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For those of us who do not have children and don't get home from work until after the Trick or Treating time span has passed, we are probably (sadly) without candy. Never fear, I will knock you over with nostalgia and sugar in one KO punch. Rice. Krispies. Treats.
I haven't made these since my mom "helped" me by smooshing my tiny hand down in the pan to even out the layer of treats. Even back then, I remember thinking that it was easy yet super gross.
Now that it's fall, the chilly weekend afternoons make me thing of one thing, apple cider. Specifically, homemade doughnuts. Lucky for my family, my brother, sister-in-law, and very special little nephew live very close to a great Michigan cider mill, Parmenters in Northville. Prior to the big Michigan v. Notre Dame game (GO BLUE!), we visted with them and also grabbed some freshly made cider and doughnuts for a game day snack.
Continue reading "Parmenters Cider Mill: Northville, Michigan" »
I'm a fan of pho, but I also love other goodies on a Vietnamese menu, especially bun which is like this cuisine's version of a "sampler." Generally, I'm open to any Vietnamese restaurant where I can get these delicious food on the main strip in Uptown on or around Argyle. The most popular restaurant in the area is Tank Noodle. I don't know of another very casual, BYOB restaurant where there's a wait for a table on Monday night. My friend Lori and I met there, and split an order of spring rolls and bottle of Riesling.
I also had my beloved bun, a base of vermicelli noodles, an egg roll, grilled shrimp, grilled slice marinated beefs, grilled pork ball, mixed vegetables, and peanuts.
Like I said, a lovely, meaty sampler.
Tank Noodle
www.tank-noodle.com
4953 North Broadway
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 878-2253
Is an oil change an excuse to try a new place for brunch? Husband and I think so. The closest Jiffy Lube is right in Andersonville so we parked on a side street one sunny Saturday afternoon and walked until we found a brunch that peaked our interest at Acre Restaurant. Husband liked the number of items on the menu with meat and ordered the Porkburger (yes, Porkburger) at the suggestion of our server. It was Triple S Farms Pork with blueberry jam, lettuce, house-smoked bacon, and pepperjack cheese.
Husband and I have managed to hit nearly all of the super popular (and rightly so) Boka Group restaurants here in Chicago. Boka, Girl and the Goat, and Perennial were all great, but our favorite was GT Fish & Oyster, and when Husband's parents visited, we really wanted to take them there.
It's been awhile since I've posted about a Chicago cupcake shop so I felt I was due. And this bakery, Sweet Sensations, is just down the street from us in the North Center neighborhood of Chicago. I wanted to see if this would be a go-to place.
If you've never looked at a map, Chicago isn't on an ocean or anywhere near an ocean for that matter. Fresh fish is a given at every local supermarket, but sometimes the quality of the fish is a bit unclear. When we want a GOOD seafood dinner, we make sure to stop by Dirk's in Lincoln Park on Clybourn for (really) the best fish in Chicago. There's a certainly a price increase from the Jewel, but it's worth it like when we got this sea bass that Husband grilled up on a nice night. It just melted in your mouth like butter. The folks there are very knowledgeable, and the shop had lots of extras to finish off your dish with a sauce or side. We would be in trouble if we lived closer to Dirk's.
