Holiday breakfast hit, 2009

Well, the last major holiday of 2009 is upon us - tomorrow, to be exact, or obvious. I'm watching the year end countdown on VH-1 and various people are outlining Britney lyrics as metaphors and such...SO, I'm writing down a recent hit at my family's house this year: Baked Apple French Toast/Bread Pudding. This recipe definitely deserves a 'slash' as it is super dense and moist a la Bread Pudding, but it is light and hits the spot for all French toast lovers...like my mom.

Here's the recipe - subtly revised from Gale Gand's original note here - make ahead for a wonderful New Year's Day brunch:

Baked Cinnamon-Apple French Toast/Bread Pudding
2 tbsp unsalted butter
6 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4" slices (I used Gala, they're my favorite)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground or fresh grated nutmeg
8 slices Challah bread, toasted
8 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 1/2 cups whole milk
1 tbsp vanilla

Heat the butter in a medium sized skillet over medium heat until it foams; add the apples and cook until tender, about 12 minutes. Off the heat, stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg.

While the apples are cooking, slice 1 inch pieces of Challah bread and toast in the toaster or oven (350' for 6-8 minutes, turning once). Arrange bread overlapping in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch buttered baking dish.

Beat eggs in a separate bowl, gradually whisk in sugar, milk and vanilla. Pour over toasted bread, covering all pieces. Add the apples to the top; cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, heat oven to 350'; bake uncovered until custard is set (might be slightly jiggly, but the custard is mostly firm). It will puff up and brown slightly. We baked ours for 55 minutes (50-60) and then let it sit for 10 minutes - if you can stand it. Serve with maple syrup and/or powdered sugar if you like!

Enjoy - Happy New Year!

Fall, foliage, and 'leaf peeping'

Moving to Chicago last year meant experiencing all of the seasons from a fresh perspective. I had a new winter, new spring, new summer and a new fall. Despite the comparisons to other places I've lived (which I often do), I was actually quite pleased with the overall aesthetic of the "Chicago Fall".

Lately, it has been quite lovely - please don't misunderstand me, October weather was awful - with gorgeous, vibrant color. The trees are all on their own schedules, with some just starting to lose their leaves and turn deep scarlet and blazing orange. It's like a palette of adjectives.

I took this picture in our proverbial "front yard" this weekend - it's funny to me because all of the neighboring sister trees seem to have lost their leaves. But this, this gal is holding strong!

Final note - it seems that way out here in the mid-west, the term "leaf peeping" is not standard autumnal verbiage. I mentioned going leaf peeping in MA and NH and was met with blank looks and then smirks at my choice of words. Honestly, there are LEAF PEEPERS in the northeast, leaf peeping packages in VT, signs directing peepers to certain areas, I think you can even buy a map of optimal leaf peeping sites...too funny. I know it's a real phrase, I guess that is all that matters, right?

Fashion flix, take one

So, given my love of dresses and addiction to Netflix (it's just so EASY), a friend of mine alerted me to this new site, courtesy of the NYT.

I am not one of those people that has 15+ weddings each year, nor do I balk at spending (read: investing) in special occasion dresses. HOWEVER, C and my credit card do. Hence, the interest in this site - obviously there are a thousand things that might go awry (wrong size, late delivery, snow storm, etc) but the idea of "renting" a dress for an event for $50 and looking like $1,000,000 is pretty enticing.

Ladies, I hope you succeed. And, invite me.

Banana bread (finally)

Every time we have a mushy, ripe banana I declare "wait, don't throw it out - I'll make banana bread." I now get knowing glances and raised eyebrows from C since I have yet to make it. It's going on 5 years...This weekend, complete with 3 perfectly mushy, ripe bananas, the bread was finally made. Here's the recipe (modified from the original here)

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 very ripe medium bananas, mashed (about 1 1/4 cups)

1/2 cup sour cream

¼ cup chopped walnuts

Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Coat a 10 inch loaf pan with butter and dust it with flour, tapping out the excess. Whisk together 2 cups flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon in a large bowl to aerate. Set aside.

Combine sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla in a separate bowl and beat on low until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Add bananas and sour cream and mix until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add dry mixture, and stir until just combined.

Turn batter into the prepared loaf pan, topping with the chopped walnuts along the center of the pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean-ish, the top is golden brown, and the bread is pulling away from the sides of the pan, about 50 minutes to 1 hour (to keep it moist/dense, I would pull it at the 50 minute mark)

Place the pan on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the bread and cool completely on the wire rack before serving. Ecco la colazione!

