Bunny and Brandy's Brunch Guide: Mother's Day 2015

Still worried where to treat your mum to brunch on her special day? Worry no more! Bunny and Brandy have the scoop on all the best specials in town, neatly sorted for your browsing pleasure by neighborhood.  Please follow the links provided for additional information and to make reservations.

River North

Roka Akor buffet, $98 per person all moms who dine at Roka Akor on Mother’s Day receive a $25 gift card towards their next visit 

 River Roast A la Carte or prix fixe for $140, serves four people Every mom is entered into a raffle for the chance to win a pair of pearl earrings 

Sunda buffet, $55 per person includes a complimentary glass of Champagne for mom along with a
box of chocolate truffles 

Sixteen buffet, $155 per person 

Maxwell's at the Club buffet, $45 per person 

Siena Tavern prix fixe, $45 per person 

GT Fish and Oyster prix fixe, $45 per person Each table will have a choice of three family style dishes plus sides to share 

Shake Shack A la Carte all moms can get a complimentary single scoop cone or cup of vanilla, chocolate or the flavor of the week 

Piccolo Songo Due A la Carte Special dinner menu items are available all day long

The Loop/West Loop

The Florentine A la Carte Every mom gets a set of homemade Chocolate Raspberry Muffins to take home

bellyQ A la Carte Opening early at 10:00 

Formento's A la Carte special items like carbonara frittata, spring vegetable frittata, mushroom & goat cheese tart, lemon-ricotta pancakes 

Piccolo Songo A la Carte Special dinner menu items are available all day long

Streeterville

Driehaus Museum buffet, $90 per person (includes museum admission) a special complimentary keepsake photograph

Magnificent Mile

Michael Jordon's Steak House A la Carte The first 23 moms to order the 16oz. Prime Delmonico will get a free steak knife

Gold Coast

Eduardo's Enoteca A la Carte Complimentary Glass of Fresh Squeezed Red Ruby Juice for Mom 

Devon Seafood Grill buffet, $38 per person 

Lincoln Park

Chez Moi A la Carte 

Geja's Café A la Carte a complimentary 5 minute masage for all moms 

The J. Parker Small bites and cocktails

Balena prix fixe, $39 per person sweet and savory starters to share, then guests can choose one entrée each

Lakeview

Ceres' Table A la Carte all moms receive a complimentary glass of Prosecco with their meal 

Wood A la Carte 

Kit Kat Lounge prix fixe, $39.95 per person Madam X will be performing ABBA songs all morning, select cocktails included with the price of the meal 

Ann Sather (Belmont location) A la Carte special items like baked ham, roast leg of lamb, grilled salmon, roast turkey, beef tenderloin, spinach lasagna 

Lincoln Square

Luella's Southern Kitchen A la Carte All moms will receive complimentary house-made praline candy

Bridgeport

Nana A la Carte 

Bucktown/Wicker Park

The Bristol prix fixe, $39 per person Choice of one entrée and sides to share for the table

West Town

Unite Urban Grill A la Carte 

Suburbs

Prairie Grass Café Northbrook buffet, $48 per person 

El Tapeo Oakbrook A la Carte 

Drury Lane Theater Oakbrook Terrace buffet, $40 per person 

Biagio Portage Park buffet, $31.95 per person drinks included with the meal price 

Legno Portage Park A la Carte

The Kitchen or The Invisible Concierge

The Slow and Savory Review

Having so many friends scattered across the globe who could pop into Chicago for a spur of the moment visit at any time, Brandy has to be constantly prepared to show said friends a good time, which of course should center around an unforgettable meal.  Case in point, this past weekend Brandy's dear chum Babka (world renowned Polish rock star) popped into town for a quick visit.  "You are the keeper of the brunch secrets," Babka said to Brandy, "So I ask you to take me to the best brunch you can find before I continue on to the next stop on my tour."

