GIRLS WHO EAT 1.8

Karyn's Cooked 

why do i say never to things and end up doing them? 

i mean don't get me wrong. i'm a super open-minded person…especially when it comes to food but there are just some things i truly believe i won't like. 

vegan food is one of those things. (or so i thought)

i've been told there is an age that we all hit were we say no to something and no one fights you on it? is it 30? please be 30. 

now i'm sure from past 'girls who eat' posts; you have gathered…i'm so not vegan. well i'm still not but i'm definitely very very open to having vegan food every now and then after visiting this awesome place…karyn's cooked. my friend lauren came to workout with me one saturday morning at indigo studio. karyn's is literally one block away from the studio; so lauren suggested it. i immediately rolled my eyes (as i do) and of course made some sort of disapproving grunt noise. she quickly told me to suck it up and remember my 2013 resolution of "think outside the box!" (why do i tell my friends these things? it always comes back to bite me in the butt) she quickly pulled me by the arm and dragged me the one block to karyn's. 

we walk in and i'm quickly put in my place; when i see a kid no older than four years old…chowing down on what i can only assume is tofu. at that moment i realized i was being such a baby. i had just thrown an adult temper tantrum over food. lordy!! 

we are shown our seats and handed a one page brunch menu. i start to browse and start spotting out words like "soy textured vegetable protein" and "tofu". i quickly closed my eyes, took a deep breathe and pulled my big girl panties on and under the guidance of my sweet sweet friend; selected the "rainbow mexicana." sounds safe enough right? 

what's in this you ask? why i'll tell you..."taco meat"(cue the textured protein), tofu scramble, onion, red pepper, yellow pepper and jalapeno with a side of tortillas, soy cheese and chipotle sauce. now that i look back…this did not sound good at all. 

minutes later….

the waiter comes back to the table holding two plates of "food" that look oddly similar; even though lauren and i ordered different things. (i quickly learned that all scrambled tofu dishes look the same) i stare at my plate for about a minute and mentally start to organize my plan for tackling this meal. i first seek out the recognizable foods. 

peppers. check.

jalapenos. check.

onions. check. 

(worst come to worse i'll eat these three and order a pizza when i get home. no wait. sushi.) 

mmm….sushi. 

i digress. 

lauren taps her fork on the table to bring me back to attention. clears her throat and says; "get at it!" while pointing to my food. 

i decide to balls it up and start assembling my "taco." i close my eyes and take a bite. 

AND….

of course it was amazing. 

how can this be? there's no meat, cheese or eggs in this dish. well ladies and gents…i was proven wrong. vegans clearly know what they are talking about. it actually tasted like a taco. a really really amazing one. who knew! (clearly millions of people) needless to say i cleared my plate. the only things left on it were a lot of peppers. ha!

sooooo good. 

dear karyn…

i don't know you but…

you are one smart lady. brava!!! 

there is now one less vegan disbeliever out there. 

(i eat my words…never say never)

until next time...

Girls Who Eat 1.7

694 Wine & Spirits 

www.694wineandspirits.com

do you love bacon? 

i do. 

for those of you who don't…don't you worry…i'm eating enough for all of us. 

(don't worry. i'm eating turkey bacon as well. gotta have some balance right)

a few weeks ago…on a random tuesday night i met a couple of my gal pals at 694 wine bar. 

i thought it was going to be just another simple tuesday night relaxing with my friends and having a few glasses of wine.  

NOPE. 

this happened to be BACON TUESDAY! 

say what? yep. i said it. 

who knew…there are places that actually dedicate an entire day to bacon. it's about freaking time is all i have to say. i mean my friend nikki and i have been celebrating bacon since college. 

now to what we ate… since it was bacon tuesday we naturally had bacon. duh.

we ordered the Kick-Ass Blt. (yes mom…that is the name. i'm not swearing just to be swearing)

it was hands down the best blt i have ever had in my entire life. i couldn't tell you why but when you get to thinking about it…does it really matter? it's bacon. 

we also had the Butter & Salt: bread with three amazing butters & sea salts from different regions.

lastly, after a couple more glasses of wine (which by the way their wine list is amazing!) we decided to end the night with a side of bacon. now this isn't just any side. nope.  this is a side of bacon with honey and black truffle salt. OMG. I JUST DIED THINKING ABOUT IT AGAIN. 

so there you have it. another adventure for the girl who eats. 

