And, we got a Christmas tree this week, and appropriately decorated it with barware (see inset).
Sunday, December 13, 2009
a week in pictures
We got a couch this week. Come relax on our chaise.
And, we got a Christmas tree this week, and appropriately decorated it with barware (see inset).
And, we got a Christmas tree this week, and appropriately decorated it with barware (see inset).
a week in review
* I think they named the Chicago football team the Bears because it is so cold that all you want to do is hibernate in the winter. It was 2 degrees the other day and, according to weather.com, it felt like 20 below with the windchill factor! Wind has been blowing this week up to 38 mph. I almost blew away.
* Fantastic Mr. Fox is excellent. Go see it — it lives up to the hype (that I've heard on NPR). They had to beef up the storyline a bit, but it's done successfully without messing with the integrity of the slim novel I remember as a child. If for nothing else, see it for the workmanship of the animators.
* The Bristol has a nice brunch. Big salty bloody marys with a splash of beer in them. Chilaquiles of a manageable size, with braised pork.
highS :: bloody mary, chilaquiles, everything was good to eat
lowS :: the bar didn't have enough leg room — not a horrible low
In NYC :: try Schiller's Liquor Bar
* Time Out Chicago came up with a list of 100 best things we ate (or drank) this year. We had already eaten the pork sliders at Goose Island. And this week, we were able to get the chile relleno at Rustico Grille. The chile is not stuffed with the usual cheese — it is served room temperature, stuffed with a vinegary mix of carrots, potatoes and chorizo. Excellent appetizer for a lactose-intolerant person like myself.
highS :: chile relleno, braise pork, pumpkin mole, blackberry açaí margarita, bathroom was nice and warm
lowS :: none to speak of
In NYC :: Rosa Mexicano or Dos Caminos, but really the Mexican food here in Chicago is unparalleled.
* Fantastic Mr. Fox is excellent. Go see it — it lives up to the hype (that I've heard on NPR). They had to beef up the storyline a bit, but it's done successfully without messing with the integrity of the slim novel I remember as a child. If for nothing else, see it for the workmanship of the animators.
* The Bristol has a nice brunch. Big salty bloody marys with a splash of beer in them. Chilaquiles of a manageable size, with braised pork.
highS :: bloody mary, chilaquiles, everything was good to eat
lowS :: the bar didn't have enough leg room — not a horrible low
In NYC :: try Schiller's Liquor Bar
* Time Out Chicago came up with a list of 100 best things we ate (or drank) this year. We had already eaten the pork sliders at Goose Island. And this week, we were able to get the chile relleno at Rustico Grille. The chile is not stuffed with the usual cheese — it is served room temperature, stuffed with a vinegary mix of carrots, potatoes and chorizo. Excellent appetizer for a lactose-intolerant person like myself.
highS :: chile relleno, braise pork, pumpkin mole, blackberry açaí margarita, bathroom was nice and warm
lowS :: none to speak of
In NYC :: Rosa Mexicano or Dos Caminos, but really the Mexican food here in Chicago is unparalleled.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
some new eats
Folklore... looks nice, but isn't. This Argentine steak house made us wait 3 times longer than they original estimate, with no effort made to compensate for this oversight. Good chimichurri and melted cheese appetizer, but I'm not going back.
In NYC :: I'd go Brazilian at Churrascaria Plataforma
Vong's Thai Kitchen... serves decent pad thai (it seemed a bit Italian, somehow), but not much else. Some pan-Asian appetizers were decent, but curries seemed inauthentic. Doughnut dessert was the highlight. This is the second Thai restaurant we've been to in Chicago, and the second with NO green papaya or green mango salad. WTF? Do Thai restaurants in Chicago not have access to these fruits?
highS :: doughnut dessert
lowS :: pretty much, everything else
In NYC :: try any other Thai restaurant in NYC or NJ.
