Palette Bistro

 

I drive past Palette Bistro every single time I go to Kevin's apartment.  It's located at Southport and Wolfram.  It's a cute corner restaurant.  Kevin and I had a date night, much needed because although I write about going out to restaurants a ton, we're more likely found on the couch eating Thai food (from Cozy or Joy's - we can't decide which place we like best). Anyways, I had purchased a Groupon and wanted to use it so we went last Thursday.  It was very empty with only two other tables occupied.  The waiter was very friendly and introduced himself to us and gave us time to decide on drinks.  I opted for the California Red Flight and Kevin ordered a specialty cocktail named Dan something after our waiter (which I guess the cocktail was just ok, but the service there was awesome).  We chose the sausage appetizer with polenta and it was phenomenal.  It was some type of beef sausage but the polenta was super creamy and paired with the sweet peppers really made the dish.  Kevin had the filet for dinner which he said could have been better, but I ordered the seared duck breast and loved it.  The duck was served with radishes and fava bean puree which I was obsessed with.  It was amazing.  We ordered a side of bacon mac and cheese.  The top layer of it was nothing to write home about, but when you got to the cheesy creamy layer below it was so good, and just as good reheated for lunch the next day.  The dessert menu was limited, but we still chose the lemon pound cake with raspberry sorbet and ate it all.  It was nothing special, but still a nice way to end the meal.  I was super happy with the service at Palette Bistro and would definitely go back.  I hope they do well!  It doesn't seem super crowded in there when I drive past usually.  It is a nicer restaurant, not just somewhere to try with a friend.  I would recommend it for a date, but you'll probably be spending at least $110. 

Franks & Dawgs

Try Franks & Dawgs.  It's on Clybourn between Racine and Sheffield next to Ann Taylor Loft and across from Crate & Barrel Outlet. It is very good.  Slightly expensive when you think about the fact that you're getting a hot dog, brat or sausage, but it is absolutely delicious.  Chelsea and I went there during a day full of errands and it was definitely an upscale hot dog shoppe.  You have to enter in the back because there's usually a line that forms between the building that holds Franks & Dawgs and the Ann Taylor Loft building.  Once you get in there are tons of dogs to choose from and the sausages are all homemade.  I opted for the Turdoggin which was amazing!  It was a turkey and date sausage with pork belly, an herb aioli and carrots on top.  When you order, you have to pick a wall of shame actor to stick on your table so the people can bring your food out for you.  Chelsea and I chose Charlie Sheen (when I took Kevin there (had to go back - it was so good, we chose Mel Gibson).  The fries were good - not amazing but good.  The truffle fries there looked very good but I have yet to order them.  Check out their site and go!  It's so good!

When Kevin and I went he had the Crazy Kimchi Dog and I ordered the Black Sheep.  Turdoggin was better than both. 

 

The Tasting Room and Bespoke Cuisine

I had a cooking class at Bespoke Cuisine a couple weeks ago and decided to try The Tasting Room for some wine before the class.  It's at Randolph and Ogden pretty much.  I really liked the restaurant.  I sat at the bar and the bartender was helpful and informative but not pushy.  I tried the Otis Redding Riesling Flight.  They have a very large book of flights to choose from but I felt in the mood for something light and sweet so Riesling is perfect for that!  The second one was my favorite!  I took a look at their menu and it's more small dishes, but this is a great place in my opinion for people to catch up with their friends!  I want to go back and try the food!  This was definitely the best part of my night.

I headed over to Bespoke Cuisine - a block from The Tasting Room on Randolph - for the "Eat like Giada" class.  I was really excited about that class until I read the day before that we would be breaking up in groups to make the appetizers, so you wouldn't make them all.  I got there and met a friend, Lauren (who I met at Cooking Fools pasta making class) and we signed up for the stuffed mushrooms and almond cake team.  We broke up into our groups shortly after a quick talk from one of the owners and the teams each had a chef to work with to show us how to do everything.  I'm a little more advanced than a food assembler, so this class was kind of a joke.  I can pull off mushroom stems, mix the filling together and put it inside the mushrooms no problem.  Also, I have no issues using a Kitchen Aid mixer to make a cake, so I really learned nothing from this class.  I was extremely disappointed in the Bespoke class and Giada, the recipes they chose of yours weren't that good. I was so surpised because I usually LOVE everything that Giada makes.  I think the best recipe was the almond cake but for some it was too almond-y.  I would not recommend making the Tuscan Bean Soup Sips or the Mozzarella Mini Meatballs (too cheesy - and that's hard for me to say).  I did like the Shrimp Pesto Skewers and I think the Marscapone/Chive sauce would be good with regular potato pancakes, but the zucchini wasn't needed in the Zucchini-Potato Pancakes.  The Stuffed Sweet Peppers I was indifferent to as well as the Basalmic Chicken Wings.  The Stuffed Mushrooms would have been good without the olives (sorry, not a fan of olives - but SUPER easy to make) and the Lemon Artichoke Crostini was too lemony.  (If it does not have a link that's because I could not find the recipe on Foodtv.com.  Please email me and I will provide you with the recipes that Bespoke had sent us after the class). 

