CHI - Pho 777

I'm finally back in Chicago after a month of being home for winter break. I can easily say I missed it in Rochester and I'm a little sad to be back on the grind here but school is a must, so I'll keep trekking along. 

Quick stop in Little Saigon before mom drove back home and we had to make a stop for Pho! 

LOCATION: 1065 W ARGYLE ST., CHICAGO, IL 60640

Apparently mom and dad came to this restaurant when they moved me to Chicago but I was at orientation so this is my first time in this neighborhood. Mom was also very cryptic about her opinion of the restaurant until after I told her mine. 

I'm the only one that was on the band-wagon for Pho while my mom and my cousin were about the pork chop rice platters. I can easily say that I probably should've gotten the rice as well. Mom told me after we started eating that she and my dad didn't really enjoy the Pho here last time but she's always up for letting me make my own mistakes and form my own opinions so there we were.

I ordered a bowl of Pho Dac Biet or basically the Pho beef special with all the variations of beef (tripe, meatballs, eye round, flank steak, brisket, and soft tendon) because I was feeling like beef that day and you might as well go all in if you're gonna do it! 

The service wasn't too bad for a weekend and the restaurant had maybe 3 or 4 other tables besides ours with two very quick waitresses that seemed a little bored to be honest. The food came out pretty quickly and I had pretty high hopes for a real authentic bowl of Pho from Little Saigon. The portions were right for a traditional Pho and the noodles and amount of meat were very fair for the order. The only thing I had a problem with was the broth. With Pho, broth is everything, and when it's not right, you might as well order rice because what are you doing. This broth, while full of flavor, was overwhelmingly sweet for what Pho should be. I felt like there was too much cinnamon and/or star anise and that just ruined the whole bowl. I couldn't taste any beef-y flavoring and that was the whole point of the order. Disappointed, I just ate the noodles and left a bowl full of broth at the end.

While some people may be fans of Pho777, I'd like to try another restaurant in Little Saigon for Pho that tastes more like Vietnam to me.  

CHI - Little Goat Diner

I've been dreaming of trying out Little Goat Diner since I moved to Chicago 3months ago and I finally made it!

LOCATION: 820 RANDOLPH ST., CHICAGO, IL 60607

My cousin was feeling better after these past few days and her stomach was up to try something a little out there so I finally got my wish and we headed to Little Goat. Of course I showed her the website before we went and we both fell in love. The illustrations are fun and whimsical and super crazy which just makes me happy to play around with. They of course carried over into the menu when we got to the restaurant too which was perfect and make me smile. 

Also walking up to the place and seeing that happy spinning little goat on the rooftop was the perfect welcome on this chilly day. Surprisingly we were seated right away and we decided to sit at the counter though a booth was available. We could see into the kitchen and I can easily say i was happily distracted by the fun and happy workers. Everyone was really nice and professional while looking like they were enjoying themselves. 

The menu is a mish-mash of a lot of different things and it was exciting to read through and try to figure out what to get. My cousin is pretty picky though and just ended up with chicken fingers and we ordered a side of fries to share. These fries were shoestring style and seasoned perfectly and had a nice crunch to them. For my meal I went with The Fat Club which is a smoked turkey, ham and bacon, havarti, avocado, cabbage, and tomato with mayo, and a special sauce on fat toast. This sandwich is stacked so tall there was a slice of toast in the middle for support. I made a great decision. This was a great sandwich with a great balance in the middle. The toast was a little hard and did that thing where it scraped the inside of my mouth but it was definitely worth it. I will say that if you're picky, this isn't the best place to go. Also it can be a little price especially since the menu is a la carte and we had to pay extra to add things like fries to our meal. The portion sizes are generous to me, at least the fat club sandwich was very filling and was enough for two meals. If i was with someone that was interested in trying something a little out there, I would go back for sure. 

CHI - Toast

Lunch Time! My cousin has been in town visiting for the past couple of weeks but turns out we haven't gone out that much (at least not anywhere super noteworthy). But today we didn't have much planned so we figured lunch out would work. She's been a little sick the past few days so we didn't wanna try anything too adventures and figured Toast would be the safe choice. 

