315 West North Avenue

Recently, when we've eaten this early a Collections of Articles... it's been because that has been the only sensible way to get in the door.  This time, it was so we could get a good seat at a show after dinner...  Not so frustrating, but a little more stressful as we had to continually balance the time until the show started with what we thought we still wanted to consume.  Had to be done, the show their site... was awesome, and we would have then had to eat bar food at the show!

Quite simple from the outside, it may be that two stores were combined to make one restaurant because there's a clear delineation (a big hold up the ceiling type wall) separating the side we entered where there's the sushi bar, the yakitori bar(?), the host and a few tables from the side we ate in where it's just a dining room type arrangement.

It's quite brightly lit, it's very neat and tidy and quite generous in spacing out the tables.  There's perhaps 12 or 14 seats at the sushi counter and at least that many in the same area with perhaps 30 or 40 more on 'our' side.  There's also a private room with the sunken (I'm sure there's a better description, sorry) table arrangement, perhaps for 10 - from our vantage point it looked very soothing.  Some interesting wall pieces that comfortably fit in with what it seems they're trying to do.

A pretty quiet evening, although it picked up a little as we left (but they also lost a couple of other diners to the same show as us...), it worked out with how we wanted to order and how much of our Server we got to see.  He was very attentive, knew the dishes and therefore answered our questions quite handily and let us order in our own way, but I suspect we'd have seen less of him the busier the place got - but I don't know that for sure.

Although only one half of us knew in advance we were coming here we were always going to go the yakitori way so didn't spend a lot of time on the rest of the menu, but there's a lot there to choose from and we have no doubt we would have been just fine had we not being aiming so specifically in what we wanted to try.  We ordered in little batches, but probably could have ordered bigger batches and not had the table too overcrowded as dishes came out when they were ready, not as a batch, which suits us just fine.

Our meal went a little like this:

• Blackberry Shochu - it's Japanese Vodka, therefore it's a Japanese Martini, right?
• Plum Shochu - as above but a little less sweet
• Saba Nigiri - we technically weren't doing Sushi this night, but we do like our Mackerel.  Presented just a tiny bit differently to how we've come to expect.
• Sapporo Reserve - it's a lager
• Asahi - it's a slightly different lager.
• Yakitori - mostly served on skewers cooked over a small open BBQ type arrangement just around the corner from us.  You are given a couple of dipping sauces and dry rub type things to apply - some hot, some not.  By and large, we ignored them because some dishes were pre-sauced by the chef and clearly he's smarter than us at this.
  
  • Dark Meat Chicken 
  • Chicken Skin - not quite as crispy as we hoped, but tasty.
  • Chicken Meatball - awesome meatballs!
  • Shiitake Mushroom 
  • Eringi Mushroom - the least 'mushroomy' of the 3 we had.
  • Portabello Mushroom 
  • Bacon wrapped Tomato - watch out, the tomato juices are hot...  A fun, almost palette cleansing bite.
  • Beef Tongue - we weren't quite sure what to expect, but this was really good.
  • Duck Breast 
  • Shrimp 
  • Scallop - sliced thin, they've barely touched the grille.
  • Grilled Garlic - even if it's date night, you've got to try this.
  • Short Ribs - their special of the evening was a great finish and way too big for skewers.
• Tempura Smelt - perhaps shouldn't have waited until the end, but we almost didn't get it and then we would have missed out on the tasty, pleasantly oily (fish, not frying oil!) crunchy dish.

We'll be back, and probably before we feel the urge to get to another show in the neighborhood as we're kind of curious as to how they do all their Nigiri / Maki things after getting a new 'version' of Saba.

Stay JOLLY!
D

6545 North Clark

As promised A Previous Visit, we're back.  This time we rounded up 'the gang', partly to just hang with them, but also partly to get more of the great food on the table that is offered here.  We've still got more we want to try...

Our IowaSuburban participants prepared themselves not only for the trek to the Big City, but for the meal with a good bit of reading material (prior to and during the drive) regarding the restaurant, and Peru.  We applaud their efforts.  Actually, we stand and applaud!  Their research came up with a drink option we never ever would have thought to try and figure out on our own.  And... they sped up the ordering process by having a 'combo*' all picked out ready to be consumed.

We arrived pretty much on time and really didn't mind having to wait a bit as they got our table ready.  It didn't take long at all, but the nature of the place is they don't have a waiting area.  Some of us decided waiting outside was ok but one of the Servers said we could sit at one of the empty smaller tables while we waited.  Caesar came by to say hi, but he wasn't there all the time due to a very obvious reason when you see him - we wish him the best!

In the back of my mind I'd told my self I'd look a bit closer at the pictures, awards and other fun stuff adorning the back wall.  And, to peek in through the kitchen pass, perhaps to say hi and thanks to the chef(s).  Sorry, neither happened this time, but I really will try and do both next time.

The serving team appeared to be the same as last time, but we think that the youngest daughter was also on the floor (the eldest, I guess, is the boss Server now?) this time.  They were very relaxed with us, let us order in our own time (we took a while to decide - we might have been hungry for quite awhile without the Combo preselected - but mostly that's because we were still catching up) in our own way.  They figured out our intent for drinks and took care of that with ease.  And best of all, when we were the last table in the place they kept telling us we didn't have to hurry out - we still did a bit in an attempt to return some of the niceness they had shown us for the past 3 hours, but we'd had more than enough food & drink by then.

I don't think the dishes on the menu have changed since our last visit (but there's a lot there so it wouldn't be hard to sneak some changes by me) but it's certainly been given an upgrade in presentation.  Perhaps a little bigger, but shinier, with pictures of most dishes, stories of the family and stories and pictures of Peru.  I promise to read the stories next time we go back as it seemed rude to ignore the rest of the gang this evening.  We basically ordered in two rounds with the intent of sharing everything.  To be fair, I'm not sure if they planned it, or if it's just the way it worked out, but each round came out staggered giving us plenty of time to do the sharing without feeling pressured to scoop and pass.

