Chef’s Favorite Meals of 2015

The Tribune asked Ellen to describe her favorite meal of 2015. Here is what she said:

Best meal: Lost Control

Restaurant: Parachute, 3500 N. Elston Ave., Chicago

The skinny: “I finally had the chance to visit Parachute — and it was worth the wait. The first thing I noticed was how incredibly friendly everyone was — very genuine and sincere staff! The food — amazing! Being a baker, I had to try their baked potato bing bread with bacon, scallions and sour cream butter. I shouldn’t have started with that because I couldn’t stop eating it. But, I dug deep and forced myself to move on. We ordered the pork belly and mung bean pancake and their slow cooked beef brisket. Again it was too good, but I had to make room for the cauliflower with tandoori chicken and the roasted root vegetables with chicken of the woods mushrooms. I normally am a wine or beer drinker, but I tried the whiskey sour. What can I say? It was so good I pounded it. I guess to sum up the whole meal: I totally lost control and gorged myself because it was all too good.”