Faced with trying to find a brunch reservation on short notice at one of the hottest places in town, Brandy turned to Reserve, a dining concierge service that just launched in Chicago, which allows users to find reservations quickly and easily, send reservation info to friends via a simple text, and even pay for the entire meal straight from their phones.  The moment she learned that Babka was headed into town, Brandy hopped onto Reserve, entered the day and time she wished to brunch, chose from a list of top notch restaurants, and in less than an hour, her reservation was confirmed.  "Thank goodness!" Brandy exhaled, "Now I don't have to take the poor girl to some grungy diner in the middle of nowhere for some rubbery pancakes and dry scrambled eggs!"

The restaurant Brandy had chosen to meet Babka at was The Kitchen, a beautiful open downtown space right on the river.  Removing her dark sunglasses cautiously, Babka took in the beautiful high open ceilings, the twinkling light fixtures, the gold and glass tables, and the all around fresh and beautiful space, which took full advantage of the gorgeous views of the city outside with the help of a wall of windows that flooded the dining area with sunlight.  "As always, your taste is exquisite," Babka said, approvingly.  Brandy breathed a sigh of relief.

A quick glance at the drinks menu made for easy decisions: a Mimosa for Babka and a Berries and Rosemary for Brandy.  Babka thought her mimosa was very well done, not being too sweet or acidic, but perfectly fresh and fizzy.  Brandy's cocktail, which had self explanatory flavors, was quite springy and refreshing with the herbs complimenting the berry flavor nicely.

The pastry menu proved to be an insurmountable temptation, so both ladies ordered up a Canelle, which is a traditional French pastry made with a custard base and baked to caramelized perfection.  "But what does it taste like?" Babka questioned.  "Sort of like a really good fortune cookie," the helpful waitress responded, and this answer seemed to please Babka.  The pastry did indeed have a nice caramel like flavor with a chewy exterior and a soft, eggy interior.  "It would be rather nice with a cup of coffee, don't you think?" Brandy asked.  "Yes, what were is the fortune? I still can't find mine," Babka replied, perplexed.

Next, in keeping with the sweet theme, the ladies split a Dutch Baby Pancake, which came adorned with fresh berries, mint, and ricotta cheese.  The texture of the pancake was slightly crisp and lightly chewy with a deeper flavor than a typical pancake.  The berries and cheese felt a bit heavy on top of such a delicate thing, but the taste was suitably subtle and fresh, especially with the little bit of mint.  "If I were eating this as my main course, I wouldn't mind a bit more berries on the side, as this beautiful little pancake can barely hold what's on top of it," Brandy commented, "But as a shared course or a starter, it does make a lovely impression for the rest of the meal."

Babka chose the Smoked Salmon Bruschetta as her entree, which consisted of diced salmon scrambled eggs, and greens atop a large piece of toasted bread.  Babka found the salmon to be exceedingly fresh and tender, but not over overpoweringly smokey, while the eggs had a downright silky texture that she really enjoyed.  The bread did seem a bit tough to cut, but Brandy supposed it was necessary in order to support the large amount of toppings.

Brandy decided on an old standby, the Steak Frites, which featured a dry aged Slagel Farms cut, topped with an herbed butter, two over easy eggs, and served with large portion of fried potatoes.  "I'd always thought frites meant a thin and crispy French fry," Brandy confessed, admiring the thick cut sticks, "But these are nice regardless."  The steak was cooked to an utterly perfect medium, only made more decadent by the addition of the melting butter on top of it, a touch one rarely sees on a breakfast steak.  Though the portion of steak was a bit small for the price (about 5 pieces for $23), Brandy was already rather full from the previous dishes, and so felt quite happy.

At the end of the meal, Babka was mightily impressed to see that Brandy had already taken care of the bill, via Reserve, meaning there was no sitting and waiting for the check, nor was there any more fuss for the server (in addition to the meal charges, there was also a $5 concierge fee).  Although the service at The Kitchen was impeccable, one thing Brandy did dislike about Reserve was that the tip level had to be decided before hand when entering the payment information, not after the meal when one could truly judge the quality of one's treatment at the establishment in question.  "Not that I ever tip under 15% anyway, even in the worst of circumstances" Brandy shrugged, "But I'd still like the option."  "Thank you for another fabulous brunch, my friend," Babka gushed as they collected their things, "Now I am fueled for the nine hour bus ride ahead of me."  "Yes, those road trips in a luxury tour bus can be quite trying, can't they," Brandy replied.

