738 N. Wells
Chicago, IL
312.587.1050
Type: Vegan
Fancy Shmancy Factor: 3.5/5
Price: Entrees range from $9 to $15
Quality for Price: 3.5/5 (you know, for vegan food)
Ambiance: Upscale casual, small, intimate
Other: Vegan friendly, many gluten-free options
Neighborhood: Near North
I got ribs! Well, not exactly. But at Karyn's Cooked, it's about as close as you can get. Being a couple of hardcore carnivores, we were not quite sure what to expect from this strictly vegan establishment. Kristen's friend Michelle was in town for her birthday and, being educated and enlightened about what she consumes, is a strict vegan. For those of us that choose to remain blissfully ignorant about where that medium-rare steak comes from or that fried chicken and bacon sandwich's origins, entering a vegan restaurant almost seems like stepping into another world. In this other world, animals are revered and not eaten; bean curds are a staple cooking ingredient; one can order a side of 'enzymes' and somewhat ironically, the closer you can get to something tasting like meat, the better. It's true, in an attempt to win over skeptical meat lovers, most items on the menu are actually attempts at re-creating meat-inspired dishes. You can start off with an appetizer of 'buffalo wings', order a 'meatball' sandwich to go or, in my case, go right for the BBQ 'slab of ribs' for dinner on a Thursday night out on the town. When the meals came, we all had to try each others selections and it became almost a pass-and-serve family style dining experience. Kristen's taco salad with grilled seitan was outstanding, Michelle's 'stuffed chicken' special was great, BJ's 'meatloaf' made you forget you were at a vegan restaurant, Haylee's 'sloppy jo' was spicy and satisfying and finally, my 'slab of ribs' was a pleasant surprise. The portion was almost too much, but that could be because I wasn't exactly sure what I was consuming. The side of corn on the cob was fairly dry and bland, but the BBQ sauce was spicy and tasted better than I'd expected. For dessert, Michelle got a surprise piece of vegan chocolate cake with, of course, a birthday candle. The cake was...interesting. Everyone decided it smelled like something different: from dirty feet to other things that I won't get into. I have to say, overall I was very impressed by the food and while I'm not about to give up real BBQ ribs, Karyn's is a great place to have a vegan-friendly substitute once in a while.
As far as a date restaurant goes, Karyn's has an atmosphere that is inviting, comfortable, warm and modernly classic. They have a small selection of organic wine, mead, beer and cocktails. It's reasonably priced and close to several clubs and bars downtown that you can head to and dance off that slice of vegan cheesecake. If you happen to find out that your date is a vegan, then obviously this place is a no-brainer. He or she will be impressed for being so open and if you really want to get in good, mention that you have been there before, but didn't even realize it was vegan! "Wow, I had no idea. I just suggested it because they have great food..." If neither of you are vegan, but maybe want to try something other than that new bar down the street or the latest Asian/Hawaiian/African/Latin/Antarctic Fusion place, Karyn's is a surprising treat and something you might not expect from a group of people that wouldn't ask a chicken to lay an egg for an omelet or milk a cow for ice cream.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Flatwater Grill
321 N. Clark
Chicago, IL 60610
312.644.0283
Type: Contemporary American
Fancy Shmancy Factor: 4/5
Price: Entrees $26-32, Pasta $16-19
Quality for Price: 3.5/5
Ambiance: Romantic in dining room, More Casual on river front patio
Other: Brunch and lunch menus as well
Neighborhood: River North
Like most members of the 9-5 working population, we look forward to our weekends to relax and let loose a bit. Recently, however, we have been spending our precious days off traveling out of town, entertaining visitors (whom we adore, don't get us wrong!), and babysitting. So when we finally found ourselves with no plans or commitments this weekend, we decided a date night was in order.
We started our night attending a free Johnnie Walker tasting presentation at Carmichael's Steak House. Actually, no, that's not quite right. It actually took place in a giant garage right next door to the steak house. Despite the humble location, however, it was decorated beautifully and proved to be quite the swanky affair. We were served whiskey cocktails and hor d'oeuvres such as mini Monte Cristos and Blue cheese and fig tarts before being ushered into an open area with long rows of white seating and tasting supplies. In the next hour or so, we learned the entire history of the Johnnie Walker label and tasted all five of the label's whiskeys.
