I am more here because y'all keep me updated and give honest opinions about where and where not to go; but I wanted to finally say something about this new addition to Logan.
We had the Pig Head app, Bone Marrow, Boar Sloppy Joe, Bouillabaisse, Pork Belly...
followed by Molten Chocolate Cake and Banana Chocolate Bread pudding.
I would now like to add that none of us ate all day.

We usually go to the Rocking Horse; and after eating tonight's meal....
I no longer think that after 8 hours of work during the day...

any of us will be willing to decide what 'flavor' we want our tater tots to be. Or tolerate the laissez-faire attitude of MOST of the wait staff.

Bouillabaisse was just outstanding. Not salty and the broth was 100% flavor. The whitefish at the bottom was not tough and tasted fresh like the seafood off the southern coast of the states.
Boar Sloppy Joe was delicious as well. Again, texture was right on, not too over-sauced and the bun held up the meat nicely. Though warned about the raw jalapeño lurking within; I decided to brave it and then regretted it 2 seconds after. That sucker was pickle-sized and I got the larger end on my triangle portion.
I am new to Bone Marrow. There is a little spoon of salt on the side, and it is a really great addition to the jam provided to spread over the marrow.
I only had one bite of the Pork Belly; but the pumpkin was a great balance to the pork. Wow.
Bread pudding was so good it had all of us laughing. Wish it were bigger.
Whiskey and I broke up when I left Savannah, GA...but I will say the wine list is a great variety! Yes please to Gruner!

Our server's name was Sarah and she helped us form a game plan. She was helpful and very attentive.

We tried to get in before, and it was a 2 hour wait...which is understandable. It's small in there.

I'll make this deal again.

the wife and I finally made it to Longman & Eagle last night after weeks of anticipation. A co-worker's numerous visits and subsequent reports only heightened my anticipation. We are happy to report we had a great experience and cannot wait to return. While we would've liked to order pretty much everything on the menu, we limited ourselves to four total dishes. We started with the fried Ipswich clams. As a kid, I used to love fried clams at places like Ed Debevic's and Howard Johnson. Nice to try a bit of upscale twist on a childhood faveorite, with super tender clams and homemade tartar sauce. For entrees, my wife got the bouillabaisse while I had to try the wild boar sloppy joe. She raved about the soup with clams, mussels, shrimp and cod. I tasted it and while not quite as good as the basque stew at Publican was definitely one of the best seafood soups I've had in quite some time. The sloppy joe was also very good. true to what a sloppy joe should be, but at the same time a bit of an upscale twist due to the choice of meat and bread. As mentioned above, the generous hunk of jalapeno provided quite a kick! I thought it'd be more pickled, like the jalapeno rounds that come on nachos, but this seemed to just be a half a japapeno (BTW, where do they find the hot ones? The ones I keep buying of late are no hotter than a bell pepper). Had they been more pickled, it would've been nice.. while the flavor was very good overall, it could have used a tad bit more acidity either in the toppings or in the sauce. I also wish it came with the same beef fat fries I saw with the burger as the next table. To finish, we ordered the chocolate banana bread pudding. Rich, creamy, not too sweet or to bitter... it won over my wife who had lobbied for the molten chocolate cake instead.

Next time, we'll definitely try the burger. I also have my eyes on the catfish. And the pork belly. And the meatballs. And...

Had a great meal with three friends at L & E on Friday night. Arrived around 7:30 and waited about an hour to be seated which was fine--ordered the Old-Fashioned first then had a Sazerac on the bartender's recommendation--yes the cocktail version Both were excellent--nice and warming for and end of winter evening.

Once seated, we decided to order as a group (we're good about sharing even the tiniest of bites) and this was a good call since we got to taste a good bit of the menu. Amuse started us off right-tiny bite of truffled risotto...mmmmm. All loved the sloppy joe (as others have said--wonderful!), belly clams, foie gras special, kobe meatballs (more for the sauce than the meatballs which were tender but not really that notable-the sauce was delicious--interesting take on tomato with pesto if IIRC), duck egg and tongue hash (luxurious)and the potato agnolotti with escargot. Only non-starter for me were the sweetbreads--I agree with the over-smoked comment up thread. For dessert we split the candy apple with butternut squash semifreddo and salty caramel--so good that one of my companions ordered one to take home to her husband. Or so she claimed

Thanks to G Wiv for the heads up on the flashlight--definitely came in handy and to our server who was terrific--both in recommending and pacing our selections. Can't wait to go back and try the tete de cochon and bone marrow and more!

