Mon Ami Gabi FromMe2U

About 2 weeks ago, on a Saturday, I was searching for the perfect place to dine outdoors. My brother recently ate at Mon Ami Gabi and reported that it had one of the best outdoor seating areas in the city. With his recommendation and having always wanted to eat at Mon Ami Gabi, I decided to try it. They don't take reservations for their outdoor seating area; however, we arrived at 8:00 pm and were seated right away. The outdoor area was so peaceful, with twinkling lights around the trees and a lovely view of Lincoln Park West. It was heaven. I first ordered a bottle of bordeaux, followed by escargots. The bordeaux was wonderful, and the escargots were cooked to perfection, each sitting in their own pool of buttery garlicy pesto goodness.

Bordeaux

Escargots

Up Close

Since it was such a beautiful night we sat for over an hour and enjoyed our escargots and wine. The waiter was very patient and did not pester us to order - I also couldn't decide what I wanted, everything sounded amazing! We finally ordered steak frites and poisson. 

Steak Bearnaise

Gabi's Fish & Frites

Asparagus

The steak was cooked to perfection, and the bearnaise complimented it well. Gabi's fish was cod with a parmesan crust. The fish, dipped in a touch of tartar sauce, just melted in my mouth. Delicious. Since both entrees came with fries, we ordered asparagus in place of one order of fries. It was served in a lemon garlic drizzle - Yum!

Doppio (double espresso)

I absolutely loved my dining experience at Mon Ami Gabi. The service was impeccable, the atmosphere was lovely and the food was fabulous. The atmosphere indoors is charming and very French. I will definitely make a visit this winter!

Hummus FromMe2U

Last night when I came home from work I was in the mood to make hummus. This was my third time making hummus, and I wanted to see if there were any tweaks I could make to mine. I have recently started to look up recipes on pinterest, (which is becoming one of my favorite sites) so I decided to browse the site to see if there was anything new I could add to my traditional hummus recipe. One recipe called for tabasco sauce and that seemed like the perfect addition to my hummus recipe.

For this recipe you will need a cuisinart in order to puree all of the ingredients properly. I use about 1 1/2 cups of chickpeas and put most of them in the cuisinart first. I then alternate between the remaining chickpeas and olive oil and lemon juice. I use 3-4 tbsp. of olive oil and about 3-4 tbsp. of lemon juice (about 2 lemons). Depending on taste and how moist it is you should add more or less of each.

Chickpeas

In the Cuisinart!

Lemons

Garlic (of course)

Next I added 4 - 6 drops of tabasco (to taste), 3-5 garlic cloves (I always add more), 1/3 cup tahini, and a pinch of salt. If the hummus is not moist enough add 1-2 tbsp. of the chickpea liquid. 

Time to Eat!

 I always drizzle some more olive oil on top of the dish and a dash of paprika. You can add whatever kind of veggies or bread to dip in the hummus. I typically serve it with green and red peppers, celery sticks, and grilled naan. Yum!

Athenian Room FromMe2U

Athenian Room has been on my list of places to try for a long time. It has been in Lincoln Park for over 30 years, and I am embarrassed to say that Monday night was my FIRST time dining there. They have a nice outdoor seating area, but it was 95 degrees, so we opted to sit indoors. The restaurant is very quaint and lovely.

This restaurant is not BYOB; however, you can sneak through the red door by the entrance and slide on over to Glascott's for your beverage of choice. I was a little nervous about the wine selection at Glascott's, but I ordered the Malbec and it was surprisingly good. Once we got our drinks, we marched back over to Athenian room and decided to order the feta cheese appetizer. I know that must sound plain and boring, but it was delicious. A block of feta cheese is served on a small plate with olive oil drizzled over it and that combined with some warm french bread makes an excellent dish!

Feta Cheese with olive oil

Gyro

Sometimes it can take me a long time to order when I am dining out. I read the menu over and over until I finally figure out what I want to eat. Not this time. I knew I was ordering a gyro before I even walked in the door. I of course read the menu, because I was curious about what else they had. But the decision had been made. Gyro.

If you order the dinner (which I did) it comes with a heaping pile of gyro meat and sitting under the meat, absorbing the juices from it, are seasoned fries. They also give you a side of tzatzki sauce, a freshly made pita, and slices of onions and tomatoes. AMAZING. The food comes really fast, so if you like to take your time with your dinner like I do, I suggest pacing yourself and order your food when you are ready to eat. I will definitely be coming back to Athenian room. Try it. You won't be disappointed.

Linguine Carbonara FromMe2U

During one of my "dinner and a movie nights" (a.k.a. Bachelorette) this month, I made Linguine Carbonara. This is one of my favorite Italian dishes to make. This particular pasta dish always keeps you on your toes because the timing of everything is crucial!

For this recipe I used about 1 lb. of linguine. I recommend using fresh pasta because it truly makes a difference. While your water is boiling for the linguine, you should start to saute the pancetta because it takes about 10-20 minutes. This recipe calls for 1/4 lb. of pancetta but I always get a touch more because it is so flavorful. In the pan add diced pancetta, 1 tbs. unsalted butter, 1 tbs. olive oil and garlic. 