Our meal went a little like this:

• Pisco Sour - this is where our traveling party excelled with their dedicated pre-planning.  They figured out the restaurant sells Virgin Pisco Sour mix by the pitcher and that we were able to bring in our own bottle of Pisco - the correct one, of course.  With a quick lesson from our Server, approval from the boss (although he said our Pisco was actually too good to be used in the mix and should be sipped like a fine brandy) and a little bit of trepidation we all had a try, declared it Margarita like (but not the same) and before we knew it the pitcher was empty.
• Black Chook Sparkling Shiraz 
• White Wine 
• *Papa Rellena  - as good as we remember it from last time, and therefore still better than the ones we made for ourselves A Daring Kitchen Article not too long ago.
• *Anticuchos de Carne y Pollo, Peruvian shish-kebob marinated with Peruvian spices (one chicken, one beef) - nicely cooked, nicely seasoned.
• Tamales (corn with chicken) - we recently made our own A Daring Kitchen Article for the first time.  We're pleased with how much better than ours these were, but we're also sad we've still got to practice more...
• Tiradito de Corvina, fresh corvina marinated in Peruvian spices and aji amarillo - we had this last time and we campaigned strongly for a repeat.  Everyone enjoyed it.
• White Wine 
• Red Wine 
• Chicharron de Calamar, fried squid, garnish of lime and sweet onions - great calamari all on their own, but kind of fun with the lime onions in the same bite.
• *Lomo Saltado, sautéed rib eye beef, tomatoes, onions, french fries, served with white rice - we got funny looks when we were able to explain that the fries are in the dish, not a side to it.  All together, it works out really well.
• Bistec a lo Pobre – Estilo “Llita”, grilled rib eye steak, fried plantains, 2 over easy fried eggs, beans and white rice - perhaps the simplest dish on the table, but equally as tasty with everything cooked just right, and kind of brunchy if you take a bite of the plantain and egg together with your steak.
• Arroz con Mariscos y Langosta, a super mixed seafood dish, with lobster, green rice & Peruvian spices, cooked in beer - It says super, right there on the menu, and they're right.  you either need to be really really hungry or come with a team to get through this.  Before we even got to the eating part there were many oohs and aahs from our table, and nearly as many from the table next to us who may have already ordered it for their next visit. The range of seafood is too long to list, but be prepared to do some shell removal.
• *Alfajor, two crummy cookies with manjar blanco (Peruvian caramel) - good thing these were part of the combo because we would have skipped desert and therefore missed out on this fun treat.  Really not all the sweet and not all that crummy either, but I'm not sure one person could eat both cookies as my 1/7 share really was enough to finish up the meal.

We had a wonderful evening with our friends!  Ultimately, we could have had fun anywhere, but we probably had a little more fun here because of how welcoming and relaxed Taste of Peru is and how happy everyone was with everything that made it's way onto our forks.

I think all our friends will be back again, and we would happily join them, but I suspect that being in walking distance to us, we'll be back to visit with Caesar and his family on our own a bit quicker because there's still a good list of dishes we'd like to have a go at.

Stay JOLLY!
DPete & Kris, Janet & Dave, Kate

1475 W Balmoral Ave

Party of the First Part: "Hey, what do you feel like for dinner?"

Party of the Second Part: "I dunno...  What do you feel like?"

PFP: "Ummm... Ahhh... Ummmm.  How about mussels?"

PSP: "Oh great idea, but where?"

PFP: "How about Vincent?  Maybe we can eat all 5 styles?"

PSP: "OK!"

So, off we went to see if we could eat all 5 styles of Mussels - and lets get it out of the way right now, can't be done. Nope, can't be done by an average everyday couple. 

The reason we know there are 5 styles is because we were there about this time last year A Previous Article.  We were rounded up by a good group of friends, had a lot of fun, a great meal, and were taken great care of and therefore had no reason to expect anything different being just the two of us - apart from the part about us not needing a menu.

We arrived without a reservation and were told we could 'squeeze' in if we promised to be done by a certain time which we agreed to seeing they were up front about it and we figured the hardest part of our evening would be figuring out which mussels to start with.  The time turned out to be fluid in that we were able to stay a bit longer without any nagging or harassment (and we couldn't see any obvious group of people loitering with a scowl on their face) which took us to about the length of stay we normally would have expected to be there.  Win win!

Our Server was a bit busy to start but once the rest of his team arrived he settled down into a good flow for us.  He could be very chatty if you allowed him when he wasn't running from table to table he did a good job of describing the specials - which we listened to just in case but really were committed to a bunch of mussels -  and from what we could politely(!) overhear he was good at questions too

It's BYO and they do open your bottle(s) up and provide ice buckets if you want - I rarely do as I don't expect the wine to be around long enough to get too warm (and often you get a pleasant surprise from it as it changes temperature)...  I was prepared to open our bottle and when the Owner (I'm pretty certain the Host is the Owner) or Host or whoever he is offered we told him that we arrived by bus and it would not be unreasonable for it to have been a bit agitated by the experience.  Before we had finished joking about the reparations required if there was some significant spillage the cork was launched quite rapidly into the ceiling getting the attention of just about everyone in the place.  It came down equally as quick and if you discount the votive candle that is no more, no harm was done in that somehow not a drop left the bottle before the pouring stage.  Worth the laugh...

The menu is easy enough to navigate with lots of things with a strong Dutch influence - some are almost certainly Dutch and nothing else.  We're not exactly sure, but the menu seemed a bit shorter this time around?  But it didn't matter, we had mussels on the brain.

Our meal went a little like this:

• Kentucky Bourbon Special Cocktail (it had more in it) - it all worked nicely together, I'd have it again.  The cinnamon swizzle stick was a nice touch - I actually kept the glass to enjoy the now cinnamon ice as it melted
• Gin & Rosemary Cocktail (it had a clever name, garnished with a rose petal) - enjoyed and consumed quite quickly.  Big sprig of Rosemary as a swizzle stick.
• Chandon California Brut - it's Chandon, dry but not too much; fruity but not too much.  And as it turns out, the same bottle we enjoyed last time we were here.
• Tarragon Mussels - we like our mussels, but we really get a kick out of the broth and dipping something into it once the mussels have gone away.  This was probably our favorite of the 3 varieties we got through (but not by much) and you definitely know the tarragon is there.
  
  • Frites - great!  Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside.  They come with a dipping mayonnaise of some sort which in most cases would be wonderful, but you're far better off for dipping (or drowning) them in the Mussel Sauce.
• Mushroom Mussels - not sure which brand of mushroom, but it's a pleasant change to get a whole something in the broth, but we still did some serious dipping.
  
  • Frites - same as above, and if you're thinking I'll just have a couple this time you'll be thinking wrongly...
• Amsterdam Mussels (cooked in beer) - a favorite from last time and works out really really well with the Frites.
  
  • Frites - still can't resist...