LOCATION: 2046 N DAMEN AVE., CHICAGO, IL 60647

To start off, Toast was right next to the bus stop so that was perfect in terms of not having to walk out of the way and there was almost no chance of getting lost or not being able to find it. The dining room was pretty small and there was a semi large group of people standing outside so I was worried it would be a wait even at 1pm on a Saturday but because there were just two of us it was pretty quick.

The staff was pretty quick at their job and paid a fair amount of attention to us, but while they were casually dressed, felt to me like they were giving of an air of stuffiness. A lot of them seemed like they thought they were too good for things and this was a turnoff for coming here.

The menu was pretty standard for a brunch place and I ordered the Crabby Benedict which came with a side of potatoes while my cousin ordered Chocolate Chip Pankcakes. The eggs were cooked perfectly, the english muffin was toasted well, and the crab weren't too salty or overpowering. The potatoes were great and the cook and seasoning on everything was just right. Portion sizes weren't too crazy and I managed to finish most of my meal. My cousin said her pancakes were light and fluffy and the distribution of chocolate chips was perfect.

Overall not a bad brunch experience. This place is a little out of my way so I don't know that I would make the effort to come back but if I was around the area I would consider stopping by.  

CHI - Eggy's

Our search for poutine has led us here. My cousin is in town and of course we had a poutine craving because I'm me and will bring up poutine any chance I get. I also, however, left the restaurant search up to her which means we looked up 3 different places and wandered around the edge of Millennium Park on a chilly day. Did I mention I'd had a full day of class and it was 2pm and I hadn't eaten all day? By the time we got to Eggy's my bar was set pretty low. I just needed food. Luckily, Eggy's came through.

LOCATION: 333 E BENTON PL., CHICAGO, IL 60601

We were those people that showed up an hour before close but I was hungry dammit and I was going to be that pain in the ass! Apparently we weren't the only ones because two larger groups came in after us so I felt a little less bad.

Turns out that the poutine my cousin found at this place was actually a Breakfast Poutine but poutine is poutine so we ordered it anyways. It had one poached egg (ours was overcooked and therefore didn't run at all to my disappointment), cheese curds (the biggest I've ever seen), (breakfast) sausage gravy, and of course french fries. Not exactly what I was hoping for but for a breakfast poutine, it was alright. The breakfast sausage gravy was a little strong but it definitely reminded me of breakfast so I guess they did a good job in that sense. 

I also got a Grilled Cheese Sandwich with avocado and a side of sweet potato fries while my cousin ordered some chocolate pancakes. My sandwich was pretty good, nothing out of the ordinary. The sweet potato fries were also pretty good, not too crunchy which I'm not a huge fan of.

Overall our meal was pretty average, nothing too extravagant or adventurous but I was so hungry it definitely hit the spot.

I did notice however, that the other two tables that came after us were having problems with the two waitresses working that afternoon. We were the only three tables in the whole place and it was hitting the end of their shift but each of these two tables got orders that were wrong and while the waitresses apologized and fixed them, it didn't seem like they had a really good excuse as to why they messed up and when they went back to fix the orders they seemed to have some attitude about it. Mind you this is an open dining room where you can see into the kitchen so it might not have been the best idea to complain about other customers when everyone can see you. With only three tables and two waitresses, it also shouldn't be something that happens 2 out of 3 times. I'd hate to be here when it's actually busy during a peak lunch hour.

Suffice to say, I wouldn't come back. While the food was good and we didn't personally have problems with the waitresses, it's out of the way and not worth the travel for an average meal that might not be as good if they were busier.    

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.  

CHI - Big Star

One of the restaurants Julia's cousin recommended to us was Big Star in Wicker Park and we were up for the adventure. 

LOCATION: 1531 NORTH DAMEN, CHICAGO, IL 60622

We found the place pretty easily; bright colors, tons of lights, and a huge crowd of people inside and out. We walked up to the nice girls at the podium, put down our names on the waiting list, and hung out. We weren't given any sort of time frame but we were told they'd text us when our table was ready so we went to a park right around the corner and waited. It only took about a half hour and we were seated. Turns out, this place is 21 and up because we were carded before we could get inside the fenced off area, good thing we're old enough. 