oh and one more thing. 

they have the best menu cover ever. 

pretty darn funny. to me at least. 

happy monday loves

Girls Who Eat 1.6

i've been persuaded. i like deep dish. 

welcome to 

Pequod's

so i'm not sure if any of you remember a few Girls Who Eat posts back…i mentioned that i wasn't a fan of "Chicago Style" pizza. aka: deep dish. ugh…all that bread. who needs it?

well i stand corrected. 

last weekend (you know the one that i needed recovery from) my friends and i were deciding where to have dinner on saturday night. the majority vote was pizza. shock!  

i of course was a little bummed because i was already preparing myself for the collective gasps that would happen the moment i started to fork off all my toppings and leave the bread. 

the blessed chicago deep dish bread. 

FORBIDDEN APPARENTLY. 

and it went like this...

get in cab and my friend had the genius idea to order ahead since deep dish takes so long 

(if you don't want a crazy wait..i suggest you do this)

the place was packed but we were seated instantly 

considering that the Ravens, Broncos, Packers and 49ers were all playing that night. i was shocked

ordered a caesar salad and i'm pretty sure the dressing was made in house. HELLO. YUM

pizza arrived. pepperoni & onions on one and pretty much everything but the kitchen sink on the other

instead of being my insane stubborn self… i decided to give deep dish one more shot

cue foodgasm music.

the sauce…

the cheesy buttery crust…

the toppings...

insane. 

(i'm having a flashback. give me a minute) 

and i'm back

there really isn't much more to say. it really is one of those things you just have to try. 

Pequod's… you officially have a fan

one question. how do you keep the bottom crust so crisp? hmm another wonder of the world

and to you guys…

you know what i'm going to say

GO NOW!!!!

(or at your earliest convenience) 

Girls Who Eat 1.5

The Publican

Welcome to the world of communal dining.

So i'm officially a blogging slacker.

these past couple of months have been complete chaos. so much so...that i literally forgot to tell you guys about another amazing foodie experience i had awhile back at publican.

i was having drinks with my friend B and i told her about my quest to conquer all things chicago food. 

i had barely finished my sentence when she perked up and said " Omg. you have to come to brunch with me at publican." (i'm learning very fast that chicago takes brunch really serious)

 Well i figured that any place that can get B that excited was worth checking out. 

and o boy was she right.

this place is very very cool.

you walk in and it's nothing like you think it's going to be.

clean lines. dark woods. high ceilings. and a large walnut communal table. (that i later found out was designed to mirror 16th century european banquets)  let me just say...if you don't like being close to strangers...this might not be the place for you.

but you know me...i'll do anything for a taste sensation. haha.

and now to the food.

i highly suggest ordering some libations here. (come on...it's brunch.)

bloody mary's and mimosas. yes please.

now don't be overwhelmed by the detailed menu. the people here are super nice and love explaining what items on the menu are. when in doubt...ask the waiter what is a top item on the menu. never fails for me.

recommendations:

appetizers:

1. hash browns

2.Burton’s maple syrup-braised publican bacon (legit bacon)

entrees:

1. Vietnamese Pork Sausage

2. Pork Belly Bibimbap (only order if you aren't on a date. tons o garlic)

(now keep in mind...they like to change it up...so these items may not be on the menu anymore. but don't worry...you will love everything!!!)

and there you have it. another round of girls who eat.

go now!!!!

xo,

T

Girls Who Eat 1.4

The Purple Pig

Now what I'm about to tell you may shock you...

are you ready?…

good food makes me happy


ha. i know i know.  i say it every time.
but come on. am i wrong?

Well here it is my peeps. CHEESE, SWINE & WINE!!!!

My best friend has been talking about the purp pig since i moved to chicago and boy-o-boy she had every reason too. this adorable restaurant is located smack dab on michigan ave and is the amazing concoction of four genius chefs who love all things swine. 

I love a restaurant that just isn't about the food but the experience you are having while eating the food. 

when you walk into the purple pig you automatically know this place is a hot little joint. 

there isn't much seating but trust me...the wait is worth every minute. 

Fortunately the weather was nice enough that we could sit outside...even though the next time i go 

i want to sit at the bar. (it just looked so freaking cute and like you were amongst family)

The menu here is a little daunting i must say; so i suggest ordering a bottle of wine and settle in for bit. 

