Located at the Park Hyatt in Gold Coast, NoMI has a great view of the Chicago Water Tower and Michigan Avenue. Their lunch is one of the better deals of Restaurant Week (three courses for only $22, which is the typical price of their lunch entrees), and even better, they offer lunch during the weekend.

Pretzel Rolls

Lunch starts with two warm pretzel rolls and butter. Rolls are soft, with a pronounced pretzel taste; butter is whipped and spreadable. Unfortunately, they’re followed almost immediately by the first course, which hardly gave me any time to enjoy them.

Leek and Mussel Bisque – Double Smoked Bacon, Heirloom Apples, Brown Butter

For my first course, I chose the leek and mussel bisque, which is poured table-side. The bisque is perfectly smooth, with a thin yet creamy consistency. It has an interesting, slightly acidic taste. The croutons are light and crisp, and they give the soup a little texture, along with the diced apple, smoky bacon, and two very tender mussels.

Olive Oil Roasted Skatewing – Three Celeries, Bourbon Cherries, Marcona Almond Gremolata

For my next course, I chose the skatewing. The fish is slightly salty, with almost crisp edges and skate’s sweetness and crab-like texture. The presentation is beautiful, with the celery root puree rippled to mimic the skate. Celery also makes an appearance in the form of celery leaes and cooked celery stalk. The bourbon cherries perhaps wouldn’t be out of place on a sundae, but unlike the marshmallow at The Lobby, I think the cherries mostly work in this dish. The dish as a whole tends a bit sweet, but it’s interesting, and I like the crispy crunch of the celery and the softer crunch of the marcona almonds.

Milk Chocolate Mont Blanc – Valrhona Orizaba 39%, Chestnut-Rum Mousseline, Tahitian Vanilla

For dessert, I decided to go with the plated dessert, the mont blanc – the other option being a selection of cookies and candies. The mont blanc is small, with two drops of caramel sauce, four tiny chocolate chip-size meringues, and a ribbon of chestnut mousse. There’s chocolate cake on bottom, and the smooth milk chocolate on top has caramel notes. It’s not excessively sweet, but it’s definitely sweet enough to be a little one-note. Still, the lightness of the mousseline is nice. Overall, it’s a little boring but well-executed.