I planted a bunch of basil this summer because I looooooove pesto. A basic pesto just takes a few simple ingredients–basil, garlic, nuts and olive oil. I normally add parmesan cheese but this batch is for a vegan pal so no cheese. If you make this a few times it’s easy to adjust to your taste.… Continue reading MAKE: Basil Pesto
Tag: food
EAT: Radiance Tea House & Books (New York, NY)
My business trips to New York always seem to dictate staying in Midtown. On my last trip, I discovered Radiance Tea House just a couple blocks away from the hotel. The lunch menu (PDF) includes variety of soups, salads, dumplings and combo meals (above). I appreciated the vast tea selection but had difficulty distinguishing between all… Continue reading EAT: Radiance Tea House & Books (New York, NY)
EAT: Dan Dan Noodles 擔擔麵
Dan Dan noodles are a classic Chinese Sichuan (Szechuan) dish. The quite-spicy dish pairs a spicy sauce (Sichuan peppers, chili oil, vinegar, minced pork, scallions) with wheat-flour noodles. They’re pretty easy to make at home but the to-go version is hard to pass up. I love to add them on to a larger order of less… Continue reading EAT: Dan Dan Noodles 擔擔麵
EAT: RAINBOW CONE / 91st & Western
I had my first Chicago RAINBOW CONE not too long ago. In a few words: highly recommended. ORIGINAL RAINBOW CONE 9233 S. Western Ave. Chicago, IL 60643 (773) 238-7075
EAT: THE SMITH / NYC
Last week, I went to New York for Forrester’s Forum For Customer Experience. While I was in town, I grabbed dinner with a friend at THE SMITH (Midtown). Dinner was great! Service was excellent from the time we walked in. We had reservations but the place was crowded and they were unable to seat us right… Continue reading EAT: THE SMITH / NYC
EAT: NOOKIES / Edgewater (Bryn Mawr)
The newest outpost of NOOKIES opened up in Edgewater several months ago and it’s quickly become a neighborhood favorite. I haven’t stopped by for dinner (yet) but have had a lovely brunch several times. And, as you know, I love a great brunch. It’s not as hip (aka crowded) as the joints on Clark so it’s… Continue reading EAT: NOOKIES / Edgewater (Bryn Mawr)
EAT: M. HENRY / Andersonville/Edgewater
In Andersonville, everyone talks about M. HENRY. Look at the photos and you’ll see why. Two different trips– cinnamon french toast the first time. And, quiche for the most recent visit. Service is friendly and while the restaurant was clearly busy, we didn’t feel rushed — a brunch must-have. Already looking forward to the next… Continue reading EAT: M. HENRY / Andersonville/Edgewater
EAT: UNCOMMON GROUND / Rogers Park
Attended the Glenwood Ave Arts Festival in Rogers Park and happily stumbled upon (thanks to my Yelp app) the very fabulous UNCOMMON GROUND restaurant. Complete with rooftop organic garden, Uncommon Ground “uses seasonal, locally produced, family farmed & organic products whenever possible.” I thoroughly enjoyed the bacon wrapped meatloaf (shown above) with Q7 farms beef, gunthorp farms… Continue reading EAT: UNCOMMON GROUND / Rogers Park
MAKE: One Very Fancy Barbeque
Go fancy (easily!) for your Independence Day barbeque by elevating your must-have condiments: 1. EMPIRE White Truffle Mayonnaise 4 oz. jar, $8 2. MCCLURE’S Garlic Relish 9 0z. jar, $8.50 at Dean & Deluca 3. BALAKIAN FARMS Organic Tomato Sauce Various flavors, $10-14 Complete the set with Sir Kensington’s scooping ketchup
BUY: SIR KENSINGTON Scooping Ketchup
Think all bottles of ketchup are equal? I used to. Then I happened upon SIR KENSINGTON Classic Scooping Ketchup at Sur La Table. (image: Sir Kensington) Using vine-ripened pear tomato puree instead of tomato concentrate and swapping out high fructose corn syrup with a blend of agave, honey and raw brown sugar makes one hell… Continue reading BUY: SIR KENSINGTON Scooping Ketchup
EAT: RALPH LAUREN RESTAURANT / Magnificent Mile
Getting this post up a little late…. A while back, a few friends from LA came out to visit. One of them really, really wanted to try the RALPH LAUREN RESTAURANT. Located adjacent to their fabulous store on Chicago Avenue, the place was packed with well-heeled folks dripping in RL. We squeezed into a small… Continue reading EAT: RALPH LAUREN RESTAURANT / Magnificent Mile
EAT: TASTE OF PERU / Chicago, IL
One of the best things about being new in town is the opportunity to try new restaurants. I was super excited to learn there was Peruvian food available close by (Rogers Park) and the reviews on Yelp had us salivating before we walked in the door. Lucky for us we stopped by TASTE OF PERU… Continue reading EAT: TASTE OF PERU / Chicago, IL