TOP 5 New Restaurant of 2009: Mercadito

I was finally able to make my way to newly opened Mercadito. And I'm so glad I did. Despite some initial rumors about the wait time, even with reservations, being ridiculous, I still had heard rave reviews about the food. Especially the drinks and the tacos. Anyone that knows me personally would know that this place pretty much had me at that. I went with two of my favorite ladies and we thought the guacamole and mushroom tostadas were wonderful, but the highlight was definitely the tacos. The tacos are small in sets of four so it's perfect to go with a group and try a bunch of flavors. We tried the skirt steak and shrimp and we have had multiple conversations since wishing we would have had more! The cocktail menu includes your basic kick-ass margarita but really excels in the fun new twists like "Pepino el Pyu" (tequila, cucumber, lemon, cumin salt) and "Smokey Pablo" (tequila, mango, chile morita, blueberry float). Grab a group of friends and try this place soon - you might see me there! Not in Chicago? There are three locations in NYC and one in Miami.

A yummy variety.

Rendering of the Chicago location - you get the idea.

Favorite New Find: Duchamp

Duchamp in Bucktown opened in October 2008 and I am completely upset that I am only now discovering this delicious spot in my own hood. Not to mention, the restaurant was very empty when we were there, so encouraging everyone to stop by so this place can stick around. You won't be disappointed. The menu is eclectic and refreshing – fun takes and interesting combinations. The portions were perfect. Not a fan of giant diner food, but hate what my father lovingly refers to as, “Elf food.” Duchamp nailed it. We started with a cheese tray and the seared sea scallops. I think I’ve eaten more scallops this year than ever in my life and these were near the top. The table loved the ‘Steak & Eggs’ – a grilled skirt steak with bacon/parmesan quiche. The skate wing ‘Fish & Chips’ and Amish chicken with eggplant were both favorites as well. But our group couldn’t get over the simple, yet spectacular dessert. After all the lengthy titles, the menu simple reads ‘Cupcakes and Ice Cream Sandwiches.” Perfectly cooked little chocolate cupcakes and vanilla ice cream between two homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Delightful. All of it.

Dim shot of the interior but you can make out the long, communal tables and lucite chairs. Less is more folks.

Where you can find me once the weather warms up. Seriously, what a deck!

Until then... I'll stick to these.

Signature Room

I attended a holiday party in the Signature Room and wasn't really impressed with the food or drinks. Or the crazy ear popping involved in rapidly going up 95 floors. But none of that mattered when we got to look out at this all night:

Please excuse the glare - the iPhone did it's best. As much as I hate total tourist traps... the view of Mag Mile from there was absolutely amazing. I love Chicago.

New obsession: Scrapblog

With the holidays coming up, I’m always looking for creative gifts for my friends and family. I recently stumbled upon Scrapblog, which allows you to turn your photos into amazing and intricate photobooks and other fun gifts. I’ve always been a scrapbooking nerd and I’m sure you’ve heard of other sites that do this, but Scrapblog has hundreds of different themes, stickers, decals to make the pages your own design. You can also just do a QuickMix option, where Scrapblog automatically populates a selected template with your photos – in less than 5 minutes.

Scrapblog allows you to create and personalize an online scrapbook by combining digital photos with themes, stickers and decorative backgrounds. The site will pull photos from Facebook, Photobucket, Picasa, Flickr among other photo sites. It’s incredibly easy. Once you’re done you can post your online scrapbook for free to Facebook or email it to friends. Or you can opt to purchase an actual book and they are significantly less than other photo book sites. I’m putting one together for my mom for Christmas of the past trips we’ve been on. Seriously, the book I made cost $20 to print/ship!

If you’re like me, you have tons and tons of random photos on your computer that you never look at and a lot of photos other people have tagged you in on Facebook that you’d someday like to have. Scrapblog is free and incredibly easy to make the photos into something worth looking through.

 
To top it all off, Scrapblog is offering 25% off all printing for the holidays! Just enter HOLIDAY25 at checkout.

Addams Family Musical debuts in Chicago

Broadway aficionados: if you’re in Chicago, swing by the Oriental Theatre to check out The newly released “The Addams Family” musical. The musical debuted in Chicago on November 13, 2009 and will run in Chicago until January 10th. The musical will then move to Broadway in the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre where the first preview will be March 4th and Opening Night will be April 8th.

