Wild Monk or Home, Home on La Grange

The Slow and Savory Review

Brandy has made it her mission this summer to get out of the city and really explore the suburbs.  "As much as I love urban life, sometimes I just crave the quiet and space that only the suburbs can offer," Brandy has been known to comment, "I must really be showing my age if the suburbs are suddenly becoming appealing!"

Of course, the easiest way to explore an unfamiliar area is locate the best brunches on offer and make a good old fashioned road trip to try them out.  This is exactly what Brandy and her good friend Starr decided to do.  "Where shall we explore next?" Brandy asked her pal.  "Have you been to La Grange yet?  I hear there's some great places out that way," responded Starr.  "La Grange you say?  No, can't say I've explored that particular avenue just yet.  What do you say to a little Sunday drive?"

The spot they zeroed in on went by the name of Wild Monk and professed to be neighborhood bar with a menu of twisted pub classics.  Wild Monk boasted a darker toned and informal feel in the vain of a fashionable dive bar with raw wood tables and light aluminum chairs.  Brandy very much liked the art on the wall by the entrance, which looked like bottle caps formed into abstract hills and valleys.  "I would imagine a place like this at night would feel perfectly normal, but in the daylight hours, it does feel slightly out of place on a sunny suburban street!" Brandy contemplated.

Starting off the morning properly, Brandy ordered a Bourbon Bacon Sour and Starr went for the Corpse Bride from the signature cocktails menu.  Starr's drink, which was made with gin, blood orange, lime, and a rose liqueur, had a bright and bold flavor with a real depth that ended on a light floral note.  Brandy's drink was nicely tart with a smokey and smooth finish, a wonderful twist on the classic cocktail, made especially unique by the use of a house made bacon infused St. Germaine.  "One would expect a bacon cocktail to be rather heavy," said Brandy, "But this is actually quite refreshing.  That's not a word one usually associates with bacon."

On the savory side, Brandy and Starr chose two plates to share; the Chorizo and Egg Tacos, and of course, the Poutine.  The tacos were actually quite delightful with a nice slow burn of heat from the spicy sausage, which made them more substantial than they looked, but still light enough that they didn't weigh the consumer down.  "Feta cheese is an odd choice here though," commented Brandy, "Not bad, necessarily, but odd."  The poutine also had a rather unique twist to it, which was a sprinkling of golden raisins along with the cheese and a veal gravy.  The hand cut fries on the poutine were perfectly crispy and salted, while the gravy had a lovely, meaty flavor, but the dish seemed to have substituted actual cheese curds for a small sprinkling of shredded cheese.  Being the poutine expert that she is, Brandy slightly disapproved of this fact, but was willing to forgive the dish because of its delicious gravy and the uniqueness of the raisins, which added a slight sweetness to every other bite.  "I only wish the raisins had been plumped a bit," Brandy said, "But I can't say that I've ever seen a poutine quite like this one!"

Transitioning into sweets, Brandy and Starr ordered the Chicken and Waffles.  Much to their surprise and befuddlement, the chicken, instead of the traditional breast or thigh, was thin strips laid across the waffle and sprinkled with powdered sugar.  "They certainly know how to keep things interesting here!" Brandy laughed.  "The waffle was rather dense, but had a nice malty flavor, while the chicken added a good punch of pepper in it's coating.  While the menu had listed the waffles being topped somewhat differently, they ended up being accompanied by a blood orange jam and some maple syrup, which Brandy rather enjoyed, as the mix of the two kept each bite slightly different and exciting.

Lastly, they went full on sweet with an order of Banana Bread Pancakes.  This dish was rather disappointing, as it arrived not looking like what was described on the menu at all.  The pancakes were dense and doughy (Brandy suspected they had been made with the same batter as the waffles) and rather than having flavor added to them, they were simply served with sliced bananas on top.  While the menu had listed a banana bread beer maple syrup as a condiment, the one that was served seemed to be a pretty generic syrup instead, and the dish also came accompanied by the same blood orange jam as the waffles, which did help to change the flavor up a bit.  "I have no issue with pancakes like these, per say," said Brandy, "But if they had been described properly on the menu, I most likely would not have ordered them."

