Looking forward to LOKAL

A new spot has opened in Bucktown called LOKAL and so far the reviews look good (I always trust Thrillist). I'm definitely going to make a stop there this weekend. More to follow!

LOKAL opens this Saturday the 31st at 1904 W North Ave.

ATTN: Pumpkin Pie Lovers!

I'm a huge pumpkin-anything lover, but my boyfriend's absolute, most favorite thing to eat is pumpkin pie. So naturally, as an aspiring foodie and pathetic advertising sucker (say it's "the best" and I'll buy it), I decided we needed to embark on our own adventure to find Chicago's best pumpkin pie.

THIRD PLACE

Bakery: Red Hen Bread

Grade: C+

Thoughts: Red Hen Bread is located on Milwaukee just north of the North/Milwaukee/Damen intersection and since it always seems to be fairly busy, I figured we had to add it to the list. This pie had some pizazz - they added a sugary crust star to the top of the pie that was a nice touch. However, the filling was where we had some issues. It had been overcooked and was a tad touch inside. It also lacked the nutmeg and pumpkin pie spices that make the pie so memorable. On a happier note: the fresh baked bread came in at least a dozen interesting varieties, and the sandwiches looked very delicious. We won't be back for the pie, but we'll definitely be back.

RUNNER UP

Bakery: Sweet Mandy B's

Grade: B

Thoughts: We had to start with my favorite bakery, Sweet Mandy B's in Lincoln Park. I've sampled cupcakes all over town, and in my opinion, nothing is better. I also adore their banana pudding which has nursed my obsession created last year by Magnolia Bakery in NYC. I tried to not get my hopes up too much as I called an ordered a pumpkin pie. To my surprise, it was just okay. Good filling consistency, but a little heavy on the pumpkin spices. It was a very good pumpkin pie, but not the best I've ever had, and certainly not up to par with their spectacular other delicacies.

THE WINNER!

Bakery: Letizia's Natural Bakery

Grade: A

Thoughts: Letizia's Natural Bakery is on Division in Wicker Park and I randomly discovered this bakery on a prior cupcake excursion. Their website is http://www.superyummy.com/ which is VERY appropriate. I figured it was worth a shot because they did have pretty decent cupcakes the last time around. We picked up the pie and unfortunately they only had frozen ones, which made us a tad nervous. Regardless, we anxiously waited an hour or so at home until we thought the pie would be ready. Wow, was that worth the wait. Letizia's pie is so delicious, I'm fairly certain it would turn anyone into a die hard pumpkin pie lover. The crust was flaky and buttery and the flavor of the filling was perfectly balanced. NOTE: The only reason Letizia's didn't receive an A+ is because since it was frozen, the filling seemed just a tad underdone. Still delicious, but with a few more minutes in the oven, this pie would be shockingly perfect.

So after two weeks, we are almost through our second Letizia's pumpkin pie, and agree that this has been a wonderful way to kick off the holiday season. Happy eating!

Jury's Out for Japonais

Rob's cousin was in town this weekend and for her upcoming birthday she decided she wanted to go to Japonais for dinner. I've been before for drinks and knew the interior was spectacular, but was hesitant about the food. We've all had bad experiences where the place looks amazing, but the food is a dud. Well... I wouldn't classify Japonais as a dud, but I won't be rushing back anytime soon. First of all, our service was incredibly slow. Our waitress only came to our table about every 15 minutes if she wasn't serving food. The entire meal took three hours! We started with "The Rock" - an extremely hot rock that you personally cook finely sliced beef on. We thought it was a pretty cool presentation, and the meat was great, but none of us could quite shake the fact the entire place smelled like hot meaty rock for the rest of the evening. We opted for one roll and then ordered two entrees to save a little money. The price of one roll was about the same as a large salmon or chicken dish - so I definitely recommend heading straight to entrees. The entrees were good, not great, but came in large portions. One big disappointment for me were the martinis. Everyone raves about them, but when I order a martini, I expect to have some taste of alcohol. The martinis were only filled to about 3/4 of the small martini glass and honestly tasted non-alcoholic. There was so much mixer and so little vodka, it made me quite upset that I spent $13 and was basically served a shot of juice.

All in all, the ambiance is great, the interior is truly beautiful, but I would only suggest this one if you have a lot of money to spare. And if you don't, hopefully you'll have ordered enough $13 juice martinis that you won't care when the bill comes.

