Pig Out at These Charcuterie Temples
House-cured meats and housemade sausages are all the rage in restaurants nowadays. Snout-to-tail cookery has come a long way from taboo to trendy, and chefs across the city are maximizing meat by grinding them, stuffing them, curing them, and more. With no shortage of charcuterie destinations in Chicago, the task at hand can be a bit daunting for sure. But beyond the familiar charcuterie temples like The Publican, TETE Charcuterie, and The Bristol, there are other spots worth seeking out for their wholly intrinsic take on cured meat.
Hopleaf may be wildly revered for its Belgian beer and its steamed mussels, and rightfully so, but there’s a whole meaty world to be explored at Andersonville’s beer haunt. Namely, there’s a sausage plate that needs to be eaten, along with an ever-rotating roster of other charcuterie items. The encased meats pay homage to classic tubular flavors like weisswurst, hot dogs, bockwurst, and jalapeño cheddar bratwurst. They’re all adjoined by bourbon pancetta white beans or German potato salad. Together, it makes for a nice carnivorous foray into the rest of Hopleaf’s venerable wares.
At River Roast, the spotlight often shines on the massive, group-friendly roasts. Carved table side, the roasted fish, roast beef, whole chicken, and rack of pork make for quite the spectacle. But beyond those enormous mainstays, chef John Hogan proves his mettle as a true meat maven with a whole slew of other charcuterie items. From table snacks to Hogan’s bites and boards, the menu is brimming with meats to help kickstart your meal. Far exceeding expectations, Hogan’s thoughtful creations include wild boar shoulder and fig terrine, duck prosciutto, rabbit mousse, foie gras terrine, chicken liver mousse, and plenty more. Make sure and save room for the whimsical “Chicago-style sashimi,” a Midwestern riff on the nautical Japanese staple made with seared Wagyu, dried tomato, roasted onion and pepper, pickles, and poppy seed crisp.
Then there’s Ceres’ Table, an Italian gem in Lakeview more renowned for housemade pasta than porchetta. Proving he’s much more than dough, chef Giuseppe Scurato exhibits a great talent for cured meats throughout his menu, from porchetta di testa and lonza cotta to pork liver sausage, and more.
Hopleaf
5148 N. Clark Street, Chicago
(773) 334-9851
Website
River Roast
315 N. LaSalle Street, Chicago
(312) 822-0100
Website
Ceres’ Table
3124 N. Broadway, Chicago
(773) 922-4020
Website
