Tasty Travels: Chicago Edition, Part 2

Yesterday, I recapped my first 24 hours in Chicago. And a fun-filled 24 hours it was.

My second evening in Chicago, the girls had planned to try out a place called Benchmark for dinner. We arrived to find that it was pretty much packed wall-to-wall with 20-somethings that looked like they stepped out of an Abercrombie ad. {Not that I - a happily married woman - was looking or anything... but it was sort of hard not to notice.} The guy to girl ratio was way tilted in favor of the bachelorettes I happened to be dining with, so crowd watching was definitely entertaining.

When we finally managed to snag a table, we settled in and grabbed some drinks. Looking around, it was easy to see why the place was popular with it's open air seating {they have a retractable roof, which I imagine comes in handy during the blizzardy wintertime}and bustling bar scene. The Blackened Shrimp Wrap with orange, mango, & Asian pear and Sriracha-Citrus Vinaigrette I picked out for dinner was super flavorful {and I was semi-obsessed with the Sweet Potato Fries} and it went perfectly with the refreshing Summer Shandy I had to drink. Two thumbs up for Benchmark... one for the food & drinks, and one for the "scenery". ;)

After dinner, we wandered over to Old Town Social, a dimly lit restaurant and bar with tons of character. As I browsed the drink menu by candlelight, I could tell that they take their handcrafted cocktails and housemade cured meats seriously. {Um, take for example, the "Piggy Back"... a shot of Maker's Mark with a Bacon Consomme Back} I was sort of smitten with the brick walls, antique-ish decor, and how they managed to make the large space so cozy and comfortable. Definitely a place I'd want to visit again.

We were on a roll with picking fun spots, so we headed back towards Emily's neighborhood and stopped in at Galway Bay for a game of darts or two. Despite seeming like a hidden basement bar, I was surprised to find that it was buzzing with activity and full of young people. {Am I just used to going out in South Florida where the majority of the patrons are of Social Security check-receiving age??}

The girls showed me how it's done... and I almost got a bullseye! :)

Exhausted from all the fun, we called it a night and headed to bed since we had all of Sunday ahead of us.

The next morning, Emily took me to see the Wicker Park area, and we had brunch at a place called Feast. As much as we wanted to sit outside in the adorable patio area, we stuck with indoor seating since the temperatures were still on the warmer side. Luckily, the inside is just as charming as the outside, and we settled in to a corner booth in the back and enjoyed the air conditioning.

I ordered the Breakfast Croissant {egg, mozzarella, roasted tomatoes, prosciutto, and arugula on a buttery croissant} and it. was. awesome. So were the crispy "feast potatoes" that came alongside them. While I was most definitely satisfied with my meal {I actually only ate half & saved the rest for the next day's plane ride home}, I couldn't help but eye the stack of blueberry oatmeal pancakes on our neighbor's table and wonder if they were as delicious as they looked. Stuffed, we headed out to get our Sunday started.

{P.S. I did a TERRIBLE job taking food pics on this trip! I was just to eager to dive in, I guess!}

A few hours later, I was a little sorry I had taken Feast's name so literally, because as it turns out, I was about to embark on a foodie fantasy: A bakery tour of Chicago, hosted by Emily's good friend Alli. {P.S. Check out Alli's blog, Fetes, Food, & Fashion where she talks about... well... all three of those things!}

As fabulous as all of my meals had been during my trip so far, things were about to get taken up a notch and I was totally up for the challenge!

So... tomorrow, be prepared to drool a little bit as I share Chicago's sweetest stops. And, don't you worry, I definitely took some pics of all the goodies for you!

Tasty Travels: Key West Edition, Part 1

Yesterday I promised you a little foodie recap and guide to some of the places Steve and I visited on our trip to Key West, and boy, do I have a lot to share! Luckily, I've gotten into the habit of photographing my food and drinks, so you have tons of visuals! ;)  So, let's not waste any time...

We had a tasty lunch of tacos & margaritas at Amigos Tortilla Factory, where they have handmade square tortillas. {If that's not enough to entice you, I don't know what is.} We were pleasantly surprised to find that their menu is 85% gluten free... they even have a gluten free beer selection!

We did a little bar hopping to Irish Kevin's for some live music & crowd heckling {the performer heckles the crowd, not the other way around}...

And then Capt. Tony's Saloon to see if we could find the business card Steve had stuck to the wall when we last visited during our honeymoon cruise 3 years ago. {We didn't find it.} If you're looking for a cocktail here, try the Pirate's Punch. {We didn't have it this time.}

The place is covered in business cards, license plates, and... yep... bras.

That evening, we decided to skip a big dinner and stop by Sunset Pier {sans sunset due to the super cloudy weather} for some Conch Fritters & drinks instead. {They make a fabulous Dark 'n' Stormy.}

Afterwards, we wandered over to Hog's Breath Saloon and got there just in time to take cover from a torrential downpour... {Fun fact: I found a plaque that says "Dianna ~ Steve, I Love You" on one of the beams of the outside bar during a visit 5 years ago, which amused me because those are our names, spelled the same way which is a rare thing to find with the extra "N" I have in my name. I always go back & look at it when I am in Key West.} Tip: Stick with beer here if you're planning on having a drink.

And, once the rain let up, finished the night off with some entertainment at Pete's Dueling Piano Bar.

The picture on the right is what happens when you try to take a picture of yourself
with a big DSLR after a night of bar hopping.

Tired yet? 'Cause we were! This concluded Day 1 of our adventure. After all, we needed to rest up and do it all over again the next day.

Tomorrow, I'll share the highlights of Day 2 which include pastries, Cuban food, and a cookie that even I couldn't finish... is it any wonder my pants are a little snug?

I'll leave you with a recipe for that Dark 'n' Stormy I mentioned earlier - a rummy, refreshing drink that's sure to please Ginger Lovers with it's spicy ginger kick!

Dark 'n' Stormy
From Gosling's Rum

1.5 oz Gosling's Black Seal Rum
4-5 oz Ginger Beer*

In a tall glass filled with ice add 4 - 5 oz of Gosling's Stormy Ginger Beer and top with Gosling's Black Seal Rum. Garnish with a lime wedge {optional, but recommended!}.

{To make it "Sunset Pier authentic", use Fevertree Ginger Beer... thanks for the tip, Bartender Al!}