A few weeks ago I was in Chicago working with our Sunsweet client on a few localized events. One of events in particular, I must admit, ended up being more pleasure than work: dinner at TRU. We had a group of eight that included several of Chicago’s top nutritionists and foodies, so where else could we take them but the very best: Gale Gand and Rick Tramonto’s restaurant, TRU on North St. Clair Street in downtown Chicago.

We worked with the restaurant’s chefs a few weeks ahead to create a special menu that would showcase Sunsweet’s diverse line of dried fruit and juice products. Working in the food industry, “official recipe taster” has magically made its way onto my list of job duties; I guess sometimes fate works in our favor. Our four-course dinner was a true culinary experience and I can now join the unofficial, yet extremely loyal, TRU fan club.

We started off with poached chicken, red raisins, baby lettuce and pine nuts..

Second course was steamed fluke, mango sheet and jalapeno, with lemon-grass liquid gel.

For our entrée, I must admit that I had my doubts of how much I would enjoy pork belly. It’s a menu item that probably wouldn’t make it into my personal selection, but I’m glad it was on the group menu because it was fantastic. The presentation was fun as well: a group of servers surrounded the table and simultaneously poured a bright green sauce over each of our pork belly plates as the executive chef explained to our table that the pork had been cooking for three days. The results were a firm and very tasty plate of pork belly, prunes and watercress consommé.

To “prep” us for our dessert, the pastry chef surprised us with a small custard and dried blueberry plate topped with plum juice sauce and garnished with Pop Rocks. Yes, Pop Rocks from 1987, and yes they are still just as exciting, even at an ultra sheek restaurant.

For dessert we had a fresh plum juice gelatin topped with a ginger chamomile custard and PlumSweets (dark chocolate covered prunes).

They must know that this is the type of restaurant where you just don’t want dinner to end. Insert Mignardises, from the old French word mignard, meaning pretty or delicate, and is essentially an after-dessert dessert. Yes, that’s right, dessert part two. And when you’re at a restaurant like this, you find room.

From the food to the incredible wine pairings and extremely knowledgeable and engaged staff, this place is first class. Some places are all hype. TRU is truly not one of them.

By Christine Moravec