Food News: Dine out For Life on Halsted

There isn't anything much better than having dinner at one of your favorite restaurants, unless its also helping to save lives at the same time.  That is just what you, dear readers, will be able to do on April 25th during Dining Out For Life night.  Thirteen of the best restaurants on Halsted in Lakeview will be donating a portion of the proceeds from every dinner served to which help in the fight against AIDS.  

By having dinner at any of the participating restaurants on April 25th, a portion of the proceeds (33% for the most part)  will go to Edge Alliance. Edge Alliance was founded 20 years ago to provide housing and life progress services to assist individuals/families diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. With donations, they have constructed a campus in the North Lawndale community consisting of two family-focused apartment complexes and one for single women and men.  So why not make your weekly date night mean even more by supporting a great cause?  

The following is a list of all the restaurants participating in this event, including some of Bunny and Brandy's all time favorites: 

1. DS Tequila Company

2. Halsted's Bar & Grill

3. HB Home Bistro

4. Hearty

5. Horizon Cafe

6. Jake's On Halsted

7. Kit Kat Lounge And Supper Club

8. Las Mananitas

9. Nookies Tree

10. Tapas Gitana

11. Taverna 750

12. Wood

Food News: Dishcrawl in Evanston

>>>>>>>>>>>>>Update!!!!!!<<<<<<<<<<<<<

We have a winner!  Congrats Judymcclo!  Please contact us at bunnyandbrandy@gmail.com to claim your prize!

And remember friends, if you didn't win this time, you can still use the coupon code below to get 10% off tickets for this amazing event!

(Original Post Below)
Greetings readers!  Have a new and exciting feature for you all today called Food News, which will hopefully give you all the scoop on all the latest scuttlebutt on the Chicago food scene.  Part one of today's post is also a GIVEAWAY so make sure to stay tuned until the end!

Dishcrawl is one of our favorite foodie events in the city, because not only does it introduce its participants to a whole host of different foods in different neighborhoods around Chicago, but its also a great way to meet fellow eaters and drinkers!  The premise of Dishcrawl is that each event focuses on a different Chicago neighborhood or suburb, and for the price of a single ticket (usually around $45) participants are treated dishes from four different restaurants, all within walking distance of each other.  Its a fantastic way to learn about a neighborhood you may not have explored yet while making new friends and tasting some excellent cuisine.  

And now for the GIVEAWAY!!!!!

One of Dishcrawl's next events will be held in Evanston on April 23rd @ 7:00pm and they have kindly offered our reader's a 10% discount on tickets by using the code bunnyandbrandy10 at the checkout! They have also kindly given us a ticket to give away to you, our lucky readers!  All you have to do is tell us in the comments below which Chicago neighborhood is your favorite for getting a bite to eat!  This contest will run for 1 week (ending at midnight CST Thursday April 18th) and will be decided using Random.org.  Make sure to leave us your email address so we can let you know if you've won!

We very much hope you all can make it out to this amazing event, and make sure to tell us all about it if you do!  Good luck!

Grandma J's Local Kitchen or Home Sweet Home

The Slow and Savory Review

It's hard for someone as restless as Brandy to ever truly feel at home.  Having lived in almost every continent on Earth (excluding Atlantis), Brandy has called all sorts of places home; from igloos to bungalows, to wigwams and yurts, Brandy has had the pleasure of settling down for periods of time in all sorts of domiciles, which has taught her that home truly is where the heart is.  "Sometimes I lived in a home," she says, "But at other times I've just had a room in which to sleep.  Granted, sometimes it was a quite comfortable space, but in the end I'd rather have a mess of a home than an immaculate room."  Having settled down for quite some time now in Chicago, Brandy can honestly say she has found one of those homes, and is after all quite comfortably surrounded by the various trinkets and trappings of her travels.  Sometimes that comfort can make it difficult to leave the home, but Brandy's ultimate thirst for adventure (and laziness when it comes to washing her own dishes) always wins out.