It's a strange day when you praise Carnivale and critique L&E, but...

The fundamental problem I have with this recent trend of haute peasant restaurants--e.g., Gilt, Purple Pig, Kith & Kin--is the depressing disparity between the promise of the menu description and the kitchen's actual execution. To wit: the menu says "Sunnyside-up duck egg, beef tongue hash, black truffle vinaigrette"; the execution states "IHOP breakfast." I'm all for it, really, but you don't create much of a bigger miss than serving up a dish that equates to a hash house breakfast--you an can eat it, sure, but all you taste is disappointment.

It went on: sweetbreads are smoked here instead of the usual fried, but I was stunned by the horrendous kielbasa-like taste, the haunting mineral gaminess of the thymus gland completely wiped out. A potato agnolotti--imagine stuffing gnocchi into a large ravioli--was topped with foie gras AND escargot AND mushrooms--and then sauced with a bordelaise, so add some bone marrow and demi-glace to the mix. Seriously, four different meat flavors in a single small dish? Pure cow fog. Something has to give--and go.

While the restaurant is young and may yet find its legs, the fact that all three dishes failed because of extraneous or poorly-matched ingredients is rather worrisome, no? Only a golden beet-goat-cheese-pastry amuse had any synchronicity; it was also boring. Not a good sign.

REB wrote:Ricotta Gnuddi...

I wonder if they spelled it that way on purpose, to make clear that these are most definitely not gnudi. Bastardized though they may have been, I thought they were quite good, with a crispy fried coating giving way to a nice, light interior.

Roast chicken was good too - crispy skin, moist meat... a little extra salt and this would have been just right for me.

The highlight of the meal, believe it or not, was the mixed green salad. I loved the creamy meyer lemon dressing.

6 bucks for a pint Daisy Cutter is a little more than other places I like around town, but I'm glad they have that excellent beer on tap.

Very ambitious, but Longman started brunch, on Easter.

I was out of town and haven't seen a menu, but definitely interested to try. Not sure if they are doing Saturday and Sunday, will take a peak this weekend.

miss ellen

REB wrote:Nice bar list, tons of whiskeys ($3 a shot), about a dozen beers on tap, with several Goose Island and Half-Acre options.

Longman & Eagle proved pleasant on a rainy late Sunday afternoon. Friendly bartender, comfortable room, not too crowded and, as REB mentions, $3 shots. Not just three buck shots of cheap-ass hooch, but a dozen bottle selection including Jameson. Solid pours of Jameson for $3, Longman & and Eagle just hit my tavern top tier.

Enjoy,
Gary

I am clearly having a very productive day at work....

After dinner on Saturday, we were seeking to stay out until midnight, as it was a friend's birthday then. We were in Logan Square, and wandered over to the pleasant surprise of Longman and Eagle. Though we were full, the waited left us a menu, and sure enough, the menu was enticing (as was the food headed to the table next to us. I wondered if they were LTHers, as they got sandwich upon sandwich and split them all).

We ended up only getting the foie gras with black pepper funnel cake and the bread pudding. Both were good enough to merit a return trip soon, though the funnel cake did overwhelm the foie in sheer size. The bread pudding was decadent and excellent for splitting. I didn't get a peek at what all was in it, but chocolate, banana, and caramel featured heavily, and it was presented like a creme brulee. We're planning to return for the sloppy joe and the agnolotti.

On to drinks - our original purpose for being there. While the $3 shots were intriguing, my friend ordered one of their many Scotches, and I got the Manhattan on the recommendation of the waiter, though I liked the base spirit (Buffalo Trace bourbon) in the Old Fashioned better. Our third companion ordered the "White Flight," his rationale being that white whiskey/rye/whatever is in vogue right now, and may not be for long. Judging by the three he had, I think he may be right. All three were Koval, and I found only one (the rye, I believe) to be palatable.