Speaking of wine... 

ordering wine here isn't just a small thing. it's an experience. your sommelier comes to the table and not only brings the wine...he actually explains the history of the wine and all the fun facts that go along with it. 

(and yes...i had to google "what is the title of the person who knows the wine at a restaurant?" don't judge. thanks chacha)

 wine suggestion:

try the Prokupac 

it's made from serbian grapes...or so i was told

Now to the star attraction

like i mentioned up there...the menus insane but in a good way. 

they have everything from pork fried almonds with rosemary & garlic to eggplant parmesan balls. 

So when the bestie and i went here; we decided to try a few different things. the menu is small plate style; so all the dishes are the perfect size and allow you to try more. 

we had the...

Prosciutto di Parma

(is any form of prosciutto bad?)

Pork Neck Bone Rillette & Mostarda

(are you kidding me? a pork spread)

Milk Braised Pork Shoulder with Mashed Potatoes

(had me at braised)

and man was it amazing. 

go now. 

and if you do...tell me how much you love it. 

I love being right sometimes

xo,

T

Girls Who Eat 1.3

Bar Toma

Foodgasm Alert!!!

Right before the insanity that is Stylemax began; 

I had the amazing pleasure of meeting my friend Brian and his wife for dinner at Bar Toma. 

O.M.G. 

This was another one of my "random" food finds in my neighborhood. 

Thank you Urbanspoon. 

Bar Toma is one of those restaurants that you would totally pass up 

due to the proximity to Michigan Ave. 

DO NOT JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER!!!

Don't let the tourist detour you. 

They are most known for their pizza but man o man do they have so much more. 

Mozzarella Bar, Gelato Bar and one heck of a wine list. 

(Yes you read that right...I said Mozzarella Bar)

Don't let the casual atmosphere fool you...

because the food is out of this world with nothing casual about it

For starters: we had the calamari & octopus, hand rolled & stuffed mozzarella 

and lastly my most fav...

Fried cheese for grown-ups (that is actually the name) 

seriously people...go here now. 

And of course we had to try the pizza. 

there are about twenty different pizza options so of course the choice was a little hard but we settled on the Smoke & Cure. This pizza has smoked garlic people. I don't know about you but i didn't even know smoked garlic existed. well now i do and oh do i love it. (note to self...not a date pizza!) 

GELATO BAR!!!!

Is there really anything else to say? 

Gelato pictures speak for themselves. 

And don't you worry...they let you sample everything before you pick. And you better believe i did. 

As usual...I left stuffed to the brim. 

So here's to another successful Girls who Eat trip!!! 

Happy Eating my friends. 

xx

T

p.s.  They have hot waiters here. 

Just in case you were wondering. 

Girls Who Eat 1.2

Well i did it again...

I ate!

Whew!... that was a close one. i know some of you were waiting with  bated breath to see if i would ever eat again after Mr. Sensitive's warming and sugar coated comments.
Well I did. And boy was it amazing.
Since i had such an overwhelming response to my last  Girls Who Eat post; i have decided to make it a habit.

Introducing the GIRLS WHO EAT SERIES!!!!

Hooray.

Clearly i'm not the only one out there eating. who knew?

So here it is.
My Chicago food recommendation of the week:

25 Degrees

Can we please just take a moment and talk about that moment you have when you take a bite of food that is really good and you literally have an out of body experience because it's so good? If you haven't had the pleasure of this yet...please please come to Chicago and try a burger from 25 Degrees. I promise you won't leave without experiencing that moment.

Disclaimer: 

If you start to have a When Harry Met Sally moment. Please don't blame me. I warned you. 

My friend and I were out exploring my new neighborhood when we stumbled across what looked like some kind of West Coast Chopper garage from the outside. 25 Degrees is the cutest place. Be careful or you might just miss it. I had the pleasure of going here on a day when it wasn't 200 degrees; so we sat outside. However, if you get a chance... take a little peek inside this place. I'm pretty sure if Jesse James & his West Coast Chopper buddies lived here they might be regulars.  

Their slogan  is "Bordello Meets Burger Bar" and boy do they have that in the bag. 

As you know; I like my wine so when the waitress told us they sell wine by the jug...

I about jumped for joy. 

And this was the small one

Now the cool thing about this place is that they really take "adult beverages" seriously. They have left no adult bevy stone unturned. From Spiked Sodas (Grape three olives grape vodka grape liqueur / sprite)  to Spiked Shakes (Salty Caramel maker's mark / butterscotch vanilla ice cream / hawaiian red sea salt) ; you can pretty much get whatever concoction your heart desires. 

