Check out Episode 2 of the new food podcast,
Chicken 'n Waffles!

As of today, I leave for Australia in exactly two weeks. Crazy, huh? My apartment is in shambles, my going away party is this weekend, and I have three days left of work. I feel excited/amazing/terrified/sad to leave people/stoked to eat some tim tams. The sad part is all the work that needs to be done before we leave, like moving out of the apartment, decided what is worth taking abroad, and oh god, even dental surgery. BUT, thankfully, I was thinking with my stomach when I planned my last few weeks here, and that means…food! And tons of it!
It started last Thursday at Wildfire, a Lettuce Entertain You steakhouse. I know, I know, I usually hate chain restaurants because the service sucks and the food is never great, but this place is different. So much steaky-goodness, it is hard not to like it (unless you don’t eat animals, and even then, their sides kick ass). I went with my improv friends from Second City, 12 of us in all. The great part was that Wildfire is expensive, but has these family-style dinners at a discounted price that let large groups feast on a wide range of foods.
And did we ever eat! Three cheese and cherry tomato pizza, spinach and artichoke fondue, house salad, chopped salad, bourbon beef tenderloin tips, New York strip steak, creamed spinach, double stuffed cheddar potatoes, key lime pie and triple chocolate cake. Yeah. It kicked a lot of ass.
The tenderloin tips were soooo tender and even though they were a little too medium for my liking, it didn’t matter. They still tasted juicy and just fricking amazing. The dinner itself was around $30, and with wine and tip, came to $50 a person, which is definitely a great deal in Chicago.
At the end, I kept saying,
”Does anyone else feel like they’re gonna vomit in a good way? Cuz I sure do!”
Nausea never felt so good.
And with two more big dinners, one party and one slumber party in the midst, it is certain to return!
We also hit up Hopleaf Bar, a gastro pub in our neighborhood, and we happened to eat another item on the list! Too bad we had already conquered that item, the Nueske ham sandwich with gruyere, apple tarragon slaw on pumpernickel bread served with the BEST damn frites and aioli this side of the Atlantic. The husband and I also tasted mussels for the first time that was not in a $5.99 Chinese buffet line. They came in a large pot with a tasty liquid of white wine, garlic and other goodness. And when the mussels were gone, they had bread that you used to sop up the rest of the sauce…seriously, why did I try these earlier? And of course the kick ass frites. I took one bite of the mussels and made my decision. This has to be my birthday dinner next week. I need these mussels. And they need me. We were meant to be. Lovin you is easy cuz you’re beautiful…
Sigh. I love food.
~LTG