The Fruit Roll Revival

So does anyone remember Fruit Rolls? I’m not talking about Fruit Roll-Ups that are like plastic strips of technicolor crap with cartoon characters on the boxes, I’m taking about the Fruit Rolls from the early 80s? Anyway, they were flat and round (conducive to twisting around your finger) and came on thin cellophane that always got super sticky, but they tasted like real fruit and were significantly less plastic-y then the “Super Kiwi Kick” and “Screamin’ Green” Fruit Roll Ups you find today (shaped like a parallelogram describes Wikipedia-did you ever think you’d hear that word again after 5th grade?). Anyway, they had natural-tasting flavors like apricot, strawberry, apple and raspberry and seemed somewhat good for you. Well, I think I found the modern day equivalent at Trader Joe’s. Their handmade dried fruit bars in flavors like apricot and boysenberry taste exactly like old-school fruit rolls, even if they are a little thicker and aren’t round, but they’re unsweetened, so maybe that’s the key? The dried fruit comes from fresh pulp. Whether or not you grew up on them like me, I highly recommend.

Trader Joe's dried fruit rolls

Trader Joe's dried fruit rolls

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Grubhub hound

I swear I keep Grubhub in business. Being sick with a bad cold this weekend/week, I’ve hit them up for several meals due to an overwhelming urge to not get off my couch. My usual ordering suspects are Friendship, OK, and, um, Friendship, but I did go out on a limb and try out Thai Aroma a few weeks back only to be completely disappointed with a noodle dish that didn’t match the site description at all. Anyway, I love the delivery service for times like these..feed a cold right? I will say that sometimes the new restaurants they bring aboard just don’t strike me as the delivery types…Cafe Iberico? I want the crowded bar area, the loudness, 5 different servers and bottomless Sangria pitchers with my tapas, not plastic silverware. But the other restaurants (especially Friendship) can stay.

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The Bristol beverages

I already loved the Bristol in Bucktown for their soft monkey bread served in a Staub pot, and the ricotta egg yolk and brown butter ravioli. But while waiting for our table in the restaurant’s second floor bar area over the weekend, the place scored even more points by offering another cocktail that embraces the egg white, the classic Pink Lady. I had never had one and the frothy, almost creamy concoction of gin, egg whites, lemon and grenadine was just one of many impressive drinks written out on the chalkboard wall, and a great way to start your meal there. There’s a selection of classic cocktails including a sazerac (which seems to be showing up everywhere lately), pisco sour and Dark & Stormy, while the contemporary side intrigues with a turkey-day friendly Cranberry Crush with cranberry sauce, bourbon and amaretto. Garnished with a lemon peel, the frothed egg white on the Lady provides an interesting texture, while the lemon and grenadine offer up the perfect combination of sweet and tart, and when it all comes together the cotton candy hued cocktail goes down just a little too easily. For some random reason my egg cravings didn’t stop there as I finished off my order with the thick egg sandwich; grilled pork belly and egg on toast. Like I said, in love with Bristol.

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The Pink Lady cocktail at the Bristol

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On the table: Ja’Grill

img_0950Five napkin rolls, salt and pepper shaker, candle, hammered copper table. 1008 W. Armitage Ave., 773.929.5375.

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Random foto Friday-Chile

So I’m a little camera crazy…it’s too beautiful there not to be. Enjoy a few scenic shots snapped in and around Santiago..

Santiago, Chile

Santiago, Chile

Santiago, Chile

Santiago, Chile

Taken at beach restaurant in Curico, Chile

Taken at beach restaurant in Curico, Chile

Harbor in Curico, Chile

Harbor in Curico, Chile

Church outside of Santiago

Church outside of Santiago

Valparaiso during the day

Valparaiso during the day

Valparaiso at night

Valparaiso at night


Valparaiso stairs

Valparaiso stairs

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Chilean eats

Packaged, bottled, pisco-ified, or plucked from a tree, we ate and drank well, and I’ve decided to close out Chile week with a few of our favorite noshes. We saw lots of seafood and ceviche, steak and fresh veggies on the menu, all kicked off with housemade bread served with butter and salsas. Here are just a few highlights, including tasty traditional eats like humitas and empanadas. Check the blog later this afternoon when a random photo Friday post will feature a few non-food-related shots I took. Next week, we’re back to cold (but still delicious) Chicago.

I hate olives, but these looked freaking ridiculous

I hate olives, but these looked freaking ridiculous

A typical appetizer plate of cheeses, meats and nuts, Kuchen Haus, Santiago

A typical appetizer plate of cheeses, meats and nuts, Kuchen Haus, Santiago

Shellfish with melted Parmesan, Kuchen Haus, Chile

Shellfish with melted Parmesan, Kuchen Haus, Chile

Another fried seafood appetizer platter with dipping sauces

Another fried seafood appetizer platter

Traditional humitas, similar to a tamale and made with fresh corn, onion, basil and butter and served here with sauteed shrimp; Chef Pilar Rodriguez, Santiago

Traditional humitas, similar to a tamale and made with fresh corn, onion, basil and butter and served here with sauteed shrimp; Chef Pilar Rodriguez, Santiago

Lucuma (similar to fig) and carica floating island with berries, Chef Pilar Rodriguez, Santiago

Lucuma (similar to fig) and carica floating island with berries, Chef Pilar Rodriguez, Santiago


A serious empanada, meat, eggs, potatoes, delicious

A serious empanada, meat, eggs, potatoes, delicious

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Chilean wine

So after whetting our palates with Pisco, we’d switch to fantastic South American wines. I knew about deep, red Malbecs from Argentina, but had never tried Chilean Carménère, an intriguing grape variety originally grown in Bordeaux, France, and once considered one of the original six grapes of Bordeaux. In the 1800s, the varietal was nearly wiped out from phylloxera infestation, and was imported to Chile’s central valley where it continues to grow strong. A part of the Cabernet family, it was misclassified as a Merlot until 1994 with its deep red color and bold and spicy-earthy flavor that stands up perfectly to ulmo honey and orange caramelized pork ribs. It became my new favorite wine, next to a refreshing Malbec rosé that was totally conducive to the 80-degree temps I really miss right about now.

Carmenere

Concha y Toro, Terrunyo Carménère 2006

Malbec rosé

Malbec rosé at Viu Mament Winery

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Chilean goodies

One of my favorite things to do in foreign countries (or anywhere in the US for that matter) is to peruse the truck stops, grocery stores and markets for interesting local packaged goods you won’t find at home. We hit up all three during the week, and discovered some pretty interesting eats, from intense miel du ulmo honey made from the bees that pollinate an evergreen native to the Chilean rain forests to Serrano ham potato chips from Lay’s “Mediterraneas” collection. The dusting of rust-hued powder immediately kicked in our Pavlovian response to BBQ potato chips, but the actual ham flavor convinced our taste buds otherwise. The oregano chips were good, but we couldn’t shake our sour cream and onion instincts. Either way, we polished off both bags and then moved onto some paper-thin lemon cookies one of my travel companions picked up at a random art gallery in Valparaíso, spiced things up with merquen dried chile powder, sweetened things up with dried blueberries and cherries and finished it all off with some Big Time gum…loved the name, font and flavor, which sort of reminded me of Gator Gum..yum!

Miel de ulmo honey

Miel de ulmo honey

Local chips

Local chips

Addictive lemon wafer cookies courtesy of Stacey

Addictive lemon wafer cookies courtesy of Stacey

Dried fruit

Dried fruit

Merquen spice

Merquen spice

I was wondering what this was, I mean besides cute

Besides cute, I'm still not sure what these were

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We're on our way, we're making it..

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