Now for the "Slap Your Mama it's so Good" portion of this...

We ordered the Tempura Green & Yellow Beans, Potato & 3 Cheese Fritters

(If you get there around happy hour they have a list of $5 apps. Let's all be honest...Who doesn't like a deal.)

and the star of this show....

The #1 Burger.

caramelized onion vella toma / aderkasse reserve bacon / arugula / thousand island 

(Best $12 bucks ever spent)

Now come on.

Now you know a place knows their burgers; when the there are only 4 on the menu. Why do you need a bunch of bogus choices if 4 is getting the job done. 

Well done 25 Degrees. You've just gained a new fan. 

Happy Eating my fellows.

Girls Who Eat 1.0

 Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder Co.  

So I had my first negative blog comment! Yay me.

I'm a hit! 

I knew I'd make the big time.

Mr. Sensitive commented on my Food vs. Me post from a couple of weeks ago. 

"Wow, you say you have only been here a couple of months and you have been to all of these places!? You are for sure a girl who likes to eat! This could be why you're single!"

Oh my gosh...is that why I'm single? Awesome. 

Well as Oprah once said, "I will not use my platform to promote negativity!"

So here's to my biggest fan....Mr. Sensitive! xoxo smooches

Announcement...

I'm a Girl Who Eats.

On that note:

Here is my Chicago food recommendation of the week: 

Chicago Pizza And Oven Grinder Co.

If I ever found myself in a situation like Natalie Portman in the movie V for Vendetta; and someone asked me "What would you like your last meal to be before we take you out behind the chemical sheds?" I would without a doubt say...

"Umm hello Mr. Executor, Can you do me a solid and run down to 2121 N. Clark and pick me up a half pounder pizza pot pie? Thanks pookie!"

Last night I had the pleasure of having dinner with  a great friend and one of the most amazing interior designers I know: Lisa Casey. 

(for anyone who needs design help...give her a shout. She's awesome and she will travel)

As usual when people come to town the first thing they ask is, " What are we eating?" 

Since my only rules are:

-place I have never been 

-no chains. (not hard here)

I was pretty much up for anything. 

We finally settled on Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder Co. 

Hello heaven.

 

When you walk into this place you feel like you are right at home. From the comfy all wood booths to the family-esqe greeting you receive the moment you open the door. This Tony Soprano type cash only  joint has a straight to the point limited menu; but who needs choices when you see the guy next to you chowing down on what looks like a bread bowl of cheese. 

"Umm yes. Can I have what he's having?" I mean come on. Is there anything better than cheese, meat sauce, door knob size mushrooms and fresh baked bread? Nope. 

So here's to girls who eat!!!! Enjoy!

GIRLS WHO EAT: WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

I'm stuffed...

(Insert sigh here)

You know the kind of stuffed you feel when you eat a great meal and during the meal you literally have to lean to one side so you can eat more food.

Yep. That's how I feel right now.

Lavazza

So it's been a little bit since my last entry and I can honestly say it's because I've been living. Or shall I say I have been eating. What is it about people from Chicago? They find out that you aren't from here and BAM...they want to take you out for Drinks and dinner. Drinks and breakfast. Drinks and Lunch. Drinks and a Snack. (they like their drinks...No complaints here. Sorry mom.)

I have officially been in this insane food mecca of a city for two months and I have never ate so much in my entire life. 

One thing I have learned  is...
Chicago knows food. 

Since I have been chowing down so much here lately; I have decided to dedicate this entry to Chicago and its love of food!

Now I know a lot of people out there blog about food and talk about how amazing the blends and the textures and the depth of flavor layers in that sauce were... Well if you are looking for foodie technical frou frou stuff here; you so aren't going to find it because I'm not that person.

Okay people. Let's talk food...

Now I know a lot of you are probably thinking
"duh Tanyel". "Way to come late to the "we already know that party!" I know I know. I mean when i moved here I knew that Chicago was very well known for food but knowing and experiencing is two different things. 

(yes i used the word duh. i'm still gonna rock it. don't judge. you know you use it too!)

In the past two months I have had quite a few "Welcome to Chicago" meals.
I kind of fell in love with all of them and want to share them with you.
I'm obsessed with Instagram; so I took a few pictures for you guys.
Enjoy!