It was while out on North Avenue one day that Brandy was driven west by a hoard of hipsters and ended up in  Humbolt Park, just in front of an unassuming store front labeled Grandma J's Local Kitchen.  It was the chintzy curtains in the window that first drew her attention, and upon entering the place, Brandy had to stop and wonder for a moment, for she appeared to have walked into her own home.  Delightfully mismatched chairs and tables were scattered around the small room, decorated with an eclectic mix of chachkies and vintage photographs.  Even some of the ceiling tiles above had been covered in various fabrics, giving the appearance of a patchwork quilt.  Brandy was so overwhelmed by the feeling of being at home that it was a good few minutes before she came to her senses and found a seat (she also had to resist the urge to go looking for her dressing gown and slippers).

Along with the menu, Brandy's table was presented with some diced melon and an orange slice in a teacup, as well as some iced water in mason jar.  The Swedish Coffee on the menu grabbed her attention straight away, but the young woman serving her let Brandy know that because of a late start to the morning, the Swedish coffee wasn't quite ready, as it took a sort of elaborate process to brew, so Brandy went with the regular coffee instead.

The menu began with an intriguing list of "snacks," from which Brandy chose two; the Deviled Eggs and the Crispy Kale.  The eggs could not have been more perfect with soft whites, creamy filling, and crispy bacon adding a subtle little twist to such a classic dish.  Brandy also greatly appreciated the small salad served with the eggs, which helped to break up the richness.  The kale was also delightful, with the outer part of the leaves perfectly crunchy and in middle still a little crisp and chewy.  The dish had been topped off with some lemon zest, which added a brilliant brightness to it.  "It's like eating a sunny day in the park," Brandy mused.

For her entree, Brandy chose the Chicken and Waffle Fritters and was presented with a gigantic plate of fried goodness.  Brandy was truly taken aback by the massive portion of chicken she had been given, which also came with a pile of delicious looking fried dough, local honey, real maple syrup, and a few home made potato chips.  "They've done a really smart thing here," Brandy said, grinning to herself while nibbling on one of the fritters.  For those who may not understand, waffle irons are the bane of a small kitchen's existence, as they take up a massive amount of counter space and really only do one thing, but by instead choosing to fry the waffle batter into fritters, the chef had cleverly avoided this problem while still providing an excellent dish that was both original and classic.  The chicken was some of the best Brandy had ever had; incredibly juicy interior, coated in a cornmeal crust that had an amazing crunch and flavor.

Brandy could have happily sat all day at her little table, having the kitchen bring her every dish on the menu from breakfast till dinner (which would have been made easier by the amazingly low prices of around $3 for small plates and $10 for large ones, an incredible value for the quantity and quality of the food), but with the scarcity of space she just couldn't bring herself to deprive others of the experience of eating at Grandma J's.  The feeling of warmth and care she got, however, was well worth the trip, and she carried it with her all the way home, to her own eclectic bohemian living room.

The Short and Sweet Review

Postcards from Bunny

Greetings friends!  We are delighted to inform you all that our dearest Bunny has once again had an opportunity to stop by Chicago inbetween her latest adventures; uncovering the long lost Temple of Artimis in Athens and cataloging the ancient pottery deposits of Machu Picchu.   A quick lay over at O'Hare provided just enough time for Bunny to stop at Macy's on State Street for another one of their famous Culinary Council cooking demos, this time with brand new inductee to the council and Chicago's favorite girl, Stephanie Izard, winner of Top Chef, James Beard Award nominee, and owner/head chef of two of the most talked about restaurants in town, Girl and the Goat, and her newest venture, the diner inspired Little Goat.

Chef Izard (whose last name comes from a type of French mountain goat, hence the affinity for goats) started the attendees off with a refreshing "mocktail" of blueberry juice, seltzer, and cucumber over ice, then moved on to demo several "flower" inspired dishes, as Macy's was kicking off its annual Flower Show.  First was a homemade Water Cracker, a wafer thin, crispy yet sturdy morsel, which was served with some creamy crab dip.  "The best thing about making a giant cracker is you can eat the whole thing and still say all you had to eat was one cracker," Chef Izard pointed out.  "A woman after my own heart," Bunny sighed.

Next was a Roasted Cauliflower dish ("Cauliflower is a flower too," Chef Izard joked) with pickled peppers, parmesan cheese, and pine nuts.  Bunny especially loved the compound butter used in the dish, which was flavored with garlic and panko bread crumbs, giving the veggies a very subtle, but wonderful crunch.  "We like to put a little crunch in all of our dishes," Chef Izard explained, elaborating that her style of cooking uses lots of bold flavors and layers of texture.