As you can see, ours is already nearly gone... This is super easy, a definite add to the list and delicious with all sorts of modifications - like chocolate chips, hazelnut spread or toasted pecans. Make it very fall with some cranberries and a cup of cider...I'm going to have my breakfast piece now, thank you very much!

Tuna Tuna Salmon = Love Love Lust

Went to Japonais this weekend because it's good, I love it, and our friends Mica and Peter hadn't been there in forever. Who are we to say no to raw fish? We started the night in the subterranean lounge and it was packed...like people have been hibernating and were just LET LOOSE on the city's best indoor bars. Yes, it was that packed. We were relegated to the corner of the corner near the service station (the bartender actually came all the way out and around the bar to return our tab because people were 3 deep at the bar - crazy).

After a glass of my favorite sauv blanc we were seated upstairs in a comfy banquette. Immediately we ordered the Rock and the Kani Nigiri - surf and turf, if you will. I elected myself Chief of the Rock and made everyone seared, salty slices of beef. We ordered a variety of warm dishes to appease Peter, but ultimately the main event was the (two orders of) Tuna Tuna Salmon. Honestly, it's so good - it's like my personal brand of fish candy. Here's the equation, if you're not familiar:

Sushi rice+salmon tartar+avocado+perfectly sliced tuna+wasabi tobiko sauce = deliciousness!

I am mildly obsessed and have been reminded of said obsession - now have to plan my next meal of wine and Tuna Tuna Salmon, any takers?

the girl & the fig

As far as challenging meals go, we've had our fair share: bad servers, messy menus, incorrect orders, allergies (eggplant is my "allergy"), strange table placement, aggressive food runners, out of stock wine orders, late mise en place. You name it. We can now add "food poisoning" to the list...NOT from The Girl & the Fig, but from the restaurant the evening before. The challenge for us was that we had been so looking forward to this vacation, this specific town, this specific meal, that one of us having food poisoning was quite possibly the worst dining challenge yet.

How can you visit an acclaimed, adorable, farm-to-table restaurant in the midst of your food-and-wine-centric vacation and not order anything? Let me tell you - you eat a lot of bread. Thankfully the bread is lovely.

C is a wonderful companion and dolefully accompanied me in his time of pain - my mother called it heroism - and we called ahead to ask about the daily menu and the more bland possibilities for his recovering stomach (Side note: asking a hostess for bland items at a renowned restaurant is not a call I'd like to make, but I digress). We were seated on their gorgeous, plant and ivy covered patio, between a fire pit and glowing lanterns. Totally cozy, neighborhood vibe, shiny, happy people.

With a French focus on wine (Rhone-alone) and cheese, it was a tough restaurant to have a man down. I ended up ordering the Arugula and Fig salad (how could you not?) followed by the Pan Roasted Black Cod. Both were well-executed, light and summery, incredibly fresh dishes - I truly could eat the black cod time and time again, especially in warm weather, as it was the essence of an Indian Summer: fresh corn, crunchy cabbage, tender fingerlings, made more earthy with black truffle oil and the hearty skin on fillet of the fish. Sigh...so good.

Highly recommend it, whether for lunch or dinner. Try to keep your dinner company healthy, though, the fromage looks divine...

Coopers - town 101

I'm going to go ahead and NOT mention the fact that I haven't written anything all summer. I figure that it's obvious (hello, sidebar) and after the long, not-so-summer that we've had here in Chicago, I'd like to just move on. Okay?

So, take two: C and I went to Napa and San Francisco last month. We have been trying to get out there for the past few years and finally it worked out. I have a LOT of food and vino stories, but think this one is appropriate for this time of year, namely, harvest time.

Any wine drinker (and most common folk) know that wine is generally aged in barrels. C and I understand the intricacies of the different types of barrels to an extent - we know we like a little oak in our pinot noir, a stainless steel barreled, crisp sauvingnon. What we did not know was manipulating the barrel was a) an uncommon practice or that b) it would have such an amazing output. We learned all about barrels, coopers, the forests of France and more at Del Dotto Vineyard. We elected to kick off our vacation here and splurged on the Cave and Barrel Tasting at their St Helena estate. We ended up with a private tour and a very informative and well-sipped tour guide (I spit/poured more than he did and I was quite tipsy). After an hour of thief poured wine and some of the best cabernets I've ever tasted, we got to this barrel (pic above): 2007 St Helena Block 1, 6 oaks French Selection Cabernet Sauvignon.