A great start to our night, this free event significantly cut down on our bar bill when we went to dinner later on. Johnnie Walker has events like this one all over and quite often so we highly recommend you take advantage of this opportunity. Bring a date or go alone and flirt with the beautiful "Johnnie Walker Girls" who work the event.
When the tasting was over, we still had time before our 9 o'clock dinner reservation, so we headed to Sullivan's to see if our friend, Reena, was working. Turns out she was and we enjoyed specialty martinis while Reena told us about her recent trip to Israel (which she had just returned from the night before!) until it was time for dinner.
This was our third trip to Flatwater Grill, though previously we have only been for brunch. When we purchased a groupon for Flatwater in the fall, we decided it was the perfect opportunity to try their dinner menu. Due to a temporary closing of the restaurant for repairs, it has taken us until now to check it out and the experience was quite a bit different from the brunch experience we enjoy so much. To get to Flatwater Grill, you have to go
down from the street level to the River front entrance of the restaurant. The small, chic dining room is comfortable and romantic but if the weather is right, we recommend sitting on the river front patio.
Accustomed to ordering coffee or Mimosas when we brunch at Flatwater, we each had a glass of white wine with our dinners instead. We opted not to order a bottle as we normally might have since we had just been to the tasting and for drinks after. Typically, we would also order an appetizer, but since we weren't exceptionally hungry, we opted out of that as well. This turned out to be a good thing since the dinner menu (as you might expect) was quite a bit more expensive than the brunch menu. When complimentary jalapeno-cornbread muffins were delivered to our table, Dan's face lit up. They weren't on the menu but they were so delicous that we got jealous and a bit upset when the table for two next to us received four muffins in comparison to the two we were given. But, alas, beggars can't be choosers so we bit our tongues.
Until our dinners came, that is, and then we put our tongues to use tasting those instead. It's hard to say who ate what, since halfway through the meal, we literally traded plates across the table and finished each other's meals. The standout dish for us was the medium-rare rack of lamb with goat cheese, crisp-tender green beans, and creamy mashed rosemary potatoes. Equally delicious and more generously-portioned was the Caprese fettucini pasta. Both being anti-tomato foodies, we left those off, but between the light, oil-based sauce, fresh mozzarella and basil, and drizzle of balsamic vinegar, it didn't seem to be lacking anything.
The meal was delicous, the ambience pleasant, and the service respectable but still, we can't seem to get those Huevos Rancheros and Brioche French Toast breakfast dishes out of our minds! Perhaps it was the fact that our dinner bill was pretty hefty, or that it was too chilly to enjoy the fresh air out on the river, but we think we'll stick to brunch at Flatwater from now on. If you like the fun, relaxed vibe of the patio like us, check them out for brunch, but if you are looking for a more fancy, romantic dining experience, dinner may be more for you. But be sure to make a reservation; the small dining room books up fast, especially when the patio is closed!
Chicago, IL 60610
312.644.0283
Type: Contemporary American
Fancy Shmancy Factor: 4/5
Price: Entrees $26-32, Pasta $16-19
Quality for Price: 3.5/5
Ambiance: Romantic in dining room, More Casual on river front patio
Other: Brunch and lunch menus as well
Neighborhood: River North
Like most members of the 9-5 working population, we look forward to our weekends to relax and let loose a bit. Recently, however, we have been spending our precious days off traveling out of town, entertaining visitors (whom we adore, don't get us wrong!), and babysitting. So when we finally found ourselves with no plans or commitments this weekend, we decided a date night was in order. We started our night attending a free Johnnie Walker tasting presentation at Carmichael's Steak House. Actually, no, that's not quite right. It actually took place in a giant garage right next door to the steak house. Despite the humble location, however, it was decorated beautifully and proved to be quite the swanky affair. We were served whiskey cocktails and hor d'oeuvres such as mini Monte Cristos and Blue cheese and fig tarts before being ushered into an open area with long rows of white seating and tasting supplies. In the next hour or so, we learned the entire history of the Johnnie Walker label and tasted all five of the label's whiskeys.
