Floriole and Franks 'n Dawgs

Took the day off for my birthday and spent it with my Ang and Mae. I wanted to try Franks 'n Dawgs in Lincoln Park for lunch. Headed to LP and dropped of Ang for her dentist appointment and Mae and I had a quick breakfast at Floriole Cafe and Bakery just down the street. Floriole is next to one of my fave cupcake bakery, Sweet Mandy B's, and inside is what I call modern cozy. Menus are up on chalkboards and their fresh selection of pastries and salads are in the display. I ordered a nice cup of Intelligiesta coffee and a chocolate croissant. If you know me, if there's a chocolate croissant on the menu, I'm game. The croissant was butterly and flaky, but I wish there was a bit more chocolate in it.

After hanging out in the area and picked up Ang, we headed to Franks 'n Dawgs for some unique hot dogs. I had the Epic Pork-gasm of bacon sausage, bacon jam, whiskey glazed pork belly, baconaise, chicharrons, and ham dust; Ang had the Tur-Doggin of turkey & date sausage, crispy duck confit, herb garlic aioli, pickled onion relish & pickled carrots; and Mae got Brunch dog of Slagel farms pork loin breakfast sausage with Cobb smoked bacon, fried egg & drizzled with maple mayo. We shared sides of triple truffle fries and truffle mac and cheese. We really enjoyed our meal. The combination of flavors on our dawgs worked really well and our truffle flavored sides were amazing. Can't wait to come back here and try other franks and dawgs!

Chicago Food Truck Social 2012

The girls and I spent a warm August Saturday afternoon in the city. We met up at the Randolph Street Festival in the West Loop to browse at vintage and one of kind of items. Therese was the only who walked away with some nice broaches for a bridal shower she was attending. After the festival, we walked over GEB for a refreshing cocktail of their punch then cabbed it over to the Food Truck Social for some dinner. It was our chance to dabble in some of these foods since we all work in the burbs and we were excited. The set up was in an empty gravel lot of 11 food trucks displaying their unique specialties. We started off with Hummingbird Kitchen's Italian fries of shaved garlic, fresh oregano and chili flakes. We snacked on the fries while waiting in line at The Tamale Spaceship where the guy at the window was dressed appropriately with a Lucha Libre wrestling mask. We got the chicken, pork and steak tamales with chips and guac. The tamales were delicious with their special mole and green sauces and the guac was simply tasty. Tried Chi-town Bomber's sausage and onions, which was juicy and full of flavor. Then ended with Ice Cubed's Black Velvet frozen treat. Overall, I had a nice time here and would definitely look out for these pop ups next summer as food trucks in Chicago are quickly growing.

Perennial Virant

Ang planned to pick up some purses from Lill Studio in Lincoln Park and we decided to make it a nice Sunday afternoon with our mom. It happened to be the same day of Chicago's Air and Water show, so there was traffic, but it being such a beautiful and warm day, it didn't matter. Had brunch at Perennial Virant which was right at the corner of Lincoln and Clark, just steps away from the lake. When I walked into the restaurant, I fell in love with the decor because of its color hues of soft greys, whites and a bit of chocolate brown. The food was delicious. The flavors were clean with some subtle of richness and fresh. I ordered the biscuits and gravy, of gunthorp farm chicken sausage and 2 eggs sunnyside up. Ang had the house-smoked trout, crispy grits, pickled ramps, spicy tomato with a sunnyside egg. My mom ordered the housemade Honey Bourbon Sausage, two eggs your way, home fries, cheese curds and toast. Then we added a couple of sweets to our table of their sticky bun and house made assortment of their pastries. Portions were just right that we each cleaned off our plates. The service was pleasant and were very accomodating with our preferences. Next is to come back for dinner!

Sweet Treats

After some late night drinking in Wicker Park, Ang walked us over to a window from Il Forno where Glazed and Infused were selling their unique donuts. The aroma from that small opening was delightful. I bought the chocolate cake donut, orignal cake, red velvet and their maple bacon glazed. I really enjoyed their donuts, very delicious! Later that week, my friend Mae came back from Pittsburgh and NYC and brought me back some candy from Dylan's Candy Bar in NYC and a TastyKake from Pitt. Thanks Ang and Mae for sharing some sweet treats!!

