mass with ubiquitous floating nubbins was best left for my aunt’s buffet of Christmas Jell-O. But he explained that after purchasing an entire pig, the headcheese was made in-house. He did not lie; it was delicious. Subtle and delicate, it literally melted in my mouth. Yeah, I said it: “The headcheese melted in my mouth.”
I suppose that’s what I love the most about Vera. Through the months, I’ve tried things there that I either had never tried before or simply thought I didn’t like. Brussels Sprouts (which I loathed as a child), browned and smoky; sardines delicately plated and a joy to indulge in; a beef tongue skewer. All things that I have disliked that have suddenly found a place in my palate. On this particular visit I had some of my all-time Vera favorites. A collection of goat and sheep cheeses with a homemade Concord grape jam, the perfectly-prepared garlic shrimp with razor-thin slices of garlic laid over the largest crustaceans I’ve ever seen, and the chorizo and clams steaming in a delicately-seasoned broth.
With all of these highlights, it is easy to overlook the very essence of what Vera is. At its very soul, Vera is a wine bar. With ports, wines, and Sherries from every corner of the globe, Vera is perfectly suited to please the most-traveled wine connoisseur. Not that it really matters to me, as I’m a huge fan of their tremendous selection of wines on tap.
Most of all, though, Vera strives for excellence. I have never had a bad experience there. There is a care and freshness in the food that is so specific and unapologetic that each visit there finds a way to surpass the previous one. Even with headcheese.
Vera
1023 W. Lake Street
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 243-9770
http://www.verachicago.com/
