CHI - Saigon Sisters

Of course being in Chicago, I've been getting a little homesick and in desperate need of some comfort food where I can find it. Recently Nina and I talked about searching for the perfect Pho place because nothings says comfort like Pho and Nina was completely on board. 

This week with the weather changing a little and the holiday's tantalizingly close yet oh so very far I've decided to take Nina up on this adventure and off we went in search of Pho for dinner tonight. This is, however, a busy time for all of us at school with mountains of projects and finals looming dangerously close. We didn't have tons of time for a Pho break so we found a place that turned out to be less than a half hours walk from school and it was a beautifully warm fall night for us so we ventured off!

LOCATION: 567 W LAKE ST., CHICAGO, IL 60661

The sign outside was easy enough to find and as soon as we walked in we were in for a real treat. High ceilings and tight corners, this dining room had an air of loftiness while still feeling cozy. It was dark out when we arrived so candles and a low lighting situation made us feel like we were on a cute little date. How adorable of us. It location is pretty small and intimate but works as a whole space. They have a great chalkboard lunch menu on the wall by the door and a super clean and simple dinner menu that was given to us at our table. 

Apparently Nina and I think alike and we both check out menu's for restaurants before we get there so it didn't take us very long to decide on what we wanted to order. We each ordered a small bowl of beef pho and decided to share the grilled baby octopus plate which came with cuttlefish ink rice.  

Definitely a more modern take on traditional Vietnamese food but you know, when in America.

The broth itself was very flavorful with good spices and the meat was perfectly tender. There was a pretty good kick of cinnamon which is out of the ordinary but overall it wasn't a bad thing. Everything blended well together and, while different, it still was traditional enough to remind me of classic pho.

I wasn't really sure what to expect with the octopus plate but clearly Nina and I are all over octopus so it was a no brainer for us to split it. I was very interested in the cuttlefish ink rice and to me it resembled a couscous more. Still, it had a very familiar flavor I couldn't quite place. Delicious but elusive for sure. I was so intrigued but it I almost neglected the octopus. Cutting into it, it was a perfect consistancy. The octopus was super tender and not at all rubbery. It cut so smooth and was super clean. The flavor though, again, had a very cinnamon like quality to it. It was sweet yet spicy and bold at the same time. I actually felt that if it was served without the rice, I wouldn't be able to eat it. There balance definitely needed to be there and I was quite grateful for it because the octopus definitely couldn't stand on its own which I found to be a shame. I love seafood dishes where the seafood itself is the star and in this case, I found the cuttlefish ink rice to be more interesting and less negatively overpowering.

Overall, Nina said this place for her was worthy of a return visit. I on the other hand, wouldn't mind continuing my search for a solid Vietnamese restaurant to come back to. Not a bad choice, but too modern and experimental. I'd rather have a more traditional meal and leave the extra cinnamon for dessert.  

CHI - Davanti Enoteca

Where there is free food, I'll be there! (Reminder that I'm relatively unemployed and accumulating so much graduate school loan debt that I'll be eating plain bowls of white rice for the rest of my life because who can afford luxuries like soy sauce)

LOCATION: 1359 W Taylor St, Chicago, IL 60607

Last night we had a seminar/lecture series from local designers which took place at UIC and of course, the school offered to take the lecturers out to dinner after as a way to say thank you. This is where I come in. Along with a few of the faculty and the lecturers, UIC offered to take a few grad students out to dinner too, just to talk to the guests and learn a little more about real world experiences. I was the first to sign up because free food. I'm seriously that easy to please.

Davanti Enoteca was the place that UIC chose and I honestly really liked it . It was a chilly, crisp fall night so walking into this restaurant we were greeted with a warm welcoming feeling. Cozy Italian restaurants in the fall and winter are easily the best feelings. There were different light fixtures every few feet and the tables ranged in height and materials which felt fun and eclectic while still having a cohesive feeling to it. 

The waitress was great and quickly informed us that the plates for the most part were served family style and were enjoyable when shared. My friend Nina and I decided to take a different approach to this. Nina has dietary restrictions and eats very healthy and consciously. I on the other hand, just eat everything. We both settled on our own portions of polpo con rafano or in english, seared octopus. Nina did the research beforehand, I was pretty happy to jump on board. I'm such a seafood lover but don't really make it for myself (thank you chef dad) so I was super pumped to have octopus again. It came with a side of fingerling potato salad. marcona almonds, finocchionia, and a horseradish aioli. All wins.

While it's meant to be shared and the rest of the table ordered another one to pass along with a multitude of other dishes, I was pretty content with this plate all on its own. It wasn't too small or too big for me to have alone and the flavors all worked so well. It did get a little salty at some points but the potatoes cut that a bit and the horseradish gave a fresh cool touch. I was easily in love and couldn't be more excited by this restaurant choice.  

CHI- Bubble Tea!!

Grad school, quite plainly, is kicking my ass. Not only am I broke from not working and stressed from all of the research papers I'm required to read, I'm also 600 miles away from everyone and everything I've ever known. Bring on the constant mental breakdowns!

In this crazy new life I have managed to discover a little comfort. Now, I'm not a coffee drinker so going to coffee shops to sit down and do work doesn't quite have a comforting ring to it for me. Often I go, hoping that this new place will have some sort of tea that will be satisfying. Honestly, it's a 50/50 shot. So, much to my joy, I managed to find a bubble tea shop right off the train on my route to school.