Last but not least was a crepe, made of what was essentially a rice noodle batter, stuffed with shredded goat (Chef Izard pointed out that really anything could serve as a filling for these crepes), and served with a little spring salad of blueberries, raw asparagus, and sunflower seeds in a light vinaigrette.  Bunny absolutely fell in love the crepe, which had a lovely chewy texture.  Luckily, everyone in attendance had been provided with the recipe (and you can find Chef Izard's recipes in her new cookbook, Girl in the Kitchen), so all Bunny had to do was find a propane burner and a frying pan among the rubble of her next dig and she would be able to whip up a batch for Benedict and his excavation crew.

Of course Bunny and had to ask about Chef Izard's favorite breakfast.  "I had half a Powerbar on the way over here, does that count?" she asked.  Eventually, she admitted to loving a good omelet full of fresh ingredients  like raspberries, mint, and goat cheese.  Chef Izard also re-iterated over and over again how important shopping at local farmers markets can be.  "If you don't believe me, try it yourselves," she said, "Get some eggs from your grocery store and compare them with fresh eggs from a local farm and do a taste test at home.  You'll be really surprised at the difference."

And so Bunny was off on her travels once more, with a belly full of deliciousness and a head full of new ideas, thanks to Chef Izard and another wonderful event from the Macy's Culinary Council!

*The writers of this blog have been compensated by Everywhere Society for the information contained in this post, but the opinions stated were not influenced.

Stella's Diner or All in the Family

The Slow and Savory Review

They just don't make diners like they used to.  In days gone by eaters were treated to the delights of home made pie, freshly brewed coffee, and the polite conversation of a sassy waitress from the comfort of their bar stool at the counter or vinyl lined booth, but what with the rise of the gastro pub, the side walk bistro, and the ever popular gourmet coffee bar, it seems the classic diner has been degraded to a place for a greasy late night bite after an evening of binge drinking, or worse, a regional breakfast themed franchise packed with screaming children and grumpy servers.

It was a marathon of 1950's teeny bopper movies that got Brandy all nostalgic for the days of the corner diner.  "There must be a few left out there, " she thought, "Like beautiful old dinosaur bones just waiting to be unearthed."  So she called up her old friend Bailey Blue and proposed an old fashioned diner hunt.  "I want a place that is family owned and operated, a place that has regulars and the waitresses know their orders by heart.  The kind of place that has some outrageously kitschy decoration that would draw your attention from across the street and make you want to find out what exactly is going on inside the building that's sporting it." "Well, there's a diner off Broadway in Lakeview that has a giant plaster fist clutching eating utensils above its door.  Would that do?" Bailey asked thoughtfully.  "Perfect!" Brandy exclaimed.

Arriving at Stella's Diner, Bailey and Brandy found a gorgeous bright and open interior, covered in neon colors and blackboard splashes, showcasing various menu items and specials.  They took a booth at the back corner so as to get a clear view for people watching both the room and the sidewalk outside.  Straight away glasses of water were presented with extensive menus, boasting everything from burgers and sandwiches, to pancakes and french toast, to pasta entrees, and even an entire page of desserts.

Feeling a little naughty, Bailey decided to start with dessert and order a Maria's Mystery Shake, a combination of chocolate and peanut butter topped with whipped cream and a cherry.  The shake had the perfect texture: not so thick that it couldn't be sipped through a straw, but not so thin that it lost its decadence.  Brandy followed suit with a South Beach Shake, an orange creamsicle flavored treat.  The flavor was a bit lighter than Bailey's shake, but just as delightful.

 Bailey eyed up the Vegetable Skillet for her entree, but decided to make the addition of some sausage gravy to it.  She found the eggs to have the perfect density; not too hard and not too fluffy.  The veggies still had a good snap to them and the melted cheese was wonderfully gooey.  The only disappointment was the gravy, which was just a bit thin for her taste.  "As a cream of sausage soup, its lovely," Bailey commented, "But as a gravy its a bit lacking."

