At Chicago's Cariño, the Coffee Is Brewed to the Last (Duck) Stock

The Latin-inspired tasting menu at Cariño starts with a wooden spoon topped with tortilla crumble and salsa verde jelly and ends with chocolate ganache and a quenelle of hoja santa ice cream, but what takes guests from savory to sweet on the 14-course journey goes beyond a typical palate cleanser. “I like pastries and coffee as a transition, something to warm guests up and let them know dessert is coming,” says Chef/Owner Norman Fenton. For his pre-...