The writers of this blog were given a credit towards their meal by Reserve in exchange for an honest opinion of their experience.

The Short and Sweet Review

Tea Time with Brandy: Spring Time Cocktails with Nielsen-Massey

Spring is a time for all sorts of things like weddings, flowers, gentle rain storms, and allergies.  Of all things spring means to Brandy, one certainly excites her more than the others, which is the ability to drink outside.  "There's nothing quite like relaxing in a garden or on a patio with a cool drink in your hand and sunlight on your face," as Brandy likes to say.


Brandy is especially fond of a good punch in the spring time (punch as in the drink, not a belt round the face).  Punches are easily made in single servings or large quantities, as their simple combinations of ingredients usually don't require a large amount of prep or math.  A good Edwardian punch is usually fruity in nature, but can often contain little surprises to the palate to keep the drinker coming back for more.

As the weather started to warm up ("Well, I suppose 45 degrees is warm for Chicago," Brandy reasoned), Brandy was struck with a desire for a nice glass of punch, so she began checking her cabinets for ideas.  When she came across a bottle of Nielsen-Massey Pure Almond Extract, she had an idea.  Brandy has always loved the combination of cherry and almond, and taking those flavors into a punch recipe could be just the thing to quench her thirst.  And so the Almond-Cherry Spritzer was born.

If you would like to try some of Nielsen-Massey's high quality Pure Almond Extract, Brandy will be giving one away to one lucky reader.  To enter, simply leave a comment and how to contact you on this post, on our Facebook page, Twitter page, or Instagram before Wednesday May 6th.

The Almond-Cherry Spritzer

2 parts vodka
1 part tart cherry juice
1 part sparkling lemonade
1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Almond Extract per serving
Marinated cherries for garnish

Combine vodka and cherry juice, stir gently.  Add in the almond extract and sparkling lemonade.  Serve over ice and garnish with cherries.

Optional Ideas

• Want more of an almond flavor than a cherry one? Add a splash of amaretto!
• Try freezing your cherries inside ice cubes for a pretty look and to keep the drink from becoming watered down.
• Leave out the vodka for a delicious non-alcoholic punch!

The writers of this blog were provided with products from Nielsen-Massey in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

The Commons Club or High Time for High Tea

The Slow and Savory Review

Brandy sighed, gazing out her window on a cold, rainy Chicago spring day.  She was missing England.  "I do love The Windy City," she moaned, "But sometimes one just longs for things like the smell of sea air, a walk through a foggy moor, or a decent cup of good British tea."  Unable to shake her homesickness, Brandy phoned up her old friend Brocco Leigh Binto and asked if he might be able to invent something that would make her feel better.  "Well, that could take years of research, development, and testing," he told her, sympathetically, "But I did hear that the Virgin Hotel just started up a high tea service.  Maybe a little taste of your home land would cheer you up."

Brandy decided to take Brocco's advice and enlisted him to accompany her to The Commons Club on the second floor of the Virgin Hotel.  The space boasted impossibly high ceilings, a playful library, and a semi-casual dining area surrounding an ornate bar.  Much like its downstairs sister restaurant, Miss Ricky's, the space had just enough rock and roll feeling to it to make it stylish without being obnoxious.

Upon browsing the menu, Brandy discovered that the tea service had a little twist: it featured not only traditional tea time snacks and pots of hot tea, but also six seasonal cocktails, all featuring different Rare Tea Cellars teas.  "They're calling this an Upside Down Tea Party," Brandy observed, "Presumably because you'll be upside down under the table when its over."  "It's a good thing the Virgin Hotel features a Bow Truss Coffee in room pour over service then," Brocco smiled.  And so encouraged by that useful feature of the hotel, Brocco and Brandy threw caution to the wind and ordered round after round of tea cocktails until they found they'd (somewhat) accidentally tried them all.

Gentry Cove (on the right)- gin, vermouth, strawberry, lemon, and Earl Grey Brandy likened this one to a Pimm's Cup, in that it packed plenty of punch with a nice fruity finish.  This was light, infinitely drinkable, and perfect for a spring day.

