It's the most wonderful time of the year. Not only because you get to be spoiled with lots of wonderful presents (new iPhone 4s for me! - Thanks Santa/Mom/Dad!) but you also get to be spoiled by lots of wonderful food.
The holidays are the time of year when it is acceptable for everyone to take on the role of housewife - regardless of their "feminist ideals". Personally, I don't get it - I would LOVE to be a housewife - why would you want to go to work when you could stay at home and cook all day?? As my little brother so eloquently put it when he was in preschool - "my dad is special because he does the dishes so much". I would love for my future child to say something along those lines - though preferably something like "my mom is special because she is so beautiful and a fabulous cook". HA! Well you get the point.
Anyways - the holidays are the time to be domestic. And I love it. This way, when I come home from work every single day for a week and just want to bake - it's not weird - it's totally acceptable. I think I used that excuse at least 3 times in the past few weeks.
Some of my favorite holiday treats that I have made over the past few weeks are of course the unnecessarily large amount of Christmas cookies that are still inhabiting my kitchen counter. I am not exaggerating when I say that between my mom and myself - we made 8 different kinds of cookies/treats. What it comes down to is we have very lucky neighbors :) From what I hear the fan favorites are the "peppermint" bark that I made (note - the grocery store was out of candy canes, so I used spearmints haha - totally better!), the candied orange peels that my mom made, and the German sand tarts (topped with whipped egg whites!).
Of course holiday domesticity doesn't end with baking. We also prepared numerous feasts - especially because my daddy turned the big 6-0 on Christmas Eve!! Just to make all your mouths water... our menu was as follows:
Christmas Eve Dinner:
Maine lobster tails
Broccoli gorgonzola casserole
Roasted root veggies
Salad
Lots and lots of wine
Christmas Breakfast:
Poached eggs
Sausage
Bacon
Fruit - Harry and David Pears
Yogurt
Granola
Cinnamon Toast
Christmas Dinner:
Brie cruset with cranberries
King crab claws
Green bean bundles
Roasted root veggies
Yorkshire pudding
Prime Rib
Salad
And a partridge in a pear tree. Not really - but lot's of cookies!
Needless to say - I'm full. And ready to be a housewife :)
Happy Holidays!
Aly
Monday, December 26, 2011
Monday, December 12, 2011
Restaurant Review: Grange Hall Burger Bar
Well, it looks like I've failed at writing this in FOREVER! So what better way to start back up than a good restaurant review?!
Last week, I went to Grange Hall Burger Bar with a few of my girlfriends for our "book club". Yes - we are that group of girls that creates a book club (where we most of the time read the book, but rarely discuss it) to have an excuse to go out to dinner and drink wine.
I had heard good things about Grange Hall, and it is only a few short blocks from my apartment, so I made the suggestion to the group - and boy was it a good one.
The atmosphere is great - it's got a great country farm feel (perfect - since they are feeding you grass-fed, farmed foods). Everything in the restaurant, down to the waiters, is reminiscent of being in a small, beautiful country farmhouse. The furniture, napkins, glasses do not match; yet go together perfectly. Dining is at communal tables - even further adding to the farm feel. You could see into the kitchen also - which I always love. Overall - I loved it. I would give it an A.
The service was also great. Not only do the waiters look adorable in their plaid shirts, and down-home style, they also have a down-home attitude. Within 5 minutes, we were already friends with our waiter and shortly thereafter with the chef. Our waiter (Aidan) was attentive yet not over-bearing. He joked with us, but was not inappropriate. We ordered fried vegetables as an appetizer, and after about 5 or 10 minutes, the chef, Joe, came out to tell us that they were remaking them, because he thought they looked a little bit too brown and he only wanted to serve us the best. You can't ask for anything better than that. Service: A+.
Now for the food. It is a burger bar. Nothing more, nothing less. I ordered the turkey burger which Aidan said was the best turkey burger he ever had. I was not disappointed. It was seasoned very well - which complemented the sesame/poppy bun perfectly. With all the seasoning combined - it kind of reminded me of an everything bagel but better. They have a decent amount of options, and I was tempted to get a fried egg on my burger but resisted. I kept it simple with carmelized onions (yum!) and cheese. Overall, I was very satisfied with my meal. I also got french fries, which were not amazing, but always a good complement to a burger. They have a garlicky mac n' cheese which I think I will try next time I go. Overall Food: A-
Definitely a great place to go for many occasions. Not fancy, but you can count on great service, good food and a good time.
Ciao,
Aly
Last week, I went to Grange Hall Burger Bar with a few of my girlfriends for our "book club". Yes - we are that group of girls that creates a book club (where we most of the time read the book, but rarely discuss it) to have an excuse to go out to dinner and drink wine.
I had heard good things about Grange Hall, and it is only a few short blocks from my apartment, so I made the suggestion to the group - and boy was it a good one.
The atmosphere is great - it's got a great country farm feel (perfect - since they are feeding you grass-fed, farmed foods). Everything in the restaurant, down to the waiters, is reminiscent of being in a small, beautiful country farmhouse. The furniture, napkins, glasses do not match; yet go together perfectly. Dining is at communal tables - even further adding to the farm feel. You could see into the kitchen also - which I always love. Overall - I loved it. I would give it an A.
The service was also great. Not only do the waiters look adorable in their plaid shirts, and down-home style, they also have a down-home attitude. Within 5 minutes, we were already friends with our waiter and shortly thereafter with the chef. Our waiter (Aidan) was attentive yet not over-bearing. He joked with us, but was not inappropriate. We ordered fried vegetables as an appetizer, and after about 5 or 10 minutes, the chef, Joe, came out to tell us that they were remaking them, because he thought they looked a little bit too brown and he only wanted to serve us the best. You can't ask for anything better than that. Service: A+.
Now for the food. It is a burger bar. Nothing more, nothing less. I ordered the turkey burger which Aidan said was the best turkey burger he ever had. I was not disappointed. It was seasoned very well - which complemented the sesame/poppy bun perfectly. With all the seasoning combined - it kind of reminded me of an everything bagel but better. They have a decent amount of options, and I was tempted to get a fried egg on my burger but resisted. I kept it simple with carmelized onions (yum!) and cheese. Overall, I was very satisfied with my meal. I also got french fries, which were not amazing, but always a good complement to a burger. They have a garlicky mac n' cheese which I think I will try next time I go. Overall Food: A-
Definitely a great place to go for many occasions. Not fancy, but you can count on great service, good food and a good time.
Ciao,
Aly
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
These are a few (more) of my favorite things...
So I started off "my favorite things" with the most generic fall food/flavor of them all, pumpkin.
So now it's time for round 2: Squash!
I love squash. Just about every kind. But the one that reminds me most of fall (and childhood) is acorn squash.
Growing up, we used to have halved acorn squash filled with butter, brown sugar, maple syrup and sausage ALL the time in the fall. Healthy right? Well, regardless of its health benefits, this is definitely one of my favorite things. It is such a perfect fall food AND it is super easy to make. Legitimately, the hardest part is cutting the squash in half. From there, you add about a Tbs. of butter, a little bit of brown sugar and about a teaspoon or two of maple syrup. Add the (pre-cooked) sausage, bake for about 40 minutes and voila! you have a delicious fall meal.
So I have always loved acorn squash, but have not really been aware of its versatility until this year. Acorn squash actually has a lot of nutritional value - with very low calories from fat, very high fiber and plenty of vitamins and nutrients - and unless you fill it with butter, sugar and syrup (YUM!) it makes for a very healthy and filling meal. So I decided to search for a scrumptious, healthy acorn squash recipe.
