Lunchbreak: Squid Ink Chitarra Pasta with Crab

Lunchbreak: Squid Ink Chitarra Pasta with Crab

>> LOURDES DUARTE: WELCOME BACK. HERE QUIETLY OPENED IN CHICAGO’S RIVER NORTH NEIGHBORHOOD JUST BEFORE THE NEW YEAR. IN TODAY’S LUNCH BREAK, WE’RE CHECKING OUT THE ELEVATED DINING AT BY MEHDI WITH CHEF ALEXANDRE WILLIS. HELLO YOU AND THANK YOU. ALL

RIGHT. I’M EXCITED TO MAKE ALL THIS FOOD. TELL ME WHAT YOU’RE MAKING FOR US. ALL SO TODAY WE’RE SCOOTING. OF THE PASS IS NAMED AFTER THE TOOL USED TO MAKE IT AS IT’S KIND OF LIKE A GUITAR WITH THERE. WE HAVE OUR DUNGENESS CRAB

>> RISA. LITTLE BIT OF UNBEARABLE. >> AND SOME OTHER FLAVORS THAT I DON’T AND THIS IS ONE OF THE MANY DISHES THAT YOU HAVE AT THE RESTAURANT. MANY OF THEM INSPIRED BY YOUR LEBANESE BACKGROUND, BUT ALSO MEDITERRANEAN, RIGHT? YES, SO

LIKE WE HAVE OUR HOMICIDE PUBLIC, NEWS, WE HAVE A LOT. IN ADDITION WITH LIKE AND A FEW OTHER THINGS. BUT WE ALSO HAVE A PASS A SECTION REFERENCING LIKE ITALY. AND IN THIS ONE, WE HAVE A ROSARY. SO WHICH IS THE MOROCCAN

INFLUENCE? WE HAVE A CHICKEN MARIANI WHICH IS LIKE IT TAKES INSPIRATION FROM ONE OF OUR PARTNERS. PAUL, WHO A SYRIAN IRANIAN. SO LIKE WE KIND OF JUST THAT’S WHAT MAKES THE BEST FOOD WHEN YOU MIX IN SOME OF DIFFERENT CULTURES. OKAY.

>> SO GET ME STARTED HERE AND THEN WE’LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE RESTAURANT AS YOU KNOW, WE START OFF. TAKE WE SHOOT THE OUT OF THE MACHINE. YOU KNOW, IF YOU’RE AT HOME, YOU CAN USE YOUR >> OR SOMETHING ELSE SIMILAR.

YOU CAN ALSO USE THE SPAGHETTI QATAR. IF YOU DON’T WANT TO PURCHASE THIS, BUT YOU TAKE IT AND YOU PUSH THE PASTA THROUGH AND AS YOU GO, YOU JUST KEEP WORKING AT. BUT HOW LONG WILL THAT VERY QUICK. YEAH, COMES

THROUGH AND YOU JUST KINDA GET A LITTLE ROUGH WITH YEAH. AND THAT COMES OUT PERFECTLY, OK? SO YOU KEEP GOING UP. THAT COMES THROUGH FEEL LIKE I SAID, YOU KNOW, IF YOU DON’T WANT TO DO THIS, YOU CAN EASILY J JUST USE SPAGHETTI.

QATAR AT HOME. AND THAT WILL WORK GREAT. AND AS YOU DO THAT AND WE GET ALL THAT SQUID INK PASTA OUT. >> TELL ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE RESTAURANT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU NOT ONLY HAVE GREAT FOOD, BUT YOU’RE ALSO

BRING IN ENTERTAINMENT, RIGHT? YES, WE BELLY DANCERS, FIRE FIRE PERFORMERS ON THE WEEKEND AND >> SO I LIKE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHTS FOR LATE NIGHT SO THAT YOU HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF ENTERTAINMENT. WE HAVE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT PERFORMERS. COME OK? SOUNDS

FUN. >> COCKTAILS ARE ALSO A BIG PART OF THE WE SORT OF THIS HUNT COCKTAILS, ALL OF THEM TO FEATURE LIKE URGE AND OUR MASK. HOW OUR ESPRESSO MARTINI, WHICH EVERYONE HAS RIGHT NOW. BUT OURS, WE USE A ARABIC COFFEE IS LITTLE LABORS

