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Ileana's raspberry and blueberry tarte
While wandering around the Near North Side before visiting the Lincoln Park Zoo, Ileana and I were starving and looking for a place for grab a light lunch. When we stumbled upon Bombon Americano bakeshop & cafe at 1000 N. Clark St., we thought it would be the perfect place to chat and eat. You may be a little confused by the name of this bakeshop – it shares the same name of the bakery that burned down in Pilsen, Bombon Cafe, that has now relocated to the West Loop. Bombon Americano, however, is not run by the same people and definitely is worth a visit.
The Bombon greets you with a quirky, charming interior: paper lanterns provide a soft glow and wooden flower cutouts adorn an already kaleidoscopic cafe. All of the pastries are displayed on bright gift tissue, the menu is written in big swirly font on blackboards suspended from sea foam green walls and even the water in dispenser in the front is laced with ripe orange slices.
It is obvious that the owners poured a lot of effort into the aesthetics of Bombon.
If the décor is not enough to prove how adorable the place is, the furniture and trays on which the sandwiches are served are sure to have you cooing!
Every stool, table and chair is decorated with a different theme and the sandwich trays are shallow wooden crates lined with the same wispy tissue paper the pastries lounge on.
The adorable little chair with a lock and key theme
If you can peel your eyes away from the shabby chic fabulousness, check out the menu. Far from the flight, cutesy atmosphere, Bombon takes their food very seriously.
The sandwich menu is impressive and since I have been on a jalapeno craze lately, I set my heart on the Valle Grande, a sandwich dressed with blackened chicken, Monterrey Jack-jalapeno cheese, a made-in-house avocado spread, jalapeno dressing and some garden veggies. My order came with a small ramekin of cilantro-laced pasta salad and roasted potatoes tossed in a rich olive oil.
I almost did not want to rip into my pseudo gift-wrapped sandwich, but I am so glad I did. Despite the winter-y weather Chicago has been experiencing, Bombon food tastes just like spring. The plump chicken is tossed with the fresh and creamy avocado spread and the jalapeno dressing heats you up like a nice spring day. The Valle Grande was so light but so filling – and for nearly $8, it filled me up for the rest of the day and was worth every penny.
Of course if you know me, you know that I cannot end a meal without something sweet! While Ileana splurged for a nearly $6 tarte, I was eager for a date with one of the many cupcakes on display. At $3/cupcake, I was a little hesitant, but believe me this cupcake will have you asking for its digits and calling around for a second date.
This raspberry cupcake was moist with plenty of juicy raspberries folded into the cake and browned to perfection. Just look at the inside! The frosting was a butter cream with a luscious consistency. Not only did it have raspberry preserves swirled in, but it was crowned with a fresh raspberry – cute!
If you need a pick-me-up during the last weeks of this chilly weather, visit Bombon and eat an extra cupcake for me!
Dev xx
Enjoying a beautiful second day of spring, Devin and I decided to visit the Lincoln Park Zoo. The Zoo is free and offers a wonderful array of animals, recreational activities, and park area. An exciting taste of what’s to come this spring and summer, I could not have anticipated a more delightful way to spend an afternoon.
Our first stop was to a makeshift barn which teaches children and families about how to live life off of the land. The barn is outfitted with a seemingly larger-than-life tractor, demonstrations on weather, and even an incubator which held newborn baby chicks.
Geared towards a more hands-on approach, kids appeared to be more than enthralled with the exhibits, as well as the visual enormity of the cavernous room. Devin and I had a little fun hanging out in the weather room. More hallway than room, visitors are encouraged to press different button scenarios varying from tornado, to sunshine, to a spring rain. (More exciting than my experience taking a meteorology course in undergrad, that’s for sure!)
Next we walked over to the real barn, which featured all our favorites: Pot-bellied pigs, cows, sheep, and horses. Though the animals did not appear to be phased by our intrusion, the smell certainly worked to peak our…senses. As I shared with Devin, cows have been my favorite animal for as long as I remember.
Needless to say, I was tickled with the exhibit. Bouncing around like school girls, Devin and I used our superior animal-speak techniques to get the pigs to partake in discussion. But it was to no avail.
