FOOD FRIDAY: Where Everybody Knows Your Name

It is always great to walk into some place, where everyone knows your name.  You are greeted with a warm hug and a dazzling smile.  Feeling welcome, at ease and at home is comforting and lovely.  This is how I feel crossing over the threshold of Vera, a Spanish inspired new wine bar in Chicago.  It does, of course, help that I know the owners, Liz and Mark Mendez.  However, if you pay attention, you will see that such an expression of hospitality isn’t reserved just for friends here.  Don’t take my word for it, listen to the critic, who recently awarded Vera 3.5 stars out of 4.  Applause, applause!  Such sincere praise is richly deserved.

Fluke Crudo (Photo by Gourmet Rambler)

Perhaps, the secret behind the warmth that is Vera is the fact that its owners are basically welcoming you into their living room.  Says Liz:  “This is the way we like to eat and drink.  We like to share everything: a bit of this, a nosh of that.  If you came into our home, this is what you would experience.”  Personal touch is felt in everything here:  from modestly priced share-able menu to the wide selection of Mendez beloved sherry (and sherry friends!) to rose wine on tap, which admittedly is my not-so-serious wish come true.  I am perfectly happy grabbing a seat at the cheese bar, with friends or solo, watching Jamon Iberico sliced by hand  and delicious cheeses being lovingly plated by the cheese monger himself, Chef Andrew Fair.  Chef Andrew prepares all the cheese accompaniments, and each cheese gets its own.  Now, that’s respect.

Selection of Cured Hams (Photo by Gourmet Rambler)

Chef Mark Mendez keeps a watchful eye over the room from his post by the kitchen window.  He is the Captain of this ship, make no mistake.  Those delicious garlic shrimp or fluke crudo or paella you are raving about?  They were all inspected closely by the Man himself.  No plate here escapes his attention.  Each dish is exquisite in its simplicity.  Don’t miss silky, sherry spiked chicken liver mousse:  thick schmear of savory goodness on crispy crostini.  And for the love of all that is holy, DO NOT SKIP OVER THE VEGETABLE SECTION.  Maybe my favorite dish of all here is the mound of humble turnips roasted with esplette pepper.  Crispy and slightly spicy, these are dangerously addictive.

Garlic Shrimp (Photo by Gourmet Rambler)

You can’t really escape Vera without a glass of sherry and a hug from the vibrant woman running the front of the house, Liz Mendez herself.  Do yourself a favor and let her school you in the ways of sherry drinking.  There is so much to learn and, as it turns out, I know next to nothing!  Liz runs the show with boundless energy and is always willing to step in to answer any questions the diners may have.  Let her knowledge be your guide when it comes to wine pairings at Vera.

Anchovies with Pickled Garlic (Photo by Gourmet Rambler)

I can wax nostalgic about Vera for days.  Instead, I have already put my next date with paella and sherry on the calendar.  If I had things my way, that day would be tomorrow.  So, when you find yourself at Vera, look for me at the cheese bar, elbow deep in turnips and sherry, eating Jamon Iberico with my fingers.  Just ask for me, everybody knows my name.  And after your visit they will remember yours.

Vera
1023 West Lake Street, Chicago, IL  60607
(312) 243-9770

My name is Tatiana or call me Gourmet Rambler.  I love food too much to be skinny.  I am too loud, too sarcastic, tell too many inappropriate jokes and watch too much reality TV.  I am not dainty or graceful unless I am cooking AND eating!  Hungry?  Want more?  Follow me on twitter at Gourmet Rambler.