Enter the quinoa stuffed acorn squash.
I stumbled across this recipe on my friends facebook page and was instantly in love. Quinoa AND acorn squash?? Sign me up. Needless to say, I made my own version of the recipe that night.
It involved a quinoa/vegetable mix very similar to a recipe I made a few weeks back that basically consists of quinoa, whatever vegetables you like (this recipe included mostly stock vegetables, but I mixed it up with a little asparagus and tomatoes), some spices and what I thought was most interesting - walnuts. You cook the quinoa and the vegetables separately - sauteeing the veggies in a little bit of olive oil and your spices (mine were garlic, crushed red pepper, oregano and a little bit of salt) and then mix in the quinoa and walnuts. The walnuts not only add crunch, but also a nice nutty flavor to the quinoa which if you just take a bite of the quinoa is a little strange but is an ideal pair for the sweetness of the acorn squash.
This dish is not only delicious, but visually appealing as well. A great dish to serve if you are trying to impress guests as it is not very difficult, doesn't take too long, and looks and tastes great! You also get two servings per squash! This can be used as a full meal as well - but would leave the plate looking empty if you were entertaining. Check out my pics of this tasty treat!
Hope everyone and their stomach's are ready for a foodie's favorite holiday!
Happy eating :)
Aly
So now it's time for round 2: Squash!
I love squash. Just about every kind. But the one that reminds me most of fall (and childhood) is acorn squash.
Growing up, we used to have halved acorn squash filled with butter, brown sugar, maple syrup and sausage ALL the time in the fall. Healthy right? Well, regardless of its health benefits, this is definitely one of my favorite things. It is such a perfect fall food AND it is super easy to make. Legitimately, the hardest part is cutting the squash in half. From there, you add about a Tbs. of butter, a little bit of brown sugar and about a teaspoon or two of maple syrup. Add the (pre-cooked) sausage, bake for about 40 minutes and voila! you have a delicious fall meal.
So I have always loved acorn squash, but have not really been aware of its versatility until this year. Acorn squash actually has a lot of nutritional value - with very low calories from fat, very high fiber and plenty of vitamins and nutrients - and unless you fill it with butter, sugar and syrup (YUM!) it makes for a very healthy and filling meal. So I decided to search for a scrumptious, healthy acorn squash recipe.
Enter the quinoa stuffed acorn squash.
I stumbled across this recipe on my friends facebook page and was instantly in love. Quinoa AND acorn squash?? Sign me up. Needless to say, I made my own version of the recipe that night.
It involved a quinoa/vegetable mix very similar to a recipe I made a few weeks back that basically consists of quinoa, whatever vegetables you like (this recipe included mostly stock vegetables, but I mixed it up with a little asparagus and tomatoes), some spices and what I thought was most interesting - walnuts. You cook the quinoa and the vegetables separately - sauteeing the veggies in a little bit of olive oil and your spices (mine were garlic, crushed red pepper, oregano and a little bit of salt) and then mix in the quinoa and walnuts. The walnuts not only add crunch, but also a nice nutty flavor to the quinoa which if you just take a bite of the quinoa is a little strange but is an ideal pair for the sweetness of the acorn squash.
This dish is not only delicious, but visually appealing as well. A great dish to serve if you are trying to impress guests as it is not very difficult, doesn't take too long, and looks and tastes great! You also get two servings per squash! This can be used as a full meal as well - but would leave the plate looking empty if you were entertaining. Check out my pics of this tasty treat!
Hope everyone and their stomach's are ready for a foodie's favorite holiday!
Happy eating :)
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Restaurant Review: Gyu Kaku
Hi, hello, konichiwa!
Recently, I went to the Japanese BBQ restaurant Gyu Kaku. For those who are unfamiliar with Japanese style BBQ, it is where you have a grill in the middle of your table, and you grill the foods yourself.
As a co-worker recently said, it kind of seems ridiculous to pay someone else for you to cook your own food, but hey - it's all about the experience these days, right? my short answer: sometimes.
I would say that this is one of those times where it may be worth it. (Disclaimer: my friend had a groupon - so we didn't really pay full price).
The restaurant is located a little bit off the beaten path (East of Michigan Ave. on Ohio - near NU Hospital) but it has a cool vibe - reminiscent of it's neighbors in River North (dim lighting, modern asian inspired design). My first hint that it was going to be a good meal - there were a lot of Japanese people dining in the restaurant. Not to sound racist in any way, but if a person of Japanese descent thinks the Japanese BBQ is good - it must be pretty legit.
The groupon we had was for a pre-determined menu for two that included Short Rib, Filet, Skirt Steak, Basil Chicken, vegetables and a fried rice type dish - TONS of food. I am not a huge red meat eater, so I was a little bit skeptical but hey - I'll try anything once. And let's be honest - one of my favorite app's is "The Rock" at Japonais - a thinly sliced steak that you grill yourself on a rock heated in the oven to 500 degrees.
Honestly - especially with red meat, I would almost venture to say I would prefer to cook it myself because I know how I like it cooked. The seasonings on all of these steaks were fabulous and I can say that I tried each meat more than once because they were that good! They were cut up into bite size pieces, so I was able to cook each bite to my preference - and not to toot my own horn but I cooked them perfectly! The vegetables were so-so, but the fried rice dish was amazing.
The vibe of the place wasn't great - it's not somewhere that I would go to meet anybody - but I would say it is a good date restaurant. It's the right amount of dark, it's not too loud, it's reasonably priced, and you are basically sitting around a fire - could be pretty romantic if you wanted it to be.
I wasn't in love with the place, but I left very satisfied. Overall, I would give the service a 3 out of 5 stars (nothing great, but nothing to really complain about); the "scene" a 2.5 out of 5; and the food a 3 out of 5.
I would go there again, but I wouldn't list it in my top 10.
Until next time,
Aly
Recently, I went to the Japanese BBQ restaurant Gyu Kaku. For those who are unfamiliar with Japanese style BBQ, it is where you have a grill in the middle of your table, and you grill the foods yourself.
As a co-worker recently said, it kind of seems ridiculous to pay someone else for you to cook your own food, but hey - it's all about the experience these days, right? my short answer: sometimes.
I would say that this is one of those times where it may be worth it. (Disclaimer: my friend had a groupon - so we didn't really pay full price).
The restaurant is located a little bit off the beaten path (East of Michigan Ave. on Ohio - near NU Hospital) but it has a cool vibe - reminiscent of it's neighbors in River North (dim lighting, modern asian inspired design). My first hint that it was going to be a good meal - there were a lot of Japanese people dining in the restaurant. Not to sound racist in any way, but if a person of Japanese descent thinks the Japanese BBQ is good - it must be pretty legit.
The groupon we had was for a pre-determined menu for two that included Short Rib, Filet, Skirt Steak, Basil Chicken, vegetables and a fried rice type dish - TONS of food. I am not a huge red meat eater, so I was a little bit skeptical but hey - I'll try anything once. And let's be honest - one of my favorite app's is "The Rock" at Japonais - a thinly sliced steak that you grill yourself on a rock heated in the oven to 500 degrees.
Honestly - especially with red meat, I would almost venture to say I would prefer to cook it myself because I know how I like it cooked. The seasonings on all of these steaks were fabulous and I can say that I tried each meat more than once because they were that good! They were cut up into bite size pieces, so I was able to cook each bite to my preference - and not to toot my own horn but I cooked them perfectly! The vegetables were so-so, but the fried rice dish was amazing.
The vibe of the place wasn't great - it's not somewhere that I would go to meet anybody - but I would say it is a good date restaurant. It's the right amount of dark, it's not too loud, it's reasonably priced, and you are basically sitting around a fire - could be pretty romantic if you wanted it to be.
