Review: River Roast

My daily commute has served as a countdown for the River Roast opening. Ever since it was announced that Fulton's on the River was closing, I've been monitoring the progress. Truthfully, I wasn't expecting anything real amazing to take over the space, but was looking forward to something new by my office with outdoor appeal.

By my estimations, the opening was delayed, much like our summer weather. Recently on one of those wonderfully perfect summer Chicago days, I knew I had to take advantage and find an alfresco lunch spot. Just my luck that River Roast had finally opened - game on!

You really can't beat the location on the patio - food, drinks, sun, skyline. I'm interested to see the results of the river walk construction and how it will add to the river beatification initiative.

All hail beef.

Carving station to-go upstairs by the bar. Although I would recommend staying for awhile and enjoying the atmosphere. The downstairs has another bar and open dining area. The place was packed for lunch - to get a first come patio spot you may need to show up before noon.

Soaking in Chicago summer.  The fresh baked bread and sweet onion butter isn't bad either.

A manageable drink menu - enough options to please a crowd but not overwhelming. I love the description for the "Book Club" drink (it's like a sangria). For those cider lovers out there - get 'em by the bottle.

I went for the "Giant Peach of Doom" and am happy to report that the name is all talk - no doom here. It was just the right amount of booziness and the River Roast version of a traditional sazerac whiskey cocktail.

Trying to keep things light at lunch with the Seafood Salad (shrimp, calamari, octopus, hearts of palm, fresno chili, tomato). It had a kick to it, which I like. This dish is considered an appetizer but you can definitely order it as lunch if you're not too hungry (or to save room for dessert, so worth it).

The Shaved Salad (mushroom, artichoke, tomato, fennel, radish, parmesan, lemon, olive oil) with beef - I don't think my dining partner loved the salad, but did enjoy the beef. I enjoyed the seafood salad a lot more than this one - the shaved salad lacked in exciting flavor profiles. I would ditch trying to be healthy at River Roast, that's not their specialty and you'll miss out (noted for my next visit).

The famed Hoosier Mama pie shop has a few featured menu items on the dessert list. The peach pie was the seasonal specialty and it did not disappoint.

Flaky dough, crunchy sugar, warm and sweet peach with creamy ice cream...helllllllo amazing.

The wishbone decides who pays. My treat this time :)

I will definitely be back soon to check out the dinner menu - I've already heard rave reviews of the whole roasted chicken. I think River Roast is a nice addition to the neighborhood and look forward to enjoying the patio for as long as the weather will allow.

Caprese Eggs

One of my favorite parts about summer...ripe tomatoes. That, and soaking up the sun, iced coffee, dining al fresco, bbq-ing, boating, brunching, walking around without 50 layers...and tomatoes.

Just like summer in Chicago, ripe tomatoes are a wonderful and fleeting pleasure. In my opinion, the best way to enjoy nature's treats are freshly picked (errr purchased) and simply prepared.  Take some time this summer to enjoy the morning sun with this effortless breakfast that feels indulgent.

Ingredients:
- egg(s)
- tomato
- fresh basil
- fresh spinach
- balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper


An instant classic.



It's almost too easy. These should be ingredient staples in your kitchen - I whipped up this breakfast on one of those days I was convinced there was NOTHING to eat in the house. Woe is me moment.

 




Lay down some spinach, tomatoes, chopped basil, drizzle the balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper.




Now comes the test - mastering the perfectly cooked egg.  As frustrating as golf.  And you know I had to get a shot sunny side up. Couldn't resist.

 

Dig in! What a way to start your day.

I hope you all enjoy this easy breakfast as much as I do! Bonus points - make some coffee and watch your favorite morning news. Caprese Eggs + Kathy Lee and Hoda = dream morning.

Review: Fulton Market Kitchen

We all know I'm a sucker for any new restaurant opening, but combine that and a West Loop location - SOLD. Gotta have it. I barely even knew Fulton Market Kitchen had opened, which only made it all the more enticing.  If you want to play a joke on someone, take them to this place without telling them anything about where you are going. They will think you are bringing them to a back ally to meet their maker. Fulton Market Kitchen is tucked away in the heart of the industrial buildings on Fulton Market. There is no way you are going to stumble upon this place on a nice, leisurely walk.

Upon approaching the front door, you already know this is going to be a unique spot. FMK is a mix of urban art gallery, restaurant and bar.