LOCATION: 333 S State St Chicago, IL 60604

Vivi Bubble Tea is actually connected to DePaul University so at least I fit in with all the tired looking college kids. Not that I needed to convince anyone I'm a student because I can still easily pass for a high schooler without trying to. 

Bubble Tea is my favorite thing to drink by far. It's comforting and reminds me of warm summer trips to Toronto growing up. We used to have a shop at RIT that sold these so they've stuck with me and are always a wonderful treat. The menu is pretty vast and taste as authentic as I need it to be. 

The best part of Vivi is that since it's part of a college, it's connected to a great atrium space with seating that's not too quiet but also not packed full of loudly talking people. Sunday's in this space are probably the only reason I'm actually getting work done, because that's sure as hell not happening at my apartment. 

As an extra treat for my birthday I also splurged and got this little stack of macaroons. White chocolate, lemon, and vanilla to make the day a little special on my own. 

My new spot for sure. 

CHI - Chicago Bagel Authority

I have officially moved to Chicago for grad school! I have also decided that it's a fine time to start my life as a hermit. I wake up, go to school, come home, read, do homework, and watch netflix until I fall asleep. Repeat. That is, until this weekend. 

It's Labor day weekend and I got a nice treat; a visit from my friend Cam. He came up from Cincinnati and we spent some of this weekend wandering around Chicago, checking out some tourist attractions (it's his first time to Chicago) and this morning we stumbled to Chicago Bagel Authority

LOCATION: 11 N WELLS ST, CHICAGO, IL 60606

We woke up this morning and on the discussion of breakfast Cam mentioned rainbow bagels. I attempted to look up if these fun breakfast foods have made their way to Chicago. I couldn't find them on the menu anywhere but I did happen to stumble upon The Swanson Sandwich of Greatness. I will say that this breakfast sandwich lived up to it's name. 

We found the place pretty easily coming right off the train. This place is super cute and small, three tables on the side of the wall, reclaimed wood, and metal pipe fixtures holding up rolls of paper towels at each table and chips along the counter. 

Now, we couldn't find the Swanson on the menu, but Cam asked the girl at the counter and she confirmed that they could make it so obviously, I was sold. He, however, hesitated and got distracted by The Chicago Fire (Corned beef, jalapenos, pepper jack, and spicy brown mustard on a rye bagel). Perfectly alright because he had to help me with the Swanson anyhow.

Let's break this down to start. The Swanson sandwich of greatness is ham, bacon, sausage, roast beef, scrambled egg, hard boiled egg, ameri-CAN cheese, and smoked cheddar on and onion bagel. Just in case this wasn't enough protein and cheese and just richness, this also came with a side of maple syrup. I think I died and went to Parks and Rec heaven. The kid making my sandwich also just called it a Ron Swanson so he for sure knew what was up. 

Of course I only managed to eat half of this breakfast sandwich and let me just tell you that breakfast tomorrow can't come soon enough because I am pumped to eat this sandwich again. I think Cam and I just found our go to breakfast place next time he visits (not that I wont stop by again sometime soon).  

CHI - Bongo Room

The Bongo Room was another restaurant recommended to us by Julia's cousin and while Big Star was a hit, I was left a little underwhelmed by this popping brunch spot.

LOCATION: 1152 S WALBASH AVE, CHICAGO, IL 60605

It was a chilly day and a great time for a warm brunch. Turns out that Chicago is home of the 30minute wait time for a table of two. Not a problem. Bongo Room has a little coffee bar that's open for people waiting for tables which is nice, but it's tight quarters so it's not super comfortable to stand and drink without bumping into people. We ended up waiting more like 40ish minutes but it was a little frustrating because we could see and empty 2 person table sitting there for 20 or so of those minutes ready for customers. Sad.

We did eventually get seated and by that time knew exactly what we wanted before the waitress came over. I ordered a glass of apple cider because yes please, and a mug of hot tea because it was so cold out. Drinks didn't take too long to get to our table and by the time I was done with my tea, food was on it's way out to us. Julia ordered a breakfast burrito while I got the Chorizo, potato, and avocado omelette which has queso fresco cheese, and a side of salsa, house potatoes, and toast. A beautiful and bountiful plate at the very least. I will say that the house potatoes were seasoned well and cooked nicely too. What was disappointing was the omelette itself which is the star of the plate. I can't say I could really find potatoes inside the omelette which is okay because there were enough on the side to satisfy my hunger. I would just say that if they aren't really in the omelette, I wouldn't advertise it as such. Now the chorizo avocado blend was quite delicious what with the cool avocado calming down the kick that the spicy chorizo gives. The problem with the filling was that it was very unevenly balanced because my first 1/3 of the omelette had little to no avocado in it while the rest of the omelette was filled with very large chunks of avocado filling that end. The egg part of the omelette was also very disappointing. I managed to eat it for my first few bites but after that I gave up and just resorted to eating the filling with the side of potatoes and calling it a day. The egg wasn't seasoned and I suppose that's okay because the chorizo filling had a lot of flavor and kick to it to add but on top of the unseasoned egg, it was also overcooked. The omelette was hard, chewy for eggs, tough to cut into, and had a very unpleasant stiff mouthfeel. In the end I was left feeling disappointed and let down from what I hoped would be a delicious brunch.

Honestly, not super interested in going back, and I wouldn't put on the places I'd recommend to people. Maybe I should give it another chance.. but what with the plethora of restaurants to try in Chicago, I wouldn't hold my breath that I'll return.