Birchwood Kitchen- Chicago

While brunching this weekend in Chicago we spontaneously decided to check out Birchwood Kitchen in Bucktown. I instantly liked the warm cozy neighborhood vibe once we walked in. Although there was a bit of a wait (not unlike most brunch spots in Chicago) we were ushered to the back patio for free coffee and samplings of their banana chocolate chip bread. An amuse bouche under the sun while waiting? Yes, please! The rest of the meal was in-line w/ the lovely service and cozy atmosphere. Check it out for your next brunch spot!

Lazy Sunday: Apple Cake Receipe

This past weekend I went back to Chicago to visit some friends and family. Warren and I joined my sister and her fiance (congrats!) at their apartment for lazy Sunday cooking, watching football and relaxing. It was really the perfect day. My sis and her beau are quite the hosts and between the two of them they made an amazing dinner: 2-meat chili w/ macaroni, jalapeno and cheddar corn bread and apple cake all made from scratch. So delish!  Check out the meal and below a walk-through of Gwyneth Paltrow's  apple cake recipe my sister made. A perfect fall meal!

 

 The last picture is a very simple apple cake recipe she found on Gwyneth Paltrow's blog. Here it is below...

The apple cake completed the amazing Chili and  cornbread. Hope you get to celebrate fall in your own way!

Giordano Bros.

Behold the best sandwich in San Francisco. Ok, the best sandwich (I've) had happens to be from a Pittsburgh bar in North Beach. If you want to challenge me send me some suggestions and I'll try them! :) Also, this sandwich spot is the perfect Sunday football location!

State Bird Provisions

I realize I'm obsessed with food when my heart skips a beat at the thought of food à la carte... and the difficulty I have saying no to pretty people bringing me pretty food. State bird has a unique name but what's more unique are the concentrated flavors and unique pairings. Tapas style American food in a cozy atmosphere. I got to be my friend Steph's date, and what better way to celebrate her recent engagement than over amazing food and wine. Congrats dear! Thanks for introducing me to a new spot!

State bird is in Western Addition/NOPA neighborhood. Check it out!

Slurping Turtle - Chicago

Last time I was in Chicago my sister and I finally checked out Takashi's Slurping Turtle in river north. It's amazing how much of an empire Takashi has built for himself in Chicago. I've been to the food court at Macy's and Takashi restaurant and both were amazing. The restaurant was by far my favorite. Slurping turtle was pretty awesome too. The staff were friendly and the noodles were piping hot. Check it out.

Yums. I liked the lower one better, because the broth was spicy and the mushrooms were tasty. But both were very yummy. We also got the duck fat fried chicken which was way too rich for my liking. The lunch concluded with ice cream and a special appearance by Takashi himself, walking the floor. This will be my second Takashi sighting. :)

Happy 4th!

Sorry for the lateness but happy 4th of July!! Here is a pic from my day at Dolores Park with friends, food and lots of interesting people watching. Hope yours was as entertaining!

Lillie's Q - Chicago

Craving BBQ in Chicago? Well, you have plenty of options for authentic yummy BBQ which is going to hit the spot now that the weather is getting nicer. Last weekend while I was in Chicago Warren and I were feeling lazy so instead of our planned fancy schmancy dinner we decided to take a walk in his new neighborhood and check out Lillie's Q on North Avenue.

Sorry for the grainy photos. My Canon wasn't with me. So on the table sits a variety of amazing sauces to personalize your BBQ. Lots to choose from and the servers will go into the specifics as you wish. And of course, beers and water in Mason jars (not a new concept in these parts).

I ordered the pulled pork (below) with a side of slaw and some pretty bomb mac n'cheese. It was delish! Loved the fluffy bun and moist pork. Warren got the tri-tip which was also amazing with a side of greens and sweet potato fries. I really have no complaints. The food was right on and really worth the hype. It was packed on a Sunday night and service was very friendly. Check it out for yourself! You can even do take out. Also, they are hosting BBQ classes. How fun!

Exploring

I'm kinda lucky to be living in the bay area. And I love having visitors because it gives me a great excuse to explore. Check out some recent explorations.

Lavash

Found my favorite Persian restaurant in SF!! Ugh. So good. Bf and I went to check it out a few weeks back. We started with some tea and dough ( a yogurt drink) then kabob and fesenjoun (walnut lamb dish). It was so good we were stuffed. Love this place and I'll be back!

The Model Bakery - St. Helena

I don't know what show I was watching on the Food network that mentioned the English Muffins at The Model Bakery but all I know is I had to try this place. So on the drive to Coppola Winery with my sis we had to stop and see for ourselves. How can a English Muffin be so good you say? Um. When they are dripping with butter, crispy and crusty and piping hot. Oh yea. This was the most amazing thing I've eaten in awhile. Check it...

Francis Ford Coppola Winery

Hey there! It's been awhile. Last weekend my lovely sister was in town to help me kick off spring break. She's kinda awesome, and I realize how lucky I am to have a big sis who always knows how to cheer me up and give me great advice. So she got a Gilt deal for a three course meal and wine pairings at Francis Ford Coppola Winery so we thought we'd make a day of it! Little did we know it would be a long, longggg drive North in the pouring rain! It's ok. It was still super fun to spend some time together.

 Crazy drive through St.Helena and the country side. Note to self; see Napa in the summer time!

And the food...

The winery itself has Coppola's memorabilia for display and sits on land with a pool accessible for visitors. I wish it wasn't pouring, or freezing or else we would've come earlier in the day to enjoy the view. The prix fix menu was pretty good. We both got the steaks and zucchini fries to start. She had the Cesar salad and I had the house. The dessert was also lovely. The wine pairings were amazing and they didn't skimp on the pours. I really really enjoyed this meal. So fun!

Arami - Chicago

This is a late post - but I went to Arami for dinner with the bf when I was back over Valentine's Day. This place is so randomly hidden amongst the store front's on Chicago Avenue I realize I must have driven by it dozens of times without noticing. The interior is so cozy. There is a front bar area a middle dining area and a back atrium with more dinning space. Fireplaces and plants are all around, making for a cozy dinning experience. Here is what we got.

Mmm. So. Good. The noodles were bomb. And the sushi was to die for. Nom.