I wasn't in love with the place, but I left very satisfied. Overall, I would give the service a 3 out of 5 stars (nothing great, but nothing to really complain about); the "scene" a 2.5 out of 5; and the food a 3 out of 5.
I would go there again, but I wouldn't list it in my top 10.
Until next time,
Aly
Saturday, November 5, 2011
These are a few of my favorite things
No - I am not going to write about girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes - because in my opinion, that would be just a little bit creepy.
But I am going to write about my favorite thing about fall: Pumpkin.
I love pumpkin so much, that I don't even limit this to a "fall favorite". To me, pumpkin is incredibly versatile - it can be used in just about any meal, entree, side, dessert, drinks - you name it, you can probably use pumpkin!
Personally, I am a fan of the desserts. I have a massive sweet tooth, and pumpkin desserts never cease to hit the spot. The chart topper is definitely pumpkin cheesecake - with rum brown sugar whipped cream. My mom makes this every Thanksgiving (and occasionally when she feels like being really nice to me). It is legitimately heaven in my mouth. Cheesecake used to be my favorite dessert, and now every time I taste a plain or other flavored cheesecake, it just isn't the same. Honestly NOTHING compares. This has become such a hit, that it has replaced pumpkin pie at all Gourley/Euler family Thanksgivings - including extended family that don't even come to our house anymore. I'm not a pro baker (there's not too much leeway when it comes to recipes, so I'm just not as big of a fan) but I don't think the actual construction is too difficult - you combine a can of pumpkin pie mix with the ingredients you use to make cheesecake. I think the difficulty comes in the actual baking - so thanks mom for making this perfect dessert!
Even though I don't LOVE baking, I do enjoy it, so last week I was just perusing my cabinets and noticed I had pumpkin and chocolate chips. What better to make than pumpkin chocolate chip cookies?! I searched the interweb and stumbled upon this recipe courtesy of cooks.com: http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1810,154175-254200,00.html
The recipe was super simple and they are the ideal type of cookie. It's a cakey cookie that is the perfect level of fluffy. And it's not one of those cookies that is moist and fluffy only when it's warm. This cookie stayed moist and fluffy until they were all gone (4 or 5 days). I tried to bring some out to San Antonio to share with my team, and I was super careful with them since I knew how soft and chewy they were - but by the time I got off the plane, I had a huge glob of pumpkin chocolate.... mush. Naturally, I still ate some (just as delicious - I mean, let's be honest, it all ends up looking like that anyways) but was just a little too embarrassed to tell my team. Since I didn't want to eat the entire bag - mainly because I had eaten so many the night I made them - I eventually told them and gave them the bag of pumpkin chocolate mush. They loved it.
Besides sweets, I love pumpkin in just about everything. A couple of my other favorite pumpkin recipes are pumpkin risotto (which you can also put inside chicken - yum!) and pumpkin stuffed raviolis.
For all you loyal followers of mine (yes... all 3 of you) I promise to be a little bit more diligent about this!
Have a great weekend,
Aly
But I am going to write about my favorite thing about fall: Pumpkin.
I love pumpkin so much, that I don't even limit this to a "fall favorite". To me, pumpkin is incredibly versatile - it can be used in just about any meal, entree, side, dessert, drinks - you name it, you can probably use pumpkin!
Personally, I am a fan of the desserts. I have a massive sweet tooth, and pumpkin desserts never cease to hit the spot. The chart topper is definitely pumpkin cheesecake - with rum brown sugar whipped cream. My mom makes this every Thanksgiving (and occasionally when she feels like being really nice to me). It is legitimately heaven in my mouth. Cheesecake used to be my favorite dessert, and now every time I taste a plain or other flavored cheesecake, it just isn't the same. Honestly NOTHING compares. This has become such a hit, that it has replaced pumpkin pie at all Gourley/Euler family Thanksgivings - including extended family that don't even come to our house anymore. I'm not a pro baker (there's not too much leeway when it comes to recipes, so I'm just not as big of a fan) but I don't think the actual construction is too difficult - you combine a can of pumpkin pie mix with the ingredients you use to make cheesecake. I think the difficulty comes in the actual baking - so thanks mom for making this perfect dessert!
Even though I don't LOVE baking, I do enjoy it, so last week I was just perusing my cabinets and noticed I had pumpkin and chocolate chips. What better to make than pumpkin chocolate chip cookies?! I searched the interweb and stumbled upon this recipe courtesy of cooks.com: http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1810,154175-254200,00.html
The recipe was super simple and they are the ideal type of cookie. It's a cakey cookie that is the perfect level of fluffy. And it's not one of those cookies that is moist and fluffy only when it's warm. This cookie stayed moist and fluffy until they were all gone (4 or 5 days). I tried to bring some out to San Antonio to share with my team, and I was super careful with them since I knew how soft and chewy they were - but by the time I got off the plane, I had a huge glob of pumpkin chocolate.... mush. Naturally, I still ate some (just as delicious - I mean, let's be honest, it all ends up looking like that anyways) but was just a little too embarrassed to tell my team. Since I didn't want to eat the entire bag - mainly because I had eaten so many the night I made them - I eventually told them and gave them the bag of pumpkin chocolate mush. They loved it.
Besides sweets, I love pumpkin in just about everything. A couple of my other favorite pumpkin recipes are pumpkin risotto (which you can also put inside chicken - yum!) and pumpkin stuffed raviolis.
For all you loyal followers of mine (yes... all 3 of you) I promise to be a little bit more diligent about this!
Have a great weekend,
Aly
Friday, October 28, 2011
You wouldn't know the goodness of the good without a little bit of bad...
So here it is, my first bad review.
And it's not as hard to write as I thought it would be. Here goes...
I took my parents to Roka Akor for my Mom's birthday, thinking it would be perfect. We all love Japonais and Sunda and Roka is supposed to be the new "hot spot" in River North. I think whoever wrote that is delusional.
It wasn't all bad, but the good definitely did not make up for the bad.
To start, my mom and I were a little early, so we sat at the bar to grab a drink. It took about 5 minutes to get the bartenders attention and I would not say that they were busy - I mean, we were able to get a seat at a bar that seats about 10. They were having a promotion where if you bought a certain drink, a portion of it would go to Breast Cancer research. I thought that was pretty awesome - so I opted for their Pink Ribbon Cocktail, which had some sake, st. germain liqueur (my fave - champagne/st germain is to die for), some strawberries and oranges and various other liqueurs and juices. The drink was fantastic - unfortunately it took about 10 minutes for me to get it.
Once we were seated, the waitress did a good job of telling us how the restaurant and menu worked - explaining all the specialties of the chef and that we should order everything at once so the food comes out at just the right time. I am not the biggest fan of this, but since it was recommended by the restaurant, we obliged - mistake. We spent some time looking over the menu - which took quite a bit longer than usual as it was approximately size 5 font and the lighting in the restaurant is not that great - it all comes from the centralized kitchen so if your back is not to the kitchen, you get almost no direct light on your menu. It was probably a good thing it took a while though since our waitress was MIA for about 30 minutes. This turned out to be a common theme for the remainder of the night, despite the feeling that the restaurant was completely overstaffed.
We ended up ordering Sashimi, Sheshito Peppers and a Softshell Crab Roll for appetizers; my mom ordered cod (their specialty), my dad ordered the skirt steak and I ordered scallops and asparagus. All of the food was good - not great - and I probably wouldn't be giving the restaurant a bad review based on the food alone. I may have even thought it much better had the service and atmosphere not immediately set me off.
