Bakin’ and Eggs

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Jenna Haymond

They always say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I couldn’t agree more. I love breakfast and could eat it for lunch and dinner if I could. I am not much of a connoisseur of fine foods and have admitted many times that I am a horrible cook. However, the one thing I know and know well is great breakfast places in Chicago. As seen on WTTW’s ‘Check Please’, Bakin’ and Eggs is known for their breakfast, homemade pastries, and the most important food group; Bacon. The name Bakin’ and Eggs comes from both the fresh baked goods and the bacon that is creatively incorporated in almost every dish on the menu.

Vittles from Bakin' & Eggs

If you do venture out to this Lakeview delicatessen, be sure you show up early because they do not accept reservations. However, if you do show up and there is a wait time, don’t worry; there is a fresh self serve coffee station available to take the edge off.

Of the many breakfast places I have been too; this one has a wide open space to accommodate a lot of people. This is also a kid friendly establishment, so be forewarned; it can get noisy. The menu ranges from sweet to savory and everything in between. If you are looking for savory, you should try the caramelized onion, blue cheese, and balsamic frittata. If you have a sweet tooth, you can select the banana pecan French toast with 3 different dipping sauces; hazelnut ganache, banana rum cream sauce, and good ol’ butter. You can also take a walk on the wild side and order the bacon flight, which has an assortment of 5 distinct flavors. The Jalapeno Bacon was my FAVORITE!

A cool twist to end the meal is the chance to win free pastries at the counter on Saturday and Sundays. Your bill is delivered to your table and secured with a close pin. If your close pin has a color on it, YOU WIN! Only 6 lucky guests will win a free pastry, and 1 lucky winner will receive pastries to feed your whole group (if you choose to share). Even if you aren’t a winner, might I suggest buying the whoopie pie just as a “I deserve it” treat at the end of a great meal. I am not going to give away any more mouth watering details, you will have to check it out yourself.

Bakin' & Eggs Interior

Bakin’ and Eggs is open for breakfast and lunch Monday- Friday and brunch on the weekends. Feel free to check out their website at http://www.bakinandeggschicago.com/menu or the review on ‘Check Please’ at http://video.wttw.com/video/2161642378.

Scoozi: Exceptional food presentation and quality

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Kim Miller

My husband and I had date night, once again, this past weekend and wanted to try something new. We gave Scoozi a shot after hearing some great food reviews. The restaurant gave off a warm and inviting ambiance as soon as we entered making us excited to sit down and start the experience. Our server made us feel very welcome and immediately asked if we would like to start with drinks, wine, or cocktails and also started to discuss the nightly specials and layout of the menu. He did a great job describing the preparation and presentation of some of his favorite recommendations, and it was apparent that he had a good understanding of the menu. Overall, a wonderful first impression.

We started with the Mushroom and Truffle Pizza as an appetizer. Wow! It was a large rectangular thin crust pizza topped with roasted Portobello mushrooms, fresh green baby arugula, ricotta cheese, a porcini pesto sauce, and rich white truffle oil served on a wooden pizza server. Excellent crunch and flavor overall. The fresh and peppery baby arugula paired extremely well with the richness of the ricotta and truffle oil and the earthiness of the Portobello mushrooms. Very good value and portion size for the price. Great appetizer options overall.

Scoozi Gnocci/Ravioli Trio

For an entrée I ordered the Gnocci/Ravioli Trio. This included generous portion of three gnocci/ravioli choices – mushroom bolognese gnocci, tomato and cream gnocci, and seasonal butternut squash ravioli – on a white, divided dish. Overall, the ravioli and gnocci were prepared perfectly. The mushroom bolognese gnocci had a great meaty flavor that paired well with the smooth creamy texture of the gnocci. The richness of the tomato cream sauce paired extremely well with the smooth light tender gnocci and the smooth butternut squash filling paired very well with the crunch of the candied walnut pieces served atop the ravioli. Overall, a great, unique dish!