Gilt Group launches a site for MEN

Gilt Groupe, one of my favorite online sample sale sites, has launched a men's department: Gilt Man. Gilt Man will offer items through inviation-only sales each day with top brands available at up to 70 perfect off retail in sales lasting 36 hours. The sales will include clothing as well as gadgets, sporting gear and other lifestyle items. If you're not already signed up for Gilt, now is the time to do it. Now with men's, accessories and home items, it's a one stop shop for holiday shopping!

A failed, but fun Vegan attempt

So even though I'm not a vegan, or vegetarian or anything special (well, except kind of picky I guess), I still like to experiment with different styles of food. My roomie Andie and I met Josh the owner of Handlebar and his employee Matt at a party a couple weeks ago. Handlebar is a very well known restaurant/bar/vegan hotspot/bike messenger hangout in Bucktown and we decided we had to give it a try. Handlebar is on North Ave and you definitely will not be disappointed. We went for brunch and even though my goal was to eat vegan, I just cannot do brunch without eggs! So... I ended up getting a vegan breakfast burrito but added in egg whites. Pretty close, right? Well regardless, it had seitan "chorizo" in it that was absolutely delicious. Andie got the Buffalo "Chicken" Wrap and the chicken combined with the vegan ranch dressing was to die for. And I can't forget to mention our favorite side: Smoked Gouda Mac n' Cheese. It was amazing! Hands down one of the best (and VERY filling, in a good way) meals I've had in a while. The ingredients were so fresh and yummy - we will be back soon I'm sure! Go check it out soon... and say hi to Matt and Josh!

West Loop Outing Round 2

Day Two: Butterfly Sushi
Continuing on my sushi kick (yesterday was Meiji - YUM), we decided to throw an engagement dinner for friends at Butterfly Sushi on Grand. As far as sushi restaurants go, this one is pretty close to perfect. First of all, they accommodated my giant group like pros, had every bottle chilling in ice within minutes and the best part - BYOB with NO corkage! The food is spectacular. It's a mix of sushi and thai food and everything we ordered was delicious. Highlights for the group included chicken satay with peanut sauce, veggie egg rolls, chicken pad thai... and all the special maki received rave reviews. To top it all off, the food is very reasonably priced. The BYOB helps keep the cost down obviously, but the quality of the food is amazing for the price. And they deliver. This is pretty rare for me, but I literally can't find a flaw with this place. Go try it for yourself!

Online shopping gets easier - and cheaper!

As the holiday season approaches, recessionistas and price-savvy shoppers everywhere will be looking for ways to do their holiday shopping without breaking the bank. Fortunately, I've found three new money-saving sites that are sure to be a useful tool from now on. PricePlease.com, CouponMap.com and SeatCity.com provide shoppers with great deals on everything from entertainment, dining, gifts... even gas prices! Below is a blurb about each of the sites - definitely take some time and look through them, you'll be glad you did!

SeatCity.com is an online ticket aggregator that allows users to compare ticket prices for concerts, sporting events, theatre productions, cultural events and more. Pulling data from five of the web’s top secondary ticket sites, SeatCity.com allows users to search by performer, team, event name, venue, category or city. The site also allows users to view prices, inventory, venue seating charts, event location maps, driving directions and previous event photos. SeatCity.com serves as a one-stop destination for tickets to the hottest events.

PricePlease.com is an online shopping resource that conveniently informs consumers about price drops on recent purchases or ‘wish list’ items. With two types of alerts available, online shoppers can choose to be notified by ‘Price Drop’ or ‘Refund’ Alerts via e-mail. The Price Drop Alert helps shoppers plan their purchases in advance by monitoring lowered prices on chosen products. The Refund Alert allows shoppers to track price drops on newly purchased items, enabling shoppers to seek a refund after the price drops.

CouponMap.com is an online resource which allows users to search by zip code, address, geographical landmark or attraction to view a map of local coupons from nearby merchants that are redeemable offline. With more than 10,000 active coupons, CouponMap.com is a great tool for people relocating to a new city, for travelers looking for deals in a local area or for residents who want to find a great deal their own hometown. CouponMap.com also enhanced their site this week by including local gas prices.

West Loop Outing Day 1

It's been quite a while since my last post. Just switched over to a new job. Which in turn means a new neighborhood of restaurants to explore! My new neighborhood: West Loop.

Day One: Sushi at Meiji
Beautiful sushi restaurant on Randolph. Was slightly concerning that it was near empty at lunchtime, but we ventured in anyways. Rolls were delicious - not a huge selection but they were very inventive combinations. Moderate to high price for the sushi, but not surprising considering most of the restaurants in the West Loop are higher end. I'm interested to see if the after work and evening crowds are more plentiful - has really good potential!