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!

WildFish and Yogurtland

I think this is my first sushi post here, though I often fill the crave every couple weeks. Ang had a Groupon for WildFish in downtown Arlington Heights. There is another location in Deerfield too. There was 4 of us, Ang, D, my mom and I and we ordered a variety of rolls and nigiri. The fish is very fresh and the different combinations of rolls were tasty. Overall, the experience was great. The service was smooth and the servers were attentive. Prices were a bit high, but the quality of fish was worth it. After dinner, we walked over to Yogurtland for some frozen yogurt. Love how you can sample shots of the flavors. I ended up with Almond Midnight Mocha and Strawberry topped with nilla wafers, nuts and mango tapioca.

B Spot

Was back in Cleveland for two days and had a quick, simple dinner at Michael Symon's B Spot in the casino. B Spot's menu includes burgers, sandwiches, brats and sides. Your typical American fast food, but with a twist of unique flavors and combinations. I opted to stay safe with the Lola burger with a fried egg, bacon, pickled red onions, cheddar and mayo and a side of Lola fries. Burger was smaller than expected, but piled high with toppings and gotta love a fried egg. Fries were fries, nothing too special and I think I should have gone with onion rings. There was so much to choose from and I know I'll be back here later this year for work, perhaps go for the bologna sandwich next?

RPM Italian

Delicious and simple Italian food here at RPM Italian. A restaurant linked to well known celebrity couple Bill and Giuliana Rancic. After a Saturday afternoon show of Jersey Boys, my mom, Ang and I had early dinner reservations here and we were, well at least I was, excited to taste the food. Arrived around 4:45pm and there were already tables filled as dinner started at 4pm. You walk into the restaurant greeted by the friendly hosts and sleek black tiles and off white walls as the color motif. We are seated in a half circle booth and eagerly look at the menu. We decided to go for a nice 3 course meal. Started off sharing Giuliana's Italian Salad and Mediterranean Octapus. The salad was was clean and light with pieces of salami, heirloom and yellow tomatoes and hot peppers. The octapus was amazing. Cooked in a wood oven and you could taste the wood in the meat. I had to order Mama DePandi's Bucatini Pomodoro and a meatball after watching her make it on tv so many times. Mama does no wrong! Clean and simple flavors in the dish and the meatball was juicy, so yummy! Ang ordered Maine Lobster Ravioli as her first round and then the Short Rib Pappardelle because she was still hungry...hahaha. The ravioli portion was small, but tasted fresh with the lobster. The short rib was rich and a bit heavier, but still an excellent choice. My mom ordered the Spicy King Crab, squid ink spaghetti. The main entrees were perfectly portioned, except for the ravioli haha, and tasted authentic. Prices were suprisingly affordable, not like your high end restaurants, which makes me look forward to my next visit. Our server was very helpful with our questions and was attentive to us throughout our meal. Ang did find a small sliver of a bone in her short rib pasta and both our server and the manager approached her and apologized for the oversight and then resolved the situation quickly and eventually made that dish complimentary. Kudos to them! We ended our meal on a sweet note with Tartufo, a scoop of hazelnut gelato in a chocolate hazelnut shell. This dessert was AMAZEBALLS in the words of Giuliana! It was like eating a Ferrero Rocher chocolate, so good I wanted to lick the plate! Overall, our experience was great from beginning to end. Any takers?