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!