All in all, great food, service, and whiskey selection.

Dinner at Longman & Eagle has eluded me a few times, but I finally made it there tonight. A few quick notes:

Fries weren't overtly beefy, but the fat did lend a richness to the potato that I think I now prefer over duck fat. And the fries were handsome--loved the clean lines, square-blocky cut, dark golden color. They looked like they would be really crispy, but they were soggy. I would try them again though.

Duck testicles served as part of a warm salad of peas, bacon, shredded romaine with bordelaise were perfect. I tweet about a lot of things but not usually testicles. Quack, these were good.



The testicles themselves didn't have much flavor but added silkiness and discreet bursts to the salad.

Tandoori-spiced lamb shoulder with minted ratatouille, shaved fennel, arugula and tzaziki was also very pleasing. The meat was extremely tender. Light on mint but heavy on onions, the ratatouille was a distraction. Shaved fennel, arugula and cucumber-yogurt sauce imparted a soothing lightness to the dish.



To end, crème brûlée with sour plum compote was fine. I think the same of the cocktails at Longman & Eagle: good in an inoffensive way. I'll be back for dinner.

We're now about six months into the life of Longman & Eagle and I think the team in this kitchen is really starting to hum. I tried three different dishes last night and I can't think of a thing I'd change about any of them.

The one thing that impressed both my wife and I was the simple balance of flavors. Each dish had at least 4 distinct components and every component was alive and flavorful.

Seared scallops with english pea puree, sweet corn, pea tendrils and shaved black truffles was among the best scallop preparations I've had anywhere.

I also had this dish:

happy_stomach wrote:Tandoori-spiced lamb shoulder with minted ratatouille, shaved fennel, arugula and tzaziki was also very pleasing. The meat was extremely tender. Light on mint but heavy on onions, the ratatouille was a distraction. Shaved fennel, arugula and cucumber-yogurt sauce imparted a soothing lightness to the dish.

Which I really loved. I was a bit nervous about the phrase "tandoori-spiced", fearing that the lamb would be lost in an aggressive spice rub. I was surprised how well they were able to introduce the spice flavors and let the flavor of the lamb shine through (as well as the fennel, ratatouille and yogurt.)

This was one of the better meals I've had in Chicago in a long time. There's a high level of skill in that kitchen and they're using high-quality ingredients. Now's the time to go check out L&E if you haven't yet.

Best,
Michael

Finally made my first trip here earlier this week for a late afternoon snack and a few bourbons (I'd stopped in a couple other times but always managed to hit it during non-service hours). I had the rabbit pate, which I liked. For me, though, the highlight of the dish was actually the cauliflower-heavy, house-made gardiniera which, while not overly spicy, had great flavor. The whole cloves of garlic in it were way too raw for me and after just biting into one, I realized that if I didn't spit it out, my palate would have been crushed for hours. The person next to me at the bar ordered some sort of cauliflower and lentil dish that looked and smelled really good. Overall, I thought the menu was interesting and ambitious, and I'd like to try more of it.

Bourbon selection is as good as I've seen anywhere outside my home bar and I did get to try a few that I'd never had before (Rose's Marriage, Vintage 17-year, Sam Houston). My favorite of the lot was the Vintage, which had a nice bite and a pleasant, mildly-caramel aftertaste. The extensive selection of $3 whiskeys is impressive and would be fun for 'getting one's drink on' but since I was heading to The Whistler after L&E, I wasn't in that position on this particular visit.

Service was friendly and the vibe was pleasant, though when I was there -- between 5:15 and 6:45 pm -- it was probably too early to tell what the place is like when it's really humping. I hope to get back to L&E soon and find out.

=R=

happy_stomach wrote:The testicles themselves didn't have much flavor but added silkiness and discreet bursts to the salad.

Sorry to be sophomoric, but this struck me as banner quote material.