The barn worked in conjunction with another venue which demonstrated the dairy process. The room featured a group of delightful ladies, spending their time lazily grazing from their trough of hay. C’est la vie! The back wall held a display case which depicted the cow milking process, and a supposed demonstration held at 11 a.m. which we were too late for.
The barns in this part of the zoo are all historical landmarks. This union stockyard was, as we can assume, one of the foremost processing plants for cattle. A bit depressing, but I’m hoping the ladies back at the milking plant don’t know.
From there we walked over a scenic little bridge that brought us to the second part of the zoo, where some of the more exotic animals are kept. As we trekked over to the other exhibits, I was struck by the amount of people out for the afternoon enjoying the zoo. If the 58 degree weather was any cause for spending a Saturday outdoors, the greening trees and the beautiful park surely was.
Next we went to the Monkey house. As we walked in, we caught sight of the “Primate Kitchen.” And once we saw the menu, we were struck by how much better they ate than us! Acorn squash, arugula, lemon grass… a vegetarian feast!
The monkeys weren’t too bad either. It seemed as though they were almost posing for the camera, sitting on the nearest branch, one even held an arm up in the air. Obviously waving at us. We have that way with animals. But much to our dismay, we were quickly ushered out as it was time to close up and feed. A bit concerned that perhaps we had arrived to the zoo too late in the day, we rushed over to see if there was still time left to see the cats.
This may have been one of the more upsetting parts of the day. When we go to the Tiger viewing area, we decided it would be best to use the side viewing area, allowing for a better look. Packed with people, this tiny area provided an amazing view.. of the Tiger pacing back and forth, right on the other side of the window. People were tapping on the glass, the flash of cameras going off relentlessly. At one point, it almost appeared too much for the animal, as it lept up and smacked the glass with its paw. The man directly in front too more pictures, tapping again on the glass to provoke it. I walked away soon after.
The rest of the day was a wonderful blur of people watching, soaking up the sun on the park lawn, and a little bit of animal watching. But the highlight of the day was the Seal exhibit. The house has a wonderful underwater view of the seal which swim around the tank, putting on a show for the spectators. One seal darted through the tank, as if to race. The second took a more leisurely approach, swimmingly calmly around, on his back. He was my favorite.
If you have yet to visit the Lincoln Park Zoo, I highly recommend it. It’s the perfect place to bring your favorite animal-loving friend.
On another note, as it is now spring break and I am done with school for about a week, I’m heading back home to Florida to spend some time with my family. Stayed tuned for MakingFloridaHome?
Be sure to check out the video clip I posted below from the seal exhibit. Just a taste of those silly seal shenanigans!
-Ileana
Though I’ve been living in Chicago for a little over 3 months, I can honestly say that I haven’t had much of a desire to check out Wrigleyville. But last night I acquiesced and I met with some friends at Goose Island.
Goose Island is essentially what you would expect of a college-style sports bar. Plentiful TVs displaying the latest NCAA basketball games. Undergraduate-aged men and women yelling at the TVs while downing their brews.
The most exciting part of the bar is that, much like other local pubs in Chicago, they brew their own beer on site. Explained by the waitress as a must drink for anyone who is a fan of Blue Moon, I quickly ordered one for myself. (No Bud Light drinkers here!) Called the Goose Island 312, it was one of the best beers I’ve had for $5 since moving to Chicago.
The canisters which hold the beer are proudly displayed behind a glass wall.
All in all, a fun experience. But a word to the wise, if you show up wearing more than what would be expected at Spring Break in Cancun, you may not fit in.
After that, we ventured across the street, amidst the throngs of drunken twenty-somethings to Celona, bar and grill. A perfect remedy to the aforementioned sports bar, here there are no TVs, and the DJ kept pumping a constant stream of 80s favorites. And by 80s favorites I mean the usual medley of Billy Jean’s sunglasses at night.
Characterized as a Tapas restaurant, I unfortunately did not partake in dining, but from what I saw around me, it seemed pretty delicious…although, one has to wonder what kind of quality of food comes with a $10 pitcher of Sangria.
The night was an interesting deviation from the norm of my much-loved dive bars. But I do suggest it for anyone looking for some good old fashioned college fun.