Pomp and Circumstance (on the left)- gin, aloe liqueur, butterfly pea tea, corn flower, passion fruit This was probably the most stunningly presented cocktail of the day, as its top layer was a vibrant blue, the middle was a royal purple, and the bottom a sweet shot of passion fruit nectar.  The taste was a little too vegetal for Brandy's liking, but Brocco enjoyed it.

Fields of France- vodka, anise liqueur, Campari, tonic, honey, lavender tea Not normally a fan of anise flavored things, Brandy was surprised to have enjoyed this drink, which had a lovely floral quality to it.  This concoction was probably one of the better showcases for the tea that inspired it, which is flavored with various berries and flowers.

Bold as Love- rum, mint, green tea, lemon, verbena This one was both Brandy and Brocco's least favorite of the bunch.  It was a tad too herbacious for their liking, and baring a slight resemblance to a mojito, Brocco wished it would have been a little sweeter.  "Maybe Bold as Love is the wrong name for this," as he put it, "I'd call this the Bold as Like-quite-a-bit-but-not-in-Love."

Sunny Day in London- gin, brandy, sherry, black tea, honey, cream Although most of the other cocktails came adorned with colorful flowers, this one came simply presented over crushed ice in a pretty tea cup, and made Brandy burst into laughter when she saw it.  "What's so funny?" Brocco asked.  "It's called a Sunny Day in London, but it's cloudy.  Get it?" Brocco did not get it.  Regardless, Brandy thought this was the best cocktail for enjoying with the food because of its rich, sip-able flavor.

Spring Fling- vodka, St. Germain, lemon soda, jasmine green tea The last cocktail of the afternoon was also one of the prettier ones, having a vibrant green color which set off the flowers floating on the top and reminding Brandy of a pond covered in lily pads.  Its flavor was bright and fruity with an almost melon like flavor that Brocco quite enjoyed.

As for the food, the offerings were pretty traditional: a few finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, a couple bite sized pastries, and a cookie.  Brandy was a tad disappointed that there weren't more modern takes on the nibbles to match the creativity behind the cocktails, but she thought everything was quite lovely all the same.  The Crab and Shrimp Salad Sandwich was a nice change of pace from the more traditional Smoked Salmon and Cucumber sandwiches, but all three were delicate and tasty.  The scones were tiny indeed, each one about the size of a bite or two, with flavorings like walnut, pistachio and cherry, and cinnamon raisin, while the jam and cream came adorably presented in a tiny tea cup and looking like some sort of dessert in and of itself.  "Whipped cream?  On your scone?" Brocco questioned upon spying the confection.  "No dear, clotted cream," Brandy corrected him, "It's sort of like a buttery spread.  Go on, try it."  And with one scoopful of the stuff, Brocco was a changed man.  The little pasties were nice, especially the rich chocolate tart with candied hazelnuts on top, but the dainty financier with cherries and almonds had its own rustic charm too.  Brandy simply adored the presentation of the shortbread cookie, which had its lower half dipped in chocolate, as it was shaped like a tea bag and even had string tied to it, making it perfect for dipping.  "Sadly, we've neglected to actually order any actual tea," Brandy observed, and then shrugging, she dipped the thing in one of her cocktails.

Whiling away a rainy afternoon with a high tea service at The Commons Club might have normally made Brandy even more home sick for dear old England, but with more than a few cocktails in her system as well as some excellent nosh, she actually felt quite contented.  "Not only did we drink our way through the entire menu, we may have also drunk an entire garden this afternoon," she giggled as she eyed the colorful flowers in her empty cocktail glass, "But I'd say these tea cocktails do make for a lovely change of pace for a tea service.  I can see myself coming back to this season after season as the menu shifts."  Brandy also loved the relaxed, yet refined atmosphere of The Commons Club, where the well dressed servers and bartenders were polite, chatty, and very well informed.  With the tea service only $10 a person and the cocktails coming in at $12 a piece (actual pots of tea were also available for $7, but also several premium selections ranging from $14-$55 for high rolling tea connoisseurs), Brandy also thought the prices weren't too outrageous.  "Well, it certainly wasn't the most traditional tea service I've ever attended," Brandy said grandly as she made her way down to the hotel lobby, "But I do have to admit that I feel quite a better going out than I did going in."

