Chicago's got heart -- and tongue, feet, ears

July 8, 7:54 AMChicago Dining ExaminerEmily Szopa

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Crispy veal sweetbreads at Blackbird / Photo credit: Anthony Tahlier

The offal revolution is here, but where did it come from? It's possible it started when the ban on foie gras was repealed last year. Perhaps it's a natural progression stemming from the farm-to-table movement. Or maybe it's really just a subconscious return to the resourcefulness required during difficult economic times in the past.

Then again, it could be that we just want to try something new.

But it's not really new at all. Plenty of world cuisines make use of every part of an animal as a matter of course, and many of them were on Chicago menus long before the word "offal" became pervasive in foodie parlance.

From the menudo (tripe soup) and lengua (tongue tacos) you can find at many a Mexican taqueria, to the goat eyeball tacos at Maxwell Street Market, the pig uterus at Ed's Potsticker House, the boudin noir (blood sausage) at La Sardine, the flacki (tripe stew) at Andrzej Grill and the brains masala at Shan, offal is all around us. It always has been. If you still don't believe me, then stop by the Halsted Packing House or Paulina Meat Market some afternoon. (Or look inside your Thanksgiving turkey)

So okay, if it's not new, then what's the big deal? Well, for one thing, now it's in plain English. And with prices double or triple what you'd pay if you knew how to order organ meats in Chinese, you know you're paying for the translation. But it's possible you're also paying for artistry, which is often the case when it comes to haute cuisine and contemporary American fine dining.

Whether it's worth it or not is up to you. I think it's great. There so many ways to dress and prepare the sometimes delicate, sometimes downright tough innards and appendages of so many different animals, that there's little reason to explicitly retread ethnic ground, which only means the possibility of further exploration by chefs and diners alike.

If nothing more, I think increased visibility of offal bolsters the confidence necessary in some people to try new things and ultimately explore new cuisines and neighborhoods. You might have sweetbread schnitzel at the Publican one night and enjoy it so much that you then find yourself at a Pakistani cabbie joint on Devon, ordering siri paya (head and trotters stew) the next morning. Okay, maybe that's a bit extreme, but point is: I love that offal is becoming more mainstream because it encourages learning more about foods that some might otherwise write off as "weird" or "foreign" without ever giving them a chance.

Some not-so-far-off-the-beaten-path options for offal:
Note: Menus change often; the below are sample offerings available at the time of this posting.
 

• BOKA - 1729 N. Halsted
  - Green tea dusted diver scallops, crispy pig's feet, braised English breakfast radish, coconut emulsion ($14)
  - Braised veal cheek, crispy veal sweetbreads, onion-mustard sauce, portobello mushroom, escarole ($29)
   
• Blackbird - 619 W. Randolph
  - Charcuterie plate of lamb country pâte? and pickled lamb tongue with fresh ricotta-rye cannelloni, rhubarb, cocoa nibs and lovage ($13)
  -  Sautéed veal sweetbreads with golden beets, molasses, pine aïoli and summer truffles  ($15)
  
  
• The Bristol - 2152 N. Damen
  - Grilled rabbit heart wrapped in housemade pancetta, served with grilled Nichols Farm Treviso and romesco sauce
  - Deep-fried braised pig tails tossed with crushed aleppo peppers and sea salt, topped with pickled Tropea onions and lime slices
  - Roasted bone marrow, ramp pickle, parsley, shallot jam ($11)
  - Goat liver sausage, rhubarb mustard, zucchini, almond ($12)
  - Charcuterie board – chicken liver mousse, black pudding (blood sausage), smoked brisket with house pickles and horseradish mustard ($15)
  - Pappardelle, Bacon, Chicken Liver, Porcini Butter ($15)
   
• Cibo Matto (new!) - 201 N. State (In theWit Hotel)
  - Animelle - Crispy sweetbreads, artichoke fritto, lemon ($15)
  - Fegatini di pollo - Roasted chicken livers, creamy polenta, pancetta, roasted mushrooms, charred onions ($15)
   
• Crofton on Wells - 535 N. Wells
  - Gunthorp Farms duck - Grilled foie gras, baby red and gold beets, pofi vinegar, Lombardia spinach ($36)
   
• Eve - 840 N. Wabash
  - Pan-seared foie gras with French breakfast radish, sugar snap peas and spiced cherry chutney ($15)
  - Foie gras burger with prime Angus beef, applewood-smoked bacon, sharp Cheddar and hand-cut french fries ($22) 
  - Pan-fried skate wing with braised oxtails, spring peas and curry emulsion ($22)
  
  
• The Gage - 24 S. Michigan Ave.
  - Fried chicken livers with spicy mustard  ($8)
  - Rillettes of duck and foie gras with cherry compote and mustard ($13) 
  - Duck leg confit and roasted breast with foie gras and duck egg tart, rhubarb duck jus ($29)
  
  
• More (cupcakes) - 1 E. Delaware
  - Foie gras-Sauternes cupcake - Decadent foie gras cake with Sauternes filling and caramelized corn buttercream (available Sat/Sun)
   
• The Publican - 837 W. Fulton Market
  - Charcuterie plate - Scrapple, duck and foie gras terrine, pork pie and chorizo served with pickles and mustards ($19)
  - Beef heart - Meyer Ranch, Blackfoot Valley, Montana: mushrooms and bone marrow ($9)
  - Sweetbreads - LeQuebecois CoOp, Quebec, Canada: bacon, mustard greens and tarragon mustard ($15)
  - Little Gem salad - Werp Farms, Buckley, Michigan: basil, fennel, pig's ear, radish and buttermilk-Muscatel vinaigrette ($7)