Roy's Hawaiian Fusion — Miles above the ordinary.

Roy's Hawaiian Fusion — Miles above the ordinary.

When walking South on State Street from the gold coast, when one crosses Chicago Avenue the first restaurant you hit is Roy’s. It sits on the corner of State and Superior at 720 North Superior and is kitty corner from Holy Name Cathedral. Roy’s is a “chain” but I use that term very, very loosely — as it is not in the same category of “chain” as P.F, Chang's, Buca Di Beppo or Maggiano’s. It stands heads and shoulder above most independent restaurants and way exceeds many “chains”. I really don’t think of it as a chain as has so many unique qualities that it makes it hard to quantify it as such but it is. It has about 20 locations in the continental US but it really is found in Hawaii as the food is Hawaiian.

Not your typical fare, it is similar to Asian and is predominantly fish and seafood based. One will find lots of chicken, beef and pork on the menu as well as a large quantity of vegetarian items.  Flat out — Roy’s food is wonderful. It has a particular blend of flavors and exoticism that crosses many flavor pallets. This is Roy’s strength. There are many Italian, French or Sushi restaurants as well as a variety of restaurants that specialize in fish and seafood but Roy’s has the market on Hawaiian. Many years ago, there were a few Polynesian spots like Trader Vic’s and a few other tiki bars. Those miss the mark by covering the food and atmosphere with a layer of kitsch. While they have been fun for an experience a time or two, they were not a place one would go repeatedly for special occasions. The experience or the food got old after a time or two. Roy’s is different. It sprung out the head of chef Roy Yamaguchi. A James Beard Award winner, Yamaguchi was the international host of the six seasons of ‘Hawaii Cooks with Roy Yamaguchi’ and the author of three cookbooks. Raised in Tokyo, Yamaguchi was trained in New York then traveled to Los Angeles to be executive chef at La Serene before going back to his grandparent’s roots in Hawaii. It is in Hawaii that he really found the inspiration to make Roy’s and opened his first Roy’s in 1988. Hawaii as a designation location adds a special quality to the restaurant. You won’t find a Roy’s on every street corner and in every suburb. Unlike Italian or French, the flavors will be memorable but not comparable to anything or anyplace you have had before… so Roy’s does become special.

Roy's Chicago

Besides Hawaii, Roy’s is located in a few designated cities. You won’t find Roy’s in New York, Boston, Philadelphia or Washington DC. It has nine locations in California, a few in Florida and a couple in Arizona. Illinois is quite lucky to have scored a Roy’s and you don’t have to schlep to the burbs to enjoy it. Chicago has been graced with a Roy’s for 12 years and it has done quite well. It is typically packed on a Friday or Saturday night. It has a lot of people making it their destination for their special occasion. This night, there were many anniversaries, a few birthdays and a large contingent of business associates celebrating a corporate accomplishment. As it turns out, some of these folks have been celebrating with Roy’s for quite some time. Vince Vecchio, the new manager of Chicago’s Roy’s says there are many people who have been coming to Roy’s every anniversary for 15 or 20 years or more. “We are very lucky to have customers that consistently come back to us to celebrate their major life events.”

Vince has a great handle on Roy’s. As the new manager of Roy’s for just under a year, he is making an significant impact on Roy’s so it stays on your radar screen and is more a regular destination hangout than just for special occasions. He has taken on or completed many new improvements. The most noticeable is the three season enclosed patio. In the summer, it can open up to take advantage of the breezes. In the chilly spring or fall nights, it is heated to take advantage of the last few days before winter cold sets in. The dark red interior walls has been lightened up and freshened up. There are new booths and seating coming. The best view in the house is along the kitchen at the kitchen bar. It encompasses the kitchen so you can see the chefs do their work. The
energy of the kitchen gets infused in the food. It is also a chance to ask the kitchen questions about the food experience. This is a very existential place. If watching people labor over your food is not your thing and you just want to relax, a table by the window overlooking the tree-lined street is lovely.