I really enjoyed the special I had there the other night, a combination of sliced leg of goat (rare/med.rare) and discs of goat sausage, with a spicy red pepper sauce on the side of the plate for dipping.

And a shot of 20 year-old Pappy Van Winkle.

The place has a nice vibe.

I live just down the street from L&E and have been there several times now. I've come to think of it as a place to get a nice cocktail and hang out rather than a food destination. Most of the food I've eaten there (outside of dessert) has disappointed me in one way or another. The smoked sardine dish seemed like nothing special, the sweetbreads were meh. Maybe this is the wrong attitude to have, but if I'm going to be eating "the nasty bits" of an animal, I want to be transported. I know that there are restaurants in Chicago that can pull this off. L&E is maybe not one of them. Also, if I'm going to pay $12 for a sloppy joe, I want some french fries or something...ANYTHING...on the side.

That said, I think it's a lovely space. The bartenders make a mean cocktail, and the staff is always warm and friendly. The crowd always has a good vibe. This place could go way over the top to Hipsterville, but I've never gotten a too-cool-for-school attitude there. Maybe I'll have a meal there eventually that wins me over, but for now I'm sticking with the bar menu.

redhanded wrote:Also, if I'm going to pay $12 for a sloppy joe, I want some french fries or something...ANYTHING...on the side.

You ain't kiddin'. This was the actual plating I received when I ordered the sloppy joe (caution - really crappy cellphone pic):



It was delicious, but it did look kinda ridiculous, sitting there next to all that white space.

Kennyz wrote:I wonder if they spelled it that way on purpose, to make clear that these are most definitely not gnudi. Bastardized though they may have been, I thought they were quite good, with a crispy fried coating giving way to a nice, light interior.

Almost ordered them a few nights ago, but was more interested in the $3 Jameson than eating at that point. I did try Buffalo frogs legs, seemed more bar food than gnuddi/gnudi, which were tasty in a cutesy aerated blue cheese sort of way, though low on my list of have again.

When I started to inquire about gnuddi I realized I did not know how to pronounce, the bartenderess, without missing a beat, said "just like gnocchi, silent g"

I really should delve deeper into Longman & Eagle's menu one of these days.

Enjoy,
Gary

I went to Longman & Eagle with four friends last night and enjoyed it very much. I had the cod entree with lobster potato salad and lobster sauce. It was delicious and well-balanced. We also ordered the bone marrow, octopus salad (with a great sauce that I can't remember), and pork cheek with gnocchi as appetizers. My favorite of the three was the pork cheek, although the gnocchi was a bit tough. I can also report that the wild boar sloppy joe now comes with fries. The drink list had a lot of appealing options. I had an Old Fashioned (which I found to be pretty typical) and Green Line beer. We sat in their outdoor space, which was great for a summer night. I'm eager to go back!

Headed to Longman and Eagle over the weekend and had a very, very good meal. One thing I will never fail to get every time I go as long as it's on the menu is the tete de cochon. Tender and packed with flavor even without the perfectly cooked duck egg on top, this thing is a joy to eat.

REB wrote: Kobe burger, aged Windmere cheddar, Neuski bacon, beef fat fries, brioche. Rich and I agreed that the meat was unremarkable, even though the burger was perfectly cooked. Rich absolutely loved the buttery brioche bun, sharp cheddar, and thick, well-done bacon, but he's way more about toppings than I am. We agreed that the thick-cut fries had a nice fatty flavor, but they weren't crispy, just hot and soggy. We suggested to the FOH

They did swap out the "Kobe" for beef from Michigan's Swan Creek Farm, but the change did not improve the burger. For all the many things that Longman & Eagle does well, burger cooking is not one of them. Though it had the color and temperature of a medium-rare burger, my burger was dry and flavorless. I'd guess that the cook pressed it hard on the grill with a spatula while it cooked, extracting all of the flavorfull juice into the fire below. Please, cooks around the world - just put the burger on the grill and leave the damned thing alone til you flip it and it's done. It's not masa for a tortilla. Making matters worse, the cheese was sliced too thick, congealed, and way too sharp to do anything but overwhelm the lifeless beef.