If you are looking for a place to eat appetizers, waste some time with friends and stand around talking for $80, this place would be great, but if you're looking for a cooking class, I suggest Cooking Fools, The Chopping Block or Cook Au Vin where you'll really learn something. 

 
 

Dairy Queen

Stella had her first dairy queen of the season!

Piccolo Sogno...The Fight Over The Best Italian Restaurant in Chicago

I am incredibly indecisive...with everything.  But I'm really having a difficult time picking out my favorite Italian place, so looks like I'll just be a patron of all three from now on: Rose Angelis (Wrightwood and Lakewood), Filippos (Clybourn and Webster), and Piccolo Sogno (Milwaukee and Halsted). 

My friend Mark is a total foodie.  Last time we had dinner together, we decided that Piccolo Sogno (http://www.piccolosognorestaurant.com/) was next on our list.  We've both heard great things so we finally met up there last week.  First of all, the ambiance was fantastic.  If I could live in that restaurant I would.  It's decor was completely me and I adored the exposed brick walls.  There was plenty of light in the restaurant (which I know is a huge pet peeve of Kevin's for Rose Angelis) and it looked like they had a fantastic patio for the summer as well. 

Onto the food.  Because Mark and I are very into trying everything we can, we could not settle on just one appetizer.  The beet salad and the chick pea fries (insalata di barbabietole and cecina fritta) really stood out to us as did pretty much everything else (their menu is great!), but we chose those two as our appetizers.  The beet salad was phenomenal.  I'm really on a beet kick right now and that paired with a buffalo ricotta and fennel was superb!  The chick pea fries were interesting. I'm really glad I tried them, but I'm not sure if I'd order them again.  For dinner, I chose the Piccolo Sogno ravioli that was a four cheese ravioli in a butter sauce.  Mark had an eggplant ragu gnocchi.  On the specials list they had a risotto and I do love risotto, but unfortunately, it looked kind of plain, so I went with the ravioli.  I have to comment that most of their dishes were in some kind of ragu sauce (meaty sauce - not necessarily meat, but could be like eggplant ragu), and I'm not a huge fan of ragu.  I love cream sauces (who doesnt?!) but they didn't really have any cream sauces on the menu.  The butter sauce in the ravioli I ordered was great, but there was a bit much.  Also, and this is me being stupid and ignoring my taste buds, but I am not a fan of all four cheeses in the traditional four cheese pasta.  The ravioli was still very good, and if you like the softer cheeses like gorgonzola and ricotta, you'll really enjoy this.  Some of the cheese was just a little powerful for me.  For dessert, I was disappointed.  We ordered the ricotta cheesecake.  I've made ricotta cheesecake before (because last year for my bday, Jaime and Erin took me to Capitol Grille - best cheesecake ever...and made with ricotta, so naturally I had to try to recreate it), but this ricotta cheesecake was crumbly and not soft and smooth like mine had been.  I wasn't so pleased with the dessert. Perhaps I should've ordered the gelato.

 
                         
I need to take a break from Rose Angelis for awhile because I've tried almost everything on the menu that I know I'd eat and like.  My one and only experience at Filippos was amazing and I wanted to lick all of the plates clean there, but the ambiance at Piccolo Sogno was great and I'd love to try a few more of their dishes too.  I'll definitely be going back to Filippos and Piccolo Sogno in the near future.     

Cook Au Vin

Almost a year ago I had bought a Groupon for Cook Au Vin, a french cooking class company.  It was a bit pricey for a Groupon (our generation is so cheap and always looking for a deal), but I am so glad I bought it.  One of the ladies in my pasta making class a couple months back had emailed me saying that the class at Cook Au Vin was very much into drinking and not so much into the cooking aspect, but I had a totally different experience.  Our instructor was incredibly informative and demanded our attention.  Although it said on the email to bring 2-3 bottles of wine per couple (!?!?!) I'd say no one was absolutely blasted, though the class was from 7-11pm - a four hour cooking class! 