Some festive wall art in Celona.
-Ileana
On a whim, I decided to look up information on the upcoming Chicago Fashion Week. As it is undoubtedly about time to start planning for 2010 Spring Fashion shows, I was growing concerned about the lack of coverage surrounding the 2009 Fall Fashion week that should have occurred sometime in February. Well, one quick trip to the Chicago Fashion Week web site told me all I needed to hear. Cancelled.
Though I am encouraged that the event appears to be on for 2010, I do not feel entirely swayed. As someone who’s entire purpose for attending graduate school for journalism was fashion, I am not pleased with the blatant lackadaisical attitude Chicago has taken to these events. Any fashion maven will tell you that the veritable display and artistic ingenuity that is involved in fashion week is something that should be expected in any metropolitan community. Even Cleveland has one!
From Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in NYC. Zac Posen.
Unidentified designer from Chicago Fashion Week.
When I searched online for possible reasons for this travesty, I found that it was for lack of funding for this privatized event. What a shock.
According to BizBash.com, the show was postponed due to low ticket sales. However, the article insinuates that the event’s sponsor MasterCard had backed out of the production. Even more of a surprise. It seems that nobody is escaping the wrath of our jilted economy. Especially the designers, who had already planned for the event.
My only hope is that this “new and improved” fashion week I’ve been reading so much about will not suffer the same fate. Looking for some sort of reason to justify my foray into the journalism community, this would be the perfect event to cover.Though this would be Chicago’s proverbial maiden voyage into fashion fair, I whole-heartedly believe it would be a success. Where there is beauty, there is inspiration. And I do think that we all could use a hearty dose of visual distraction to get our sense of creative wonder pumping again.
-Ileana
Amazing sunset sky at the Belmont station
…to take time to enjoy your train wait at your local CTA station.
Another awesome shot of the amazing sunset sky at Belmont
Dev xx
As a Chicago resident and a person who loves to experience new things/food/etc., I am always on the prowl to find new and exciting things at a low cost. Time Out Chicago’s “Around Town” section used to be my only saviour, listing a ton of cool things and noting if they are free or cheap. Then one day, Time Out featured an article on Groupon, this amazing daily deal site lists things to do/buy in Chicago. There is a catch, however, you only get the deal if a certain number of people also buy the deal. You can read Groupon’s FAQ to learn all about it.
It is just such an amazing idea and I am so obsessed that I just could not keep it a secret.
Dev xx
So far I have explored the hot dogs from America’s Dog and Hot Doug’s. Since I am new to Chicago and America’s Dog was the first hot dog I tasted while in Chicago, I was sure that I had tasted something exquisite. You can imagine my surprise when a few people ripped into my review accusing me of putting the chain restaurant on a pedestal and tearing into the fact that I had not tried a Chicago-style dog. At that time (only a few short weeks ago), I had no earthly idea what a “Chicago-style” dog even entailed!
Well, my friend, a lot has changed since then! Hot Doug’s opened my eyes to the glory that is Chicago-style (even though the relish is a little unsettling with its acid-y green colour) and I have come to believe that the hot dog may have been perfected by Chicagoans. I still struggle sometimes with the thought of piling on so many ingredients and fight with my tendency to pick off the toppings and shove them in my mouth like crudités.
Baby steps, people.
I took the next step toward finding the perfect dog at Murphy’s Dogs, 1211 W. Belmont Ave. (at the intersection of Racine), that claims to have “the Best of the Best!” and “To be Top Dog in a Dog Eat Dog World.” The first thing I notice is how expensive the dogs are in comparison to Hot Doug’s ($2.99 at Murphy’s compared to $1.75 at Hot Doug’s). The line at Murphy’s was virtually non-existent and the man behind the counter was not nearly as witty or friendly as his Hot Doug’s counterpart. While Hot Doug’s seemed to have a more upbeat, friendlier atmosphere and cheaper prices, I would say Murphy’s gives a run for their money on taste.
