Monti's

A few weeks ago, we went back to Monti's on N Talman Ave between Lawrence Ave and Leland Ave in Lincoln Square. As a Philly girl in Chicago, the continuous quest for a proper cheesesteak is very real. Monti's has it, and we've visited the restaurant a few times now.

The walls are decorated with posters of Philly landmarks and pennants for the Phillies, Eagles, Sixers, Flyers, Penn State, Temple, etc. They have several high tops, booths, and seats at the bar.

I always order a Philly Cheesesteak wiz wit. It's thinly sliced black angus rib-eye with an aged cheddar sauce and onions served on an imported Philly Amoroso roll. I appreciate that they don't try to add extra junk to the sandwich like peppers, mushrooms, lettuce, and tomato because by that point it's not a cheesesteak anymore, it's an imposter. This is just a real deal authentic cheesesteak. It comes with fries on side that are also very good. The dessert menu includes water ice and Tastycakes. Could I ask for anything more?



If you ever find yourself in Chicago missing Philly, go to Monti's for a taste of home.

Chicago's Dog House

Today, I grabbed lunch at Chicago's Dog House on Fullerton Ave between Chalmers St and Lincoln Ave in Lincoln Park. I've been to this place a few times. It's small. There are two booths, and about 8 counter seats. There's a cluttered chalkboard menu above the counter that can be hard to read at first. The counter is where you place your order, and your food is prepared upon ordering. There is usually only one person working in the restaurant, so service tends to be slow for a hot dog joint.

They have a fun menu with classic Chicago-style dogs, specialty dogs, gourmet sausages (such as duck, buffalo, elk, lamb, and alligator), and a few burgers and chicken sandwiches. Also, all hot dogs can be substituted with a veggie or turkey dog.

One of my favorite hot dogs is the Mayor Daley Hot Dog, which I ordered today. It's topped with Irish cheddar, caramelized onions, and smokey Dijon. The hot dog itself is on the small side, but the toppings are fantastic. On the side, I got cheese frips, which are a mix between a French fry and potato chip. They're made fresh with a spiral cutter retrofitted with an electric drill. Pretty crazy.

Bottlefork

Tonight, we had a nice dinner at Bottlefork in the River North neighborhood before catching a show downtown.

It's a small-medium sized restaurant, trendy and popular, and we had a reservation. Our server was really lovely, and helped to make it a great dining experience.

We started with the Tots, which were delivered to our table quickly. They're russet potatoes cooled in the fridge overnight, cut into large squares, then deep-fried, and tossed in a Southern-style pimento cheese sauce. They were amazing.



I ordered the Wood Grilled Ground Bacon Burger, well done. It is 70% beef and 30% bacon, and is topped with Vermillion Blue cheese, shoestring potatoes, special sauce. It comes with a pickle on top, and Kennebec fries with spicy ketchup on the side.



Our dishes were prepared with impeccable technique and attention to detail. It was a great dinner!

Bagel breakfast sandwich with bacon, egg, cheddar, garlic chive cream cheese, and Sriracha mayo

Bagel breakfast sandwich with bacon, egg, cheddar, garlic chive cream cheese, and Sriracha mayo

Ingredients (serves 1):

1 plain bagel
Cooking spray
1 egg
3 slices bacon
1 slice cheddar cheese
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp chives
1 tbsp plain cream cheese
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp Sriracha

1. Toast the bagel.
2. Fry the bacon in a skillet over medium heat, flipping often. Or bake according to instructions.
3. Scramble the egg in a bowl, and spray a skillet with cooking spray. Cook the egg in the skillet over medium heat. I like to fold the egg in on itself into quarters to keep it together and neat.
4. Mince garlic cloves, and mix with chives and cream cheese. Spread the mixture on one side of the bagel.
5. Mix the mayonnaise and Sriracha together, then spread the mixture on the other side of the bagel.
6. Assemble the sandwich layering the egg, cheese slice, and bacon inside the bagel.

Super Bowl snack stadium

I built the stadium with a big cardboard box and cut out pieces to make sections. Then I put a Pyrex dish in the center and separated sections inside of it with pieces cut from an aluminum foil pan. I filled all of the sections not in the Pyrex dish with wax tissue paper. Then I filled it all up.

Sections included:
The field: Guacamole
End zone: French onion dip
End zone: Salsa
Field stands: Assorted crackers
Field stands: Tortilla chips
End zone stands: Grapes
End zone stands: Pigs in a blanket
Corner: Assorted julienned bell peppers
Corner: Italian meat and mozzarella wraps
Corner: Celery stalks and baby carrots
Corner: Assorted cheese slices