Dinner was great.  Exactly what we felt the urge for, taken care of as expected and the wax that was spilled didn't spill on us.  We'll be back!

Stay JOLLY!
D

2045 N. Damen Ave

We did it again.  We went to a show that was in an itty bitty venue, was a lot of fun, great value and we leave still not understanding why we don't do it more often.  We'll keep trying, perhaps it will become a habit one day...  And, just like last time A Previous Article, we really needed to eat something before the show.  So looking for something close to the Temple of Boobs - yes you read that right - took us through our To-Do List the List... and a pretty easy choice of Coast.

We parked by the Show so had a couple of blocks to walk to the restaurant, which was totally fine on a cool, but not cold evening.  When we got to Coast we were [pleasantly] surprised how busy it was due to the half dozen or so places we had walked by that were actually empty or very close to empty - hopefully they pick up as the night wears on!  Although not brightly lit, the place was easy enough to find with the big elegant sign over the place.

Once in the door there's a quite large waiting area with the host stand just a little further on.  They must be busy more often than not because this is the biggest waiting area we've seen in a long long time, one that was well used this night and we assume each night.  They were taking walk-ins who were being told a 30 minute wait, but we had a reservation.  It didn't get us right to the front of the line, but we were a little early and did sit pretty much at the time we had reserved so the reservation system seems to work.  Once out of the waiting area there's two restaurant areas of perhaps 60 seats each, the first has the sushi bar with 6 sushi chefs keeping very busy every time we looked over, and the second lit a little less brightly and set up with a banquette on each long wall probably allowing easier dealing with big groups, as compared to the 'normal' 2s and 4s in the first.

Once seated (we were in the 2nd section), we straight away noticed how loud it was.  Just people talking to their friends noise, not kitchen, busser or music noises.  I don't think it bothered us other than to recognize that it was there, as we still were able to chat amongst ourselves and with our Server without any troubles.  We're kind of curious as to what caused this and if it's the norm here because it sure didn't look like a loud place from outside and we didn't notice it while waiting.  Oh well...

It's BYO (Remember? A Previous Article  I don't subscribe to BYOB as the description.) so with our bottle on the table the first thing our Server did was to provide some glasses and get it open.  She went pretty quickly through the couple of Specials and one did catch our attention but at ordering time we had to get her to repeat so we could confirm what we heard the first time.  She was around when we wanted, certainly not nagging us to order out next treats, and answered our couple of simple questions, but didn't offer anything else up.

I don't think we're embarrassed to admit that we started eating at Sushi places due to a TV Review A Previous Article.  What caught our attention was the Dragon and Caterpillar Maki and the like, that, well, look like Dragons and Caterpillars.  We've since learned that there are lots of less dramatic looking but equally tasty delights to be had.  However, we do take a good look at the 'Special' Maki section and more often than not select a couple because they look fun and more often than not mix non-traditional maki things together.  For all the yummy stuff we ate this evening, the Special Maki didn't really grab us - not a deal breaker, because we still enjoyed everything that came our way this evening.

Our meal went a little like this:

• 2010 ranga ranga Sauvignon Blanc A Century Project Participant - crisp, a little bit of acidity.  We were confident in bringing this with us in that it would work out with Sushi.  We were right.
• Hamachi Crudo with Jalapeno - I personally could skip the jalapeno part, but once pushed to the side I found the Hamachi a nice gently refreshing way to get started
• Sesame Crusted Scallop with Balsamic Vinaigrette - cooked just right with a crust of Sesame that made a fun crunch.  An interesting match of the rich Balsamic and delicate Scallops.
• Exotic Tempura (taro, lotus root, shiso leaf, squash, asparagus, shitake) - it's probable we've had all this fun stuff as tempura before and not known what was inside.  The leaf is fun, the lotus root oddly pretty to look at, everything in a nicely browned light and almost fluffy tempura.
• Nigiri
  • Hirame (flounder) - we now know it's an option...
  • Saba (mackerel) 
  • Suzuki (sea bass) 
• Maki
  • Salmon Skin - a kind of maki we'll one day have a go at making ourselves, but tonight we enjoyed Coast's
  • Spider (soft shell crab, avocado, cucumber, black tobiko) - a little awkward to eat, but tasty to the last bite
  • Sunrise (ginger seared tuna, mint, mango) - looks pretty, the mint really stands out, not a bad way to finish up.

We enjoyed our meal and it fit in perfectly with our dining needs and wants for an evening with a Show.  We have no reason not to go back, but due to location we'd probably need a friend to invite us to get us to make the trek.

Stay JOLLY!
D

1952 N. Damen

Our To-Do List the List... includes a number of places we classify as 'save for a special occasion' and since we had an occasion that was special we had a readily accessible (and slightly longer than short) list to work with.  Although, we got to reduce the list pretty quick because we left too short a lead time for booking and therefore excluded ourselves from a couple - oh well...  We then decided we were in the mood for a Tasting Menu of some type, and had heard good things about Takashi's.  Off we went...

Not much from the outside, we almost walked right by it - but we didn't.  As I think is common for the neighborhood, it used to be a house and now it's not, but the building interior is the same because they still need walls to hold the roof up.  Therefore, inside you don't get one big space, but rather a number of fun shaped spaces.  It's not really that big with the host stand right in the door, the stairs up (to where we dined) right there too.  There's a small bar under the stairs and the kitchen is a little bit open in the back.  Upstairs there's a part where you're in the roof, so if you get the banquette side, watch your head if you jump up.  Decor throughout is simple, neat and tidy with low lighting and the music is there, but very understated, but also sort of soothing if you listened hard for it.

As part of our deciding where to go process we had peeked at the Tasting Menu on-line and the same one was offered this night so we didn't give the menu much more than a summarily once over.  It would not be hard to find a number of dishes to create a satisfying meal, and probably enough for multiple visits with no duplicates.  Seafood is clearly the focus, but there's lots of other fun things to amuse you with including (but not limited to) rabbit, pork belly and duck.

Our Server wasn't all that talkative and was perhaps a bit distracted / busy when we first sat down but he took care of us and he clearly knows the menu.  Also, he's either smart enough or well trained enough to understand the flow of the menu.  I note this because our cocktails arrived at about the same time we were telling him that the tasting with wine pairings was our choice.  Without hesitation he let us know that he wouldn't start the tasting until we had finished our cocktails so as not to get everything mixed up with the pairings.  We appreciate that he knew to do this!  We didn't have questions, but he was clear and sensible in his description of each dish as it arrived and he made sure our wines arrived at the same time, to which he also gave a quick description.

