Chicago Eats

Now that you've seen many of the Chicago sights, it's time to get to the serious business - THE FOOD!  Our family is serious when it comes to searching high and low for the best cuisine that a city has to offer.  While I hadn't given much thought to must-try restaurants prior to our arrival, we had no trouble keeping bellies full of delicious food and drink.

Thursday morning started with a short walk to Dallop Coffee Co, a small coffee shop a couple blocks from our hotel.  To supplement the fruit eaten at the hotel, I sipped on a soy pumpkin chai latte and a cranberry oatmeal scone.  The scone was just slightly sweet, filled with oats and flax, and a perfect accompaniment to the latte.  We made a second trip later in the weekend for Dad to try their Metropolis drip coffee.

The main event on Thursday was a Bucktown and Wicker Park Food Tour.  This walking food + architectural excursion is one of three tours, each in a different neighborhood, that Chicago Food Planet hosts.

"Discover the unique artists’ colony that has slowly evolved into a hidden foodie paradise as you enjoy delectable food and drink samples from 6 authentic mom-and-pop restaurants and ethnic eateries"

We met our group outside of George's Hot Dogs, the #1 Chicago hot dog stand and family-owned restaurant established in 1948.  The classic Chicago hot dog features an all-beef frankfurter and is topped with yellow mustard, chopped onions, sweet relish, tomato slices, pickled sport peppers, a dill pickle spear, and a dash of celery salt.  Despite our vegetarian preference, we opted to try the true classic and enjoyed each and every bite.

A short walk through Bucktown brought us to the entrance of Hot Chocolate.  Owner and chef Mindy Segal is a James Beard award winner multiple times over and established this pastry and dessert restaurant in 2004.  The large front window panels were opened to let in the gorgeous weather, and I could have definitely the afternoon lounging there.

We were presented with glasses of their soy iced dark hot chocolate, featuring 72% french chocolate.  As an added treat, a homemade marshmallow topped our glass.  The sweetness was the perfect compliment to the salty start to the meal.

The next stop was Goddess and Grocer, a gourmet foods delicatessen and purveyor of local, organic, and artisan groceries.  Their sandwich and soup menu looked delicious and we enjoyed learning about the local product that fill their shelves.  Our taste was a kale salad, featuring massaged kale, roasted red peppers, raisins, and parmesan.  We were happy to be served some veggies to balance out the indulgences.

Mom and I looking like twins with our dueling scarves.

Eventually we crossed the street and found ourselves moving into the Wicker Park neighborhood. Piece, a New Haven-style pizzeria established in 2001 is recognized for their award-winning brewpub on-premise.  We took a short break to sit down and feast on a pairing of a pizza + beer.

Our tasting slice was their "white pizza" - thin crust brushed with olive oil, garlic, mozzarella cheese, and tomatoes.  Contrary to popular belief, New Haven thin crust pizza outsells Chicago deep dish year after year in the city.

At this point, our stomachs were approaching full.  Fortunately, next on the agenda was an hour-long walk through side-streets admiring the local homes and learning about the history of the neighborhood.  Eventually we made our way towards  Sultan's Market, a Middle-Eastern cafe established in 1985 serving authentic falafel, shawarma, and babaghanoush.

We feasted on a falafel pita - lined with hummus, lettuce, tomato, and topped with jerusalum salad. Shockingly, this was only half of a regular portion.  Can you believe a full portion sells for a meager $3.75?!  Our guide told us that the owner prides herself on maintaining the original prices since their initial opening.

The last stop of the tour was at iCream, a creamery rapidly freezing custom concoctions utilizing a unique liquid nitrogen system.  I was beyond full at this point, but found just enough room for a taste.  The Bucktown and Wicker Park food tour was a great way to taste our way through a new city while also learning about it's history and I'd definitely recommend it to future travelers.

Thursday evening, Dad rejoined the girls and we opted for dinner at Bandera.  Located on Michigan Avenue and just a few blocks from our hotel, they offer traditional American cooking.  Despite a rather short and simple menu, we were pleased with an excellent meal.

Thanks Mom and Dad for letting me join in the fun of a trip to Chicago!

Cornbread Skillet
This was equally as good as it looks - hearty bread mixed with corn kernals, a crispy exterior,
and a wonderfully savory, sweet, and moist base.  Butter does wonderful things!