To my delight, the show did its best to showcase the quirky family in all its grim glory. The house set is alive with ghosts of ancestors and interesting pets, like one surprising star of the show – their horny pet squid...seriously! Headlined by Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth, the cast was incredibly solid and I could hardly believe they were only in their third week. A lot of familiar faces too – for me, I recognized “Fester” from a stint in Heroes, and “Grandma” was the strange aunt in Garden State (the one who makes him a shirt that matches the wallpaper?). I thought the two standouts were Krysta Rodriguez (Wednesday) and Carolee Carmello (Alice Beineke). Both of the women had spectacular voices that would give you chills. But as you can imagine, Nathan Lane stole the show. He stumbled in and out of a Spanish accent (which he did not need) but was so animated and hilarious that with one smirk he had the whole audience laughing.

The music was catchy and the cast was superb, but most of all I enjoyed the way the writer had fun with all the Addams’ Family idiosyncrasies. I’d definitely recommend seeing it while you can!

TONIGHT: bluemercury Holiday Party!

Bluemercury, Chicago's phenomenal one-stop shop for makeup and skincare, is having their annual Holiday Shopping Party TONIGHT, Wednesday December 2nd! Never been to Bluemercury? My first trip was three years ago when I moved here and I've been exclusively going there ever since. They have the best of the best in products and every single employee is literally a wealth of beauty knowledge. An employee even called to ask me if I wanted her to set aside some products if I wasn't able to make it. I adore this place.

They have a wide range of brands including some of my favorites: Fresh, Bobbi Brown, NARS, Trish McEvoy, Kiehl's, Laura Mercier, ReVive, Diptyque candles, GoSMILE, REN... the list could go on forever.

And what better time to stock up on your makeup and beauty regimes than with a great discount. There are different levels of discounts depending on how much you spend. Not to mention FREE samples, snacks and champagne!

Here are the details:

bluemercury Holiday Shopping Party

2208 North Halstead, Chicago, IL 60614
Phone: (773) 327-6900
Wednesday December 2
Time: 4 P.M. - 10 P.M.


Hope to see some of you tonight! Don't live in Chicago? Don't worry, bluemercury is located in twelve states as of now - find a store near you.

Start Living the Luxe Life

Do you have perfectly good clothes, shoes or even vases lying around the house that you aren't using any more? Everyone should be nodding right now. Clean out your closet and fill up your wallet with the newest Chicago-based luxury auctioneer, Luxe Life Auctions. Luxe Life Auctions will sell your goodies for you and you don't even have to lift a finger. Seriously, they will even come and pick your items up for free!

This online auction house is based in Chicago and offers shoppers the opportunity to buy and sell new, vintage and collectible items ranging from coveted designer clothing and accessories to rare books, coins, antique, furs and more. The transactions take place online but the Luxe Life Auctions' Valuation Center, located at 744 North Clark, was designed by Bravo's "Top Design" winner Matt Lorenz. (Check out his amazing design studio!) In the store, you can get information from service associates that will assist with valuation and assessment consultations.

One of two shopping niches you can use to browse online while you're in the store. You can deliver your items in-person or take advantage of the complimentary pick-up service.

My favorite part of this beautiful space: the bathroom! I especially love the framed black and white photos of famous old celebrities.

Luxe Life Auctions Valuation Center is now open in River North at 744 North Clark. Now is as good of time as ever to clean out those closets!

Drinks only at Paramount Room

I've been to Paramount Room for drinks before and loved the inventive cocktails and subdued atmosphere. So naturally when my friend Brian and I were trying to plan a dinner party, we decided it would be a good spot. I was very attracted to the bar because I loved how you walk in to a smaller bar and then once you head downstairs, the room opens up to this huge beautiful space.

As usual the cocktails were killer. The drink menu has been updated since, but I had a Pimm's cinnamon concoction that was dangerously delicious. We waited for a LONG time for appetizers and our waitress politely told us they would be on the house because of the delay. Appetizers were pretty good as far as bar food - skinny fries, homemade chips, tempura green beans. My friends gushed about the mussels. Everything was going great until the entrees came. Everyone in town raves about their famous $9 Kobe Beef Burger ($10 for a Kobe Burger and a Pint every day before 7pm) but I'm sad to report that they just didn't live up to the fame. Now for those of you who know me, I'm not a huge red meat eater anyways, so I polled the table for their opinion. Kobe or not, the burgers were just very average. There weren't many options on the menu, but I inquired about the Mahi Mahi and the waitress agreed it was a good choice. Wow, bad idea. When she set the plate down, I immediately knew what was wrong by the smell. It had turned. And this isn't battered or fried old fish. This was a plain old sautéed fish sitting there looking at me. I took a bite and my suspicions were confirmed. The waitress felt horrible and was very sweet about the whole situation, but come on. It was touted as the "Fresh Fish of the Day" on the menu. Really??