All in all, Brandy and Starr's little trip out to La Grange proved to be a nice one, though not as spectacular as they might have hoped.  Wild Monk certainly had their hearts in the right place with exciting ideas, a relaxed atmosphere, and friendly service (not to mention very reasonable prices that would make someone used to city markups sigh with relief), but the execution of the final product was just not quite there.  "One can certainly see an effort being made, and perhaps on another day, everything could have fallen into place and been absolutely wonderful, but today, it was just ok," Brandy said, "So for now, back home to the city, but perhaps a return to La Grange at a later date will be in order."

The writers of this blog were invited by the restaurant to dine free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

The Short and Sweet Review

Tea Time with Brandy: Brunch from Gourmet Gift Baskets

Lately, Brandy has been waxing nostalgic for the days when she and Bunny were brunching partners every single weekend.  Even though the two old friends still speak quite regularly, and indeed do see each other from time to time as Bunny passes through Chicago in between her flights all across the world, they don't usually have a chance to brunch together more than once or twice a year, and that makes Brandy rather sad.  "As much as I love catching up with all my other friends in Chicago over some eggs benedict and mimosas, I can't help missing my oldest and dearest friend of them all," sighs Brandy on occasion.  This longing for days gone by, however, did give Brandy a wonderful idea.  "If we can't be in the same city for brunch, perhaps I can bring brunch to her."

As luck would have it, Brandy had recently discovered GourmetGiftBaskets.com, an absolute foodie's paradise of gifts and goodies for every occasion.  The hundreds of baskets and gifts are all themed for various life events both big and small, from weddings and birthdays to backyard BBQ's and movie nights, and contain only hand crafted and high quality products, hand picked by a team of gifting experts.  Brandy's eyes grew bigger with each click as she beheld all sorts of things, like summer cake pops shaped like ice cream cones, craft brewed beers sampling buckets, and even tins filled with gourmet treats for cats and dogs!  But focusing in on her goal of sending a little brunch Bunny's way, she zeroed in on one basket in particular: The Ultimate New England Brunch Basket was simply jam packed with goodies both sweet and savory that would have any brunch fan salivating.

Bunny was practically in tears when she received Brandy's present with a note attached, reading, "Make sure you share some of this with me!"  So Bunny decided the best thing to do would be to send her friend pictures of everything in the basket as she tried them.  First up, Bunny pulled out the Broadbent's Hickory Smoked Peppered Country Bacon ("I can't believe they didn't even forget the bacon!" she squealed) and fried it up until crisp and golden.  Then she combined the canister of Stonewall Kitchen Farmhouse Pancake Mix and the tin of Wild Maine Blueberries for the perfect fluffy blueberry pancakes, and topped them with some of the Maple Guys Pure New Hampshire Maple Syrup.  Lastly, she brewed up a fresh pot of the Coffee Masters Vanilla Nut flavored coffee.  "I'm calling this one the 'All American Brunch,'" she said to Brandy, sending her a picture of the meal.

 A few days after she'd finished off all the pancakes and bacon, Bunny once again dove into the basket.  This time, she pulled out the Village Mixes Blueberry Crisp and set to baking up a fresh and fruity treat with it.  Next, she whipped up a batch of the Apricot Maple Nut Oatmeal by Holly's Oatmeal and topped it once again with a drizzle of maple syrup and also some Granny Smith Apple Chips by Bare Fruit for a touch of tartness.  "I'm calling this combo the 'Fruity Favorites,'" she said in her next message to Brandy.

Once all the fruity favorites had been consumed, Bunny knew just what to do with the rest of the basket.  She baked up a few dozen scones from the included Stonewall Kitchen mix and slathered them in the Clearbrook Farms Blueberry Preserves.  Then she brewed a pot of the Davidson's Earl Grey Tea (her favorite, of course!) and set out the The Original Carlsbad Oblaten Strawberry Tea Wafers and the Effie's Homemade Oatcake Biscuits, a buttery treat that turned out to be her favorite item from the basket.  "Lastly, we have Tea Time!" she messaged to Brandy, along with several pictures of her chomping on the buttery biscuits and the flaky scones.

Brandy felt a great gladness at being able to share a brunch with her friend again, even across such a great distance, but after seeing Bunny's pictures of all the goodies she received, Brandy also felt a small pang of jealousy.  "I'm glad you enjoyed everything!" she messaged Bunny, "But now I'm craving fresh scones and bacon and oatmeal!"  Just as she sent the message, there was a knock at Brandy's door, and upon opening it, she found the very same brunch basket sitting there!  "You did ask me to share ;-)"  Bunny messaged her back.