Veggie Burger with Emerald Kale Salad
The picture doesn't do it justice, but this was a HUGE burger.
Dad polished off every last bite!

Butternut and White Cheddar Enchilada with Escabéche and Brussel Sprouts
Mom was very pleased with this selection and also joined the clean-plate club.

Macho Salad with avocado, dates, almonds and goat cheese + Brussel Sprouts
This was the best salad I have had in quite some time.  The combination of large chunks of avocado, creamy and tangy goat cheese, sweet dates, and crunch of almonds was the
perfect combination.

On Friday, I chose Intelligentsia for a jolt of espresso post-long run.  The coffee is locally roasted in Chicago and then sold throughout several gourmet markets across the country.  I opted for the simplicity of an extra-hot soy latte to truly savour the true flavors of the coffee bean.  It was certainly a perfect birthday morning!

The only research I had done prior to our arrival with respect to food, was for the best falafel in the city.  I'm not sure that anything will ever compare to my first and very favorite falafel pita from Taim in NYC.  Falafill was touted as the best, and so we found ourselves there for lunch on Friday afternoon.  My selection was the "classic falafel wrap."  Inside the whole wheat pita was falafel, tahini, and then my choice of selections from the mezza bar (hummus, baba ghanouge, jerusalem salad, minted cabbage, and curry roasted cauliflower).  Needless to say, I had no problem devouring it.

We were seeking waterfront dining for dinner on Friday night, and thus selected Catch 35 on the Chicago River.  Although advertised as waterfront dining, we learned upon arrival that they were a block off the water and lacked a single seat in the restaurant with a view of the river.  Despite this, we were pleased to discover a quiet restaurant with excellent service and a fresh seafood meal.

Appetizer of Grilled Calamari

Hearts of Palm Salad + Yellowfin Tuna Sashimi
Still feeling quite full from a day of indulgences, I opted for a lighter meal with selections
from the appetizer menu.  The tuna was seared and paired perfectly with the pickled ginger.

Naturally, no birthday celebration is complete without dessert!  Fortunately, I had saved room.

Flourless Chocolate Fudge Cake + Peanut Butter Mousse
Rich, decadent, chocolate goodness!

Espresso Creme Brulee
We all agreed that this was one of the best creme brulees that we had ever tasted.

Just for the record, we did try Chicago deep dish pizza, stopping for lunch on Saturday at Giordano's.  Sadly, we were anything but impressed.  The crust was no better than freezer-quality and the filling was 90% cheese and a meager 10% toppings.  Some people may love it, but it certainly wasn't one of our favorite meals.

Saturday night was deemed Mom's birthday dinner, since we would be in-flight on her Sunday birthday.  Among many dining establishments, we discovered a vegan restaurant with a mouth-watering menu and were quick to make reservations.  Karyn's On Green is in Chicago's Greektown neighborhood and advertises contemporary cuisine that makes vegan sexy.

I had a difficult time deciding between the many entrees, and eventually determined that what I was really craving was a combination of sides.  Fortunately, the kitchen happily prepared a custom vegetable plate for me.  My three selections included quinoa hush-puppies with coconut-curry aioli, elote (roasted corn on the cob) with spicy root beer aioli and cilantro-lime butter, and caramelized brussels sprouts with grain mustard vinaigrette.  Although it appeared to be a ton of food, I managed to devour almost every morsel.  So delicious!

Mom's celebratory dessert was a vegan creme brulee.  While not quite as decadent as the traditional dairy version, we all agreed that it was skillfully prepared to closely mimic it's counterpart.  Happy birthday Mom!

Wow, that was a lot of stellar food!  Chicago appears to have a great culinary scene, and we only touched on a small number of possibilities.  Here I sit typing this at 11pm and I can't stop drooling.  Some say you should not grocery shop while hungry.  I, however, would add that you shouldn't blog about food when hungry.

That concludes my trip to Chicago - one that I will remember for birthday celebrations, beautiful fall weather, runs along the lake, long walks exploring city streets, quality time with my parents, and an abundance of delicious eats.  Farewell Windy City!

Chicago Sights

Welcome to Chicago!  Let me take you on a tour of the Windy City on what has to be one of the most beautiful weekends of 2013.

