Conscious Choice: Plenty to Love at Lovitt

July 2004 | Conscious Dining

Plenty to Love at Lovitt

by Janine MacLachlan

Chef Norman Six spent a decidedly un-urban childhood north of Spokane, Wash., where family dinners came from their own garden. And not just fruits and vegetables — Chef Six got early lessons in handcrafted food, for instance, helping his mother make goat cheese. A number of years later, after stints at other restaurants and a career in technology, Six teamed with wife Kristin to return to the land, after a fashion, by opening Lovitt, one of those great neighborhood places that you can stroll into wearing blue jeans and sneakers or “smart-casual” attire.

Back to his roots

Chicago is not the easiest market to showcase seasonal ingredients at a restaurant, but Six puts his family background to work by canning heirloom tomatoes at the height of the season, and using the bounty-filled mason jars as décor on the dining room windowsills. He’ll have just enough homemade tomato sauce to last until the new crop comes in later this season. And Six also is plenty choosy about his sweeter preserves, opting to make jam with blueberries and blackberries rather than the more showy strawberries, since the others have more natural pectin and thus require less sugar.

And now that we have local ingredients practically leaping out of the ground, chef Six shops the Green City Market on Wednesdays in Lincoln Park, and buys vegetables from Homegrown Wisconsin, a consortium of mostly organic farms in the Madison, Wis., area.

Simple and seasonal

Diners should visit with open expectations since the menu changes at least weekly to take advantage of what’s in season and available. The menu is simple and straightforward, with something for everyone from the staunchest vegan to the most devoted carnivore.

For starters, the menu offers three appetizers, two salads and a soup of the day. On one visit, a chilled potato parsley soup ($6) was a vibrant green refresher. And the appetizer cheese plate ($9), served with house-made apple butter, could also serve as a transition to dessert. A slight disappointment — and it’s definitely a slight one — was the presentation of the red and green leaf lettuce salad ($7) with Anjou pear, Danish blue cheese and lemon vinaigrette. The succulent, perfectly ripe pear, served up precisely at that elusive point between rock hard and mealy mush, was hidden underneath the lettuce rather than reigning on top in its glory. Since pear is one of my favorite fruits, I prefer it front and center.

Main courses include pork chops ($19) and sirloin ($23), as well as the more intriguing Parisian gnocchi, made with pate à choux (the pastry batter used for cream puffs for profiteroles), which is rolled and sliced, then boiled like pasta rather than baked. My dining companion chose the gnocchi ($17), served with sautéed shrimp, diced prosciutto and a spicy Diablo sauce. I opted for a mushroom-filled ravioli ($14) in a pool of Six’s house-made heirloom tomato sauce with fresh basil and Parmesan. Both of us would have happily licked our plates.

And vegans don’t have to console themselves with plain Jane veggie plates since Six uses creativity in both ingredients and presentation. In one case the menu included a Napoleon of seared tofu ($13) layered with soy chorizo, tomatillos and avocado over seared Mexican rice. Another week it featured a “spring haystack” with griddle bread, a sort of cracker made on the griddle, topped with organic sweet potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes and mustard greens.

Desserts are also made on site. On one visit the indulgent “banana split” came with a caramelized banana, sliced lengthwise, topped with chocolate and Mexican vanilla ice cream, with a splash of strawberry sauce. The ice cream was made with Mexican vanilla purchased on a staff vacation to Cabo San Lucas. My dining companion said the mixed berry tart was not sweet enough, but I’m not one to mind a little tartness in my tart, particularly when it’s à la mode.

The Sunday brunch menu features ever changing options like an omelet and quiche of the day — one day the omelet was filled with wild mushrooms and Swiss cheese ($7.50). But for my money, I’d tuck into some homemade biscuits with jam and butter ($3), then move along to the organic wild blueberry pancakes ($7). And think about my carb count another day.

The final word

The intimate dining room, punctuated with photos by local artists and sporting a mustard-colored tin ceiling, seats less than 30, so make reservations to assure a place at the table.

Lovitt, 1466 N. Ashland Avenue, Chicago, 773-252-1466. Wednesday through Saturday, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday Brunch 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

Janine MacLachlan is a writer, cooking school owner and food enthusiast whose search for well-raised food is a passion.

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