Brandy opted for the Garlic Scallion butter Steak Sandwich and a side of handcut fries.  The fries weren't as crisp as Brandy would have liked, but they were plenty flavorful without being greasy.  The sandwich was pretty darn satisfying with the incredibly flavored butter slathered over the top of the perfectly medium rare steak and soaking into the hearty bread bun.  "I'm going to need a bushel of mint to freshen my breath after this thing," Brandy joked.  There was also a small cup of creamy cole slaw and some vegetable offerings for the sandwich on the plate, which Brandy only discovered after devouring the sandwich.  "Do you want your salad to go?" the waitress had joked as the dish was removed.

But the real highlight at Stella's was the service.  The waitresses seemed to know everyone who walked in the door by name, and a few were even brought orders without even having to look at a menu.  And then there was Gus, the owner and patriarch of the operation, who gloried in conversing with guests like they had dropped into his home for a visit and a quick meal.  After noticing Brandy scribbling away on her note pad, he approached her, asking, "Hey writer lady, how do you spell 'precision?'"  After that it was story after story about the gloriously weird antics of his patrons, which Gus felt was more fostered by the diner atmosphere than the surrounding eccentric neighborhood.  He even offered Bailey some business advice on how to start selling some of her original art.

Stella's was just what the doctor ordered: inexpensive, great food, happy atmosphere, and wonderful company, just like the diners of old.  "I'm glad they haven't all died off," Brandy sighed as she and Bailey gazed fondly up at the giant plaster fist, "Just as long as this little jewel doesn't spawn fifty more just like it across the Midwest, I'd be happy to become a regular here."

The Short and Sweet Review

Creperie Saint Germain or Parisian Suburban

The Slow and Savory Review

Brandy has always preferred the hustle and bustle, the neighborhood culture, and the accessibility of living in the big city.  Having also lived in suburbs around the world, she finds them too quiet, too sprawling, and just too, well, normal to stay in for long.  So it is unsurprising that ever since moving to Chicago, Brandy has had little occasion (or interest, to be honest) in exploring the suburbs.  "I moved here to get a taste of city life, not suburban normalcy," she says, "If I wanted the suburbs, I'd watch a David Lynch movie."

This is maybe why it was so surprising to her when one of her most fashionable friends, Baranina, world famous Polish pop star, called her up one day and invited her to brunch in Evanston.  "I've been stuck in a hotel here while my private jet is fixed and I've been exploring the area.  I think there's some things you're missing out on," she told Brandy.  Loath to miss the short window of time her friend was in the area, Brandy relented and met the young singer for a bit of a wander about.  Brandy immediately had her big city nose in the air, looking at the all of the chain stores along Sherman Avenue.  "But they have most of these stores in downtown Chicago, don't they?" Baranina asked.  "Yes, but they aren't so... conventional."  Conversation soon turned to European travel, as which Brandy cheered greatly.  "I do miss Paris," she sighed, "Especially the creperies."  "Isn't that a creperie over there?" Baranina pointed out.  Brandy raised an eyebrow and crossed the street in great interest to Creperie Saint Germain.

Upon entering, the two ladies found a small but quaint restaurant with dim lighting and a giant map of the Paris subway system on the right hand wall.  A cheerful server approached them straight away with menus and water glasses, letting them know that all of the entrees served were made with delicate organic buckwheat crepes. The ladies took their time browsing the menu and in the end, decided on sharing a few dishes that sounded too delicious to be eaten alone.

They started off with some Sweet Potato Gnocci, a plate of brilliant orange dumplings, mushrooms, and brussel sprouts served over a butternut squash puree and topped with Parmesan cheese.  The warming dish in front of them was the perfect counterpart to the gloomy day outside, combining traditionally fall flavors (Brandy's favorites) and textures.  The mushrooms were thinly sliced and succulent, the brussel sprouts crisp and flavorful, and the gnocci had a delightfully irregular shape and chewy texture.

Next they picked the Coq Au Van Crepe, a traditional stew like French dish with chicken and vegetables, cooked with red wine and herbs.  The buckwheat crepe, was incredibly thin and delicate, had a brilliant earthy flavor that matched perfectly with the rich filling.  Though the chicken was a little on the dry side, the vibrant gravy did wonders for it, and the vegetables had somehow retained some of their textural integrity.