We did wine pairings with the tasting menu, so didn't spend much time with the Wine List either, but I did note, and enjoy the change, that the wines are classified by their oomph - Big Boys, Bubbles, Exotic & Aromatic...  It's a short compact list, and with the fun classifications it shouldn't be hard to get yourself pointed in the right direction.  I'm pretty certain your Server can get you to the 'right' bottle from within each grouping, as ours showed understanding of the wines we were being treated to as he delivered them which we would have to assume carries across the whole list.

Our meal went exactly like this:

• Honey Lavender Martini - tasty, not too strong, a change to have a gin martini.
• Whiskey Martini - it was yummy, and had more than Whiskey in there, but alas don't recall what. Sort of refreshing, certainly easy to enjoy.
• OMAKASE - the chef's tasting menu... Although we're not sure 'the' chef was out back... but we're hoping he was.
  
  • amuse bouche - tofu, of the soft squishy kind.  In general, not our favorite thing to see on a plate, but this was ok, especially with the rich sauce that came with it.
    • Avinyo Cava Brut NV - And, it's a full pour intended for the first course too, so don't get carried away...  A crisp, sort of appley thing going on.  Not to dry, worked well with both this and the crudo, but actually didn't need the food to be a comforting drink.
  • crudo of hamachi-yellowtail (Green Grapes, Fennel, Endive, Malden Sea Salt, Verjus) - eat the fish and nothing else and you'll be happy.  Get a little bit of everything on one bite and you'll be extra happy and a little bit excited about what is still to come.
    
    • Avinyo Cava Brut NV - did you get carried away and have nothing left for your crudo?
  • spicy octopus salad (Enoki Mushrooms, Garlic Chives, Frisee and Endive, Chili-Shansho Pepper Vinaigrette) - cooked just right, not too spicy.  Octopus clearly the star, but the Enoki are not far behind.  
    • Dopff Riesling 2007 - a great match, out of Alsace it's at the drier end of the Riesling scale.
  • sautéed maine scallops and soba gnocchi (Trumpet Royale, Celery Root-Parmesan Foam) - great scallops, but perhaps better gnocchi, certainly an awesome pair.  It ended too soon...
    
    • Champalou Vouvray 2009 - a nice and gentle acidity that worked really well with the dish.
  • soy-ginger caramel pork belly (Pickled Daikon Salad, Steamed Buns) - bring your fingers as you're encouraged to make an open sandwich...  Simple looking on the plate, but a lot going on in your mouth.  The best bite was the one with a little bit of everything, but if you gave me the pork belly or the salad all on their own I'd be happy.
    
    • Domaine Jean Parent Bourgogne 2008 - a Pinot Noir that I would have been equally happy sharing the scallops with, worked well at cutting through the caramel sweetness of the pork with a sort of earthiness you might expect in 'bigger' wines..
  • roasted indiana duck breast (Duck Rillette Roll, Baby Turnips, Green Bean Salad) - the roll may have been the best part, but not by much.  A nicely balanced dish overall, the Salad probably could have gone equally well with the pork (if it wasn't a sandwich...).
    • Vina Magana Dignus 2005 - a Tempranillo that played nicely with the duck.  A pleasant drinking wine, let the food still be the star of what was going on.
  • the egg (Milk Chocolate Crème Brulee, Caramel Custard Foam, Strawberry Macaroon) - a fun dish, both in presentation and in just general yummy-ness.  Sweet for dessert, but not overly so and wonderfully smooth in the mouth.
    
    • Vigneau-Chevreau, Vouvray Petillant Demi-Sec NV - if nothing else fun to get to try two different Vouvray styles as part of the same meal.  But, there was something else; sweet, but not too much, bubbly, but not too much and almost creamy in the mouth,

Success!  We had a wonderful dinner that suited our mood and our wants.  Nothing was complicated, everything was enjoyable, we left happy, relaxed and satiated.  We probably should get back and try order a couple of the non-Tasting dishes...

Stay JOLLY!
D

1578 N Clybourn

As part of our celebratory afternoon we actually did dessert first A Related Article and that was a good thing, because we easily could have found more to eat here and had absolutely no room left for dessert (assuming shakes don't count as dessert) - which would have been sad on a couple of levels.

It's a pretty large space sort of broken into two areas but I don't think there's any difference other than one side having the bar and the other side having the photo booth - apparently there's some way to get your mug up on the wall over the kitchen.  A mixture of booths and tables and it's all quite brightly lit due to the very large glass windows facing out on to Clybourn.  There's some art work going on made out of what I guess are old signs, but I don't really get it, but it also causes no harm.

We did turn up at a non-traditional meal time due to the pre-lunch dessert we had just had so got in right away, but it was still pretty busy and therefore we're asuming at the 'correct' meal times it's probably really really hopping.

Our Server may have been a bit frazzled when we first sat so we had a bit of a delay getting our beer orders in, but he calmed down and when we were chatting he certainly new both the menu and the beer menu and was able to offer sensible recomendations - apart from trying to talk us into a shake for dessert (but to be fair, he didn't know we'd already eaten a good amount of Frozen Custard Pie).  He certainly didn't rush us, which we always appreciate, he didn't mind putting in the Mac order ahead of the Burgers and he wasn't too far away when we felt the urge for an extra beer.

The menu is easy enough to navigate, with a good range of Burgers and non-Burger type arrangements.  Some thought has been put into the burgers so don't go looking for your basic everyday cheeseburger like ma used to make - you might not be all that happy.  A big beer list, mostly in bottles but enough on draft, that seems like it changes a lot - no bud or miller as far as I can tell, just fun crafty type things which there's a good chance you've never heard of.  They do give descriptions of what you might expect of each beer so you're not going in totally blind.  There's also a shake menu, and they did look pretty good from a far, but we just couldn't do one this day.

Our meal went a little like this:

• Domain DuPage 
• Robert the Bruce - worst case it's just fun to say, but it's actually fun to drink too!  Malty, but not to malty.
• Pulled Pork Mac - definitely mac-y, definitely pork-y.  A tasty start.
• Tur-Duck-En Stacker, turducken patty, arugula, turducken sausage, brie, cranberry / cherry chutney - a lot going on, but not too much.  Take your time eating it and enjoy it all!  And if you don't know what turducken is, well, ask someone...
  
