A Critic Calls Stephanie Izard’s New Spot ‘Good Fun’

Stephanie Izard’s new Peruvian-inspired restaurant, Cabra, is “just good fun to enjoy” according to Ariel Cheung. The classic ceviche is a “great way to start the night,” starring squares of bass under a pile of pickled shallots and corn nuts. Duck ceviche is “cooked sous vide to render it perfectly tender” and then “elevate[d]” with gooseberries and pickled mango. Goat empanadas take “succulent” meat and envelop it in “buttery, flaky” crust, but nothing outshines the pork shank. It’s “another sous vide superstar, fried and finished off with an obsessively good crispy skin.” To finish, sweet potato doughnuts are served alongside dulce de leche studded with crispy rice to provide an “ideal blend of sweet and savory.” [Modern Luxury]

Ocean Prime is a strong new contender in Chicago’s steakhouse scene. Graham Meyer says the 14-ounce New York strip is a “beautiful piece of meat” that boasts a “superb crust, show[ing] almost no gristle.” White truffle caviar deviled eggs combine “two hackneyed luxury ingredients into a not-cliche appetizer,” and the flavors of both delicacies are able to come through. Other menu “novelties” include a spicy tuna roll that lets the fish’s “freshness glimmer through the sauce, dulling the sting of the high price tag;” and a Maryland crab melt featuring a large crab cake on a bun with arugula, tomato, and “pleasantly zippy” tartar sauce. [Crain’s]