Humboldt Park, Gold Coast, Andersonville - A little tour.

My friends I’ve had some really good food over the past few weeks.  Nothing over the top or as some people would say, “fancy”.  No, just some really good, simple, delicious food.  Now, I really don’t like everything I eat, like some, but I want to stray away from the negative and focus on the positive.  Although some of my writing will give a good mix, because as you all know, some restaurants can serve complete bombs, while at the same time give you something memorable and delicious.  For example, I visited a small neighborhood that’s surrounded by the Hispanic neighborhood of Pilsen, the Heart of Italy.  This is still a small hold out for Italians, but is slowly being swallowed up by Pilsen because the younger generation just doesn’t want to stick around.The restaurant that I visited was Il Vicinato.  Now, from what I’ve been told, this place used to be out of this world, before it was sold within the last few years.  The atmosphere was great!  The smells were amazing!!  The bolognese sucked!  If there is one thing that an Italian restaurant should have mastered, its the bolognese.  There was not any amount of cheese that could have salvaged that plate of pasta.  However, the Pasta Arrabiata(Angry Pasta), was great, as was the Antipasto salad.  I took photos, but deleted them because I was simply uninspired by the whole experience.  Personally, I don’t think posting negative reviews are a good way of selling the culinary experiences of Chicago, but it’s also not fair for me to not get my opinion out there so you don’t make the same mistake I made.  Now, let’s get on with some good food!!

The first stop on this blog is a place that I learned about from Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives.  Cemitas Pueblahttp://www.cemitaspuebla.com is in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago.  Now, Humboldt Park has a predominantly Puerto Rican population, however on a busy stretch of North Avenue sits a little gem of a Mexican dining spot called Cemitas Puebla.     The restaurants website states that this restaurant brings the best of Poblano food to Chicago, and it certainly delivers because I don’t know anywhere else in Chicago, this sandwich is served. 

A cemita is a sandwich, originating in Puebla, Mexico.  The world cemita refers to both the sandwich as well as the bun it is served on, being covered in sesame seeds and looking similar to brioche.  There are many toppings offered here, but their most famous and popular is the Cemita Atomica, so naturally that is what I went with. 
 

The Cemita Atomica is an amazing sandwich on a sesame seed bun, then layered with avocado, Pork Milanesa(breaded, boneless butterfly pork), Jamon(ham), and Carne enchilada(chile guajillo marinated butterfly pork chop).  This pork orgy is then followed by adobo chipotle peppers, fresh Oaxacan cheese, and papalo(An herb that resembles cilantro).  This was truly one of the best sandwiches I’ve had in my life!!!  I would do some damage for this sandwich.  Also, the Cemita Atomica also made Chicago magazines 50 best sandwiches list.  Go there now, don’t be intimidated by the hood, because once you cross the thresh hold of the restaurant you are warmly welcomed by those who dine there.  By the way, get the Sindral Mundet to drink, you won’t be disappointed!  

Cemita Atomica and all of it's delicious layers!!

How could you not want to put your face in this?

And wash it down with this great apple flavored drink.

Behind this counter is where the magic happens.

On our second stop, a Valentine’s Day dinner at my favorite Italian place, just off of Michigan Ave., Bar Tomahttp://www.bartomachicago.com.  Bar Toma is a pizzeria and bar owned by Chef Tony Mantuano.  Chef Mantuano is a force to be reckoned with, as having the only 4 star Italian restaurant in Chicago, Spiaggia.  He also was one of the Champions on season two of Top Chef Masters, as well as been awarded a 2005 James Beard award for Best Chef Midwest.  Chef Mantuano also has a restaurant in the modern wing of the Art Institute of Chicago, called Terzo Piano, as well as a trattoria in his hometown of Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Dinner this night of Valentine’s Day was simple, salad and pizza.  The salad, such a simple piece of work, but full of flavor and texture.  The salad was their Kale salad which had young kale(also called Lacinato Kale or Dinosaur Kale, which also grows over the Winter), soft boiled egg, garlic bread crumbs, and anchovy vinaigrette.  Now, before you eww and blah about the anchovy vinaigrette, I will say this over and over.  Fresh anchovies have a much different flavor than what you know as anchovies.  They do not sit in a brine, so they are not little bits of salt.  You can even take that fishy, salty taste away from jarred anchovies by simply soaking them in some milk.  The anchovies added a bit of zing to the dressing, nothing to turn your nose up at.  In fact, I’d guarantee that anyone would like it, I’d stake a paycheck on it.