Searching for a deal

Roy’s is different from many chain restaurants and there is input from the local managers. Many restaurant chains dictate from the home office about what is allowed on the menu, what are the specials are and how the place looks.
Chili’s menu is typically the same from place to place, as is McDonald’s. There might be some local differentiation if you’re in a McDonald’s in China vs Manhattan but across the states, they are essentially the same. Roy’s is different with a portion of the menu is designed by each city’s executive chef. Chicago’s local chef is Michael Stewart. He has worked for Roy’s as Sous Chef and has recently been promoted to Executive Chef. Also unlike other chains, each location has a portion of the menu designated by each manager to make the selection based on the locations desires and clientele. The Chicago location has a portion of the liquor menu that is devoted to local area beers. Vince has a deep knowledge of wine and alcohol and knows his way around a bar. This is not his first rodeo and his local cocktail offerings are spectacular. He also has some tantalizing specials cooked up by Michael Stewart and part of that is a pretty spectacular prix fixe. A common site in many cities, the prix fixe menu seems to be a lost artifact in Chicago. A staple for many New York restaurants especially on the upper west side, the prix fixe allows people to try a new restaurant without the bite of a high bill or a gouge if one hates the meal as it may be something less than expected. Usually they are offered by newer restaurant looking to attract a following so I love it when an established restaurant that already has a following chooses to offer a prix fixe. The prix fixe is usually the best deal in the kitchen and the restaurant puts out what is fresh and what they can get as a bargain from their area food store. Chicago seems to ignore the tradition of the prix fixe. I am not exactly sure why that is the case. It just makes sense. It can sway someone to try some place new particularly if you are in a group. Roy’s loves the prix fixe concept and embraces it. They always have a prix fixe options on the menu available and it is a good one.

A $6 Cocktail

Roy’s is a lovely place to have a special meal but aside from being a special occasion restaurant, Roy’s is working hard to keep you coming back. They are not content to have you visit once a year. They routinely run promotions that are designed to keep you happy. It is not uncommon to see a steak and lobster combo on the promotion list or something that has your mouth watering. The promotions change frequently so you are never bored with the menu.

They also have a lovely selection of cocktail and wine promotions. Tonight’s drink special is a fabulous cucumber martini made with top shelf vodka, Midori Melon and the juice of cucumbers. The aroma is that of a summer day in Capri or Monaco. Not too sweet nor too dry, it is perfection. Other drinks from the home bar include a Ginger Buck. Made of gin, Domain de Canton, gin and a touch of lemon juice. This drink has a spicy flavor that is perfect for fall. Call me a stickler for a good bartender, wine and cocktails add flavor and fun to a meal. Flavor shouldn’t stop at the kitchen door but extend to the bar. This bar ranks as a favorite that I have found in Chicago. The atmosphere is a bit cozy but with the addition of the patio, that is less of an issue. 

Best of all, it won’t break the bank ESPECIALLY for a downtown bar. When it is not uncommon to find a downtown bar gouging for $12 and $14 for a cocktail, Roy’s drink list has something for everyone. Vince does a wonderful job selecting his wines and cocktail selections. That fabulous cucumber martini was just $6. A glass of merlot during this evening’s meal was a savory $6. Usually I would be a skeptical of a bar that is serving a $6 glass of wine — don’t ask why. Good things can be cheap but in wine that is not usually the case. I was so wrong here. This was lovely with my meal. It was from Milbrandt Winery. It had a peppery finish that is perfect with tonight’s special Seared Shrimp and Lemongrass Chicken Confit from the Prix Fixe Menu.

Not into Meat?

I really have to applaud the chef at Roy’s for a wonderful vegetarian menu. I have seen menu offerings for vegetarians that were incredibly small or positively unsavory. Usually a guest has to navigate through menu pages looking to find something that is vegetarian and many times you are left with two options. I personally get a little annoyed looking though a menu for a little asterick that denotes vegetarian offerings only to find there you are left with a salad. Roy’s puts out a variety of courses for the vegetarian and they have their own menu. While I am not vegetarian, this menu has entrees I like that do not center around tofu or lettuce. You won’t feel like a second-class passenger on this dining trip because you are vegetarian. This is the one of the first vegetarian menus that I have seen where I actually want to order a variety of the item because they are really good. I have no qualms about bringing a vegetarian guest to Roy’s as they can enjoy their dining experience and I can too as a meat eater.