We sat down and after a couple minutes our waitress came over and took our order right there and sent it to the kitchen on her fancy tablet. It didn't take too long before our food started to come out. 

Julia ordered two walking tacos complete with fritos bags ready to go. Our last four tacos came out not long after. From the top, Julia's Taco Alambre De Res grilled steak taco, then my Taco Al Pastor (pork shoulder with grilled pineapple, grilled onion, and cilantro) , Taco De Chorizo Codero (pork and lamb chorizo, spring onion crema, radish, and cilantro) , and Taco De Pescado (beer battered tilapia, chipotle mayo, cabbage, red onion, lime and cilantro).

I tried the fish taco first and my first bite was fairly mild that I was a little disappointed, then I took another bite and flavor exploded in my mouth and I was pretty pumped again. This was a good taco, and I was ready for more. I ate the chorizo taco next and I think this was my favorite. This taco had a great kick to it while still being fresh from the radish and crema. I ate the pork shoulder taco last and I hyped myself up for the grilled pineapple because that's one of my favorites. The pineapple was fantastic, super sweet and a little smokey. The pork shoulder, however, was still pretty tough and could've used more cooking time or just a different cooking method because it wasn't as tender as I was hoping it would be. 

Overall, these were good tacos. They were all balanced super well in terms of not being too dry or too soggy, and nothing was too spicy, too salty, or too sweet. This place has a great young, fun, party feel and I would go back for sure.    

CHI - Deep dish pizza at Giordano's!

When in Chicago, get a deep dish pizza! 

LOCATION: 130 E RANDOLPH, CHICAGO, IL 60601

We did the touristy thing tonight and hit up Millennium Park to see THE BEANNNNN, and then of course took it upon ourselves to get a deep dish pizza. Julia looked up restaurants and we found our way to Giordano's which happened to have a location less than a block away! We called ahead of time and they said the wait would be about a half hour but when we walked there, we were seated immediately. We sat down, ordered our deep dish veggie pizza and began our hour wait for them to bake it. In all this time I never thought about the fact that a deep dish pizza would of course take about an hour or so to bake. One reason I will forever be a thin crust new york pizza girl for the rest of my life - 10 minutes and it's good to go. 

After close to an hour, we got our pizza and wasted no time to dig in! I was a little too hungry to get a shot of my first slice of pizza but by the time I was ready to for my second slice, I was full enough to take a quick shot. Julia isn't a huge meat eater and I'm not one to complain about that so we settled on this pizza with spinach, mushrooms, bell peppers, broccoli, onions, artichokes, and black olives (which I picked off of the pizza because no thanks olives). 

Julia and I agreed that deep dish pizza feels less like pizza and more like a casserole or a pie (Pizza will forever be a thin crust!!) but it was a good meal. We had some leftover and had it for breakfast another day, and we both agreed, it almost tastes better reheated than when we first got it. 

I can't imagine ever craving a deep dish pizza specifically but this also isn't a meal I'd turn down in the future. 

CHI - Greek Islands

I'm pretty excited to be going to school in Chicago this fall because campus just happens to be right next to Greek Town. I'm already in love. 

Julia did a little research and got some recommendations from family and we took a lunch break at Greek Islands.

LOCATION: 200 SOUTH HALSTAD ST., CHICAGO, IL 60661

This restaurant is super cool, outdoor seating and tons of space inside as well. It has that greek feel with clean white spaces, and that greek island feel. All of the wait staff and kitchen staff from what I saw was male which I think is pretty cool. Everyone was very generous and attentive and our waiter was an older man with a heavy greek accent. He made me feel happy. 

