2013 Best Bites: Chicago

Erica from everythingerica eating as usual!

In my 7 months in Chicago, I’ve probably eaten at more restaurants than people who have lived here for 7 years (if you don’t believe me, just ask my size 2’s that no longer want to button). As the end of the year is approaching, I wanted to share my 5 favorite dishes in all of Chicagoland and tell you where you can get them.

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#5 Bite: Samurai Taco

Big and Littles Samurai Taco Photo Credit: Steve Z.

Where you can get it: Big and Littles located at 860 N. Orleans Street
Why it’s the best: I am honestly not a cooked seafood fan. Come to think of it, this may be the only dish with cooked fish I actually like. Why? Because the fish is perfectly battered and fried then covered with two of the most irresistible sauces I’ve ever tasted (a signature spicy mayo and incredible sticky sweet “teriyakish” type sauce that you’ll have to taste to fully understand). The fish is stuffed into a delicious and surprisingly authentic corn tortilla and topped with lettuce and jalapeño peppers. It’s completely and utterly mind blowing.

#4 Bite: Lou Malnatis Sweet Vinaigrette

Lou Malnati’s Sweet Vinegrette

Where you can get it: Lou Malnati’s with over 20 locations all over Chicago
Why it’s the best: Who orders a salad at one of the best pizza places in Chicago? Well until my boyfriends mom came to town and taught me some discipline, I sure didn’t! Last time she was in town, we all ordered pizza from Lou’s and she ordered a house salad with their signature sweet vinaigrette. To all of our surprises, the dressing was the best part of the whole meal. For the first time in my entire life, I couldn’t get enough salad. The best part? They sell the dressing online and in stores. You can buy some and try it for yourself right here.

#3 Bite: Bombolini

Photo Credit: Siena Tavern via tripadvisor.com

Where you can get it: Siena Tavern, located at 51 W Kinze Street
Why it’s the best: This italian donut defies everything you would think a normal donut should be. First of all, the thing is made from potato, but taste like a pillow of sweetness. It’s covered in delicious sugar and served with 3-4 seasonal sauces that you’re supposed to fill the bombolini with. I’ve written about this before, but hopefully this post will serve as a reminder to get over to Siena Tavern ASAP to try this incredible dessert.

#2 Bite: Sakura Sushi Roll

Sakura Roll

Where you can get it: Rolls ‘N Bowls, located at 5501 N Lincoln Ave
Why it’s the best: Although this place is a little bit outside my River North neighborhood, this roll is worth the 5-mile drive. The Sakura roll literally embodies decadence. It’s stuffed with cream cheese, spicy tuna, cucumber, avocado, unagi sauce and then covered with tempura crumb. I advise you only have this roll once or twice a year or you may experience sensory overload.

#1 Bite: Butter Cake

Mastro’s Warm Butter Cake

Where you can get it: Mastros Steakhouse located at 520 N Dearborn Street
Why it’s the best: If you’ve already tried this completely glutinous dessert, then you know why it’s in my number 1. I honestly don’t think I’ve experienced a better cake in my entire life. One time, I was craving it so bad, that I called in a to-go order and assembled it at my house (less people to judge me).  I have a feeling this one will be on my list every single year.

So, that is my list! Although I have a feel things I just spoke about will be around for a while, I encourage you to rush over to the places I mentioned and end 2013 with the best bites in Chicago!

Love always,
Erica

Review: Raw Chicago

About 5 years ago, my Dad went to the doctor because he wasn’t feeling well. He came back diagnosed with nearly every disease you can think of; diabetes, polyps in his stomach, gallbladder infection and pancreatic issues to name a few. It was a scary time for the whole family. The doctors recommended for him to have  his gallbladder taken out. After doing some research and talking to some friends, my Dad decided to take matters into his own hands and completely transform his life.

Now, my dad healthier than ever. He is essentially lowered his diabetic risk (his sugar levels have never been lower) and cured all of the other ailments that were plaguing him just 5 years ago. I bet you’re wondering how the heck he did that.