Friday morning, I couldn't think of any better way to start my birthday than with a long run along the water.  By 8am I was running up Michigan Avenue past the likes of Apple, Nordstrom, Lululemon, and Coach.  Within a few minutes I was making the turn towards Lake Michigan.  From there, I made my way south along the Lakeshore Path.  It was a perfect 55 degrees and the energy of all of the runners and bikers on the path was exactly what I needed at the start of vacation.  After making the turn around at the five mile point, I caught the sidewalk running along the river back into the heart of the city.  Before I knew it, my Garmin was beeping for 10 miles and I was back at our hotel.

The Chicago Marathon just so happened to be occurring on the same weekend as our vacation - a fact that I somehow overlooked when we first planned the trip.  My parents and I enjoyed a three mile walk from the hotel to the conference center to partake in the marathon expo.  I was unsuccessful in the hunt for new running shoes, but the walk in the sunshine was well worth the effort.

We made a quick stop for lunch at Falafill and then made our way back to the river to catch the Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise.  We sat on the top deck of the boat and enjoyed a 90 minute narrated cruise down the Chicago River.

Marina City
Built in the 1960s, the circular twin towers feature residences, parking,
restaurants, shops, a marina, and a hotel.

 Heading west along the river, we approached the division of the north and south branches.  Toward the far left of the picture below, you can see the rounded glass building that is 330 West Wacker Drive.  The design is an example of contextualism - the shimmering glass is designed to symbolize the flowing harmony of the river.

Mom looking quite fashionable with her shades and 330 West Wacker Drive in the background.

Along the south branch of the Chicago River, we came upon Willis Tower.  Built in 1974 and formerly known as Sears Tower, it was the world's tallest building for 24 years.  The entire structure is composed of multiple towers of variable height, a design known as bundled-tube construction.

As the River approaches its entry into the lake, the Navy Pier comes into focus.  The ferris wheel seen in the distance appears quite large, yet is only half the height of the original ferris wheel built by George Washington Gale Ferris for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition.  The original structure stood 250 feet high.

After basking in the sun on the boat cruise, we slowly made our way back to the hotel in the Streeterville neighborhood of Chicago.  Between my ten mile run and then another five miles of walking the city streets, my legs were ready for a reprieve.  While some elected for an afternoon nap, I put my legs up and spent a couple of hours working on an upcoming presentation.

My birthday celebration continued at the 96th floor of the John Hancock Building.  From the lounge, the views of the city were breathtaking.  We arrived just in time to witness the sunset.

A round of celebratory drinks was ordered and enjoyed.  I sipped on a mojito and enjoyed relaxing and taking in the views of the city.

In just a short time, the bright daytime skies turned to night and the city lights created an entirely new appearance of the downtown area.  Eventually we reached the finals sips of our drinks and made our way back down to street level and towards our dinner destination.

Saturday was a bit gloomy with intermittent rain, yet we seemed to luck out and enjoy a day of shopping without getting too wet.  Sadly, the general consensus was that Michigan Avenue featured high prices and not a single sale within sight.

Sunday morning Dad and I set out for some marathon spectating and a run of our own.  Without a doubt, the energy of the marathoners filled me with a sudden urge to train for 26.2.  I've yet to decide for sure whether I will race that distance prior to Ironman Chattanooga, but I'm definitely more interested now than I was prior to witnessing the Chicago Marathon.

Practicing with the new panoramic camera feature on the iPhone 5S.

Mile 1 - only 25.2 miles to go!

Sunday was Mom's birthday, and also our last day in the city.  Our flight wasn't until late that evening, so we had nearly the entire day to play.  Mom's choice to begin the day was a walk to Argo Tea for a pumpkin spice chai latte.  Yum!

We continued our stroll with our warm beverages into Millenium Park.  Check out the modern metal architecture of the Jay Pritzker Pavillion and Great Lawn.  I can only imagine how much fun it would be to attend outdoor summer concerts at that venue.

Cloud Gate, dubbed "The Bean" by locals due to it's legume-like shape, is positioned within the center of AT&T Plaza.  The three story structure was built in 2004 by artist Anish Kapoor and cost a shocking $23 million.  It is composed of 168 stainless steel plates and weighs 110 tons.

And with that, I bring you to the end of your tour through Chicago on a picture-perfect early fall weekend.  Naturally, no trip with our family would be complete without lots of great food.  Up next, I'll take you on a culinary tour featuring the many of our epicurean delights.