Of course, we sat down and ordered Dolmades to start; a favorite of Julia's and mine. They were warm and citrus-y and I was beyond happy. We were both craving it and we were not disappointed. For lunch Julia ordered Gyros and I got a newer dish, Spartan Chicken which came with a side of rice and potato(s). It was beautiful. The chicken was seasoned and cooked wonderfully. It was a little salty but with the rice and potato it was wonderful. I would definitely go back to this place again though there are a whole bunch of restaurants in Greektown that I should scope out first! All the food adventures to have in the future. 

ROC - Bar Louie

So, I haven't been going out much lately what with my night time work schedule hindering my meager social life and my travel and school plans sucking what little funds I have for fun (the struggles of a post BFA, pre MDes life). 

I did, however, luck out one afternoon! My friend Jeff took a week off after finishing with one job and starting another meaning a week where he had time to hang out with me before I had to go to work! Cue lunch at Bar Louie! 

LOCATION: 935 JEFFERSON RD., ROCHESTER, NY 14623

Jeff has been before but I have not, and I believe the last time he went he sent me this wonderful picture of a grilled mac and cheese sandwich. I had to try it. So this fine Wednesday, we met at bar Louie for lunch. Now this place is, of course, a bar and therefore it was pretty quiet during lunch but that was fine with me! We were seated right away close to a party of 7 elderly women (walkers and canes included) so of course, I knew it was going to be a good time. Our waitress was super relaxed and fun, she gave us a little rundown of the menu, and we ordered. 

Jeff got himself a flatbread and of course I ordered the grilled mac and cheese sandwich with verde chicken. This sandwich is magical. It comes on a multi grain bread so you can at least pretend that it's really not THAT bad for you even though theres american cheese on top of the incredible alfredo mac and cheese concoction. Throw in the chicken and this sandwich cannot lose! The bread is seasoned and buttery and this whole thing is just fantastic. I would go back just for this sandwich. 

Lunches with Jeff full of cheesy goodness? I'll take that any day.   

NYC - Rainbow Bagels!!

We all know that these Rainbow Bagels are a big hit right now, so when in New York, get a rainbow bagel at THE BAGEL STORE! 

LOCATION: 349 BEDFORD AVE, BROOKLYN, NY 11211

The bagel store in Brooklyn is right on the corner and super easy to find. We walked in around 1pm (not the prime bagel time) and there were people around but nothing TOO busy. We waited for a couple minutes, walked up to the counter, and a nice girl came up to us to take our order. All three of us got rainbow bagels (they don't let you toast them) with different fillings. Zoe got hers with honey which she said was one of the best bagels she's had, Karie got hers with plain cream cheese (and she got a lot of it), and I got mine with the funfetti cream cheese and it was magical. The bagel itself wasn't different in terms of flavor but the cream cheese made me feel like I was eating cake which is alright by me! 

The store itself wasn't as obvious of a home run. Being in New York there wasn't a lot of seating which itself is not a huge deal. In terms of customer service it was sub-par. The girl that took our order was great but the 3 or 4 other guys working at the same time were less than enthusiastic to be there. Karie got her bagel and paid for it, then they set Zoe and my bagel on the counter, and walked away. We stood there for 10 or so minutes waiting for any one of the workers there to come and let us pay for our food that was already made and ready to go. It was an odd time of day and the store wasn't crazy packed with people so we couldn't figure out why we had to wait there for such an extended amount of time just to pay. 

Overall, the bagels were good but maybe I'll look for a different location next time around.    

NYC - Snow Fluff

I'm here again in NYC visiting Karie and Zoe before our trip out to Hong Kong to move Zoe back. This means one last shot to go out with Zoe and try new foods with her/ let her go back to her favorite spots!

Tonight Zoe and Karie decided on dinner at BCD Tofu House which is one of Zoe's favorites. There's a post of my thoughts of this place last time I was in New York visiting these two so if you feel so inclined to scroll back a bunch to find out, feel free!

Zoe was a little later to meeting Karie and me so Karie and I decided that we would knock a restaurant off my list and get ice cream appetizers at Grace Street!

LOCATION: 17 W 32ND ST, NEW YORK, NY 10001

I've heard a lot of great things about Grace Street and we actually passed it on the way to BCD Tofu House so we circled back about half a block and got ice cream! 

