Well, we all know how March ended up, but I still managed to squeeze in some delicious food at the beginning of the month.
The month of March started with gorgeous weather, perfectly aligned with some of the most gorgeous food I have seen at the new Oda Mediterranean Cuisine in Andersonville. I love this neighborhood as is, and now I have another excuse to visit the area.
The restaurant is owned by Marina Cadrak and her husband, who previously owned one of the city’s most popular Turkish restaurants in the same space. Recently, they decided to revamp and re-concept their restaurant by reaching down even further to the roots of their Ottoman culture and cuisine, and blend it into one single menu. Lucky us!
Essentially, if you’re looking for fine, authentic, and eclectic Mediterranean cuisine, you’ve found your place.
I visited there for brunch one Sunday with my friend, and that’s where I fell in love with this restaurant.
As soon as we sat down, we were treated to delicious brunch cocktails such as the Blood Orange Mimosa and Turkish Toddy. You don’t have to be a whiskey lover to enjoy this bourbon and apricot jam -infused drink, I can assure you that.
After, an array of mezes showed up at the table, and seeing all the color and vibrancy made everyone so happy. We were sold even before we tried them!
All dishes presented were authentic as can be. Classic dishes like Babaghanoush and Hummus were as incredible as they should be, but also never before tried items such as, Ezme (peppers & tomatoes in garlic confit) and Mantar Guvech ( cremini mushrooms baked with feta and pecorino).
The all-vegetarian Shak-Shuka blew me away. I loved their eggplant and potato goulash-based take on it. The egg however was optional, which was also cool. Vegetarians and vegans, are you listening?
The Sigara Boregi (literally means cigar), were thin spring rolls filled with feta cheese and spinach. Everyone seemed to love the coating made out of phyllo dough. Think of it as a Spanakopita spring roll! Quite likely my favorite from brunch!
From their clay pot omelettes, we got to try the Oda Omlette. A platter of eggs baked with walnuts, coriander, yellow marigold and blue fenugreek. I can’t describe the taste because it was so unique, other than it looked and had a nutty flavor to it. An interesting dish indeed!
The Board Brunch for Two was gorgeous. I lalmost didn’t want to spoil it by eating. This is a large platter definitely meant for sharing. It came with two hard boiled eggs, assorted cheese, borek, homemade preserves, fruits, and nuts. All with bottomless Turkish tea.
If theres anyone that has caffeine mastered, its the Turks. Both, their tea and coffee are to die for!
I cannot tell you how much pita bread I consumed throughout my meal, but I can tell you it was super fresh! I was one happy human at the end of that brunch and already fantasizing about their lunch and dinner
You should not miss a visit to this restaurant!
For the fourth year in a row, I attended Operation Taste 2020 and I swear this event gets better and better. It’s also tradition now, and an event I truly cherish. Anything that allows me to help contribute to its beautiful cause, sign me up!
This celebrity chef event and walk-around tasting raises money to benefit Operation North Pole, a public charity that works with major hospitals to provide support to the families of children with life threatening illnesses. Their goal is to help alleviate the financial and emotional stress these families face. Can’t think of a better cause to support!
The annual event held at the Donald E Stephen’s Convention Center in Rosemont, started with a cocktail reception hour, followed by food tastings in the main hall.
More than 30 of Chicago’s acclaimed chefs gathered at this event, from Michelin-awarded Chef Sam Plotneck, to Chef Michael Lachowicz of George Trois, to name a few. I love the opportunity to also see some of my favorite chefs and hang out with fellow foodie friends. We had the best group which made it even more fun.
At the end of the night Art Beat Live did a live painting of Black Hawks on stage to be auctioned off. And the two winners were both my friends! I guess I brought the winning guests of the night!
If you’re looking for a night of fun, endless bites and beverages and truly feel good about it, don’t miss this event next year. And if you’d like to donate, visit www.operationnorthpole.org!
24,000 square feet of complete razzle dazzle, a 4-story wine tower, gorgeous city views and exquisite wine and food. I’m talking about Cooper’s Hawk Winery’s first Chicago venture in the Gold Coast. Had the good fortune of visiting this group’s newest restaurant and was in awe from start to finish.
In addition to a swanky setting and a great table in the house, my guest and I also had the best server and sommelier (Stephen) to guide us through food and drinks.
If you know Cooper’s Hawk, you know your wine is covered, but having Stephen guide us through our wine pairings with wines such as Camille Brave and Super Tuscan certainly elevated the experience.