Le Bouchon... has a $25 prix fixe dinner on Tuesday nights - any appetizer, any entree and any dessert. The escargots were a little funny - my suggestion would be more garlic, a little salt, and a new snail supplier. We were mystified by old fashioned cocktail, ordered at the bar, that featured grenadine - undrinkable. The skate special was decent, but would have been helped by some salty capers. Profiteroles were tough, and they were pretty stingy with the creme anglaise. Service was decent, considering a slight wait at an unlawfully crowded bar and the fact that we had a reservation.
highS :: waitress service, bread
lowS :: escargots, old fashioned
In NYC :: Schiller's Liquor Bar, Balthazar, Cafe D'Alsace, French Roast, Pigalle, Maison
In NYC :: I'd go Brazilian at Churrascaria Plataforma
Vong's Thai Kitchen... serves decent pad thai (it seemed a bit Italian, somehow), but not much else. Some pan-Asian appetizers were decent, but curries seemed inauthentic. Doughnut dessert was the highlight. This is the second Thai restaurant we've been to in Chicago, and the second with NO green papaya or green mango salad. WTF? Do Thai restaurants in Chicago not have access to these fruits?
highS :: doughnut dessert
lowS :: pretty much, everything else
In NYC :: try any other Thai restaurant in NYC or NJ.
Le Bouchon... has a $25 prix fixe dinner on Tuesday nights - any appetizer, any entree and any dessert. The escargots were a little funny - my suggestion would be more garlic, a little salt, and a new snail supplier. We were mystified by old fashioned cocktail, ordered at the bar, that featured grenadine - undrinkable. The skate special was decent, but would have been helped by some salty capers. Profiteroles were tough, and they were pretty stingy with the creme anglaise. Service was decent, considering a slight wait at an unlawfully crowded bar and the fact that we had a reservation.
highS :: waitress service, bread
lowS :: escargots, old fashioned
In NYC :: Schiller's Liquor Bar, Balthazar, Cafe D'Alsace, French Roast, Pigalle, Maison
some CHIcago observations
- Chicago is very windy... from WIND. Forget everything you hear about politicians or the World's Fair. It's plainly very windy here, and that is why it's a deserved moniker.
- I have seen many small dead birds on the sidewalk. I've come to realize that this is much less jarring than seeing dead pigeons. So, I'm ok with this.
- There are a lot of visibly homeless, begging for change. New York City seems to win this battle.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Table Fifty-Two
Art Smith, who recently finished fourth on Top Chef Masters, has a restaurant in Chicago called Table Fifty-Two. Service was decent, but a little spotty. Two incidents come to mind: the more expensive (twice as much) version of the wine we ordered came to our table, but when it was questioned, we were reassured it was the wine we ordered. It was NOT. Then our 2 desserts came at least 10 minutes apart - the latecomer was a piece of cake that just needed to be sliced and plated with gelato and canned pineapple - doesn't seem like there was an excuse for this. Nevertheless, most of the food here was wonderful. There were maple short ribs that were not too sweet; buttery baked catfish, sophisticated yet homey mac and cheese, and tangy collard greens. We were hoping Art Smith would peak his head out of the kitchen, but he did not. Maybe next time!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
cloudy
With a Chance of Meatballs... is a fun movie with spectacularly, if not a bit creepy at times, animated characters and food. Sometimes, there are even characters animated as food! I'm not sure if you remember, but the children's story was a little thin on plot. Here they've beefed it up a bit, no pun intended. I was a little disappointed, though, that there were no mashed potato mountain with a pat of butter on it. I give it 3.5/5 stars.
District 9 is a great movie, that I wasn't too excited to see, but turned out to be rather enjoyable. It's shot documentary-style and has pretty decent CGI for the "prawn"-like aliens - it ends up looking rather real. There is subtle commentary on race and society which can spur some interesting conversations. 4.5/5 stars.
Extract was a slightly disappointing Mike Judge movie. I'm willing to give this one another shot when it's played repeatedly on Comedy Central. Although, I'm not sure it will become the classic that Office Space has become. 3/5 stars.
Let me also take this time to mention that on Tuesdays in Chicago, you can go to the movies for $6, and you get free popcorn. There's also Kettle Corn salt or cheese to sprinkle on! Parking not included.
