Interview: Bar Pendry Finds the Fun with High-Low Dining with Caviar and Sticks

Bar Pendry, in the lobby of luxury boutique hotel Pendry Chicago housed in the iconic champagne bottle-pop of a building, the Carbide and Carbon, is having a bit of fun lately with their bar menu thanks to a new concept from the Pendry's food and beverage team. With introductions like the Sunday’s only Boozy Tea Service with towers of seasonally rotating savory and sweet bites accompanied by tea cocktails like the Apple of My Rye with rye whiskey, Amaron Montenegro, Apple Cinnamon Demerara, Earl Gray Tea, Fresh Lemon, Walnut Bitters, Egg White. One of the new playful takes on bar dining is embracing the high/low trend. The first introduction of this was Bar Pendry’s luxury mozzarella stick, a burrata fried cheese stick topped with caviar. I spoke with Suraj Lama, director of food and beverage at Pendry Chicago about their grown-up grandeur takes of our favorite childhood foods, the cocktails that pair well with the new dishes, and what’s coming next. Spoiler, you won’t want to miss it, if your comfort food is PB&J.

How did you find the balance of adult refinement and throwback fun when creating the Caviar and Sticks?

Mozzarella sticks with Caviar is childhood in tuxedo! Everyone likes to be reminded of that nostalgic time in their life. Having fun with food to me has always been pairing foods in a creative way that normally wouldn't go together and do in a way that becomes memorable for our guests and local community. The dish also creates the ultimate umami of creamy buttery burrata (literal translation) and saltiness from the caviar.

There are two cocktails that are recommended to pair with the sticks, the Well Aloe There and the Belvedere 10 Luxury Martini, which doubles down on the caviar. What makes these two drinks the best choices when compared to the choices of our youth: Lemonade or Dr Pepper?

Well Aloe There is a lemonade for grownups that is perfect for an upcoming winter detox, with botanical and clean flavors thanks to old friend, Casamigos. The Belvedere 10 Luxury Martini could be considered Dr. Pepper's posh cousin who vacations in Monaco and eats Mozzarella sticks with pinkies up. These cocktails do not just pair well with the dish, but really elevate the luxury element!

When it comes to living out our childhood culinary dreams in an upscale way, is there another adventure coming down the line?

Actually yes, for our upcoming Festive Holiday Tea! We created an upscale Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich with a Foie Gras Mousse with Almonds to replace the traditional peanut butter, and are then making a seasonal red currant jam on a freshly baked buttery croissant.