Cool vibe as soon as you walk in.

Each menu has different artwork on the cover and within the pages. We drank the "Beg. Borrow. Steal." with Cazadores Reposado Tequila, Thai Chili-infused Green Chartreuse, Pineapple, Lime, Cilantro and the "Eighth Ward" with Rittenhouse Rye, House Grenadine, Lemon, House Orange Bitters, Orange Peel (both pictured).

The more the merrier! We also tried the "Light from the Left" with Bourbon, Cynar, Blueberry, Lemon, Thai Basil.

There's something about fries when you're really hungry. You just NEED them. It's also hard for us to ever turn down Beef Tartare with Prime Angus, Housemade Steak Sauce, Quail Egg, Herb Oil, Grilled Bread. Both disappeared within minutes.

Both of these dishes were way better than I had anticipated. Grilled Cauliflower with Celery, Capers, Currants, Quinoa, Roasted Grape Tomatoes - I'll be honest, I ordered to pretend to be healthy. But it was SO good. The Grilled Octopus  with Bursted Cherry Tomatoes, Lemon, Frisee, Greek Vinaigrette was the best I've had. Seriously. So tender and the citrus was such a nice addition.

The "Two Tails" with  Crisped Pig, Glazed Lobster, Melted Leeks, Artichokes, Burgundy Sauce was pretty good, but very rich. We probably would have enjoyed it more if it wasn't the last plate of our feast. Starting with a bowl of fries probably wasn't the best idea (but at the time was 100% necessary).

Even the exit makes a statement. 

Looking forward to another visit to FMK, especially since it's now been awhile since I last went after it opened. Let me know if you have any menu favorites that I need to try for next time!

Review: Dusek's

How do you lure me to a Sox game? Work a brunch into the plan. Struan knows me all too well.

On our way to the South Side, we stopped in Pilsen to try out Dusek's for bunch. The team from Longman & Eagle did not disappoint (as expected). My list of places to try in Pilsen has been growing and I will definitely be making a second trip to this spot in the near future.

Located in Thalia Hall, Dusek's pays homage to its founder. At the turn of the century John Dusek founded the hall. The front windows explains, "He was a family man, tavern owner, facilitator of the arts and visionary. He wanted to build a public hall for the community and succeeded."  The renovated location restores Dusek's to its former glory as a neighborhood meeting spot - not only does it house a great bar and restaurant, but also a concert venue with shows launching this spring.

The bar boasts a large selection of craft beers, listed on the chalkboard wall. They also have a specialty punch menu.

Sometimes, you just want a good bloody. It comes with a High Life beer back? Even better.

I'm at a loss for words. The taste of this cinnamon roll is coming back to me. Just order it when you go. Don't hesitate. We thought the roll would be pretty small, since it's only $3 - but it's definitely shareable.

I don't usually order eggs benedict, but had a feeling Dusek's would pull it off. Very thinly shaved ham, house-made sourdough bread and a fresh hollaindaise sauce = success.

I have a burger problem as of late. I just want them all the time. With a menu name like "Juicy Lucy" there's no way I'm not ordering it. Those Minnesota folks are onto something. That's a bacon tomato marmalade on top if you're wondering.

Do you see that CHEESE. Also note the house-baked pretzel bun.

Have mercy.

Looking forward to coming back with a group and sitting in this perfect spot.

Thalia Hall - cool venue for a concert AND you have great food and drink all in one place.

I'm looking forward to trying out the dinner menu, as well as a concert! Let me know if you have any favorite dishes.

Teriyaki Salmon with Apple Cider Slaw

The weather may not show it, but summer is coming. Lean protein and veggies reign supreme this time of year. This dish hits my priorities of quick, easy, healthy and flavorful - with bonus points for nice presentation. The tart and crisp Apple Cider Slaw complements the tangy and sweet teriyaki. Cook up this meal for guests and they will surely be impressed (and they don't need to know it only took you 30 minutes). 

Ingredients:
1 lb Alaskan Sockeye Salmon
1/4 cup Soy Yay Veri Veri Teriyaki Sauce
2 tbsp minced fresh ginger root(1-2 inches)
5 cloves garlic

Apple Cider Slaw:
2 cups sliced red cabbage
1 cup broccoli carrot slaw
2 bunches green onion (9 stalks)
1/2 green apple

Dressing:
3 stalks green onion
1 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Fresh ginger root - break off about a 1-2 inch piece for the marinade.

