Crumbs and Friends

In this post, I'm combining 3 bakers, Crumbs and my two friends Mae and Annie. Stopped by Crumbs after lunch at GT Fish & Oyster to try this NYC bakery. Picked up some variety mini cupcakes and a regular sized Boston Creme Pie. The cake is really dense and a bit heavy for me and the icing was ok and there was not much of a filling. I preferred the minis as the cake was already dense, so it was a perfect bite. I'm probably used to sweeter cupcakes like well-known locals Sweet Mandy B's and Molly's Cupcakes, which at Molly's has the to die for Boston Creme Pie cupcake and they just expanded to New York as well. Mae and Annie baked some treats for folks at work. Though, I don't work with them anymore, they let me come visit for some treats hahaha. Mae made walnut brownie bites and Annie baked peanut butter and jelly cupcakes with a chocolate cake. Both were yummy!

Chicago Cupcake Tour

Yes, a cupcake tour in Chicago! My lovely sister, Ang, bought a Groupon for this tasty outting. We were scheduled to go in February, but a snow storm had us staying home and had to reschedule for later March, which turned out perfect because it unseasonably warm. The tour was thru Chicago Chocolate Tours and we selected the downtown Loop tour. It's a 2hr walking tour in the downtown area starting at Macy's on State. First stop was Sarah's Pastries in Macy's with the black and white cupcake with fondant icing and dark chocolate almond cluster; cake was very moist and light, really enjoyed this one as I was unsure about the fondant icing, but it was really good! Second stop was Argo Tea(not pictured), which doesn't have cupcakes, but offered a vegan chocolate chip muffin. Third stop was Flirty Cupcakes food truck which was on Stetson and Randolph; got the Salted Caramel cupcake which I ate later at home as I was getting full. Fourth stop at III Forks with a S'mores cupcake, which was amazing! Fifth and last stop was surprisingly at MySpa at The Fairmont Hotel, where we enjoyed mini cupcakes, wine and sparkling water. Overall, we both really had a blast during this tour. There was only one couple from out of town and the rest were locals. I recommend this tour to anyone, plus the site has other tours as well for those with a sweet tooth. After the tour, we headed back to State Street to do some shopping, but caught a bit of the 6pm Ch. 7 news. I wanted to stay til 6:30pm because the cameras usually do a quick span of the folks watching from the outside, but Ang didn't want to wait :-) So, I waved to Ron Magers and Kathy Brock during commercial, which they did wave back. Jerry Taft, the weatherman, was at his desk or weather center getting ready for his segment and I told Ang to take a pic of me pointing to Jerry. I was pointing and Ang says "Um, he's pointing back at you!", I turn my head and he's making a silly face and pointing back and I gestured to him to hold for 1 min in that pose while Ang took the pic...well take a look below and see what happened! hahahaha.

GT Fish & Oyster

I love it when I have to take PTO here or there due to me hitting my cap, but it also means I can visit restaurants during the week when it's not busy. And that's what I did on this day to GT Fish & Oyster in the River North area for lunch. I really enjoyed my meal here. It's a mix of traditional and modern seafood small plates with a spin. Started with grilled caesar salad with romaine hearts, cherry tomatoes, parmesan, oyster crouton; then shared plates of fish tacos with garlic marinade, chipotle aioli, chicharron; two pork belly sliders with kimchi slaw and GT Lobster Mac and Cheese with English peas. The service was nice and friendly with our server being very helpful. You can really taste the freshness of the seafood and that's what made the meal delicious. Round 2 anyone? hee hee

 

 

 

Sunda

Came back to Sunda for Sunday brunch with my parents for a nice meal. Enjoyed their sushi of spicy tuna over pan fried rice and their American kobe beef as starters. I ordered braised pork belly on crispy rice patties with poached eggs and their special sauce, this was a take on the American eggs benedict and the pork belly reminded me of Filipino pork adobo. My mom ordered the Thai omelet with shrimp, pork, fish cake, bean sprouts, watercress, chili. My dad ordered the Pancit Canton topped with fried pork belly. Afterwards, we hit up China town so my mom could get her fix on some Chinese pastries haha. Another on point meal at Sunda!

 

 

Bistro Margot

After getting our hair did, Ang and I had a nice lunch at Bistro Margot in Old Town to partake in Chicago's Restaurant Week. Ang and I wanted something different and since I was somewhat fresh from my Paris vacay, we decided for some traditional French dining. Their lunch menu offered a nice variety of French foods and the ambience was like you were in a French cafe. I ordered the Croque Monsieur, grilled country ham and Gruyere Cheese served Parisian Style with Pommes Frites. Ang ordered Moules Marinieres, mussels in White Wine, Beurre Blanc, Shallots, Herbs. We both enjoyed our meals and would definitely come back.

 

Christmas with the girls

The girls and I celebrated our 2nd Christmas dinner and Secret Santa right after New Years with a potluck at Sheryl's place. I'm very lucky and grateful to have these ladies in my life as they each have a unique personality that makes our circle one of a kind. We've known each other since we were pre-teens through a music studio that we all took piano lessons from and we've been friends ever since! This year's potluck included a roasted chicken and potatoes by Anne, pizza appetizer bites by Therese, taco salad and flan by Sheryl, bananas foster by Ang and baked mac and cheese by me.

m. henry

Headed to Andersonville for breakfast at m. henry on a Saturday morning with Mae. We got seated right away and enjoyed the coffee. The cafe was cute and country chic and the decor brought the outside in with hanging window frames and doors between tables. We ordered their known Blackberry Bliss pancakes and Fannie's Killer Fried Egg sandwich. We both had half of each and it was the perfect balance. The pancakes were amazing!! They were layered w/warm blackberries and vanilla mascarpone cream, & topped w/a brown sugar & oat crust. The sandwich had toasted sour boule layered w/ two over-medium eggs, applewood bacon, sliced plum tomatoes, gorgonzola, & fresh thyme and served with house potatoes. YUM-O!