District 9 is a great movie, that I wasn't too excited to see, but turned out to be rather enjoyable. It's shot documentary-style and has pretty decent CGI for the "prawn"-like aliens - it ends up looking rather real. There is subtle commentary on race and society which can spur some interesting conversations. 4.5/5 stars.
Extract was a slightly disappointing Mike Judge movie. I'm willing to give this one another shot when it's played repeatedly on Comedy Central. Although, I'm not sure it will become the classic that Office Space has become. 3/5 stars.
Let me also take this time to mention that on Tuesdays in Chicago, you can go to the movies for $6, and you get free popcorn. There's also Kettle Corn salt or cheese to sprinkle on! Parking not included.
hot asian buns
Went to Wow Bao yesterday for lunch and tried to sample all 6 savory buns. Unfortunately or fortunately, we got 2 kung pao chicken and no chicken teriyaki. The buns were quite good and quick, and I look forward to trying their chocolate, custard and the elusive chicken teriyaki in the future.
highS :: kung pao chicken bun, mongolian beef bun
lowS :: vegetarian bun - not sure if it was the whole wheat bun or the veggies...
In NYC :: try Rickshaw dumpling for a similar vibe. I don't think they have buns, though.
highS :: kung pao chicken bun, mongolian beef bun
lowS :: vegetarian bun - not sure if it was the whole wheat bun or the veggies...
In NYC :: try Rickshaw dumpling for a similar vibe. I don't think they have buns, though.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
I declare it winter
Brrr, it is cold in Chicago. I have seen gloves, scarves, hats and puffy coats make multiple appearances, and it's not even Halloween. It also seems to be an excuse for a lot of sweatpants wearing in public...
The thermometer in my car registered 38° F last night. And, this morning people had to go out and run 26.2 miles!
The thermometer in my car registered 38° F last night. And, this morning people had to go out and run 26.2 miles!
Friday, October 9, 2009
urban belly
Went to Urban Belly the other night, a noodle shop in Logan Square. Nice logo. Rude hostess. We're told 40-45 minutes for COUNTER service. Are you kidding me? Are the noodles going to be a revelation?
A waiting area is nonexistent - we graduated from the wind-catcher entrance to the small hallway in front of the bathroom. Whoopee.
Finally, we get called and put in our order at the counter. Service from here is fast, but not everyone is served at the same time. Food is good, but not mind-blowingly. Nothing seems terribly authentic. And, nothing is subtle or mild. Dumpling sauces are cloying and sticky, masking any flavor of the actual dumpling. Some sort of unidentified tofu-like objects (fish cakes) float in the chicken mango rice cake soup. Be sure to check out the specials... the best of the bunch was the kogi ramen special.
highS :: counter service person, broth of kogi ramen
lowS :: hostess, "waiting" area
in NYC :: go to Momofuku Noodle Bar, Ippudo, Naruto for decidedly better ramen.
A waiting area is nonexistent - we graduated from the wind-catcher entrance to the small hallway in front of the bathroom. Whoopee.
Finally, we get called and put in our order at the counter. Service from here is fast, but not everyone is served at the same time. Food is good, but not mind-blowingly. Nothing seems terribly authentic. And, nothing is subtle or mild. Dumpling sauces are cloying and sticky, masking any flavor of the actual dumpling. Some sort of unidentified tofu-like objects (fish cakes) float in the chicken mango rice cake soup. Be sure to check out the specials... the best of the bunch was the kogi ramen special.
highS :: counter service person, broth of kogi ramen
lowS :: hostess, "waiting" area
in NYC :: go to Momofuku Noodle Bar, Ippudo, Naruto for decidedly better ramen.
about susanK
I just moved to Chicago from New York City. I'm a food enthusiast trying to figure out why they call Chicago the Second City, how windy it really is here, and what to do with my recyclables. I'm trying to find equivalents for Franny's pizza, Momofuku's ramen, Lupa's bellinis and Katz's pastrami. I'm hoping to stay the same size while battling enormous portions and looking for the cream of the Midwestern crop. Or will I need the insulation to get through the winter?
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