Throughout dinner, about every ten minutes or so, there was this very strange, pungent smell that was overtaking the restaurant. All of us noticed it right away, but didn't really say what the smell actually was. Towards the end of dinner, it was simply unbearable and my mom made a comment about the smell and I couldn't hold it in anymore. It was marijuana. After saying this, all of us were in agreement that the restaurant smelled like marijuana and how it was completely unappetizing (ironic, right?). I am not sure if it was actually marijuana or some strange thing they were cooking - but it was downright repulsive.
Aside from the malodorous aroma permeating throughout, the overall atmosphere of the restaurant was uncomfortable to say the least. I felt like I was in Grand Central Station while eating my dinner! There were people running all over the place - servers, busboys, hostesses, the quirky little manager in his fedora. I felt like I was constantly in someones way even when I was in my seat. I would understand the need for all this staff if the restaurant was super busy - but there were open tables, not many, but they were there. It was by no means packed. I would also understand this if the service was phenomenal, but it was far from it. After our bar experience, I probably should have known the service would be sub-par.
The whole ordering all at once so your food comes out at just the right time? Well, it started off well with the appetizers, but then we waited about 30 minutes between app's and entree's, begging the question - why did we order them all at once???? Also - our entree's all came out at different times - a good five minutes apart. Again - why did we order all at once?? Again, this is something I would not normally get THAT upset over - but the waitress told us to do this so that the timing would be perfect. The only reason it was good we ordered everything at once was because the waitress rarely came to the table, so we probably would have been there for 4 hours had we waited to order our entree's. I ordered a glass of wine - it probably took 30 minutes to get it - no exaggeration. All of this made me feel obligated to put my mom on the spot and let them know it was her birthday so that we could get our complimentary dessert - I mean, it was the least they could do :)
I know this seems like a rant, but really not all was bad. The food was good (nothing to write home about, but good), it was simply the service and atmosphere that made this a very bad experience.
The one very good thing to come out of this is that I found my new fave type of wine! Aberiño - a Spanish White - sweet and savory and delicious!
For those looking to visit Roka despite this review - I would sit at the table surrounding the kitchen and stick to sashimi/sushi - then you won't have to deal with wait staff and the rest of the restaurant.
Overall - Sunda and Japonais are WAY better and also not as expensive.
Happy Halloween! Stay tuned for a delicious pumpkin post coming soon!
Ciao,
Aly
And it's not as hard to write as I thought it would be. Here goes...
I took my parents to Roka Akor for my Mom's birthday, thinking it would be perfect. We all love Japonais and Sunda and Roka is supposed to be the new "hot spot" in River North. I think whoever wrote that is delusional.
It wasn't all bad, but the good definitely did not make up for the bad.
To start, my mom and I were a little early, so we sat at the bar to grab a drink. It took about 5 minutes to get the bartenders attention and I would not say that they were busy - I mean, we were able to get a seat at a bar that seats about 10. They were having a promotion where if you bought a certain drink, a portion of it would go to Breast Cancer research. I thought that was pretty awesome - so I opted for their Pink Ribbon Cocktail, which had some sake, st. germain liqueur (my fave - champagne/st germain is to die for), some strawberries and oranges and various other liqueurs and juices. The drink was fantastic - unfortunately it took about 10 minutes for me to get it.
Once we were seated, the waitress did a good job of telling us how the restaurant and menu worked - explaining all the specialties of the chef and that we should order everything at once so the food comes out at just the right time. I am not the biggest fan of this, but since it was recommended by the restaurant, we obliged - mistake. We spent some time looking over the menu - which took quite a bit longer than usual as it was approximately size 5 font and the lighting in the restaurant is not that great - it all comes from the centralized kitchen so if your back is not to the kitchen, you get almost no direct light on your menu. It was probably a good thing it took a while though since our waitress was MIA for about 30 minutes. This turned out to be a common theme for the remainder of the night, despite the feeling that the restaurant was completely overstaffed.
We ended up ordering Sashimi, Sheshito Peppers and a Softshell Crab Roll for appetizers; my mom ordered cod (their specialty), my dad ordered the skirt steak and I ordered scallops and asparagus. All of the food was good - not great - and I probably wouldn't be giving the restaurant a bad review based on the food alone. I may have even thought it much better had the service and atmosphere not immediately set me off.
Throughout dinner, about every ten minutes or so, there was this very strange, pungent smell that was overtaking the restaurant. All of us noticed it right away, but didn't really say what the smell actually was. Towards the end of dinner, it was simply unbearable and my mom made a comment about the smell and I couldn't hold it in anymore. It was marijuana. After saying this, all of us were in agreement that the restaurant smelled like marijuana and how it was completely unappetizing (ironic, right?). I am not sure if it was actually marijuana or some strange thing they were cooking - but it was downright repulsive.
Aside from the malodorous aroma permeating throughout, the overall atmosphere of the restaurant was uncomfortable to say the least. I felt like I was in Grand Central Station while eating my dinner! There were people running all over the place - servers, busboys, hostesses, the quirky little manager in his fedora. I felt like I was constantly in someones way even when I was in my seat. I would understand the need for all this staff if the restaurant was super busy - but there were open tables, not many, but they were there. It was by no means packed. I would also understand this if the service was phenomenal, but it was far from it. After our bar experience, I probably should have known the service would be sub-par.
The whole ordering all at once so your food comes out at just the right time? Well, it started off well with the appetizers, but then we waited about 30 minutes between app's and entree's, begging the question - why did we order them all at once???? Also - our entree's all came out at different times - a good five minutes apart. Again - why did we order all at once?? Again, this is something I would not normally get THAT upset over - but the waitress told us to do this so that the timing would be perfect. The only reason it was good we ordered everything at once was because the waitress rarely came to the table, so we probably would have been there for 4 hours had we waited to order our entree's. I ordered a glass of wine - it probably took 30 minutes to get it - no exaggeration. All of this made me feel obligated to put my mom on the spot and let them know it was her birthday so that we could get our complimentary dessert - I mean, it was the least they could do :)
I know this seems like a rant, but really not all was bad. The food was good (nothing to write home about, but good), it was simply the service and atmosphere that made this a very bad experience.
The one very good thing to come out of this is that I found my new fave type of wine! Aberiño - a Spanish White - sweet and savory and delicious!
For those looking to visit Roka despite this review - I would sit at the table surrounding the kitchen and stick to sashimi/sushi - then you won't have to deal with wait staff and the rest of the restaurant.
Overall - Sunda and Japonais are WAY better and also not as expensive.
Happy Halloween! Stay tuned for a delicious pumpkin post coming soon!
Ciao,
Aly
Monday, October 24, 2011
The apple may not fall far from the tree...
But we all know that everyone likes the apple better than the tree!
Hate to break it to you mom... but my curry - it was way better than yours!
Since I know you are reading this Mom, they do say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Your curry the other week was so good, I decided I would make it this week.
So now everybody gets their first insight into my cooking techniques.
Rule #1 in my cookbook: There are no rules. Well, that is a slight exaggeration as I do tend to follow the rules of, ya know, science, but I definitely don't follow recipes. I am a firm believer in the idea that nobody knows just the way you like your food except for yourself, so why cook your food based on another person's tastes?
This is not to say I don't read recipes or cookbooks. Tonight, while making green curry, I combined some concepts from recipes I found from the food network, Cooks online and a recipe my mom had made a couple weeks ago (see bottom for sources). What I came up with were the basics: Coconut Milk, Thai Green Curry Paste, Basil and from there - whatever vegetables or meats you want to add. This is where you have to pay attention to how flavors will mix, but also what YOU like.
