Eataly

Eataly has multiple locations in Italy and Japan, one in Dubai, one in Istanbul, one in New York, and one in Chicago. The Chicago location opened about a year ago downtown on E Ohio St between Wabash Ave and Rush St. Eataly is a high-end Italian food market with 23 restaurants and 21 retail departments. There are lots of sights, smells, and flavors to take in. It's slightly overwhelming, but once you get comfortable in there, it's really fantastic. Every ingredient used in the restaurants in Eataly is also for sale there.

We ate at the counter at La Pizza, and watched a chef hand-stretch, spin, and pile our Neapolitan-style pizzas with toppings before cooking them in the 900° wood-burning oven for 90 seconds. I ordered the Dolce e Piccante, which is a white pizza with gorgonzola dolce, spicy salami, mozzarella, basil, and extra virgin olive oil. Perfect.

Garlic Sriracha shrimp

Garlic Sriracha shrimp

Ingredients (serves 2):

2 tbsp butter
5 tbsp Sriracha
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb large shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 tbsp fresh basil
2 tbsp fresh mint
2 tbsp lemon zest

1. Heat butter and Sriracha over medium-high heat in a large skillet, and stir until the butter is melted.
2. Add garlic, and heat for another minute.
3. Add shrimp and cook for approximately 3 minutes turning the shrimp frequently until it's finished cooking.
4. Add basil, mint, and lemon zest, and toss to coat the shrimp. Then serve!



Optional: Make a dipping sauce to go along with the shrimp by mixing 1 tbsp Sriracha into 1/4 cup mayonnaise.

Breakfast sandwich with bacon, egg, cheese, avocado, and Sriracha mayonnaise

A simple, spicy breakfast sandwich!

Breakfast sandwich with bacon, egg, cheese, avocado, and Sriracha mayonnaise

Ingredients (serves 2):

4 slices bread
6 rashers bacon
2 eggs
Salt
Pepper
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 slices avocado
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp Sriracha

1. Fry bacon in a skillet on both sides, or bake on an oven rack at 425° for 10 minutes, then set aside.
2. Meanwhile, toast the bread in a toaster or toaster oven.
3. Scramble eggs in a bowl and then add to a skillet over medium heat. Add salt and pepper. Sprinkle cheese into the skillet while the eggs are setting, and fold the egg up like an omelet to finish cooking.
4. Slice avocado, and mix mayonnaise and Sriracha together in a bowl.
5. Layer each sandwich with 3 slices of bacon, half of the egg and cheese, an avocado slice, and a spread of the Sriracha mayonnaise, and enjoy.

Thanksgiving recap

We had a lot to be thankful for this year including very full plates of food on Thanksgiving.



Our Thanksgiving dinner included a simple butter and herb roasted turkey, popovers, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, pimiento macaroni and cheese, zucchini pie, and a raspberry truffle tart for dessert.

I made deviled eggs for an appetizer in the early afternoon. I love them, but my other half doesn't love them so much, mainly because of her distaste for mayonnaise. I opted to stuff some eggs with guacamole for her, and it was a hit!



Here's our zucchini pie:



And here's a slice of our raspberry truffle tart:



I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

The Old Oak Tap

Tonight we grabbed dinner at The Old Oak Tap on W Chicago Ave in Ukrainian Village. It's a casual, beautiful restaurant with high ceilings and chandeliers, but the lighting is too dark.

We started with the Pretzels that came with cheddar stout fondue and horseradish mustard sauce for dipping. The pretzels were soft and warm, and very good.



I had the Old Oak Burger medium well. It was a bit undercooked for me, but it was fine. It came with sweet onion jam, sharp Wisconsin cheddar, and a special sauce on a pretzel bun. I opted to add bacon. It was a large, juicy burger. The jam and sauce made it a little sweet. I had fries on the side, which were also good.



The service was friendly and pretty attentive.

I would love to head back and try their BLT as well as some other menu items.

Piece Brewery and Pizzeria

Tonight we tried out the pizza at Piece Brewery and Pizzeria in Wicker Park on W North Ave between Winchester Ave and North Elk Ave. There was no wait on a Monday night. The restaurant is very dimly lit. It's far too dark. Our pizza was huge! We ordered a medium red pizza (traditional tomato sauce and mozzarella) with half Italian sausage and half green pepper. It wasn't life-changing pizza, but I have no complaints about it. I would go back to this place, but I won't seek it out.

Bacon and pepper jack roll ups

If you've followed this blog for a while, you know that I like to experiment with crescent rolls and biscuits all the time. Here's my latest.