The Sweet Spot

The finish for the meal is dessert. Truth be told, I am finicky about sweets. Anything too gooey or too dry and I get turned off. It’s a delicate balance between wonderful and belt expanding. The typical fare offered on some menus usually has me resisting as I like the thought that I am sweet enough without the added sugar but also because I know what cheesecake tastes like. The desserts at Roy’s are a bit of a religious experience. They are not dull. The house specialties are the Pineapple Upside Down Cake and their famous Hot Chocolate Souffle Cake is to step off the diet for. Both of these are amazing with a lovely presentations and not-too-small/not-to-big proportions. They really are just right. Both of these two take extra time as they are specially prepared for each guest. Trust me, they are worth the time and you will not be bored. You will also not be bored with the offerings on the dessert wine list. You will find Nivole Moscato d’Austi, “Vidal” Icewine, Justin “Obtuse” Caberet Sauvignon and Dow Late Bottle Vintage Porto just to name a few. The parings of the dessert wines with desserts are fabulous. If you are confused as to what would be best, just ask your server. Also, check out the champagne offerings. As Roy’s is known for being a special occasion spot, they have a lot of champagne and sparklers that compliment a meal. By the bottle, they have over a dozen. By the glass, they offer Domaine Chandon Blanc de Noirs. It is a lovely sparkler at an easy to swallow price.

Speaking of service.

The servers know their food and can answer questions (and you know I asked questions). The service was attentive but invisible. They were engaging and fun when you interacted with them but let you enjoy your meal. The servers didn’t hover or swoop down to grab a plate the second my fork leave my mouth. They were able to answer questions about the wines and if they didn’t know the answer, they didn’t try to fake it. They got the answer or found someone who knew. I appreciate that. Before I forget, I can’t let it slide that they have a bar menu that is awesome. I can easily sit in the bar and make a meal. Yes, I can get a burger and so can my date and it’s a nice casual night out. I can also get Red Curry Chicken Samosas, or Tempura or amazing Butterfish Lettuce Wraps. It is a bar menu that is uncommon in flavor and uncommon in price for a downtown restaurant.  It is priced so you can get a couple of things and try flavors. This goes back to what I love about this place. They offer a variety of flavors that my mouth wants to experience. I wasn’t bored with the flavors or trying to compare the experience to something I have already had. Roy’s really is a stand-alone and a standout. It is an experience that is hard to express but lovely to enjoy. It is mature yet fresh, engaging while not over powering. It is sophisticated without feeling stuffy.

Bottom Line:

So my review may sound excessively positive — trust me it wasn't easy. I have sat trying to find something to pick apart — and damn it, I can’t find anything. (It makes me feel like I haven't done my job when I can't find ANYTHING) It was an amazingly lovely experience. The ambiance in the place is loud enough to be festive and quiet enough to have an intimate conversation. There is enough visual festivities to keep my eye engaged. The kitchen is fun to watch. The food was full of flavor and engaging to the eye. My god — they even have mints in the washroom. There is a nice attention to detail that makes me feel pampered yet the economical price makes me stand up and take notice. It was such a lovely experience I can see why people love to come back for special occasions. It doesn’t have to be a totally special occasion. It’s a Tuesday. I don’t want to cook. That is reason enough. I won’t feel guilty with my wallet on Wednesday so I can enjoy Thursday too. I could easily see being a regular here and would like to be.

At Home Fine Dining on a Budget and Some Cheese Education

At Home Fine Dining on a Budget and Some Cheese Education

As the weather gets cooler, the idea of staying indoors becomes more and more appealing to me. It's actually quite simple to bring the elegance of eating out into your home. A quick, fairly inexpensive and simple way to do this is by having a wine and cheese spread at home. Maximize your budget by shopping for trendier boxed wines, budget chardonnays and Rosés at your local grocer.

