White Oak Tavern and Inn offers seasonal veggie-friendly menu in Lincoln Park
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Winter dining in Chicago usually means slowly-braised meats or roasted chickens, but the season also yields delicious vegetarian dishes, if you know where to look.
For some 20 years, John's Place at the corner of Webster and Racine was a place for both a date night and an escape to take the kids. But a much-needed overhaul and facelift has resulted in the White Oak Tavern and Inn. Yes, you can rent the apartment upstairs, but you'll want to stop in for dinner, because this winter, they have some of the best dishes for vegetarians.
It's a voracious crowd inside the new establishment, located in the heart of Lincoln Park. But they're not all cutting into thick steaks and pork chops.
"There's farmers that are growing amazing vegetables and they're being more resourceful during these leaner times to be able to grow and extend their growing season," said chef John Asbaty.
Asbaty has several vegetarian-friendly dishes on his current menu. Think cabbage that's charred in cast-iron, then combined with beautiful local carrots that have been roasted until sweet. Both vegetables are sauteed with honey butter, then served over preserved lemon mint yogurt with a sesame vinaigrette, crowned with pea shoots, pickled carrots and hickory nuts.
"Our motto here has been, when we're doing a vegetable dish, it's not a vegetable for the sake of having a vegetable dish, we really want to make that vegetable dish be just good," Asbaty said.
Like his homemade pasta, embedded with baby rapini greens then served with a giant egg yolk that's showered in smoked breadcrumbs and cheese. Apples and farro - a hearty Italian grain - become the base of a seasonal salad with tons of flavor and texture.
"There's some great dried fruit coming from Michigan so that's where the cranberries came from; also pickling those cranberries kind of makes a base for the vinaigrette," Asbaty said. "We have some pickled mushrooms in there as well. The kohlrabi adds a nice vegetable sweetness."
The menu is going to change every few weeks depending on what's available, but for now, a good chunk of his menu remains veggie-friendly.
"The driving point for this menu is what's around us. What's tasting really good right now," he said.
White Oak Tavern & Inn
1200 W Webster Ave., Chicago
773-248-0200