Commonly, all oak barrels are either French or domestic (Missouri/Ozarks) and are better known for being "lightly, medium, or heavily" toasted, with each level lending certain characteristics to the wine. Wine makers don't usually disclose the type of oak, though more modern vineyards will let you know since the flavor profiles can so vastly differ. I know this is a lot of info, but bear with me... Del Dotto, not only tells you the type of oak used for aging, they can tell you the forest and the location WITHIN the forest where these trees were pulled from. That was impressive - for instance, "Troncais, center" and you the consumer will know that the center trees are the purest and will affect your wine in a very subtle way. To take it even further, they have petitioned their individual cooper to experiment with alternate woods, grooves in the barrel staves, different forest ranges, etc. All at the price of nearly $2500 each, plus the risk of the wine in that barrel (approximately 30 cases) - all in all, it's an expensive experiment. I applaud their innovation and Mr. Del Dotto's quest to do something different and "mix it up" in Napa and the industry.

The barrel pictured was a patented mix of SIX types of French Oak, one from each of the major harvest areas. The wine was a bold cabernet, medium tannins and very, very smooth finish. Priced @ $125 we could hardly escape with the barrel....although we wanted to try. Sadly, our tour guide wasn't as inebriated as we'd hoped.

Highly recommend a visit to the vineyard - it's small, family owned, accommodating and the cave tour is one-of-a-kind.

Toast-y Brunch

Well, we survived Mother's Day brunch this past Sunday. We wanted to get something to eat and since I'm a "new mom" of a puppy, I got to choose. I picked Toast since we've lived in LP for 8 months and have never been...it's a super popular nabe spot with 1-2 hour waits as the norm. Not happening for a girl like me who needs to eat once she starts thinking about it - especially on Sundays!

C obliged and put our name in an hour before we thought we'd be hungry, which really worked out for us and we were seated on schedule at a cozy banquette table near the kitchen. The menu is awesome, a great selection of super sweet breakfast items, savory sandwiches, eggs and omelets run the gamut from crazy to Denver...the most outlandish, yet ultimately satisfying menu item was the French Toast Orgy. I can't even tell you how strange it sounds on the menu - but it was SO good. It's 3 rectangular pieces of stuffed, soaked French toast (mascarpone and strawberry, for us) topped with vanilla yogurt, granola, and fresh fruit. It's an enormous mess of goodness.

The other item we tried was the Lump Crab Benedict - the eggs were cooked perfectly and the truffle hollandaise was amazing. The crab vs crabCAKE is up for debate, though this is a healthier option, likely. Toast makes great homefries and the potatoes are caramelized and crispy - the onions are hard to resist/share (sorry).

Julies Meinl coffee was a great addition to the meal and helped perk us up after a late Saturday night. Both effective and tasty, I plan on many future Sundays at Toast...as long as C is up to the task of putting our name in early :)

Springtime in Chi-town

Well, it's spring in Chicago and we've yet to have a week that so truly announces it's arrival as this past week - sun, rain, warmth, brisk breezes. If with the good, comes the bad, then I'd say we had a pretty 50/50 split this week of either. I'm enjoying the flowering trees and the tulips and daffodils I see everywhere - here is a shot of LP near our house with the green grass and the budding trees:

So far, I think springtime in Chicago is a lot like the past 6 in Boston, though we haven't had a late snow (well, March was late for ME). Only 6 more weeks until it's officially summer!

I for one am quite excited for the outdoor Green City Market this weekend. After a false alarm last weekend, we are very ready to peruse the stands once again and scramble home to put it all together in some sort of veggie delight or fruit salad. I love, love, love the options and the freshness of it all. Plus, it's a fun activity with C and the pup! This weekend kicks off their 11th anniversary of bring local produce to the city. How better to celebrate it than with a 'lettuce fest'?

Target Pop-up Store

Being in the world of retail marketing as well as LOVING to shop, I find these sorts of things super fun!

Target does a lot for me - it was where my friends and I would go in college, nearly every weekend (where else can you get slippers, develop film, buy snacks, find a cute pair of earrings, and bring home some new music?) I love their advertising, I love their alignment with designers to bring chic to cheap, I just enjoy being there and purchasing (good for Target, bad for paycheck). Either way, I had to check out the pop-up store and was not disappointed.

