Try the Gumbo- Heaven on Seven

I love fall in Chicago. I love driving down my street as red, yellow and orange leaves umbrella over me. I love the smell of pumpkin pie candles and Caramel Apple Spice lattes from Starbucks. I love breaking out my boot collection and wearing scarves inside. Most of all, though, I love that fall means indulging in comfort type foods because, let's face it, we Chicagoans needs some extra meat on our bones to survive the brutal winter ahead.

This Sunday was the perfect fall day in Chicago- 52 degree temperatures and sunny skies. After spending the afternoon at Soldier Field cheering the Bears on to victory (and eating the WORST veggie wrap of my life), I was ready for some stick-to-the-ribs food, so my family and I headed to Heaven on Seven (600 N. Michigan Ave, near Rush Street) for some deep south Cajun goodness.

My parents, aunt and uncle, and their friends are frequent New Orleans visitors, so the expectations were high from the moment we walked in, ogling the thousands of bottles of hot sauce adorning the walls (the manager, Chris, told us that there was not one repeated bottle in the collection). Our wonderful server, Amy, gracefully handled our very hungry group of seven. To start, we sampled five different shrimp dishes, with a clear winner in the Shrimp and Parmesan-Reggiano Cheese grits. It was love at first bite and I hardly noticed the other dishes as I repeatedly helped myself to heaping spoonfuls of tender shrimp and rich, cheesy grits.

The shrimp dishes having met the standards of my New Orleans cuisine "experts", we eagerly moved on to the Grilled Andouille Sausage on Sweet Potato Polenta. Served with caramelized onions and a honey creole mustard, as I took a bite, I vividly imagined what it must be like to visit New Orleans (now I'm dying to go). We finished our appetizer round with an order of raw oysters- one of my personal favorites. My dad mixes a mean oyster sauce, a masterful combination of cocktail sauce, horseradish and hot sauce. And though the oysters were fresh and delicious, the horseradish could have used a little extra kick.

In my dare to be different moment of the day, I ordered the Turtle Soup while the rest of my family tried the gumbo, and I gotta say, being different is sometimes overrated. The gumbo was out of this world amazing. Don't get me wrong, I thought the turtle soup was yummy, but it paled in comparison to the spicy, bold flavors of the gumbo. Thanks again, Mom, for letting me eat your entire bowl.

We progressed into dinner, audaciously ordering the family style southern meal that included more food than I care to admit, highlighted by the fantastic Jumbalaya, Hoppin' John (Black Eyed Peas with Andouille Sausage), and some of the most ridiculously delicious mashed potatoes and gravy I've ever tasted in my life. I was tremendously impressed by the sweet collard greens. Even the coleslaw, a side dish I normally despise, warrented seconds.

Though stuffed with little room to spare in our jeans, we moved into dessert and didn't hesitate to sample every dish on the menu (I'm not kidding, we split 10 desserts between the 7 of us). My mom and I overindulged in the Mississippi Mud Pie, while my dad and uncle couldn't get enough of the creamy Key Lime. The decadent chocolate cake came out in a slice the size of my head, which meant I had breakfast for Monday morning.

Chef Bannos isn't lying when he boasts that Heaven on Seven is the "Best Louisiana Cookin' Outside of New Orleans". He definitely deserves his seat in the Chicago Chef's Hall of Fame for integrating Cajun cuisine into the city's culinary scene.



Footnote: Chef Bannos, along with Scott Harris of Mia Francesca and son, Jimmy Bannos, Jr., are opening up The Purple Pig later this month. If their Mediterranean inspired dishes are anything like the Cajun masterpieces, this place is sure to be a success!