Last night T-Bone and I finally managed to meet up for dinner, after about five months of planning and juggling schedules. We’d scoped out a few places, but eventually landed on rasa. I hadn’t heard of it, but of course trusted her judgment.

I arrived fifteen minutes early, and discovered that the place lacks both air conditioning and proper fan coverage. Oh, and it was 36 degrees. So I sat there in my own sweat for a while, only cooling after I downed a glass of cold Falanghina.

Once T-Bone arrived and we managed to stop talking for a few seconds, we ordered our shared plates for the night:

• MINI MUFFINS, corn, cheddar, poblano, semolina, lime butter
• SIDE STRIPE SHRIMP, chilled coconut, pineapple, thai basil, taro root
• BACON & TOMATO, pork belly, tomatoes, buttermilk, baby gem, pimento cheese
• FISH BOARD:
  • CAPRESE, albacore tuna, bruschetta, basil, dehydrated olive, padano crisp
  • TARTARE, yellowfin tuna, yuzu chili aioli, apple slaw, ponzu glaze, taro chips
  • JERK TROUT, steelhead trout, cilantro crema, pineapple, jerk sauce, plantain
• OCTOPUS, chorizo, ‘nduja puree, poblano salsa verde, peperonata, crispy lentils
• WAGYU BEEF RIBS, corn puree, grilled corn, pomme frites, scotch bonnet sauce

Everything else was goddamn delicious. Honestly, there wasn’t a single mediocre dish. I mean, I always find beef ribs a tiny bit disappointing because they look SO BIG when they arrive but yield very little meat, but that’s my problem, not the ribs’. They were tender and delicious. The wine selection was better on the white side than the red, but we still made out just fine.

I’d definitely go back. Wearing shorts.

.:.

Cover photo by katherine of chicago, used under Creative Commons license