Menu Masterpiece: Mécénat's Half-Chicken, Goat Cheese Fritters and More

Welcome to Menu Masterpiece, a weekly column where we try some of the best and most unique menu items at local restaurants, as recommended to us by chefs, restaurant owners and readers. What should we try next? Email michael.sewall@patch.com. 

Restaurant: Mécénat, 821 Burlington Ave. in Western Springs (Write a review)

I tried a number of delicious items at Mécénat, and with each item was offered a sampling of wines that paired well. (That's a specialty— Mécénat has blogged on Patch about wine pairings and more.) 

The restaurant's menu is always evolving, and owner Kelly Hogan said they've recently introduced more small plates and gluten-friendly options. 

First up I tried the brie and fuji apple bruschetta, with has orange infused honey. It came with three pieces, and I really enjoyed the way that helped sweeten the dish and balance the cheese. I made a mess of myself eating these. This was paired with a Dr. Pauly riesling, which was nice because it wasn't too sweet.

Next I had one of the new items, the baby spinach salad, which came with fresh avocado, goat cheese fritters honey jalapeno vinaigrette. I absolutely loved this salad. I really enjoy spicy things, but this didn't go overboard. And the goat cheese fritters are basically balls of fried goat cheese, which is as great as it sounds. The salad was paired with the Pouilly-Fuisse Domaine Du Roure wine, which has a creaminess to help cut the spice in the dressing.

The main course was the buttermilk-brined half-chicken, a beast of a dish with rosemary roasted potatoes, broccolini and thyme au jus. This is a huge meal, but cooked deliciously. The chicken marinates in buttermilk, forming a crispy but manageable outer layer, and it was very tender. The sides were great complements. With this I had a red wine, the Sean Minor "Four Bears" pinot noir. 

Finally, I tried two desserts: One was the white wine pudding, which was nice because it was lighter and had lots of fruit. It wasn't the best tasting dessert, though; for that I enjoyed the Cinnamon Toast Crunch Martini, which is made with RumChata and has the cereal in it. It's like drinking your breakfast, but there's alcohol! 

More Menu: See the full menu here. 

Check out our business directory for more restaurant reviews:

• La Grange/La Grange Park dining
• Western Springs dining

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