Tag Archives: chicago

Summer 2012: Best of Chicago

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Though I’ve been home for well over a month, I still wanted to do a recap post of my summer in Chicago. I had an amazing time in the city and hit a bunch of the places I wanted to visit. And even though I did so many great things, the best part is that there are still a ton of places I want to check out. Chicago, I know I’ll see you again sometime (hopefully sooner rather than later).

Best Sandwich: Waldorf Chicken from Grahamwich

Best Store: P.O.S.H.

Best Cupcake: Southport Grocery

Best View: Rooftop Terrace on Lakeshore Drive

Best Reason to Wait in Line: Doughnut Vault

Best Farmers Market: Green City Farmers Market

Best Neighborhood: Old Town

Best Place to Eat Lunch: Oz Park

Best Meal: Sable

Best Pizza: Spacca Napoli

Best Museum: Art Institute

Best Dessert: Churros from Xoco

Best Flowers: Lincoln Park Hydrangeas

Best Breakfast: Waffles

Best Laughs: Second City

Best Tapas: Mercat a la Planxa

Best Recurring Photo Op: The Bean

Best Quick Meal: Del Seoul

Best Shopping: Andersonville

Best Bakery: Floriole

Best Way to Feel Fancy: High Tea at the Drake

Best Reason to Make a Reservation Months in Advance: Girl & the Goat

What are your Chicago favorites?

Girl & the Goat

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I had a handful of restaurants that were on my “must visit” list while in Chicago this summer, and at the very top of those was the Girl and the Goat. I wanted to go because 1) The owner, Stephanie Izzard, was on Top Chef, 2) She won Top Chef, 3) She was the first (and only) female to win Top Chef, and 4) She is a Michigan alum. So, basically, she’s awesome and why wouldn’t you want to eat at her restaurant?

I quickly realized I wasn’t the only one who wanted to dine at Girl and the Goat; I attempted to make a reservation back in June shortly before I went to Chicago, only to find out that you had to book much further in advance. So, instead, I wound up making a reservation then for August; Girl and the Goat was to be my farewell meal in the city.

It was worth the wait. I really enjoyed the meal; all the dishes felt unique and innovative, not to mention the fact that they use locally-sourced ingredients. I would highly recommend the restaurant and I can’t wait to go back myself – the menu changes frequently, so I’m sure it would be fun to go back and see what’s new. In any case, here’s what we had:

We started with a bread basket (with very tasty bread and butter). The really important thing in this picture, however, is the goat napkin ring. Cute detail!

I chose a “Best of Three” as my cocktail: vodka, Pimm’s, cucumber, and lime. It’s pretty much guaranteed that if there’s a cocktail on the menu with Pimm’s in it, I will choose it.

Girl & the Goat’s menu is divided into three sections: vegetables, fish, and meats. We ordered three items from the vegetable menu, two from the fish, and one from the meat. First up from the veggie menu was a kohlrabi salad, which was tasty but led me to conclude that kohlrabi is not really my jam.

Tempura soft shell crab with sweet corn elote (no idea what elote is, but the corn was fantastic):

Pan fried shisito peppers:

Chickpea fritters:

Wood-fired Walter’s Chicken with fried pickles (the sauce on the chicken was delicious, and the fried pickles were yummy, albeit guilt-inducing):

Wild striped bass with grilled eggplant and garlic hazelnuts:

We ordered two desserts. The first was my mom’s pick – sweet corn and peaches with brown butter gelato and spiced caramel corn. I love the idea of caramel corn on a dessert; it’s brilliant, right?

And this was my choice: the magic chocolate shell with watermelon granita and royaltine. Never heard of royaltine? Neither had I, but it’s amazing – I can only describe it as chocolatey-cookie-crunchy goodness. I also found watermelon and chocolate to be an unexpectedly wonderful combination:

Doesn’t that look good? The perfect end to a meal, for sure.

The Details: Girl and the Goat | 809 West Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60607 | 312.492.6262

Chicago Red Velvet Cupcake Challenge

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Before I went to Chicago this summer, I heard from several sources about a few cupcake places I should try (namely, Southport Grocery and Molly’s Cupcakes). I thought it might be fun to do a cupcake comparison, and so I decided to try a red velvet cupcake at each bakery I visited. I tried a new bakery about every two weeks; I would usually walk to a spot after work for a little treat. Here’s a roundup of Chicago’s red velvet cupcake options, starting with Southport Grocery, the undisputed champion of this race.