The desserts were too diverse and delicious sounding to share, so each lady got their own.  Baranina sided with the Nutella Crepe, which she customized with strawberry preserves and a scoop of Dulce De Leche ice cream.  The dessert crepe, which was made with organic wheat flour as opposed to the buckwheat savory crepes, was just as beautifully thin, but this time a little more chewy and with perfectly caramelized edges.  The hazelnut cream that was drizzled over the top was countered nicely by the bright berries and the ice cream made it all that much more decedent.

Brandy went with something called The Myrtille,a slice of layered crepes sandwiching rich mascarpone cheese and topped with blueberry coulis.  Brandy really loved the juicy pop of the berries along with the creamy sweetened cheese and slightly chewy crepes.  "It's almost like a cake, but an incredibly delicate cake made from the interior buttery layers of a croissant!" was the only way Brandy could describe the dish.

After all was said and done, Brandy was really quite impressed with the authentic French culture she found in the suburban paradise that is Evanston, and without big city inflation, her meal with Baranina (one appetizer, one entree, two desserts, and two bottled ciders) came out to about $50 in all.  "I may enjoy the sophistication of Paris and the convenience of Chicago," Brandy relented at last, "But I suppose there is something to be said for the quiet freedom of the suburbs."

The Short and Sweet Review

Sarks in the Park or All Bark and No Bite

The Slow and Savory Review

Brandy has always been an early riser ever since a garbage truck woke her up one morning in 1929 and, after she was unable to fall back asleep, she did some personal financial management that ended up helping her to avoid the stock market crash just before it hit.  While waking up early can have its benefits (getting more things done, seeing the sunrise, reading the newspaper and returning it before your neighbor knows it was missing), it can also build up quite an appetite in someone who usually prefers to wait for brunch.  Some days, Brandy is able to restrain herself for that magically concentrated combination of meals, but other days, its just more productive to brunch early on.  When asked if an early brunch is really just a breakfast, Brandy's response was a raised eyebrow and the statement, "Brunch is a state of mind, not a time of day."

It was one of those early days that Brandy ventured to Sarks in the Park for a quick brunch.  It was so early in fact that the place was virtually deserted.  The white walls and exposed ceiling seemed especially stark, but a few large graphic paintings did help to add some color.  Brandy took her seat at a table by the door and a tired looking, but helpful waitress dutifully brought over some coffee and a menu.  Quite a few things jumped out at Brandy very quickly, so when the waitress came back around a minute or so later to collect her order, Brandy just let the first two things she saw jump out of her mouth.

She started off with the Sark's Special Grilled Cheese, the traditional comfort food classic with a fried egg and crispy bacon added.  At $6.50, Brandy thought the sandwich a pretty good deal, until she realized that the price included no sides (hashbrowns were an additional $3.00).  The sandwich was decent enough; though a little skimpy on the bacon, the melty cheese and the egg in the middle were pretty tasty, but Brandy couldn't help feeling the worst possible thing that could be thought about brunch, "I could have made this at home."  Brandy wished she had investigated the menu a little further to see if there had been a bowl of soup she might have paired with the thing that would have maybe made it a little more special.

For her sweets, Brandy chose the decadent sounding Black Forrest Pancakes, which the menu claimed was a stack of dark chocolate flapjacks, topped with chocolate ganache and a warm cherry compote.  The pancakes themselves were decently sized with a nice chewy texture, but lacked in flavor.  What the menu called "ganache" seemed to be nothing more than store bought chocolate syrup, both in texture and in taste, which was far too sweet.  The cherries on top did a nice job of breaking up the saccharine dish, but rather than a compote, they seemed to be plain old re-hydrated dried cherries that hadn't been cooked at all, sort of a step above canned pie filling.  Once again, Brandy found herself relatively enjoying the dish, but thinking she could have probably stayed at home and made something similar ("And at home this wouldn't have cost anywhere near $10," she grumbled to herself).

Sadly, though the menu boasted some exciting options, Brandy seemed to have chosen two of the more over priced and bland items available.  "Thank goodness I woke up so early this morning," Brandy thought, "Now I can just wait a few hours before looking for another, more exciting brunch!"

The Short and Sweet Review