The Short and Sweet Review

From the Kitchens of Bunny and Brandy: Cinnamon Mocha Muffins and Hamilton Beach Giveaway!

Although Brandy is a notoriously prolific tea drinker, she does enjoy a good hot cup of coffee as well.  "Tea is life, but coffee is a life enhancer," as she likes to put it.  So when Hamilton Beach asked Brandy to give their latest innovation in coffee preparation a go, she stocked up on flavored creamers and prepared for a massive dose of caffine.

The FlexBrew 2 Way Coffee Maker was surprisingly light weight, making it easy to move from the kitchen to the breakfast nook and back, depending on Brandy's mood.  The side that made the full pot of coffee utilized a wire mesh reusable filter, which made the brewing process as simple as pressing a button.  The single cup side accepted both K-Cups and fresh grounds (with the use of the proper attachment) and took a few more steps in order to properly brew a cup of joe.  This side required a little more concentration, as one could easily over fill the water tank, forget to switch the function on the machine, or neglect to press down the bar that activated the single cup brew, but Brandy very much liked the adjustable stand that allowed one to use anything from a standard coffee mug to a tall travel cup.

Both sides also functioned very well for preparing hot water, should one want to make some tea in a hurry.  Brandy very much appreciated that the machine was programmable, so that if she so wished, she could wake up to a fresh brewed pot of coffee every morning.

Brandy had so much fun playing with her new toy that she soon found herself with a massive amount of freshly brewed coffee about the house.  "Well, might as well put some of this to good use!" she proclaimed.  Thinking of coffee cake (and how she had always been perplexed by the fact that coffee cake was not coffee flavored) Brandy came up with this recipe for some delicious, caffeinated muffins made with fresh brewed coffee to keep them perfectly moist.

Also, especially for her loyal fans, Brandy is giving away a Hamilton Beach FlexBrew 2-way Coffee Maker!  Check the widget below the recipe for full details on how to enter.  This giveaway will run until April 29th.  But don't worry if you don't win, because you can get your own Hamilton Beach FlexBrew 2-Way Coffee Maker at retailers like Walmart for only $89.

Cinnamon Mocha Muffins

For the topping:

1/2 cup of light brown sugar
1/2 cup of white sugar
1 tablespoon of instant coffee granules
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 tablespoon of cinnamon
1 cup of flour
1/3 cup melted butter

For the Muffins:
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
1 tablespoon of cocoa powder
1/2 tablespoon of instant coffee granules (optional if you want to intensify the coffee flavor)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of freshly brewed coffee
1/4 cup of softened butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup of milk
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
1 large egg

For the crumb topping: combine the brown sugar, white sugar, coffee granules, salt, cinnamon, and flour in a medium bowl, stir to combine, and then add the melted butter.  Continue to stir until the mixture takes on an even sandy texture, then spread on a cookie sheet and let dry while you prepare the muffins.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In one bowl, combine the flour, coffee granules, cocoa powder, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda.  In a second bowl, cream the butter and sugar together, then add in the egg and vanilla.  When everything is combined into a smooth mixture, add in the coffee and milk and mix again.  Carefully fold the dry mixture into the liquid mixture, whisking away any lumps as you go and scraping down the sides of the bowl until the batter is smooth and even.

Spray the cups of a muffin tin with cooking spray (skip this step if using muffin papers).  Divide the batter into the twelve cups of the muffin tin.  Sprinkle a generous amount of the topping mix onto each muffin, making sure to break up any large clumps as you go, otherwise they will sink to the bottom of the batter as the muffins bake.  Bake the muffins for about 20 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.  Let cool and serve.

The writers of this blog were provided with an appliance by Hamilton Beach in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tea Time with Brandy: Chefmade Meal Delivery Service

Meal delivery services seem to be all the rage these days.  It's no wonder, what with work schedules growing increasingly erratic and people's lives filling up with all sorts of hobbies and distractions.  "I know several people who simply cannot put down their electronic do-hickies when they are home," said Brandy, "I'm not one to judge, as I get the same way about my needlepoint.  Often I'm there, stitching away for hours, and I simply forget to cook a meal!"

