You know that an event hosted for eleven years in a row, hosted by Bon Appetit, can be nothing short of extraordinary. Considered the city and nation’s premier culinary event, also known as my favorite weekend of the year, Chicago Gourmet was a haven of culinary delights this year. Keeping its promise, the event hosted the best of the best, all-star chefs, restaurants, sommeliers and mixologists all gathered in Millennium Park to show you what they got
Read moreCarnivale
What if I told you I visited South America, Spain, and the Caribbean all in one night, without even getting on a plane
Read moreProvecho!
I’ve been avoiding a trip to the beautiful country of Peru all these years because I’ve been mainly worried about the high altitudes affecting me. Yet, with regrets on missing out on all the delicious Peruvian food the country would have to offer
Read moreThe Seafoods Gods Are Smiling!
This week, I got to visit Chicago’s oldest crab house with a guest, called, The King Crab House. This 36 year old Lincoln Park eatery is everything seafood; from a lengthy menu, a raw bar, to a full liquor bar
Read moreThis Restaurant Is On Fire!
If you’re a fellow slooper, then you, like me, have been eagerly awaiting the return of this neighborhood darling, The Chicago Firehouse Restaurant. Once a firehouse and a victim of a fire mishap itself, this new and improved eatery is back after almost two years, and that too with a BANG
Read moreCin Cin!
If you’ve been reading my blogs, you know by now that I don’t write about brunch much. That’s because I’ve never really been a brunch person so unless I’m blown away, I won’t talk about it. My brunch tasting at Coda Di Volpe recently, may just have converted me into a brunch lover, and I can’t wait to see the dismay on my friends’ faces when I ask them on a brunch date next
Read moreOh Boy! Now That's Po'Boy!
This week, I stopped by Wicker Park’s new Cajun eatery Fifolet for a tasting. Fifolet, which means “eerie burning light,” specializes in Cajun and Creole cuisine and is headed by Chefs Kevin Crrouse and Corey Gillom. The menu is New Orleans inspired and offers large plates meant for sharing
Read moreI Did Float My Curry Boat!
Indian food will always be comfort food for me; I mean it’s the food I grew up with and was staple for at least 17 years of my life. But having grown up in India, I will admit to being a snob when it comes to Indian food in the U.S. I am not easily impressed and for good reason
Read moreGettin Low With Seafood!
For me, the week before Thanksgiving is perfect for a food tasting because I miraculously develop a big appetite at least 3 days before the holiday. So when I was invited in to Lowcountry for dinner that week, I gladly accepted
Read moreI Got LUXy!
When the Gibsons Restaurant Group opened LUXBAR in 2005 in Chicago, they wanted it to be a place with great food and also visual appeal. And they were able to create just that. To give you an example, the restaurant boasts a bar that was designed and built in Vienna
Read moreI Tasted The Madness!
My tasting at the recently opened Mad Boiler was undoubtedly one of the ‘funnest.’ And it once again proved to me that you don’t need to be at fancy places to have fun or experience good food
Read moreFish, The Original Fast Food!
When owner Dirk Fucik invited me in to his store, Dirk’s Fish & Gourmet Shop, I was expecting to get a little tour, take a few pictures, maybe sample some shrimp cocktail and be on my way. I guess I did not have the slightest idea of what was in store for me, nor did I expect to spend several hours at this seafood haven
Read moreHalibut...HaliGOOD!
I’m still speechless from the magical menu tasting I had at The Florentine this week. And possibly still full from all the food I ate while I was there
Read moreLiving Life Like A King!
You know what’s impressive? A place that can keep me indoors on a Saturday night, on a beautiful summer evening. And that place is Kings Bowl in Lincoln Park’s New City. There is absolutely nothing lacking in this 24,000 square foot entertainment complex, featuring 16 ten-pin bowling lanes, a social gaming area, an upscale lounge and a restaurant. The Lincoln Park spot is their eighth venue nationwide. Why am I just discovering this place
Read moreOcean To Table!
Last week, I got to do something very cool. I was invited to a Seafood Themed Community Dinner organized by Paul Sippil. The dinner was a part of the farm-to-table themed club Sippil started last year, in an effort to connect people through responsibly sourced meals
Read moreFast Food At Home!
As a Professional Organizer by trade, I value any service or product that can maximize time and efficiency. And as a seafood blogger, I prefer if it somehow involves fish
Read moreWhat's All The OctoFuss About?
I finally made it to Sink|Swim, the first restaurant offering by the Scofflaw Group, that celebrated its first birthday earlier this month. Sink | Swim is a seafood driven eatery with a fun nautical décor, headed by Executive Chef Matt Danko, who’s carved out a well thought out menu offering coastal eats, predominantly in a small plates format. The restaurant aims to provide you with a solid, pescetarian dining experience, although there are many items on the menu that are non-seafood related. With that, the restaurant also offers a carefully crafted beverage program comprising of cocktails such as the Santa Cruz Hurricane, which I tried. A delicious blend of Letherbee Gin, Lucky Falernum, Peychaud’s Bitters, passionfruit, lime and East India Sherry. Having just returned from a vacation in Portugal and being on a port wine kick, I was ecstatic to have its close substitute (sherry) included in my drink
Read morePlenty of Fish In This Seafood Salad!
It has been a fabulous week! My friend Carrie and I got to enjoy a midweek meet up for a lunch tasting at Joe’s Seafood, and we haven’t stopped talking about it since
Read moreFor The Love Of Tapas!
It was a happy Monday indeed as I got to try the new Latinicity’s Pata Negra restaurant at Block 37, located downtown. Latinicity is a full service tapas restaurant and is fairly new to Chicago. Since I had missed out on their grand opening, I was thrilled about visiting and finally trying all their creative, Latin-inspired dishes I had heard about
Read moreWho Needs Meat When You Have Fishcuterie!
Last week I went with a friend to Kinmont for a menu tasting. A restaurant named after a salmon fly-fishing lure named Kinmont Willie, which was used by a group of 19th century environmentalists who partook in ethical fishing practices, Kinmont is one of the most sustainable seafood restaurants we have here in Chicago. Owned and conceptualized by the Element Collective group, the objective was to offer traditional concepts using modern approaches evident in the food I ate there. The décor although plain seems to work with the restaurant’s overall ethos, which is about the basics and not the glitz. Overall the atmosphere is warm and cozy and seemed and I welcomed it after a long week
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