Bacon and pepper jack rolls up

Ingredients (makes 4 roll ups):

1/2 can Pillsbury crescent rolls
3 bacon rashers, cooked
2 slices pepper jack cheese
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp chives

1. Preheat the oven to 375°.
2. Lay out crescent rolls. Break apart pepper jack slices and crumble bacon, and distribute evenly on the wide side of each crescent roll. Roll each crescent roll up, tuck in the ends, place them on a baking sheet, and bake them for 13 minutes or until golden brown.
3. Meanwhile, heat butter until melted.
4. When crescent rolls are done cooking, remove them from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack. Brush each roll with the butter, and immediately sprinkle each one with chives. Serve warm.

Creole shrimp with garlic and lemon

Creole shrimp with garlic and lemon

Ingredients (serves 2):

2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb large shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 1/2 tbsp garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1-2 tbsp Creole seasoning
1 lemon
1/4 cup parsley, chopped

1. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet. Add shrimp, garlic, red bell pepper, and Creole seasoning.
2. Cook until shrimp turns white-orange throughout, flipping once.
3. Serve to plates, and add parsley plus 1/4 lemon juice to each plate. Serve remaining lemon wedges on plates.



Optional: Make a dipping sauce to go along with the shrimp by adding 1 tbsp Creole seasoning to 1/4 cup mayo.

The Buffet at Wynn Las Vegas

While on vacation in Las Vegas, we enjoyed The Buffet at Wynn Las Vegas. We showed up in between breakfast and lunch, so we got to enjoy a large array of menu items including Chorizo hash, eggs benedict, pork sausage, bacon, macaroni and cheese, fried clams, cheddar bratwurst, gelato... It was fantastic!

Pink's Hot Dogs

While on vacation in Las Vegas, we ate at Pink's Hot Dogs on The Strip. Years ago, I went to their landmark restaurant in Los Angeles, and was excited to discover they had a Las Vegas location.

We split Cheese Fries (with nacho cheese sauce), and I ordered a Bacon Chili Cheese Dog (with American cheese, 3 strips of bacon, diced tomatoes, mustard, and onions). It didn't disappoint. Pink's has some of the best hot dogs around!

Southwestern soup

Sometimes I need to make dinner in less than 10 minutes. This is a very fast and easy recipe, and it's enough to serve 2 with leftover sides for later.

Southwestern soup

Ingredients (serves 3):
1 can cooked chicken
1 can chicken and rice
1 can tomato soup
1 can Southwestern black beans
1 can Southwestern corn
1 can Rotel
1 cup shredded cheddar
4 oz Fritos
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tbsp chives

1. Dump all cans into a large saucepan over medium heat, and cook until it boils.
2. Serve into bowls, and garnish with cheddar, Fritos, sour cream, and chives.

Chicken and pepper jack baked pasta

This dinner made for great leftovers, too!

Chicken and pepper jack baked pasta

Ingredients (serves 4):
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 oz penne
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
2 cups milk
Salt
4 oz shredded pepper jack
4 oz shredded cheddar

1. Preheat oven to 425°, and cut the fat off the chicken. Cook chicken for 25 minutes, then cut into bite sized pieces, and reset oven to 350°.
2. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to instructions, and drain.
3. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk to combine. Add milk and salt, continually whisking. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat. Slowly whisk in the pepper jack cheese and 3/4 of the cheddar cheese.
4. Add the chicken, pasta, and cheese mixture to a Pyrex dish, and mix together. Add the last of the cheddar cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes.
5. Let cool before serving.

Breakfast sandwich with spinach, Brie, and bacon

Breakfast sandwich with spinach, Brie, and bacon

Ingredients (serves 2):
4 rashers bacon
1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups baby spinach
2 English muffins
1 tbsp butter
2 eggs
Salt
Pepper
4 slices of Brie cheese

1. Fry bacon in a skillet on both sides, or bake on an oven rack at 425° for 10 minutes, then set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook spinach until wilted.
3. Split English muffins and toast them.
4. Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat, then crack eggs into it, add salt and pepper, and fry until the yolks are soft set. Flip the eggs and cook a minute longer.
5. Slice Brie, and create layers of cheese on both halves of each English muffin. Then sandwich in an egg, spinach, and bacon.

Bacon, Brie, and pear grilled cheese

Bacon, Brie, and pear grilled cheese

Ingredients (serves 2):
4 slices sourdough bread
2 tbsp butter
4 rashers bacon
1/2 pear, sliced
3 oz Brie, sliced

1. Cook bacon per instructions.
2. Assemble sandwich with bacon, pear, and Brie between 2 slices of sourdough.
3. Melt 1/2 tbsp butter in a skillet over medium heat, place the sandwich, then cover for approximately 4 minutes. Add 1/2 tbsp butter, flip, and continue to cook for 3 minutes. Repeat for the second sandwich, and serve warm.