After scouring the menu, I ordered a Footlong Red Hot ($4.89…ouch) with mustard, hot peppers, pickle, tomatoes, cucumber and celery salt. I gotta say that Murphy (I am guessing it was the owner) did not give my foot long a very long “walk through the garden” because he was pretty stingy with my toppings. One cucumber slice?! Hot Doug’s piled it on!
I honestly did not think that Murphy’s could compete with Hot Doug’s, but actually it stood its ground and the red hot itself was ridiculously tasty with a more intense chargrill taste than Hot Doug’s. This probably has something to do with the fact that Murphy’s only uses Vienna beef dogs which are plump and flavourful.
Could it be the best? Possibly, but I have only scratched the surface of Chicago hot doggery and need the help of other Chicagoans to make sure I have convered all possible ground before coming up with a champion.
In other news I finally found onion rings I like. Murphy fries up thick onion rings with minimal batter that actually sticks to the onion, minimising the amount of “fry” one eats. Usually, I cannot stand onion rings, but these were crispy and after one bite I kind of wished I had purchased a basket for myself.
Even if you are not a fan, I would recommend you at least try on and tell me what you think.
Although I think Murphy’s prices should be lower, if it meant that the quality of the food would be any less amazing than what it is, then I would not pay less. Hot Doug’s has a great variety of different dogs, but the next time I want an authentic Chicago-style, I am hitting up Murphy’s.
Dev xx
I have been sick all week but I did not let that stop me from eating dessert at Joey’s Brickhouse at 1258 W. Belmont Ave. No matter what type of bad mood you are in before you enter Joey’s, the warm cookie sundae is a triple-chocolate threat that is sure to make you forget all about it.
An extra-thick cookie brownie embellished with melty milk chocolate chips, chocolate syrup and a perfect scoop of vanilla ice cream ensure that you will be secretly unbuttoning your jeans under the table and promising yourself to hit the treadmill the following morning. If you do not want to share I would not blame you, but this treat is definitely big enough for two (if not three) and at $6 is one of the best comfort desserts in the Lakeview area.
PS, to get one for free, drop into Joey’s and ask your server for a “daily specials” sheet that advertises the store hours and daily deals. On that wonderful piece of paper is a coupon for one free dessert. I got your back :o)
Dev xx
Salt `n Pepper Diner at 2575 N. Lincoln Ave. is where Tim and I dropped in for breakfast/lunch earlier this week. Even though it called itself a diner, I was a little apprehensive at first because the outside does not scream “diner!” at all (except for the campy light-up diner sign, of course).
Established in 1965, the inside of Salt ` n Pepper is just as cute as it can be with a black and white tile counter, classic booths with plastic seats and an adorable juke box churning out 50s and 60s music while you eat.
Surprisingly, the place was pretty packed for a weekday lunch hour, so we waited at the counter on some worn barstools until a booth by the window opened up.
The people serving are really friendly, but what annoyed me about this place is that everything I wanted was either sold out or had not been restocked. Yes, everything. There was no ice cream, so forget about getting a milkshake. They had run out of burritos, french toast and pancakes and just when I thought we should leave, they offered to put my burrito fillings (sausage, scrambled egg, jalapeno and melted cheddar cheese) on a sandwich and I hesitantly agreed.
A little while later, a big sandwich arrived at my table stuffed with gooey melted cheese, savory sausage, moist and fluffy scrambled eggs and fresh chunks of jalapeno all tucked in between a chewy French baguette. It was fabulous!
It was pretty expensive for diner food, coming to $20 for two sandwiches, an extra side and a cup of coffee, which I found steep. In the future, although this was good, it is nothing you cannot make at home.
Dev xx
While walking down Lincoln Ave. in Lakeview, I could not help but notice a tiny alley with a street sign that read, “MYSTERY ST”. Oftentimes, I just walk by, assuming that it must be a prop put up by the psychic since it is attached to her/his business. Yesterday, I decided it was time to uncover the mystery of Mystery St., so I took a trip down the alleyway and this is what I found:
The entrance to the Mystery Street Recording Company is nestled in the alley, serving the likes of the Methadones and the Industrial Workers of the World, as well as producing their own radio station. Never would I have guessed that such a gem was tucked away on Lincoln Street between a psychic and a coin laundry!
Mystery solved!
Dev xx