Kale Salad

La pizza that we had was not your traditional pizza.  No, instead, we went with the Pizza Caprino(goat).  Bar Toma serves traditional Neapolitan pizza, baked in a wood burning oven that sits in the middle of the restaurant.  The Caprino consisted of goat cheese, hazelnuts, leeks, Acetaia San Giacomo balsamico(a traditional Balsamic vinegar of Reggio Emilia), dates, and thyme.  The flavor of this pizza would surprise you with a blend of sweet(goat cheese) and savory(thyme), and everything in between.  The hazelnuts toasted quickly, adding some texture with an awesome flavor that you can only get by roasting a nut.  The leeks quickly caramelized in the hotter than hell oven and the balsamico brought it all together.  Ya know, sometimes you just have to step out of the norm, leave your comfort zone and try something new.  If you come and visit me here, we will go to Bar Toma and you will love it, and that is that.

Pizza Caprino

Next up on my list is Orange Gardenhttp://www.orangegardenchicago.com, the oldest Chinese restaurant in Chicago.  The sign speaks for itself and that is what first caught my attention.  There is something soothing about a cook neon sign.  It says to me, this place is a landmark and should be explored!  From the moment you walk in and get that kind of throw back feeling to the time you sit, look around and think to your self, “a group of servers are going to come out, bring a duck, chop the head off, and start singing christmas carols”, you know that what’s going to be placed in front of you will be Americanized Chinese food, but great quality food.  When I see large numbers of Chinese people sitting in a Chinese restaurant, I know I’ve made the right decision, especially a Chinese restaurant so far from Chinatown.  A brief history, as I said, Orange Garden is the oldest Chinese restaurant in Chicago.  It opened in 1924, making it a quarter of a centruy older than the People’s Republic of China.  The neon sign that attracted me here, is the oldest neon sign in Chicago and the clock on the wall has hung there since 1932.  And the owners live by the simple rule of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, and that’s pretty refreshing.  The current owner is only the second owner and was friends with the original owner.  Have I sold you on this yet?  Our server, dressed finely in a white button down shirt and black bow tie was certainly to the point, but was not rude.  Service was prompt and warm.  This will be my go to for Chinese, unless I want to submerse myself in the Chinese culture.  

Dinner that night was Sesame Chicken and Szechuan Beef.  Most of us are used to incredibly over breaded and over sauced sesame chicken, but this was a perfect coating.  This is what I’d love to have coating my fried chicken.  I don’t know if they do a simple corn starch coating, but this was amazing!  It was crunchy and sweet and complimented by a protective broccoli fort.  I could’ve eaten the entire plate, however I was also very interested in the Szechuan beef.  Once again, I’ve always had the experience with americanized Chinese food as being over cooked and over sauced.  The beef was tender and full of flavor and the veggies had crunch and you could actually taste what the vegetable was!  I was amazed!  And it certainly has changed my mind on this type of Chinese food.  I still want to try authentic Chinese though.  Sesame Chicken is traditional in most English speaking countries, I can’t find anything to show that it is an authentic Chinese entree.  Sichuan beef on the other hand is very common, however the recipe seems to have been changed to fit the American palate.   Once again, go to Orange Garden for a great experience!!  And call me when you do, I’ll meet you there!!

Sesame Chicken, after breaking through the walls of the broccoli.  

Szechuan Beef

Finally!!  A short talk about The Pecking Orderhttp://www.peckingorderchicago.com, which is a Chickencentric restaurant in Andersonville.  Once again, Time Out Chicago brought me here with one of the 100 best things eaten in 2012, with the City Bird sandwich being highlighted.  All of the chicken, regardless of how it’s prepared, marinades in a sugar, tamari, vinegar marinade that gives the chicken a crispy, juicy, salty, flavorful chicken, which can be sometimes really difficult to pull off.  For those of you that would like to know, the birds used here are free range, antibiotic free.  

First on the list, the Country Bird.  One bite and you are looking for your Grandmother that always made the best fried chicken, but this is on bread and not just any old fried chicken.  It’s a fried boneless breast, complimented with gouda cheese, pimento mayo, tomato, cilantro, shaved onion salad, dressed with calamansi vinaigrette(a calamansi is a Philippine lime).  The sandwich is served on grilled pandesal bread(a Philippine yeast bread).  This was a mouthful!  Crunchy, full of flavor, juicy.  I’ve never had chicken with this flavor before.  Definitely nothing that came from your favorite Southern kitchen, but man was this tasty.  I can easily see why this made the list.  But, you also have to try the City Bird, because it’s always a competition.

The Country Bird

The City Bird is a juicy, grilled Chicken breast, with pate, Mom’s pickles, and fried egg, served on grilled pandesal bread.  This is similar to a vietnamese bahn mi.  I think with the mere mention of a fried egg, I can stop because you know it’s going to be a kick ass sandwich.  You could eat this for Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner, and then you have experienced life.  As to whom was the winner, City or Country?  In my opinion, it’s the best of both world’s and a tie.  So, decide for yourself.  What I’m saying is go there, soon!!!!  Or Now!!!