I opted for asparagus (my fave), red peppers, onions, mushrooms and chicken. I also am a big fan of flavor, so I added a little extra of the green curry paste + a good tablespoon of ginger to give it a little bit of a kick. I would have added a spicier pepper, but I didn't have any in my fridge - but c'est la vie. Now these vegetables are not too typical of curry, but mushrooms soak up flavor well and asparagus provides a nice crispiness that I like.
Rule #2 in my cookbook (Thanks Stephanie Izard for bringing this to the front of my mind every time I cook!): You really do want to satisfy ALL of your tastebuds. Sweet, Spicy, Salty and Savory.
In this case you get the sweet right off the bat with the Coconut Milk (for a healthier option, you can opt for Lite Coconut Milk or substitute half for Regular Milk or Chicken Broth). To add a little bit more sweet, I used a sweet onion (you can really use any kind, but I think that sweet onions cook well in dishes like this and also provide just the kind of sweetness I like - not overly indulgent).
Curry is supposed to be spicy by nature, but green curry is not too spicy - which is why I like to add either a spicy pepper or a little bit of ginger - always adds a little bit more bite.
Curry is actually one of my favorite things to cook because it provides such an aroma. Green curry paste is filled with all sorts of herbs, and once you add the ginger and basil, the smell in the kitchen is to die for. In a typical green curry, there are green chiles, basil, ginger, garlic, coriander, lemon and cumin and various other things depending on who you ask - regardless, very savory!
Now I try not to add tooooo much salt to dishes - especially ones that already have so much flavor, but the perfect pair to curry? Rice! I do like to salt my rice a little bit while cooking it - and that is where I add that fourth flavor. You can also try it with Naan - also a little bit salty.
Game. Set. Match.
And that is all I have for you! The "science" rules of this recipe are as follows:
Boil the Coconut Milk and then let it simmer for few minutes until it separates - don't let it burn!
Add the curry paste, mix it up and let it simmer for a few minutes - this will help it thicken.
Add the basil, ginger and any other extra spices you like
Then add Chicken (if you wish) - cut up into bite size pieces and cook it for a few minutes until the outside is white-ish
From there, throw in your veggies - ones that take longer to cook first and let it simmer for 10-15 more minutes
End result should be slightly soupy but full of flavor!
And that's that!
Hope you all enjoy - and get the chance to try your own curry!
Ta Ta for Now!
Aly
Recipe 1: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/green-curry-chicken-recipe/index.html
Recipe 2: http://thaifood.about.com/od/thaicurrydishes/r/Thai-Green-Coconut-Curry-Chicken.htm
The third recipe is from a Southeast Asia Cookbook and it is for Thai Eggplant Green Curry.
**Disclaimer, I am not a food photographer... nor a chef for that matter. I just know what I like, and I like food!
Hate to break it to you mom... but my curry - it was way better than yours!
Since I know you are reading this Mom, they do say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Your curry the other week was so good, I decided I would make it this week.
So now everybody gets their first insight into my cooking techniques.
Rule #1 in my cookbook: There are no rules. Well, that is a slight exaggeration as I do tend to follow the rules of, ya know, science, but I definitely don't follow recipes. I am a firm believer in the idea that nobody knows just the way you like your food except for yourself, so why cook your food based on another person's tastes?
This is not to say I don't read recipes or cookbooks. Tonight, while making green curry, I combined some concepts from recipes I found from the food network, Cooks online and a recipe my mom had made a couple weeks ago (see bottom for sources). What I came up with were the basics: Coconut Milk, Thai Green Curry Paste, Basil and from there - whatever vegetables or meats you want to add. This is where you have to pay attention to how flavors will mix, but also what YOU like.
I opted for asparagus (my fave), red peppers, onions, mushrooms and chicken. I also am a big fan of flavor, so I added a little extra of the green curry paste + a good tablespoon of ginger to give it a little bit of a kick. I would have added a spicier pepper, but I didn't have any in my fridge - but c'est la vie. Now these vegetables are not too typical of curry, but mushrooms soak up flavor well and asparagus provides a nice crispiness that I like.
Rule #2 in my cookbook (Thanks Stephanie Izard for bringing this to the front of my mind every time I cook!): You really do want to satisfy ALL of your tastebuds. Sweet, Spicy, Salty and Savory.
In this case you get the sweet right off the bat with the Coconut Milk (for a healthier option, you can opt for Lite Coconut Milk or substitute half for Regular Milk or Chicken Broth). To add a little bit more sweet, I used a sweet onion (you can really use any kind, but I think that sweet onions cook well in dishes like this and also provide just the kind of sweetness I like - not overly indulgent).
Curry is supposed to be spicy by nature, but green curry is not too spicy - which is why I like to add either a spicy pepper or a little bit of ginger - always adds a little bit more bite.
Curry is actually one of my favorite things to cook because it provides such an aroma. Green curry paste is filled with all sorts of herbs, and once you add the ginger and basil, the smell in the kitchen is to die for. In a typical green curry, there are green chiles, basil, ginger, garlic, coriander, lemon and cumin and various other things depending on who you ask - regardless, very savory!
Now I try not to add tooooo much salt to dishes - especially ones that already have so much flavor, but the perfect pair to curry? Rice! I do like to salt my rice a little bit while cooking it - and that is where I add that fourth flavor. You can also try it with Naan - also a little bit salty.
Game. Set. Match.
And that is all I have for you! The "science" rules of this recipe are as follows:
Boil the Coconut Milk and then let it simmer for few minutes until it separates - don't let it burn!
Add the curry paste, mix it up and let it simmer for a few minutes - this will help it thicken.
Add the basil, ginger and any other extra spices you like
Then add Chicken (if you wish) - cut up into bite size pieces and cook it for a few minutes until the outside is white-ish
From there, throw in your veggies - ones that take longer to cook first and let it simmer for 10-15 more minutes
End result should be slightly soupy but full of flavor!
And that's that!
Hope you all enjoy - and get the chance to try your own curry!
Ta Ta for Now!
Aly
Recipe 1: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/green-curry-chicken-recipe/index.html
Recipe 2: http://thaifood.about.com/od/thaicurrydishes/r/Thai-Green-Coconut-Curry-Chicken.htm
The third recipe is from a Southeast Asia Cookbook and it is for Thai Eggplant Green Curry.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
The kids... will be alright? We'll see.
http://nymag.com/print/?/news/features/my-generation-2011-10/
Just an interesting article I stumbled upon on the interweb. Very cool and honest portrayal of our generation.
Personally, I fall into the "lucky" category. It's just about knowing the right people in the right place at the right time.
Luckily for me I was able to find that right person and am able to satisfy not only the needs, but the wants and desire of this very hungry twenty-something!
Enjoy,
Aly
Just an interesting article I stumbled upon on the interweb. Very cool and honest portrayal of our generation.
Personally, I fall into the "lucky" category. It's just about knowing the right people in the right place at the right time.
Luckily for me I was able to find that right person and am able to satisfy not only the needs, but the wants and desire of this very hungry twenty-something!
Enjoy,
Aly
Monday, October 17, 2011
Mommy, Wow! I'm a big kid now!
So I think I'm officially a grown up (sort of). This past weekend I attended my very first charity auction/gala.