Southport Grocery:

  • Taste Test: Southport’s red velvet was my favorite – very dense, but not dry; very rich, but not overly so. I loved the frosting; something about it seemed unique compared to the others. This cupcake was unadorned, with a simple presentation – but it’s so good, it doesn’t need to be fancy.
  • Rating: 5 sprinkles (on a 1-5 scale; 5 sprinkles being maximum red velvet deliciousness)
  • The Details: Southport Grocery | 3552 North Southport Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657 | 773.665.0100

Molly’s Cupcakes:

  • Taste Test: Very moist – I love that, particularly because some of the cupcakes on this list are lacking in that department. Also very tasty, but in a more subtle (though no less enjoyable) way than other cupcakes on this list; it’s not overly sweet, which I like. You can get it with cute heart sprinkles on top – a fun extra.
  • Rating: 4.5 sprinkles
  • The Details: Molly’s Cupcakes | 2536 North Clark St., Chicago, IL 60614 | 773.883.7220

Sprinkles Cupcakes:

  • Taste Test: Moist (I hate that word, but there’s no way around it) with crazy sweet frosting. The frosting is perhaps too sweet. I also love the presentation – both of the cupcake and of the store itself. Modern, fun details.
  • Rating: 4.5 sprinkles
  • The Details: Sprinkles Cupcakes | 50 East Walton Street, Chicago, IL 60611 | 312.573.1600

Sweet Mandy B’s:

  • Taste Test: Flavorful but not incredibly special – though it was hard for me to figure out what was missing. Simple presentation, with cupcake and frosting and nothing more. The shop itself is very cute – super floral and girly.
  • Rating: 4 sprinkles
  • The Details: Sweet Mandy B’s | 1208 West Webster Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614 | 773.244.1174

Magnolia Bakery:

  • Taste Test: I love Magnolia’s cream cheese frosting – darn near unbeatable. The red velvet cake itself is less special, which is sad; it felt a bit dry. But, oh man, the frosting.
  • Rating: 3.5 sprinkles
  • The Details: Magnolia Bakery | 108 N State St #128, Chicago, IL 60602 | 312.346.7777

Swirlz Cupcakes:

  • Taste Test: Not related to taste, but I love Swirlz’s slogan – “cupcakes make people happy.” Indeed. The cupcake was also beautifully decorated, with a nice little flower atop it. However, as far as taste goes…not so much. The red velvet cake was a bit bland.
  • Rating: 2.5 sprinkles
  • The Details: Swirlz Cupcakes | 705 West Belden Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614 | 773.404.2253

What’s your favorite spot to snag the perfect cupcake, in Chicago or elsewhere?

Rockit Burger

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Though I’ve been home from Chicago for a few weeks, I still have a few Chicago-related posts to catch up on. First among them is Rockit Burger, which I visited twice this summer (though at different locations).

As you may have guessed, Rockit’s specialty is its burgers, and that’s what I had each time I visited. First up: dinner at the Rockit Wrigleyville location, where I enjoyed the Johnny Apple Burger. The burger came topped with bacon, brie, and apple – an amazing combination. The burger also came with sweet potato fries – double win.

Next up: dinner at the River North location, where I had the Rockit Burger. Rockit’s signature burger is kobe beef topped with melted brie, fried shallots, and aioli, served with a generous side of truffle fries.

The verdict? The apple burger was the winner – I loved the flavor combation of the bacon, cheese, and apple. The Rockit Burger was a little greasier; I didn’t feel as good about eating that one. But they were both quite good, and I would definitely go back to Rockit anytime!

The Details: Rockit Wrigleyville | 3700 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60613 | 773.645.4400

Rockit River North | 22 West Hubbard Street, Chicago, IL 60654 | 312.645.6000

Sable Kitchen & Bar

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When my mom was in town for a visit, we headed to Sable Kitchen & Bar for dinner. As a big Top Chef fan, I loved having the opportunity to try restaurants from former Top Chef contestants while in Chicago this summer. Sable’s executive chef, Heather Terhune, was on Top Chef Texas and my mom and I thought it was cool to see her at work in the restaurant. She even said goodnight to us as we left so, you know, we’re pretty much besties now.