The City Bird

More good eats to come my people!!  Thanks for reading and until next time!

Ciao, ciao!!

Still here.

Been in kind of a Winter is almost over funk.  But it certainly hasn't stopped me from eating.  I've had some adventures and I will be writing about them.  Between blogging and working on my Italian, Italian has been winning.  And I've had a few furloughs, so I've been a busy beaver.  But I've got photos and criticisms and I'm ready to write.  In the last few weeks, I visited Italy, Mexico, and China(not literally, culinarily-is that a word?).  So be prepared, it's coming!

See you soon!

Ciao, ciao!!

This old sign, it should tell you everything you need to know about this awesome restaurant!

Updates

I had to take a break after my last blog.  Finishing that one was like finishing a marathon.  I wanted to make sure it was perfect, just on the off hand that Chef Cantu and his staff read it, and with good fortune, they did.  So, no more pressure, for now, just relaxed writing and eating.

Over the last few weeks, I've taken a few road trips, did a quick cleanse, continued to learn Italian, had some really great Salume at my Italian class, and cooked a few things(which I don't have photos of).  In the near future, I have a few trips to make and a lot of food to eat, all while simultaneously cleansing and prepping for the Chicago Marathon.  So, a full plate, yes, but well worth it.  I hope I can continue to entertain, maybe educate, but definitely get you interested in trying new things.

Now, a few weeks ago, we went to Michigan, a little town called Buchanan.  First stop was Tabor Hill Winery and Restaurant.http://www.taborhill.com/index.html  This is a quaint little stop, very scenic, and very friendly.  By the time we got there, we were famished, so we went straight for the restaurant.  The main dining area, well, it's not cozy small, but it's warm and welcoming, the fireplace and view helped.  You have a great view of the vineyards and to add to the scenery that day, it was snowing and there was a roaring fire in the fireplace.  We started off with a little wine, of course, but dove right in for some sandwiches.  On their menu, they have a bit of everything, but sandwiches were really what sounded good at the time, I mean they had a burger, had to try the burger.  And we also had the Cubano.

The burger at Tabor Hill was a Kobe Beef Burger.  On the burger, Berkshire apple wood smoked bacon, chipotle mayo, smoked cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, and fried pickled red onions, and on the side house made jalapeno white cheddar potato chips.  I have to be honest, this burger didn't suck.  I really didn't want to share, but I did because that's what I do.  Standard, it's cooked medium, but didn't loose any juice.  You could actually bite through the bacon when you took a bite, so one piece didn't come out in one bite.  The chipotle mayo and smoked cheddar complimented each other, and the friend pickled red onions, added a sweet kick.  The chips, well, they were house made.  Anytime I have house made chips, they could be covered in dust bunnies and I would still eat them.

The cuban sandwich, well, it was ok.  It's hard to beat a good cuban sandwich that I can find here in Chicago, unless it's my own of course.  This one was good, but I wouldn't get it again.  The salad on the other hand-grilled fruit salad, with peaches, watermelon, apples, and pineapple, arugula, honey pomegranate mustard dressing with pecans and bleu cheese.  I'd kill for that salad, plain and simple.   

I failed at getting a photo of the salad, so here is the Cuban sandwich. 

The goods from the day.

I also had the opportunity to knock off another dish from the list of Time Out Chicago's list of 100 best things eaten last year.  And I can honestly say I wasn't impressed with this pick.  Number 76 on the list was the Baccala frittole from OMBRAhttp://www.barombra.com in Andersonville.  Baccala is cod, which is been preserved by drying after salting.  Sounds like a bitter pill to swallow and that is why it took me 40 years to try it.  But if Time Out says it's one of the best things they ate, then it must be good.  Lies!!!!!  So, brought out to the table were a couple of fried balls of salt cod and filler, sitting on a bit of lemon aioli.  Looked innocent and tasty anyway.  I cut into one and, yeah, looked like fish and filler and it smelled really good.  The aioli tasted great also!  But then, I took my first bite.  I was sad, immediately saddened by the salty, fishy flavor, I sobbed.  I couldn't believe that my heritage could make something like this.  But, I sucked it up and ate it.  The addition of the aioli didn't help although it mellowed the fishy flavor.  I choked it down, vowing never, ever to touch baccala again.  We also had a salad of roasted beets, apples, almonds, and goat cheese which was a great palate cleanser.  Finished off the meal with a bruschette(broo skeh tteh), please practice that, say it over and over, and please correct your server if they don't pronounce it properly, thanks!:)  So, the bruschette, we had the mele:roasted apples, gorgonzola, walnuts, and balsamic.  It's so nice to try something a little outside of the box.  I will go back to OMBRA, just keep me away from the baccala!

