Maxwells Trading - Chicago
In the Kinzie Corridor, Maxwell Trading a
dopts a new restaurant model: a place to eat and a place to shop for things like books and paper. The owners say they wanted a "place to unwind, eat, drink and listen to music with their family and friends."
When we visited Maxwells Trading, we found a huge dining room with a smaller room in back where select merchandise will be sold (this space doubles as a private dining area, as need arises) and a roof garden that provides some of the herbs and produce used on Erling Wu-Bower's menu.
Wu-Bower's food shows strong Asian influences with many dishes reflecting the creativity and culinary smarts of the Chef. Eater Chicago writes, "Wu-Bower, who studied philosophy, takes a deliberate and honest approach with his menu, a collaboration with chef Chris Jung (Momotaro). The dishes (from a bruleed Japanese eggplant served with a flatbread that Wu-Bower compares to a naan-scallion pancake hybrid; to a pork belly dish cooked in a claypot with sushi rice) are unique and thoughtful. Wu-Bower wants to celebrate the immigrant communities that shaped him as a youngster, like Uptown along Argyle (home to a stretch of Vietnamese restaurants), and Chinatown on Chicago’s South Side."
There are some dishes on the menu that we can pretty much guarantee you've never seen before. Consider, for instance, Soup Dumpling Tortellini, with pork shoulder and maitake mushroom, a fascinating fusion of a traditional Italian pasta and a classic Chinese dumpling; Bavette Steak Salad brings together grapefruit, herbs, curly endive, lemongrass, chile, Issan style vinaigrette in a tongue-tingling combination; and Japanese Eggplant with Magnolia Grill confit tomato and herbs is a special dish that will appeal to vegetarians as well as carnivores.
There are some outstanding cocktails on the menu, and we're especially fond of their Old Fashioned (Elijah Craig Small Batch bourbon, five spice, Steen’s syrup, bitters) and their Margherita (Arette Tequila, papaya, TRC Ancho Chili Honey, lime, TRC marigold salt).