My friend Anastasia and I had the opportunity to attend the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago's Bearcat Ball. This was a great event put on by RIC to benefit families who have children that need prosthetics but can't afford them - an easy cause to support. This was my first time attending a blacktie event so the wardrobe choice was a little bit tricky - and took a long time! I ended up wearing this great black dress I got last year at my favorite store (Confetti - sorry for all those who envy my wardrobe ;) the store is a small boutique in North Carolina!) It is a replica of an Alice & Olivia dress with an open back and chiffon angel wings. I absolutely adore it. I paired it with some Dolce Vita sequin pumps. I am very happy with my choice, if I do say so myself! Anastasia wore this great bright coral/orange one shoulder dress. We were really nervous that we would be underdressed as we did not have long gowns, but it turns out we were spot on - there was a mix of long and short dresses - and I think we had the perfect balance of formal but not over the top. Not to mention, we looked gooood!
The event was also amazing. It was located in the Chicago Cultural Center - right across from Millennium Park. The crowd was young professional, with a hint of RIC Benefactors. It was a casino themed event so they had plenty of gaming - blackjack, craps and a roulette type game. Personally, I stuck to the blackjack - too many rules at the others and not enough chairs! And believe me - the chairs were crucial considering the heel broke off of my shoe half way through the night! Major bummer. Major props to the Saks customer service department who will be paying for them to get fixed! Anyways, Stas and I gambled away quite a bit of [other people's] money. Aside from the casino games, auctions, grey goose sponsored open bar, John Cagen Orchestra (highly recommended for all musical tastes), they also had a photobooth! Oh did we have fun with that one. Leave it to us to act like fools at a classy, grown up event. The event was a blast. We met some great people, had some great drinks, enjoyed some great music and finally acted like grown ups... sort of!
I can say with complete confidence that we will definitely be attending more "grown up" events in the near future.
My recommendation: Get there on time - more time to mingle, game and dance! Though our outfits were fashionable, I think we were a little bit un-fashionably-late - not that it was an issue, but I would have liked to have spent some more time at the event.
However, I think my first grown-up event was a success!
Ciao,
Aly
My friend Anastasia and I had the opportunity to attend the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago's Bearcat Ball. This was a great event put on by RIC to benefit families who have children that need prosthetics but can't afford them - an easy cause to support. This was my first time attending a blacktie event so the wardrobe choice was a little bit tricky - and took a long time! I ended up wearing this great black dress I got last year at my favorite store (Confetti - sorry for all those who envy my wardrobe ;) the store is a small boutique in North Carolina!) It is a replica of an Alice & Olivia dress with an open back and chiffon angel wings. I absolutely adore it. I paired it with some Dolce Vita sequin pumps. I am very happy with my choice, if I do say so myself! Anastasia wore this great bright coral/orange one shoulder dress. We were really nervous that we would be underdressed as we did not have long gowns, but it turns out we were spot on - there was a mix of long and short dresses - and I think we had the perfect balance of formal but not over the top. Not to mention, we looked gooood!
The event was also amazing. It was located in the Chicago Cultural Center - right across from Millennium Park. The crowd was young professional, with a hint of RIC Benefactors. It was a casino themed event so they had plenty of gaming - blackjack, craps and a roulette type game. Personally, I stuck to the blackjack - too many rules at the others and not enough chairs! And believe me - the chairs were crucial considering the heel broke off of my shoe half way through the night! Major bummer. Major props to the Saks customer service department who will be paying for them to get fixed! Anyways, Stas and I gambled away quite a bit of [other people's] money. Aside from the casino games, auctions, grey goose sponsored open bar, John Cagen Orchestra (highly recommended for all musical tastes), they also had a photobooth! Oh did we have fun with that one. Leave it to us to act like fools at a classy, grown up event. The event was a blast. We met some great people, had some great drinks, enjoyed some great music and finally acted like grown ups... sort of!
I can say with complete confidence that we will definitely be attending more "grown up" events in the near future.
My recommendation: Get there on time - more time to mingle, game and dance! Though our outfits were fashionable, I think we were a little bit un-fashionably-late - not that it was an issue, but I would have liked to have spent some more time at the event.
However, I think my first grown-up event was a success!
Ciao,
Aly
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Weekend Edition!
Heyo!
Happy Hump Day!
So, this will be kind of a combined weekend edition, highlights from last week as well as what's coming up this weekend.
Last weekend, Jessica and I stopped by the Chicago Film Festival; "Tomboy" on Friday and "Like Crazy" on Sunday. "Tomboy" was a French film, and although I am typically opposed to reading subtitles, I really enjoyed it. It was a total film festival film, and it was French, so they didn't hold anything back. In the end, it had a good message and was made well, so I was pleased. I would recommend it, but it probably won't play except for maybe at some artsy theaters. "Like Crazy" on the other hand will absolutely go mainstream. Jessica showed me the trailer for this a couple weeks ago and both of us thought it was going to be a heart-wrencher. The trailer played an Ingrid Michaelson version of "Can't Help Falling In Love" that would make the Grinch cry. Luckily for me (and probably the rest of the theater) this song was not in the movie. Even though the movie was not quite what I expected, it was a good movie. Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones are fantastic and 100% believable in their roles. They were also both in attendance at the Film Festival and let me tell you, Anton Yelchin is adorable. And hilarious. He is the perfect amount of vulgar combined with sarcasm and intelligence. I think that the Q&A after the show definitely made me like the movie more. Overall, I'd give the film a B+/A-. It didn't blow me away, but it entertained me, which at the end of the day is what a movie should do.
Other than the film festival, this was an action packed weekend with all three of my favorite things: eating, drinking and laughing.
After the Film Festival, Jessica and I went to one of our favorite places to eat and people watch: Hub51. There is really only one reason why I list Hub as one of my favorite places, and that is the carrot cake. Yes, the food and drinks are good, but nothing special - really glorified bar food. And yes, the people watching is fantastic. But when it comes down to it, nothing, and I mean NOTHING, beats that carrot cake. The cake itself is moist and sweet while not being too dense or overpowering. The frosting is pure heaven. The flavor is ideal as it provides the sweetness you are looking for in a cake, while also providing the ever so slight tang of cream cheese. Not to mention, it comes with an extra gob of that heavenly frosting and also - for those that prefer something SLIGHTLY lighter - a gob of fluffy, sugary whipped cream.
Sunday was Chicago Marathon day!! Shout out to ALL the runners - especially my roommate Bridget and my friend David for being rockstars, braving the heat and running 26.2! The marathon get's me extremely emotional. I absolutely love it. I love seeing people from all walks (or wheels) of life getting out there, supporting a cause and going through what I would only imagine is an incredibly painful experience to accomplish a feat that is so incredibly impressive it graces many peoples (including mine) bucket lists. Last year, I was at the finish when the paraplegic's came and I actually broke down in tears. This year, I saw a blind man running all 26.2 miles with his arm on the shoulder of his guide. It is honestly one of the most inspirational experiences, and if you have not had the chance to watch a marathon, GO.
After the marathon, naturally I was starving. I mean, you can't watch all these people running and not get hungry. We went to Rockit and had one of the best bartenders ever. First of all, she was a badass. Tats everywhere, nose ring. Loved it. But more importantly, she loved her job and it was evident. There is nothing more refreshing than having a server that actually enjoys what they do. She was able to make recommendations and was attentive without being annoying. Service gets an A++. I got a turkey burger that was just about the size of my head with avocado, sauteed onions and brie cheese. Love that they have the option of brie cheese - it melts so well and provides a little bit of sweetness to the burger. Overall, the food was good - and absolutely hit the spot - but was nothing to write home about. If I went again, I would probably try something a little bit more adventurous - they have a Pork & Egg sandwich that looked awesome - so when I go back, I'll probably give that a go. The best thing about Rockit on Sunday is their brunch specials - $5 bloody mary bar and $5 Mimosas - definitely worth a try!
