Baker & Nosh

Sandwiches and Strawberry-Rhubarb crisp in the garden at Baker & Nosh. Excellent way to spend a summer afternoon!

Jimmy's Pizza

As a post-yoga treat, Talitha and I walked over to Jimmy's Pizza for a NY Style slice and light, powdered sugar dusted beignets. Yum, so good! The pizza brought back happy memories of a favorite pizza joint I would frequent when living in Hartford.

Fat Tuesday Paczki

Talitha and I snagged the last Chocolate mousse and banana paczki from Cafe Selmarie after a challenging yoga class on Tuesday. It was a delicious reward for surviving 15 minutes of sun salutations and downward dogs.

Spoon Fork Bacon

Holy cow, this site is awesome. Amazing food styling and photography, not to mention delicious recipes. Check it out!

Images Via {Spoon Fork Bacon}

 

Turntable Kitchen

The Turntable Kitchen Pairings Box Experience from High Beam Media on Vimeo.

I signed up for this monthly music and food pairings box from Turntable Kitchen over the weekend. What a genius idea!

Spoon Thai

Last week, Talitha and I decided to shake things up a bit and meet for thai food instead of our normal breakfast. We headed to Spoon Thai and took advantage of the very affordable lunch specials. For the price of a value meal at McDonalds, we got a generous serving of yummy noodles and an appetizer of spring rolls. I think I'm partial to Opart Thai House just down the street, but some additional research may still be needed. Arroy Thai, also in Lincoln Square/Ravenswood, has become one of my favorite spots for take-out. Do you have any favorite Thai restaurants in Chicago? 

Food Lover's Cleanse

One of my 2012 goals is to eat better and I've been tossing around the idea of trying different cleanses and diets. I've had a hard time getting excited about any of the diets I've come across until now. The Bon Appetit's 2012 Food Lover's Cleanse is a 2 week healthy cooking challenge. They provide you with a shopping list and menus for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and dessert. I'm excited to give this a try!

The burger search continues...

Last time we were at The Butcher and the Burger, we overheard a fella remark that he had just eaten the best burger of his life. I'm not prepared to make that declaration, but I will admit it was darn good. 

The best tortilla soup ever...

So Talitha has been talking about this amazing tortilla soup from Los Nopales and I finally tried it this past week. She wasn't kidding...this soup is delicious...diced chicken, avocado, cilantro, sour cream and tortilla strips...doesn't get much better than that.



Butcher and the Burger

Butcher and the Burger opened this Tuesday and Talitha and I planned to go there for breakfast. Unfortunately, when we got there, we were greeted with a sign that said they wouldn't open until 11am. Hungry and in need of coffee, we decided to grab bagel sandwiches down the street at Chicago Bagel Company and head back to Butcher and the Burger later for beignets. It was the worst bagel sandwich I've ever had. The cheese was unappetizing and I didn't care for the way they steamed the bagel instead of toasting it.

Back to Butcher and the Burger, we were the first official customers and ordered the beignets and Cafe du Monde, both of which were fantastic. We've already planned a trip back for burgers.

Julius Meinl

Talitha and I met up this week at Julius Meinl for a working lunch. She's designing the website for Magnolia Strings (stay tuned for more on this...). I'm so lucky to have such talented friends! Because we couldn't decide between breakfast and lunch, naturally, we ordered both. We had the Truffled Croque Madame and the seasonal Vegetable sandwich. And never ones to skimp on calories, we had a decadent chocolate and pistachio dessert.

*photos by Talitha

Breakfast at Over Easy Cafe

Talitha and I had breakfast this week at Over Easy Cafe, a little spot that is all about the egg. We had the Bernstein Brothers' Scramble; eggs scrambled with smoked ham, applewood smoked bacon, tomatoes, chives, and cheddar cheese. And because that wasn't enough, we also ordered the Upside down apple pancake topped with cinnamon butter, whipped cream, and powdered sugar. In Talitha's words, "this was more of an apple cake than a pancake but no less delicious." I couldn't agree more!

*Thanks to Talitha for the yummy photos and delicious descriptions.

Jam 'n Honey

Talitha and I recently checked out the newly opened Jam 'n Honey in Lincoln Park. The oatmeal pancakes with blueberries were delicious! The breakfast sandwich, however, was a bit disappointing.

We stopped by Jayson Home and Garden after breakfast for their flea market. I loved their cheerful fall displays of pumpkins, gourds, and mums. 



Punk Rock Pastry

I checked out Bleeding Heart Bakery & Cafe this week in West Town. It has a really fun atmosphere and even has a glass walled kitchen so you can see all the pastry making in action. On the weekends, the cafe is open for 57 straight hours filling a much needed void of quality late night dining. My new teaching position is just down the street from Bleeding Heart (not to mention Hoosier Mama Pie) so I can envision many doughnuts and cake balls in my future.

Hilary's Cookies

Last week, a co-worker brought me a chocolate coffee cookie from Hilary's Cookies and I've been obsessed ever since. After doing some research, I found out she has a store front in Lincoln Square where she sells vegan cookies, ice cream sandwiches, and other yummy treats. If you're in the area, she's having an event on Friday evening to preview some new goodies for the fall, including cookie cupcakes!