There were racks and racks of clothes, shoes, bags, sunglasses, lip gloss, lotion. Fresh flowers, real lemons, fake cabbages (note: I saw a woman pick two up and compare them - weird), lamps, chairs, pillows - gorgeous pillows- and bedding. Pretty much all that you love at Target, minus the "boring" stuff.

Definitely worth checking out - but be prepared to roam the 3 floors with about 200 other people.

Outstanding in the Field. Out, standing in the field.

How funny are commas? This is such a different sentence when you add the comma...both are relevant to this particular post! Anyway, Outstanding in the Field is a fabulous organization that my friend Amanda clued me into. It is a group based out of Santa Cruz, CA that focuses on bringing people closer to the origins of the food that they eat. The "local food movement" combined with a unique goal to honor all the local farmers, artisans, and culinary leaders within a community that create, nurture, and prepare the food that we eat.

C and I are going to check out one of the Chicago events in August - I would encourage everyone to sign up. It's a steep price tag, but promises to be a wonderful evening: tour of the farm, unlimited wine, family-style dining on local produce/meats/cheeses, celebrated chefs, and sitting outside in August!

For our meal, Mindy Segal from the restaurant Hot Chocolate will be the executive chef. We'll be visiting the Chicago City Farm - with a great view of the city!

Favorite Things Right Now...

- Bright swimsuits a la Juicy or JCrew - loving yellow this year!

- Cheap maxi dresses, thanks to Old Navy, American Eagle, and Benetton.

- Punky, tailored separates like these or these or this one.

- Fun, geometric prints...I'm such a sucker for a) loud prints and b) dresses.

- White jeans - which will look infinitely better on me once I'm tan, but still loving them now!

Why is it that simply shopping for spring/summer clothes just makes me HAPPIER?

Oak Tree - 900 Michigan

Shopping causes hunger and therefore knowing a good place to eat while shopping is key to any Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Personally, I find the options limited on North Michigan Avenue and I'm sure there are some of you who will disagree with me...let me rephrase. I find the options limited when it's freezing cold outside and you want to sit down for lunch and not wait 3 hours (thanks, Cheesecake Factory, but no thanks).

C thought that we should splurge on lunch last weekend since it was Valentine's Day and steered me towards the 6th floor at 900 N Michigan and to Oak Tree. We were hemming and hawing about whether to sit or not to sit and we finally sat in the dining room. The menu is long, lots of sandwiches and salads and brunch items. I finally settled on two salad options and C decided on a sandwich and we would split some fries.

After bringing back our $3.75 iced teas, the waiter answered a few questions for me about the menu - basically confirming that everything I asked him about was not what I thought it was and that I was basically making up my own salad. Great, bring me the Special then, dude. I ended up ordering a side salad with a scoop of tarragon chicken salad with it. C ordered a grilled veggie and goat cheese sandwich, plus a side of fries. At this juncture, the waiter left our table. I want to make this point because he had the opportunity to say something to us and didn't.

When he brought my salad, I was excited, it was delicious and I ate every bite of it. The chicken salad is not loaded with mayo, it's light and herbal and there's lots of chicken. The salad itself it a mix of baby lettuces and crunch romaine, tomatoes, and carrots. I opted for dijon vinaigrette on the side and barely used it with the chicken salad...so good. C's sandwich was huge - thick Texas-style toast with gobs of creamy chevre, thinly sliced veggies and toasted to perfection. Although overwhelmed at first, he was totally into it and polished it off. Also on the plate (and here's the kicker) was a small pile of crispy French fries...what? Where was this comment when we were ordering? Like "do you want an additional side of fries?" Or even "the sandwich comes with fries" because on the menu it doesn't designate that that is the case...either way, it was odd and we sorta just didn't really understand the guy at all ANYWAY, but the whole fry thing was strange.