  • Truffle Fries - for a buck extra how could you ever not upgrade?  Not the best truffle fries ever, but better than any other 'ordinary' fry you will ever see.
• Elk Burger, andouille sausage, pepper-onion relish, smoked gouda, chili aioli - a little bit of heat, a little bit of gamey, a little bit of sweet.  A great combination.
  • Sweet Potato Tots - for a couple of bucks extra how could you not upgrade?  A fun version of the classic you know you love.

It's another place that's not overly convenient for us to get too, but we'd be back often if we were clsoe by.  If we're in the neighborhood and in need of a relatively quick and easy meal we've now got a burger place to add to our dog A Previous Article place.

Stay JOLLY!
D 

2100 West Irving Park

We've been here before, but it's not been since we moved out of the general area and never for a Brunch.  It's a bar!  It's a good bar.  It's a busy bar. They like Halloween!

It's a long sort of skinny building split up into 3 sections by virtue of the walls that hold the roof up.  100% bar looking at the front, 100% brunch buffet looking in the middle (probably gets normal tables the second the brunch goes away), 85% kids section in the back (although this delineation is probably only apparent during brunch)...  It's a bar...  Lots of TVs with the games on, a mixture of high tops and normal tables, lots of options to drag tables around for bigger groups, and seeing it's Halloween season some fun decorations around the place that certainly got the kids attention.

It's a buffet, so you don't get much interaction with your Server, but she did come by to keep an eye on our drinks or to put in an order for an omelet or waffle.  She also didn't appear to be concerned with the kids not always being in their designated seats - she must have worked the kids section before...

Our meal went a little like this:

• Milk
• White Trash Mimosa - not exactly sure what the make up was, but you get a pint and it was sort of refreshing.
• Bloody Mary with Beer Chaser - it was consumed, and it comes with a big edible arrangement as a garnish.
• Brunch Buffet - plenty to choose from, including but not limited to...
  • Eggs, Bacon, Sausage 
  • Made to Order Omelets - but don't speak to the Chef, order through your Server...
  • Waffles - chocolate is an option that's hard for the kids to pass up
  • Yogurt / Fruit Bar
  • Biscuits & Gravy - I'm going to go with pretty good gravy - perhaps sausage?
  • French Toast 
  • Carved Turkey & Beef 
  • Sloppy Joes 
  • Dino Fingers - technically, for the kids, but I may have had 1 or 4...
  • Sweet Potato Fries - a pleasant surprise
  • Assorted Salads 
  • Cookies & the Like... 

It's not our neighborhood any more so even though we had a satisfying feed, it's unlikely we'll get back for brunch anytime soon.  But, if the stars align and we need a lazy brunch (or casual dinner) in the general vicinity of O'Donovan's we could give it another go.

Stay JOLLY!
DRon, Diane, Allison, Natalie

6545 N Clark

We found this place awhile ago thanks to the wonders of modern cable television, but it took us a little too long to actually get up and head over.  We're now glad that we finally did, but sad that we took so long - oops. 

It's another of our pesky neighborhood places that we're never going to get into the car to go to and falls perfectly in that walk over (and back) on a nice evening distance, but throw in the possibility of too hot, too cold, too wet, too white or too something else and we're not going to go for that walk.  What Taste of Peru has in it's favor, is that there's a bus we can hop pretty much door to door and it would have to be shut-down-Lake-Shore-Drive bad out there to be a fair reason not to go - that's some excellent pre-planning from when Cesar (yes, everyone gets to know him!) opened up shop about 10 years ago.

It's not a big place, just a storefront in an itty bitty strip mall type arrangement.  We had certainly seen it and discounted it as a potential dining venue (barely giving it any thought) many times prior to cable television stepping in because it doesn't look like much at all.  Oops!  Sorry!  Seriously, don't judge this book by it's cover!  Inside i'ts maybe 50 seats, but less people because almost all the tables are setup for 4 and end up with 2.  It's full, but we didn't feel cramped.  Simple tables, simple chairs, simple decor.  Lots of pictures / posters of Peru and Lima, and a few art type pieces that may or may not have been born of Peru but certainly help you get into the Taste of Peru.  There's also a wall of achievements / awards / exciting things that happened which was interesting to have a quick look at.

We certainly felt welcomed.  We turned up without a reservation and Cesar seemed almost embarassed to tell us the wait would be about 15 minutes.  We're not big waiters but 15-20 is ok.  Most of the waiting is done outside due to the overall smallness of the place, so we'll be making a reservation for when we go back in the height of winter.  The Servers aren't particualrly socialable, but answered all our questions and weren't far away when we needed them.  They work by committee and at least one is a daughter of Cesar.  If you like your Server to be socialble, you won't miss out though as Cesar visits everyone and doesn't mind being the center of attention as he puts on a little display or talks about some Peruivian history.  He's fun, but probably intrusive if you were looking for a 'true' date.

The menu is not hard to navigate, but even with the English descriptions you may need a little extra explanation from your Server to make sure you understand what you're really going to get.  You also get Cesar's story if you've got some time for some light reading.  No wine list as it's 100% BYO and there's no charge for doing so.  But, if you bring a bottle of wine, make sure you know how to open it because they provide the glasses and opener, not the opening.

Our meal went a little like this:

• Argentinian Malbec - didn't really know what to turn up with, saw the Malbec section in the store and was able to hunt down a South American from the small sampling provided.  Not a lot to it, pleasant enough and no reason not to get it again for this sort of meal.
• Ceviche de Corvina - a nice tang to the dressing, the fish is a great texture.  A great way to start!
• Papa Rellena - earlier this year we had a go at making these ourselves A Daring Kitchen Episode.  It's not hard to admit that ours weren't as good as these ones.  Soft and creamy mashed potato holds it altogether, lots of fun things on the inside including beef, olives, egg and more.  We'll have this again.
• Lomo Saltado - under the 'Traditional Peruvian' section of the menu, it's a combination (and I mean combination) of beef, fries, onion and tomato.
• Arroz con Mariscos (Seafood Paella) - a great mix of seafood, a great almost creamy rice, an interesting tang to it all.

That was a lot of food in just four dishes!  That was a lot of really good food!

Another place we're better off for having visited.  We're a little embarassed that it took a national TV show to find something so good in our neighborhood, but we'll get over it by going back and hanging with a guy (and his family) who absolutely positively loves what he does and is proud of it, but loves sharing it more with people like us.

