... are less than great. It has a comfortable but not special appearance and I'm pretty sure I've passed some of their locations many times without even registering them. The restaurant features lots of booths and tables. Older people come here, families come here. It's not exactly an urban hotspot, with locations in Naperville and St. Charles and Elgin and Crystal Lake and Aurora. But the food here is more than decent-and I say that coming from a region that has spawned Walker Bros. Pancake House, among others, and offers me plenty of outstanding breakfast options. I've ...
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... it, and I'm always game so I agreed. We visited a cute and elegant little restaurant called Bistro Bordeaux, which is right in downtown Evanston. Evanston, you may know, is the suburb just north of Chicago and home to Northwestern University. It's one of the more interesting and urban suburbs, and accessible by the El on the purple line. As soon as I entered the place seemed familiar. I used to visit the restaurant all the time several years ago when it was home to Mt. Everest, a favorite Indian food restaurant. Mt. Everest moved to a different space ...
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... of wood. You could use decorations from old fireplaces for the corners/tops of the legs. Or even use old doors (although you will need to lay a sheet of glass on top to give you an even surface). A corrugated iron sheet covered with glass gives an ultra urban edge to your dining table (make sure you fix the glass on well though, laying the corrugated iron sheet on a flat piece of wood first, for support). Or if you have a table top already you could make a pedestal base from unusual materials, old bricks maybe, or an old chest ... with an early morning cup of coffee & the newspaper, & giving you a space to entertain in at night. Ideas for different tables includes tables for contemporary homes, entertaining & some ideas for quirky one off tables. If your home is decorated in a modern style then you will want a contemporary dining table. These work well in rooms that are light & open, with light coloured walls, that don't have too much other furniture in them. Most modern tables are glass topped, which is practical, but not everyone wants the transparency of glass. Fortunately these days glass that has been lacquered on ...
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... house Grüner Veltliner if they have it in stock.) As for the scene, it's really just a few tables outdoors and a cozy café indoors with various sized tables to fit all groups. Sit at the bar for faster service, but you'll probably want to draw out the dining experience when you see how welcoming the staff is; they really are incredibly nice people and not your typical hipsters/servers/wannabe-actors. In all actuality, they probably love pizza even more than you do, and that's why they work there. The vibe is really trendy without being pretentious ...
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... is a central gathering area for friends and family. This is the place where personal style is expressed, and is evident in the dining furniture, place settings, candles and accessories, silverware and crystal. Whether it is simple lines for urban contemporary or ornately carved Spanish with the glassware and crockery to match, solid oak will make a beautiful background to support the personal style. The size of oak dining table depends on the size of the dining room. There should be enough comfortable space for walking around the tables and chairs and for serving. A round table makes better use of a small area ... and accessories, silverware and crystal. Whether it is simple lines for urban contemporary or ornately carved Spanish with the glassware and crockery to match, solid oak will make a beautiful background to support the personal style. The size of oak dining table depends on the size of the dining room. There should be enough comfortable space for walking around the tables and chairs and for serving. A round table makes better use of a small area because it will seat more without taking up extra space. If there is a large dining room with a sideboard and windows overlooking a garden, a rectangle table ...
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Walking around Los Feliz one day, waiting to see a movie at the beloved Vista Theatre, I stumbled upon the most glorious, hole-in-the-wall taco dive you can imagine. We're talking about a place that is entirely family run, by people who might not speak a word of English, but who know how to make a juicy dream of a taco in their sleep. That's right. I discovered The Best Fish Taco in Ensenada. (The name is not a hyberbole, I promise you.) There is street parking only, but on the spacious streets of Little Armenia (a mini universe within Los Feliz), it won't be hard to find a spot. Just make sure you bring cash, since they don't believe in those fancy schmancy little magic cards here... If ...
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A week or so ago my family and I happened to be in Bucktown trying to get food. Specifically, we were hoping to go to Piece, the pizzeria owned by Rick Nielson of Cheap Trick. Not because I loved the band when I was 10, although I did, but because I've been trying to get here for ages. It was Saturday night, there were final four NCAA games on, and there was no chance we were going to get food for at least 45 minutes. We were hungry. Enter Las Palmas. Yes, I know, there's a chain in the Chicago area with eight suburban locations, called Las Palmas Mexican Restaurant & Bar. I rather like that Las Palmas, which some consider boring and I consider to be easy, inexpensive and decent. ...