Chop fresh garlic and ginger root for marinade.

Marinate salmon with chopped garlic, ginger and teriyaki for 1 hour [see next step for what to do while the salmon marinates]. After one hour (or whatever you honestly have time for) place dish in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes until cooked through and opaque in the middle. You may need to cut into the filet to make sure it's cooked through properly (I still have trouble knowing the exact correct time for salmon since I don't make it very often, practice makes perfect!).

While the salmon is marinating, get started on the Apple Cider Slaw. Make the dressing first so it has time for the flavors to mix and meld and all that good stuff.

Dressing:
3 stalks green onion
1 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Directions:
- chop the green onion, using only the white and light green part of the stalks
- mix olive oil, cider vinegar, salt and pepper
- crush the chopped onion with a spoon against the mixing bowl to release the juices and flavor
- mix and let sit until you are ready to prep and serve

Apple Cider Slaw:
2 cups sliced red cabbage
1 cup broccoli carrot slaw
2 bunches green onion (9 stalks, this is in addition to the green onion in the dressing 
1/2 green apple

Thinly slice the green apple.

Mix all ingredients and dressing in a serving bowl.  Serve with the salmon and give yourself a high-five for a job well done!

Review: Green Street Smoked Meats

My love for the West Loop may be a little biased, but you can't deny its foodie presence in Chicago. Randolph Street's "Restaurant Row" has been banging out hit after hit, and we can now add Green Street Meats to the list of "must try" in the neighborhood. It also happens to share an ally with one of my favorite spots - RM Champagne. Green Street Meats is unique to the area - it's inexpensive and you can go there for a quick bite or drink while still having a cool atmosphere. It's like the upscale trying to be hipster version of Freddy's (for those with a perplexed look, google "House of Cards", and get with it yo). Basically they have BBQ in common...

This ally is now full of large picnic tables - ready for dining al fresco. Seriously CAN NOT WAIT.

You enter and hit a fork in the road. Do we find a table...do we order...where is the bar...

The answer: divide and conquer. Struan went in line to order our food while I grabbed a spot at the bar to get drinks. Whiskey seemed like the right call for our BBQ dinner.

Or grab a cold one

We sat at the bar and ate, but there are plenty of communal tables around. I just really didn't feel like sitting with other people...

You order by the half pound - we went with pulled pork, brisket and ribs. All were excellent. Pulled pork was probably our favorite (we ordered extra in anticipation of this) and I thought the brisket was really good with the burnt ends. And it's healthy because there are no carbs...right?! There are also a couple of sandwich options, although they do give you slices of white bread with the meat. Real down home. The menu also includes cold sides, your basic picnic fare like coleslaw, potato salad, macaroni salad, etc. We ordered the broccoli salad and it brought me back to childhood. My mom would make that for summer BBQs all of the time.

I have a feeling I will be making quite a few visits to Green Street Meats in the near future. Those outdoor picnic tables are calling my name.

7 Days in Dubai

Before my trip to Dubai was even halfway over, I was already thinking about how difficult it would be to articulate the experience. Even selecting which photos to use for this post was a struggle. The city is full of contradictions - it's old, but it's brand new; it's the Middle East, but Western culture is everywhere; the buildings are massive, yet seemly disproportional to the population. Dubai was such an amazing mix of touring and chillaxing - I think it's the most relaxed I have ever felt after a vacation (like most people, I usually complain about needing a vacation to recover from my vacation).

We were fortunate enough to have Struan's cousin and her boyfriend as our hosts during our trip. They live and work in Dubai (by way of London and Scotland) and are part of the growing expat community in the city. Staying with "locals" is such a great way to experience a new place and their recommendations and help (they set up a lot of what we did on the trip) really made our stay in Dubai the perfect week.