Honkytonk BBQ

We don't get out to Pilsen very often, but were in the neighborhood for a concert at Thalia Hall, and decided to check out Honkytonk BBQ. It's a large restaurant with lots of seating.

I ordered the Hot Links Sandwich, and we split a large side of Mac and Cheese.





I'd recommend checking it out if you're in that neighborhood, but if you're looking for good BBQ in Chicago in general, I'd stick with Smoque BBQ.

Lincoln Station

Lincoln Station on N Lincoln Ave between Montana St and Fullerton Ave is your regular American bar. The staff is nice, their hours are accommodating, and their food is nothing to complain about.

Here's the Chips and Cheese appetizer with added guacamole:


And I went for the Triple Decker Club:


It's not extraordinary, but it's never bad. It's everything you want in the restaurant/bar next to your work, and thankfully, I've got it.

Twisted Tapas

We went to Twisted Tapas in Rogers Park on W Pratt Blvd at Sheridan Rd with a group of 4, plus 2 kids. The atmosphere is open and welcoming. The hosts and servers are very welcoming and were kind to the kids, which we appreciated.

From what we ordered, my favorites were the Lobster Ravioli in a white wine lobster sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil, Grilled Beef Tenderloin crusted with bleu cheese and grilled vegetables, and Spicy Potatoes with cumin-paprika alioli.

The Piggery

We recently watched Sunday football with friends at The Piggery in Lakeview on W Irving Park Rd between Ashland Ave and Marshfield Ave. It was a nice place with enough TV's for everyone to see clearly. The manager came by to say hi, and although it's a Bears (and Wisconsin Badgers) bar, he was very welcoming to the 49ers fans amongst us. They held a drawing for a Bears jersey that said "Piggery" on the back, and one of my friends won it.

I ordered the Sliders, which is a mix and match of 3 out of 6 slider options. I chose Chicken and Waffle, Pulled Pork, and Meatball. I added cheddar to the Pulled Pork, and mozzarella to the Meatball, which came as not quite melted shredded cheese toppings.



The food wasn't great, but fine. The draft list was impressive. The environment was fun, and we had a good time at the bar with friends.

Cafe Ba Ba Reeba

We recently went to Cafe Ba Ba Reeba in Lincoln Park on N Halsted St between Armitage Ave and Lincoln Ave for dinner. It was a place I'd been meaning to try for a while, and now I feel silly for waiting so long because it really lived up to its hype. It's definitely a restaurant suited for foodies, but we felt very comfortable there in casual clothing and picking up shrimps with our hands, and we were surrounded by couples, friends, and families with small children also dining. The restaurant is very open with windows that fully lift up when the weather's nice and warm. It's very deep, making it feel large. The servers are very attentive.

We ordered a pitcher of mango sangria, which is their current seasonal sangria. Our glasses came loaded with fruit, and the servers constantly refilled us from our pitcher on the table.

We ordered the Deviled Egg with Crispy Jamón Serrano, which is a pinxto, so it's a bite-size dish. It was amazing.



We ordered the Spicy Potatoes with Tomato Alioli aka Patatas Bravas. The alioli was great, and the potatoes were less spicy than what we're used to when ordering similar dishes. Still, it was very good.



We ordered the Beef Tenderloin and Bleu Cheese. It came with chips on the side. The beef was juicy, and perfectly cooked to my liking.



We ordered the Seafood Paella with Shrimp, Bay Scallops, Monkfish, and Green Beans. Paella can only be ordered in 2 servings at a time because of the way it's prepared in the paellera (a large, shallow dish). They bring out the paellera to your table, then separate the dish between two plates for you. If you've never had paella, it's unlike anything else you've ever tasted. The blend of flavors is spectacular, and this dish was amazing. It takes about 30 minutes to cook paella, so order it early.



By this point, we were stuffed, and already prepared to bring home leftovers; however, when we were presented with a dessert menu, we couldn't resist tasting one more thing at this restaurant. The desserts are tapas as well, so they're small plates. We got the cutest Chocolate Truffle Cake, and it was as great as everything else, rich and full of flavor.



The blending of flavors here is what makes everything so fantastic. My advice to you is to order absolutely anything here that sounds good to you. We never made one bad decision, except maybe we ate too much. But I'd do it again.

Noodles in the Pot

The other day for lunch, we tried Noodles in the Pot in Lincoln Park on N Halsted St between Atgeld St and Fullerton Ave.