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I know, it's rather pathetic that I've lived in the Chi-Town area for 15 years and never stepped in a Harry Caray's. Okay, that's not true. I think I stopped in one once, and it was for an event, and all the food had just about run out, so I didn't eat anything. Or if I did, I don't remember it much because it was a small appetizer plate and we were actually going somewhere else afterward for dinner. I don't remember the actual circumstances. This was in the late 1990s. I should note here that Harry Caray's is an advertiser in the print magazine I work for. This means that, at least for my other job, I'm required to say nice things about Harry Caray's. What it means for me personally is ...
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Winter in Chicago is a fine time for trying new restaurants; we have a total of three different "Restaurant Weeks" going on in January and February--Chicago Originals, North Shore Restaurant and Chicago Restaurant Week, which begins February 18. Frankly, with my suburban location and a five year old I can't always participate in these great deals, but that's what I have Groupon for. My most recent culinary adventure came courtesy of that Chicago-based company, because I had to use my discount at Green Zebra last week-or lose it. Green Zebra is an upscale vegetarian restaurant, decorated in a contemporary manner with bamboo and ferns that create cool textured shadows on the ceiling. It's ...
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I'm not ashamed to admit it, but I've been here twice within the past week. The first time was with my (now) former coworker, who wanted to show me what real Peruvian food tasted like. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera, so I had to go back. (What can I say, I'm really dedicated to my job.) The second time I brought my friend J, a law school student that I was able to convince to stop studying and get food with me. He's so nerdy and cute like that. El Chalan is situated in the basement of a row house, so be careful or you might just miss it! Both times that I went were for lunch and it was extremely busy. But seeing as how most people there are on their lunch break, I can't imagine ...
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A little fun fact about my mother is that she's Chinese, but born and raised in Vietnam. So it's fair to say that Asian food-wise I've been quite spoiled. But unfortunately when the craving hits, no matter what city I'm in, I find it much harder to find a quality Vietnamese restaurant to satiate me. Imagine my surprise when I heard about the recently opened Ba Bay, which serves up what can only be described as a modernized take on Vietnamese cuisine. I was intrigued. After a thorough assessment of the menu and recommendations from not only our really attentive server, but the owner himself, we started off our meal with a side of chicken pate. Now I've had a lot of pate in my day, and I can ...
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It's safe to say that my sister likes food as much as I do, if not more. After all, she's the girl who pulled a muscle after eating too much shrimp. (I know...I come from a really attractive family.) But because of her love for food, I always trust her restaurant recommendations. Especially when it comes to Japanese food because she has visited that food haven so many times. So I was shocked when I came back from Kushi unimpressed and not understanding the fuss she made about this new place. But like the good sister she is, she said she would take me back and to leave the ordering to her. Now Kushi is not your standard sushi restaurant. I have to warn you, if California and volcano rolls ...
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I realize it's been a while since I posted a review, but hey, I'm a student of limited financial means here! The good news is that Seattle is full of terrific deals where you never have to compromise luxury just because of cost. For example, take Japonessa, conveniently located in the heart of downtown Seattle. Their selling tagline is that they're a "sushi cocina," a gourmet restaurant that cooks Japanese food with a hint of Latino flair. Honestly, I see nothing Latino about this place and I've eaten here a few times. However, that doesn't mean that this place isn't a standout star in the city's culinary scene. The big deal about Japonessa's menu is their sushi. There are a few places in ...
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Friday night. Work was tiring and I had nothing else to do, so I grabbed a couple of friends and ventured to the Greenwood/Phinney neighborhood of Seattle. The strip of down-to-earth bars, small and friendly restaurants, and quaint niche stores abound, I didn't know where to go-so many great choices! Quick calls and my friends and I were told to try Kabab House, an Indian/Pakistani restaurant that I knew has garnered positive reviews from food critics and Seattle residents. And off we went. It was a small establishment: a square room with only eight tables, yet every seat was filled. The decor was modest and sparse. There was no music that makes you feel like you walked into a badly ...
