Moving On: Siena Tavern

I accepted a new job (yippee) and yesterday was my last day at Marketing Werks. Two of my dearest coworker friends threw me a goodbye party on Monday at Siena Tavern. So many people came who have been important to me throughout my career or become good friends during my five years at Marketing Werks. This party meant so much and sent me off on a new chapter realizing how much I am going to miss seeing the smiling faces of my friends on a daily basis.

The party was so fun not only because of the people there but also the venue. Siena Tavern is brand spanking new. This place was opened by Top Chef participant Fabio Viviani and the people who also own Public House and Bull & Bear. The ambiance and decor is phenomenal (dark and cozy, to my usual liking), and the food was fantastic. I want to go back and try everything from the housemade pasta to the mozzarella bar to the pizza bar. They also had one of my favorite wines that I rarely find on a menu. Fabio was so nice and came over to our table, sat down and chatted with us. This made me feel a little giddy.

And to top it all off my sweet cubicle neighborhood had gourmet donuts from Firecakes waiting for me on my desk when I got to work for my last day.

Thanks to my good buddies at Marketing Werks & cheers to new beginnings!

Trattoria Roma & B.L.U.E.S.

Last night some of my dearest buddies from high school went out to celebrate a friend coming home from China. We spent the evening away from the downtown area and went to dinner at Trattoria Roma followed by some live music at B.L.U.E.S.

Trattoria Roma is a restaurant right out my back door in Old Town but I have always walked by and never been. The decor is unremarkable but the food was so good. I ordered a dish that was like a sideways lasagna with endless layers of pasta. Absolutely delicious and I wish I remembered what it was called.

After dinner we went to B.L.U.E.S. which is a live blues bar in the Lincoln Park area. They opened in 1979 and play live music 7 days a week, generally with local musicians. The place was absolutely packed but we eventually found seats. I don't generally like crowded bars, but this place is worth it for the experience. 

DrumBar and Disotto Enoteca

Last night a girlfriend and I had a gold coast evening and went to DrumBar for drinks and Disotto Enoteca for dinner. This was such a fun Friday night filled with chatting and laughter.

DrumBar was a phenomenal experience and it is no wonder they have so much good press. This place opened summer 2012 and is the rooftop of Raffaelo Hotel. They are speakeasy style and serve drinks only, no food (I've read that they have small plates from Pelago but they weren't serving any food when we were there). The no food was a little confusing to us at first but the drinks are so good (literally the best cocktails I have ever had) that it is so worth it to come here.  The drinks are craft cocktails and have things like cinnamon infused ice cubes and are literally on fire. They change their menu frequently so I will definitely be coming back.

The size of the ice cube in the drink was a little disappointing though. I would rather have that be alcohol considering the drinks are thirteen bucks a pop.

They also were voted Best Rooftop of 2012 by Chicago Magazine so even more reason to come back and check out the gorgeous view and their ever changing menu.

After DrumBar we went right around the corner to Disotto Enoteca. A girlfriend from work told me about this place and she is right that it is a hidden gem. This wine bar and restaurant is very little and in the basement of Francesca's. We ordered ricotta with honey and toast, a cheese plate and fried cauliflower & broccoli. Everything was delicious and I want to come back here for many more cozy winter nights. The only thing they were missing was a fireplace. 

Pizza & Wine

Tonight a girlfriend came over for some pizza and wine. Love these nights with this girl where we chat and cook and look at wedding inspiration for her. We made a pesto pizza with all sorts of glorious toppings including mushrooms, prosciutto, onion, sun dried tomato, pine nuts, and fresh mozzarella. Travi was clearly very interested in our food and wanted some wine and pizza.

While picking out some drink for tonight I was recommended three different wines at Trader Joe's. The one bottle we tried was quite yummy and I can't wait to try the rest.

And what better way to top off the night than with some hot chocolate and marshmallows? Clearly I went overboard with the marshmallows.

Des Moines Weekend

This past weekend I went to Des Moines to visit my guy. My flight arrived much earlier than originally planned and Jeff already had lunch plans so I sat down to a lunch by myself at one of my favorite spots.  City Bakery is a local place with yummy salad, soups and sandwiches. The soup of the day was a creamy carrot. I was skeptical but it was so good that I want to attempt to make this at home.

After lunch I walked around the adorable East Village neighborhood. This area is filled with boutiques. These were a couple of my favorites. Velvet Coat is a woman's clothing shop that was having a fabulous sale. I scored a pair of maroon James Jeans for 14 bucks. That's right, 14 bucks.

There was also a phenomenal paper shop called Ephemera. The owner was very nice and has amazing taste (or maybe just my taste) and I could have purchased every card in her store. The card I chose I thought was too cute and I barely want to even give it away. 

The last shop I visited was Raygun. A local told me that I had to go to this place and check out their plethora of custom shirts. The shirts below are some of the best. The cat one especially gets to my sense of humor.

Friday night we went to the Animal Rescue League's event at an Iowa Energy basketball game. This was particularly fun because you got to bring your dog. Travi was overwhelmed with excitement and was by far the cutest pup there. She sat on my lap the whole time like a little baby.

Saturday we spent most of the day running errands and capped off the night with a dinner at HoQ with dear friends. HoQ is a new restaurant that is farm to table and serves local food that is grown or raised within 150 miles of Des Moines. Everything we ordered was delicious from the appetizers to the dessert. 

Sunday before I left to head back to Chicago we went to another favorite of mine, Gateway Market. This place is an upscale (very expensive) grocery store with a restaurant. Think of a local Whole Foods. I was craving something sweet for brunch and their challah french toast with walnuts and strawberries hit the spot. Jeff grabbed some pastries from the Goodies To-Go section that I couldn't resist trying. They also have a fireplace, which makes brunch and drinking a latte all the more delightful. And check out those gorgeous heirloom tomatoes. 

Gilt Bar

Last week I had some big news to celebrate so I went to one of my most beloved restaurants in the city. Gilt Bar is an ultimate favorite of mine and I always recommend this place to someone looking for a place to go in Chicago. They have the triple threat: food, price and ambiance. The menu has the most delicious toasts and house wine is priced at four bucks a pop. The ambiance is dark and cozy. Enough said.