 

Over Easy

Another beautiful October Saturday morning in the neighborhood and decided to try Over Easy in the North Center neighborhood for breakfast. Cute, small space with vibrant colors that made our experience pleasant. A bit of a wait, but fortunately, we could wait outside and enjoy the weather and complimentary coffee. Ordered their known Sassy Eggs, two eggs served over chorizo-potato hash with cheddar cheese, red peppers, jalapenos, guacamole, sour cream, & ancho ketchup. If you know me, I like Chorizo, so whenever there's an opportunity to have it with my meal, hands down. Presentation was perfect and the flavors were so good, really enjoyed their own whipped up sauces, i.e. ancho ketchup. I'd come back here again!

Tango Sur

What to do, what to do on a nice, unusually warm, early October evening? Dine outdoor with some good meats I say. Mae and I checked out Tango Sur in Lakeview for some good, quality Argentine meats. We ordered Vacio, half slab of range grown flap meat, sliced and filled with olive oil, garlic, parsley sauce, then cooked and served on a grill with roasted sweet potatoes. This was ideal for two, which was perfect. Meat was so tender and juicy, defintely would come back here.

Angela's Burrito Style

For those who've been to San Diego, CA, you know this and it's only a Cali thing, right? Carne Asada Fries!!! Heard that Angela's Burrito Style in Lincoln Park has this and you have to ask for it, as it's not listed on their menu. After a night with Ang and Therese, we made it here for just that. It's pretty good, but just not the same as back in San Diego. I need to head back to SD for this and of course to visit my cousins!

Kuma's Corner

After getting our hair did, Ang and I hit up Kuma's Corner in the Avondale neighborhood for their famous burgers. It's a small rock themed bar on the corner and it fills up quickly. To match the rock theme, their burgers are named after famous rock stars and bands. We got their at 11am and we had to wait for more than hour, it's that good. I ordered the Brujera, Cream Cheese and Chorizo Stuffed Jalapeno Popper, Cheddar Cheese and Charred Tomato Salsa. Ang ordered the Pantera, Roasted Poblano Pepper, Bacon, Chedder and Monterey Jack, House made Ranchero Sauce, Tortilla Strips. No reservations, so come hungry and be ready to wait!

Gilt Bar

Ended a mild December day with some cozy food at Gilt Bar. My friends and I have had their unique cocktails in Curio in the basement earlier in the year and after a long day of perusing the One of a Kind show across the street at Merch Mart, we decided for a nice dinner here. The flavors in the dishes are very rich, but yet very clean. We each enjoyed our meals and cocktails. Started with the roasted bone marrow with red onion jam and tenderloin steak tartare with slow poached egg yolk- both served on toast; I had the pot roast...this was very rich, but I liked it! Ang and Vincent had the grilled pork belly over lentils; Sheryl had the ricotta gnocchi with wild mushrooms, pancetta & thyme; and Therese had the bolognese with pappardelle, charred tomato & parmesan. Also, I enjoyed Death's Door Daisy cocktail! I want that orange one...hahahaha

Roy's - Part 2

I revisited Roy's to celebrate Mae's job promotion. Another on point meal here. I don't think you can go wrong here, just so good. Started with the Maine Lobster Dim Sum with White Truffle Emulsion, Lobster Cream Sauce; I had Roy's Trio of Hibachi Salmon, Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi and Misoyaki Butterfish; Mae had the Shellfish Sampler of butter poached half lobster tail, seared crab cake, sea scallop and shrimp with a macadamia nut pesto risotto. Then ended with the Roy's pineapple upside down cake....ommmgggg, the coconut ice cream that came with it was so good! Congrats Mae!

Paris, France

Bonjour! Deux pain au chocolat s'il vous plait! I love love loved my trip to Paris. It was a surreal experience because I studied French in high school and finally being able to visit France and trying to talk to the locals was unreal. We rented a small and cozy flat in Paris, about 20 min by train from city center. Our host was accomodating and I defintely would recommend him, hit me up for more details. The flat was just a 3 min walk to the train with the boulangerie on the way, hence my breakfast every morning was chocolate croissants for 2 euros, and the grocery store was just 2 doors down, such a conveneint location and the price was waaaay cheaper than staying at a hotel. We bought a 2 day Paris pass before we left Chicago, that allowed us to visit all the tourist sites with a hop off and on bus. A well worth it purchase that included transportation and admission to these places. We visited Versailles, Notre Dame, Montparnasse, Arc De Triomphe, Louvre and the famous Mona Lisa and walked the Champs Elysees. On our last day we visited the Eiffel Tower, it was a cloudy and chilly day which you can see in the pics. Besides my daily chocolate croissants, which I brought a dozen back home, we made our own meals in our flat, but enjoyed a croque madame and crepes throughout our trip. I want to go back!!!