Food was incredible, although their Signature Menu is only available at this location and comes with a complete list of all of Chef’s recommendations.
My friend ordered the Pistachio-Crusted Australian Rack of Lamb off that list, which came with garlic spinach and I’d be lying if I said, I didn’t consider cheating for a split second. A beautiful and robust looking dish!
The Ahi Tuna Tacos were my favorite. The blackened tuna, seared rare, was folded into wonton taco shells and filled with citrus slaw and wasabi cream. I appreciated the crunch and softness of the fish together and also that the tacos weren’t overstuffed.
The Crispy Brussel Sprouts were oh-so-magical! Cashews, mint, sweet Thai chili and sesame aioli. If you love Asian flavors, this dish is for you! Bravo to this dish!
Their Tortilla Soup is also available vegetarian, so we tried a cup each. Might have gulped this one down! Such a well-simmered and well-seasoned broth. Please don’t miss this when you go!!
The beauty of the night was the Citrus-Glazed Atlantic Salmon & Kale Salad form their Chopped Salads section. There were many great options so it was tough to zero in on one, but I think we made the best choice. I couldn’t stop staring at that fillet of salmon with ginger-ponzu vinaigrette dripping off it. It was a hearty salad with exotic ingredients.
I always try to balance my pescetarian and vegetarian order for any meal. The Gnocchi with Roasted Butternut Squash was pasta heaven. Tender, pillowy pasta mixed in with a sage-brown butter cream, roasted portabello mushrooms and shaved parmesan. A winter dish like no other!
The Pan Roasted Barramundi was unlike anything else I’ve had. A fresh piece of fish with blistered green beans, ginger rice, and Thai lemongrass sauce. Personally, I love how much Chef intertwines Asian favors in his food.
We managed to still make room for one of their homemade desserts. The Coopers Hawk Chocolate Cake will leave you forever mesmerized. It was Varhona Chocolate Cake with Hazelnut Ganache and a dollop of vanilla ice cream on the side. AKA decadency! And Stephen knew to pair it with the perfect glass of Port, the NightJar.
Luckily, we had some walking left to do to help burn off at-least some of the food. We got a special wine tour of their 4-storied Wine Tower situated in the center of the restaurant, and got to learn about all the wines they hold in there, ranging in price from $40 to $10,000/bottle. I also got to hold two original bottles of Bordeaux and Jay Z’s Champagne. So I was good!
You’re in for such a stellar treat at Coopers Hawk Winery. Chicago’s food scene is certainly winning these days, and CHW is a feather in its cap!
A newly spruced up space, great drinks and food, and my favorite ladies. Life was perfect during my visit to Hubbard Inn this month, when I went in one Friday night to check out their new floral lounge upstairs, Blue Violet.
In addition to their garden-inspired setting, the lounge is also known for serving large, shareable cocktails that can serve up to 7 people. So it was perfect that the six of us could share, and not have to fight over the drink. In all seriousness, what a fun addition to a girls night out!
We got the largest cocktail of them all, the $95 Forbidden Fruit. A gin and cognac based delicious drink made with honey flower water and blood orange syrup. It was seriously too yummy for words, and I don’t think we ever put it down.
With a new revamped space also comes a new menu. From a giant platter of fresh East and West coast oysters and an array of mignonettes, we also relished a jumbo lump Crab Dip, Lamb Skewers, Pear & Brie Brioche Points and Margherita Flatbread. The sauce on that pizza was the best kind of tangy I’ve tasted, made with pure San Marzano tomatoes.
My favorite bite here was, the Shrimp and Grits. Lime butter sautéed Gulf Shrimp served on mini griddled polenta cakes and drizzled with a smoked poblano cream sauce.
I wish we hadn’t been so full and would’ve tried dessert. That never happens! Next ladies night out at Hubbard Inn will be reserved just for cocktails and dessert!
The tunes were flowing, the service was attentive despite the restaurant getting packed as the night went on. A restaurant, lounge with a club (all in one if needed), gave us no reason to leave. There was something for each of us there. Plus, we were too full to move! Ha!
Your next weekend soiree needs to be here! But make sure to get your reservations at Blue Violet in advance, because it gets booked up for events fast!
What do you do when you turn 22? Make a 22-layer lasagna of course! At least that’s what 312Chicago did, as Chef Luca adapted his mother’s recipe to create a delicious and awe-inspiring lasagna cake, exclusively for the month of March.
This Chicago Theatre District favorite celebrated 22 years of serving authentic, Italian food after all. And they’re conveniently located in the loop so its the perfect spot for breakfast, lunch, happy hour or dinner.