I've been asked to describe this trip by friends, family and coworkers - and it's hard! Here are some quick answers to the most ask questions:
1. Dress code - we were dressed more conservatively than a lot of the European tourists we saw. I erred on the side of caution and covered my shoulders and knees at all times in public. In the hotel restaurants you can pretty much wear whatever you want.
2. Alcohol - it's illegal, but you can drink there (one of the many contradictions I mentioned earlier). For residents you need an actual license to purchase and keep alcohol in your home (it's not difficult to obtain, just tedious). Restaurants are only allowed to serve alcohol if they are on hotel grounds of some sort. And as you can imagine, booze is pretty expensive. We drank every night if that tells you anything about the accessibility of alcohol.
3. Culture - although it's the Middle East, it's extremely Westernized. American chains are everywhere (but we rarely saw an American tourist or expat). I was in a bathroom at a nice restaurant on "ladies night" (woman drink free! contradiction alert) and I swear I could have just as easily been at Underground in Chicago by the way the women were dressed. Dubai is extremely safe, you can leave your purse on a table and no one will steal it. Most everyone we met was nice and friendly. 

Below are a few parts of our trip that are worth sharing. I also tried to provide a photo recap for each day we were in Dubai.  If you are interested in seeing more, my Instagram account actually provides the best play-by-play (@dsonni) with more details.

Day 1: "Dune Bashing" in the desert. The guides let some of the air pressure out of the tires and then drive around like madmen. Buckle up! But seriously, you need to wear your seat belt because you bounce around a ton. I should have worn a sports bra. The SUVs have roll bars in them so I felt pretty safe (even when we were driving horizontal along a dune). The sunset view against the sand was amazing.

After the dune bashing, the guides took all of the groups to a Middle Eastern-style BBQ in the desert. We took a few laps with the camel (you really need to hold on when it gets up/down!) and held a falcon (I was terrified). Apparently the falcon is a sacred bird and you can bring your pet falcon on flights with you (only on intra-Middle Eastern flights), you just put a little hood on its head so it thinks it's nighttime and doesn't bother anyone. WHAT?! I'll take snakes on a plane before birds.

Day 2-3: It ended up working out that we alternated "relax" days with touring days. Day two we spent at his cousin's building pool and hung out around the Marina (part of the city where a lot of expats live). Day three took us to the Burj Kahlifa, the tallest building in the world. It's INCREDIBLE. I expected to be like "oh, cool, a tall building" and that's it - but no, I was thoroughly impressed by its grandeur. It's almost twice as tall as the Willis Tower and you can see it from almost anywhere you go in Dubai. It's also built by a Chicago architect (same as Trump Tower) so of course we loved the hometown pride factor.

View from the 124th floor observation deck at the Burj. There's an open-air deck you can go out on and it's funny how just having that open component really adds to the intensity of the height. There wasn't a roof (duh, open air) and the side walls made of glass also had openings that you could stick your arms out of (or your head, as Struan did). The water you see in the picture surrounds the mall and restaurants (mall on left side). The mall is huge and there's a lot I could say about it, but the most unusual thing I saw was a Garrett's Chicago Popcorn store...what?! There's also light/water show (Bellagio style) each night in this area.

After spending the day at the Burj and the mall, we had dinner at a Lebanese restaurant (in the group of buildings in the water you can see from the Burj observation deck). Struan's cousin picked this restaurant because of the view (Burj light and water show) and because they served alcohol. Everything we ate during our stay was very, very good. I love Mediterranean food, but Dubai has also every type of cuisine (we had pretty good pizza and Mexican while we were there since Struan and I can only go a day or two without).

If you haven't noticed, we are kind of obsessed with the Burj. This picture looks superimposed (I swear it's not). The light/water show at night was fun to watch - especially since it was set to Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You". Classic.

Day 4-5: Our next relaxation day was spent at Nasimi Beach at the Atlantis. We were waited on hand and foot all day at the beach. Enough said. Day five we ventured to Old Town Dubai for some local culture. We went to the museum and it was better than we expected, I would recommend it. We also stumbled upon the cutest boutique hotel/art gallery/cafe where we had some mint lemonade and dessert.

It costs about $1 to take one of these water taxis down the creek. You get what you pay for.

Day 6-7: For our last full day in Dubai, Struan's cousins took the day off work and we chartered a boat. What's not to love about warm weather and boating?! It actually reminded us a lot of summer in Chicago, the boat goes along the city so you have some great tourist views. The building on the right is the famed Burj Al Arab "7 star" super luxurious hotel. The one on the left is the Radisson Blu "wave" hotel. And those two losers in the middle are Struan and me having an obligatory Titanic moment. 

This is the one of the Sheik's private yachts that we passed by. This boat costs 40 million dollars just to maintain every year. Thought this was a good example of the extreme wealth you hear about in Dubai. 

Let me know if you are planning a trip to Dubai and want any recommendations!