Pancetta

I. LOVE. garlic. This recipe calls for 2 cloves but 

I put in at least 4 or 5.Garlic makes everything better.

Next step. In a large bowl combine eggs, parsley, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper:

4 Eggs

flat-leaf parsley

Whisk to Blend

All Mixed Together

This next step is the most important. Once the pasta is al dente it is ready to be added to the egg mixture. Use tongs and combine the two. It is important for the pasta to be hot so that it can cook the eggs when they are combined. 

Combining Egg Mixture and Linguine

Pancetta is ready!

Add Pancetta to the pasta

Garlic Bread for a Side Dish

Dinner is Served!

I always make garlic bread to go along with this pasta dish. I melt butter with 4 to 6 garlic cloves (because I love garlic) and a pinch of parsley and brush it on the loaf of bread. The recipe I used for the linguine carbonara is from a William Sonoma cookbook, but I would also recommend Giada De Laurentis' version. Next time I make carbonara I will share Giada's recipe. It's time for the Bachelorette!

Charleston fromMe2U

Charleston, South Carolina, has been number one on my list of places I have wanted to visit in the United States for as long as I can remember, and I finally made it there over Memorial Day weekend! We stayed at Market Pavilion Hotel which turned out to be an excellent choice. The hotel was quite lovely with warm and friendly staff as well as a hip rooftop deck to enjoy some cocktails or take a dip in the pool. The hotel also offered $50 vouchers to use at the rooftop bar and restaurants which we took full advantage of.

 View from the rooftop at Market Pavilion

During the day we strolled down cobblestone streets past mansions, beautiful gardens, ocean views, and markets. I enjoyed exploring King Street (for shopping), the market (which I decided was a HUGE tourist trap), taking a carriage ride, and spending a day relaxing at Folly Beach (the only beach in Charleston you can drink at - huge plus). 

Beautiful mansion with a sophisticated porch

Ocean views

My street!

 

Carriage ride - A must! 

(perfect way to explore the city and learn some of the rich history)

One of the things I was most looking forward to about Charleston is the gourmet Southern cuisine. Yum! Of the 3 places we ate dinner at (Anson, Poogan's Porch & Hank's) Anson gets first place. Southern charm at its best! I can't remember the last time I went to a restaurant, and I literally wanted to order everything off the menu it sounded so good! We started out with a nice bottle of Cabernet and several appetizers.

Viader Cabernet

Pork belly on top of a waffle with corn cheddar cheese and bacon with egg on top

Pimento cheese with garlic bread

Fried okra

Each of these appetizers were outstanding. The pork belly was cooked perfectly. The combination of cheese, egg, bacon and a plump and fatty pork belly was excellent. I think it disappeared in less than 2 minutes. The pimento cheese was delicious. The garlic bread was cooked to perfection and mixed with pimento cheese was the perfect combination. Lastly, the fried okra was off the charts. It was lightly fried with just the right amount of breading and flavor. Even if you don't think you like okra, order it. You won't be disappointed.

Deep fried flounder

Macaroni & cheese

As a main course I ordered the flounder. At Anson they give you the whole fish. The meat on the fish is cut in diamond shapes for a reason. The fish is so delicate (and you want to avoid eating the bones) that you are supposed to lightly pull each piece off the fish as you eat it. It was cooked to perfection. The macaroni and cheese was fabulous. Melted cheese, butter and pasta - what could be better than that.  All in all Anson was superb and lived up to our expectations. A perfect place to taste some Southern cuisine.

Soft Shell Crabs fromMe2U

Monday nights are my version of "dinner and a movie." I like to make a nice dinner and watch the Bachelorette. I thought soft shell crabs would be the perfect choice, since they are currently in season. Most restaurants serve soft shell crabs fried; however, I think they are much tastier sauteed.

Soft Shell Crab

We made seven!

Lightly dusted in a bed of flour

Ready to be sauteed

All crabs sauteed in a pan with unsalted butter & olive oil

Flip after 7 - 10 minutes

Crabs are ready to be served when they are golden brown 

Steamed artichokes for a side dish

I am not a huge fan of sauces, so I serve the crabs with a few lemon wedges. Sprinkle a little lemon over the crabs, and they will melt in your mouth. Perfect summer dish. Dinner is served and it's time to watch the Bachelorette!

a tavola fromMe2U

I can't believe it took me so long to dine at A Tavola, which has been in Chicago for more than 15 years. It has a cozy, intimate, romantic atmosphere, located inside a house in Ukrainian Village. Perfect for a romantic evening.



chianti



tagliatelle bolognese



gnocchi with browned sage butter & parmesan

This restaurant definitely lived up to the hype. The tagliatelle was incredible. The gnocchi, having been on the menu since the restaurant opened, we thought was a must try. Pillows of brown buttery flavor that just melts in your mouth. Yum!