"About Last Night..." Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, Samantha, and Gia

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Walking up to Yolk on a Saturday afternoon you would think the ladies from Sex and the City had just taken over the place.  The line was almost curling around the corner and the wait was forty minutes.  "Forty minutes?? are you kidding me?" was my only reaction to the nice little twenty-something girl staring blankly at me from behind the counter.  Oh well, I was committed...I was starving...and I HAD to see what all the fuss was about.  After scouring through the menu, making random play lists on my IPhone, and scoping out everyone else's food when she called my name I leapt from my chair...ready to tackle an omelet the size of a football. The energy in this place is amazing. Much like Sex in the City, there are people gathered in groups, couples in tiny little blue booths and an entourage of interesting people at the bar sipping their coffee and enjoying the food.  I could literally picture the gals there, chatting about men, bad dates, and funky tasting...eggs.  But not here...Oh no, this food was outstanding.  Only open for breakfast and lunch the menu has a wide assortment of omelets, sandwiches, salads, pancakes, you name it.  I chose the Hey Ricky omelet which was Spanish with avocado, Chorizo, jalapenos and cheeses.  It came with a fresh assortment of fruit wedges.  The portion was more than three inches high and took over the entire plate.  HUGE!  But everything was so delicious it made me want to have a standing Saturday breakfast just so I could sample everything on the menu. Yolk is cool, hip, and I suggest you grab your favorite someone (as you can see in the picture...that's exactly what I did), and head there immediately.  And hey..."man up" the forty minute wait is totally worth it.  Text me while you're waiting...I'll put a smile on your face. 

Yolk has two locations: (South Loop) 1120 S. Michigan Ave 312.789.9655 and (River North) 747 N. Wells St. 312.787.2277

In photo:  Gia Claire, Professional Bloggess, and unidentified "favorite someone"

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Labels: brunch, Chicago dating and dining, new restaurants

Gastrogasmic Dining at State & Lake With Kellye

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

I made the foolish mistake of checking out The Wit, on opening weekend.
It was energizing, exciting and best of all pleasing to my taste buds. Although I was only able to try two of the restaurants, The Roof and State and Lake, the latter was my favorite.

As they say, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so why not start that day off with something unexpected. Sure pancakes and eggs over easy would be fine but they wouldn’t be gastrogasmic!

State and Lake is billed as a gastro pub. Their breakfast menu is disproportionately meat friendly but that’s never a problem with this carnivore! The restaurant offers omelettes and frittatas, pancakes and waffles, fruits and veggies all laden with that gastro pub/comfort food feel.

I grazed through items like Steak and Bennies, Braised Pork Shoulder with Biscuits and smoked garlic and the Short Rib omelette and thought to myself, will I need a nap or a cardiologist after this meal? I opted for the short rib omelette. Four eggs wrapped around 16 hour braised short ribs, Wisconsin cheddar, mushrooms and caramelized onions. As if it needed anything else, breakfast potatoes and a stack of pancakes tagged along too. It was love at first bite. The beef was incredibly tender and melted away with the firmness of the mushrooms, and bite of the cheddar. Who would ever think that this flavor combination would work? How could eggs compliment beef like this? I continuted eating and eating. I did sample the pancake, too doughy and raw. The potatoes were a nice touch but didn’t hold a candle to the omelette. To be honest they were really just wasting space on the plate, begging to be included in the omelette fiesta!

I rarely flash around my membership card to the Clean Plate Club but that morning was something other worldly. In a word, gastrogasmic. State and Lake offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. Though the service is spotty it’s worth it to get a nibble at what’s been created here.

There are different 16 beers on tap and thankfully you won’t find Budweiser here!! All offerings are premium boutique beers ranging from Abita, Dogfish IPA to Allagash and Two Brothers! The wine list is obscure but familiar. All in all, this place is worth waking up early on a Saturday for.

