"BRAVO BAR LUPO Dear neighbors, friends and family, I’m writing to share a great experience. We have a new restaurant in the hood. I love it! I think you will, too. Okay, I know you will. Brian and I recently dined at the new Bar Lupo. It just opened a few weeks ago. It’s conveniently located just a few blocks from us over on West Huron. Styled after what you might find as a neighborhood bar in Italy, Bar Lupo is the latest creation of restaurateur Brian O’Connor. O 'Connor is the former managing partner at steakhouse Maple Ash. By way of a summary review, the food was excellent, and the service was great. And if that’s all you need, well, you’re good to go. But just so you know, you’d be missing more than the half of it. The experience was phenomenal! We left there singing its praises, “Bravo Bar Lupo.” From the top: Be it that they’re new, what we decided to do prior to our first visit was give them carte blanche, i.e., give ‘em the liberty to excel or fail, to “show us what ya got.” So we went early; saddled up at the bar, and asked to speak with the chef straight up. Sure enough, moments later, out came Chef Marcos Ascencio. For all you foodies and restaurant aficionados, Ascencio is the former Chef de Cuisine at the Park Hyatt Chicago. After lite introductions, we explained that we were neighbors and it was our first time there. We told Chef Ascencio that we were especially interested in what he would recommend. Now on a first name basis, Marcos smiled brightly and asked simply, “How hungry are you; and do you have any food allergies?” What was soon to follow was a thoroughly delightful personally orchestrated seven course meal. THIS is where their review went from good to great. Each course was served to us by Marcos personally, and with each he would explain in detail what it was, how it was prepared, and why it was special. First course, Dip in the Pot Garlic Knots: Marcos said, “We make, proof and roll the knots each morning and then bake them for service so they are light and fresh. The ‘dip in the pot’ is a reference to our classic red sauce served alongside. Growing up, the best way – perhaps the only way! – to taste sauce was by dipping bread in the simmering pot when Mom wasn 't looking.” Loved it! Then came Chef Marcos Stuffed Crispy Meatballs: Marcos said, “We hand form our meatballs from a mix of pork, beef and veal so that they are rich and satisfying, yet still light and airy. Our crispy meatballs take is a step further we stuff them with cheese, lightly bread them and quickly fry them so that they are a crunchy, gooey mess. Served with a little red sauce and a parsley and caper salad to keep it refreshing.” Delicious. Better than my meatballs? Okay, yes… they were. That was followed by Ricotta Toast: Marcos said, “We make our own ricotta in house with fresh milk so that it is sweet and creamy. We also make the focaccia for the toast. This simple dish is garnished with a light dill salad and black truffle honey.” Yum. Then came Spicy Mussels. They were to die for: “The best thing about mussels is the delicious liqueur they release when cooked. We capture this in a spicy tomato broth that douses the mussels in the shell and serve it with some more of the delicious focaccia, this time toasted with parmesan butter.” Then came the pasta dish: “The tagliolini is one of our three house made pastas, and my favorite. It is a delicate pasta and we prepare it simply with lemon, butter and royal trumpet and shiitake mushrooms. It is finished with a handful of fresh herbs.” Superb. And I do love my pasta! And next was something I’d never had – imagine a coil of rope, only made of sausage – their Sausage Pinwheel: Marcos said, “We make the sausage in house as well, a blend of ground pork along with fresh herbs and mozzarella. The pork is ground coarsely so that the sausage has a juicy bite and hearty body. We assemble the sausage with slow roasted peppers and onions, mozzarella cheese and our house marinara. Alongside come our Lupo Potatoes steamed, pulled apart and fried so that they 're airy and crunchy like good frites; then tossed with parmesan, herbs and lemon zest.” Loved it! And then the house specialty, Chicken Parm: “For the chicken parm we use brined thighs so that they stay juicy and moist when we fry them crispy on the outside. The biggest challenge of 'red sauce ' Italian is to keep crispy things crispy while covering them with cheese and sauce. This led us to put the sauce down first so the chicken stays crispy and gets gooey at the same time.” I asked my Brian, “Better than my chicken parm?” He was all smiles but smartly wouldn’t say. He loved it. And lastly, as if we had any room left, Marcos brought us a few homemade Cannolis: “The ricotta returns at the end of the menu. A classic cannoli shell filled with whipped ricotta and finished with pistachios and powdered sugar.” Oh Marcos, that was just perfect. Complete? No. I’ve not mentioned that throughout the meal was one of my favorite parts of the dining experience, the wine. As those who know me might attest, I do enjoy a fine glass of wine. And the owner Brian O’Connor never left me with an empty glass. For the wines we explored Campania with two examples of the Fiano grape. From Colli di Lapio we tasted the Fiano di Avalino DOC, which is 100 percent Fiano. It is rich and savory with hints of nuts and brine. A honeyed note emerges on the finish, but it stays bone dry. The second was from Tommasone their Pithecusa Bianco. It is a blend of Fiano with Biancolella, which gives it a tropical note. This wine was/is brighter and more refreshing, but retains the great briny minerality of Campania wines, the grapes having been grown between volcanoes and the sea. Suffice to say, it was a lovely evening. No, I take that back; it was an event. It’s my new fav place. Bravo Bar Lupo! If/when you go, ask for Brian or Marcos. Tell ‘em Vikki sent ya."
