Restaurant Review: Moody Tongue
Moody Tongue and Brewing Company, located at 2515 South Wabash Avenue in the South Loop, recently was added to the list of Michelin-starred restaurants for 2021. One visit to their expansive establishment will quickly show why. The menu by executive chef Jared Wentworth is a tour de force of great taste complemented by the brewery’s culinary brew selection. If you’re looking for fine dining cuisine with a marvelous array of drinking options, look no further than Moody Tongue.
This establishment moved to its current location on Wabash in 2019, and with the move came the arrival of Chef Wentworth, who helped create the choice pairings of food and beer that Moody Tongue has become known for. This spot features a 28-seat dining room and a casual bar featuring the delicious selections from Chef Wentworth’s menu. For those looking for the full sit-down experience at Moody Tongue, the Dining Room will return to occupancy on Thursday, May 20. In the meantime, you can’t go wrong with visiting The Bar, where food and spirits are currently offered.
The offerings available at The Bar at Moody Tongue are far and away from the typical grub associated with breweries. The appetizers alone are worth a visit with standouts, including the smoked beet tartare with whipped pine-infused ricotta, Hamachi Crudo, and Maine diver scallops with bacon and chanterelles. If you don’t have time for a full dinner, you can easily feel like you had one with Moody Tongue’s appetizer menu choices.
Moving on to the entrees, do your taste buds a favor and order up the Mishima Ranch New York Strip featuring hakurei turnips, Thumbelina carrots, and a delicious bordelaise. Paired with an IPA like their sliced nectarine or mandarin orange popsicle, and you have the ideal dinner that your friends will undoubtedly hear about. Other entrees include the fried quail with spring veggies, Beluga lentils, and quail jus, a tasty roasted purple cauliflower, and the crispy whole market fish with Calabrian chili relish and artichokes.
The Bar features the picks of Brewmaster Jared Rouben that perfectly accent the food. The draft selection is a beer enthusiast’s dream with choices ranging from Aperitif Pilsner, Blueberry Berliner Weisse, and Steeped Emperor’s Lemon Saison to a Sliced Nectarine IPA, toasted rice lager, and frozen banana Hefeweizen.
Moody Tongue has a decadent reserve bottle service featuring Bourbon Barrel Aged Coffee Cake Imperial Stout, Chocolate Barley Wine, 12 Layer Cake Imperial Stout, and Oak Barrel Aged Flanders Red Ale. Chances are you’ll find your new favorite beverage at this South Loop establishment.
Your sweet tooth will beg for more visits to Moody Tongue with the 12 layer German chocolate cake taking the crown as the best dessert I’ve tried this year. Rich, moist, and decadent, one slice will have you turning up your nose at the next grocery store birthday cake you encounter. The artisan cheese plate features three one-ounce selections with honeycomb and crostini, while the cheesecake offerings include mango sorbet, pine nut crumble, passion fruit curd, and pineapple.
The Bar at Moody Tongue is open Thursday through Saturday from 4 pm to 10 pm and Sunday from 2 pm to 8 pm. Reservations are recommended but not required. As previously noted, the Dining Room will reopen to the public on May 20.
ERIC KAPLAN AND DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO
