CHI - Kimski!

Kimski is a Korean Polish fusion place connected to Maria's Packaged Goods which is a pretty cool speakeasy type bar that we went to for Halloween. Kimski was started by Maria's very own son chef Won Kim so this whole place is a family business that works well together. Not only can you get into Kimski from Maria's but when you're drinking late and want a cool bite to eat, Kimski is right there basically in the bar. 

I've been told about Kimski from one of the guys in the program with me, Kaleb. He was telling me about them more to check out the branding (very cool and totally my aesthetic) but he said it was an interesting fusion to check out too since he knows I like trying new food too. Since some of us in the program went for Halloween I tasted some food that others shared with me and after Typeforce we decided to go for some late night snacks again. 

LOCATION: 954-960 W 31ST ST., CHICAGO, IL 60608

It was super fun the first time around because of Halloween and we went to celebrate someone's birthday, but this time was more relaxed which I enjoyed. I went with Alex and Nina, both designers in the program and we grabbed a drink at the bar in Maria's then went into Kimski and luckily found a table to eat. It was for sure my lucky night because the bar ran out of coke for my rum and coke and gave me an extra drink to make up for it so I was already pretty content there. 

For food, Nina and I decided to share a little and we ordered the Scallion Potato Pancakes and Sausage plate which were both really filling and super tasty. The potato pancakes have smoked pork shoulder, scallions, kimchi of the day, soy cream, sesame seeds, and sesame leaves. This is a pretty great dish, heavy but so good while you're drinking and makes you feel grounded. The same goes for the sausage plate. This dish comes with their signature sausage plated with three small polish/Korean inspired sides, mustard, and 'kraut chi'. Not as beautiful to look at but still tasty and flavorful. All this food is weighty which I kinda like when I'm at a bar because it doesn't leave me feeling hungry and makes me feel like the alcohol is being soaked up well aka lets me drink more.

I like Kimski as an addition to Maria's for sure. I don't know that I would go just to eat food but if it was a casual drinks and snacks type of outing, Kimski doesn't let down.   

CHI - Au Cheval (FINALLY)

I'VE MADE IT!!

LOCATION: 800 W RANDOLPH ST., CHICAGO, IL. 60607

I've finally made it to Au Cheval and let me tell you, it lived up to all the hype I've heard about it. Christel and I decided to go one day after a couple hours of bouldering nearby for a late lunch and I'm so happy we did. Our wait was only 5 or 10mins (as opposed to the 3 or 4 hours I've gotten before when I've tried to go for dinner) and we were seated in the back in a nice booth with the perfect spotlight for food.

She and I weren't sure how hungry we were so we just decided to share everything and started off with crispy fries with a mornay sauce, garlic aioli, and one fried farm egg. Christel loves eggs so we find any opportunity to put an egg on top of our food if it makes sense. These fries were great with an egg on top and that garlic aioli was fantastic. I love garlic aioli and while I'm not a dip kinda person, it's always a fantastic sauce to me that can't go wrong.     

As a main dish we shared the single cheeseburger with bacon and an egg and while I'm not much of a burger person, I would love to have this burger again. This bacon is clearly more like a slab of pork belly which is one of my favorite things to eat. Christel was a fan of the egg on top which was cooked perfectly runny and packed all together, this burger couldn't be more perfect.

As we waited for our burger we could hear the couple next to us talk about their amazing burger and how they would love to cuddle up with this burger and order it again if they weren't so stuffed. They also mentioned that they read it was the best burger in Chicago and I wouldn't try to argue with this because this really was an amazing burger. 

CHI - Meet Fresh Love

LOCATION: 2026 S CLARK ST. UNIT A, CHICAGO, IL., 60616

I've never been to meet fresh before but I've been missing out on this chain and I'm pretty happy it's in my life right now. Meet Fresh just opened up here in Chicago and my friends brought up that we needed to go especially since I've never been before. So one night after dinner, we headed over. A little out of the way from the rest of Chinatown visually, this sweet spot is just around the corner from Chinatown square and right next to the L train. 

We walked in to a semi long line but still out of the cold to order our dessert. I shared the iced meet fresh signature with Christel and it's a bowl of herbal blended shaved ice with herbal jelly, taro and sweet potato balls, and creamer on top.

These taro/sweet potato balls are the best with amazing chewy texture and a subtle flavor. The grass jelly and the shaved ice were a great soft textural balance and the creamer gave the whole bowl a light sweetness. I love asian desserts because they tend not to be overly sweet and have a fun texture to them, though possibly odd for people unfamiliar with the components. 

The price of these desserts is a little high so it's not a regular place to go especially since it's super busy and it's hard to find a table but when I'm craving some dessert, this is the place to be. I'm already excited to go back.   

BUFF - Fuji

Cousin time continues with the family in buffalo and some quality sushi.

LOCATION: 736 MAPLE RD., BUFFALO, NY. 14221

Cousins Kim and Charlie both work at a sushi restaurant in Buffalo during weekends when they're not in school and they totally gave me the hookup with a full sushi meal (which we brought back to their house) including salad and some soup (for their dad). The best part of cousin sushi is the discounted price and no judgment for not eating raw.

I've eaten at fuji before but it's been awhile and we got all the works this time around. I love family time and when it includes cheap quality sushi it just gets better but when it comes to my dad's side of the family, food is always on point. 

ROC - Cousin Time at Owl House

I swear I keep coming back here and it's great. Owl House is still one of my favorite places to eat in Rochester, its such a cute hole in the wall, healthy choice with some great flavors.

LOCATION: 75 MARSHALL ST., ROCHESTER, NY., 14607

This time around I went with my cousin Sheen who suggested trying the place since he's newly returned to Rochester from California. I'm not back in Rochester often since I'm in school and it's getting harder and harder to coordinate family meals but I was pretty excited we had time to meet up and catch each other up on big events in life. 

Thankfully, Sheen is a great cousin to share food with because he's up for new foods and isn't picky but willing to go family style so we get to try more dishes. 

Owl House has an ever changing menu and I swear I never can eat the same thing twice (not that I go often enough). We decided to share buffalo cauli wings, and a beet salad. I voted on the buffalo cauli wings thanks to yelp reviews which are crispy fried cauliflower with classic frank's red hot sauce and a side of vegan blu cheese & celery slaw. Sheen voted on the beet salad which came with watercress, wine braised baby beets, pickled fennel, chevre, and grapefruit segments drizzled with a white balsamic vinaigrette. Honestly, we both new that he made the better choice and that beet salad blew the cauli wings out of the water. I'm a fan of beets and so is Sheen, so it must run in the family so salads with beets are always an automatic win.

I ordered a steak sammy for lunch because I was just in the mood for steak that day, which had pickled  onions and fennel, mayo, feta and arugula on a hoagie. It also came with house chips on the side but I seriously didn't need more food after our two starters. The steak was a little heavy and chewy so it was a little difficult to eat but I was content with the steak and it fulfilled my craving so thats what I was looking for. 

It was a great time with Sheen and I love getting food with him and sitting down to talk and bond more. Of course Owl House is one of my favorite places to revisit so it all added up to a good time ending in full bellies.