Nellcote and Randolph Street Market

Yesterday my mom, sister, and a dear family friend (who is like more of an aunt) went to brunch on Restaurant Row at Nellcote, followed by a visit to the Randolph Street Market.

I have to say my favorite part of this outing was brunch. I have been to Nellcote for dinner before but have been wanting to try the brunch. I was worried we would need a reservation, but they were able to seat a table of four right away. The menu is a prix fixe and for eighteen bucks each person gets an entree and the table shares a plate with breads, pastries, condiments, charcuterie, and cheese. The menu was phenomenal, so much so that I had a difficult time choosing what to get. Between the four of us we ordered pain perdu, smoked trout salad, lobster hash and sunnyside-up egg pizza. Although I am biased, I have to say that my order was the best. The pain perdu is essentially fried french toast with apples and creme chantilly. To die for. And a nice little touch to this brunch is that on every table there is a New York Times and an US Weekly. I don't normally spoil myself with trashy magazines so it's a guilty treat to flip through.

After brunch we went to Randolph Street Market. I have to say, I was disappointed once before when going to the Randolph Street Market in the fall, and I was disappointed yet again going in the spring. This market has been dubbed the mecca of antiques in Chicago, but I don't see it. There seemed to just be a sprinkling of antiques. I've done some more reading on it and it looks like the best time to go is in the summer. I might just have to give this place a third chance.

Happy Spring

Today was the first day of spring...although it feels like winter. I bought myself some tulips to brighten my day. And then opened a bottle of wine. Although I am loving my new job, playing catch up has been exhausting.

The weekend can't come soon enough.

Graham Elliot Bistro

Last night the boyfriend took me to a restaurant of my choice to continue the celebration of my new job. I chose Graham Elliot Bistro on Restaurant Row. Immediately after walking into this place the staff and soft upbeat music make you feel welcome. This is a casual version of Graham Elliot, which is distinguished by the subtle rock-and-roll theme, more industrial feel, lack of white table clothes and open kitchen. The floors and ceiling are painted black and there are candles lining the whole restaurant. This is my kind of place - chic and nice without being formal and stuffy.

As for the food, there is a mix of appetizers, salads, pastas and entrees. We ordered one entree, one pasta and one appetizer and it was more than enough food. I wasn't stuffed but left feeling full. The special of the night was bacon wrapped rabbit with brussel sprouts and parsnips. My favorite dish we ordered was the beer and cheedar risotto with bacon and apples.

And check this out....the bill came attached to an old record. It's the little touches that make places unique!

J Parker

Last night I met up wtih a girlfriend at J Parker for a drink and dinner. J Parker is the rooftop restaurant and bar of Hotel Lincoln in Old Town. I had never eaten the food here or been in the winter, as I usually think of this as a summer joint with an amazing rooftop and delicious cocktails. We shared a roasted and shaved root vegetable salad and I ordered a burger. Although I usually just think of a burger as a burger, this was particuarly good. The dessert menu also looked phenomenal and I can definitely see myself heading back to enjoy a cocktail and dessert. The only issue I had was the noise - just make sure not to bring your noisy friends because sound carries!

 

 

And this view will keep me coming back in the summer.

 



Galena IL Day Trip

I had a couple of days off between jobs so my mom and sister were kind enough to take Friday off to go on an adventure with me. My mom proposed going to Galena, which is quick three hour drive from Chicago. Galena is a charming little town with lots of shopping, dining and history. Galena is along the river and on the border of Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin.

We started the day off by going to Otto's Place for lunch. You immediately realize that you are in a small community focused town after setting foot in this place. The staff seem to be good friends and it is very relaxed. This restaurant is in a neighborhood setting versus on Main Street, which I think draws more of a local appeal. And they had the best sweet potato chips I've ever had. I can only imagine how wonderful this place must be on a warm sunny day, as it's right along the river.

After lunch we stopped in Joseph Layton, which is a high end home decor and furniture store. The owner of this shop has a phenomenal eye and has mastered mixing antiques with modern touches and bright pops of color. I have an antique cherry table that I can never quite figure out how to style, and this decorator nailed it using an almost identical version of the table I own. The shop is extremely pricey though, so don't come here looking for a bargain.

After Joseph Layton we headed over to Main Street and stopped in almost every shop. A favorite of mine was Ladybird, which had a plethora of amazing scarves. Now if only I needed more, I would have bought some.

After several hours of shopping (in which I actually purchased nothing), we decided to grab a little pick-me-up at Rootbeer Revelry. This shop had the nicest owner and exclusively sells rootbeer. They have endless varieties sold in bottles, and also have a few on tap. And the best part about this place is the rootbeer floats - one of my all time favorite treats!

After resting up at the hotel, we headed back into town for dinner at One Eleven Main. We were shocked to see what an active nightlife this town has! One Eleven Main was just what we needed - casual atmosphere with good service and yummy food. They also were playing Frank Sinatra-esque music, which makes me love a place almost as much as a fireplace does. 

We woke up Saturday and it was gray and rainy. We decided to skip out of town, but not before getting a bit of history first. We visited Ulysses E Grant's house that he lived in with his wife and children. The tour of the house was guided by a volunteer and was the perfect length for someone who doesn't have much tolerance for guided tours. And I must say, I think he had the best view in town on his piece of property.

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.