The Wit Hotel
State and Lake Restaurant
201 N. State St.
Chicago, IL 60601
(312)467-0200

Labels: breakfast, brunch, chicago dining, chicago restaurants, efete.net, gastro pub, kellye washington, state and lake, the wit hotel

Brunch With Me in the South Loop

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Brunch is arguably my favorite meal on the weekends. My selection criteria for the perfect brunch spot is pretty particular when it comes to my Sunday afternoon feast. I must have good food, an extensive menu with a nice selection of breakfast and lunch items, and great cocktails. The vibe must be appealing, and of course, cost is always a factor. Next to New York City, Chicago has some of the best hidden gems for brunch when it comes to major cities. I found one such gem, maybe not as hidden as most, in the South Loop.

Cuatro Cocina Nuevo Latino has it all when it comes to my criteria. Their Bossa Novo Brunch was delectable. The food was bangin', the cocktails were slammin', and the vibe was on point. In a nutshell, I liked it a lot. Executive Chef Edie Jimenez' menu consists of soulful flavors of Latin America, Caribbean and Mexican cuisine. Brunch standouts include the Tropical Pancakes, Chilaquiles, and Pan Frances (thick french toast with vanilla roasted sweet plaintains and farmers cheese). Cuatro's 10 cane rum cocktails flowed nicely and were a perfect complement to my meal. Great music adds to any brunch vibe and Cuatro has it with the lively Brazilian sounds of "Bossa Tres".

Cuatro's brunch is served Sundays 10:00 am - 3:00 pm. "Bossa Tres" performs 11:00 am - 2:00 pm. Dinner is served Monday - Saturday 5:30 pm - 10:00 pm and Sundays 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm.

Cuatro is located at 2030 South Wabash Ave. (312) 842-8856 www.cuatro-chicago.com.

Labels: bossa tres, brazilian cuisine, brunch, chicago restaurants, cocktails, cuatro cocina nuevo latino, dc crenshaw, fete chicago, fete select, latin america, music, south loop, sundays

Going Gourmet in the Burbs is AOK

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

There’s nothing like taking to the streets to find a new place that can tempt my taste buds with incredible food. Chicago offers a lot of hidden gems that don’t necessiarly make the popularity dining circuit, mostly due to location. I love to share my hidden gems with everyone, especially when it comes to food done right, regardless of location. Recently, I made a trek away from my normal dining circuit in the city and headed to the burbs to try a new food concept created by another foodie. I didn’t really know what to expect, but after I took my first bite I knew that the thirty minute Sunday ride was worth it.

The concept is prepared gourmet foods. The place is AOK Gourmet, a new caterer and gourmet food shop in Skokie, IL. Owner Andrew Kalish prides himself in providing the finest homemade foods using only the freshest ingredients. From gourmet sandwiches to herb marinated whole beef tenderloin, everything is made fresh right from their kitchen. I had the pleasure of establishing some of my favorites during my outing. The BBQ Chicken Panini and Mediterranean Chicken sandwiches were ridiculously good. I also enjoyed their Chicken Florentine wrap with a side of Cavatappi Pasta Salad. Some of the more popular side items are their Herb Garden Tuna Salad, Classic Chicken Salad and Rustic Roasted Sweet Potato Salad. For you vegetarians the homemade Veggie Burger and Israeli Couscous w/Veggies are very tasty as well.

AOK Gourmet prepared foods change daily for optimal freshness and they have quickly become the caterer of choice on the North Shore. However, corporations and and other folks in the city are calling on them more these days. AOK Gourmet caters breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner or simply call for take out or delivery. Not a bad idea for the upcoming holidays.

Visit AOK Gourmet at 4950 Dempster Street, Skokie, IL. (847) 329-3800. www.aokgourmet.com. For more info on the hottest new restaurants in the city check out Fete Select TV at www.efete.net.

Labels: andrew kalish, aok gourmet, brunch, catering, chicago dining, delivery, dinner, gourmet food, lunch, sandwiches, skokie il, suburbs