(and p.s. if you're in town; I suggest trying at least one or two of these places. you will not regret it!)

1. The Gage
Recommended to us by the concierge at the W Hotel. Located right across the street from Millennium Park.
-the Mussels (People!!! the mussels had a gravy type sauce. Are you kidding me? These babies made me make that mmmmm sound out loud. This was not the time or place to be looking for a man. ha)
-Arugula salad (Why do people not give more props to Arugula? So under appreciated)
-Daily Risotto (they literally add whatever is fresh that day to the risotto dish. hello heaven)
-Homestyle chicken dish
-beef stew pasta
From the looks of it; they change the menu every week or so. Which you can't beat.
And if you like a good vodka gimlet....Ask for Amy. She makes the best ones I've ever had.

2. Flo & Santos

(The place responsible for my current state of food coma)

Their slogan is literally "Pizza & Pierogi" Seriously?                            My friends and I met here today and I was expecting a standard pizza place. Nope. It's so not.

Very small and super comfy. My friends had the bloody mary's and they were raving about them. (I just can't do the Bloody Mary...I believe tabasco should be on fried chicken. Not in a glass. sorry) They come with a pickle, 2 olive, salami and peperonicini skewer. We literally thought the skewers were so good that we asked for a few extra on the side. (Yep. we were those people)            

As you can see...We were a little hungry. These are just appetizers people. Who needs entrees when apps are this huge.                                Serious bang for your buck.
                
-Waffle fries -Bruschetta -Flying Pork Wings and last but not least the most insane sampler ever: 

Babcia Holzman's Polish Sampler. 

Now I have never been one for polish food but this little puppy changed that real quick. Something that contains pierogi's, sauerkraut, potato pancakes and a very large polska kielbasa can't be wrong. 

Hello Food Coma!!!!!

3.Poag Mahone's

Now before I go on; I need us all to have a moment of silence....

Why you ask? 

well....... 

FOR BURGERS!!!!!!!!!!!

yes, I love me some burgers. Now this is in no way a diss to my vegan, vegetarian, fruitarian or macrobiotic homies. But mama loves her meat. (Sorry I grew up in a house where you actually buy a full cow annually.) Poag Mahone's may have the best hamburger I have ever had. No joke. After watching Food Inc. I'm a little bit sensitive to where my food comes from and this place knows it's beef. (All the little Bessie's lived a good life before ending up on my plate.)


-Bacon Cheddar Ranch Burger. Sounds simple but so good. 

They will fix it whatever way you want them to...without judgement.

Medium Rare Please. 

4. Lou Mitchell's

Think Soup Nazi..... But so worth it. 

There really are no words about this place. Food speaks for it. 

Expect a line practically down the street and around the corner. They have been around since 1923; so they know what they are doing. They hand out homemade donut holes while you wait in line and milk duds for after the meal. Breakfast all day (my idea of heaven) 

All eggs served in individual skillets. Coffee to die for. Biscuits and gravy made me thank the Lord I was alive. and lastly.....wait for it....free homemade soft serve vanilla ice cream. Sweet Mary & Joseph. 

This is one of those moments that I wish I could say. "When you go here. Tell Rita Tanyel sent you and said hello." But that's not the case. Rita doesn't know me from Adam!!!!! Why Rita Why!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last but not least.....

5. Cantina Laredo

Now before you start judging and tell me "This is a chain what are you thinking!!!" Well I didn't know this when we walked in. If they don't have it in Indy....It's new to me! so shhhhhhhhhh. I have discovered something new that I love...                                                             AVOCADOS!!!!!!!!!! (didn't even know how to spell that. Spell check just caught it. Thanks Mr. Comp.) My whole life I have been saying I don't like avocados. Well I don't. But man o man. I just had guacamole for the first time and it knocked my socks off. They freaking make it at your table. Chain or not....this place is great. We literally didn't even make it past the appetizers. 

The Pomegranate Margs are killer.                       

And boy-o-boy do they have a really attractive male wait staff. 

(I'm sure I was at the peak of my hotness as i shoveled large chip fulls of guac heaven into my mouth.)  

So good...that i have been here twice in the last 2 weeks. 

I suggest the lounge upstairs if you are looking for a little less noise and a tapas menu. 

Okay I have to stop now. 

whew....this is a little wordy. 

sorry. 

food gets me talking!!!! 

Happy Eating my fellow Foodies!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a great Monday.