Merry Christmas!

Wishing everyone a joyous Christmas and a very happy & healthy 2012!!!

I hope your bellies are full of delicious food today! Cheers! xoxo



Restaurant Spotlight: Bar Toma

As mentioned in my "Fall Preview" post (http://eatingchicago.blogspot.com/2011/09/fall-preview.html), Chef Tony Mantuano's latest venture finally opened! Since I love Spiaggia (but can't afford to dine there often), I was so excited to sample his delicious Italian food in a more casual and very much less expensive setting!

The menu focuses on small plates and covers everything from pizza, to sweet breads to a mozzarella bar. We ordered everything at once, and surprisingly everything came out around the same time. This was a bit overwhelming, but we managed just fine!

We wanted to start with an order from the mozzarella bar, so we went with the Tasting of Toma cheeses. My favorite was the one on the right, the seared toma cheese with lemon marmalade. The zing of the lemon paired perfectly with the fresh and mild cheese. Next time I am for sure ordering the whole burrata, served with olive oil and Sicilian sea salt. The table next to us ordered it and I was drooling with major food envy!

From the bar plates section, we ordered the charred carrots and rock shrimp polpette. The charred carrots were topped with goat cheese, almonds and balsamic. I might not want to eat carrots any other way from now on!

The rock shrimp polpette would be best described as a meatball of shrimp topped with crunchy shallots and bathed in a spicy tomato sauce (it had a serious kick!)

Moving on to the good stuff, the pizza, which is by far the most important thing about this place in my opinion. There are more than 15 different varieties, all with creative toppings and combinations. This place has its crust down! I was expecting a thin Neapolitan crust, but this crust was a bit more hefty and bubbly and chewy. I’m obsessed! We went with the “Lorenzo” which was topped with mozzarella, fresh tomatoes and basil and crispy pancetta. WANT.MORE.NOW!

And last but not least, we finished with an order of cannolis. The fresh ricotta stuffed pastry made this dessert a perfect ending to a delicious meal!

For this foodie with a penchant for shopping, Bar Toma is just what was needed on Michigan Ave. Cheers to that!

110 East Pearson St.

312-266-3110

http://www.bartomachicago.com/

I'm Back!

These past few weeks have been a whirlwind! With a break-in to my apartment, a trip to Ireland, a short stint in the hospital, and the madness known as granting wishes during the holidays, I haven’t been able to see straight lately! And with my computer being stolen, I have seriously neglected this blog! But I'm beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, so I'm hoping to get my posts updated more frequently!

T and I had a blast in Ireland. It is such a gorgeous country and the people are beyond lovely. If you haven’t had a chance to get there, you have to go! Here are some culinary delights from our trip! More Chicago food posts to follow!

Veggie Soup & brown bread at the Guinness Storehouse

T ready to dig in to fish & chips (with peas of course) at The Brazenhead, the oldest pub in Ireland

Mussels!

My new favorite cider

Fig salad with rocket (otherwise known as Arugula to us Americans)

Seafood Chowder

Best ham and cheese I have ever eaten

Irish cheeses, brown bread and a dessert spread

Thanksgiving Dinner at the Cliff House hotel

Halibut laced with Irish pork fat (oh yes!) and black ink sauce

Beef tea (really) to accompany T's Black Angus

Apple Medley dessert

Souffle with Guinness and caramel sauce. Truly sinful!

Bloody Mary Oyster shooters at Temple Bar

We literally ate our way through Ireland. I can’t wait to do it again!



Off to Ireland...

T and I are headed to Ireland tomorrow for a week long trip! Very excited to explore the Emerald Isle!Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I'll be sure to post all about my culinary adventures upon my return!

Friendsgiving

Each year, my friends and I gather for "Friendsgiving." Going strong for 6 years now, this serves as a time for us to get together, eat great food and reflect on the good times we have had throughout the year. They have managed to talk me into making the turkey each year. I have to say, I think it gets better with each try I give it!