Add hard salamis, fruits and breads to  your spread for a hearty and quick meal. I'll be the first to admit, I love cheese and try to experiment with different kinds when I can. Cheese making is a really interesting art! Check out the youtube video below!


Check out Wholefoods for the gamut of artisanal cheeses. Cheeses of Europe sent out some great samples for us to try. These are high quality French Cheeses you can find at your local Whole Foods. We tried out the Camembert Au Calvados which has a unique taste as there is apple brandy mixed in with the curd. The Camembert was soft and creamy and has a bit of stronger smell and taste. This was a good cheese paired with fruit like apples. We also tried out a Comte cheese which is considered the king of French Cheeses and is made from unpasteurized cows milk. It has a semi hard texture, the rind was a dusty brown color and the inside was a pale creamy yellow. Of the 3 types tried, this was my favorite. I liked pairing this cheese with a hard salami and grapes on the side. The final cheese we tried was a Brie. The Brie is similar in terms of texture as it is a soft cheese. Brie is cut from a bigger round, so the sides are usually not covered by a rind, which is a good way to tell the difference between it and a Camembert. Brie doesn't have as pungent an aroma as the Camembert and is not as sour or chalky.



A great way to put together a spread at home is to try and include a variety of textures and flavors. Most cheese belongs to one of four basic categories: aged, soft, firm or blue. Offer up a selection of breads like sliced baguettes, bread sticks or crackers and add things like sweet preserves, spicy mustards and the like to add to the variety. Also, adding sweet and salty really adds to the overall spread. Include cured meats like salami, candied nuts and of course fruits like apples, pears, cherries and grapes. Super simple and quick! My kind of meal.

When you serve, you can add some style by setting out beautiful knives, organizing your cheeses on wood blocks or the table cloth and labeling your cheese. You can check out Cheeses of Europe to find a local store near you that caries their products!  

Parts and Labor: An Off-Kilter (In a Good Way) Sports Bar

Parts and Labor: An Off-Kilter (In a Good Way) Sports Bar

Parts and Labor (2700 N. Milwaukee Ave.) in Logan Square is testing out showing football games throughout September, where you can catch the Bears and any number of other teams with a different ambiance than most sports bars. Halfstacker Rob Samuelson checked out last Sunday's game against the 49ers. Here's his report. Feel free to check out this Sunday's game against the New York Jets at 7:30.

With the windows wide open, Parts and Labor is a bit brisk for an early September day. The floor reminds me of a stroll through Home Depot, all pragmatic gray and rugged. The booths are painted with black and blue Tetris shapes, giant air ducts hang visibly from the ceiling, and behind the bar is what looks like a shrine to Chutes and Ladders – or maybe a morbid ode to those whose lives have been cut short in elevated painting accidents.

My friends have quizzical looks on their faces as we sit on chipped, practical-looking stools in the middle of the establishment. They don't verbalize it, but, “Are you sure we're here to watch the Bears game?” is written in their eyes. Then the menus come.

“Ah, yes, okay, that makes sense,” is now what their expressions say.

Burgers and fried everything abound. And it's cheap. Like, $5 cheap. So inexpensive, in fact, that my friend Tom gets a second burger after he finishes his first, and that was after I watched him eat nachos earlier in the afternoon. The training for that half marathon he ran a couple weeks ago has raised his appetite and metabolism to disturbing heights.

I go a little more gastronomically conservative and order myself a black bean burger and fried pickles. The pickles' crust is golden brown, but they're more goopy and soggy than I expected. This is in no way a bad thing. They taste like pickles should, but more. The juice hasn't been fried out of the equation, thankfully. I'm not a food connoisseur, so I apologize for not being able to explain it right. They were delicious and Parts and Labor puts a convenient bowl of Ranch dressing in the middle to serve as even more taste enhancement.

We got here early because we were hungry and the Bears didn't take the field against the San Francisco 49ers (but really, as we learned during the broadcast, the 49ers now play an hour or so outside of the Rice-a-Roni city, so they should rescind their title) until 7:30. The Green Bay Packers are instead on the giant projected screen. This gives me some observation time.

