Hubbard Inn

Here it is, my new favorite bar - Hubbard Inn. A third because of the dark and old school interior, a third because of the unique drink choices (very Violet Hour-ish) and a third because of our bartender Benjamin. I heart you Ben, and I heart your ensemble, and your sweet mixology skills. Not to mention the drinks that got my sister and I bombed, and resulted in a dance party in my living room.

We stumbled in here after the post-st.patty's day options grew tiresome and I was not in the mood for another cat-call from a drunken non-Irish celebrating Chicago's biggest "holiday". Ok, I'm really not so anti-St.Patty's day I love me some green river like the rest of them, but I was feeling more low key this year.

Hubbard Inn is brought to you by owners behind English and LaSalle Power Co. but this place is more my type. A restaurant, tavern, library, lounge - I'm not really sure but I like it. The dark woods, Ernest Hemingway -inspired decor, Victorian chairs and brass fixtures speak to me. The drink choices include unique drinks like the "river north smash" with makers mark, lemon grass, simple syrup and mint or the straight-up classic the Manhattan. The bartenders here make you feel like a guest and the scenery is enticing.  This time around I didn't get any food but I'll try to order some grub the next time I'm here. I def. recommend this place. Thanks Benjamin!

Mercadito

Don't these pictures make you thirsty? I started salivating as I posted them, and they were just as good as the look, trust me. The other night my sister and I had sister date night so I finally took her suggestion and tried Mercadito for the first time. She's been here a couple times, but I've been avoiding this place - why? I'm not really sure. When it comes to Mexican I'd rather go to a dive than a dressed-up tourist attraction and I guess I categorized this place as the latter. It's really not so bad. In fact, the restaurant itself is very fun. It's lively, great music, attractive ambiance and clientele (not to mention the several suited up men prancing around, oh la la).

Onto the food.

 So we started with a couple of the sexiest margarita's I've ever had. I ordered the traditional (with tequila blanco, grand marnier, lime juice and agave nectar) and my sister got the "misty's sleeve" (which is el tesoro blanco, ginger, hibiscus, valencia orange, chile serrano,  and hibiscus salt). I'm more of a traditional marg drinker so I don't like all the fuss, but her's was amazing. The chile on the side was so tasty I wanted to lick the glass!


We ordered a couple items and quickly realized we ordered way too much. The "granada" guacamole with pomegranate, tomatillo pico de gallo, queso fresco, habaneros was heavenly. I loved the sweetness of the pomegranate's mixed in with the spice. The "callo" ceviche with bay scallops, red grapes, lime-morita broth, and mint had great flavors as well. I liked the sweetness of the grapes with the lime but I could have done with a few less grapes overall. The ceviche came with a very sweet crusty bread that was delish! I could eat that alone.
Then we had a the pollo tacos: grilled chicken, cactus salad, tomatillo salsa, and avocado. What's the deal with not letting us mix them up? That was a let down. We should've stopped there but we also ordered the tampiqueña: rosemary marinated skirt steak,potato-rajas-cactus fundido,  & mole enchilada. Oh man, I really wish we stopped bc that steak was not good at all! I don't know if it was the cut of meat itself or how it was prepared but it felt like eating my shoe. Ugh. So awful. I'm usually not so rude, but I was really disappointed. If we stopped before gluttony took over I would have been so pleased, but the steak really ruined it for me.

After the meal we headed downstairs to the little "VIP" lounge by the bathrooms. It's really cute and tiny and I think they're trying to make it very exclusive. On this particular night there were only a handful of people down here.

I'd like to come back for marg's and taco's maybe with a larger group because the ambiance is so lively. But for a quality meal that's unique, authentic, and fresh I don't think Mercadito hit the mark.

Wine Series - Line 39, Cabernet Sauvignon

Time for another wine series! Lets talk about Line 39's Cabernet Sauvignon. This lovely blue bottle has been sitting on my shelf since our Christmas Party (thank you to whomever brought it, but I don't remember who!) and after a long week needed to be opened tout vite!

So Line 39 winery is located in Lake County AVA A region in California just north of Napa Valley. AVA stands for American Viticultural Area which basically means it is an area of land designated to grape-growing, defined by it's geographic features by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau and the US Dept. of Treasury. Line 39 is the specific latitude where this winery is located. How neat. You just learned something new!

On to the wine itself. The Cabernet was quite delish, it opened well and after airing for a moment it settled into itself to taste rather flavorful. The winery describes is as "aromas of bright red fruits, blackberry, tobacco and cedar". I could smell the fruit which was offset by cedar, a great balance. The flavors were dark yet not overpowering. I think it would taste great with a nice steak salad or pasta dish. Even on its own it tastes lovely and not overpowering.

Overall I like this wine, for a very reasonable price it's a nice wine to have on hand. But it's by no means my most favorite wine. Something good to try though, especially after a long day. Enjoy.

Art Gallery Series: I am Logan Square Gallery Debut

I think I'll start a series about gallery openings since I've been meaning to check out more of them. Logan square will kick it off! I got an email from I am Logan square about their opening night gallery featuring artists: Lauren Feece, Chris Tavares Silva, Robert Stevenson, and Lindsey Meyers. So the boyfriend and I headed over to the space on Milwaukee Ave. and were surprised to find such great art and great food! All the food was catered by Cafe Con Leche and was so tasty. It included plenty of the best guac. I've had in some time.  The desserts were catered by Paper Moon pastry and included key lime pies, tasty brownies and chocolate covered strawberries. Yum!
Overall it was fun to check out some art, sip some wine and eat local food. My favorite piece was the painting way up top (blueish). It's sort of chaotic yet serene at the same time. I love it. If you can't make the gallery make sure you keep July 29-31 open because Milwaukee arts fest takes place in this hood and it is by far my favorite way to check out local artists in Logan Square.
I think I'll check out Cafe Con Leche soon.