Chicago Dining

Straight after the holidays were over I set out to catch up on all the Chi-town food I was missing. It's a wonder I don't weigh a ton now (because this journey began AFTER the holiday dinner and cookies).

I had certainly been craving some of the old favorites like the best Italian place ever Buona Terra and sushi at Sai Cafe, but I was also fortunate enough to try some new kids on the block like The Girl & the Goat and the Telegraph wine bar in Logan Square (P.S. Logan is blowing up with new eatty joints that I am slightly jealous about).

Of course, I also spent some quality time at the mecca Whole Foods and made some pretty spectacular plates at home myself to mix in ... eh hem.

The line up went something like this ...

• Potbelly - the Wreck sandwich, not a planned stop but oh-so-yummy Chicago post-X-mas Target shopping lunch
• Sai Cafe - best sushi ever with Mochi ice cream balls, a Monday tradition (hit it 3 times this visit)
• Cafe con Leche - Chilequiles Verdes, surprise Logan Square delight only because Lula was closed
• Buona Terra - Prosciutto/Mozzerella salad, Angel Hair with red sauce - first choice is always the red sauce.  If you haven't been there your life is just a little less happy than it should be
• Urban Belly - Udon noodle soup with shrimp, the spices are an artform - cleans the passages
• Panozzo's Italian Market - Italian beef sandwich w/ hot peppers - hadn't had one in years, but this new place was on TV as I mentioned a dip sandwich and ... SOLD!
• Buona Terra - Beet Carpaccio, Di la Nona Pasta - guilty pleasure ... only a half order!
• Casa de Jonas - that octopus, mushroom, olive thing on polenta - a favorite of ours, not sure how I originally came up with it
• Lula Cafe - The Lula Royale sandwich - not as good as other things I've had there
• Casa de Jonas - Cod ceviche, Tri-tip steak, shrimp, greens, a ripe avocado - Happy New Year!
• Casa de Jonas - Eggs Benedict - ooooh ... the "I love myself" breakfast

• Casa de Chepe - Tacos, charro beans, hominy soup - unreal NY Day feast that lasted for days of leftovers and put this journey on pause ...
• Giordano's - can't go to the Chi without a pizza stop, though I would have ordered the deep dish
• Girl & the Goat - the place to be in Chicago right now by Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard - got in the work peeps through a lucky connection - tons of wonderful small plates, worth the hype
• Mel's Vegetarian Wonderland - a beautiful friend hosted a delicious dinner party, and it was warm enough to sit outside!
• Casa de Jonas - Brazilian style streak, delicious scallops - the way we love it
• Casa de Jonas - every day Jonas makes the most delicious fruit / yoghurt / oats / honey salad for breakfast, yummy health
• Buona Terra - again, garlic, pasta, wine, again, and again ...
• Gene & Georgetti's - final evening work dinner at the oldest steak house in Chicago .... Filet Mignon. Period.

I am going to give London another fighting chance to prove itself as a foodie capital, but sorry, there simply is no touching Chicago as a culinary institute the world throughout .... and now I actually have some world experience to back that statement up.

Nothing but fish and veg for weeks!  I'm on a cleanse!!  Whew, it was worth it though.

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