Countdown

I need a vacation - ASAP!  Fortunately, I'll soon be flying away on a jet plane.  T-minus 10 days and counting until I'll be landing in the Windy City - CHICAGO!

While in Chicago, I'll be celebrating my 29th birthday.  Gosh, 29 sounds so old.  Anyways, the trip is sure to be filled with fun - exploring the city with my family, running along the water, fantastic meals, and best of all, an escape from reality!

To completely change the subject, please allow me to proclaim my excitement for the recent fall weather.  The crisp, cool morning air is so refreshing after the humidity of summer.  Suddenly I find myself craving a long run just to bask in the beautiful day.  Fall also brings the return of apples.  Last weekend I diced up a half dozen apples from a local farmer and put them in the crock-pot with cinnamon and a splash of apple juice.  In addition to making a perfect topping to a bowl of oatmeal, they made my house smell incredible.

Lately, dinners have been very simple.  Tomato and avocado sandwiches have become a staple.  Yesterday, however, I needed to create something with the spaghetti squash sitting on the bottom shelf in the pantry.  After considering several options, including an Italian-inspired twist, I opted for Daily Garnish's Spaghetti Squash with Vegan Mushroom Cream.  I made a few changes - omitting the shallots and cream, decreasing the amount of milk, using shitake mushrooms, and adding curry powder for additional flavor.  If you're looking for a comforting vegan meal without the heaviness of traditional pasta, this is definitely a unique dish.

Finally, a peak at my eats at work today.  Although many people consider it to be difficult to maintain a healthy diet when eating the majority of meals outside of the house, I would argue that with a little effort, it is certainly feasible.  Take for instance, my breakfast favorite - PANCAKES!  I packed two blueberry cornmeal pancakes from home and then topped them with peanut butter, blueberries, strawberries, and trail mix from the cafeteria.  Instant gourmet breakfast!

Lunch was courtesy of Earth Fare.  Yesterday they sent a text-coupon for 50% off the hot and salad bars.  A combination of salad veggies, Indian-spiced chickpeas, and marinated kale made for an affordable grab-and-go lunch option.

Another week comes to a close, and another Monday is knocking on the door.  Let the rat race continue . . . but only for 10 more days.

Call Me Grace

As my brother tells me, "The golden rule of running is one foot in front of the other."  Evidently I needed a reminder of that wisdom this week.  Wednesday evening I was out for a very enjoyable six mile run.  The weather was beginning to feel a bit fall-like, it had been a good day, and I was less than a quarter mile from home.  I remember looking down at my Garmin to see my pace and then in a flash of a second, found myself careening towards the pavement.  I knew immediately that the road rash was bad, but scurried to my feet and acted as though all was fine.  It was rush-hour and I was running along Park Road, thereby ensuring a very captive audience for my acrobatics.

Casualty number one was my iPhone.  I've had various iPhone models over the past six years, and this was the first time that I've cracked the screen.  Fortunately, the phone was still functional.  Unfortunately, any attempts to move my finger on the screen resulted in little shards of glass causing further injury.

My phone wasn't the only thing that took a beating.  Somehow, I managed to abrade most every bony prominence.  Both hands, both knees, and my left elbow, hip, and thigh dripped blood as I made the walk of shame back home.  Several friendly drivers offered a ride or napkins, but I wanted nothing more than to limp home and avoid the attention.

To add insult to injury, I attempted to take a shower with daggers of water piercing freshly torn skin.   No fun!  Aside for a very sore right hand, I think the majority of the damage was isolated to soft tissue. The problem, however, is that it's hard to be a surgeon with open wounds on your hands. 

The only good to come of the whole ordeal is a brand new iPhone.  Yes, I was one of those people standing in line of fifty people deep on Friday morning in anticipation of Apple's latest release.  Two hours later, and a large chunk of cash out of my wallet, I have a brand new iPhone 5S.

 

I still am unclear as to exactly what sent me face first towards the cement.  I've been a runner for many years and can honestly say I've never done such a "slip-and-slide" type dive.  It was an area of sidewalk  with gravel and uneven  sections, so I'm going to blame it on that.  Needless to say, I was much more aware of picking up my feet when I braved a run again yesterday.