OF CARDAMOM AND THERE WE ALSO INFUSED VODKA WITH SO IT KIND OF LIKE A TO HE MARTINI THE ESPRESSO AND A POSTINGS FROM ALL OK? SO WE HAVE PUT THE PASTA IN BOILING WATER SO THE PASS A CAUSE FRESH WILL COOK

PRETTY FAST. I’M OVER. HERE ARE BARRELS COOKING. BUT, YOU KNOW, TO BE READY FOR EVERYTHING WE HAD SOMEBODY SO WE’LL START OFF BY ADDING THE PAIR. A GOAL TO THE PAN. WE’LL TAKE SOME OF OUR RISA PUT THAT IN OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, KIND

OF HAVE A LOT EVERYTHING TOGETHER A LITTLE BIT OF BUTTER. OF COURSE, IS A CRAB DISH. WE’VE GOT TO, YOU KNOW, PLENTY OF CROWD IN THERE. AND THIS IS SOMETHING YOU CAN JUST BUY. YOU DON’T HAVE TO LIKE COOK IT YOURSELF. YOU CAN BIKE

CAMP FROM THE STORE. IT WILL WORK JUST FINE. IT WILL BE DELICIOUS. AND HOW LONG SHOULD YOU BE COOKING THAT THIS IS LIKE LITERALLY ARE JUST EVERYTHING AT THIS POINT. AS YOU JUST THE BEST THING ABOUT PASS AS PASS AND THEY LOOK

INTIMIDATING AT TIMES. BUT IT’S REALLY IT’S EASY AND APPROACHABLE FOR ANYONE. THINK ABOUT HOW LONG THEY’VE BEEN DOING ITALY. SO, YOU NOBODY IS INVENTING ANYTHING. WE’RE JUST. BRING IT ALL TOGETHER. AND SO THIS IS ONE OF THOSE DISHES THAT YOU SAID HAS A

LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING. THE FRENCH, THE MOROCCAN INSPIRATION, A LEBANESE. >> SO YOU GOT TO TELL RIGHT? YES, LIKE THE GROCERY. SO ROCK AND THE BEARABLE. FRENCH CRYING TALENT. AND WE JUST BRING IT ALL TOGETHER. HAS A MILD BY MADDIE MEDITERRANEAN.

AND THEN AS YOU SEE ALL, THERE JUST TOOK A COUPLE MINUTES. WHAT YOUR BUTTER IS FULLY MELTED ANIMAL TO FIGHT. YEAH. BRING THAT OVER. BRING THAT TO THE THING TAKE YOUR TALK YOUR TWEEZERS HERE OR WHATEVER YOU HAVE. >> BRING THAT TO PLATE. YOU

MAKE IT LOOK SO EASY MY WHOLE KITCHEN WOULD BE A COMPLETE MESS IF I TRIED TO DO. YOU KNOW, WE’VE BEEN HIM YOU’RE PLAYING AROUND WITH HER 40’S, LIKELY KNOWING THE SPAGHETTI ON A FORK IN THE SAME THING. >> AND WE’LL JUST TAKE IT OVER

HERE AND TOP IT OFF. AND WE GET ALL OF THE SAUCE IN THE CROWD DURING YOUR PASTA. >> LOURDES DUARTE: I WOULD IMAGINE THE RESTAURANT’S GETTING READY FOR A BUSY, YOU KNOW, SPRING AND SUMMER. YEAH. WELL, THAT’S A THANK-YOU

EVENTS THAT ARE COMING UP. I DON’T REALLY KNOW ABOUT ANY EVENTS FOR HONESTLY. YEAH. HAHA. >> OTHER THAN YOU KNOW, YOUR REGULAR SPRING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE’RE GETTING READY FOR SPRING. SO WE’LL HAVE A NEW SPRING COCKTAILS. WE’RE GETTING READY FOR LIKE SPRING

PRODUCE. WE’RE REALLY EXCITED USE A LOCAL FARMS >> LOURDES DUARTE: AND FOR INSPIRATION. OK? SOUNDS GOOD. SO HERE’S THE FINISHED DISH. ONE OF MANY AT BY MEHDI. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU CAN CHECK IT OUT AT BY MEHDI DOT COM AND IN

THE RIVER, NORTH NEIGHBORHOOD AT 3.11, WEST CHICAGO AVENUE THAT JUST OPENED UP AFTER THE NEW YEAR AND WILL POST A RECIPE ON OUR WEBSITE. WGN TV