Paramount Room started as a great after work drink spot in my mind, but if their claim to fame burger isn't up to par, and the rest of the menu is so hit or miss, a drink spot it will stay.

On a more positive note, take a look at this place. Not what you'd expect for a basement!

Graham Elliott

This weekend I had a mini family reunion with the women of my family. Everyone came in to Chicago so the pressure was on for me to pick good dining spots. Friday night we went to Hub51 which was dependably delicious, and I chose to go to Frontera Grill on Saturday. To make a very long and painful story short, two of Frontera's hostesses gave me horrible advice to just show up at 6pm for a table. When we did, the wait was three hours. Ten minutes after they opened, the wait was three hours. Okay, so that wasn't that short... anyways... my cousin had suggested Graham Elliot and low and behold they were able to seat the five us right away. They graciously and politely were able to accommodate us on a busy Saturday night. Take notes Frontera - I don't go around town saying you were my favorite restaurant and then come in to see a snotty, rude hostess look at me like I'm from Mars when I ask for a table.

Back to Graham Elliot! Interior was minimal but the organic tones and exposed brick walls paired well with natural decorations of bundled sticks and gourds. First up: cocktails. I'm usually one to experiment and try a few different varieties, but not when I encounter such a perfect cocktail. The "Blueberry Hill" includes Hendrick's gin, blueberry compote and a newcomer for me - creme de violette. I'm always a fan of blueberry, but this was unlike any blueberry concoction I've had before. My cousin Venessa was a big fan of the "London Calling" as well. Now for food. As a preview of the interesting and fun food to follow, GE started off with a bang serving us truffle oil-infused popcorn instead of the usual bread. This popcorn is legitimately addictive. When combined with the martinis, it is just lethal.

Even though I was tempted to do the tasting menu for $75 (NOT a bad deal at all once you taste this amazing food), I declined and ordered the sweet potato bisque. This was not your average soup. The bisque was poured table side over a big marshmallow, chipotle jam and corn nuts. Yep you read that right, corn nuts. The combination of creamy and crunchy was amazing. Next course: I split the scallops and the duck ravioli. The duck ravioli was great, but the scallops were to die for. As perfect as scallops can get in my opinion. But I did have one regret... my cousin Susan ordered the Wisconsin Cheddar Risotto and when it came out with Cheez-its on top, I immediately had to have a bite. Cheez-its? For all you Top Chef fans, it reminded me of the vending machine challenge - looks like snack food can truly be gourmet if you do it right.

And last but certainly not least, dessert. The "Caramel Heirloom Apple" was like a deconstructed apple pie with shortbread cookie, rings of apples, toasted nuts and caramel that combine to make the most delicious bite. I'm actually still thinking about how fresh and sweet that yummy dessert was. Finish it off with another Blueberry Hill and that was quite the delectable meal. I love food that isn't taken too seriously, and not only is Graham Elliot's food amazing, but it's clear he is having as much fun making it as we are eating it.

Cheddar Risotto - complete with Cheez-it garnish.

Taste for Tapas?

Last week I had the pleasure of visiting Eivissa, a latin-inspired tapas restaurant in Old Town. I went with a large group of girls from work and so we had set up a tasting menu ahead of time. I'll tell you right off the bat, that is the way to do it. We tasted over 10 of the dishes and even though there were some misses, the majority were very delightful. Here is a quickie guide to their extensive menu...

Avoid:
- Patatas al aioli. The menu says potatoes in a creamy garlic sauce, but it was actually more like mayonnaisey potato salad.
- Chicken meatballs. They aren't on the menu, but if they are on special when you are there, politely avoid that at all costs. The meatballs were so tough and stringy it was hard to even get a knife through. Under seasoned and underwhelming.

Order:
- Paella. We had the vegetarian version, and it was full with chunks of eggplants and peppers - big hit with the whole table.
- Patatas bravas (aka crispy potatoes). Nothing out of the ordinary, but these fry wedges were a solid side dish.
- Croquetas de pollo y jamon. Basically yummy little baked ham and cheese nuggets. Seemed a little like kid food, but hey, everyone loves nuggets.

- Fish meatballs. As I said earlier, all of the meatballs must have been a special or a new addition, but what the chicken meatballs lacked, the fish meatballs hit out of the park. They were incredibly flavorful with giant chunks of fresh fish rolled up into a breadcrumb concoction that thankfully did not have an overwhelming binding agent.