Tango

Met up for dinner at Tango in downtown Naperville. Cristina was in town from NYC and we all got together to catch up and reminsce our piano playing days. Tango is an Argentinean Grill that claims to have the longest steak. This was my second time visiting here and we all decided to go for their all you can eat tapas for $20, which I think is pretty decent. The tapas menu was about 20 items and I think we practically ordered everything. haha. We ordered stuffed mushrooms, nachos, beef skewers, chorizo, baked goat cheese, empanadas and many more. Just take a look!

Taverna 750

Stopped in for dinner with Mae and Steph after getting my hair did. Taverna 750 is in Boystown and serves Italian tapas style, which was perfect for our liking and wanting a variety of plates. I really enjoyed the risotto and mac and cheese, keywords that capture my taste buds on any menu haha. Overall, the food was good, a bit rich for the summer weather, but for a nice home feeling of Italian food, this hit the spot. We ordered the MOZZARELLA ALLA PHYLLO with candied walnuts, white truffle honey, sea salt; SPRING RISOTTO with spring onion, wild mushrooms, spring peas, smoked tomatoes; PORK AND POLENTA - THE GRAND TAP a braised pork ragout, polenta, basil oil; TUSCAN MAC AND CHEESE of fusilli pasta, smoked mozzarella,sharp cheddar, buffalo mozzarella, sage; OPEN FACE PORK SHOULDER RAVIOLI with braised pork shoulder, red wine, cannellini beans, radicchio, truffle, braising jus, elephant garlic chips; and housemade pizza of herb chicken, mozzarella, caramalized onions, sauce neapolitan

Superdawg

Finally had one of these after always passing it on Milwaukee Ave in Chicago, but I visited the Wheeling location on my lunch break. Ordered the Superdawg on a poppy seed bun with a pure beef hot dog (no pork, no veal, no cereal, no filler), dressed with all the trimming (golden mustard, tangy piccalilli, kosher dill pickle, chopped Spanish onions and a hot pepper) nestled in their Superfries™. Just cant' go wrong with this all American food, but done their way.

Family fun

Sun, snow or rain, the holidays are always at my Kuya's. This past 4th of July was HOT. Yes, this Chicago summer has been succumbed to hot and humid weather. We tried to make the best of the 4th as we could, we ate inside the house and only was outside at night for the traditional firework display by Kuya and the boys. I made dessert of what I like to call an ice cream sandwich lasagna. Got the recipe from Mae whom got it online. This dessert was a hit! All you needed was a tub of whip cream, ice cream sandwiches, chocolate and caramel sauce and toffee bits. So simple, but you had to wait about an hour for each layer made while it settled in the freezer, but it's worth it. I love the last pic below of my family friend's son holding a roman candle, reminds me of Harry Potter haha, pretty cool huh?

Bakin' & Eggs

My second time eating breakfast here at Bakin' & Eggs in the Lakeview neighborhood. A very simple place with fresh ingredients and great tasting food. They have your traditional dishes, but with their own touch. I ordered the breakfast burrito with bacon, egg, cheddar, sauteed onions and peppers with a black bean salad and tomatilla avocado salsa. Mae had the bacon waffles.

Tavernita

Happy Birthday Mae! Mae gathered her close friends for a small birthday dinner at Tavernita in the River North area. Tavernita is a very modern tapas style menu with Latin and Spanish flavors and with tasty and refreshing drinks! We really enjoyed the small plates and practically had a bit of everything, which was amazing. In addition to being a foodie, I'm a big pop fan. They make their own house made soda. Had a nice glass of valencia crush, which is orange pop. It wasn't sweet like your typical orange pop, rather very refreshing and not too sweet, which balanced well. Here's the rundown of our small plates: Escalivada, eggplant, red peppers, hazelnut romesco topped with goat cheese crostini; Pork belly bocadillos with fruit jam, pickled red onions on a brioche bun; Prawns a la plancha with castillo extra virgin olive oil; Croquetas of fermin serrano ham and saffron aioli; House special soft shell crabs; Patatas (potatoes) with chorizo, fried egg and brava sauce; Greg's meatballs with wagyu beef, pork and hazelnut romesco sauce; and Chicken a la brasa with wild mushroom escabaeche and green beans. Lastly, a complimentary dessert for the celebrant of toast with a chocolate spread topped with salt and caramel. Overall, a lovely dinner for my bestie!