La baccala frittole

La Baccala frittole

Apples, Roasted Beets, Almonds, and Ricotta insalata

Mele bruschette

I'm going to wrap things up with last nights Italian Class.  We had a cena(dinner) for class last night since we are ahead of our lesson.  It was nice, relaxed and everyone brought something.  One fella in our class owns a salumeria in the West Loop, West Loop Salumi.  He recently took a work trip to Italy and was able to bring back a few things, which he chose graciously chose to share with class last night. We did have to skip over the apertivo, because the prosecco was not chilled, so we went for the antipasto.  We had parmesan, but not just any parmesan, no.  This parmesan was aged for 25 years, so it had time to develop little crystals of salt that binds with the cheese to add a bit of texture.  And to add to this awesome cheese, were a few drops of Balsamic vinegar from Modena.  This balsamic was aged 100 years, so it had a very thick consistency and sweet flavor.  It was very intense, so a few drops is all you need, but you could drink this by the spoonful.  We then had prosciutto, and I'm sorry, but I don't remember what type it was  I don't believe it was di Parma, but I could be wrong.  What I can tell you that, and this may sound cruel, but the last few months of their lives, they pretty much go without liquids, but are fed some of the best parmesan cheese and believe it or not, you can really smell the parmesan in the meat.  Mama mia!  Also on the menu for antipasti was a brilliant tartufo salume, salume calabrese, and lardo.  Lardo is a type of salume, made by curing strips of fatback with rosemary and other herbs and spices.  And yes, it's as good as it sounds.  Finally, our last cheese was Stracchino, which is a very soft, cow's cheese.  Typically served in square form, this particular cheese last night was in a small glass, canning jar.  It was pourable, with a very smooth texture and mild flavour.

Of course, as traditional Italian meal structure goes, our Primi came next.  Which was a simple pasta with tomato sauce, sausage, peas, and cheese.  Traditionally, meat is not served on the same plate as la pasta, unless it is a meat ragu, like this was.

For the secondo, I dropped the ball, so I made an insalata di uvo.  Included in the salad was arugula, grapes, cucumber, tomatoes, and toasted sesame seeds.  This salad was dressed with a white wine vinegar, shallot, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sea Salt, and Pepper dressing.

We wrapped things up with dolce, of course, everyone's favorite Tiramisu.  I think it was a hit, even though I did not use rum.  Instead, I used a coffee liquer that I picked up in Costa Rica.  I love my Italian class!!  Multilingual Chicago is such a great place to learn!

Our classroom activities

25 year aged parmesan 

Everyone has their own opinion of what art is.

Almost everything on the antipasto.

  Ok, time to wrap it up.  There will be more soon, I promise!

Ciao, ciao!!

ThinkiNG, TastiNG, TrippiNG, AmaziNG

 You may ask yourself what this title is about.  You may not care, and have just been patiently anticipating another exciting adventure in eating.  You may currently be being held captive and  forced to read this jibberish and truly not give a rats ass of the contents here.  Whatever your motive for reading this, I do hope to change your mind and entice you to explore this true adventure in dining.  Of course, it’s not me that makes this an adventure.  The person at the center of attention here is Chef Homaro Cantu.  Now, go grab a beer, glass of wine, spirit of your choice, milk, water, or coffee and sit back while I attempt not to sound like a super fan, but to spread the word on what Chef Cantu is attempting to do.

Let’s start with a little history of Chef.   Chef Cantu was born in 1976 in Tacoma, Washington.  From the ages of six to nine, he lived with his Mother and Sister, homeless.  This experience helped him to develop a passion to fight world hunger.  He graduated from Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institutehttp://www.cordonbleu.edu(Western Culinary Institute) in Portland, Oregon.  

His professional career, shortly after graduation Chef worked in nearly 50 restaurants on the West Coast until his move to Chicago in 1999.  In Chicago, Chef Cantu worked for Chef Charlie Trotter until 2004, when he set out to open his first restaurant, Moto.  And this is when Chef put himself on the map.  Although I have not had the opportunity to dine at Motohttp://motorestaurant.com(it’s just a wee bit out of my budget), I have not heard a negative review come from anyone that has dined there.  Inventive, Ingenious, Impressive, Impeccable are four of the words I’ve heard that describe an experience at Moto.  From the time you sit and are presented with your menu, an edible menu by the way to the table side preparation of cookie dough(you are given ingredients and a recipe card and you make the magic happen), you are not only getting a great meal, but a fantastic experience.  Now, in the basement of Moto is a laboratory, yes, a real lab.  I did have the opportunity to see it, and you can also if you check out youtube and enter Future Food Moto.  I couldn’t find complete episodes, but there are clips available.  In the lab, there is a centrifuge, hand held ion particle gun, helium, and liquid nitrogen just to name a few items.  All the things that make Chef Cantu, well, Chef Cantu, a true culinary madman.