A great start to our night, this free event significantly cut down on our bar bill when we went to dinner later on. Johnnie Walker has events like this one all over and quite often so we highly recommend you take advantage of this opportunity. Bring a date or go alone and flirt with the beautiful "Johnnie Walker Girls" who work the event.When the tasting was over, we still had time before our 9 o'clock dinner reservation, so we headed to Sullivan's to see if our friend, Reena, was working. Turns out she was and we enjoyed specialty martinis while Reena told us about her recent trip to Israel (which she had just returned from the night before!) until it was time for dinner.
This was our third trip to Flatwater Grill, though previously we have only been for brunch. When we purchased a groupon for Flatwater in the fall, we decided it was the perfect opportunity to try their dinner menu. Due to a temporary closing of the restaurant for repairs, it has taken us until now to check it out and the experience was quite a bit different from the brunch experience we enjoy so much. To get to Flatwater Grill, you have to go
down from the street level to the River front entrance of the restaurant. The small, chic dining room is comfortable and romantic but if the weather is right, we recommend sitting on the river front patio.Accustomed to ordering coffee or Mimosas when we brunch at Flatwater, we each had a glass of white wine with our dinners instead. We opted not to order a bottle as we normally might have since we had just been to the tasting and for drinks after. Typically, we would also order an appetizer, but since we weren't exceptionally hungry, we opted out of that as well. This turned out to be a good thing since the dinner menu (as you might expect) was quite a bit more expensive than the brunch menu. When complimentary jalapeno-cornbread muffins were delivered to our table, Dan's face lit up. They weren't on the menu but they were so delicous that we got jealous and a bit upset when the table for two next to us received four muffins in comparison to the two we were given. But, alas, beggars can't be choosers so we bit our tongues.
Until our dinners came, that is, and then we put our tongues to use tasting those instead. It's hard to say who ate what, since halfway through the meal, we literally traded plates across the table and finished each other's meals. The standout dish for us was the medium-rare rack of lamb with goat cheese, crisp-tender green beans, and creamy mashed rosemary potatoes. Equally delicious and more generously-portioned was the Caprese fettucini pasta. Both being anti-tomato foodies, we left those off, but between the light, oil-based sauce, fresh mozzarella and basil, and drizzle of balsamic vinegar, it didn't seem to be lacking anything.
The meal was delicous, the ambience pleasant, and the service respectable but still, we can't seem to get those Huevos Rancheros and Brioche French Toast breakfast dishes out of our minds! Perhaps it was the fact that our dinner bill was pretty hefty, or that it was too chilly to enjoy the fresh air out on the river, but we think we'll stick to brunch at Flatwater from now on. If you like the fun, relaxed vibe of the patio like us, check them out for brunch, but if you are looking for a more fancy, romantic dining experience, dinner may be more for you. But be sure to make a reservation; the small dining room books up fast, especially when the patio is closed!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Demera
4801 N Broadway
Chicago, IL
773.334.8787
(Parking available at 1130 W Lawrence for $1/hr)
Type: Ethiopian
Fancy Shmancy Factor: 3.5/5
Price: Entrees range from $10-$20
Quality for price: 3.5/5
Ambiance: Bright, casual, live traditional music
Other: Family style options
Neighborhood: Uptown
So to celebrate our first blog in a while, we were lucky enough to have a special guest join us for our latest culinary excursion. Mr. Ken Ellison of Holly, Michigan was in town for a short weekend to visit his daughter and
that guy that always seems to be hanging around his daughter. We had quite a packed day of sightseeing that started off at Millennium Park for the Celtic Festival, moved to the Plaza at Park Grill to have some drinks and watch the Cubs lose, then a walk to the Hancock building which was interrupted by a van selling cupcakes parked on Michigan Avenue (really, who can resist cupcakes?) and finally up to the 95th floor of the Hancock building to the Signature Lounge for expensive drinks and amazing views. After all of that, we were ready for some food. Kristen was performing in the Green Mill Poetry Slam at 7:00 so we headed up that way. We had planned on going to Fat Cat, but decided to try something a little different in honor of our guest.