So, the food was quite decent and the room has recently been redone - it's light and airy and modern in there, but totally comfortable. It seemed like there might've been a lot of Four Seasons guests and locals, but I would definitely go back for a shopping break again. You gotta patronize these places so that hopefully they keep popping up :)

Email for Recommendations - Wicker Park/Bucktown

So, I guess given my love of restaurants, I am the natural person to ask for advice when trying to select one...I just sometimes am flummoxed by what people are looking for based on their supplied criteria. Case in point, check out this email chain. It's not that weird, but I think some of their requests were contradictory, therefore some of my choices seemed odd. Review:

From: Concerned Diner
Sent: Friday, February 20, 2009 10:30AM
To: The City Enthusiast
Subject: Wicker Park/Bucktown

So, I have a quick question:
[Needing a] Restaurant recommendation
· Wicker Park/Bucktown
· Neighborhood feel
· Any food type
· Parents are in town
· Price doesn’t matter
· Already mentioned Bristol and Bongo Room

From: The City Enthusiast
Sent: Friday, February 20, 2009 1:50PM
To: Concerned Diner
Subject: Re: Wicker Park/Bucktown

Hi there, this is my list - I just talked to A-Shan and added Blue Fin from her reco! Who is this for?

- Feast (New American/comfort)
- Francesca's Al Forno (Italian)
- Mirai (sushi)
- Adobo Grill (Mexican)
- Blue Fin (Japanese)
- Hot Chocolate (New American)
- Piece or Crust (pizza)

- The C.E

Readers, I feel like my list is all over the place. I think that saying Mirai is a neighborhood place doesn't explain the essence (or the expense) of Mirai. That Francesca's and Feast are warm and cozy and neighborhood-ish is fine, but is that where you want to go when "parents are in town" or "price doesn't matter"? I'm off my game this afternoon, perhaps. Perhaps the original email was too vague, yet too specific for my brainstorm...we shall see. I now desperately want to know what they choose!

Any other recommendations for this Concerned Diner?

Bristol Fever

So, The Bristol has floated in and out of my head many times in the sense that it has come up in my life via my friends, my birthday gift, my preferred reading material, eavesdropping and various other ways too numerous to count. The most recent mention was from A-Shan and her failed attempt to go there (which is a rather annoying story and, Mr. The Bristol if you're reading, you should scold your doorman/host).

After a late lunch, late nap, and nice weather, C and I decided to head over there, despite the recent troubles A-Shan had and found ourselves faced with a quoted TWO HOUR wait. This was fine, though in comparison to the wait when I called at 8:30 (20 minutes prior) it was an additional 45 minutes. We were okay to wait, assuming it wouldn't take quite as long as predicted and fancied ourselves upstairs for a drink (or two or three).

Upstairs is like a bar/lounge with seated tables, leather benches, and a high communal table. The menu is written on a neat blackboard wall and the room is dimly lit. It reminds me of going to a friends loft party who doesn't have a lot of furniture, but it still feels comfy and you don't feel crammed in, and can find a place to perch. After chatting up the bartender (do NOT call him anything but) we learned a little bit more about the chef owners and the menu. After securing a few recommendations (and waiting an hour and fifteen minutes) we headed down to our table. We were seated at one of two large communal tables, across from 2 very politically vocal women and their mute friend. The tables are large enough that it isn't awkward, however we were rather mesmerized by the two women directly across from us who were loud and vocal about their political views, the financial situation, and cocktails.

We were now hungry, so we ordered right away, here's our menu:
Monkey Bread (a house specialty)
Heirloom Apple Salad
Braised Goat Ragu over Chitarra pasta
Bristol Cheese Burger with Duck Fat fries

I ordered a pinot noir and C had a tempranillo - both of which were great pairs for the goat and the burger. The monkey bread came first and was fabulous - buttery, soft, easy to pull apart, I absolutely LOVE the dill butter for dipping. I would have dipped my napkin in there to soak the rest up if there was any left...so delicious. Tasted like a buttery dill pickle. Following the bread was the apple salad with fresh fennel, hazelnuts, micro greens, and teeny tiny mushrooms mixed with a creme fraiche dressing. Very refreshing and highly recommended for sharing.

Our next course was the pasta - homemade and cooked perfectly al dente, the chitarra was in a goat ragu, tasted like a mix of lamb and wild boar to me with that game texture...little salty olives added texture and I really enjoyed the contrast. C was not sold on the olives...thought that the green was an odd choice for the subtleties of the dish.