And the things I observe are out of the ordinary for a bar showing sporting events. They have massive outdoor spaces, far away from the bar's televisions. Stax and Chess Records soul plays on the stereo. Instead of framing signed pictures of former local athletic heroes, Parts and Labor has glossy, coffee-table-book-sytle photographs of machinery. Some look like water pumps, others like parts of the electrical grid. It's a nod to the industrial revolution and blue collar work, the kind done by people who watch these games at bars.

But, this being Logan Square, it's not just blue collar types hanging out. There's one young woman with purple hair and a vest with a cute kitten screen printed on it. I can't tell from afar what kind of beer she's drinking, but it's definitely not a beer with enough capital to sponsor the NFL. I give thanks to the alcohol gods that this is the case and order a Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Sumpin' to enjoy with my burger and pickles.

Eventually, with the game about to get going, I return to my buddies and put my notebook away. The channel changes to NBC and their Sunday Night Football program, the league's big game of the week showcase. We can see Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth going through their pregame banter. But we can't hear them. Instead, they play the Violent Femmes' “Add It Up,” which has noticeable bad words instead of the easily brushed off addiction metaphors in the football-crowd-approved “Blister in the Sun.” I'm not complaining, because Collinsworth has infuriatingly built a broadcasting career out of doing nothing but calling professional athletes “athletic.” But since we came here to watch the game, I ask if we can turn the TV volume up.

This causes a look of pure “uh-oh” on the waitress's face. She heads to the bar to confer with other employees and the general consensus is a shrug. Looks like we're stuck with our good beers, good food, good company, good music, and not being subjected to inane Michaels-Collinsworth chatter. This is no tragedy. It leads to a little confusion as to who did things on the field – as someone who's pretty much only a baseball and hockey fan, I can name probably four Bears players – but I'll gladly take the tradeoff. Sure, I'm left asking if players who retired nearly a decade ago still play for the team, but oh well.

The game is a drag for most of its runtime. The 49ers build a sizable lead and our attentions wane. Explaining why The Velvet Underground's “Rock and Roll” is great becomes more important than debating whether Bears quarterback Jay Cutler can earn his newly minted contract.

But then the fourth quarter rolls around and things get fun on the screen. Cutler starts picking apart the 49ers, touchdowns are scored, then the Bears take the lead precious seconds ticking down. My friends and I are shocked. How 'bout that? The clock expires and the Bears have officially come back from 17-0 and 20-7 deficits to win 28-20.

Not half bad all around.

Halfstack Fall Issue Sneak Peek: Great Street Restaurant

Halfstack Fall Issue Sneak Peek: Great Street Restaurant

Written by: Thom Olson for Halfstackmag.com

If you haven’t visited Great Street at the Renaissance Hotel for a while, you might be in for a treat. Yes, the Renaissance Hotel at One West Wacker Drive has been kicking around for a while, but the restaurant on the second floor has received a much-needed facelift. Yet, that is just the beginning of the story. It really starts with an ownership change this past January. 

The Great Street Restaurant occupies the end of the hotel that over looks the river and North Michigan Avenue Bridge.  As the hotel faces the river, it seems to have been designed to look vaguely like the front end of a river boat with a gracefully curved front. The entrance opens out with Great Street overlooking the activities on the 2nd floor. The hotel tackled the dining room redesign with much needed finesse. The restaurant has always had a wonderful view at night. The city glow has always made this space quite lovely and sparkling — however, the sheer size of the dining room made it impossible to feel comfortable. It was massive and even when it was full and busy, one always felt a little alone like the only customer in a circus tent.

What was once a truly cavernous room has now been divided up to make a more intimate space. A room that was once considered a ridiculous waste of space with a horrible layout has been transformed into something functional yet beautiful. The remodeled restaurant has a more intimate feel with better traffic control. It still feels spacious but not cavernous.  The interior is a tad more contemporary and modern without feeling cold. The columns have been covered in mirror to enhance the view and reflect the city lights at night and the view. The warm wood still remains. The neutral color palette enhances the wood and make the room feel spa like and calm.