Forward to 2010 and Homaro Cantu’s third restaurant venture.  There was a second, Otom, however, I don’t know much about that one, but it’s life span was short lived.  Chef Cantu’s next restaurant, iNG(Imagining New Gastronomy) was opened as a more accessible dining experience for everyone.  It was also his way to introduce the Miracle Berryhttp://mberry.us to the masses.  Miracle berries are organic, non GMO, and an all natural plant, native to West Africa.  The berry, when eaten, causes sour foods, such as lemons and limes to taste sweet.  Without getting too deep and scientific, the effect of this berry is due to what is called Miraculin.  Miraculin works by binding to sweet receptors on the taste buds.  It’s really something that you need to experience to believe.  Chef Cantu started working with the M-berry roughly 6 years ago, when a friend of a friend was going through Chemo and lost her taste buds.  When told that everything that she ate tasted of metal and rubber, it was suggested that Chef Cantu explore the M-berry.  He and his Pastry Chef, Ben Roche hit the ground running.  They experimented with everything they could, and continue to do that to this day.  They spent time sucking on tin foil and trying foods, discovering that the M-berry neutralized the metallic taste in foods.  In the process of experimentation, Cantu also began to realize that this berry could also be used to reduce the need to use refined sugars, processed and artificial sweeteners.  Chef Cantu and his dedicated staff have put together a book that you can order, buy at the restaurant or I believe it's available at Barnes and Noble, called The Miracle Berry Diet Cookbook.  Check it out, pick it up, and experiment with it.  It may change your health.

Ok, I’ve strayed from my original point of the above paragraph. but now you know why iNGhttp://ingrestaurant.com is, so you should know what iNG is.  Here you will be introduced to the M-berry and the Flavor Tripping experience.  In the beginning, the menu was only offered at the Chef’s Table, but after an overwhelming request from customers, the menu was offered to everyone and became the only menu offered at the restaurant.   The creativity contained in this restaurant is amazing and overwhelming.  Listening to Chef Cantu speak, during a recent visit, you begin to really understand what is happening in the mind of this Chef.  Below, you’ll see photos and descriptions from my last visit to iNG.  I am still working on figuring out my lighting problems, but you’ll get the idea.  And the next time you visit Chicago, make reservations or make a special trip to Chicago, just for this experience, it’s well worth the drive to experience a menu put together by a Culinary genius/madman.

Capon Puff-Feta~Nectarine~Cherry.  Served in a rich broth.  I could've eaten a bowl of these.

Lemon Drop Gin Sphere - Break that icy sphere with your spoon and you have a nice cocktail to start you off.

Pizza - Pepperoni~Kalamata~Mushroom~Fontina.  Served on a piece of charred bourbon barrel.

Venison Bratwurst - This hickory smoke filled sphere contained the venison bratwurst.

And what was revealed after the sphere was lifted?

Venison Bratwurst-Venison Brat pieces on a bed of sauerkraut~Spicy Brown Mustard~Peanuts

                                                But wait, there's more below!!!

Korean Beef-Short Rib~Lemongrass~Ginger.  This was the most tender short rib I've ever had, with rich deep flavors brought up a few levels by the cucumber kimchi.

I am sorry again for the photos.  The short rib was perfectly cooked and the color of it was equally as impressive.

Short Rib

Orange Creamsicle-Vanilla~Orange~Vodka.  And yes, after the M-Berry, it tasted just like a creamsicle.

Yogurt Parfait-Yogurt~Prickly Pear Sorbet~Granola.  Now this is something I could devour, every morning for breakfast.  It was really amazing and the flavors were bright, especially the sorbet.  If you haven't had prickly pear, I highly suggest you try it as soon as possible.

Buckeye-Peanut Butter~Chocolate~Elephant Ear.  I tried this pre M-berry and it was bloody awful!  But after the berry, it was like peanut butter ice cream, chocolate, and the elephant ear.  It was like being at an upscale carnival.

Buckeye

Fin

I urge you all to try this and see the innovation that is Chef Homaro Cantu.  This really is something to be experienced.  There is no feeling of pretentiousness here, no stuffy collars.  iNG is fun and interactive, so come here with an empty stomach and an open mind.  Oh, don't forget your camera and your smart phone because social networking while dining is encouraged, by everyone here.  So get your Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and Yelp ready to roll.  And I want to see and hear about your experiences here.  I do have more photos from previous experiences, so are better and some not so much than what's above.  If you'd like to see them, I'd be more than happy to share them.

Until next time,

Ciao, Ciao

Do you Burgoo?