Overall, it was a pretty good weekend. Coming up this weekend - I can't decide between a Research Institute of Chicago black-tie event (think young doctors and lawyers) or the Iowa vs. Northwestern football game (tailgating and "boys weekend")... help me out?!
Until next time,
Aly
Happy Hump Day!
So, this will be kind of a combined weekend edition, highlights from last week as well as what's coming up this weekend.
Last weekend, Jessica and I stopped by the Chicago Film Festival; "Tomboy" on Friday and "Like Crazy" on Sunday. "Tomboy" was a French film, and although I am typically opposed to reading subtitles, I really enjoyed it. It was a total film festival film, and it was French, so they didn't hold anything back. In the end, it had a good message and was made well, so I was pleased. I would recommend it, but it probably won't play except for maybe at some artsy theaters. "Like Crazy" on the other hand will absolutely go mainstream. Jessica showed me the trailer for this a couple weeks ago and both of us thought it was going to be a heart-wrencher. The trailer played an Ingrid Michaelson version of "Can't Help Falling In Love" that would make the Grinch cry. Luckily for me (and probably the rest of the theater) this song was not in the movie. Even though the movie was not quite what I expected, it was a good movie. Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones are fantastic and 100% believable in their roles. They were also both in attendance at the Film Festival and let me tell you, Anton Yelchin is adorable. And hilarious. He is the perfect amount of vulgar combined with sarcasm and intelligence. I think that the Q&A after the show definitely made me like the movie more. Overall, I'd give the film a B+/A-. It didn't blow me away, but it entertained me, which at the end of the day is what a movie should do.
Other than the film festival, this was an action packed weekend with all three of my favorite things: eating, drinking and laughing.
After the Film Festival, Jessica and I went to one of our favorite places to eat and people watch: Hub51. There is really only one reason why I list Hub as one of my favorite places, and that is the carrot cake. Yes, the food and drinks are good, but nothing special - really glorified bar food. And yes, the people watching is fantastic. But when it comes down to it, nothing, and I mean NOTHING, beats that carrot cake. The cake itself is moist and sweet while not being too dense or overpowering. The frosting is pure heaven. The flavor is ideal as it provides the sweetness you are looking for in a cake, while also providing the ever so slight tang of cream cheese. Not to mention, it comes with an extra gob of that heavenly frosting and also - for those that prefer something SLIGHTLY lighter - a gob of fluffy, sugary whipped cream.
Sunday was Chicago Marathon day!! Shout out to ALL the runners - especially my roommate Bridget and my friend David for being rockstars, braving the heat and running 26.2! The marathon get's me extremely emotional. I absolutely love it. I love seeing people from all walks (or wheels) of life getting out there, supporting a cause and going through what I would only imagine is an incredibly painful experience to accomplish a feat that is so incredibly impressive it graces many peoples (including mine) bucket lists. Last year, I was at the finish when the paraplegic's came and I actually broke down in tears. This year, I saw a blind man running all 26.2 miles with his arm on the shoulder of his guide. It is honestly one of the most inspirational experiences, and if you have not had the chance to watch a marathon, GO.
After the marathon, naturally I was starving. I mean, you can't watch all these people running and not get hungry. We went to Rockit and had one of the best bartenders ever. First of all, she was a badass. Tats everywhere, nose ring. Loved it. But more importantly, she loved her job and it was evident. There is nothing more refreshing than having a server that actually enjoys what they do. She was able to make recommendations and was attentive without being annoying. Service gets an A++. I got a turkey burger that was just about the size of my head with avocado, sauteed onions and brie cheese. Love that they have the option of brie cheese - it melts so well and provides a little bit of sweetness to the burger. Overall, the food was good - and absolutely hit the spot - but was nothing to write home about. If I went again, I would probably try something a little bit more adventurous - they have a Pork & Egg sandwich that looked awesome - so when I go back, I'll probably give that a go. The best thing about Rockit on Sunday is their brunch specials - $5 bloody mary bar and $5 Mimosas - definitely worth a try!
Overall, it was a pretty good weekend. Coming up this weekend - I can't decide between a Research Institute of Chicago black-tie event (think young doctors and lawyers) or the Iowa vs. Northwestern football game (tailgating and "boys weekend")... help me out?!
Until next time,
Aly
Friday, October 7, 2011
Summertime and the livin's easy
Since summer has decided to grace Chicago with its presence on this beautiful October day, I got to thinking about summer. And how I should have started this blog then.
Summer is my time for adventure. Two summers ago, right after graduation, I took a job that let me travel the country - go to places that I had never even heard of - meet people from all walks of life. It was awesome.
This past summer, that was my food adventure. I made a pledge to myself that I would not eat dinner at a restaurant that I had eaten at before. (I wanted to do this for all meals, but it would have been a little bit aggressive with only a 30 minute lunch break from work). I have lived in Chicago for all 23 years of my life (minus the 4 months I was traveling the country) and have not even come CLOSE to exploring all the absolutely fantastic restaurants this wonderful city has to offer. I'm all about loyalty (an unfortunate trait when it comes to being a Cubs fan...) and will always love my childhood favorites (Shoutout to Annie's - Welcome back!) but like I said, summertime = adventure time.
People used to tell me I was a picky eater and it would drive me up the wall. It was SO embarrassing when we would be out to eat, and my Mom would say to the waiter before we even put in our drink orders that I wouldn't eat this... didn't like that. But when it comes down to it... I was picky. I NEVER tried anything adventurous, always played it safe. What did you say was in that? What part of the pig is that? Gross. No thanks. And shock of the century - my favorite food was... pasta. I was over it. I didn't want to hear it anymore. So I started trying things. Another shock of the century - IT WAS AWESOME. I am now at a point in my life where I will try juuuuust about anything.
So that's where the new restaurants came in. I was ready to go on an adventure. An edible adventure. I made a list, I checked it twice. I was on a mission. I went out to eat a lot. I brought the parents. I brought friends. I won't go into grueling (or drooling) detail about all of the restaurants, but I'll give you a few highlights.
Mercadito: Fan-freakin-tastic. Great place for a big group because its tapas. And everything is delicious. The decor is very vibrant and makes you want to party. Also, the drinks are on fire. Literally! They have a drink that comes out with a half peel of a lime flipped inside out that is filled with alcohol and set on fire. My recommendation: Carnitas de Puerco Tacos. Peanuts in a taco? Brilliant.
Table Fifty-Two: Oh.My.Goodness. Let me tell you, after visiting this restaurant, I would have been TWICE the size of Oprah if I had Art Smith as my personal chef. First of all, they start you out with a deviled egg AND goat cheese biscuits. That alone would have gotten this restaurant a great review in my book. But it doesn't stop there. Fried green tomatoes - Chef's specialty - are cooked to perfection. He does not mess around with his tomatoes - they are juicy and delicious and then fried to perfection. The tomato itself is soft and juicy and most importantly - not too hot. The shell is nice and crispy and holds the tomato in place - perfectly fried. Thank you Mr. Smith for bringing real Southern, home cooking to Chicago. And for making me feel at home while eating it! Recommendations: Fried Green Tomatoes, Grilled Romaine Salad. And be sure to ask the waiter for the Chardonnay that has a buttery flavor to it. It actually does. And it is divine. ***Warning - this place is NOT cheap, but totally worth every penny.
And the one that takes the cake...