My Dad elected to go against western medicine and he checked himself into Hippocrates Health Institute and based on their recommendations, he became a vegan.

He’s been a vegan ever since and has never looked back (and as a bonus, his gallbladder is still intact and better than ever).

Now, while I am totally thankful my Dad made these lifestyle changes, I think I personally would have a difficult time on his diet (considering most of what he eats is raw food).

This “can’t do” attitude changed when I discovered “raw” in Chicago’s River North Neighborhood.

“raw” is a small vegan, raw food store on the corner of Dearborn and Huron. While the majority of what they sell is prepared raw food, they also have supplements, condiments, juices and ice-cream (yeah, raw ice-cream).

I headed over there this week to take a more in-depth look at what “Raw” has to offer. Not only was I totally impressed, I feel it’s so good, you NEED to go.

Since the menu is pretty large, here are the 3 things you MUST try when you go there:

1) Raw Raviolis ($12): I bet you though all pasta had to be made with egg! Nope! These “raviolis” are made from delicate turnip rounds and stuffed with an incredible cashew cheese. The “pasta” is served with a delicious (and a little spicy) marinara sauce and parsley relish.

Honestly, the texture of  the dish had a little crunch that I found made it more enjoyable. Taste-wise, I honestly thought I was eating pasta with cheese. It’s also worth mentioning that you get a TON of ravioli when you buy these. There is easily enough there for two people to split.

Raw raviolis made from turnips and cashew cheese

2) Empanada Platter ($14):  Am I in Mexico? Wow, are these delicious! I can’t believe these are raw. While the dish is a little on the spicy side (don’t eat this if you can’t take heat), it’s complex flavor really does transport you south of the border.

They start with their chipotle lime nacho “dough” and stuff it with sun-dried tomato pate. It’s served with a side of corn chutney, tomato salsa and (get this) a cashew sour cream. I think the stand-out of this dish is honestly their cashew sour cream. I swear I can’t tell the difference between this and the real thing.

Side-note, you can actually buy just the sour cream for only $6. I’m pretty sure this will be a staple in my apartment…

Raw Empanadas

3) Polly’s Brownie ($7): Seriously, this “brownie” blows my mind. It’s made from avocado (insane) and raw chocolate. I swear to you I felt like I was eating a huge piece of decadent fudge. If this is the kind of thing that Polly makes, I think I want to be her best friend.

If you go to Raw and can only get one thing, you MUST try this (and for only $7, you might wanna stock up).

Polly’s Brownie

I’ve only begun to scratch the surface of what this place has to offer. Along with what I just mentioned, “raw” is known for their Spaghetti (made of zucchini) and “Meatballs”, Fresh Spinach Lasagna and a decadent Tiramisu. Take a look at these pictures below and tell me you couldn’t eat a raw diet…

Yeah…I know it all looks incredible. So all of you who think you couldn’t be a vegan, head over to “raw” and let them change your mind!

Love always,
Erica

Chicago’s 2014 Michelin Guide

Every year I wait with bated breath to see who the Michelin Restaurants around the world are going to be. To top it off, after years of living in small towns and cities (minus a short 2-year stint in Boston), I FINALLY live in a city that actually has those kind of restaurants!

Well, today is the day that the 2014 list has arrived! This year, 25 amazing Chicago restaurants made the list (including a restaurant from one of my favorite chefs, Graham Elliot) and I couldn’t be more excited to try them all.

I guess I better win the lottery so I can afford all these expensive meals…

Here is the list straight from the Chicago Tribune:

Three Stars
Alinea

Two Stars
Grace *
Graham Elliot
L2O
Sixteen **

One Star
Acadia
Blackbird
Boka
EL Ideas *
Elizabeth *
Everest
Goosefoot
The Lobby *
Longman & Eagle
Mexique
Moto
Naha
North Pond *
Schwa
Senza *
Sepia
Spiaggia
Takashi
Topolobampo
Tru

* New to 2014 Michelin guide
** Elevated from last year’s one-star rating 

Which restaurant is on your list to try?