On April 20, 2004, an F3 tornado struck this small town in Illinois, killing ultimately 9 people, injuring 6 people, destroying more than half of the downtown area, and damaging over 100 homes.  Since then, although the mental scars remain, Utica has rebuilt, and seems to have come back with a vengeance.  The downtown area of Utica and up to just North of the Illinois River bridge has built back up with quaint businesses, bars, and restaurants.  It’s quite a scenic area and sees quite a bit of traffic with it’s close proximity to Starved Rockhttp://www.starvedrockstatepark.org, Buffalo Rockhttp://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/parks/i&m/east/buffalo/home.htm, LaSalle Speedwayhttp://lasallespeedway.com, and LaSalle/Peru.  Utica also has a few annual celebrations, but is best known for it’s Burgoo Festivalhttp://www.lasallecountymuseum.org/programs/burgooinfo.asp.

Traditional burgoo stew contained whatever meat was donated by hunters and whatever vegetables were donated by farmers.  In Utica, it’s typically lean beef, vegetables, and spices only known by the burgoomeister.  These ingredients are combined in multiple 55 gallon pots, cooked and stirred for 24 hours over an open fire.  The result is a thick and hearty stew.  Of course, there are fables and stories about the burgoo to attempt to scare people away or dare them into eating it.  One popular rumor is that the stew is stirred with bare feet.  I can promise you, that large wooden paddles are used in this process and no one’s bare feet touch the stew.  You will want to get there early though, because the longer the stew cooks, the vegetables will start to get a bit mushy.  Of course, there are other things to do during the festival.  Take a visit to August Hill Winery and Illinois Sparkling Co. for your wine and sparkling wine needs.  Now, I’m not well versed on Illinois wines, I can say that the sparkling wines from Illinois Sparkling was really tasty.  In fact, one of their wines was mentioned in Time Out Chicago’s “100 Best Things We Ate & Drank This Year” for 2012.  Of course, I’m in the process of conquering this list, so I had to snag a bottle.  Also downtown is a great little chocolate shop, Skoog’s Pub and Grill, and Duffy’s Tavern.  And don’t forget to people watch during Burgoo, there is a distinct mix of people and it gets really interesting.

24 hours of stirring.

The end result - Burgoo!

A bit further South of downtown, in a little strip mall type thing, there is a dessert stop, Two Girls and A Cupcakehttp://www.yelp.com/biz/two-girls-and-a-cupcake-inc-utica.  Of course I had to investigate this place, for obvious reasons.  Now, if you are in Utica, I suggest you stop in a try one of their cupcakes.  Me?  Well, I may give it a second chance, but my first experience was very disappointing.  Although their customer service is great, their prices, not too bad, and the interior is fun, the cupcake was dry.  Once I hit a dry cupcake, the flavor is ruined.  As I said, I would be willing to give it a second try.  But one thing I’ve noticed about cupcake shops is the majority of their product is dry.  I’ve made better cupcakes from Betty Crocker.  This makes me sad, because God knows everyone wants a Maple Bacon Cupcake or at least a great Red Velvet cupcake, but to have a dry cupcake, meh, ruins the experience.  

Before you leave Utica, make sure you still have an appetite, because there is one place that needs to be on your list of stops, Ron’s Cajun Connectionhttp://www.ronscajunconnection.com.  Don’t be fooled by the location, this place is the real deal.  The Chef/Owner Ron McFarlain, born in Lake Charles, Louisiana and established the Cajun Connection in Utica in 1995.  Why he came here?  I don’t know, I don’t care, I just want to eat his food!  The Cajun Connection is only open Thursday - Sunday.  And you want to be here when the doors unlock, or you will be standing in line.  No reservation accepted here, because he doesn’t have to.  And if you have to stand in line, it moves fast and it’s worth the wait.  The staff is welcoming and friendly and Ron will be sure to visit your table.  The food is fast, fresh, and authentic.  On the most recent visit, we did some damage to the boudin balls.  The boudin balls are a Cajun variation on boudin blanc, which is a white sausage made of pork, including the heart and liver.  With the boudin balls, it’s left loose rolled into a ball, breaded and friend.  You can get them mild or hot, we got both and were not disappointed.  We also ordered some hushpuppies, which were small and forgettable.  For my entree, I ordered the Bubba Shrimp, Blackened Alligator, and Red Beans and Rice with Sausage.  The shrimp were perfectly fried and tasty.  The gator, was tender and spicy.  It was my first gator experience and I would definitely order it again.  Reminded me of perfectly cooked calamari.  The red beans and rice with sausage wasn’t too bad either.  If you are wanting to steer away from the sausage, you have that option as well.  Of course, we wanted to save room for dessert, and on special that night was the Banana’s Foster Bread Pudding.  Which Ron brought out to the table, poured a bit of liquor over it and lit it up.  As we sat and watched the flame work it’s caramelizing magic on the bread pudding, we nibbled on the house made, almost world famous pecan pie.  You can never go wrong with Pecan Pie, especially when it has  a hint of cayenne pepper added to it.  And the bread pudding?  Well, I’d drive from Chicago just for that dessert alone.  And to add to the meal, I had a little Abita Pecan Harvest Ale, naturally.

