A poster print of the first two stanzas of Shel Silverstein’s poem “Me and My Giant,” hangs squarely in the middle of one wall in Jason Vincent’s decidedly compact Giant, his long-awaited comeback after stepping down two years ago as the nationally exalted chef at Nightwood. The reason for Vincent’s sabbatical is similar to the common refrain heard from retiring athletes and politicians leaving office: some form of “I want to spend more time with my family.” So it’s no surprise that after two concentrated years with the kiddos, Vincent—along with partners Ben Lustbader (a former chef at Lula Cafe, Nightwood, and Publican Quality Meats) and Josh Perlman (Avec)—situated a children’s poem at the heart of his new restaurant.
Similarly, for all the talk of simple, recognizable food bandied about before Giant’s opening, Vincent isn’t letting just a few high-quality ingredients do the talking on a brief, vegetable-heavy, uncategorized menu that builds in portion size from top to bottom—although the initial bite undercuts my argument.
Desserts are likewise presented simply but loaded with depth of flavor. Fat, explosive blueberries swimming in creme anglaise have been soaked in Thai bird chiles and ginger syrup, while vanilla ice cream balls rolled in butter-pecan crunch and crumbled dehydrated strawberry could pass for a supercharged strawberry shortcake Good Humor bar if not for the drizzle of cajeta on top.
3209 W. Armitage 773-252-0977giantrestaurant.com