Do yourself a favor and hop the #22!

Stay JOLLY!
D

1863 N Clybourn

Nothing has changed since we were last here A Previous Article not all that long ago, well outwardly, that's for sure.  The menu board probably has, but we don't know it well enough to be sure.  But, having said that, it seems that there's some sort of monthly contest between two 'guest providers' which has to have changed because we came back in a different month...

As promised, we'd try a little bit harder to get back here and seeing we were in pretty much the same situation (activity wise we'd just been doing some competitive running - well ok, not that competitive, but someone was keeping time...) as last time and as it wouldn't take much of a detour off we headed.  Catch is, we got there 15 minutes before they opened.  No drama there, as it's certainly worth a 15 minute wait in the comfort of your car even while wearing your post run outfit.

We thought the ordering part might go much quicker the 2nd time there, but we were wrong - there's a lot to take in and it all sounds so good.  Perhaps the 3rd time will go quicker...  This time we went with mostly new stuff.  We chose Sammy Sosa (great pic taken about the same day he quit on the Cubs...) to keep us company from their table 'number' board.

Our meal went a pretty much like this:

• Soda
• Truffle Mac 'n' Cheese (parmesan béchamel sauce, white truffle oil, brioche bread crumbs & thyme) - Yummy!
• Triple Truffle Fries (yukon gold waffle cut fries, truffle oil, truffle butter, truffle salt) - still the same great fries that may be the best I've ever had.
• Tur-Doggin (turkey & date sausage, crispy duck confit, herb garlic aioli, pickled onion relish & pickled carrots) - if you just got the dog on a bun with nothing else you'd be very pleased. Jam all the rest in there and you're double triple pleased.
• The Southerner (pork loin & caramelized onions sausage, corn bread, cherry bourbon BBQ sauce & scallions) - great sausage, fun with the corn bread, rich but not too rich sauce. Combined an awesome dog.
• Truffle Mac 'n' Cheese (parmesan béchamel sauce, white truffle oil, brioche bread crumbs & thyme) - So good, we had some more for dessert!

A great lunch!  We'll be back!  There's still more to try, including a flight of dogs and platter of corn dawgs.

Stay JOLLY!
D

500 North Michigan

So, we ate really early again A Bunch of Articles.  Only, this time it wasn't just to get in the door (although the place was hopping and they don't take reservations so 'normal' dinner time on a Friday or Saturday may be a challenge) but rather because we just headed on over after work which was just down the block for one of us and a comfotable & pleasant walk past Millenium Park this evening for the other.

It's not hard to find, but it's a little hard to get to the host - you have to squeeze down a walkway past some overflow cocktail enjoyers and / or people waiting for a table, through the outdoor patio (which is very cramped) and through the door that's hard to open if anyone else is waiting at the host stand.  Once we made it, no further obstacles.  We were initially offered immediate outside seating, but we declined due to the almost gale force winds and high probability we'd need a coat not long after the sun went down (turns out it didn't cool off too much, though).  It seemed like we were in for a wait to stay in side, but the other host appeared and said "no problem right this way".  There were actually quite a few inside seats at this time...

Decor is pretty simple, tables set up to maximize the number of diners at anyone time, medium lighting, music I mostly couldn't hear (but what I could fit into my comfort zone), they've had some fun using the ends of barrels as a menu board of sorts and a few stray busts of pigs in various goofy states.  There's a part of the kitchen front and center (at the back) but I don't think they're trying to keep any secret that a lot of the stuff appears on the pass from somewhere else.

We weren't given an option where to sit, so ended up at one of the 'team' tables.  As they don't take reservations, I guess it's just luck (or a large tip, perhaps?) that get's you one of the two tops, but that didn't bother us at all.  If you turned up with the intention of a nice cozy date (and didn't bring a big tip for the host), you'd be disappointed, but if you're up for some fun and adventure this is a fine way to dine.  There wasn't a lot of chatting amongst new friends, but lots of looking at what everyone else has and a couple of quick oohs and ahs as part of a recommendation request / confirmation, perhaps some changed menu selections and we actually enjoyed watching the couple next to us who had just finished desert to retreat and grab up one of the Smears they had just seen across the table - good for them, indeed.

There's also seating at the bar, and a couple of seats at the kitchen's pass area - but don't try sitting there without being shown the seat by the hosts.  If it was your only option, it would be a shame to decline the seat and not dine but it's a tight fit on both sides (your dining space and the aisle behind you) and if you're there for anything more than one dish and one drink you might get annoyed with the bumping and activity that seemed to be pretty much non-stop.

Our Server was chatty, friendly, running more than walking later in our meal, but really really clued in on the menu.  We asked him to describe the Cured Meats and he went through the list unhesitatingly - as he did with any of the other questions we asked. 

The menu isn't hard to understand the basics of just about every dish, but there's a decent amount (well... for us) that just needs a further bit of clarification or 'translation' but that was easily solved by our Server, as noted above.

Our meal went a little like this:

• Mionetto "Prosecco" - they thoughtfully allow a whole bunch of their wines to come by the glass, third bottle or half bottle. We thought a half was a good way to start, and it was - a nice refreshing, crisp wine, not too spritzy, not to acidic - but to get a half bottle they fill a carafe and I'm not sure double pouring anything in the champagne type family is a great idea.
• Don Sancho Londono "Cotijo 111" - out of Rijoa it's mostly Tempranillo but with some Garnacha in there too. It really needed some time to waken up once the cork was pulled. Nothing special with the first couple of sips, but a nice rich, full and balanced wine appeared a little later.
• Pig Platter - not sure why you would never get the whole shebang, but if you prefer, all of it comes a la carte too. I could easily go back and grab up this again, perhaps a beer too, and then be on my way. Mostly, make use of your fingers for best results...  Apologies to our Server and the Runner who both did a good job of explaing what was placed in front of - catch is we mostly can no longer match up what we had with their descriptions.  All good, and we pretty much had to arm wrestle to agree on our two most favorites - it was a draw, so no favorite declarations today...
  
