dining
The Pump Room at the Public Chicago 1301 N. State Pkwy.Chicago 312-787-3700 publichotels.com
ads to decadent sandwiches, whole wheat flatbreads and some judicious proteins. The Slow-Cooked Salmon Salad ($18), served on a bed of Bibb lettuce with “market vegetables” (this day, cherry tomatoes and sliced radishes, hardly inspired) and dressed with a thick carrot-miso dressing, was a bit of a disappointment. The salmon was perfectly cooked, but the texture was a little off-putting and it would have benefitted from a crust. The thick dressing was drizzled over the top, but the salad itself was not dressed.
104
april 2012
makeitbetter.net
Perhaps a light citrus vinaigrette on the greens would have improved matters. We loved the luscious Pump Room Croque Madame ($13), filled with thinly sliced, super moist ham, properly oozy cheese and egg-soaked bread, each half topped with a tiny, perfectly fried quail egg, sunny-side up. I can only imagine the cholesterol count, but wow! A small frisee salad tossed in a very oniony vinaigrette accompanies the sandwich. B a k e d Lov e
Desserts, including the ubiquitous homemade doughnuts that seem to be on every menu in Chicago right now, are baked on the premises daily. We ordered the refreshing Crème Fraîche Cheese-