WHAT: Feast
WHERE: Gold Coast location, Rush and Delaware
WHY: When Sara was in town, I wanted a fun, casual place for dinner where we could sit outside and catch up. In comes Feast, a trendy-casual restaurant in the Gold Coast with outdoor seating perfect for people watching. The menu is big enough to please everyone, with our table ordering salads, crab cakes, turkey burgers and pizzas. The prices and budget friendly, especially if you go for the appetizers that are really big enough to be entrees. Their wine list is delicious, too.
FAVORITE: The dip trio appetizer. It comes with three homemade dips: spinach and artichoke, roasted red pepper and walnut and hummus, with fresh-baked pita toasts on the side.
TIP: If you're in a rush but still want a delicious meal, head to their grocer right next door for a great selection of salads, sandwiches and snacks.
Showing posts with label restaurants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label restaurants. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
Hungry for...
WHAT: Table 52
WHERE: Elm and Dearborn, Gold Coast
WHY: Weeks ago, I saw a profile of this restaurant on the Food Network, naming it the best fried chicken in the country. The chef and owner is Art Smith, Oprah's former personal chef turned celebrity. So, naturally, after I told my dad he insisted that we go immediately, if not sooner. And to make things even more convenient? The restaurant is nicely located just three short blocks from my new apartment downtown. The only thing that made the situation even better... was the unbelievable southern food.
FOOD: Naturally, everyone but my friend, Eve, ordered the fried chicken, and her choice was decided simply because she is a vegetarian. She got the smoked salmon pizza which was also very good. My dad took it upon himself to order some appetizers and sides for the table, so when all was said and done, we had ordered pretty much the entire menu. The shrimp and grits appetizer and the sweet potato side topped my favorites that night.
TIP: The fried chicken is only on the menu on Sundays and Mondays, so if that's why you're going like the rest of the world, make a reservation and make it early. They start serving dinner at 4:45 p.m. those nights, especially to accommodate the mass crowds that always show up.
WHERE: Elm and Dearborn, Gold Coast
WHY: Weeks ago, I saw a profile of this restaurant on the Food Network, naming it the best fried chicken in the country. The chef and owner is Art Smith, Oprah's former personal chef turned celebrity. So, naturally, after I told my dad he insisted that we go immediately, if not sooner. And to make things even more convenient? The restaurant is nicely located just three short blocks from my new apartment downtown. The only thing that made the situation even better... was the unbelievable southern food.
FOOD: Naturally, everyone but my friend, Eve, ordered the fried chicken, and her choice was decided simply because she is a vegetarian. She got the smoked salmon pizza which was also very good. My dad took it upon himself to order some appetizers and sides for the table, so when all was said and done, we had ordered pretty much the entire menu. The shrimp and grits appetizer and the sweet potato side topped my favorites that night.
TIP: The fried chicken is only on the menu on Sundays and Mondays, so if that's why you're going like the rest of the world, make a reservation and make it early. They start serving dinner at 4:45 p.m. those nights, especially to accommodate the mass crowds that always show up.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Hungry for...
WHAT: Quartino
WHERE: Corner of State and Ontario
WHY: As one of our first real nights in the city, my friends wanted a fun place to eat that wasn't too expensive with great food and even better wine. I had been here before with my family and knew from experience that the food was delicious and very reasonably priced. The restaurant is always packed, so when we went at 8:30 for our reservation, we weren't surprised to enter a bustling, noisy dining room. The food was excellent, focusing on small, classic Italian dishes that come out as they're ready and are meant for sharing. I got an heirloom tomato salad and poached shrimp, all for just $9. And you get all the delicious, crusty bread you can eat with their imported olive oil for dipping.
FAVORITE: The sangria. We knew we wanted wine, but the fruity drink was hard to resist, especially at just $10 for an entire liter.
MUST: The pizzas. They're all delicious, especially the fresh zucchini pizza.
WHERE: Corner of State and Ontario
WHY: As one of our first real nights in the city, my friends wanted a fun place to eat that wasn't too expensive with great food and even better wine. I had been here before with my family and knew from experience that the food was delicious and very reasonably priced. The restaurant is always packed, so when we went at 8:30 for our reservation, we weren't surprised to enter a bustling, noisy dining room. The food was excellent, focusing on small, classic Italian dishes that come out as they're ready and are meant for sharing. I got an heirloom tomato salad and poached shrimp, all for just $9. And you get all the delicious, crusty bread you can eat with their imported olive oil for dipping.
FAVORITE: The sangria. We knew we wanted wine, but the fruity drink was hard to resist, especially at just $10 for an entire liter.
MUST: The pizzas. They're all delicious, especially the fresh zucchini pizza.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Hungry for...