  • Catalonian Fuet 
  • Tartufo 
  • Lingua Agrodolce (house made) 
  • Jamon Serrano 
  • Finochionna 
  • Testa (house made) - this one is the head cheese which is a struggle for a lot of people when they understand what it is.  Just enjoy it, I know you will.  It's also the only one you need some help from your knife and fork.
  • Coppa (house made) 
  • Sopressata 
  • Prosciutto Di Parma 
• Cheese Selection - as we ordered it at the same time as the Platter it came on the same board which is a fine way to do it. We're very happy they came out that way.
  • Manchego 
  • Camembert Fermier - tasty, but perhaps could have benefited from some time on the counter before making it to us.
  • Cabot Cheddar 
• Mussels, Pancetta, Creme Fraiche & Marjoram - not the best dipping sauce we've ever had (although we did order more bread for dipping so I'm not saying it was bad!) but the best scooping sauce with a generous helping of the Pancetta being more than enough to combine with every single mussel.
• Pork Neck Bone Rillette & Mostarda - from the Smear section you get to spread it on crusty bread.  Apparently there's an art to making this stuff, and they have this art here.  Looks richer than it really is, really tasty alone, but combine the Rillette (soft pâté like, perhaps is a good description) & Mosarda (a jam, but far better than any jam you've ever had at breakfast, ever) together and you'll be very happy.
• Nutella Panini - if there's just the two of you, don't even think of getting two desserts if this is one of the two.  It's rich, and rich, and rich, and yummy and almost impossible to leave any behind.
• Chocolate Martini 

We would like to go back as we're big fans of the whole sharing a bunch of stuff and taking your time, which they do really well.  But we're not so into the whole no reservation thing that more and more Chicago Restaurants seem to be signing up for.  Not letting me reserve a table takes the place off our destination list and moves it over to the whim list - our destination list gets a whole lot more activity...

Oh, and no matter what, get one of the Smears somewhere into your selections!

Stay JOLLY!
D

4091 N Broadway

I've told you about Michael's a few times now and how it used to be our local and we're sad it can't be anymore.  Now, it serves us well when we want to go see a Hawks game after work as arriving there straight from the train gets us in early enough to get a table by the big screen and first pick at the board games if we're planning on playing.

We thought seeing the Season Opener was a good thing, so off we headed.  Catch is, the Baseball Playoffs got the big screen.  We still got to see the game on a bunch of TVs but it's not quite the same and kinda sad when they lose.  Oh well...

It was only medium busy inside, with just about all the tables occupied once the Cardinals game started.  But with a moderately surprisingly warm Friday evening, their outside sections were jamming from the time we arrived until (we're sure) long after we left.  Good for them, of course!

There's a couple of new faces behind the bar and on the floor, but they took equally good care of us as did the couple of familiar faces that came by to say hello.

Our meal went a little like this:

• Great Lakes Elliot Ness - a bit of bitterness to it, that's certainly not bad, just not my preference.
• 312 
• Cheese Fries 
• Onion Rings 
• Build Our Own Thin Crust Pizza - it's a bar pizza, so heavy on the cheese, but it's a pretty good cheese.  A lot easier to eat as it cools down.  We chose artichike, onion, sausage and garlic to put on top.  There was none left...

We're bummed we didn't get the best view of the game (and double bummed they lost), but we're extra happy there's still a couple of staff that remember us and treat us just like we pop in every week and that the food and drink is better than average Sports Bar fare.  We'll be back during the Hawks season at least a couple more times - and a few more after that when they make the Playoffs.

Stay JOLLY!
D 

3726 North Southport Avenue

We started across the road A Related Article for a snack...

We've done a few of these tastings Previous Articles now (a couple even before I started writing about them) and certainly expect to do some more.  This was a moderately tough one as there's so much subjectivity just in the wine, but add in at least the same amount in cheese and there's lots of room for disagreement and / or confused palettes.

Again, this is technically not a date nor a dinner and still not even a restaurant.  But definitely fun, educational and certainly worth sharing since it's already written down somewhere close by!  We've done this before, and we'll do it again (and again, and again...).  Low stress, fun and great value for money!

Click to Visit the Other Blog and see what really went down.

Stay JOLLY!
D

3651 N Southport

We were off to another tasting event A Related Article at our favorite wine store Our Wine Club Blog and knowing we were doing cheeses with our wines and not starting for another hour and a half we thought Tapas would give us the best opportunity to dine and not over indulge - we managed that.

It's not that big a place, but it's set up to make use of the small patio they're allowed on Southport with a big 'window' that opens up well enough to bring a good part of the outside in.  It was open when we arrived (and we wrongly used it as the front door - sorry about that) but as the sun departed, so did a good bit of the temperature and so it was closed. 

Inside it's fairly small with the bar sort of serving as the host stand too.  There's a line of high tops along the wall opposite and normal type tables out in the back section, which is really just the same room past the bar.  Spanish type music going most of the time, I think, and the decor gives the feel of what we (not just the two of us, but everyone reading) have probably come to expect a tapas place should look like - earthy tones, viney things, low lighting, dark wood, casual.

The menu is quite a bit to work through, especially if you've never done Tapas before.  Everything has it's Spanish name, so that's a bit of a problem for me, but the descriptions are in English to help me out.  With a little bit of concentration, you should be able to see that it is laid out sensibly allowing you to select appropriately.  They've even taken the time to indicate which dishes take a bit longer to prepare - which is a good thing because that means your paella isn't already half cooked when you walk in the door. 

Our Server could certainly answer questions (but we thought we understood the menu well enough so didn't really have any), but he didn't do much more than take our orders, explain that our preferred Sangria flavor was unavailable, and get our follow up orders.  Not a bad thing, especially since there was no pressure to order everything at once, and no concern when we asked for a short break before ordering something else.  The bussers were perhaps a little too quick to get the empties, but they did a good, and mostly unobtrusive, job of keeping the table clear of our little spills - it happens when the plate is in the middle of us, occasionally...

It's all about small plates and / or sharing, so please don't try order your own dishes and let your date order theirs...  And be prepared for dishes to come out when they are ready, not in any sort of grouping you may have intended when you placed the order - we're double ok with that.

Our meal went a little like this:

• Mango Sangria - not sure how the mango gets to join the party, but with some extra mixing applied it's definitely mango in flavor. You could call it refreshing too, and if you like chewing on your fruit salad, there's plenty to choose from.
• Mejillones a la Marinera (mussels in marinara sauce) - yummy.  A fun rich dipping sauce, although it was also good to get a scoop with the mussel too.
• Plato de Jamon y Queso (serano ham, manchego cheese, tomato crostini) - very crunchy crostini.  A simple plate, simple flavors, yummy and gone way to quick - and yes, we had some cheese prior to our cheese tasting (we also had wine, if you're going to be picky...)
• Albondigas Espanolas (Spanish meatballs, red wine sauce, saffron rice) - not sure what makes them Spanish?  The rice had that paella sort of crust to it, and the sauce brought everything together nicely.
• Patatas Ali Oli (potatoes in garlic mayonnaise) - actually not what we expected - that'll teach me for bringing past memories to a new restaurant.  If you disregard my mistake the dish was tasty, no doubt, but a little rich for what we were going for this evening.
• Pincho de Pollo (chicken skewers, red pepper aioli) - a nice finish as we got ready to head over the road.  Certainly undid our earlier boo boo.  The aioli, probably the star of the dish.