The writers of this blog were provided with the products mentioned free of charge in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

Festival Report: Taste of Chicago 2016

Food festivals come and go, but in Chicago, there is only one original, the Taste of Chicago.  While Taste of Chicago used to conjure images of dripping ice cream cones, deep fried dough, and sloppy pizza slices, Brandy has discovered in recent years that there is so much more to be discovered that is fresh and healthy.  "Far be it for me to condemn the eating of massive amounts of calories at a food festival, but all that greasy, heavy food stops being fun when it's 90 degrees and humid!" says Brandy, "I much prefer to keep things light and fresh when I attend this particular festival so that I can keep my energy high."

Luckily for Brandy, Humana has been keeping an eye out for those who are minded like she is.  For the last few years they have been bringing in a a team of nutritional physicians who identify a list of Healthier Choices (noted on booth menus with a green H) among the hundreds of offerings at the festival so that those who wish to avoid high calorie contents can enjoy the festival right along side their more indulgent friends.  This year’s program featured 75 healthy food options, including 43 vegetarian options and six gluten free options, from 29 Chicago restaurants that met the nutritional criteria.  Not only that, but Humana set up a rewards system, much like a scavenger hunt, wherein participants can collect stamps from booths who are slinging Healthier Choice options and cash those in for fun items and experiences at the Humana booth.

Brandy started off at the Farmer's Fridge booth with a couple of fresh appetizers.  First, she sampled a lovely Avocado Toast with pickled red onion and feta cheese.  Next, she opted for some Chili Lime Watermelon, which was exactly what it sounded like; blocks of fresh and juicy watermelon sprinkled with chili powder and served with a wedge of lime.  "It's like an edible cocktail!" Brandy exclaimed when she tasted the sweet, sour, and salty concoction.

Next up, she went for some more hearty fair.  Stopping over at Beat Kitchen, she picked up a Vegetarian Slider, which was a bean-based patty topped with tomato, red onion, and greens.  "What a delightful alternative to a heavy, oily burger!" she exclaimed, "I would go so far as to say that even meat eaters would be pleased with something like this."  Speaking of meat eaters, Brandy next visited the Porkchop booth and snagged a Chicken Slider.  Again, this was hearty enough to satisfy her cravings, but light enough to keep her feeling great, with lots of tender spiced chicken, tangy BBQ sauce, and a soft bun.  And then to prove to herself that she could still eat adventurously while still letting the Humana choices guide her, Brandy stopped off at the Chicago's Dog House booth for a spicy and smokey Alligator Sausage (the other choice being a rabbit and rattlesnake sausage, but for some reason, Brandy has a thing about eating bunnies...).

Lastly, Brandy was thrilled to see that sticking to Healthier Choices didn't exclude dessert.  She stopped over at the Dinky Donuts booth for a couple of freshly prepared donut holes, which she chose to top with the Old Fashioned Cream Pie coating.  These donuts were the perfect kind of sweet bite with just enough sugar to give Brandy a little pep in her step.  Her last stop of the day was to the Caffe Gelato booth for a heaping helping of creamy and cool Pineapple Sorbet.  Indeed, the portion size (and this was the tasting portion, not even the full size) was so generous that it was hard to believe this decadent little treat actually fell under the Healthier Options guidelines, especially considering the smoothness of the sorbet, which made it seem almost like ice cream.

"Following those little green H's around all day has certainly not led me astray," Brandy commented as she finished off her sorbet while hiding from a little  mid afternoon rain shower, "I am most definitely full, I got to try lots of different foods, and I don't feel like a disgusting sweaty mess!  I'd say this was a winning strategy all the way around."

The writers of this blog were given complimentary tickets by Humana in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

Dinner at Ugo's Kitchen and Bar

The unthinkable happened.  Brandy slept through brunch.  Her schedule had simply been so busy that she slept straight through the acceptable brunching hours and regained consciousness only after the only possible meal to be had was dinner.  Distraught at her own lack of an internal clock, she phoned her good friend Starr from Chicago Foodie Girl.  "Granted, I did get in at an ungodly hour.  My swing dancing class went late into the evening when the Glenn Miller Tribute Orchestra showed up half way through and played every song recorded in 1944.  But I haven't failed to wake up in time for brunch since Jimmy Carter was in office!"  To quell her panic, Starr suggested the two of them head out for a little dinner.  "Just pretend it's a very early brunch," she suggested.