What is a dinner date without dessert? We ordered the Strawberry Panna Cotta – a small white disc of fresh cool smooth panna cotta served with fresh sliced strawberries, a drizzle of dark balsamic, and a dusting of white powdered sugar. Excellent fresh light dessert option overall. The smooth vanilla flavor of the panna cotta paired very well with the sweetness of the fresh strawberries, the balsamic, and the powdered sugar.

After we finished our meal Brian wished us a good evening as we stood up to leave as did the host as we left the restaurant. There is no question that my husband and I will return to Scoozi. It is an excellent value, the food quality and presentation is exceptional, and it has a fun, welcoming and elegant atmosphere.

NYC Bagel a hidden gem in River North!

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Ruth Garcia Gonzalez

As the saying goes, little things come in small packages….. No, I did not get a little box over the weekend that could possibly determine the rest of my life. I am actually talking about the small New York City Bagel store (NYC), located on Dearborn just across the street from the Hampton inn & Suites Chicago Downtown. This is truly a hidden gem in the River North area of Chicago; they have great flavors and the quality of their meats are amazing!

I have begun to use them as our outside catering company for my meetings at the hotel. I knew that they were good, as on more than one occasion I have been known to run across the street to indulge in their savory breakfast bagel sandwich. Yum! Our first experience working with them as a caterer went better than I had hoped, the staff was amazing! When I expressed concerns about the details of the lunch for the meeting they were more than happy to meet with me. In person, we were able to discuss what I envisioned; they ensured that everything was executed to my expectations.

The meeting was for 64 people, this had originally been 24 and as the client called me to increase the number of attendees, I in turn called NYC to increase the number of people for lunch. They were more than accommodating, which seeing the size of the store one might think that they would not be able to high volume catering. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the presentation of the food that they were so willing to deliver to the hotel in order to facilitate the process for us.

The best part of this experience is that the client was blown away; the program coordinator sent an email a couple of days after the event, “Thank you for taking care of our needs for this event! It was above and beyond our expectations. The ultimate goal in the service industry to make the client happy, through NYC’s professionalism and attention to detail this was accomplished and certainly well received”.

The next time that you stay with us at the Hampton or if you are in the River North area, go and get a sandwich at NYC Bagel. You won’t regret it!

Streets of Chicago

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Michael Flynn

“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.”

― Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities

Marina City

It wasn’t until moving to Chicago did this ring so true. Until you experience the majesty of street life in a big city, it is hard to truly understand it. You definitely can feel it visiting, you may even notice that there is something different, but can’t quite put your finger on why. I noticed that my vacations from my home town of Memphis were always large cities: Chicago, LA, New York, London… I knew that I wanted to be in the cauldron of street life. Its being part of city life that you are actually shaping the city.

The built environment has a lot to with the vibrancy of street life as well. Think of a typical suburban strip mall. There is a lot of activity, but walking down the sidewalk you don’t get a sense of lively cohesion. One of the most important parts of this built environment in modern North American cities is the Grid. Chicago is one of the largest cities with a continuous grid throughout the city.

River North grid On Google Maps (Hampton Inn & Suites is marked)

Chicago’s grid is 1.3 degrees off true north. If you travel northbound on a north/south street, you will travel just slightly west. Not bad for the engineers that laid out the Chicago grid system using 19^th century tools. You can actually see this on Google Maps! Take a look at the photo above, Find Chicago Ave in the upper left, notice how it jogs north the further east you go.

Some things to remember about the Chicago grid:
Every 8 Blocks equals 1 Mile & you will find an arterial Street
Every 4 Blocks is a major Secondary Street.
A Block is about 480 Feet. In downtown with the older blocks, it is closer to 400 feet
Even Numbered Addresses are on the West and North sides of each street
Odd Numbered Addresses are on the East and South sides of each street
Odd Numbered Addresses are on the East and South sides of each street
The intersection of State (0) and Madison (0) is the 0 / 0 block. If the original numbering system were done today, I am sure that the 0/0 block would be much further west. There are no east numbers north of North Ave because of Lake Michigan. I don’t think the 19th century planners could even to begin to imagine how much futher the city would grow. The city could only grow west because of the lake!

