Free-range chicken is all the rage in the city's better restaurants, but free-raised veal? That isn't as easy to find, especially at lunch.
Among the early adopters is chef Laura Piper at the Loop's bustling Trattoria No. 10, where she is preparing this delicious meat as a regular entree. Ms. Piper hopes to conquer the aversion to the meat of traditionally raised calves with what she calls a “kinder, gentler” veal.
Located a block from the Daley Center, Trattoria No. 10's intimate, subterranean dining room has long been one of the busiest lunch spots downtown, attracting dealmakers from politics, law and business. It was the top vote-getter in the Crain's Best Restaurants for Business survey earlier this year.
There's confident energy and elegance in this softly lit room, where cozy nooks and excellent acoustics encourage conversations both friendly and serious. The crisply uniformed servers are enthusiastic, respectful and accustomed to handling large groups.
“Most people's apprehension to veal is that it is horribly raised,” says Ms. Piper, whose influential clientele is often attuned to such issues. “I have been able to get some of our long-time customers to try veal for the first time after they know it is ethically raised.”
Veal is coveted by chefs and consumers for its tenderness, milky-white color and a mild flavor that showcases sauces. But some people are put off by the traditional practice of tethering the young animals in cramped pens and feeding them an iron-free diet that can make them sick enough to require
antibiotics.
That's not the case with free-raised veal from suppliers like Franklin, Wis.-based Strauss Brands Inc., which sells to Trattoria No. 10 and Whole Food Markets. Their calves are raised with their mothers on an open range, consuming all the grass and mother's milk they want, and are hormone- and antibiotic-free.
Other established Italian spots where veal is popular—like Spiaggia, Coco Pazzo, Osteria Via Stato and Italian Village—don't serve the free-raised pro-duct.
Chris Rosecrants, senior sales manager at Chicago's JDY Gourmet res-taurant supplier, says Trattoria No. 10 is his only customer for veal strips because most chefs don't want to pay 10 to 15 percent more for a product with the color and robust flavor of beef. “They want the really mild, pure-white veal flesh,” he says.
Ms. Piper puts it to the test as a classic scaloppini, the priciest midday entree at $31 and well worth the freight. The meat is rich in color and flavor, and exceptionally tender and fine-grained. Ms. Piper heightens the effect with a rich demi-glace and adds texture with roasted portobellos.
Trattoria No. 10
10 N. Dearborn St.
312-984-1718
TrattoriaTen.com
Neighborhood: Loop
Cuisine: Contemporary Italian
Entrée range: $17 to $31
Top plates: Free-raised veal scaloppini, gnudi with lamb ragu, herbed pappardelle
Sound bite: 65 to 68 decibels (vibrant buzz, conversation-friendly)
Meals: L, D
Reservations: Recommended
Private rooms: 2 connecting, 25 seats each