This mural appears in the bathroom of what Chicago restaurant?
American Gothic dogs
Mystery mural
Filed under mystery spot
On the table: May Street Market
4 forks, 4 butter knives, 4 knives, 4 plates, 4 napkins, 4 water glasses, salt, pepper, votive candle. 1132 W. Grand Ave., 312.421.5547
Filed under great for date, on the table
Bari foods
The Bari foods sign
My big (fat) Tuesday sandwich adventure was a solo one this week, but it all worked out because there aren’t any seats or tables in Bari foods anyway. What is hidden in the back of the neighborhood market stocked with pastas, sauces, produce, and more, is a no-frills deli counter where killer Italian sub sandwiches, meats, olives, cheeses and more are served up to locals in the know. Living so close to the place, you’d think I’d have plenty of favorites by now, but I’m pretty much stuck on the paper-thin prosciutto and fresh mozzarella sub with tomatoes, lettuce and tangy Italian herb seasonings on soft, fresh bread. Other Big Sandwich options include the meatball and the Italian sub with hot peppers..any other Bari bests? Bari foods, 1120 W. Grand Ave., 312.666.0730
Prosciutto and fresh mozzarella sub
Filed under I like to eats, quick lunch
Water Street Brewery
Water Street sign
I so would’ve gotten the beer tasting flight at Water Street Brewery if I didn’t have to race back to Chicago on Sunday night by Oscar time. But I still enjoyed my dinner at the Milwaukee brewery and pub that’s been around for more than 20 years. While I continue to search for good restaurants in Milwaukee, I often end up at the pubs and breweries for decent bar food, great beer and a trip down memory lane of growing up in the “Brew.” While Water Street Brewery isn’t Milwaukee’s oldest brewery (it’s been home to Pabst, Schlitz, Miller and Blatz), the place does have a fair amount of impressive memora-beer-lia. Only those who grew up in Milwaukee will remember the Green Sheet section of the newspaper (think comics, crosswords, horoscopes, Dear Abby, guess-how-the-almost-identical-drawings-are different games all printed on green paper!). At Water Street, the Green Sheet design is cleverly resurrected as the menu, and I think any beer fanatic will appreciate the wall-to-wall collection of vintage beer cans and case filled with 1,400 ultra-cool beer tap handles. Oh, yeah, and the beer, from honey lager light to raspberry weiss and brown ale, is pretty fantastic too. Besides WSB, Milwaukee’s still got Lakefront, Sprecher and, of course, Miller breweries with tours, tastings and more, so you can easily get your Laverne and Shirley on and head up there for a brewery tour day trip. But don’t race home too fast, get your designated driver to stop for a steak at Coerper’s 5 O’clock Club (2416 W. State Street, 414.342.3553), vodka and oreo milkshakes at At Random (2501 S. Delaware, 414.481.8030) and finish the schlimaazely adventure here. Water Street Brewery, 1101 N. Water Street, 414.272.1195
The "Green Sheet" menu
Vintage brew
Timeless taps
Filed under boozeworthy, eliz-a-trip, I like to eats, quick lunch, the MKE report
I mean, why?
Oh Walgreens, why are you so random sometimes?
Filed under ..and more, random spottings
Cucumber salad at Ben Pao
While you can tell a lot about a restaurant by the quality, variety and delivery of its bread basket, I recently discovered that Ben Pao in River North provides a far less butter-slathered and bloat-worthy way to start your meal. A tiny bowl of very thinly sliced cucumbers soaking in rice wine vinegar and sprinkled with black and white sesame seeds is brought to the table with the ice water. It’s simple, light and palate-cleansing, and won’t spoil your appetite if you scarf the whole thing down even before you order. Ben Pao, 52 W. Illinois, 312.222.1888.
Filed under random spottings
Red Velvet Cupcake at Toast Bakery
Red velvet cupcake from Toast, LA
I faced a sugary onslaught of red velvet cupcakes this week, from my office birthday treat (Goddess and Grocer, holla!) to this awesome RVC transported to Chicago by hand from Los Angeles-based Toast Bakery and Cafe. My friend Daphne, who’s constantly jet-setting between LA and Chicago, insisted I try one from the bustling cafe/bakery and kindly included me on the list of friends who get in on the stash she brings back to the Windy City after each trip. Four-hours at 35,000 feet and one and half days later, the RVC was still delicious with a cream cheese frosting that leaned more towards buttercream-sweet, and balanced perfectly with the moist, dense cake topped what I think were red velvet cake crumbs (the bakery does a red velvet cake that sells out daily and a blue velvet cupcake!). Neatly packed in a Chinese take-out box, it made it back with hardly a dent, thick generous spread of sweet frosting still in tact. From Cleveland’s A Cookie and a Cupcake to the RVC at the Milwaukee Public Market, hit me up if there’s another RVC anyone’s experienced in Chicago or beyond. Toast Bakery and Cafe, 8221 W. Third Street, Los Angeles, 323.655.5018
Filed under red velvet cupcake report
On the table: Mado
Candle, 2 napkin rolls, 2 water glasses. 1647 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773.342.2340
Filed under on the table
ELIZABITES 