Southern Cuisine at its Best

Table 52

Art Smith, understated, celebrity chef and personal chef to Oprah Winfrey for ten years has created an exquisite dining experience at Table 52. Located in a white two story house in the middle of the Chicago entertainment district off Dearborn and Division, Smith's flagship restaurant, Table 52 is a southern oasis in the heart of the city.

The gracious southern experience begins upon entry as we were greeted at the door and escorted to the upstairs dining room. The high ceilings are adorned with large chandeliers. The striped wallpaper, wainscoting, oversized mantle, white tablecloth and comfy chairs remind of earlier days of gracious entertainment and dining. The wine list is broad but shallow. Most varietals and wine growing regions are represented and many are available by the glass. The choices within a region or varietal are limited however, the wines are all current vintage and the corkage policy at $40 per bottle is pricey. The food however is incredibly good and makes it easier to overlook the wine constraints.

Our group included our youngest, Matt, Molly and Molly's parents Bob and Sherry. Dinner service begins with complimentary deviled eggs topped with flying fish roe and buttermilk biscuits laced liberally with cheddar cheese. Both were excellent although it was unclear what the roe added to the deviled egg other than texture. We ordered Chef Arts fried chicken (available on Sunday only) soaked in buttermilk for 18 hours and shrimp and grits as appetizers to share and both were delicious. The chicken was tender and moist with a light, crispy batter.

My entree I had the special of the day was a generous piece of whitefish on top of jambalaya. We ordered two very generous sides, cauliflower infused with bacon and white cheddar and three cheese macaroni. What is so impressive is the layering and depth of flavors. As much as I tried to get a little of everything in each bite of jambalaya, different flavors continued to bubble to the surface. The cauliflower was down right decadent, proving once again that bacon makes everything better.

2000
Freemark Abbey
Bosche'

2000
Freemark Abbey
Sycamore

This exceptional meal was accompanied by two bottles of Freemark Abbey single vineyard Napa Cabernet from my cellar. Both were from the 2000 vintage. Once again we had the luxury of tasting a Sycamore and Bosche from the same vintage. As usual, both wines were highly representative of their respective terroir and as usual, very different. Both showed depth and complexity that I found surprising for the modest 2000 vintage. In fact I found 2000 to be drinking better than the much higher rated 1995 Sycamore and Bosche which we tasted side by side a few days before Christmas. Both bottles were opened and allowed to breathe for about 45 minutes before pouring. The Sycamore represented as a medium bodied, light fruit forward, Bordeaux style. The Bosche as usual, was a bit more brooding and herbaceous with a hint of mint reflecting the nearby eucalyptus trees. As usual, the table was split as to which was the favorite with several of our party vacillating on their choice over the course of the evening.

This was truly an exceptional meal with the complete package of service, ambiance and spectacular food. Table 52 goes to the top of our list of favorite restaurants.