There were a total of 5 couples that took the class, so it was a small intimate class which I really liked.  Everyone had their hand in making everything. We learned how to make French Onion Soup, Potatoes au Gratin (although they were cream based rather than cheese based), Coq au Vin (famous French dish with Chicken in a burgundy wine) and Creme Brulee.  I've been wanting to make French Onion Soup for a long time so I'm so glad this was part of the menu!  The instructor reprimanded Kevin for his cheating way of making carmelized onions (he adds brown sugar) and taught him the correct way to carmelize onions.  Instead of putting the bread in the middle with lots of gruyere cheese, we just added a slice of bread on top as a crouton and used parmesan cheese.  We also used chicken broth instead of beef broth as a way to lighten it up.  Bottom line, French Onion Soup is better not healthy - load in the bread and cheese and beef broth for me please! For the potatoes au gratin we used cream instead of lots of cheese.  We also added in nutmeg.  They were very creamy and moist, but I think I would cut back a little on the nutmeg.  The Coq Au Vin was very good.  It's the first time I've had it and I think I would definitely make it for a party or small gathering.  They used rotisserie chicken (they make it there) and you can put the chicken in with the wine anywhere from a couple hours to up to 3 days.  The instructor told us that she recommends two days for the best flavor.  Finally we had our dessert.  We actually had made the creme brulee at the very beginning of class, but it was a FANTASTIC ending to our meal.  Kevin and I definitely want to make creme brule at home! We got to torch the sugar and everything. It's the little things that make me happy. 

I feel a Julia Childs night coming on!  Who wants to come? 

Also, if you are thinking about taking a cooking class, I would highly recommend Cook Au Vin.  Their menus look fantastic and the experience I had there was great.  Cook Au Vin or Chopping Block are great places to take full menu classes.  For learning individual dishes, like pasta making, I really liked Cooking Fools in Wicker Park. 

 

 
If you would like any of the recipes, please email me! :)

Abiquiu Cafe

My older sister Erin is getting married in New Mexico this June! Yay!  I'm so excited because I've never even thought to go visit New Mexico, but will be now.  Everyone says it's a ton of fun and beautiful.  Can't wait!  But Erin has been talking about how great New Mexican food is and that we're all going to love it, etc.  I was at Krisers (the swanky dog store from which I buy Stella EVERYTHING) and noticed the Thai restaurant across the street had closed (thank god! Ashley and I had gone there and I think I had a mild case of food poisoning from there).  In it's place was this restaurant called Abiquiu Cafe.  I had no idea what type of food it was, but Biz and I were trying to decide where to eat one night and I had remembered it and found it on the internet (http://www.abiquiucafe.com/).  When I saw it was New Mexican I got incredibly excited because I wanted to try out a sopapilla (deliciousness Erin has been raving about!). 

We went that evening and had a wonderful experience.  We are definitely going back there.  Everything on the menu looked fantastic and it was hard narrowing down our choices.  For a starter, we ordered corn cakes.  AMAZING.  My mouth is watering just thinking about them.  For our entrees, I chose the chile rellenos (one of my mom's favorites) and Biz had the pulled pork.  Sopapillas came with our entrees.  They were incredible and tasty with a little bit of honey. 

 

Everything was delicious.  The service was great.  It wasn't that crowded in there - just a few tables seated so I hope it does well.  Try it out if you're in Chicago!  We want it to succeed!   

Happy Birthday Kelly!

I had to write about my favorite sushi place and of course Kelly's birthday (sorry this is being posted a few weeks after!).  I love Rise sushi on the corner of Southport and Roscoe.  Not just because it's super close to my apartment, but also because it has amazing food, and it's the only place I've managed to become friends with the staff.  Biz and I go to Rise randomly and always sit at the bar to talk to our favorite bartender, Josh.  So I took Kelly there because first of all, she's obsessed with sushi, but also, I got her a "Happy Sushi to You" card for her birthday, so sushi was on our minds!  Kelly and I sat at the bar and Josh suggested that Kelly try the pomegranate martini.  It was awesome.  My mojito was ok, but paled in comparison to the martini.  For dinner, we ordered rolls only: the Akuma roll (special roll with shrimp tempura, cream cheese and pecans...tasted like dessert - incredibly delicious!), Yellowtail and Jalapeno Roll, a Red Dragon Roll - also incredible, and a Unagi roll.  I LOVED the akuma and red dragon roll.  Would definitely order both of those again.  The honey roll is also delicious there and the spicy salmon and avocado is my standard order at Rise.  We both loved the sushi and Kelly got a birthday shot free too!


Side note: I hated my first experience at Rise.  There's this awful waitress there, she's an Asian girl, incredibly bossy and rude.  Try to avoid her because she could cause you to never go back and that would be terrible because the food is so good!