Otom or Bust - Bust for sure!

Friday April 23rd, Matt and I celebrated our two years together (crazy how time flies)! Matt is such an amazing boyfriend that he took Friday off of work to be with me.... Matt really wanted to head to Evanston to check out the town, so off we went. We checked out the Lululemon, a great wine shop, and had some lunch at Dixie Kitchen. Overall, we had a very enjoyable day. In celebration of our anniversary we made dinner reservations Otom 951 Fulton Market at(parent restaurant Moto - this place has to be great, right)?!?!

The decor at Otom didn't disappoint: exposed brick, light hard wood floor, orange accent colors and a striped accent wall crated, an amazing setting for our date! The decor was simple and the lines were cleanp; Matt and I were really liking the vibe. Now for the food....we totally couldn't decide on a starter so we asked for the waiter's assistance - he recommended the pork belly croquette (quail egg, gribiche, papaya). I'm not sure Matt or I knew exactly what we were eating but this pork belly croquette was extremely flavorful and delicious. This of course got us a bit excited for the main event, however our meal took a turn for the worse.... I ordered the pork chop (smoked, bone in; corn panna cotta, crispy kale, sauce piquillo); the pork chop was cooked to perfection but had little to no taste. Oh, and the corn panna cotta was tasteless and totally not worth adding to the plate. Matt had the duck breast (black vinegar gastrique, bulgar, yu choy, lemongrass, ginger) - no joke the duck wasn't edible. I don't think it was cooked and it was mainly fat; not acceptable! If I didn't have a cloth napkin I would have spit this duck right out; and for those who know me well you know I'm not a picky eater nor is there much I don't like. Luckily we ordered the “mac & cheese” (trofie, sweet pea, bechamel, goat cheese, pea tendrils). Otom's twist on mac and cheese was a pleasant surprise, we totally loved the addition of the peas. But let's be honest Matt and I didn't hit up Otom for some mac & cheese!

If you are looking for a Chicago hot spot to check out skip Otom, it isn't worth the trip! Trust us on this.....if you are in the area though do go to Fulton Lounge for a pizza or a good drink (pomegranate martini anyone?).

Matt, I love you! Thank you for a spending the day with me I'm looking forward our many more together.

2 yrs down and many more to come,

Jenn and Matt

PS: They do have PBR - thank God for that!