Throwing their hat into the ring of meal delivery is Chefmade, a company offering fully prepared meals that are hearty and healthy.  Chefmade's website takes orders from customers up through midnight on Thursdays, guaranteeing delivery of their food on the same Sunday.  Chefmade offers a new set of meals every week, giving their customers lots of exciting choices to keep their palates interested.  Brandy especially loved that they offered breakfast options, a choice many similar services simply don't have.  Taking that into consideration, Brandy decided to give Chefmade a go.

The ordering process was exceedingly simply to navigate, even for Brandy, and on the day of delivery, Chefmade kept Brandy abreast of their timing extremely well.  She received both an email and a text in the morning, telling her when she could expect her delivery, which helped her to plan how long she could be out of the house for brunch.  Later in the afternoon, she got another text letting her know that she was next up on the delivery docket, and then a last text when her delivery was neigh.  This last text helped greatly, as she was able to greet the cheerful driver at her door and receive her delivery with no more fuss.

Brandy had decided to order four meals offered by Chefmade that week: a Caramelized Onion Tart with Blue Cheese and Walnuts, a Lemon Tortellini Salad with Asparagus, a PB+J Cashew Yogurt Bowl, and a Blueberry Bran Muffin, all of which made for perfect breakfasts and lunches throughout the week for her.

The cashew yogurt bowl was very unique indeed, with a silky texture Brandy did not expect, a tangy strawberry jam, and a cup of roasted peanuts to sprinkle on top of the bowl.  As much as she is a fan of all things dairy, Brandy actually loved that this option was fit for all sorts of diet restrictions, being vegan and gluten free.  The muffin was surprisingly moist and light for a bran muffin with lovely little bursts of flavor from the fresh blueberries within.  Brandy would have liked a slightly bigger muffin, but with a banana and a nice up of milky tea, it made for a pretty satisfying breakfast.

Both the tortellini salad and the onion tart were fairly substantial in size, enough in fact to make four meals out of what was meant to be two.  The onion tart was the only thing that required cooking, or rather a quick crisp up in the oven, just enough to make the pungent blue cheese melt, and then a quick sprinkle of fresh cut scallions finished it off nicely.  The dough was thick and yeasty, with a nice touch of fire roasted flavor to it, while the sweet and tangy onion topping mixed well with the strong cheese and the little bits of crunch from the nuts.  The tortellini salad looked incredibly fresh with some sliced grape tomatoes, chunks of grilled asparagus, big cheese filled tortellini, and a little cup of pine nuts to top it all off.  Though light and fresh in flavor, this salad made for a very hearty lunch.

The price per meal for the lunches came out to about $10, while the breakfasts were less than half of that, which Brandy thought was more than reasonable, considering the portion sizes.  There was an additional $10 delivery charge, but with the more one orders, the better use that fee was put to.  Brandy really loved the fresh ingredients and healthy slanted recipes that Chefmade offered, especially as they were full of flavor and easily enjoyed, not to mention beautifully presented and packaged.  "Ordering from Chefmade will certainly save me some time!" Brandy proclaimed, "Now I can finally finish quilting the walls of my parlor like I've always wanted to."

As a treat for fans of Bunny and Brandy, Chefmade is extending their ordering deadline until 7:00 pm Friday April 17th.  Check out the website now to see this week's meals and order by 7:00pm tonight to get your delivery on Sunday.  Use the code BUNNYANDBRANDY to not only get an early access pass to try Chefmade before it is launched to the public at large, but also a free meal (a $9.99 value) with your first order!

The writers of this blog were given a portion of the order from Chefmade free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

A tribute to Chef Homaro Cantu

Hello friends, my name is Jessica Berson and I have been the voice of Bunny and Brandy for four years now.  The original concept of this blog was to keep behind a semi-anonymous facade, but something happened yesterday that for once requires my own words, and not that of my whimsical, fictional creations, so I hope you will forgive this (hopefully) one time only breaking of the fourth wall.

