Rushmore This hidden gem on West Lake Street isn't a national landmark - yet By Nancy Ross Ryan Food photography: Laurie Proffitt Interior photography: Stuart-Rodgers Photography Chef-partner Michael Dean Hazen In any neighborhood, Rushmore would be worth the trip. But one can only hope that Rushmore's pioneering presence on West Lake Street (specifically 1023 W. Lake Street) transforms that long bleak, treeless, industrial strip canopied by El tracks -- to a bustling restaurant row like Randolph Street, just one parallel block to the south. Thus far, the only other restaurant of note on West Lake Street is La Luce, a few blocks west of Rushmore at Lake and Ogden. The 64-seat restaurant opened in November of 2000, so it's not yet a year old. And the name comes not from Mount Rushmore (the famous national monument in South Dakota sculpted with jumbo presidential faces ), but from D's Rushmore Inn, a turn-of-the-century eatery (and who-knows-what-elsery? some hint a house of ill repute) frequented by local meat-packers. Chef-partner Michael Dean Hazen and co-owner Franco Gianni discovered the old sign during renovation of the two-flat, and decided it was a better name for their restaurant-to-be than the one they had in mind: Gravy. Gravy would definitely not describe this handsome restaurant done in tones of light and dark sage green with a clever ceiling baffle on the east wall to dull the periodic sound of the "El" as it rumbles by. The white linen is crisp,the flatware, crystal and white dishes, simple and chic. Service is attentive and professional. Gianni worked in management at Hyatt Hotels and Green Dolphin Street before he opened Chicago's Sushi Wabi and then Rushmore. Hazen may have been marked as a chef by his place of birth: Feeding Hills, Massachusetts. More likely it was the home kitchen and family feasts cooked there by his Armenian and English relatives, the summers on a farm growing fruits and vegetables, and even the winters working as a dishwasher in restaurants. His first restaurant job (after studying computer science and a quick tour of duty in U.S. Army intelligence) was at a New England tavern where he worked his way up through all kitchen positions from dishwasher to chef. When he was executive chef of Goose Cove Lodge in Sunset, Maine, The New York Times named it one of Maine's top six restaurants. Hazen moved to New York, which he terms a culinary education in itself, and worked as a sous chef at La Caravelle, one of Manhattan's top French restaurants. While there he was inducted into the Vatel Club, a prestigious organization of top French chefs. Hazen moved to Chicago, and before joining Gianni to open Rushmore, he worked with chef Paul Kahan at Blackbird. His style is based on French cooking techniques, using seasonal ingredients (he supports Green City Market and local Chicago food purveyors), and a fresh and original interpretation of American cuisine. Simple Lobster 'Pie' with spring vegetables and morels. His menu changes somewhat monthly, and even some of the signature entrees such as A Simple Lobster 'Pie' (market price) change with seasonal ingredients. The basics for this pretty, delicious and indulgently comforting dish are the same: a round of flaky pie crust tops a pot-pielike mixture of pieces of lobster, and seasonal vegetables in a thick stew base of pureed carrot soup and lobster stock. Two succulent lobster claws top the crust, and the vegetables vary according to the season. Last June it was fennel, celery, leeks and fava beans. In August it might well be corn, tomatoes and bacon. Winter might bring mushrooms and maybe a fresh corn crepe instead of the pie crust. Although Hazen's food tends to be vibrant and flavorful, it can be delicate as well. The Green Pea Soup ($7) was a lovely mixture of cold, minty fresh English pea puree ladled over a little heap of peeky-toe crab meat with some whole green peas. And his Foie Gras 'Poached' ($15) is the most delicate preparation I have tasted to date. Instead of being seared (the usual and in no way unwelcome presentation), Hazen marinates a whole foie gras lobe in salt and Cognac overnight, then brings it from refrigerated to room temperature, rolls it in cheesecloth, refrigerates once more to set the shape and texture, then poaches it gently in seasoned chicken stock. To serve, he slices it and plates it with toasted brioche, piquant rhubarb chutney, watercress, cubes of ice wine jellies and some aged Balsamic syrup. The texture? Smooth as cream, melting as butter. Other outstanding American-style appetizers include Warm Johnny Cake ($8), smoked salmon with a warm, freshly sauteed, cornmeal pancake, served with a curried egg salad, thick tart clabbered cream, and topped with American hackelback caviar. When I dine at Rushmore I'm faced with the dilemma of ordering that or another personal favorite, Grilled Cheese Sandwich 'Great Hill Blue' ($8). The grilled cheese is a sandwich of farmhouse blue cheese between brioche topped with a small salad of baby beets and fresh crisp watercress scattered with crisp honey coated walnuts and lightly dressed with Champagne vinaigrette. Warm Johnny Cake of Smoked Salmon, Curried Egg Salad and Caviar. Entrées are well made, cooked to