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!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Between work and not feeling 100%,  I've taken a few days to get myself together.  During that time I've discovered a few things about my city(like the 50 best sandwiches in Chicago, thank you Chicago Magazine!) and I've had another fantastic flavor tripping meal at iNG restaurant.  So, after the Thanksgiving holiday, I will be blogging and sharing my photos.  But if you are planning to visit Chicago and you want a relaxed, fun dining experience where you are part of the action, make your reservations to iNG.  Just remember, the menu changes every 6 weeks.  I will go into detail on my iNG blog, but that's going to be a few days away.  http://www.ingrestaurant.com

If that doesn't trip your trigger, I will also be writing on the 50 best sandwiches in Chicago.  This will be quite a task, especially since for me, a few of them do not sound appetizing at all, but I will bite the bullet, all in the name of fun and research and discovering new flavors.

Happy Thanksgiving to my readers, my followers and my visitors!

Ciao ciao

Quiet moments.

Yes, it's been quiet the last few weeks.  As the seasons transition and we hop what seems like from Summer to Winter, I'm letting my body adjust to the change of seasons, temps, weather, etc.  I have a trip to NYC coming soon, and had to juggle my work schedule to help some guys do things with family and side jobs, which benefitted me.  So, I will be back into the swing of things shortly, and I will be focusing on some great Chicago eats.  I've also been hitting my kitchen a little more which is therapy to me and the fact that I can feed others, that makes me happy.  Digging through cook books and recipes that have been burning holes through my fingers has been a good thing.  Although I have a small galley kitchen, it works, for now, until I can afford to move somewhere with a larger kitchen.

So, now I ask of my readers a challenge.  Send me some recipes to try, something new, something different.  Because as the temps drop, the best way to warm my apartment is to heat up the kitchen.  So, send in your recipes and I will try them, and photo document them and post them here and on Facebook.

Looking forward to the challenge.

Ciao, ciao!

No more sugar coating.

It's come to my attention that I may be sugar coating my blogs a bit.  After a short bit of thinking about it, I discovered that I had become exactly the type of food person that I despised, one that never called out the BS and bad food that almost every place serves.  Not every restaurant has A+'s across the board, and not every restaurant is a bomb either.  So, from here on out, I will call out the dishes that suck, the customer service that sucks, and whatever else that sucks.  I will also praise the things that rock.  If I've been to a place that has totally failed as a restaurant, I won't revisit that place just to demean them and put them down.  So, from here on out, you will see an improved blog, now with photos.  My goal is still to make the descriptions vivid and real and to make you want to reach into your computer monitor to grab what I'm eating, or to be able to smell or taste exactly what I'm trying to describe.  I will also be me, when describing these meals, so occasionally I may swear, and if that offends you, well, I'm sorry, but being as passionate as I am about food, sometimes I lose my mind.  For example, tonight, I paid a visit to Hopleaf, in Andersonville.  Of course I went unprepared, meaning without my camera.  I was with a vegetarian friend, but that is absolutely something I can work with.  I don't turn my nose up to vegetarian, nor vegan fare, as a matter of fact, I love it, as long as it's well prepared.  So, after a few beers, we ordered the CB&J.  It was truly an interesting and tasty sandwich.  The CB&J was a pan fried sandwich, on sourdough.  Inside was fig jam, house made cashew butter, and raclette cheese.  Raclette cheese is a Swiss Cheese, made mostly for melting, so it was perfect on the sandwich.  The sourdough was prefectly fried, not greasy at all, like your typical grilled cheese disaster.  This was practically like it had just been toasted.  The combination of the cashew butter, jam, and cheese married into a perfect balance of salt and sweet.  If it hadn't been so dark in there, I would've take a photo with my phone of the sandwich, but honestly there wouldn't be much to photograph.  This was definitely more about the flavor than the presentation.  This sandwich came with a side of Stilton mac and cheese and house made chips.  Stilton cheese is a British cheese, that's quite pungent with a strong flavor.  There  are two varieties, the blue and the white, but the blue is the most common.  The sandwich tonight had the blue stilton, which was obvious from the first bite.  Personally, I'm a fan of blue cheeses, and I would never have expected this combination to have so much flavor.  Whomever designed this sandwich should win an award because it was an amazing combination.  And the mac and cheese, I won't say shut the front door, I will say holy balls though.  It's great because over the last few weeks, I have had some absolutely amazing Mac and cheeses!!!  And the house made chips, come on, need I say more.  You better be on your A game in order for your house made chips to be good, but then these guys season them with a salty, spicy seasoning just perfectly.

I swear, everything I say about Hopleaf was from the heart and honest.  There was nothing about this place that sucked and that is a promise.  Their beer list is extensive, even with seasonal brews and their food menu and comfortably full of you not so typical bar food, and that in itself is comforting.

I feel fortunate to live in Chicago.  I have access to amazing restaurants, top notch pubs, and some incredible night life.  Visitors to my city, please, stay away from TGI high sodium content, or Chili's or whatever other chain restaurant you may have a hankering for, please, think outside of the box and try something local.  I promise that there is nothing to be afraid of.  Visit Chicago and dine like a Chicagoan.