They chose to visit Ugo's Kitchen and Bar in Logan Square, a young restaurant owned and operated by Chef Stephen Hasson, whose background is mainly in the most prestigious fine dining restaurants in Chicago.  Ugo's, named after Chef Hasson's beloved grandfather, opened last fall, serving Italian favorites made with the highest quality ingredients in a casual setting.

Of course, the evening began with a few cocktails.  Brandy went with the the tart and smokey Middleton, made with rye, cherry liquor, and lime juice, which she felt was an excellent sipping drink, while Starr picked the Vera, a refreshing and soft concoction made with gin, citrus, rosemary, and aloe liqueur with a slightly herbacious flavor, but they both agreed that the Blood Orange Daiquiri was their favorite with a refined sweetness and a stunningly delicious and delicate floral flavor from the addition of hibiscus.

As they sipped their cocktails, they snacked on a charcuterie plate, which included a pork rillette, two types of pickles (dill and bread and butter), a pungent horseradish mustard, strawberry rhubarb jam, red wine poached pears, and warm salted ciabatta bread, all made in house, along with some marcona almonds and a mild Spanish bleu cheese.  The rillette was incredibly smooth and spread easily on the warm bread, while the spicy mustard perked up the taste buds.  The smooth and creamy bleu cheese was the perfect pairing with the the fruitier options on the plate, while the pickles (which Brandy usually dislikes) were sweet, crunchy, and absolutely delightful.  "This may sound silly, but with all the deliciousness on this plate, I am most loving this warm bread!" Starr admitted, "There's just something so good about a fluffy, sturdy, buttery bread, kissed with a little salt.  It just makes me feel happy."

Next up, the two enjoyed the house Kale Caesar Salad and some of the Market Bruschetta.  The bruschetta had a very complex flavor that started off herbal and vegetative before ending on a sweet note, but was still very fresh tasting, having been topped with eggplant, olives, tomatoes, and capers.  "How very interesting!" Brandy exclaimed after the first bite, "This tastes exactly like sitting under the Tuscan sun in August!"  The salad was a nice twist on the classic Caesar with the kale giving it a more interesting texture.  The addition of filleted anchovies also added quite a punch of fishy flavor that would make any seafood addict swoon.

Following that, Starr and Brandy indulged in both of the pasta dishes on the menu, a Carbonara and a Pappardelle, both of which were prepared with house made pasta.  The Carbonara was incredibly creamy and decadent without being overwhelmed by the crispy pancetta, while the pasta itself was amazingly tender and delicate.  The Pappardelle had been dressed with maitake mushrooms, olives, hazelnuts, arugula pesto, and some shaved parmesan and was also impossibly tender and delicate while still holding up under the weight of all the other ingredients.  The flavor of this dish was very earthy, but a few pickled ramps helped to brighten things up.  "If that bruschetta was an afternoon in Tuscany, this pasta is an early evening in the forests of  Calabria!" said Brandy.

Now positively bursting, but yearning to see what else Ugo's had in store, the ladies sampled a simple Margherita pizza, done Neapolitan style with a thin and chewy crust.  The crust also had a wonderfully buttery flavor that Brandy and Starr liked very much, as it really let the simple ingredients shine, especially the house made mozzarella.  "I don't think I could eat another bite," Starr sighed.  "There's a dessert menu," said Brandy, pointing to the hand painted pizza paddles behind her with the list of sweets on offer.  "Alright, maybe I can handle another bite or two then," replied Starr.

And so they ended their feast with a scoop of Cappuccino Chip Gelato and a surprising item for such a traditional Italian menu, a Banana Cream Pie.  The gelato (house made, of course) had a very strong coffee flavor that was not for the light of heart and came dotted with crispy little chips of bittersweet chocolate and espresso beans, making for a dessert that was much more adult and sophisticated than one would have thought upon first glance.  The banana cream pie, however, was the real surprise, as it's silky smooth texture was perfectly complimented by the cracker crust, which had just the right touch of salt in it to make it truly unique.