For those of you looking for a yummy beverage to serve at your Thanksgiving gathering, a friend of mine gave me an awesome Cider Sangria recipe to try. It was a big hit and oh so perfect for a cool Fall day! It looks like I will now have turkey and sangria duty for future Friendsgivings!

Sandeman Ciderhouse Sangria

Ingredients

1 bottle of Sandeman Founders Reserve Porto

24 oz apple cider  

3 oz rye whiskey 

1.5 oz maple syrup

2 Granny Smith apples

2 pears 

Directions

Dice apples/pears and set aside. Mix all ingredients together in pitcher. Add in apples and pears. Let sit for at least 12 hours (or overnight). 

Happy early Thanksgiving everyone! May you spend it surrounded with friends, family and loved ones!

xoxo - Tiff

Restaurant Spotlight: Arami

Dinner at Arami tops as my favorite sushi experience to date.  The freshness, execution, and quality of the sushi and sashimi was phenomenal, and the presentations are literally a work of art! Located on Chicago Ave. just east of Damen, you may pass the unassuming front and think it’s nothing special, but THIS is a sushi restaurant you have to try!  

We started off with the special of the night - Aji or Japanese Horse Mackerel. I had no idea what to expect, as I have never had this type of fish. It's a sustainable fish with an oily flesh (think omega 3 and all the good stuff) and is abundant in Japan (thank you Google!) Some might be deterred by being presented with a whole fish at your table, but I was blown away by the artful presentation.

Next we were presented with the Toro Tartar bite and the Uni Shooter. The tartar is minced fatty tuna, chives, caviar and the house special soy sauce, served on a white spoon.  Fresh and with a delicate smoked finish, the bite melted in my mouth. Now the Uni shooter took some more convincing for us to order. I had never tried Sea Urchin and I wasn’t sure if I was ready. Our amazing server Megan, told us to just go for it, we wouldn’t regret it. Served in a shot glass with diced cucumber, shiso leaf and again, the house special soy sauce, I don’t even think I can describe to you what it tasted like. It was certainly different, but unexpectedly good!

We also ordered the other special of the night, Ebi Yake, which is Maya shrimp, miso butter, and black garlic. The shrimp was cooked perfectly and the miso butter added extra deliciousness to the dish!

We ordered several rolls and all were impeccable in freshness and flavor. The Zuke Saske Hotate is a roll of spicy scallops wrapped with salmon. The flavors were so layered and everything complemented each other so well! Yum!

I love soy and lots of wasabi, but Megan suggested we try the rolls sans soy. We were a little hesitant but gave it a shot and WOW. The Shrimp Tempura Asparagus with fried shrimp, asparagus and spicy salmon was delicious.

Last, we had the Maguro Kani -  Spicy king crab wrapped w/ a fresh piece of eel and topped w/ toasted almond slices. The spicy crab inside is warm, so you have warm, cold, and crunchy all in 1 bite!!

Order the triple gelato item for dessert. It's from Black Dog Gelato. You can thank me later.

Needless to say, I cannot wait to go back to Arami! The wait staff is awesome, welcoming and knowledgeable. Megan seriously knew about everything on the menu. She thoroughly impressed us! The ambience is perfect and the food alone is reason to go! What are are you waiting for??

1829 W Chicago Ave.
(between Wood St & Wolcott Ave)

(312) 243-1535

http://www.aramichicago.com/ 

**Congrats to Arami for just receiving a Bib Gourmand!
http://chicago.eater.com/archives/2011/11/09/michelin-guide-announces-2012-bib-gourmand-picks.php

Dining in tonight!

Butternut squash farfalle, zucchini and truffle butter. Hit the spot on this daylight savings Sunday. I purchased the freshly made pasta and truffle butter today at Dose Market. Pasta Puttana, your pasta is so delicious!

Have a great rest of your Sunday everyone!



http://dosemarket.com/

http://pastaputtana.com/

Thank you Crumbs Bake Shop!

Last night I met with Wish child Reece for a celebration send off! Reece has Retinoblastoma, which is an eye cancer. Reece wishes to go to Disney World to meet the princesses! She will be whisked off to Orlando in 2 weeks! And a party isn't a party without cupcakes! Crumbs Bake Shop generously donated a bunch of cupcakes, and even put her name on a special chocolate and sprinkles one!