In the fall of 2009, a friend and I were looking for something to do on a Wednesday night.  Somehow, we landed on the idea of going for a drink at Moto (at the time, there was a small lounge space at the front of the restaurant), just to check out all the crazy mad food science happening there, like edible paper and cocktails in test tubes.  The guy behind the bar must have been amused to find two rubes like us sitting in front of him on an otherwise slow weekday night, and although we had only ordered one drink each, he chatted with us, fixed us up with some absinthe shots (in a test tube!), gave us a taste of some European gin, and even insisted we try a dessert before we left, a chocolate sphere in the shape of a tiny cartoon bomb with a light-able marshmallow wick and a liquefied graham cracker center.  It was an amazing night for two girls who were barely making ends meat while working at a famous Chicago comedy theater.

So elated was I that we had been treated so well that I went home and tweeted Moto's chef, Homaro Cantu, that although I could never hope to afford dinner at his restaurant, I thoroughly enjoyed my brief time there, where his staff were second to none.  Almost right away, I got a DM back from him offering me something extraordinary: a dinner at Moto on his dime in exchange for writing about the experience on social media.  I broke into tears and called my mother.  I felt so lucky that I actually went out and bought a lottery ticket that day.

A few months later, my friend and I were treated to the dining experience of a life time.  We were presented with thirteen courses in total as well as wine pairings and a tour of the kitchen by Moto's future executive chef, Richie Farina.  I wore a dress I'd bought for about $25 from Target especially for the occasion and had lived for a week on egg noodles and frozen vegetables so that I could afford to leave a tip.  As I had told the Chef, at that time in my life, I never thought there was a chance of me being able to have a night like that, a meal like that, and I wouldn't have without the generosity of a man who knew what it was like to be living on the edge while yearning for much more.

That night in June of 2010, a seed was planted and took hold, which would eventually bloom into the founding of this blog in October of that year.  Along with my photographer friend, we decided on brunch as a way to sample Chicago's culinary scene without breaking the bank, as brunch tends to be cheaper than dinner.  When we set up our rating system, we decided to judge every meal on a curve, as compared to the single greatest meal of our lives, which is why we have always used a scale of 1-5 M's to define our idea of perfection (M for "Moto" of course).

As my blog blossomed and grew with my changing life style, Chef Cantu was still there helping me and inspiring me.  I was there with friends for one of the very first dinners at ING, returning again when the miracle berry dinners started, and then being invited once more when the theme dinners entered the space.  My day job circumstances changed and I was able to take my mother to dinner at ING for Christmas for a few years, a tradition she came to look to as the greatest culinary experiences of her life.  I was even invited to guest chef at ING one afternoon, where a staff of patient and polite professional chefs smiled on as I mangled some hard boiled duck eggs and desperately tried to learn how to plate with a pair of tweezers.  Chef Cantu allowed me to reprint two recipes from his amazing Miracle Berry Diet Cookbook on this blog.  He even personally promoted my blog, posting links to it on his social media accounts, which was an amazing boost for me in the eternal battle of getting one's content noticed in the haystack that is the internet.

Yesterday, Chef Homaro Cantu passed away.  I cannot adequately express my devastation at this news.  Although I only met Chef Cantu a few times in person, I always felt as if he was the guardian angel of this blog, a silly little website which gave me the creative outlet I needed to stay sane while working a necessary but not unpleasant day job.  In fact, I have kept the paper version of the menu from my dinner at Moto on my desk since that day so that  I could always remember what had inspired this unexpected, yet joyful and fulfilling part of my life.  I will never forget all of the kindnesses extended to me by Homaro Cantu, a virtual stranger who changed the course of my life in ways he will never know.  Thank you Chef, thank you for the greatest meal of my life, for showing me how food can truly be elevated to art, and for inspiring me to do what makes me happy.  Your spirit of kindness and generosity will never be forgotten and the legacy of talent you leave behind will continue to inspire Chicago and the world for countless decades to come.

My thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.  I encourage all of Chicago's food community to join me in contributing a donation in his honor to The Trotter Project.