It was a cute atmosphere, and we sat outside on the patio soaking up one of the last days of summer. Our service was very nice.

We ordered the Crab Rangoon to share. They're bite-size, but good.



I ordered the Fried Rice with chicken. It was very tasty, and I hardly made a dent in it. I had leftovers to take with me. It turned out to be enough for two meals for me.

Italian sausage and peppers

A simple, colorful, and tasty dinner!

Italian sausage and peppers

Ingredients (makes 2 servings):
2 spicy turkey Italian sausage links
1/4 red onion
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 orange bell pepper
1/2 yellow bell pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
Pepper
Salt

1. Remove casing from the Italian sausage, and cut into large chunks. Cut onion and peppers into large chunks.
2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage, and cook on all sides until all sides are browned. Add pepper and salt.
3. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in another skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until it turns translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the peppers, and cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring and flipping often.
4. Mix the Italian sausage, onion, and peppers in a bowl together, and serve.

Bites Asian Tapas

Between jobs and amidst our crazy schedules, my partner and I managed to find the time to meet each other for dinner at Bites Asian Tapas on Clark St between Buckingham Pl and School St in Lakeview.

We ordered the Crab Croquette together. It was interesting, tasty, and served on a perfect plate for sharing.



I ordered the Korean Burger, which is spicy pork, lettuce, tomatoes, egg, and bim bap sauce. I liked it a lot. It came with taro fries and a sriracha ketchup.

Harold's Chicken Shack

We recently went to the Harold's Chicken Shack on N Milwaukee Ave between Wood St and Wolcott Ave in Wicker Park. Harold's is a chain based out of Chicago.

Two of us ordered the 1/2 Dark Chicken Dinner to share. It comes with 2 legs, 2 thighs, and french fries served over white bread. We chose the mild sauce, which covered everything.

It takes about 20 minutes for them to prepare your food.

Honestly, I didn't really like it. I didn't like the sauce, and that there was so much of it. I thought the fries were plain, and the chicken was bland. Many people rave about this chicken, but I just didn't get it.

Windy City Smokeout

Windy City Smokeout is quickly becoming one of my favorite food festivals in the city. Here's what I ate...

The Salt Lick: Sausage.
The staff was very nice, and it was good.


Bub City: Pulled Pork Sandwich & BBQ Cheese Fries.
The Pulled Pork Sandwich was less than mediocre, but the BBQ Cheese Fries was the perfect blend of flavors.



Smoque BBQ: Jalapeño-Cheddar Sausage.
This was my favorite thing at the festival, just above the BBQ Cheese Fries. It was fantastic.

Taste of Chicago

I've been waiting for a free minute to write my thoughts about Taste of Chicago 2014. My partner and I shared 60 tickets just like last year, but this time we tried more "Taste" items than last year, which are smaller portions. Here's the rundown of what we tasted, and your SKIP IT or EAT IT suggestions:

Brasserie by LM: Taste of Croque Monsieur Sandwich.
This was from a pop-up restaurant that was only there for a few days. It was pretty good, but the serving was very small. SKIP IT.


Carbon Live Fire Mexican Grill: Tequila-Lime Marinated Chicken Taco.
I just tried a small bite, but my partner loved this. It was one of her favorite things at Taste. EAT IT.


The Noodle Vietnamese: Taste of Crab Rangoon.
We had had this before, and it's not our favorite, but sometimes we just crave crab rangoon. SKIP IT.


Chicago's Dog House: Taste of Infused Cheddar Bacon Sausage.
This was one of the more interesting things I tried, and it was presented well. I liked it a lot. EAT IT.


Lawrence's Fisheries: Taste of Large Fried Shrimp.
It was a small serving, and was very dry without much flavor. SKIP IT.


Billy Goat Inn: Taste of 1/2 Cheeseburger.
The bun was bulky and dry, and the patty was thin, and there wasn't much flavor. SKIP IT.


Caffe Gelato: Bacio (Chocolate Hazelnut).
It was hot. There was cold gelato. EAT/SKIP IT.


Connie's Pizza: Taste of Half Deep Dish Cheese.
Lots of cheese, and a bargain. EAT IT.


M Burger: Taste of Bacon Grilled Cheese Sandwich.
It was very plain, and nothing special. SKIP IT.


Franco's Ristorante: Italian Watermelon Ice.
Did I mention is was hot out? EAT/SKIP IT.


BJ's Market & Bakery: Taste of Mustard-Fried Catfish.
I liked this a lot, and the serving was a good size. EAT IT.


The Fat Shallot: Taste of Truffle Fries
This was from a food truck stationed there for a few days. We both loved the fries! EAT IT.