A big shout out to River North Store manager Tracy! Thanks for supporting a cause near and dear to me! Reece thanks you too!

Crumbs Bake Shop
346 North Clark Street

312-755-0701

http://www.crumbs.com/ 

Lobster & Lamb!

Yum! Another scrumptious meal at Mercat!

I heart you Mercat!

http://www.mercatchicago.com/

Happy Halloween!

Trick or Treat! I hope everyone has a great day filled with lots of goodies!

Protein packed lunch!

My boyfriend is obsessed with the Protein Bar and I finally was able to meet him there for lunch to see what all the fuss is about! Protein Bar offers a wide variety of healthy bowls, salads and "bar-ritos." I ordered the Buffalo Bar-rito, which contains all natural chicken, organic quinoa, blue cheese, house made vegan buffalo sauce and a salad mix. This wrap contains 440 calories, 12 g fat, 15 g fiber, and 36 g protein! It was super tasty! I am so satisfied and got a filling, healty meal! Score!

Protein Bar just might be my new fave lunch spot!

River North location
352 N. Clark St.
(312) 527-0450
http://www.proteinbarchicago.com/

Restaurant Spotlight: Chilam Balam

One of my favorite BYOB’s in the city, Chilam Balam, serves up small plates of modern Mexican fare. Many of the dishes combine a variety of complex and creative flavors while still maintaining a traditional Mexican essence. Their menu continually changes but there are some constants that have stuck around on the menu since my first visit a couple of years ago.

The guacamole was a nice start.  Despite being named "Chunky Guacamole,” it was actually on the creamy side. The chip to guacamole ratio was spot-on which was great. I always hate asking for more chips to finish the guac! And we finished it so fast, I forgot to take a picture. Woops!

First up: Shiitake mushroom Empanadas with grilled veggies, Wisconsin jack cheese, & salsa verde. My main gripe is that there wasn't enough cheese. However, the veggies were cooked nicely and the overall flavor was spot on.

Next we ordered the corn masa memelas, served with black beans, aged goat cheese, Arbol salsa and dressed shoots. I really liked the combo of the goat cheese with the beans.

The grilled flank steak was prepared perfectly medium rare and served with roasted potatoes, crispy onions, and a smoky guajillo chile sauce.  

By the time the pork tenderloin arrived, we were getting so full but we had to keep on going, because it looked so good! Served with mole rojo, sweet potato puree, fried okra, toasted almonds, this tenderloin was cooked perfectly and went nicely with some freshly made tortillas.

For dessert we had the formed chocolate chile mousse, with a spiced goat cheese center and orange marshmallow sauce. I really wanted to like it, but I’m just not sure chocolate and goat cheese go together, at least not in this dish. It looks pretty though!  

Some pointers - - Because of the small plates, you'll want to order more than one dish per person.  It’s not cheap, but it's very much worth the money, though, and you'll probably want to try everything anyway!  If you don’t arrive early, be prepared to wait. The restaurant is teeny tiny and they do not take reservations. Chilam Balam is CASH only! So be sure to stop at the ATM first! The staff is friendly and I always love the music selection playing in the background. Also, chef/owner Chuy Valencia, will battle it out on Season 9 of Top Chef!

3023 N Broadway St.
(773) 296-6901

http://chilambalamchicago.com/ 

Sunday Surprise

While walking to the store today, I ran into the Sweet Spot Macaron truck and of course I had to stop and try a few! Claiming to be the first food truck dedicated to the French delicacy, Sweet Spot Macarons began hitting the streets of Chicago just 10 days ago. By the time I encountered the truck, they were out of most flavors, so I went with Passionfruit and Chocolate Espresso. We're talking yummy, chewy goodness here! The Chocolate Espresso tasted almost like a brownie and was my definite fave!

Check out their website or follow on Twitter to see where they will be next!

http://www.sweetspotmacarons.com/ @SweetSpotMac