order and very satisfying. The Pepper Pressed Filet Steak ($26) is a 7-ounce filet coated with cracked black pepper, and sauteed perfectly to order. My dinner companion that night asked for medium rare and practically applauded when he cut into the tender steak. In season Hazen served with the house-pickled ramps (wild, boisterous garlicky scallion-like onions), a dab of foie gras butter, a big spoonful of garlic mashed potatoes and a little red wine reduction. When ramps go out of season the chef will substitute his own pickled Vidalia onions and so on. Another dilemma: Hazen features a nightly Blue Plate menu. Monday in May and June offered Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Creamy Potato Salad ($15) -- how good does that sound? But then I remembered that I had previously ordered Swan Creek Farm Game Hen 'Grilled Under Bricks' ($19). Could it possibly have been as juicy, as flavorful, as crisp as I remembered? So I ordered it once more. And it was. The chef debones the fresh, locally produced game hens except for the little leg bone, then marinates it, Italian-style, in extra virgin olive oil, lemon, and fresh herbs. Then he grills it over a wood-burning grill, skin-side down first (which is where that fabulous crispiness happens) under bricks (wrapped in foil). "You leave it on the grill until about 30 seconds before it burns and then turn it," he says. It's a labor-intensive, split-second timing and the results show it. So maybe next time I'll have the fried chicken. The Blue Plate specials include a mysterious Thursday Market Day, at market prices. The Market Day special I tried on my first visit -- Fulton Market Meatloaf with Onion Rings ($15) -- was everything a meat-and-potatoes kind of diner could ask for. Two large juicy slices of meatloaf with mashed potatoes in between, topped with big, fat crispy onion rings. There are three side dishes (all $6), and one of them is not to be missed. Share Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese with the whole table. Or just be a glutton and order it for yourself with a side salad. Macaroni comes in a huge white bowl and it is simply cooked macaroni bathed in a mixture of cream and New York Cheddar cheese (white in summer, yellow in winter), topped with crispy herbed bread crumbs. The word, says Hazen, is out and "We go through 20 pounds of Cheddar a week." At this writing,the dessert chef and the dessert menu have just changed. All the desserts I have indulged in have been more than worth the calories, especially the Meyer Lemon Curd and Cookies ($7) a seasonal stack of shortbread like cookies with Meyer lemon sorbet, lemon syrup and a pool of lemon curd. But one signature dessert remains, Big Ed's Banana Cake ($7). "Big Ed" is Ed Gardner (who parted amicably to devote his time to a growing family), and his banana cake consists of the best banana bread I have ever tasted topped with a brûléed coconut crème, and surrounded with a kaleidoscope of tropical fruits drizzled with fragrant syrups. The new pastry chef, Megan Moloney, worked as pastry chef at Harvest on Huron, Campagnola (in Evanston), and with Charlie Trotter's pastry chef. My advice: Rush on down before the restaurant it gets more jam-packed. The relaxed atmosphere makes it the ideal place for an intimate dinner or a first date.) The fact that it is a true "find" off the beaten path will impress your companion.) And if the food and service are this good before its official first birthday, that bodes well for the future.

WINE LIST: In my opinion, Rushmore's wine list has a respectable number of listings for a small restaurant. The wines are thoughtfully chosen and not at all commonplace. However, the 15 wines by the glass seem buried in the by-the-bottle wine list. They'd be shown to better advantage in a list by themselves, similar to the dessert wines list, a very nice selection of Cognac, Port and assorted sweet wines. In general, I find Rushmore's wines pricey (there are only 2 bottles of red less than $35, and 4 bottles of white). Pinot Noir starts at $42 and goes up to $84; Rhone begins at $36 and ends at $64; Zinfandel from $48 to $75; Merlot from $42 to $94 and, heaven help us, Bordeaux Style Blends from $50 to 215. The whites ascend in much the same manner with Chardonnays beginning at $40 and topping out at $115 the bottle. In my opinion, the list needs a few more moderately price wines -- something to go with the Blue Plate specials. BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE: Rushmore is small, arranged in three rows of tables, with adequate space between. Along the east banquette wall is my favorite place to sit. It's more private (located behind the bar) and cozy (underneath the clever ceiling baffle). But you might enjoy the middle, about two tables away from the open kitchen (culinary theater), or along the west wall (less traffic). My least favorite seat is at the table in the middle row right up front to the left (as you face it) of the host's lectern. But if you're looking good and want to see and be seen, that's the best seat in the house. You can see everyone who walks in (why is that dude wearing a polo shirt?), who is sitting/standing at the bar, and the entire restaurant as well.