One of the joys of Twitter is asking for recommendations for places to eat before travelling to a new city and seeing what replies you get. Chief amongst the responses for Chicago was Longman and Eagle and a check of their menu confirmed it as a must-visit place.

The restaurant is about 6 miles northwest of central Chicago. The easiest way to get there is take the Blue L-line to Logan Square and the restaurant is a gentle stroll from there. Even though it’s easily accessed Longman & Eagle is a well kept Chicago secret. On the night I was there the couple on the next-door table demanded to know how I’d found out about the restaurant. I just cited a good local tipster.

Longman & Eagle does not exactly look inviting from the outside having the appearance of a local dive bar. Stepping inside, you’re greeted by a dark busy room that’s buzzing. Tables are close to each other but it doesn’t matter because you can’t hear much above the general hubbub. Occasional background music is provided by the jukebox at the end of the front room with Havalina by Pixies the musical highlight during my meal.

The dinner menu is a mixture of bar snacks (8), small plates (11) and main courses (8). The drinks menu is extensive with a particularly impressive whisk(e)y list (but no Auchentoshan). House cocktails vary with the season and I started my meal with the S.W.V., a refreshing blend of Zubrowka Bison Grass Vodka, Green Chartreuse, Orgeat, Fresh Lemon and Tiki Bitters. My bar snack of choice while browsing through the menu was Warm Gougères that turned out to be slightly crunchy but oozed an abundance of gruyere mornay sauce with a strong cheesy flavour.

First of the small plates to arrive was Crispy Slagel Farm Pigtail, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Apple, Sweet Potato, Chickpea Porridge, Cascade Hops. The pig tail was presented as a large croquette and had a wonderful intense pork flavour. Spiced huckleberries added a tart edge to the dish and the gravy had a good spicy kick that elevated the meat. The dish was a lovely blend of autumnal flavours.

This was followed by herbed fazzoletti, known as pasta handkerchiefs. The pasta was served with small cubes of veal heart, roasted cipollino onions, huckleberry vinegar and porcini vinaigrette with a sprinkling of Grana Padana. The wonderfully tender pasta provided the ideal background to the blend of bold, warm flavours. This was a really delightful dish.

Impressive as the small plates had been, they were totally in the shade of my chosen main. The duck dish was listed on the menu as Trio of Rohan duck with roast breast, confit crepinette, meatloaf and garnishes. The plate actually showed that a lot of thought had gone into each accompaniment. The confit was served with pumpkin ravioli, orange, chartreuse cabbage and chilli. The tart cabbage was wonderful with the confit with the orange providing additional refreshing contrast. The breast was served with a pickled cherry and foie gras bread pudding. The tender meat combined superbly with the rich, eggy pudding. Good as everything was, the star of the dish was the meatloaf topped with a quail egg. The rich loaf was the ultimate feel-good component and the tomato ketchup and mustard dressings with their vinegary boost made it soar. 

Dessert was listed as a 1987. This combined a white chocolate tube on rich dark chocolate crumbs with passion fruit mousse inside at the centre and lime biscuit at both ends. Dotted on the plate were raspberry purée, passion fruit jelly and a quenelle of curry frozen yogurt. The dish was lovely with the exception of the curry yogurt that did not work unless it was combined with the fruit purée or jelly. The combination of lush white chocolate with the tart passion fruit was great and the refreshing lime biscuit worked well too.

Overall verdict.
This was an excellent meal where the food completely transcended the inauspicious surroundings. I loved everything about Longman & Eagle with one exception, the lack of light was a problem for me and ultimately does the wonderful food a disservice.

Would I revisit Longman & Eagle?
In a heartbeat. The short trip from downtown Chicago is a minor consideration when the food is as satisfying as this. 


Overall Rating - 4.5/5