- Datiles en jamondates. Dates wrapped in ham and stuffed with almonds. These were hands down the highlight of the meal for me. Perfectly executed and presented.

Now let's get down to business. Food is overshadowed at Eivissa by a strong and powerfully delicious element: SANGRIA. From the delicate white sangria flavored with Acai to the sinfully delectable red sangria with its notes of vanilla and cinnamon. They were sinfully delicious and some of the most delicious sangria I've ever had in my life. Right next to Second City, so grab your significant other, get a few apps, a glass of sangria... or nine... and have a good laugh.

Not a great pic, but you can see it's spacious and I really liked the birch covered walls.

Couldn't find a veggie pic, but here is the seafood paella.

MAIN ATTRACTION: Red & White wine Sangrias.

New life at New Line

New Line Tavern is a new restaurant/bar in the West Loop that took over the former Powerhouse restaurant at Clinton and Lake. (No website yet, but this will do for now) Same layout, but they've spruced it up a bit and took the menu from fancy seafood/steakhouse to dependably delicious bar food. I've been there a few times since it opened and can successfully say it has made it to my happy hour arsenal. Every time I've been there the staff has been attentive, drinks are well made and the food is a little inventive, but still maintains the qualities of the bar food everyone loves.

Today I had the BBQ Black Bean Burger which had a great consistency as far as veggie burgers go and was perfection when paired with the pretzel bun. They were very accommodating about altering the items too which I really appreciate, so instead of fried I had hummus and pita. Although I did regret not upgrading to the New Line Fries which were deliciously sprinkled with asiago cheese.

Best part of all, this place is very affordable. Our big burgers with sides and a drink came out to $12 each. A great lunch or after work option. Just be careful after work - it's a small space so it fills up very quickly.

Better late than never...

I know I've only lived in Chicago for (almost) three years, but there are still so many staples that I have yet to discover. Finally able to cross one off this weekend.

Mon Ami Gabi is located in the historic Belden Stratford hotel and has established a very solid reputation around the city. I literally asked two of my favorite foodie gals and they both separately said Mon Ami Gabi was their favorite place in the city. So naturally when it came around for me to plan a date night, I knew I had to do it.

Things at Mon Ami Gabi did not start off so good. First of all, the room was very, very small and they were artfully squeezing as many people in as possible. Next, we arrived at 7:58 for our 8pm reservation and the hostess asked us if we would wait for a bit because our table won't be ready until "closer to 8." So like I suspected, the second we stepped out of the restaurant, they came looking for us. Last but not least, the place was so tightly packed that they had to move out the table for me to scoot in. Once I was sitting the waiter than signaled for Rob to scoot in next to me. When there is a perfectly good chair on the other side. Okay, okay, sorry to offend anyone, but am I the only one who still wants to be able to look her date in the eye during a meal? I constantly make fun of people who eat next to each other and hardly even eat, they just feed bites to each other, make out the entire time and make everyone around them lose their appetite. Sorry, but save the romance for after dinner. Thank you. So now here I am, elbow to elbow with my date. Ugh.

Now on to better news: the food was amazing. House wine was inexpensive and surprisingly good. Escargot was great. Rob's peppercorn steak was amazing, and topped only by the giant heaving pile of yummy steak frites. NOTE: I ate the frites all by myself - he did NOT feed them to me. Even though it probably would have been easier since he kept elbowing me throughout the meal. Anyways... I had ahi tuna that was served with heavenly potatoes and spinach. For dessert we picked a trio of ice cream stuffed profiteroles. Looked and tasted great, but so difficult to cut and eat that when we were finished you would have thought we tied our hands behind our back and went to town.

It's tough for me to call this an absolute win because most of these kinks I'd expect out of a newer restaurant. But despite a couple initial strikes against it, Mon Ami saved itself in the end with delicious food.

The Belden-Stratford Hotel houses Mon Ami Gabi as well as fellow Lettuce Entertain You restaurant L20. Going to have to wait for quite the special occasion before trying that one out!

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!