We enjoyed our dinner, and could easily have grabbed up another dish or two (and a dessert) if we didn't know we were continuing the evening across the road.  Probably not a destination restaurant for us, but if we're in the neighborhood and in need of something that can be quick and low key, Bull-eh-dia will make the short list.

Stay JOLLY!
D

2011 N. Southport Ave (Finkl & Sons)

Nothing to do on a Saturday night?  Got a few bucks you'd like to send the way of Chicago Gateway Green?  Then get on over to the big top! 

Ok, it's not a big top, but it sure was a big tent in a big parking lot.  Actually, the event is so big it can't even all fit under the 'sure was a big tent', with the stage, dance floor, half a dozen bars, 10 or more food stops and a lot of people spilling out on just about all sides.  Well done to whoever figured out how to get it all in.  Well done to the dudes who actually built it.  And, well done to Finkl & Sons for having the space to do it!

It's a charity ball, so there's food, drink, silent auction, band (Dr Bombay), dj (someone from the Underground), dj #2 (someone from somewhere), speeches and lots of people - would 50,000 be an over estimate?  But considering the number of people, it didn't feel all that crowded no matter what you happened to be focused on at the time - although the deeper into the night we progressed, there was more dancing occurring in non-dance-sanctioned locals making it just a little harder to get your next adult beverage.

The chefs worked hard and often found time to be talkative about what they were 'selling' but couldn't really be chatty seeing their next 5 'customers' were standing right behind me.  Plenty of wait-staff type people around the place, the bartenders worked hard and poured generously.

The music was dialed in around 11 most of the time.  I really liked the band that opened the show, playing a fun mix of covers.  The first dj played music I mostly recognized but not in the way I 'learned' it, and the second dj played stuff I think was music (the dance floor was still hopp'n) but I really don't know what it was - I'm assuming it's for the young 'uns as it was borderline past my bedtime when he came on. 

Our meal went a little like this:

• Bubbles - no idea what it was, it was the first thing that came our way.  Nothing to complain about...
• Sauvignon Blanc - no idea what it was.  It filled the white choice admirably...
• Pinot Noir - no idea what it was.  It filled the red choice admirably...
• Food - There were 65 restaurants and 4 food trucks doing their thing. 
  
  • We didn't do them all, but we gave it a good shake...   
  • All bite size, most just needing 2 fingers and a napkin attached to your cocktail hand...
  • There was hot, cold, raw, frozen, liquid, sandwich, sciency...
  • There was old favorites, reinvented old favorites, restaurant signatures, very clever bites...
  • We definitely had a couple of favorites, a couple of pleasant surprises and a couple we'd really like to see the full size version of.

We had fun, we ate well, we drank just the right amount more than enough, we listened to some fun tunes   and at least one of us had a dance.  And it's all for a good cause!

Stay JOLLY!
D

601 S Wabash

Never actually had dinner here before (never considered it, really), but have had lightning quick lunches a couple of times due to my work being on the same block.  And, we only ended up here because our original plans A He Sipped / She Sipped Article were at best delayed and possibly postponed to the next day and we needed somewhere to wait while we decided if it was delay or postpone - and seeing we were doing a Wine Tasting, a Bar probably not the best solution.

It's a simple space built pretty much as you'd expect from a restaurant that is part of a hotel.  Some relatively simple decorations of the Thai variety and a Sushi Bar if you'd like to watch a couple of guys in action while you dine.  It's neat and tidy, not too cramped and set up to allow combining of tables for larger groups.

Certainly not chatty servers, not even all that talkative in explaining how the Friday Evening Deal worked, but it's not that complicated - choose from the special menu, don't be greedy, order more if you want, still don't be greedy, rinse and repeat...  But our drinks arrived prompty, they came by when we were ready to re-order and the food came mostly pretty speedily.

If you don't want to do the Friday Evening Deal they have a pretty extensive Thai menu that appears to have everything you'd expect at a Thai place, and also a pretty extensive Sushi menu too.

Our meal went a little like this:

• Sapporo Light
• All You Can Eat Maki & Sushi - they have rules, but they also have a very generous list to chose from.
  • Gyoza (chicken potstickers) - really tasty, almost got a second order as 'dessert'.
  • Shu-Mai (shrimp dumplings)
  • Sushi 
    • Hamachi (yellow tail)
    • Smoked Salmon - different in that it's not raw
    • Masago (smelt roe) - a fun texture of the crunch being the focus of the dish and not just a garnish on your maki
    • Red Tobiko (flying fish roe) - a different color, but to us tastes the same
  • Maki 
    • Sweet Potato - crunchy from the tempura
    • Shiitake - all about the mushroom
    • Soft Shell Crab
    • Ebi Tempura (shrimp) - crunchy like the sweet potato, but sweeter
    • Unagi -
  • Special Maki 
    • Rainbow (yellowtail, cucumber; wrapped with tuna, salmon, avocado; sesame seeds) - fun.  Looks and tastes great.
    • Pink Sundae (tempura shrimp, cream cheese, avocado, tobiko, chili sauce, scallions, sesame seeds; with tempura crumbs, strawberry mayo, unagi sauce) - the Cream cheese was kind of fun and kind of odd at the same time.  A lot going on that works out ok.
    • Fire Drop (boiled shrimp, masago, mayo, avocado, sesame seeds, touch of chili oil; wrapped with tuna, green onion sprinkles) - different texture without the tempura.  Not a lot of fire (phew!)

Our dinner was fine, we tried a couple of new things, ate well and still we managed to leave out a number of items we couldn't fit in this evening. 

Not what we'd planned on, and we were able to head on over to the Tasting for what turned out to be an awesome evening in Chicago by the lake.  I don't think we'd go rushing back, but if something comes up that keeps us in the neighborhood of my job and we need some dinner there's no reason not to head on back.

Stay JOLLY!
D