that guy that always seems to be hanging around his daughter. We had quite a packed day of sightseeing that started off at Millennium Park for the Celtic Festival, moved to the Plaza at Park Grill to have some drinks and watch the Cubs lose, then a walk to the Hancock building which was interrupted by a van selling cupcakes parked on Michigan Avenue (really, who can resist cupcakes?) and finally up to the 95th floor of the Hancock building to the Signature Lounge for expensive drinks and amazing views. After all of that, we were ready for some food. Kristen was performing in the Green Mill Poetry Slam at 7:00 so we headed up that way. We had planned on going to Fat Cat, but decided to try something a little different in honor of our guest.Across from Green Mill is an Ethiopian restaurant called Demera that we've been wanting to try, so the three of us decided to give it a shot. We walked in and as it turns out, the manager was a guy I used to work with a couple of years back so after a brief reunion, he sat us at a table. The dining room was fairly empty, but it was a Sunday at 5:30 on Mother's Day after the brunch rush so it wasn't too surprising. It started to fill up closer to 7:00. The decor
was bright and kind of earthy with white tablecloths and...hmm...no silverware on the tables. They had a small selection of Ethiopian beers and wines, including a house-made honey wine and even Ethiopian coffee. The wines were a bit sweet, sort of like a honey-flavored Riesling, and the beer was good, but different. My friend, Ralph, brought us out a complimentary Sambussa sampler, which are like Ethiopian Empanadas and they were a great start to the meal. One note if you end up at Demera: Like many traditional ethnic restaurants, there are a lot of words on the menu that you've never seen. There is literally a glossary on the menu. Feeling a bit overwhelmed, we had Ralph pick out our 
messob-the traditional Ethiopian dining experience. When it came out we felt overwhelmed in a whole different way. There were at least five different meats, lentils, a salad, fish, shrimp, collard greens, and beets. And, oh yeah, still no silverware. Instead, they bring out baskets of a flavorless, sponge-like bread that is almost a crepe, but not quite. So we had a giant plate of food and we all took turns tearing off pieces of bread and scooping up various meats and veggies. I loved it. I thought almost every dish was unique and delicious. I will tell you this wasn't exactly the consensus, but I really enjoyed the food and the experience. As far as a good date spot...maybe skip Demera if it's a first date. Or, as Kristen pointed out, take your date here if you want to find out right away if they're adventurous and laidback. Either way, a trip to Demera promises to be an experience. Good food, warm atmosphere, and a unique (if messy) dining style.
was bright and kind of earthy with white tablecloths and...hmm...no silverware on the tables. They had a small selection of Ethiopian beers and wines, including a house-made honey wine and even Ethiopian coffee. The wines were a bit sweet, sort of like a honey-flavored Riesling, and the beer was good, but different. My friend, Ralph, brought us out a complimentary Sambussa sampler, which are like Ethiopian Empanadas and they were a great start to the meal. One note if you end up at Demera: Like many traditional ethnic restaurants, there are a lot of words on the menu that you've never seen. There is literally a glossary on the menu. Feeling a bit overwhelmed, we had Ralph pick out our 
messob-the traditional Ethiopian dining experience. When it came out we felt overwhelmed in a whole different way. There were at least five different meats, lentils, a salad, fish, shrimp, collard greens, and beets. And, oh yeah, still no silverware. Instead, they bring out baskets of a flavorless, sponge-like bread that is almost a crepe, but not quite. So we had a giant plate of food and we all took turns tearing off pieces of bread and scooping up various meats and veggies. I loved it. I thought almost every dish was unique and delicious. I will tell you this wasn't exactly the consensus, but I really enjoyed the food and the experience. As far as a good date spot...maybe skip Demera if it's a first date. Or, as Kristen pointed out, take your date here if you want to find out right away if they're adventurous and laidback. Either way, a trip to Demera promises to be an experience. Good food, warm atmosphere, and a unique (if messy) dining style.
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