Love always,
Erica

Review: Sidewalk Food Tour of Chicago, River North

http://www.foodtourofchicago.com

If it’s one thing my boyfriend knows how to do, it’s plan a good date! I wish I could take credit for finding this culinary tour around Chicago’s River North neighborhood, but this time, it was all him!

This tour started around noon and it was essentially a  3-hour walk around River North, where I  learned about some of Chicago’s rich architectural history while stopping at 6 culinary gems along the way.

Let’s talk about where we went and what we ate:

Buttermilk Old Fashion from Doughnut Vault

1) The Doughnut Vault: This River North staple has been on my bucket list of places to try, but I simply haven’t gotten around to it (mostly due to their limited hours and long lines).  I was excited for this to be the first stop on the tour since I had heard so many great things about it (and could finally try it without waiting in the line).

As a part of the tour we got to try a “Buttermilk Old Fashioned” (although we didn’t get a whole one) and it was pretty good! I have to be honest though, I’ve had better doughnuts and was surprised to hear that this one was awarded “the best” by Food and Wine Magazine. I say if you don’t have to wait in a 2-hour line to try one of these, go for it. If there is a line, save the $2 and the excessive calories.

2) Lou Malnati’s: Since moving to Chicago, I’ve had deep dish from almost every popular place in the city. While I do like Lou’s, I was initially bummed that this was a part of the tour since I’ve had it so many times and I think the pizza lacks salt (therefore when I eat it at home, I can just add it myself).

Never-the-less, I’ll never turn down a slice of deep dish pizza and I actually learned something during this part of the tour! Apparently, Lou’s has this special “butter crust” that you have to ask for, otherwise you get their regular crust made with oil.  We got to try the butter crust and it was absolutely delicious. Learning that fact was enough to give this stop a gold star!

Lou Malnati’s Deep Dish Pizza

3) Xoco (pronounced “show-co”):  I am HUGE fan of anything Rick Bayless (the owner of Frontera Grill, Topolobampo and of course, Xoco), so when I heard this gem was on the list I got super excited. I had gone here once before for lunch and found it to be absolutely delicious.  On the tour, we got to try the restaurants “Aztec Hot Chocolate” and the churros.

The hot chocolate was super rich and creamy, but totally overshadowed by how incredible the churros were. When I tell you that this may be one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten in my entire life, I’m not lying. PLEASE, do yourself (and your tastebuds) a huge favor by getting yourself some of these Xoco churros. In fact, I couldn’t even get a photo of them because they were eaten too quickly.

4) Al’s Roast Beef: This is another Chicago staple that has been on my culinary bucket list since I moved here. They are famous for their italian beef. If you don’t know what that is (don’t worry I didn’t either until I moved to the Midwest), it’s basically beef cooked in tons of juices until its about medium rare. It’s then shaved off the bone and put back in more juices making it super tender!

As a part of the tour, we were able to try a 1/2 of an italian beef and it was pretty good! My favorite part was actually the pickled vegetables they put in the sandwich. They were briny and spicy and brought a whole new level of complexity to the sandwich. I don’t think I would ever go back for another one, but I can understand why it’s such a popular sandwich.

Me wearing my bib at Carson’s

5) Carsons: This restaurant was the star of the day! This is a very unassuming, yet super traditional  BBQ restaurant in Chicago. I have to be honest, I must have driven by this place 100 times since moving here and I never even noticed it.

As a part of the tour, we got to try the pulled pork sandwich and it was pretty incredible. The BBQ sauce was a Carolina vinegar based sauce (which I love) and was perfectly paired with a pickle (sounds strange but you just gotta try it).

The best part about Carson’s? The owner actually puts his personal cell-phone number on the menu in case you have any questions, comments or concerns. I think I may use it and set-up a time to go in so that I can write a full review on this place.

6) More: Our final stop of the day was at More (a cupcake shop). Since I had already been here before, it was a little anti-climactic, but the cupcakes at this place are pretty good. On the tour we got to sample their classic cupcake which is basically an up-scale version of a Hostess. It’s good, but after a day full of doughnuts and churros, I was a little stuffed!