Look for the Chicago grid when you fly into the city.

The grid is part of street life in Chicago, but the grid would be nothing without the people that live in work in it. Think of the entrepreneurs with their business ideas, the actors & techs with their art in the theatres, the workers in the shops, the tourist with their cameras, the bar patron enjoys one last beer before getting on the train… The lively street life is why people come to big cities like Chicago. Just walk around River North for a few hours you see it all: world-class architecture (Trump Tower, Wrigley Building, Boyce Building, Marina City), fine dining (Sunda, Sushi Samba), the hippest of hip clubs that as so cool, they don’t even need a sign (Underground) & a lively street scene. This is why Chicago is always sure to surprise.

Great experience at Wildfire Chicago!

Posted on December 27, 2011 by Kim Miller

Wildfire Chicago

It was date night last Friday night at Wildfire Chicago. My husband and I were graciously welcomed by the host. We were then greeted by the Maitre’d who showed us to our table. She engaged us in conversation on the way to the table, asking if we were out doing holiday shopping (we had several shopping bags with us). As we sat down, she made sure the table was in order and made sure we were comfortable before departing back to the host area. An overall wonderful first impression!

We started with the chopped salad to share for an appetizer. What a great appetizer option! A generous portion of mixed greens, roasted chicken, avocado, tomato, blue cheese, bacon, scallions, corn, and tortilla strips tossed with a light citrus vinaigrette dressing and served tableside in a large white bowl with tongs. Excellent blend of fresh flavors and unique textures. Each ingredient complimented the others extremely well. The crunch of the tortilla strips, fresh corn, and bacon pieces paired well with the smooth tender chicken, avocado, tomato, and blue cheese crumbles. The citrus vinaigrette dressing was very light yet flavorful and gave the dish a desired citrus flavor to balance the other ingredients.

For an entrée I ordered the Fillet Medallion Trio. Three filet medallions positioned on a circular white plate. Each was topped with a different signature crust- I chose blue cheese, parmesan, and horseradish. Prepared medium-rare, the filet medallions were extremely tender and juicy. The horseradish crust was surprisingly balanced and not at all overwhelming. The parmesan crust had an excellent cheesy aftertaste, and blue cheese crust was very rich and flavorful overall. An excellent entrée choice due to the difference in flavors you get with one dish. Great job!

After we finished our meal, our plates and flatware were cleared. Our server made sure to wait until the table was fully cleared and crumbed before presenting coffee and dessert options which was appreciated. He wished us a good evening and a happy holiday as we stood up to leave as did the host as we left the restaurant. Overall, a great experience at Wildfire Chicago!

Ras Dashen, a wonderful Ethiopian Restaurant on the northside of Chicago

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Ruth Garcia Gonzalez

Chicago as a city has so much to offer; fun sightseeing, good theatre, great nightlife and definitely some good eating! When you come to Chicago you are bombarded with an array of different cuisines that will blow you away. I try to venture out to a new local restaurant that I have not been to about once a month. Let’s be real guys, most of us are not billionaires, so like the rest of us I’m trying not to break the bank and still be able to enjoy what Chicago has to offer.

Last weekend I had the pleasure of meeting some friends at ‘Ras Dashen’, an Ethiopian restaurant. It is located on the north side of Chicago on Broadway. If you are traveling from out of town and staying with us at the Hampton Inn & Suites, just take the red line at the grand stop and head north! This was such a great experience! Beware! If you do not like spicy food, this is probably not going to be for you. Since it was our first time there we did not know what to expect. Totally exceeded my expectations. As we entered the restaurant, there was a band playing which was awesome! Then, we were seated at a table that was not really a table (they have actual tables there too, but we wanted the full experience!). They had four chairs surrounding this tall basket in place of a table. As the table top, they used a round tray with Ethiopian art.