Red Beans and Rice, Bubba Shrimp, and Blackened Gator

Banana's Foster Bread Pudding

Abita Pecan Harvest Ale

Overall, Utica is a nice little road trip from Chicago, or anywhere.  It’s a nice day trip from Chicago.  And Burgoo, well, you need to experience this at least once in your life.  You might get hooked on Illinois Sparkling and Cajun Ron’s, but I guarantee you won’t regret it.  

A new beginning.

I'm here, I'm here!!  Between illness, travel and a death in the family, I dropped off of the face of the blogosphere, but I'm back and I'm on a mission.  I've put a lot on my plate and I hope I can pull it all off.

First, I'm committing myself to running the Chicago Marathon this year.  Next month is registration, so I'll have plenty of time to train.  That shouldn't be a problem.  That also means I'll have to dedicate more time to running, balanced with time for fun, food, drink, travel, and perfecting my Italian.

Second, I still have a list of sandwiches that I need to tackle.  I thought for sure I'd have at least half of the 50 knocked back, but so many things going on, I've neglected this task, which also lead to neglecting my readers.

Third, Time Out Chicago put out their annual 100 Best Things We Ate and Drank This year, for 2012. So if Bacon Steak, Thai Style Fried Chicken, Gateau Breton, Peanut Butter and Jelly Donuts, Moqueca, Baccala Frittole, and Kimchee Mortadella bun, sound intriguing, stay tuned.

And finally, for Christmas, I received some new cookbooks, so I'll be doing some more home cooking as well.  I'm still looking for recipes from my readers, so please feel free to share.

One last note, this coming Friday I will be taking a cooking class.  This is no ordinary cooking class, no.  This class will be held at iNG restaurant (http://www.ingrestaurant.com) and we will be using the Miracle Berry, which Chef Homaro Cantu is really making headway in bringing this magic berry to the publics attention.  We will be making a few things from his new Miracle Berry Diet Cookbook, followed by a 6 course meal.  Every experience here has been amazing, and just keeps getting better.  So, stay tuned for results, and photos.  I still have photos to post from my last iNG flavor tripping experience.

So, I thank you all for following my blog, for your comments, emails, gifts, etc, and I hope to continue to keep your attention through the following year.

Ciao, ciao

Sean

Sandwiches in Chicago

I would like to start by thanking editors Carly Boers, Penny Pollack, and Jeff Ruby of Chicago Magazine for this article and guide to sandwich life in Chicago.  In the November 2012 edition of Chicago Magazine, there is an article that all sandwich lovers, foodies, and hungry hounds should take note of.  It’s titled “The 50 most Savory, Saucy, Swoonworthy Sandwiches”.  Yes you should find this article, read it, use it as a map for all of your sandwich needs.  So, without further adieu, I bring you my take on Chicago Magazines, 50 Best Sandwiches that you should stuff in your pie hole. 

Let’s start with Ricobene’s and their famous Breaded Steak Sandwich. Now, I’m no fan of chain restaurants, but Ricobene’s is not your typical chain.  Ricobene’s has been in business for 66 years which should tell you that they are doing something right.  They are focused on Chicago’s Southside and south Chicagoland(burbs).  Ricobene’s caters to the working person, the blue collar person that’s not afraid to get their collar stained with red sauce.  If you are on a strict diet, then this is not the place for you, because there is nothing about the breaded steak sandwich that says “I am trying to lose weight”.  This is simple, Italian/American comfort food.  They started with a generous cut of Skirt Steak, bread it, and fry that bad boy up.  Then it’s placed, on a Turano French Roll where it’s topped with housemade meat sauce.  Then generously sprinkled with cheese and peppers, if you wish.  Of course because of the size of the steak, it’s rolled to fit into the bun.  What comes next is an experience better than any Italian Beef or sausage sandwich, than you’ve ever had.  The steak is tender, the sauce is tomatoey, and the cheese brings it together with a perfect balance of flavor.  The steak doesn’t get lost in the flavor of the sauce and that is really important, otherwise you may as well just order a sauce sandwich, which scary enough, I’ve had this thing called a sauce bun, which is exactly that, but that’s a story for another day, or how about an experience I’d much rather forget.  So, of all of the sandwiches that are listed in this article, this is probably the least intimidating for those of you that have comfort zone issues with food.  And it is also easily accessible for almost all of you.  So, take a look at their website and visit the closest Ricobene’s for a taste of one of the 50 Best Sandwiches in Chicago.  http://www.ricobenespizza.com

