According to Greek mythology, a laurel wreath was worn in ancient times to signify victory.
Well, The Talbott Hotel, 20 E. Delaware Pl., has opened Laurel—a dining destination that “blends New American creativity with Mediterranean flavor to deliver a unique vision of Gold Coast hospitality,” per a press release.
And, so far, this welcoming place offers a winning combination of a relaxing atmosphere and a very appealing menu, the latter courtesy of Chef Dino Tsaknis. The reimagined space, which opened in April on the first floor of the hotel, also has a 100-seat patio, substantially increasing its capacity.
I actually dined during the week at lunchtime—which Laurel terms “brunch,” no matter what day of the week it is. The place is certainly inviting for hotel guests and local residents, whether it’s the friendly staff, sleek decorative touches or even the “art TV”—which is basically hi-def sets that offer rotating loops of distinct artwork.
But we’re here to talk cuisine, so let’s do that. Offerings include popular items like avocado toast and jammi (or jammy) egg, with za’atar, radish, tomato, cucumber and sesame; an egg and merguez sandwich; a greens-and-feta omelet; a meze plate; pancakes; the lamb meatball sandwich; the classic Talbott breakfast, with eggs, potato parmesan hash and breakfast meats; or even branzino fish and chips.
I went another route. I initially went with the shakshuka and scallion labneh—which I ordered with a limited amount of zhoug, a spicy cilantro sauce, as my spice tolerance is almost legendarily low. Additionally, I ordered the gourmet burger, which comes with taleggio cheese, spinach, caramelized onions, tomato and black pepper-dijon mayo—and French fries. (By the way, since it’s a double-patty burger, it’s only cooked one way.) Both dishes were impressive: The shakshuka was bright and flavorful, with plenty of pita points to sop up the tomato sauce, while the burger was one of the better sandwiches I’ve had in the city.
By the way, the dinner menu offers meze, entrees and shareable plates, all rooted in fresh vegetables and flame-cooked proteins. That gourmet burger is there as an entree, but other options include lamb chops; a New York strip (complete with a compound butter of isot pepper/urfa biber, cilantro and caramelized shallots); or tagliatelle pasta with mizithra, a Greek whey cheese.
But Laurel also has an impressive drink menu, which amiable bartender Chris gently coaxed me to try. (It didn’t take much coaxing.) I initially tried one of the smoothies (Berry Banana), which was tasty but had a slightly grainy quality, but I moved on to the absolutely intoxicating (pun intended) Cohasset punch, which contains spiced rum, ruby port, simple, lemon, cranberry bitters and peach. However, there are certainly other options, like traditional drinks such as the Manhattan, an espresso martini or a Cosmo—which many men drink, Chris assured me.
Or you can order the old-school-sounding A Mamie Taylor, a concoction consisting of blended scotch, lime and ginger beer that comes with a peacock feather. It’s no laurel wreath, but it’ll do.
Daisy’s Po-Boy & Tavern
I remember when James Beard Award-winning Chef Erick Williams headed the staff at the esteemed Gold Coast restaurant mk.
Fast-forward a few years. Now he’s the chef/owner of the acclaimed Hyde Park restaurant Virtue as well as the take-out/delivery concepts Mustard Seed Kitchen and Top This Mac & Cheese as well as Daisy’s Po-Boy & Tavern, which is just a few steps from Virtue.
Williams named Daisy’s after his “late Aunt Daisy, who married his Uncle Stew—a man with Louisiana roots and a passion for good food,” according to the website. And the nods to New Orleans and Louisiana are everywhere, from the colors (purple and green) to the (fake) alligator that greets customers to the decor (including an outdoor sign that reads “Ain’t Nothin’ a Daisy’s Hurricane Can’t Fix”) to, of course, the cuisine.
Regarding said cuisine, a cornerstone consists of the Louisiana-based sandwich known as the po’ boy, which is traditionally served on French bread. I’ve had a few of these in my life, and this restaurant certainly has some of the best I’ve ever tried. (Note: In these economically challenging times, some may balk at the prices, as foot-long versions range from $16 to $30. However, my sandwich made for two meals.) Po’ boy varieties include fried-green, BBQ Gulf shrimp, fried-shrimp, roast-beef, spicy sausage, catfish, alligator, the “Pea meal Bacon” Chicken Thigh (only available this month, as part of a sandwich series) and more. My dining partner certainly enjoyed his alligator and my fried shrimp po’ boy was incredible: The sandwich was stuffed with the little crustaceans, while the deliciously sweet pickle sauces provided wonderful counterpoints to the tangy mayo.
However, Daisy’s has a lot more than po’ boys. Other sandwiches include burgers, hot-honey chicken sliders and even muffulettas but you can also feast on fried chicken, fish, oyster and alligator dishes; seafood gumbo; and voodoo wings and buffalo shrimp, among other things. By the time you make it to dessert, you may be too stuffed to go on—but persevere, anyway. The banana pecan bourbon toffee cake is basically sin on a saucer, with the butter shining through almost as much as the gooey butter cake I recently had at another spot.
And don’t forget the cocktail menu. I thoroughly enjoyed the Mardi Gras Punch (which consists of coconut rum, peach schnapps, pineapple and orange juice), but mint julep, the cognac-based sazerac and frozen hurricanes are there to try as well.
One can’t help but think that Aunt Daisy would be immensely proud of Williams for his accomplishments—and that she would really enjoy herself if she visited this establishment.
Note: These visits were pre-arranged.
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