The Dining Room at Ras Dashen

We started off with some drinks. I ordered a Peach Martini, usually not a fan of very sweet martinis, but the restaurant recommended it, noting it was quite popular. I took a chance and it was delicious. For the appetizer we ordered the Sambusa, this is such a great dish. It was a little spicy but light and full of flavor. We all ordered our entrées and sides (with an entrée order every table gets a choice of three sides) with the thought of sharing in mind, and good thing too because they prepare the meal on one plate for the entire table. The preparation of the food is so unique. They use a very large round tray as a plate. At the bottom they put Injera, which is the traditional word for flat bread. Then they place the entrée on a section on the Injera in front of the person that ordered it. In between each entre, they place one of the sides in order to provide a little variety. Then you dig in! Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that they do not use utensils. You use the Injera to grab the food and you eat with your hands!

Whether you are a local or someone that is visiting from out of town, I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone that is daring and likes spicy food.

Chicago Steaksnob

Posted on November 11, 2011 by Andrew Scarlett

Going back almost a 150 years Chicago has been known for the meat packing trade. The Union Stock Yards on the south side was the largest processer of meat for almost 80 years. There isn’t much left of the stock yards now except the original gate…

All of those stock yards laid the foundation for Chicago to have some fantastic steakhouses… And after being in Chicago for 12 years, I have had the opportunity to visit all of the best ones. The most recent one I went to was Mastro’s Steakhouse. The overall experience we had was truly one of a kind, with food that is over the top and service that is second to none. With being in the service industry, you really have to impress me for me to say that the service was that good.

I made the reservations a week out and came in about a half an hour early to sit in the bar. We ordered some cocktails and received a nice heavy handed poured drink. They had someone on the piano and a singer serenading the crowd. They were just loud enough to enjoy, but not so loud that we couldn’t hear each other speak. Our table was ready right on time. The menu has items like Alaskan King Crab Black Truffle Gnocchi and Gorgonzola Mac & Cheese to complement their wide array of perfectly cooked steaks. A few days later, I even got a follow up phone call to ask how my experience was! The entire experience was absolutely perfect. If you get a chance, go visit them. It will cost a few bucks, but if you are going to splurge, this is the place.

Enjoy!

Date Night: A review of Shaw’s Crab House-Fresh Seafood in Chicago

Posted on November 1, 2011 by Kim Miller

It was date night last Friday night and Shaw’s Crab House: Fresh Seafood in Chicago was the spot which is just around the corner from the Hampton! We walked up the stairs toward the host stand where we were welcomed graciously and introduced to the maitre’d who showed us to our table. As we sat down, she waited for us to remove our jackets and get situated before handing us the menus. She made sure the table was in order and made sure we were comfortable before departing back to the host area which was much appreciated.

Jose, our server, approached our table welcomed us to the restaurant. His eye contact, friendliness, and casual professionalism made us feel very welcome and excited to start the experience. Jose did an excellent job going through the wine list, appetizer options, and entrée recommendations. He took his time describing the presentation and preparation of several of his favorite recommendations in each of the categories. His salesmanship, honesty, and overall knowledge of the menu were apparent and made us feel very confident with our drink and dinner choices.

We started with Shaw’s Oyster Sampler – twelve fresh oysters including six different varieties of oysters from across the United States including oysters from British Columbia, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Prince Edward Island situated on a large bed of freshly shaved ice and circled around three lemon wedges, a small silver ramekin of dark red cocktail sauce, and a small silver ramekin of red wine vinegar and shallot sauce. Very unique and flavorful overall – interesting mix of various textures and flavors. The oysters paired very well with the red cocktail sauce with horseradish and with the flavor of the red wine vinegar shallot sauce. Overall, a great unique first dish.

Shaw's Chicago Oyster Sampler

For an entrée I ordered the Oven Roasted Florida Red Grouper. Large pumpkin seed crusted filet of Florida Red Grouper served next to an orange delicate squash puree sitting in a pool of lemon butter sauce on a large white plate. The preparation of the grouper was excellent with a very tender, warm, flaky interior and a very unique pumpkin seed crusted exterior. The delicate squash puree added a great sweetness to the dish as well as a very unique color combination. The lemon butter sauce paired very well with both the grouper and the squash puree and brought the flavors of both together nicely. Overall, a very seasonal and unique dish! We would most definitely order this again.