Finally, the burger. The burger was amazing - I am a burger snob, so much so that I rarely order them for fear of disappointment. The bun is brioche with sea salt on top, the burger was well cooked either "pink" or "not pink" (we chose "pink"), the fries are cooked in duck fat and come complete with either house made ketchup or garlic aioli - it's my heaven on that plate. Since we were sharing everything, I had to give Chris 1/2, though I could easily have taken it down myself. Generally, I can't finish a burger but THIS burger I could and would want to. I would like to go back again this weekend to have it. I'm serious.

Overall, I was happy to finally make it there. Happy with our menu choices. Happy that the bill came to $68. Happy that they also serve brunch on Sundays. Overall Bristol=happy.

Mighty Leaf - Chamomile Citrus tea

Recently we picked up a box of the Mighty Leaf Chamomile Citrus tea from Whole Foods. I have had it several times before, but hadn't noticed it in the supermarkets. It is definitely a premium tea, though after doing the math of what "premium tea" meant, I realized that is simply $0.50 per tea bag - just a fun fact.

I think for any tea lovers out there, it's a fabulous chamomile. The subtle citrus flavor is great, it smells delicious while brewing, and is naturally sweet and doesn't need honey or sugar (in my opinion). The packet is also the nicest one I've seen, it's reminiscent of a sachet packet - smooth, silky, looks hand-sewn, AND biodegradable.

Brew some and test it out.

The Basil Leaf

Saturday night was f-ing cold, we were sick, and had no food in the house that was appetizing - sounds like a recipe for take-out. BUT, we ended up taking a quick cab up Clark Street to The Basil Leaf Cafe. I had heard it was a cozy neighborhood spot and that's what we needed...

We sat down as soon as we arrived, it was on the early side and ridiculously cold, and had a nice two-top in the center of the room. I mention this because I didn't feel like I was sitting on top of anyone and C and I could talk about all the other diners without hesitation!

After reviewing the novelette which is the menu, we both selected quite basic chicken options...I wanted to confirm something with the waitress so I asked her:
"The Chicken Milano - is that Chicken Milanese?"
"The Chicken Milano? Yes", she said, but with a tone that was NOT convincing.
"Great, so it's a pounded, breaded, crispy chicken breast? Does the artichoke salad come on top and then pasta on the side?"
"No, it's not crispy."
"Oh, so it's not breaded? Sorry, I was hoping it was Chicken Milanese"
"No, no, no, it's breaded, just not crispy. And, the artichokes, tomatoes and mushrooms are in the pasta"
"Ah, ok, so the pasta is mixed with the veggies and the chicken is breaded, not crispy and on the top?"
"No, the chicken is on the side."
"You know what? I'll take the Chicken Piccata. Thanks."

I guess I was confused, but apparently so was she. Regardless, the chicken piccata was tender and salty with lemon, tomatoes, mushrooms (a little unusual) and capers. C had some sort of sausage, chicken, green pepper madness that was enormous (yet, apparently pretty good). They don't make their own pasta, but did an okay job with their execution. We both picked at our meals, taking the majority home for leftovers. I think regardless of your appetite, eating the entire plate would be quite a feat - there must be at least a 1/2 pound of pasta on the plate. Even as I type that, it doesn't seem a big enough number to represent the pile of pasta.

Anyway, we skipped dessert and paid our check - it was an early night due to illness, but we did leave a full dining room. An empty bar, which was confusing to me, because it seemed warm, open and inviting in there...maybe next time we'll try their apps and have drinks at the bar. In short, it was decent and we'd go again, but it was not necessarily interesting. For someone who wants 65 options avec pasta, it's a good choice for you.

Weekend Flix

So, C and I are under the weather and have been home sleep-watching movies for the past few days (week). Thank god we had the foresight to return our overdue Netflix and we received two fresh films on Thursday afternoon - ripe for the weekend.

Much to his chagrin, I am (sort of) in charge of the queue. In my opinion, I pick movies worth seeing...his version is a little different and generally involves a comment about subtitles. Regardless, I think that at least 50% of my recent choices were good and I am obviously so convinced that I'm writing about it. "Lars and the Real Girl" was the clear winner this weekend - honestly, I had no panging desire to see this film, but thought that it sounded like an interesting concept, so I added it to the queue a while back. It is basically about a guy who thinks a sex-doll is a real person/woman and the life of him, her, and their town as they broach this relationship. I laughed out loud, I teared up, I wanted to see another film by the writers...isn't that a good movie experience? Especially if you don't feel good and have these same emotions.

Anyone else seen it and loved/hated it? The "Shower" was a little less popular in our house...but I digress.