Even after missing out on a day's worth of brunch, Brandy suddenly felt much better about life after discovering Ugo's brand of handmade and high quality, yet rustic Italian favorites.  "The funny thing is, I never would have discovered this spot if it hadn't been for the fact that I slept past brunch," said Brandy, "It just goes to show you that sometimes things are just meant to be, and I was certainly meant to come and enjoy this meal.  Though I can't help wondering what a place like this could do with a brunch menu!"

The writers of this blog were invited by the restaurant to dine free of charge in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

Teatime with Brandy: Les Trois Petits Cochons Sausages

Brandy found herself in quite a predicament.  In an attempt to play peace keeper with some of the members of her ping pong team, she had decided to organize a brunch for the women.  "Nothing solves a conflict like a full stomach and a few mimosas," as she always likes to say.  Unfortunately, due to her reading glasses being damaged in a tragic accident with a knitting needle, Brandy had accidentally invited over the wrong ping pong team, and instead of her own troupe of five senior aged woman, she was now about to play host to a world ranked ping pong championship squad.  "What on earth am I going to serve these people?" she wondered in a panic, "I don't suppose tea and crumpets will suffice for this lot!"

Luckily, she had recently become aware of an extraordinary company out of New York called Les Trois Petits Cochons, a gourmet charcuterie shop that serves a variety of handcrafted pâtés, mousses, terrines, sausage, smoked meats and other French specialties. Les Trois Petits Cochons (French for The Three Little Pigs) is now offering their products in grocery stores and specialty shops across the country after having been a leader in the business for the last 40 years.  Knowing she had a few of these meaty goodies hiding in her fridge, Brandy decided to put together some fabulous dishes for an impromptu sausage party.

Inspired by the high quality of the sausages, Brandy decided to use them to mix up some brunch favorites.  First, she put together a little charcuterie plate with the intensely flavored dried sausage, which was spiked with Herb de Provence.  She paired this sausage with a mild, soft cheese, a pungent whole grain mustard, and some buttery crackers so that her guests would have something to snack on while she prepared the rest of the food.

Next, Brandy presented the room with some Breakfast Dogs, using the chicken sausage with spinach and Gruyere cheese.  These sausages were so flavorful that they didn't need much dressing, but Brandy added a strip of crispy bacon and a fried egg on top, planting everything on a buttered and toasted bun.  She thought about adding some cheese, but with the cheese already in the sausage, she didn't think she needed it, and she also decided against a sauce, as the sausage itself was so juicy that just the yolk form the egg sufficed to add a touch of richness.

Lastly, Brandy used the Andouille sausage to whip up a batch of peppery sausage gravy.  Instead of ladling the stuff over some flaky buttermilk biscuits, as Southern tradition would dictate, she instead made a batch of French toast (simply battering slices of country white bread with egg and milk and then frying them in butter) and scooped generous amounts of the thick and spicy gravy over that, topping it with some fresh chives.  This made a rather nice variation on the classic dish, firmly putting the focus on the gravy and its nuggets of delectable meat.

Pleased with the reception they were given, the international Ping Pong champions offered Brandy a spot on their team.  "No, I couldn't possibly abandon my little group of ladies," she laughed, "But should you need a cook to travel with you to the world championships in London, I wouldn't mind a little free vacation to my homeland."

The writers of this blog were sent sample products by the company in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

Lone Star BBQ Bar or Everything's Bigger at Brunch

The Slow and Savory Review

"Uggghhhh...," groaned Brandy's good friend Hawk after a long night.  Hawk had been testing his patented fireworks display for the upcoming holiday weekend and had gone into the wee hours of the morning trying to perfectly time his effects to a John Phillip Sousa medley.  "I just couldn't get the gold ones to explode when the tuba comes in," he yawned to Brandy, "And the red ones kept hitting the blue ones and making a giant purple starburst instead of the American flag."  "Perhaps we should get you some coffee," Brandy offered.  "Nah, the caffeine makes me too jittery.  Not good to have unsteady hands when one is dealing with fireworks."  "Well, then some protein at least.  Let's see... Oh yes, I've got a lovely idea!  After all, what's more American than consuming copious amounts of meat first thing in the morning?  Let's go get some barbecue!"