CRAVING: Prairie Grass
WHERE: Northbrook, Illinois, just north of Chicago
WHY: My family has been going here for dinner for years. The food is beyond excellent. It's been reviewed as some of the best food in the North Shore of Chicago year after year. The service is wonderful, the menu is the perfect size and I've never ordered something I didn't like. So, when we found out that they serve brunch, we made a reservation for the first Sunday they had available.
WHAT: Smoked salmon open face omelet with chive cream cheese, breakfast potatoes and toast with homemade jam. I don't know what about that could sound bad to anyone. It was unbelievable and a perfect amount of food. And though I didn't order it for myself, my brother got banana bread french toast stuffed with sweet cream cheese that was heavenly.
TIP: The restaurant grows a lot of it's own herbs and gets it's produce and protein locally. So, anything on the menu with those ingredients is sure to be fresh and delicious.
WHERE: Northbrook, Illinois, just north of Chicago
WHY: My family has been going here for dinner for years. The food is beyond excellent. It's been reviewed as some of the best food in the North Shore of Chicago year after year. The service is wonderful, the menu is the perfect size and I've never ordered something I didn't like. So, when we found out that they serve brunch, we made a reservation for the first Sunday they had available.
WHAT: Smoked salmon open face omelet with chive cream cheese, breakfast potatoes and toast with homemade jam. I don't know what about that could sound bad to anyone. It was unbelievable and a perfect amount of food. And though I didn't order it for myself, my brother got banana bread french toast stuffed with sweet cream cheese that was heavenly.
TIP: The restaurant grows a lot of it's own herbs and gets it's produce and protein locally. So, anything on the menu with those ingredients is sure to be fresh and delicious.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
An apple a day... er, a pancake a day?
I'm hungry for breakfast.
I never used to be a breakfast person. Not only was it my least favorite meal of the day, but I was one of those people who would feel sick if I ate anything too early in the day. This was who I was, that is, until I had the whole grain banana pancakes from Country Kitchen in Highland Park.
I'm well aware that pancakes are naturally a great breakfast food. Chocolate, banana, blueberry, oat, plain, buckwheat. The options are endless. But until you've had these whole grain banana pancakes, you have never tasted a great pancake. They are cooked perfectly with just the right amount of bananas included, and when you top them with syrup, you'll inevitably be part of the clean plate club.
When I got these for the first time, my friend Alexi and I ordered a plate to share in addition to an omelette. Needless to say, the omelette was barely touched and we both not-so-secretly wanted to order a second plate of these delectable breakfast cakes.
Now, I understand that not everyone (including myself) has time to have such a time-intensive breakfast every morning. But since these pancakes, I have now started to eat breakfast on a regular basis. Doctors and nutritionists say that you have to eat breakfast, that you won't be able to function without it. And for the first time in my whole life, I agree with them.
Here are some easy fixes that I love for anyone on-the-go:
Fresh fruit (grapes and apples are the easiest to take with you)
Greek yogurt with cereal (pack the cereal separately so when you get to work you can add it to the yogurt)
Breakfast bars (the best are Fiber One Plus almond and dark chocolate)
If you're not a breakfast person, you clearly just have not really experienced the meal yet with these amazing pancakes.
I never used to be a breakfast person. Not only was it my least favorite meal of the day, but I was one of those people who would feel sick if I ate anything too early in the day. This was who I was, that is, until I had the whole grain banana pancakes from Country Kitchen in Highland Park.
I'm well aware that pancakes are naturally a great breakfast food. Chocolate, banana, blueberry, oat, plain, buckwheat. The options are endless. But until you've had these whole grain banana pancakes, you have never tasted a great pancake. They are cooked perfectly with just the right amount of bananas included, and when you top them with syrup, you'll inevitably be part of the clean plate club.
When I got these for the first time, my friend Alexi and I ordered a plate to share in addition to an omelette. Needless to say, the omelette was barely touched and we both not-so-secretly wanted to order a second plate of these delectable breakfast cakes.
Now, I understand that not everyone (including myself) has time to have such a time-intensive breakfast every morning. But since these pancakes, I have now started to eat breakfast on a regular basis. Doctors and nutritionists say that you have to eat breakfast, that you won't be able to function without it. And for the first time in my whole life, I agree with them.
Here are some easy fixes that I love for anyone on-the-go:
Fresh fruit (grapes and apples are the easiest to take with you)
Greek yogurt with cereal (pack the cereal separately so when you get to work you can add it to the yogurt)
Breakfast bars (the best are Fiber One Plus almond and dark chocolate)
If you're not a breakfast person, you clearly just have not really experienced the meal yet with these amazing pancakes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)