Sable

Last night I went to Sable with some girlfriends. This restaurant is in River North and was opened by Heather Terhune, who was on Top Chef Texas and worked at Atwood Cafe for over a decade. Sable is a gastro lounge and offers craft cocktails, many of which we enjoyed. The concept is to have small shared plates to create a social atmosphere. This is especially fun because you can try several things on the menu.

Sable is seperated into two areas, in the back of the space there is the restaurant and in the front when you walk in there is a large bar with open seating. We didn't have a formal reservation for dinner, so sat up front - that being said, the menu is the same in both areas. The space is absolutely beautiful and sexy with backlit walls and dark textures, and you guessed it, I adore the light fixtures.

If you haven't been to this place, it should be a must on your go-to list. Either post up in the front area with friends after work, or make a night of it and get a reservation in the back restaurant. You won't be disappointed.

 

Little Market Brasserie

Last night I went to Little Market with some friends from the best extended family around! Little Market is in the Gold Coast and is the lobby restaurant of the Talbott Hotel. The restaurant opened up in January of 2012 and has since been acclaimed as Chicago magazine's top three "Best New Restaurants."

The beautifully decorated restaurant opens up to an amazing outdoor patio that is in the heart of things, but not on a too busy street. The chef at this place has been trained in French and American cuisine, and has worked at highly acclaimed restaurants such as The French Laundry. That being said, the food was phenomenal and they have a wide array of items to make most anyone happy. I had heard great things about both their burger and grilled cheese, so it was a tough choice for me, but I went with the burger and it was so good. Also, the prices are also reasonable - you can order an entree for under fifteen bucks and the drinks range in price.

Although I stuck with wine tonight, I have had a cocktail here before. The cocktails are made with house-infused syrups, and you can mix and match liquors and syrups, although they do give you a recommendation. Sadly you aren't allowed to sit outside and just order a cocktail, so if you want to enjoy one of these, you need to come for the whole shebang.

Overall, I highly recommend coming to this place. You won't be disappointed.

Off to Orlando

This weekend I'll be heading to Orlando to attend a tradeshow for work. Although traveling over a summer weekend for work isn't my favorite, staying at this hotel might just make it worth it.



 

 

 

And I'm off, back on Tuesday and hopefully with a tan!

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Last night I went to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with my family. There was a concert celebrating the career of Dale Clevenger, who is a family friend from church, and also happens to be the lead horn player in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Clevenger's career has span 47 years at the CSO and he has gained a world renowned reputation for being one of the best horn players in the world. Although this was a different and more personal experience at the CSO, if any bone if your body likes classical music, you must go for an experience like no other.

endgrain

Tonight I went to endgrain in the Roscoe Village neighborhood. This restaurant was just opened by Chef Enoch Simpson, formerly of Girl and the Goat and Green Zebra. The menu focuses on casual American food, serving brunch, an all day menu, and a dinner menu. This is also the same guy who is behind Enoch's Doughnuts - apparently these things are good, but sadly were long sold out by the time we got there.

The atmosphere at this place is great - the only thing they could use is some candles. The food was phenomenal, however be prepared for a limited menu and small portions. That being said, I could have ordered anything on the menu and been very happy. Although I left feeling satisfied, I would highly recommend ordering three courses. This place doesn't serve alcohol, which makes it very affordable because you can bring your own with no corkage fee. The service was terribly slow, so much so that after being seated we waited almost twenty minutes for someone to come to our table and welcome us.

Overall, the atmosphere and food at this place is great, and although they have some service related kinks to work out, I think it's going to do very well. I would highly recommend coming here!

Quinoa Pancakes

Last weekend we went to Green Lake and I was introduced by my sisters friends to quinoa pancakes. They were so good that I had to share the recipe. Each pancake is only 100 calories, and they are very filling. We ate breakfast around 9am and I wasn't hungry for lunch until 3pm. The recipe came from a book called True Food by Dr. Andrew Weil.

2 cups red quinoa

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup evaporated cane sugar

2 tablespoons + 1.5 teaspoons baking powder

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups milk (or whatever you want to substitute)

4 large eggs (or egg substitute)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon canola or vegetable oil

1 cup blueberries or other berries
 

Bring a saucepan with 4 cups of water of 1 teaspoon salt to a boil. Add the quinoa and stir. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the quinoa is dry and fluffy, about 20 minutes.

 

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Whisk well to combine. In another large bowl, combine the milk, eggs, vanilla, and canola oil and whisk to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and blend until just combined. Fold in the cooked quinoa, taking care not to over mix. Let the batter rest for at least 1 hour.

Lightly brush the cooking surface of a nonstick pan or griddle with canola oil. Lade about 1/3 cup of the batter too the hot pan. Drop 8 to 10 berries on top of each pancake (or don't, if you want them plain). When bubbles form in the batter, flip and cook on the other side until lightly browned. Continue with the remaining batter and berries. Optional: serve topped with a dollop of Greek-style plain or vanilla nonfat yogurt and maple syrup.

 

Pequod's Pizza

The other night we were feeling pizza and it was a bit colder out, so we didn't feel like we were wasting a summer night by eating indoors. We wanted to try something beyond the regular deep dish so went to Pequod's Pizza, which is in Lincoln Park on Clybourn. For starters we ordered the garlic bread, which was amazing because it had sesame seeds on it, and then we order a pepperoni pan pizza. The crust is so delicious and is lighter with a caramelized crust. 

If you live in the Chicago area, and you haven't been to this place, you need to check it out. I can guarantee you won't be disappointed. The common reaction amongst people when you tell them you've been to Pequod's is how wonderful the place is!

Baume & Brix, Take Two

I have never won anything in my life, but recently I won a dinner at Baume & Brix after going to this restaurant back in April and filling out the comment card. I took my mom to dinner with me and we were completely spoiled. And again, the service was phenomenal. 

The dinner started out with a glass of champagne, followed by a choice of an appetizer, entree and dessert per person, and each course was served with a wine pairing. 

For an appetizer, I chose the shrimp and grits bisque and my mom had the oyster duo. 

For dinner I ordered one of my all time favorite dishes, the red curry short rib and my mom had the black cod. We both completely enjoyed our meals and ate them so fast it was almost embarrassing. And the dish my moms fish came in was so stylish!

For dessert, my mom ordered the most phenomenal thing on the menu. Luckily, mine was a close second. 

Although this restaurant is still pricey, I was able to try a lot more of the dishes this time around because it was free. That being said, I would recommend coming to this place for a date night in which you're willing to drop some dough. The food really is great and the ambiance will not disappoint.

And on our walk home, my mom found a pretty funny sign in a vet parking lot!