It’s A Bloody Adventure – #300
WiscoMary Heads South of the Border
As great as Wisconsin is, many of the trade shows choose to exhibit in Chicago. Knowing how the traffic is from Milwaukee to the Windy City, WiscoMaryMJ ventured out early to allow enough time for a liquid breakfast. WiscoMary Heads South of the Border. Google maps are great because you can search for #bloodymary and “open now”. That brings up more limited choices but is definitely open. This allowed me to stumble upon a fabulous venue that also said “oyster bar”. It was a short walk from the parking spot on a hot summer morning. The city was already alive and this location opened at 7 am. McCormick Place did not open till 10 so there was plenty of time to relax and enjoy a morning meal.
The pleasant hostess gave me 3 choices of where to sit at Venteux Chicago, outside, inside at the cafe, and inside in the dining room. Oysters were only served in the dining room so the choice was easily made. The server was amazing, her name was Vesna and she was from Serbia and had a beautiful accent.
She offered bottled water and I responded “Sparkling please”. I received a bottle of Evian, I did not know Evian made sparkling water. Next, a bloody Mary was ordered along with 6 east coast oysters.
Then they both arrived. The presentation was perfect and the flavor of everything was very nice. Let’s start with the bloody. The rim was Tajin, and the mix was homemade but used ZingZang. I could not identify all the flavors because it was more seasoned-based vs tomato based which made it light, not heavy. A pinch of spice was evident but again not identifiable. It was served with the citrus slices of lemon and lime, plus an olive, and all placed on a wooden spear with a gold ball on the end. It was served in a pilsner glass with a paper straw.
On to the oysters. for some reason, they just go perfectly with A BloodyMary. These were small, minerally, and flavorful. But the sauces were memorable. The malt vinegar was unique. Vinegar was the base with gooseberry, cucumber, and a drop of Jalapeno juice. The cocktail sauce was another delicious recipe that used Harissa peppers in its creation. Everything was served on a bed of ice, with a lemon and a tiny bottle of Tabasco sauce.
After all that deliciousness, the desert was a must. A raspberry tart was delivered with a gold fork on a gold coaster. Presentation is everything! The taste was melting in your mouth, it was creamy sweet, and tart with coconut, chocolate, and raspberry of course. Coffee was in order to round out this beautiful meal.
I left with a great experience and plenty of time to get to my destination. Thanks, Venteux!
