Author: Miranda Yuan

Photographer: Madison Rhee

In the kingdom of Mediterranean Cuisines within Chicago, Avec reigns as its indisputable king.

He who rules his people with justice and integrity is armed with the finest of focaccia, protected by the most soothing of hummus, and surrounded by the tenderest of meats.

Here are some of Avec’s main assets that aid to perpetuate his rule.

Small Plates

The ‘Chorizo-Stuffed Medjool Dates wrapped in bacon and piquillo pepper-tomato sauce’ is a head-turning beauty. After carefully cutting through the layers of bacon and date and chorizo drenched in piquillo pepper tomato sauce, I placed a compact forkful into my mouth. My tastebuds were immediately hurled into a kaleidoscope of flavors and textures. The spiciness and saltiness of the bacon and chorizo were dominant, yet they were punctuated by sweet blasts of the medjool dates, establishing a muted but nevertheless, ubiquitous presence. You would expect such disparities in flavors to be unpleasantly overwhelming. It was not in the slightest. All together, these flavors and textures added up to something so cohesive, united, and seamless that I was flabbergasted as to how it was possible. In a matter of minutes, we were left with nothing but the glorious broth of the meat juices and piquillo pepper sauce that had pooled at the bottom. Don’t forget the side of bread. We dipped the crispy and chewy ciabatta into the peppery gloriousness. While it seemed to cut through the intense heat of the sauce, we were forced to reach for our waters. This surprised me as someone who has an extremely high tolerance for spice. I was deeply impressed.

The next allure was the Crisp Short Rib with Chickpea Hummus and a side of Avec’s reputable pita bread. The charred short rib was nestled atop a ring of silky chickpea hummus and a golden rivulet of olive oil. It was a huge and profoundly tender slab of short rib, slow roasted in such a way that when I tore it apart with my fork, it almost collapsed in on itself. We dipped a piece of the short rib into the smooth and luxurious chickpea hummus, its skin crackling as we put it in our mouths. The fat dissolves instantly, and each sinew of the short rib pulled away with ease - it was crunchy yet juicy, approaching that enchanting point between chewiness and tenderness. After this episode, we eyed the pita almost simultaneously. We slathered the hummus on top of our pita, and when we bit down, it was so soft and pillowy that I questioned if this is what clouds feel like? We ate until every last vestige of the hummus was scooped up - great hummus must never be taken for granted.

Pizza and Focaccia

Let us now move on to Avec’s most lethal weapon: the Woodfire-Baked ‘Deluxe’ Focaccia with Taleggio cheese, ricotta, truffle oil, and fresh herbs. It was humble in appearance, with just a thin layer of normal-looking cheese pressed between two pieces of focaccia, but I should have reckoned with the force of the saying ‘never judge a book by its cover.’ This focaccia was an oily, crunchy, and cheesy beast that erupts in your mouth - it reaches the zenith of buttery, salty crispiness. But wait, there is an additional function. When combined with a drizzle of honey, its brutish quality is altered to something else: the focaccia has now adopted a form of soothingness that causes your heart to flutter, and beckons you to sigh in comfort and delight.

Handmade Pasta

We were lastly presented with the Squash Ravioli with leeks and pine nuts. Although each piece of ravioli was enticing in its irresistible gloss and tautness, properly drenched in the toasted pine nut sauce and festooned with snowflake-like parmesan cheese, I have to admit that by this time, I was already very decently, but pleasantly, full. As someone who just tolerates raviolis, it was an endearing, but brief affair for me.

Finally, I would like to gush about the household of Avec. Situated in River North, in close proximity to many of its high-class citizens such as Eta, Aba, and the Purple Pig, Avec’s castle is also luxuriously built and exhaustingly modern. It possesses a spacious seating area decorated with wooden planks, olive trees, and draping toga leaves over countertops with a wood fired oven that burned brilliantly and fervently in the background, adding to its classy earthiness - this is a place fit for a king.

Avec Review