However, this place DID made Oprah’s list of favorite things, so you know it has to be good!

So that’s it! If you find yourself salivating about all the amazing food I tried today, you can easily go on this tour as well! Just head over to their website and book it (they also do one in Wicker Park).

Love always,
Erica

A Weekend in Chicago with my Sister!

Since moving to Chicago, I have to admit, I’ve been pretty lame. Aside from checking out Chicago’s great restaurants, I really haven’t done much else in terms of nightlife. This all changed when my arguably much cooler, younger sister, Melissa, decided to visit me a few weeks ago.

For those of you who know Melissa, you know that she’s the life of the party wherever she goes. I knew that my social life consisting of Pilates at East Bank Club, walks through Ohio Street Dog Park and early dinners at some of the best restaurants in town weren’t going to cut it with her (the operative word is early in that last activity).

So, when Melissa decided to make this last minute trip to see me, I had to figure out what to do. Within minutes of picking her up from the airport, our impromptu sisters weekend began and she was ready to go and see all Chicago has to offer.

I ended up planning a pretty successful weekend, so I figured I’d share with you what I did so that if you find yourself in a situation where a much cooler, younger family member decides to come to town, you will know what to do!

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Friday Late Afternoon: Since I live at Parc Huron in River North, I thought I’d take her over to a rooftop bar near me called Citizen. I figured it was a relaxing place to catch up over drinks and grab a quick bite to eat.  This place is pretty great if you’re looking for a fun atmosphere with a great view. The food isn’t bad either! I love their hand breaded chicken fingers and corn soup!

Citizen is also a great place to spot huge celebs. Last month I caught Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis hanging out with some friends.

Friday Night:  We headed over to Paris Club. From the moment I moved here, I made a promise to myself that I would never go to this place because I think I am too old and this place is way too hyped up. Turns out, I was wrong! 

Paris Club is everything everyone talks about. It’s fun, lively and honestly the place to be seen if you’re in Chicago. The crowd is actually mid 20’s to early 30’s and a lot smaller than I imagined it to be. It felt much more intimate than large Vegas style club I assumed it was.

Saturday Morning: There is nothing I love more than heading over to East Bank in the morning for one of their amazing classes. Melissa decided to join me and after we were finished we grabbed a quick smoothie upstairs and headed back to shower for our day of shopping.

Saturday Afternoon: Obviously headed down to Michigan Avenue to shop! We ended up finding this really great store, Akira. The stylist there spent an entire hour with us shopping and finding outfits that looked great on us. I’ve wanted to try the high-waisted skirt trend, and I am proud to say I think the stylist at Akira totally helped me pull it off (see photo and tell me what you think)!

We ended up stopping in at RL for lunch, which as you know from my previous blog post is one of my favorites! I enjoyed the chopped salad and Melissa loved her tuna nicoise!

Saturday Night: When I moved to Chicago, the first thing I did was make reservations at Girl and the Goat. The reservation happened to fall on the same night my sister was in town, so we headed over there.

The dinner was amazing! I brought a huge group with me, so we ended up ordering almost everything on the entire menu. Do me a favor, if you go there…please try the ham fries and the broccoli. I could eat both of those every single day. Wow.

After dinner we headed over to a friends apartment to cap off the night. They live in Aqua on the 47^th floor. Talk about Luxury! This view was one of the most incredible things I’ve seen. Their apartment had unreal views of Millennium Park, the Lake and lots of Chicago’s skyline.

Sunday Morning: I have one word for you…BRUNCH! I pass this tiny breakfast spot (yes, it is called Brunch) in River North all the time, but I hadn’t made the trip to eat there. My sister had been there a couple times and swore it was one of her favorite places in the city.

There is a little bit of a wait, but totally worth it (it was only like 20 minutes). If you find yourself there, make sure you order one of their omelets or their breakfast burritos. The burritos are huge, so plan to share!

And that was really the end of my whirlwind sisters weekend.  Sunday afternoon, Melissa took off and headed back to Florida (her life is so hard, right).  I can’t wait till she heads back up here and I can write all about what our next adventure will be…

Love always,
Erica