Anyway, I had heard good things about Sable and it did not disappoint – I thought our meal was excellent. The restaurant serves “social plates,” which are basically tapas-sized portions to share. I loved this as it allowed us to try a large variety of super tasty dishes. Here’s what we had:

Soft pretzels with smoked cheddar cheese dip: These were good, but they were the least inspired dish we had that night. It was basically like, “Yep, I’m eating a soft pretzel” and nothing more.

Watermelon salad with feta, basil, and arugula: I have been seeing watermelon and feta salads all over Pinterest lately, so when I saw this on the menu I knew it was a “must order.” My mom thought it was a bit too minty, but I loved it. Definitely a dish I will be attempting to recreate soon.

Sweet corn creme brulee: This was possibly my favorite dish of the meal which, I know, sounds weird since corn doesn’t seem that exciting. But the corn was delicious and quite tasty when paired with the creme brulee topping. Another dish I want to recreate on my own.

Buttermilk fried chicken and waffles with bourbon maple syrup: I have always wanted to try chicken and waffles, so this was another menu item I knew I wanted to order right away. These were crazy good, though I thought the bourbon flavor of the syrup was a bit too pronounced.

Lamb and tzatziki crostini: These were a special that night; my mom and I ordered them because, ever since we went to Greece a few years back, we have been all about tzatziki and Greek-inspired dishes in general. These were plenty tasty but not as special as the other dishes we tried.

Wild mushroom flatbread with goat cheese and white truffle oil: I wish Sable would just be honest and call this what it really was: a pizza. To me, the word “flatbread” conjures up a different looking dish in my mind. That quibble aside, this was really delicious. Cheese and truffle oil? Can’t go wrong.

S’Mores (fudge brownies, toasted mashmallow, and graham cracker ice cream): This dessert was amazing; I would seriously go back just to eat this. I thought the graham cracker ice cream was particularly tasty. This was the perfect way to end a great meal.

The Details: Sable Kitchen & Bar | 505 North State Street, Chicago, IL 60654 | 312.755.9704

Shopping in Andersonville

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When my mom was in town, we headed to Andersonville, a neighborhood on the north side of Chicago, for a day of shopping. I loved all the little shops dotting the heart of Andersonville on Clark Street – think cool home decor, quirky paper products, beautiful clothing, and lovely flowers. While I made one purchase (a set of amazing drinking glasses), most of the fun for me was just wandering around the shops. Here are a few things that caught my eye:

I thought this was adorable. S’mores!

This kid has swagger:

I hope nobody feels this way about me:

Someone buy me these cards?

The most unintentionally creepy picture I have ever taken:

(Did you see why?)

I bought the bright blue and green glasses in the middle:

The moment when I decided I want to take up knitting:

The First Lady of Fabulous:

Also fabulous? Andersonville itself. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in the Chicago area.

Breakfast (and Lunch!) at Ann Sather

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My mom visited Chicago a few weeks back, and one of the spots we decided we had to visit was the Andersonville neighborhood. In researching Andersonville, it seemed like the place to have breakfast was Ann Sather, a restaurant specializing in homey fare with a few Swedish favorites thrown in for good measure. We enjoyed a lovely breakfast there and then set out for several hours of shopping in Andersonville (more on that in another post). When lunchtime rolled around, we couldn’t settle on a restaurant…so we went back to Ann Sather! They sat us at almost the exact same table, but luckily we didn’t get the same waitress. If you go to a place twice in one day, you know it has to be good!

My breakfast: a Swedish waffle, sausage, and good coffee:

One more shot, if only because heart-shaped waffles are super cute:

My mom’s fruit and granola:

My lunch – the delightfully named Swedini Panini (turkey, melted cheese, and lingonberry jam):

The Details: Ann Sather | 5207 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60640 | 773.271.6677

Tuesday Top Ten: Things I Love about Working in Lincoln Park

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I am a persistent list maker, so I decided to start a new recurring feature: the Tuesday Top Ten. In general, I think most of my lists will be pop culture related, but since my summer here in Chicago is winding down, I thought it would be appropriate to do at least one Windy City Top Ten.

This summer, I have spent most of my time in Lincoln Park, where my internship is located. I have come to really enjoy this part of the city – it’s more quiet and peaceful, but there are still lots of little treasures and things to do. Here are my ten favorite things about working in Lincoln Park.

(1) Del Seoul:

A friend of mine called Del Seoul’s Korean tacos mind-blowing. Have you ever heard someone say that about a taco before? I must agree: Del Seoul is really, really good. Plus, it’s cheap, so it’s a great choice for a quick meal. My go-to order is their sesame-chili shrimp bahn mi. It’s amazing.

