Category Archives: I like to eats

February 2, 2009 · 12:05 am

Lunch at NoMi

I’m not huge on soup unless I’m lucky enough to be dining at NoMi in the Park Hyatt. Their awesome cold watermelon soup with star anise rocks it in the summer, but this month I am worshipping the warm pumpkin and coconut soup served with a side of cold potato salad with bacon lardons. I recently tried the luscious concoction along with Peekytoe crab cakes and will definitely be back, especially since they just rolled out a $25 starter-entrée-dessert lunch special this week. And even after dessert (which ranges from chocolate caramel brownie macaroon to carrot cake), you get to try not to devour the entire silver box of turmeric marshmallows, hazelnut caramel, licorice chocolate ganache, orange tea cake with hazelnut caramel candies delivered to the table at the end. NoMi, Park Hyatt Chicago, 800 N. Michigan Ave., 312.239.4030

Coconut and pumpkin soup with potato salad

Peekytoe crab cakes

A sweet finish

1 Comment

Filed under ..and more, great for date, I like to eats

January 29, 2009 · 8:34 pm

Dangerous discovery of the day..

Trader Joe’s dark chocolate covered pistachios.

2 Comments

Filed under ..and more, I like to eats, random spottings

January 7, 2009 · 12:05 am

Sweet on Fox & Obel

Pretty much every corner of Fox & Obel is eye candy, but I love their bulk candy section with rare finds like white chocolate gummy bears, mango licorice, Valrhona chocolates of varying cocoa percentages and “bizarre” jawbreakers. The perfect pit stop before a movie across the street. 401 E. Illinois St., 312.410.7301

1 Comment

Filed under I like to eats, random spottings

January 1, 2009 · 11:23 pm

Chick-fil-A

This week my friend and local writer Amalie blogged about miniature horses, the cool kids of Louisville and Chick-fil-A. The mere mention of this chicken sandwich haven brings back Milwaukee Northridge Mall food-court memories of my 12-year-old self furiously debating between Sbarro and that baked potato place (the name escapes me, anyone?). Of course, I had to save room for a 730-calorie Cinnabon, so Chick-fil-A always won out. I love grilled chicken sandwiches, but most fast food versions use suspect chicken breasts that are bland, dry and rubbery. But Chick-fil-A always tasted fresher and more flavorful, probably due to the hand-breading and extra seasoning, and they pretty much set the precedent for the perfect waffle fry. Eventually Northridge Mall closed up shop, taking Spencer’s Gifts and Ponderosa Steakhouse with it, as well as Chick-fil-A. From a quick search on their surprisingly comprehensive Web site, it looks like the closest location might be in Racine, but Amalie swears by an Indiana location she frequents. I’m down to road trip it to either one. Cinnabon on the other hand? Not sure I could still stomach..

10 Comments

Filed under ..and more, I like to eats

December 14, 2008 · 3:39 pm

The Bongo Room

Red corn pancake with fresh cranberries and pecan honey maple butter

Why is it about brunch at the Bongo Room that makes it simultaneously the best and the worst idea ever? While decadent stacks of pancakes doused in combinations of chocolate, banana and whipped cream beckon, long waits for a table are pretty much a given on the weekends, at least at the Wicker Park location. They give you coffee in cool thick mugs while you wait, but you still have to see the colorful mélange of desserts-on-a-plate swoosh by en route to other tables as you wait for what feels like hours. But when you do finally sit, as we did at the South Loop location on Saturday, it somehow makes it all worth while. I can appreciate the sweet stuff, but the salty always wins out and I end up getting a veggie omelet or salmon Benedict with dill Hollandaise sauce, and throw in a single pancake on the side to try. The restaurant is great about keeping their decadent classics on the menu, but also mixes things up with sweet and savory concoctions like white chocolate and caramel-covered pretzel, which in theory sounded amazing, but was a stomach ache waiting to happen. The red corn pancake with fresh cranberries and pecan-honey maple butter special, however, was way more my speed. I’m obsessed with red corn, which creates a slight cornbread texture while the fresh cranberries offer touches of tart sweetened out by the spreadable maple butter and powdered sugar on top. I ordered the side dish of one, but could easily have polished off a full stack. The Bongo Room, 1152 S. Wabash Ave., 312.291.0100.

1 Comment

Filed under cheap, tasty brunch, I like to eats

December 11, 2008 · 12:05 am

Ethel’s Chocolate Lounge

Remember this place? Ethel’s Chocolate spread their pink, brown and white striped lounges all over the city like wildfire a couple of years ago, leaving awesome truffles like P,B & J, Key lime, and Mojito in their indulgent wake. Being obsessed with all things pumpkin, I recently discovered the seasonal pumpkin pie truffle available now as a part of their annual holiday collection. White chocolate on the outside and a spicy pumpkin truffle filling, it tastes just like the real thing. With the signature Ethel’s design, curvy shape and fun font, you might want to display these at first, and then make like real holiday dinner and devour them with the rest of the flavors in the limited collection; cranberry, egg nog, pecan pie, orange spice and gingerbread (16 pieces for $25; 24 for $35).

1 Comment

Filed under ..and more, I like to eats

December 8, 2008 · 12:39 am

Rice Pudding at Mado

I’ve already done a post on Mado, but felt the need to reiterate my love for this awesome Bucktown restaurant, and their vanilla bean rice pudding with raisin sauce. I guess the rice pudding is a staple on their brunch menu, but it’s also on the dessert menu, is highly addictive and perfect for this godforsaken weather. I got to enjoy the delicious dessert over the weekend and am thinking a Chicago-version of the New York City-based Rice to Riches rice pudding take-out shop would do just fine in my neighborhood. But for now, I’ll just keep making my way to Mado. Mado, 1647 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773.342.2340.

Coerper’s 5 O’Clock Club

Just by the name, 50-year history and nondescript location in downtown Milwaukee, you know this place is going to be cool. It’s been home to what might be, in my opinion, the best steak in the Midwest. My parents were gracious enough to treat us to Coerper’s for our birthdays as kids, and I remember the rolling carts that delivered a relish tray, warm, fresh sourdough bread straight from the oven and served with your own personal pad of butter and honey, a huge salad with homemade dressings like creamy peppercorn and French honey, and then massive juicy steaks served with large mushrooms resting in a pool of savory gravy on the plate. After years of kicking around the idea, a couple of my siblings and I finally headed back to Coeper’s last weekend after what seemed like years. Nothing had changed and it was almost better than we had remembered (besides the having to pay for it part). But it’s worth it.
Experiencing the steaks at Coerper’s is sort of an out of body experience: Each is cooked perfectly with a crispy crunchy charred coating on the outside, and gravy-soaked meat on the inside that literally melts in your mouth. The service is old-school and impeccable, and they always start you off with a drink at the bar where your waitress takes your order. Strings of red Christmas lights (why do they make a restaurant instantly cozier?) and retro red-glowing lamps and light fixtures are about the only thing that sheds any light on the mirrors, framed photos and vintage signs, and it can be hard to get a last-minute reservation (although we scored a four top on a Friday night and called the day of). As for the secret of the steak, I couldn’t get anything out of our waitress. She just said something vague about how the chef cooks the steak, let’s it rest, cooks it again, rest, etc…she changed the subject by telling us that a recent diner called from New York to see if they could have a Coerper’s filet shipped overnight to Manhattan. Manhattan! Yes, it’s that good and yes it’s worth a road trip. Just let me know. Coerper’s 5 O’Clock Club, 2416 W. State St., 414.342.3553.