Obama-icon

Today, the US had a pretty ordinary event (it's happened 44 times) with an extraordinary response from our country, our allies, the world. It's a pretty amazing time in America - what with the nation on a high from the recent election and now the inauguration of our winner...I think people are genuinely proud of our country in a new way. That is not a new statement, I think the sentiment has been said before, though I don't know how else to say it...

Anyway, I thought this was fun and here's a little Obamicon from our family:

Valentine's Day

As we enter into the madness that is pre-Valentine's Day, just wanted to note the timely opening of Agent Provocateur in the Gold Coast. Being a huge fan of their lingerie, I am hereby dropping hints to all of my readers...women, buy it and wear it for your man. Men, buy it and GIFT it to your woman (notice they are different verbs).

What says "happy love day" better than this? Seriously.

Cold, cold, cold

So, this is it - winter in Chicago. I was warned, I was told to be prepared, I bought a jacket...but this is ridiculous. Honestly, I saw a woman on the news in an ear wrap, a hat, a hood, AND a face mask and she said she could barely move her lips. THEN STAY INSIDE. That is my ground-breaking advice to everyone in this city right now.

I put on all of my clothes to walk indoors to eat lunch yesterday just in case there was a chance that someone would open a door near me. Seriously. I am not taking any chances of getting that blast of arctic air. Arctic is a good word, as C mentioned to me that it was warmer in Alaska (you know, home state of Palin, Russian neighbor, tundra) than it was in the southern states of the lower 48.

If you can't stay inside, if you really MUST go out, get yourself a damn good hat (or two) and don't leave anything exposed. Not when this is considered "warmer":
Current conditions

Partly Cloudy
-3°

Wind:	SSW 8 mph
Dewpoint:	-13°
Humidity:	62%
Visibility:	10.0 miles
Barometer:	30.80 in

Brown Butter, Pine Nuts, & Spinach Sauce

Made this Sunday and failed to take a picture (I'm horrible with locating the camera in times of need) BUT, it was absolutely easy and delicious.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup pine nuts
Garlic to taste (I used a heaping tbsp and I like garlic)
1 bunch of spinach, torn

1. Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat
2. Add 2 tbsps butter to the pan, lower heat to medium
3. Brown the butter, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Toss 1/4 cup pine nuts and brown in the butter.
4. Remove the pan from heat, add 1 tbsp minced garlic. Stir into butter/pine nut mixture. Put the pan back on the burner and continue cooking for 1 minute.
5. Add torn spinach and cooked pasta. When spinach is wilted and sauce is distributed, remove from heat and serve!

This makes enough sauce for a pound of bite-size pasta (anything not twirly). We used fresh gnocchi, but would be delicious with ravioli, penne, or tortellini!

God Bless America @ 401 N Michigan

In light of the recent historic election, as well as the proximity of the inauguration, I thought I'd share an appropriately named sculpture that appeared in front of C's work a few weeks back. It's called "God Bless America" and is a truly monumental sculpture with people subjects over 25' tall!

It is a recent installation from artist J. Seward Johnson, Jr., who recreates famous works of art (paintings, photos, etc.) as life-sized statues to match the detail of the original work Check out his website for more information. During the fall, we were lucky enough to see "King Lear", though we didn't exactly know he was King Lear for a few weeks (insert sheepish grin here).

An obvious nod to "American Gothic" by artist Grant Wood, this sculpture is a larger-than-life replica of the iconic couple and pitchfork...I don't get the suitcase (which is only barely visible in the photograph here) but the look on the wife's face is the same solemn stare. Eerily close to the original.

Either way, it's very cool to have sculpture installations outside of your office. For that, 1 point for 401 N Michigan.

The Art of Obama

I read in article in one of the recent "2008 in Review"-type pieces that touched on the topic of all the art that has been inspired by Barack Obama and this long, historic election year specifically in Chicago. I found it really interesting because we totally bought into it all (being big Obama fans as well as loving art) and picked up a few local artists creations (t-shirts, posters, buttons).

Some people may not consider a large button or t-shirt art, but when designed by well-known artists for appreciation, isn't that an art form? Regardless, we bought enough stuff that our kids might think we're a little politically-obsessed (which we were) but they'll know we were passionate, right?

Then read this article today, which is appropriate for this post, but also just a really cool exhibit that I don't think would/did happen with a President-elect like McCain or Bush.