This place is such a nice improvement over the last reiteration. And it will only get better. The hotel has plans for a redo of the rooms. The downstairs bar (Novo) will change around the holidays and become a new concept. Eight new concepts have been presented for the new bar, so stay tuned. The really big news is a new roof top bar slated to open around May of next year. Their roof top area above the restaurant currently has a terrace only accessible by the conference rooms, but it will change. The goal is to expand and make it more accessible to the new roof top bar overlooking the Chicago River. It will be launched in May and I have marked my calendar to make sure and visit the new space. It is indeed a perfect location and the view is killer.

A sensible approach — private dining rooms.
This idea of private dining rooms truly made sense from many points of view. The Renaissance Hotel is a first class business hotel. It’s neighbors with 35 West Wacker’s Leo Burnett and links to it by a pedestrian mall area. The hotel is easily accessible by way of the city Pedway System. The private dining rooms are a wonderful spot for business meeting and presentations when there needs to be a more celebratory tone or a meeting that needs to be out of the office and not in a boardroom. They are exquisitely perfect for SMALL wedding receptions or banquets of 12 to 25. YES, believe it or not, the kind of space that can accommodate a small reception for intimate friends and family is extremely hard to find anywhere in the city. Most reception rooms start at about 50 people, thus making seating for smaller events really difficult. Some rooms in the city have a very kitschy feel and focus less on the guests and more about making the business identity of the restaurant part of the event. They can make a wedding reception feel strange or similar to a theme wedding. The private dining rooms at Great Street offer a lovely view and are very comfortable.  I would have no hesitation of booking a wedding in this space. These rooms have been very well received as they have been booking up quickly so plan ahead for your holiday festivities.

The Food Concept
The menu and concept of the restaurant has received a facelift as well and offers interesting flavor combinations. Hotel food can be a bit mundane and perhaps a bit of a snooze when dining out with little variety from hotel to hotel. This menu has variety and more. Chef James Samson is responsible for new concept. It is a new take on the farm-to-table food trend. He explained it quite simply as a walk through the neighborhoods of Chicago. The restaurant sits on State St. If someone were to walk through the various neighborhoods in Chicago, what food ideas and creations would percolate up? Which is exactly what he did. Chef Samson is a transplant from Phoenix and has worked in a number of places across the country but had only been here a year. He wanted to see what Chicago food was like so he toured the neighborhoods and came up with some mouth-watering dishes for just about every palate including the finicky traveler. The menu is cohesive as well as flavorful. It is very health conscious. All but two of the dishes are nut free. All but one dish can be prepared gluten free. Fresh is the key word as well as made from scratch as much as possible in the kitchen.

With the modified farm-to-table concept, Samson took liberties with what is considered local but emphasized the idea of small farm. Much of the food is pulled together from small farms with many locally produced including the beers offered. This version of the concept utilizes very small mom/pop farms that offer unique blends of veggies, fruits and meats. He also utilizes a firm called FarmLogix. This Evanston-based company is the brainchild of Linda Mailier. It connects restaurants with small independent farmers and offers tools for sustainability all the while helping farmers market their produce without adding additional cost to them. The food gets picked up by Testa Produce and distributed. He also utilizes Urban Till — a Chicago grown source for microgreens and specialty herbs. Samson’s food vision doesn’t stop with how he gets his ingredients, but become a source for his experimentation. He likes to play with his food.  He is currently playing with Anson Mills Grits — an artisan mill that uses organic heirloom grains and course grinds to produce a unique texture. The Grits are made from Antebellum varieties that were bred for flavor, not shelf life or transport. They are a giant step away from Monsanto and GMO foods and a throwback to real food. Samson is a big fan of Big Fork Sausage — a Chicago product that is minimally processed with no preservative, MSG, nitrates, hormones or any artificial dreck.


- For the full article, check back Wednesday Sept. 17, 2014 to read the complete story in Halfstack’s Fall 2014 Issue. You can download the latest copy of the magazine HERE.