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After my month-long holiday break in the Midwest, I finally returned to my Brooklyn apartment this afternoon to a truly unnerving sight. As I was packing last night, an unshakable sense of foreboding washed over me as I pondered which food item I had forgotten to dispose of roughly 30 days prior. Dropping my luggage by the door, I feverishly scoured my small apartment to find that my fridge was pristinely empty, the trash had been taken out and the dates on the condiments were reassuringly far off. Yet, upon opening my "pantry" (if you can call my bread-dedicated cabinet that), I found the two menacing bread products that had slipped my mind: a loaf of generic, grocery store brand, whole ...
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Typically the phrase "church food" conjures images of bland communion wafers and the blood of Christ. When you think of food from the Garden of Eden you might think of lush garden vegetables or the forbidden fruit. Occasionally the neighborhood church might sponsor a chili supper or your run-of-the-mill bake sale, but rarely do any of these religion-themed edibles bring to mind vegan enchilada tortes, sweet potato burritos or vegetarian meatloaf. Cue Kansas City's Eden Alley. Located in the basement of the Unity Temple-a non-denominational church (temple? congregation?) that welcomes diversity at its weekly services and encourages spiritual and emotional enlightenment through free yoga and ...
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For the past 6 or-so years, my parents and I have been in a love/not-so-love relationship with Kansas City's Thai staple, Lulu's. I have many fond ties (Thais?) to the restaurant, including a first date or two and many a First Friday. Perhaps that's why I keep coming back, year after year, through good times and better. Since first moving to St. Louis (which has an amazing batch of Thai restaurants on Grand Street) and more recently to New York (enough said), I've become a bit of an Asiatic snob and, thus, may be judging my most recent trip to Lulu's a bit too harshly. It may also have something to do with the fact that I branched away from their amazing (and my staple) tofu basil fried ...
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If cold and flu season has rocked your system like it has mine, twice, tea and crumpets may be just what you need. Last week, before sickness knocked me out of commission, my friend Lauren introduced me to Northern Spy Food Company. She's a lover of London having lived there for a time, and what our server referred to as "[their] own little ex-Pat community" makes her feel right at home. On Greenwich Ave. lies two unassuming, very small sister companies: A Salt and Battery, and Tea & Sympathy. Our lunches have a tendency to go hours so we made a whole day of our visit from fish 'n' chips to tea and crumpets next door. A Salt and Battery is a tiny kitchen with bar enough for six stools. ...
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I have three good reasons to try Penelope this weekend, and they all start with chicken: club, meatballs, and potpie. I fell in love with this Murray Hill jewel the moment I walked in after a coworker recommended the spot for months. Penelope's vibe is irresistible, especially for a Southerner. From the trademark striped canopy to the homey aprons to the adorable bakery, everything about the place is charming. The staff is friendly and casual, the décor is as comforting as a beach house, and the food is so good you could tell someone twice about it on accident. As both a creature of habit and a childlike eater, I consistently order the three-grilled cheese with fries. This combo's simple, ...
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... , combined with contemporary and stylish looks, will give you the excellent seating solution in your home. Whether for dining, entertaining, or just lounging around, you need comfortable seats with that trendy look to match your home decor. There are different types of modern chairs. There are lounge chairs, dining chairs, bar or counter stools, rocker chairs, arm chairs, soho chairs, café chairs, side chairs, sofa chairs, foot stools, etc. These chairs have unique and stylish looks that blend well with a contemporary space and urban living. They are made of a variety of materials, such as vinyl, acrylic, steel or metal frames, soft ... will need these seats for those cozy get-togethers. These are just right for informal parties or coffee sessions. Even if you invite people for dinner, you can find the perfect dining chairs to match whatever dining furniture you already have in your home. You may opt for the elegant, upholstered dining chairs or the ultra-modern steel-framed ones with waved back, which are definitely accent pieces for your trendy dining room. For after-dinner movie showing in the comfort of your home, you will love the deeply-upholstered loveseats or easy chairs in trendy colors such as black or silver. If you ...
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