Next on this short list of Sandwiches that I have conquered is the Crab Cake from Mindy’s Hot Chocolate.  I would like to start by saying that this is my favorite restaurant to take people to.  Mindy’s menu has a little bit of everything for everyone.  And the desserts are ridiculous.  This year, finally and long overdue, Mindy Segal won a James Beard award for Outstanding Pastry.  So even if you don’t go for the Crab Cake or anything else, you will, no you must have dessert!  I could go on and on about her food and her desserts, but I have to discuss the Crab Cake.  Now, I’m a fan of crab cakes, as long as they are more crab less filler and that seems to be a problem here in the Midwest.  So I had high hopes for Mindy’s crab cake sandwich, because after all, it’s on bread, so why would you have bread sandwiched between bread?  This is going to be a very crabby experience I thought to myself.  On one of my recent blogs, I decided that I wasn’t going to sugar coat any of my reviews, blogs, comments, etc, so here goes.  It truly breaks my heart to have to say this, it really, really breaks my heart, but I was really disappointed.  This is a first for all of my experiences at Mindy’s.  Will it affect any chance of me going back to Mindy’s?  Absolutely not!  One bomb, out of many visits, well, it happens.  And it could’ve been an off night, but the crab cake sandwich was exactly what I was afraid it would be, bready.  I wanted the full experience of one of the best sandwiches in Chicago, so I left it on the bread, and that was bad.  The presentation of the sandwich was great.  The house buttered buttered bun, glistened in the light coming from the kitchen, which we were seated right next to, which added to the awesomeness of this visit.  Then a nice layer of Bibb lettuce and hidden under the bun was a house made roasted giardiniera tartar sauce which added just a slight kick to the sandwich.  I should’ve just pulled the crab cake from the bun and enjoyed it the way I’m used to, but then how could I rightfully blog about a sandwich.  The crab cake it’s had a great flavor.  It had a great balance of crab to filler, but on the bread, it was too much.  But, like a good kid, I cleaned my plate and marked another sandwich off of my list.  In the end, the Pumpkin Pot de creme, served with spiced cream, whiskey spiked toasted marshmallow(the marshmallows are house made), and brown butter graham crackers made up for the sandwich.  Oh, I can’t forget about the Pumpkin Hot Chocolate, white chocolate with pumpkin spices and a touch of molasses, yeah it’s as awesome as it sounds.  http://www.hotchocolatechicago.com

Finally, yeah, I know that’s only three sandwiches, but it’s so damn hard to just eat sandwiches with so many good restaurants in Chicago and the fact I’m trying to cook as much as I can as well.  But I’m ending on a high note with a new experience for me, Puerto Rican food.  At Papa’s Cache Sabroso, in Chicago’s Puerto Rican neighborhood of Humboldt Park, you will find the Jibarito.  The jibarito(pronounced hee-bah-ree-toe), is a Chicago specialty.  The jibarito was introduced at Borinquen Restaurant, a Puerto Rican restaurant, also in Humboldt Park.  This amazing sandwich substitutes bread with fried, flattened plantains.  Between the plantains you will have your choice of steak, pork, or chicken, cheese, tomato, and lettuce and do not forget the garlic mayo.  I ordered the jibarito with steak and white queso.  I was trying to think how these plantains would hold up to the filling without getting soggy and falling apart, but that never happened.  The flavors were amazing!  The steak was seasoned simply, grilled perfectly, topped with caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, garlic mayo, and the plantains.  The flavors balanced well.  The mayo wasn’t too garlicky, just enough to taste it, but complimented the steak very well.  The queso helped keep the toppings together, but some did fall out, which honestly is one of my favorite parts of eating a sandwich, it’s kind of like the crunchies that you used to get when you finished your meal at Long John Silvers.  And I’m a big fan of plantains, so it was very impressive to see them hold up to the load they carried and still have that great friend plantain flavor despite the stuffings.  All in all, it was the perfect size.  As an added bonus, they included a bit of smokey puerto rican rice, and of course to stay with the them, I tried a kola champagne(I will not be traveling down the kola champagne road again.  It was like a sweeter version of a creme soda).  And what really added to the meal was the hospitality of our hosts.  I wish I knew the owners names because they were incredibly friendly and even reminded us that the next time we visited that they are byob!  http://papascachesabroso.com

I have 47 sandwiches left to try, and I will, over time, even if I hate the idea of what the sandwich is, I will still bite the bullet, because I want to.  I don’t expect them all to be sure fire hits, but it could be a fun time trying these sandwiches.  I’m just trying to figure out how I’m going to do this and throw in my marathon training.  I’ll figure it out.  Stay tuned, there will be more to come.  I do hope you are enjoying the reading, and please, follow along, if you have any suggestions on places I should try, anywhere, throw a suggestion my way.  I would like to make this more interactive and I’m always looking for a good road trip.

Ciao ciao!!