I went one evening after work with my good friend to help celebrate the restaurant’s milestone. I was happily startled to see a newly revamped space because everything was re-done, including the furniture.
Our meal commenced with a refreshing glass of prosecco and Montepulciano each, as we began perusing the menu. I can’t say I wasn’t overwhelmed, but only because there were so many great choices (even vegan and gluten free)!.
Since I couldn’t get the charcuterie platter, I decided to indulge in the Fritto Misto with fried calamari, baby smelt, shrimp, salmon, lemon, frissee, Calabrese peppers and limoncello aioli. The aioli gave a little sweetness to the heat from the peppers and the fish was perfectly fried to a beautiful golden brown! Made me forget all about that charcuterie plate I thought I had been missing out on!
Chef had sent out an amuse bouche portion of their Cavolini (fried brussels sprouts) which had toasted pistachios and were tossed in a delectable apple cider gastrique. We thoroughly relished this appetizer.
From their Insalata, the Rucoletta was phenomenal with baby arugula, warm shiitake, mushrooms, goat cheese and balsamic. I liked the hot and cold combination in a salad, which was a first for me.
The Orrechiette Tartufate my friend ordered looked delightful. Minus the sausage, I would’ve devoured the pasta in mushrooms, black truffle paste and fontina cream sauce. Orrechiette is my favorite pasta!
I had been craving Branzino, and this Mediterranean Sea Bass dish made sure to validate my excitement. The fish arrived skin-on with cannelloni beans carrots and gremolata. The beans puree the fish sat on was my favorite element in this dish, other than the branzino of course.
The Cacciucco was a beauty. It reminded me if cioppino which is actually a Californian version of this original Italian seafood soup. Sautéed scallops, shrimp, tuna, mussels, clams and lobster bathing in a light spicy tomato broth with garlic crostini for dipping. That broth was magical!
Then the star of the show, the show stopper arrived. The 22-layer lasagna we had been there for in the first place. 22 layers of pasta, cheese, and basil in a delicious, textured tomato sauce. To say I was in awe, would be an understatement! Certainly one of the best lasagnas of my life.
Portions are decent here so we didn’t order much else because dessert was another priority for us (as it should be)! The two we ordered were, the Torta di Fichi (Upside down fig cake with butter pecan gelato, caramel sauce and crushed pecans) and the Torta di Cioccolato which was an Italian flourless chocolate cake with chantilly cream, mixed berry sauce and chocolate shavings.
Both Chef Lucca Corazzina and Chef Eric Lopez have created something amazing here, and I wish that you get to experience what I did by dining at this restaurant. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!
Happy Birthday 312Chicago! Here’s to another 22 years of serving some of Chicago’s best food!
Strings Ramen is familiar territory. In fact, I’ve been to every single one in the city, so tradition demanded that I also visit their new location in Hyde Park. We all know the grim times we’ve been facing lately with the Coronavirus outbreak and how it has affected restaurants.
So I was pleasantly surprised and felt hopeful seeing the restaurant booming on a Friday evening when I went in with a guest. It was heartwarming to see people looking cheerful and it made me realize the power of delicious food!
Since the eatery is BYOB, we brought our own beer and wine, and immediately ordered bowl of steaming edamame for munchies.
With it, we also tried the Fried Garlic and Sriracha Broccoli sans bacon bits, which was surely my favorite dish from this visit. The Japanese Fried Chicken (karaage) looked so tempting and my guests’s face only made me feel more that I was missing out.
But I forgot about it quickly when the Shrimp Gyoza showed up. These steamed wontons were incredibly delicious, flavor-packed, and desirably tender.
And then we enjoyed a few orders of their Yakitori. First time for me eating these barbecued, skewers of meat and veggies. I tried the shiitake mushroom and shishito pepper yakitori, and the peppery sauce on it was just terrific.
The Yakisoba with Spicy Crab was seasoned with a sweet and savory sauce and the shredded fish meat was fresh and easy to mix into to the noodles. Also delightful!
Good news! This location also serves sushi! So we ordered a couple rolls; the Summer Roll with cilantro had to be my favorite.
The meal ended with ramen, which I had to get with vegetarian broth and tofu. It was delicious as always. Usually ramen is my main meal but there was so much else to try on their menu this time around. Still, I couldn’t be disloyal to the noods!
I can’t begin to explain how much fun it is to dine at Strings Ramen. The place truly has a Tokyo vibe and everything is authentic and made fresh to order. Fast casual yet delicious; we need more of these in the city!