Check out some of the fun things I’ve been up to lately! Seriously, even when I try to slow down a bit, there is just too much going on in the amazing city of Chicago.
Salero
Salero– Each month this fantastic West Loop Spanish restaurant does a happy hour special called “Pintxos and Porrons”. The team collaborates with a different chef, sommelier, winemaker and/or mixologist to put a fresh spin on the pintxos menu and newly featured porrons of new wines/ciders. The week I went could not have been any better because Chef de Cuisine David Chapman and Sous Chef Bill Walker from the awesome vegetarian restaurant Green Zebra were creating the pintxos that evening. Some of the delicious dishes we tried ranged from vegetable fried rice with butternut squash and apples to fried squash blossoms with jalapeno cream cheese and a spicy sauce to roasted red peppers with herbed cheese. It was all so well created and perfect for this veggie girl. Definitely check out Salero for Pintxos and Porrons for the perfect after work snack and drink, or just make a dinner out of it like we did!
Identita Golose
Identita Golose– Identita Golose is a culinary organization whose mission is to highlight the best of contemporary Italian cuisine, showcase the culinary excellence of each Italian region and honor top Italian chefs who blend traditional techniques with modern methods. Identita Golose was recently at Eataly and I had the honor of attending a master class in which Chef Carlo Cracco from Milan and Chef Michael Tusk from San Francisco shared their favorite new culinary techniques as they each created an innovative dish. I always love watching chefs in action and learning new concepts and skills, even if I am just watching and eating (and drinking wine). Chef Carlo Cracco (who is also a judge on Masterchef Italy) developed an unbelievable dish of pasta with smoked butter and black bread crumbs. I am not usually a fan of anything smoked, but this dish was truly remarkable and unlike anything I’ve ever had. Identita Golose hosts different events around the globe so keep your eyes peeled if they are in a city near you.
West Town Bakery
West Town Bakery– Have you tried West Town Bakery? Not only do they have delicious baked goods, but an awesome menu of food (with lots of great vegetarian options). When I was invited to a cake decorating class it was a no-brainer to say yes. Taught by head cake decorator Sam Turner, our group of six was able to fill, frost and decorate our own cakes in whatever way we wanted. It was quite the hilarious and entertaining time watching all of us try to create our cakes, especially when Sam made it look so simple and easy. I truly have a new-found appreciation for all cake creators and decorators. What could have turned out pretty ugly and disastrous, I was quite proud of the cake I created. More so, my co-workers who were the lucky recipients of the cake the next day, were even more impressed with it. I think they were only complimenting me because the pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting was insanely delicious! Several have asked if I am taking regular cake decorating classes at West Town Bakery; let’s be real, it’s not to see how creative I am with decorating, it’s just so they can have more cake. I work with some smart and sassy folks!
The Peninsula Chicago
The Peninsula– The Lobby at The Peninsula is now offering an awesome deal on Wednesdays called “Burgers & Bubbles.” Every Wednesday evening you can get the burger special for the month paired with a glass of champagne for $25. I had the chance to check out a special event on a beautiful night on the terrace where the executive chef of The Peninsula, Jose Fernandez, did a demo for us. What was even better was that he created a special vegan burger for me made of chickpeas, quinoa and jalapenos (he used flax seeds to bind the burger, rather than using egg, to make it vegan). Honestly, one of the best veggie burgers I’ve had in a long time. I was actually trying to convince him to add this to their daily menu because it was just that good! If you stop in to The Lobby at The Peninsula, don’t leave without trying this veggie burger. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
UberEATS
UberEATS– Well, I think most of us are all familiar Uber, but did you know that Uber also delivers food from some of your favorite restaurants? Yeah, I didn’t either. So, I downloaded the app and tried it out and it’s pretty freakin awesome. Just like how you can see where your ride is at and how long it will take to arrive to you, you can do the exact same thing with your food. You get status updates on when your order has been received, when your food is being prepared and when the food is on the way to you. My parents were recently visiting so we tried out UberEATS for a chill evening at home with some pizza, bread sticks and salad from Jet’s pizza. I loved keeping track of where our food was and knowing exactly when it was going to arrive. How convenient. If you’d like to try it out, download the UberEATS app and use code eats-ip2bf to get $15 off your first order. You’re welcome!
Please Note: While I was invited to these events, all opinions are my own.