It was easy to say that it was an extremely good idea and we had such a good time. I ordered the Mango Madness snow fluff which is one of their signature shaved snow creations. Mango madness is their milk shaved snow with mango drizzles, banana, and mango chunks. This was such a delicious ice cream. It's a tricky dessert to eat because the shaved layers are kinda hard to scoop up with the spoon but when you get to it, its really light and a perfect level of sweetness. I would totally go back in a heartbeat. Karie did a build your own with the green tea shaved snow, chocolate pebbles, red bean, and strawberry. I have to say it's an odd combination but Karie seemed to like it and it's all in good fun.  

T-Swifts Vanilla Chai Sugar Cookies!!!

I found this recipe and idea from T-Swift herself and I'm not ashamed of it. It's a vanilla cookie recipe taken from joythebaker.com with a little twist from Taylor Swift's Instagram. 

To make the cookie I beat 1 stick of softened butter down and then added 1/2 cup of vegetable oil. I then added 1/2 cup of granulated sugar then mixed to incorporate before adding in 1/2 cup of powdered sugar. After that was all mixed in I added 1 egg, mixed it in, then added 2 tsp of vanilla. Now this is where T-Swift's Chai Tea comes into play. She says to add 1 packet of chai tea leaves right into the batter but I decide I'm just gonna go for it and add two. Yolo. Once that was mixed in I added 2 cups of flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and a 1/4 tsp of salt all together and stirred it in until the dough formed. 

I refrigerated the dough for an hour before scooping into 1in dough balls and baking it in a 350degree oven for about 12 minutes. I took them out and let them cook before icing them.

The icing was all from Taylor Swift and it was a mixture of 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1/4tsp of nutmeg, 1/4tsp of cinnamon, and 3 tbsp of milk (or eggnogg which she uses). I also added another pack of vanilla chai tea to this as well because I'm already at it so why not just go all in with the chai. I, of course, am also still somehow incapable of making an icing or frosting of any kind so mine came out thinner and more like a sugary glaze. That's fine.. one day... 

UPDATE: I remade the icing with half the amount of milk and it came out with a thicker consistency which I'm really happy about! It totally looks more like what an traditional icing would be and I'm glad I nailed it!  

ROC - Cha Chat Cafe!

Bubble Tea adventures in Rochester have begun!! Well... just this one trip but it was a success! 

I found a new bubble tea cafe in Rochester called Cha Chat Cafe decided to pay it a visit!

LOCATION: 1455 EAST HENRIETTA RD., ROCHESTER, NY 14623

You walk in and it's a super cute light blue cafe with a small dessert case and a big blackboard with the menu listed. To the left are a row of semi private open 'study rooms' for four people and cutsie stickers on the walls all around. 

I, of course, had to order a bubble tea and just decided to stick to my favorite Lychee Black Iced Tea (with bubbles) and I also figured I'd get a mixed fruit crepe with vanilla ice cream as my brunch for the day. I sat down in one of the study rooms with my notebook and relaxed and wrote while I waited. My bubble tea came out quickly and I'd say it was a pretty good drink. The bobas were made perfectly and weren't too hard or too mushy. The flavor of the tea was prominent but it wasn't overly sweet, and the price overall wasn't bad. Not too long after my mixed fruit crepe with vanilla ice cream was brought to me and it was phenomenal. To start, it was a beautiful looking crepe. The fruit and ice  cream were lined inside so perfectly and right away I knew I had made a great decision coming there. I spent the next hour writing and eating this crepe and it was perfect. 

I enjoyed this place so much, and I'm already looking forward to going back and telling more people about it.  

My First Lasagna!!

I've made my first lasagna! (Courtesy of 'Taste of Saveur Italian Classics').

I've never made a lasagna before but I was pretty excited when I found the recipe and decided to give it a shot.

For this recipe I first had to make a bechamel sauce which was actually simpler than I realized and delicious in the end. I just had to melt 3 tbs of butter then add in 4 tbs of flour and whisk. Once this was combined I slowly added in 2 cups of warm milk and added salt and pepper to taste while stirring for about 15 or so minutes. (I didn't actually clock it, I just waited until the consistency was thick and creamy.) 

