One of my favorite Chicago treats are the Whoopie Pies from Trotter's To Go. Theo and I had them this weekend and they were perfectly delicious. I don't know if it's Valentine's Day or what - but I have chocolate on the brain. I've decided to try to make some Whoopie Pies of my own, and I think I'll start with this recipe from Gourmet.
We had dinner at Custom House again last night. It was just as good as the first time. I love a restaurant that serves a cookie and confection plate.
My family had our annual Christmas and Culture outing last night. (Nearly every year around this time we have dinner together and hit a local art exhibit/play/musical etc.) Last night we had dinner at del Toro (above) and we saw The Santaland Diaries. The show was OK, dinner was superb. As a special treat, Margaret's family joined us. As always, we had a great time.
Theo and I are off to watch Australian football at a neighborhood pub. But first - we stopped to get some noodles and curry at Cozy Noodles and Rice on Sheffield. I love this place, not only for the food, but for the amazing collection of antique toys that completely COVER the place. (The PEZ dispenser collection in the women's bathroom is fantastic!)
I'm so bummed I'm going to be out of town this weekend, or I'd definitely be taking part in the Chicago Bites Cupcake Crawl this Saturday. Post in the comments section of their blog or email Chicago Bites to RSVP - they'll reply with a map of cupcake destinations. Yum! (Mandarin Orange Cupcake from BomBon Americano, picture from Chicago Bites.)
Last night Theo and I, along with our dear friends Adriano and Fernanda, ate at Alinea - Grant Achatz's latest hot spot. When it opened last year - Food and Wine said it 'may be America's best new restaurant.' It was unbelievable - All I can say is: WOW. W.O.W. We had the tasting menu:
I just don't have the words to describe the amazing, intense flavors. As they say - a picture is worth a thousand words - so here are some shots (courtesy of Alinea's website) of a few of our courses...