MarlaCollins'Husband wrote:One thing I will never fail to get every time I go as long as it's on the menu is the tete de cochon. Tender and packed with flavor even without the perfectly cooked duck egg on top, this thing is a joy to eat.

Couple of weeks ago I finally moved from the $3 whiskey menu to the food menu, perfectly seared scallop with braised oxtail, foie gras torchon on ginger bread, a surprisingly convivial companion, and tete de cochon with duck egg. Liked the tete de cochon, egg was cooked perfectly, but if it was a duck egg I'm Antonio Banderas. I was going to inquire, but was having a lovely evening with my wife and did not want to interject tension, strife or consternation into the evening.

Interestingly I was eating with a group at Marie's a week later and a friend brought up the same duck egg issue with Longman and Eagle's tete de cochon.

Just to be clear I like L & E, and I understand occasionally there are menu substitutions especially with a difficult to source item like duck eggs, but still......

Enjoy,
Gary

So how would you know? I'm not sure if I've had one, ever, if I didn't have it there, so I'm curious what the discernable differences would be.

As I recall the proportions of the above seemed unchicken-like, but to judge by the picture, not all that much so.

Mike G wrote:So how would you know? I'm not sure if I've had one, ever, if I didn't have it there, so I'm curious what the discernable differences would be.

Mike,

I'm not saying L & E uses chicken eggs instead of duck as a matter of course, simply the occasional substitute if duck eggs are unavailable. The egg in your picture looks like a duck egg, differences, as I understand, are yolk is slightly larger and holds it shape better, more dome like. Flavor is richer and, though color can vary, duck eggs tend to be more orange than yellow.

Here is a picture of a sunny side up duck egg I made for breakfast, note color, shape and size of yolk.

Duck Egg

Although I've had some awfully orange eggs from farmer's markets lately.

The only other thing I could find online is that the protein can set up really tough if you overcook it. Of course, that only becomes a clue if they screw it up.

Hard to tell, I had no reason to doubt the dish I had, but no real experience where I would have suspected, either...

Mike G wrote:Hard to tell, I had no reason to doubt the dish I had, but no real experience where I would have suspected, either...

I am not saying L & E use chicken as opposed to duck eggs as a matter of course. Simply that, in my opinion, the egg I was served a few weeks ago was a chicken egg.

No, I know, I'm just saying, even if it had been one, I don't think I would have spotted it, never having cooked them myself and the differences apparently being modest at best.

The color of the yolk may be more to do with the food the animal has been eating than with the breed of the beast. Jim Slama, the Family Farmed guy, told me that when bugs are abundant, his hens lay eggs with dark orange yolks.

Bruce from Longman & Eagle here back from lurking. Saw the posts on duck eggs and thought I would chime in. I got a crash course on duck eggs this morning from Chef Jared, and he assures me that our duck egg usage is pure (invoices filed with the fair egg usage department). I guess the duck eggs of late have been a bit smaller than usual, but the difference between shell color would make it difficult (surely not impossible) to confuse a duck / regular egg. Once again human error is a factor that cannot be completely ruled out, although that human would find themselves working in another kitchen. Thanks for the discussion.

ebottle,

Glad you're participating, and it has caused me to rethink my rather harsh criticism of the kitchen's burger cookery skills. I stand by my comment about the burger being dry and lacking flavor, but perhaps that has to do with relative leanness of the meat rather than poor cooking technique. If that's the case, I hope the kitchen considers switching to a raw product with higher fat content.

kennyz

I find it difficult to argue out the fine point of burger cooking , as it seems so personal. The burgers I have had there easily rival some of the best I have ever had (am I partial?). I have fielded comments ranging all over the spectrum concerning burgers. I will check the fat content we are going for and get back to you. Thanks for letting me participate.

Sincerely,

Bruce Finkelman
The Empty Bottle, Empty Bottle Presents, Beauty Bar Chicago, Longman & Eagle

FWIW, I agree with the comments above on the burger. I had one that was cooked correctly to the requested medium rare but was not juicy. I also thought the cheese was too strong. I did think the fries were great.