We finished our meal by sharing Small taste portions of raspberry pie, pecan pie, key lime pie, and crème brulee served with several small dollops of whipped cream on a long rectangular plate. A great dessert option overall – the raspberry pie and whipped cream were very refreshing and sweet. The pecan pie had an excellent balance between sweet and savory and was very decadent overall. The key lime pie was very light and refreshing and the small dish of crème brulee was very rich and flavorful. Great dessert option!

Are you ready for some football????

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Andrew Scarlett

It’s that time a year again when folks are lining up outside Soldier Field at 5am firing up their grills, setting up their tents and getting ready for the big game. If you are coming in town during gone of these fantastic weekends and don’t have tickets, do not worry! You can always (almost always depending on the season) get ticket from one of the local ticket brokers. I use AAA tickets, they seem to have the best deals and most tickets available (800-300-4849). But if we have a wind chill of ten below outside and you don’t want to brave our Chicago weather, there are a ton of places to go and watch the game. Right around our hotel to name two of my favorites are Rockit http://www.rockitbarandgrill.com and English http://englishchicago.com. Both have a fantastic selection of food, but more importantly a great assortment of TV’s to watch and root for da Bears!

English’s looks a little bit like a 21st century pub cut from the cloth of a London watering hole. Some of design elements include custom ironwork, tufted booth seating, Victorian wallpaper, handcrafted chandeliers and a collection of large vintage photographs. You will find all of you English favorites like fish and chips with a few foodie favorites like white truffle lobster mac & cheese.

Rockit Bar & Grill has a TV in pretty much every corner you look. Trust me; you won’t miss any game you are looking for here. When you go, you must try two things from the menu: Burger & Rockit Cheese Fries. The burger was named best in the nation by “Good Morning America” and the fries are the best that I have every tried. They have melted brie cheese and shitake mushrooms. Soooooo good….

Either one of these restaurants will do the trick.

Bear Down!

Bear Down Chicago Bears!

Cantina Laredo, a Modern Mexican Marvel

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Kim Miller

Last week I had the pleasure of dining at Cantina Laredo, a Mexican restaurant just steps from the Hampton Inn & Suites Chicago Downtown in the River North neighborhood. To start, the restaurant is brand spankin’ new as of about a month ago. The space itself has a very contemporary, boutique ambiance which is surprisingly inviting and warm. Speaking of warm, there’s a large fireplace towards the back of the restaurant near the restrooms; I imagine this will be a comfort leading into the winter months!

As for the actual dining experience, everything was excellent. Upon being seated, I was greeted by an appetizing avocado in a beautiful silver bowl on the table. While I was salivating over the possibility of fresh guacamole, I was told by my Server that fresh guacamole is prepared tableside and would I like to place an order? But of course! I’ve been to many a restaurant that offered tableside salad service but the guacamole was a first for me. I invite you to order the same, you won’t be disappointed!

Fresh Quacamole being prepared at Cantina Laredo

Tableside Quacamole prepared fresh at Cantina Laredo

I also selected the Chicken Quesidillas AL Carbon as an appetizer. Simply delightful and probably one of the best Quesidillas I’ve ever had….makes my homemade ones made in the microwave with Kraft Cheese look like a joke.

Chicken Quesadillas Al Carbon at Cantina Laredo

For my main course, I selected Enchiladas De Barbacoa which is a slow-roasted brisket and monterey jack cheese enchiladas topped with ranchera sauce. Absolutely declicioso!

Enchiladas De Barbacoa at Cantina Laredo

Not to name names, but it’s my belief that Cantina Laredo is THE BEST Mexican restaurant in the River North neighborhood of Downtown Chicago. When I dine, my main focus is: “is it yummy?” And “will it fill me up?” The answer to both of these questions is an emphatic “YES!” for Cantina Laredo! Do stop by for a meal soon!

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