Brandy eyed up Lone Star BBQ Bar in the Dunning neighborhood for a little late morning pick me up.  Though an unusual choice for brunch, she felt certain that a little dose of slow cooked meats and Southern hospitality was just what Hawk needed.

The inside of Lone Star put them both at ease right away, as the Texas spirit was certainly evident in the decor of whimsical and Southwestern inspired signage, wrought iron fixtures, and country music being played throughout the space, as well as the unmistakable smokey aroma that permeated everything.  "And you know they're serious about their barbecue when you see something like this!" said Hawk, pointing to the roll of brown paper towels on every table.

The first thing brought to the table was a bowl of house made pickled veggies, which Brandy and Hawk munched happily on while enjoying boot shaped glasses of Cheerwine (a regional favorite soda from The South with a rich cherry flavor).  The pickles were wonderfully sweet and crisp, making them the perfect snack while they waited for their meal to begin in earnest, and showcased early on that the folks at Lone Star were serious about doing everything in house and from scratch.

A pair of intriguing appetizers hit the table next: BBQ Egg Rolls and Corn Fritters.  The egg rolls, which contained a contained a combination of brisket, pork, and veggies in a peanut sauce, were a crispy delight.  Though containing a decent amount of meat, the filling actually let the veggies shine while lending a slightly smoky flavor, and the sweet and sour dipping sauce on the side tickled every one of Brandy's taste buds.  The Corn Fritters, which resembled giant donut holes, were actually a pretty sweet option, being coated in cinnamon sugar and served with an apricot jam.  The inside of the fritters was impossibly soft and succulent, being lighter than a donut even, and was dotted with little kernels of corn.  "I like that the jam is tangy, which takes these from being fluffy little sugar bombs to being a really interesting bite," Hawk commented, happy to have the carbs to help wake him up.

For his main dish, Hawk voted for the Pork 'n Mac sandwich with sides of BBQ beans and apple slaw.  The slaw had a crisp, bright flavor while firmly remaining on the sweet side without being overly pickley, and the beans had a great smokey flavor and a silky texture.  The sandwich, which consisted of pork shoulder topped with macaroni and cheese, was a substantial delight that instantly perked up Hawk.  "I know its just lack of sleep that's effecting me this morning, but this is the kind of thing that would instantly cure a hangover as well," he joked.  The meat wasn't overly saucy, meaning it's true smokey flavor wasn't masked in the least, and texture was so impossibly tender that it barely held together long enough to get it into one's mouth.  The mac and cheese when tasted on its on was certainly delicious, but seemed a gilding on the already perfect lily that was the pork.

Brandy chose the Texas Two Step Burger, an indulgent sounding meat mountain with an 8 oz patty, smoked brisket, bacon, Merk's cheddar, and a fist full of crispy onion straws, all slathered in house made BBQ sauce (a bottle of which was brought to the table for any additional saucing needs).  "How on earth am I going to eat this thing?!" Brandy exclaimed when the sandwich was presented to her.  She eventually settled for smooshing everything down as much as possible and then practically unhinging her jaw to get it around the behemoth.  The burger was truly a testament to everything great about Texas style BBQ, from its over indulgent presentation to its incredibly flavorful and tender meats, and it showed that Lone Star BBQ was not just about gimmickry and flash, but absolutely knew what they were doing.  This was also evident in the simplest of sides, like the hand cut French fries and the buttery, flaky biscuits, served with authentically Southwestern cactus jelly (a favorite of Brandy's ever since she first sampled it as a child).  "I literally cannot imagine a more authentic way to experience this kind of BBQ outside of Texas," Brandy swooned, "I may not originally be from this country, but food like this makes me feel down right patriotic for the good old USA!"

With bellies full of meat (so much so that Brandy actually did the unthinkable and forgot to order dessert!), Brandy and Hawk headed out of the restaurant.  Along with the absolutely scrumptious food and the down home atmosphere, the charmingly friendly staff seemed to be the cherry on the proverbial sundae.  "What a pleasant surprise to have found a slice of Americana like this place just before Independence Day!" Brandy said cheerily.  "I thought your countrymen referred to it as 'Good Riddance Day,'" Hawk smirked.  "We used to," said Brandy, "But we've now reserved our ire to be directed at Europe rather than the colonies, apparently."

The writers of this blog were invited by the restaurant to dine free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

The Short and Sweet Review