(2) Lunching in Oz Park:

As I previously mentioned, Oz Park is one of my favorite spots in the city – perfect for people watching, long lunches, and just hanging out. I will miss this spot.

(3) Floriole:

I love the array of beautiful and delicious pastries at Floriole. I had the coffee eclair (pictured above) recently and all I can say is…wow.

(4) Peace and Quiet:

Lincoln Park is part of the city, but somewhat of an escape from it. Maybe it’s not the trendiest spot in town, but it feels quite homey to me. The thing I’ve come to love about Chicago is that it’s a collection of neighborhoods – you just need to find one, scope out some favorite places, and you feel like a local.

(5) Bourgeois Pig Cafe:

Another favorite workday lunch spot, the Bourgeois Pig has great sandwiches and salads (the Greek salad is especially delicious). The Bourgeois Pig also wins a prize for having the best restaurant name I’ve come across in quite awhile.

(6) Shopping on Armitage and Halsted:

Admittedly, I’m not much of a shopping enthusiast, but the streets of Armitage and Halsted have some great spots. My favorites? Paper Source (where I bought the super adult planner pictured above), Kiehl’s, Lush, and Aldo (where I scored a great pair of summer sandals).

(7) Green City Market:

A great farmers market and an all-around fun place to hang out on a Saturday morning – fresh food, cooking demonstrations, music, and great people watching.

(8) Molly’s Cupcakes:

Molly’s is on the same block as Del Seoul, which makes for an amazing one two punch of deliciousness. Molly’s has simple but delicious cupcakes (plain chocolate is my favorite) and fun details in the store – swings at the bar, bright pillows on the benches, and a Sprinkle Station for decorating your cupcake.

(9) Lincoln Park Zoo:

I have mixed feelings about zoos in general (the whole animals-in-cages thing), but Lincoln Park has a nice one and, even better, it’s free. I think it’s cool to have something like that available to the community.

(10) The Houses and Gardens:

The houses in Lincoln Park are beautiful and the gardens are even better. I particularly love the hydrangeas that seem to populate every garden – gorgeous!

Recent Dinner Eats: Old Town Pour House and Bar Toma

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I’ve already blogged some recent breakfast and lunch eats in Chicago; here are a few recent dinners as well. It’s my last week in the city and it’s starting to hit me – I’m really going to miss some of these places!

Old Town Pour House:

I went to Old Town Pour House with friends before we went to Second City – I would say it’s a perfect spot to grab a meal or drinks before the show. I had a cherry beer that tasted a lot like cherries and only a little like beer, making it a clear winner in my book (I’m not such a fan of beer). We also had mini pretzel bites and an interesting cheese plate – some really great flavors, and a few odd ones.

The Details: Old Town Pour House | 1419 North Wells St., Chicago, IL 60610 | 312.477.2800

Bar Toma:

I’ve visited Bar Toma twice but only have one set of (not so great) pictures. Bar Toma has an interesting selection of appetizers (including black licorice potato chips – not my thing), but where they really succeed is their diverse selection of pizzas. Pictured above is my Spaniard pizza (chorizo, cilantro, and cheese), but I also really enjoyed the Gamberi pizza (shrimp and pesto) that I had at another visit.

The Details: Bar Toma | 110 East Pearson St., Chicago, IL 60611 | 312.266.3110

July in Instagrams

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A look back at July through the lens of my iPhone:

Row 1: family at Hamilton Lake and a self portrait while shopping; Row 2: dinner at Rockit Burger and the view from a rooftop terrace on Lakeshore Drive; Row 3: the view on my daily L ride home and beautiful glassware in Andersonville; Row 4: the ferris wheel at Navy Pier and sunset over Hamilton Lake; Row 5: more from Hamilton Lake and flower shopping in Andersonville; Row 6: breakfast at Ann Sather and dinner at Old Town Pour House; Row 7: cupcakes at Sprinkles and cake making at Hamilton Lake; Row 8: family at the Lake and tea at the Drake (rhyme time!); Row 9: waffles at Ann Sather and tea at the Drake; Row 10: Lincoln Park Zoo and visiting a yarn shop; Row 11: the Andersonville water tower and the Buckingham Fountain; Row 12: flowers in Lincoln Park and my new planner from Paper Source; Row 13: the First Lady of Fabulous (love it) and tea at the Drake