Sunday Sunda

So after my last failed attempt going to a restaurant right after it opened, I decided to wait a while to try Sunda, a new-asian cuisine spot from the Rockit Ranch family. We went at 8 on a Sunday night and unfortunately, but not surprisingly, they told us there was an hour wait. We had a great drink at the bar and once seated, our waitress was very sharp and we were served quickly. The interior was beautiful inside, but we were very distracted at how loud it was inside. Sunda was not even packed and it was almost impossible to hear our waitress talk. Besides the bad acoustics, our whole table found it a tad overpriced for the quality. I hadn't heard anything amazing about the food to begin with, so despite semi-low expectations, I did think the beef lo mein and sushi were pretty good. So bottom line, if you are looking for ambiance and a great interior (and can look over basic asian food with a little flair), it would be a decent dinner choice.

New Modern Wing FREE This Week

The Art Institute of Chicago is opening its new $283 million Modern Wing THIS Saturday, May 16th. I can't wait!! The best part about it is that admission is FREE May 16th - May 22 compared to the usual $18 for people 12 and up. The wing was designed by the famous architect Renzo Piano and the released photos look amazing. And after an afternoon of wonderful works of art, you can eat at Terzo Piano with chef Tony Mantuano and sit in the little piece of heaven below. Hopefully I'll have photos of my own to upload later!

Hump Day Date Night

With the current economy, so many restaurants are offering dining deals, it seems silly to go out and not do one. My current favorite: Le Colonial. Every Wednesday night you and your significant other can enjoy one appetizer, two entrees and one dessert for $20 per person! The food is normally much pricier so take advantage. It will be more than enough food for 2 and possibly you'll feel so good about your wallet that you'll splurge on one of their delicious martinis - my recommendation, Lychee.

Sears Tower Revamp

The Sears Tower (that will soon be renamed the Willis Tower later this summer) has an interesting addition coming early June: The Ledge - a glass enclosed observation deck, 4.3 feet beyond the building. The deck will be 103 stories high and an inch and a half thick in an effort to attract more Skydeck visitors. Embarrassingly, I've never been but about 1.3 million people visit the Skydeck each year. There will be four glass enclosures that are retractable for window washing. The Ledges are included in Skydeck admission which is $14.95 for ages 12 and up. Excited for June to try this out!

Crazy for Pops

So for most Chicagoans, this is coming extremely late. And as a serious champagne lover, I have no idea why it took me so long to go to Pops for Champagne. But anyways, I finally made my way over there for a birthday cocktail with a few of my favorite ladies and it was clear after our second bottle, we would all be coming back. We ordered a bottle of one of my absolute favorites (AND it's affordable!), Mumm Napa, and headed for the apps, which to our surprise were 37% off from 3:00pm-7:00pm! Sadly, I'll probably only order food at Pops when it's 37% off because the proportions are very tiny (we are talking the smallest slivers of cheese ever) but at least it all tasted good. Our second bottle was something of the Spanish variety and was forgettable, but all in all, Pops for Champagne was the perfect after-work escape. I highly recommend grabbing some girls and heading over there... just don't order food after 7.

Rick Bayless Never Lets Me Down

As an avid and very vocal fan of Frontera Grill, naturally I've been curious to try the sister restaurant next door, Topolobampo. Owned and operated by famous Mexican food chef (and fellow Bucktown/Wicker Park inhabitant) Rick Bayless, Topolobampo was rumored to be a little nicer and more adventerous Mexican dishes. Needless to say, I was thrilled when Rob pulled up outside as a surprise for my birthday dinner. And Rick and his crew did not disappoint! We had their version of tortilla soup and chile rellenos which were superb. I can tend to be a semi-safe, or as most of my friends say - boring, eater, so I literally told the waitress to surprise me with an entree. Rob ordered a lobster dish and the waitress brought me the duck. The duck was prepared two ways - seared and pulled and I honestly couldn't tell you which was better, they were both just that good. To top it off, I had an amazing Champagne Margarita and my go-to Mojito. I was thoroughly impressed with the creative menu and the interesting way they incorporated Mexican spices and traditional foods into inventive, gourmet dishes. Last year's birthday meal was at Frontera, so I'm very pleased with this tradition we've started. The meal was amazing. Mexican food lovers that are a tad adventurous, Topolobampo is a must.

festi..vals for the rest of us

Considering how sick of winter everyone in Chicago is by this time, it's no wonder why there are so many summer festivals in town. There are so many to choose from, so below are a few that caught my eye.