Girl and the Goat: I know. I am late to jump on this bandwagon. But that bandwagon is packed. Want to jump on it? Well, you'll have to wait. Next reservation is not until the end of November. And it's at 10:00pm. Luckily for all of you non goat lovers (yet), they do reserve plenty of tables for walk-ups, but again, you'll have to wait. If you go during prime dinner hours, you'll probably have to wait a while (upwards of an hour) but it is worth it. Stephanie Izard (Chef/Owner) put it best in an interview with the Trib the other day - she just wants to make everyone happy - and she does. Her philosophy is to hit all of your tastebuds at once to basically create an explosion of flavor. I have never had food that so brilliantly combines a diverse range of flavors. She is an absolute genius at combining the sweet with the spicy with the salty and the tart. I am not joking, you will get all of these flavors in one bite - in just about every dish. My recommendations: Fried Soft Shell Crab with Sweet Corn and Chipotle Aioli, Goat Cheese Chorizo Pizza. Also, Stephanie Izard just released her cookbook - in my opinion a must buy.
This is just a taste of all the fabulous dishes I tried and restaurants I visited. A few other noteworthy restaurants I visited were: The Publican (thanks for introducing me to fresh figs), Q, Coco Pazzo and Bistronomic.
And now that summer's officially over, I will make my triumphant return to Hub51 and their ever so delicious Carrot Cake!
Off to the Chicago Film Festival!
Happy weekend, happy eating!
Aly
Summer is my time for adventure. Two summers ago, right after graduation, I took a job that let me travel the country - go to places that I had never even heard of - meet people from all walks of life. It was awesome.
This past summer, that was my food adventure. I made a pledge to myself that I would not eat dinner at a restaurant that I had eaten at before. (I wanted to do this for all meals, but it would have been a little bit aggressive with only a 30 minute lunch break from work). I have lived in Chicago for all 23 years of my life (minus the 4 months I was traveling the country) and have not even come CLOSE to exploring all the absolutely fantastic restaurants this wonderful city has to offer. I'm all about loyalty (an unfortunate trait when it comes to being a Cubs fan...) and will always love my childhood favorites (Shoutout to Annie's - Welcome back!) but like I said, summertime = adventure time.
People used to tell me I was a picky eater and it would drive me up the wall. It was SO embarrassing when we would be out to eat, and my Mom would say to the waiter before we even put in our drink orders that I wouldn't eat this... didn't like that. But when it comes down to it... I was picky. I NEVER tried anything adventurous, always played it safe. What did you say was in that? What part of the pig is that? Gross. No thanks. And shock of the century - my favorite food was... pasta. I was over it. I didn't want to hear it anymore. So I started trying things. Another shock of the century - IT WAS AWESOME. I am now at a point in my life where I will try juuuuust about anything.
So that's where the new restaurants came in. I was ready to go on an adventure. An edible adventure. I made a list, I checked it twice. I was on a mission. I went out to eat a lot. I brought the parents. I brought friends. I won't go into grueling (or drooling) detail about all of the restaurants, but I'll give you a few highlights.
Mercadito: Fan-freakin-tastic. Great place for a big group because its tapas. And everything is delicious. The decor is very vibrant and makes you want to party. Also, the drinks are on fire. Literally! They have a drink that comes out with a half peel of a lime flipped inside out that is filled with alcohol and set on fire. My recommendation: Carnitas de Puerco Tacos. Peanuts in a taco? Brilliant.
Table Fifty-Two: Oh.My.Goodness. Let me tell you, after visiting this restaurant, I would have been TWICE the size of Oprah if I had Art Smith as my personal chef. First of all, they start you out with a deviled egg AND goat cheese biscuits. That alone would have gotten this restaurant a great review in my book. But it doesn't stop there. Fried green tomatoes - Chef's specialty - are cooked to perfection. He does not mess around with his tomatoes - they are juicy and delicious and then fried to perfection. The tomato itself is soft and juicy and most importantly - not too hot. The shell is nice and crispy and holds the tomato in place - perfectly fried. Thank you Mr. Smith for bringing real Southern, home cooking to Chicago. And for making me feel at home while eating it! Recommendations: Fried Green Tomatoes, Grilled Romaine Salad. And be sure to ask the waiter for the Chardonnay that has a buttery flavor to it. It actually does. And it is divine. ***Warning - this place is NOT cheap, but totally worth every penny.
And the one that takes the cake...
Girl and the Goat: I know. I am late to jump on this bandwagon. But that bandwagon is packed. Want to jump on it? Well, you'll have to wait. Next reservation is not until the end of November. And it's at 10:00pm. Luckily for all of you non goat lovers (yet), they do reserve plenty of tables for walk-ups, but again, you'll have to wait. If you go during prime dinner hours, you'll probably have to wait a while (upwards of an hour) but it is worth it. Stephanie Izard (Chef/Owner) put it best in an interview with the Trib the other day - she just wants to make everyone happy - and she does. Her philosophy is to hit all of your tastebuds at once to basically create an explosion of flavor. I have never had food that so brilliantly combines a diverse range of flavors. She is an absolute genius at combining the sweet with the spicy with the salty and the tart. I am not joking, you will get all of these flavors in one bite - in just about every dish. My recommendations: Fried Soft Shell Crab with Sweet Corn and Chipotle Aioli, Goat Cheese Chorizo Pizza. Also, Stephanie Izard just released her cookbook - in my opinion a must buy.
This is just a taste of all the fabulous dishes I tried and restaurants I visited. A few other noteworthy restaurants I visited were: The Publican (thanks for introducing me to fresh figs), Q, Coco Pazzo and Bistronomic.
And now that summer's officially over, I will make my triumphant return to Hub51 and their ever so delicious Carrot Cake!
Off to the Chicago Film Festival!
Happy weekend, happy eating!
Aly
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
A Very Hungry Twenty-Something: My foray into big city living and all that comes with it
Hi, hello, welcome!
So I have wanted to start a blog for a while but couldn't quite decide what I actually wanted to write about.
People always tell me that my stories from my nights out are always entertaining, but that's tired. Everyone writes about that. I am not everyone.
My dream job is to be a food critic, I LOVE trying new foods, dissecting the various flavors and aromas and talking about it. Alas, I am not a food critic, and don't have the funds to be going out to eat every night, so I don't want to limit myself to food and bore you when I haven't been able to try anything new, delicious or intriguing.
People say to write about what you know. What I know is Chicago. I have lived here (well, suburbs) since I was born, and am going on my second year of independent city living. My friend and I always joke that our hobbies are: Eating, drinking, laughing and choking. Choking, because when we try to eat, drink and laugh all at once... choking ensues. So... I have decided that I will write about what I know: Life as a twenty-something in Chicago and all that comes along with it - food, friends and FUN.
A Very Hungry Twenty-Something will reflect my trials and tribulations as a young adult in the big city - my adventures in the grubs, pubs and clubs of Chicago!
Enjoy!
Aly
So I have wanted to start a blog for a while but couldn't quite decide what I actually wanted to write about.
People always tell me that my stories from my nights out are always entertaining, but that's tired. Everyone writes about that. I am not everyone.
My dream job is to be a food critic, I LOVE trying new foods, dissecting the various flavors and aromas and talking about it. Alas, I am not a food critic, and don't have the funds to be going out to eat every night, so I don't want to limit myself to food and bore you when I haven't been able to try anything new, delicious or intriguing.
People say to write about what you know. What I know is Chicago. I have lived here (well, suburbs) since I was born, and am going on my second year of independent city living. My friend and I always joke that our hobbies are: Eating, drinking, laughing and choking. Choking, because when we try to eat, drink and laugh all at once... choking ensues. So... I have decided that I will write about what I know: Life as a twenty-something in Chicago and all that comes along with it - food, friends and FUN.
A Very Hungry Twenty-Something will reflect my trials and tribulations as a young adult in the big city - my adventures in the grubs, pubs and clubs of Chicago!
Enjoy!
Aly
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