I used standard casserole dish which is a 9x9in square, kind of unconventional for lasagna but it worked so that was alright. I just took a little extra time trimming down the pasta sheets to fit. I cooked one sheet of pasta at a time for less than 30 seconds and laid it down on a baking sheet covered in a damp kitchen towel. I coated the dish in melted butter then put a layer of pasta down. Then I put down a coat of pasta sauce and a light sprinkling of parmesan cheese. The recipe calls for a bolognese meat sauce but I have this terrific pasta sauce with italian sausage that I got from Wegmans and is made locally so I just decided to use that instead. After the layer of sauce and cheese I put down another layer of pasta then half the bechamel sauce that I just made (it was about a cup worth of sauce). I continued on, alternating pasta with the sauce and then a layer of pasta with bechamel until I had 5 layers of pasta. I then topped the lasagna with one more layer of pasta and cheese and into the oven it went!

I baked it at 450 degrees for 10 mins to start then cranked the oven up to 500 degrees and continued baking it for about 7mins. I let it cook and then digged in.

It was a delicious lasagna and was really not difficult to make. I would have to say the bechamel is my favorite part and overall is a filling and fun dish to make and eat!     

Peppermint Sweets

My last tackle at the Hunger Games Unofficial Cookbook is this recipe for peppermint sweets AKA peppermint patties. 

A simple but time consuming process I started off with 3/4 cup of condensed milk mixed with 1 tsp vanilla extract and 2 tsp peppermint extract. I then  stirred in about 4 cups of confectioners sugar which formed a stiff dough-like mixture. (I continued to sprinkle in confectioners sugar along the way as well.) I scooped the mixture into little 1/2" balls which I then flattened out into small patties. Once I made all of the little patties I set them on a baking sheet with parchment paper and let them dry for an hour. After the hour was up I flipped them all over (sprinkled some more confectioners sugar on top of some of the sticky patties) and let them dry for another hour. I placed them in the freezer for about 15 minutes while I melted chocolate.

I did this next step in parts. I melted 1 cup of chocolate chips with 1/2 tsp of shortening at a time and dipped each patty into the chocolate. I ended up doing this in about 5 batches just to make sure the bowl of chocolate didn't harden too much in the process. I sprinkled some crushed peppermint candy on top and voila! Peppermint patties. I made a variety while I was at it and have white chocolate, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate peppermint patties and while it took quite some time, it was really fun to do and I enjoyed myself thoroughly.  

White Chocolate Blueberry Muffin Tops

Stress baking is going great with today's desserts from The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook. Clearly I'm dealing wit my personal problems by baking to keep myself busy, that's normal right?

This dessert was a simple one and something I find to be kinda quirky. I love blueberry muffins and of course everyone knows the best part of a muffin is the muffin top so why not just rid yourself of the bottom from the get go! Sounds like a solid plan to me. 

I preheated my oven to 400 degrees and sifted together 2 1/2 cups of flour, 1 tsp baking soda, about 1/4 tsp of baking powder, and 1 tsp of salt.

In a different bowl, I creamed together 2 sticks of butter, 1/2 cup of white sugar, and 1/2 cup of packed light brown sugar. Of course about 3/4 of the way through creaming it, I broke my hand mixer.. I suppose that's what I get when the poor little guy was $10 at a garage sale a billion years ago.. he did his best.. So for the rest of the way I mixed the ingredients with a spoon/spatula kinda things and made due. After the butter and sugars were relatively creamed, I added 2 tsp of vanilla and 3 eggs (one at a time) to the mixture. I slowly combined the dry ingredients into the bowl, added 1 cup of white chocolate chips, and 1 cup of blueberries. Then I scooped the batter into parchment paper covered cookie trays, topped them off with a little more sugar, and baked them for about 12 minutes.

They look gorgeous with a light golden top and warm blueberries. I'm actually kind of excited to try these.   

UPDATE: They're basically scones but they're wonderful.