• Chicago Mayfest, May 15-17: In Lakeview and includes live music by Hairbangers Ball, a personal favorite, and a Sunday pet parade, which obviously will be amazing.
• Do-Division Street Fest, May 30-31: 10-block section of Division in Wicker Park will hold shopping deals.
• Old Town Art Fair, June 13-14: 260 artists, plenty of good food and drinks along Lincoln Avenue for the 60th annual event. Tends to be really crowded, but it's a great time.
• Taste of Chicago, June 26-July 5: Huge food and music festival including music by Counting Crows, Wallflowers, Barenaked ladies and Ne-Yo in Grant Park.
• Chicago Pride Fest & Parade, June 27-28: Salute the GLBT community with live music, food and drinks on Halsted Street and Waveland Avenue.
• Chicago Outdoor Film Festival, July 14-Aug 25: Tuesday night screenings in Grant Park.
• Pitchfork Music Festival, July 17-19: Purchase tickets to see a variety of bands at Union Park.
• Venetian Night, July 25: 52nd annual procession of illuminated and decorated boats on the lakefront. Have yet to experience this one, but am hoping to see it this year.
• Taste of Lincoln Avenue, July 25-26: 5 stages of live music and 350+ food, beer and art vendors along 6 blocks.
• Wicker Park Fest, July 25-26: Haven't been to this festival yet, but it's in my hood so I'll report back!
• Northalsted Market Days, August 1-2: This annual Boystown bash is sure to not disappoint - it's a blast.
• Lollapalooza, Aug 7-9: Sadly, I'll be out of town this year but had the best adventures last year.
• Retro on Roscoe, August 1-2: Windy City Chili Cook-Off and live bands. I probably won't go to this, but I love chili so it caught my eye.
• Taste of Greece, August 29-30: Since I'm obsessed with hummus, this one was obvious. Heading to Greektown for this extravaganza.

BYO... jug?

Some of my favorite girls in the world came to visit so we decided it was time to reunite one of our favorite college traditions, the Wine in a Jug Club. The tradition started back in our sorority house so naturally we were all feeling a little Carlo deprived. When I was thinking of a good BYOB spot, Lucia's immediately came to mind. Only a block away from where I live in Bucktown, Lucia's has amazing Italian food and for a good price. Best part of the night was when we assumed we would be the only ones there with a jug, we poured our glasses under the table - then the waiter informed us that Carlo Rossi jugs are the table wines they keep around for people who forget to bring anything. Just another reason I love this place!

My lovely TCU friends and I at Lucia's. Please come to Chi Town more often!

Our fine Chianti for the evening and my delicious Capellini Alla Checca - basic dish but yet quite amazing.

Don't Judge This Book By It's Cover...

So if you happen to get lost while driving around northern Bucktown, or for some reason really want authentic, and I mean authentic Mexican food, you might wind up around the Armitage and Western area. The Mexican food is okay, but the real find is my favorite ice cream in Chicago: Margie's Candies. It's been around since 1921 and let's be honest, it looks as though they haven't changed the decor since. But that's just part of it's charm. They have over 50 sundaes that are presented in huge shell bowls with your choice of toppings warmed and waiting on the side for you to pour on at your discretion. Make sure not to leave without trying the boxed candies at the front counter. The chocolate turtles. Wow. Another highlight that I discovered while making a sad attempt at eating healthy and am now obsessed with: Diet Coke Floats. Bottom line: The ice cream and sundaes are so great you'll forget the tacky atmosphere and the dumpy neighborhood. Make the trek at least once!

Chocolate Raspberry- definitely in the Top 5.

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Rob enjoying his Swiss Chocolate concoction and clearly loving

every minute of this touristy moment.

T-Minus 47 days until St. Pat's!

I understand this post is a little premature, but we're only a little over a month out from one of Chicago's most popular celebrations: St. Patrick's Day. St. Patrick's Day is on Thursday, March 17, but the parades have been scheduled for the Saturday prior... including the dying of the river! (Great pics of the process) I'll post local bar specials and parties soon, but for now feel free to brush up on your green egg making skills. (Thanks for that one, Kristin!)

Celebrating with my college gals in 2008. I can't wait for them to come back again, with some new additions! I vow that this year will involve even more green.. if that is possible.

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My favorite quote that you'll hear from at least a dozen people about our not-so-beautiful Chicago River, "If they can dye the river green, why don't they just dye it blue the rest of the time?" Seriously people.

TRU-ly Excited!

Just made reservations for Tru for my dad's 60th birthday bash, a restaurant I've been longing to go to since I moved here! Tru gets consistently amazing reviews as one of the best restaurants in Chicago, not to mention Rick Tramonto is a god in Chicago and the restaurant was featured on Top Chef. To top it all off, they have an original Warhol Marilyn (see below) in the dining room. So far, the review will be phenomenal. Stay tuned!