CHI-CITY!

Gorgeous view from the Ladies washroom in the John Hancock Center... Yes we went up all 96 floors just to use the *washroom*

I’ve officially returned to Hog Town, and though I may not be totally rested, it was a much needed break from work and I now feel ‘rejuvenated’.  Chicago was glorious; we did a lot of walking around and discovered many cool neighbourhoods in the city (my favorites being Wicker Park and Andersonville). I sipped on many a delicious drink, ate tons of good food, saw the ‘bean’, laughed with my girls and even had a guided tour around the Chicago Art Institute by our friend/art student, Harry. The fall weather seemed to have blown away and our cheeks were kissed with a warm sun reminiscent of a late August day. Here are a few pictures and tidbits from my trip (almost all revolve around the drinks that were had…). Cheers!

Stephanie, brightening up the subway, on our way Downtown

Amazing 'Dark and Stormy' and 'The Wait List' from Chicago's G&T Oysters

Scallops, acorn squash, candied bacon, and brussels sprouts

from G&T Oysters, check out their menu here.

I dare you to find one thing on their menu you wouldn't want to try,

I could just write a separate post solely on the amazingness of this resto.

Walking around Wicker Park

The beautiful details on the drinks at the extremely divine Violet Hour Speakeasy, a must-do in Chicago. 

The BEAN: which is the real Steph and Allie?

Deep Dishing in Chicago, a scary but amazing mix.

Bon Voyage!

I’m going on a little trip this weekend to the Windy City…Chicago! It is a much needed vacation with my favorite travel partner and bestie, a one Miss Stephanie.  I promise to return with wonderful pictures of food that was consumed (we’ve made a reservation at Oprah’s favorite spot), sights that were taken in, and any strange people or things I remember to capture if I take a break from laughing (at them…).  I’ve put together a few pictures to get all inspired for the trip ahead. Hopefully I’ll pack everything I need and won’t look too much like a tourist. See you Wednesday, Bon Voyage!

Gilead Café

If you’re in Toronto and you’re ever in a pinch over where to go for Brunch on a Sunday morning- I’ve got the answer for you.  Two words: Gilead Café. It’s just off King St. E, it’s Jaime Kennedy’s brainchild and it’s truly spectacular. I went one Sunday morning with 3 of my girlfriends a couple of weeks ago (for my friend Taylor's sensual review, please check out her blog here). We had all read countless reviews and recommendations for Gilead Café so the excitement driving down was growing strong. 

And ohhhh lady, it did not disappoint. It actually did better than that- it blew me away. As a self-described Eggs Benedict connoisseur, I can confidently say that these were the best Eggs Benny I’ve ever had. Hands down. And it didn’t stop there- everything my friends and I ordered was a party in your mouth- right down to the side salad (I kid you not). While I was there I was even tempted to just stay in my seat for an hour or two and order dinner, I really didn’t want to leave and I really did want to try everything else on the menu. I’m looking forward to returning soon and trying out their dinner menu….and I have a really good feeling about it. So GO, and as an extra bonus: I saw Jaime Kennedy in the kitchen cooking (two birds with one stone: celebrity chef spotting & a guarantee that it’ll be good or we can for-shame said celebrity chef). For more info or to check out the menu, go here.

The MOST delicious Eggs Benedict

What a Treat: Blueberry French Toast

How can a side salad actually taste this good...

And definitely order the fries! Tossed in thyme served with a side of Mayo

Pizza Pie

“When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie. That’s amore!” It’s true. It’s really really true. Whenever my eye spots a beautiful slice of pizza I fall in love all over again (with the pizza that is). I love pizza. And who doesn’t? I mean- what a classic staple that has everything you could ever want. Crispy doughy goodness, melted cheese, meat, perhaps some fresh veggies…mmmm.

...YES! That is sparkly cheese!

I got a pizza stone last Christmas and have been slightly scared to use it since I’ve never used fresh pizza dough to make pizza. I mean you have to heat the stone to 500 and then somehow maneuver a floppy fresh pizza onto it? I was just slightly terrified of dropping it on the floor before it even made it to the oven. Finally I got up my courage, and although I didn’t make my own dough (next time!), I still used fresh dough, and o' boyyy did me and my man make good pizza. I found a great technique online using saran wrap and parchment paper (see below) and it was so easy. My man requested a thin crust so we rolled the dough out as thin as we could, pilled the toppings sky high, and cooked the pizza in the oven for about 15 minutes. They. Were. Incredible. I can’t wait to do this again! And for those of you sans pizza stone, I’m sure it would turn out great on the back of a cookie sheet as well.

Get all the ingredients ready! Fresh grated mozzarella and large leaves of basil

Tip: Lay the dough on onto a piece of parchment paper, cover with saran wrap and shape into a flat circle with a rolling pin (no flour needed!), keep parchment paper under pizza while baking. This makes it easy to transfer into a super hot oven.

Brush the dough with a mixture of olive oil, garlic and oregano

Spread on some pizza sauce and start putting on your toppings! (seen here: spicy salami)

On the first pizza we added sauteed mushrooms, peppers and onions, then topped it with fresh basil

Cover it with mozzarella and bocconcini cheese

Cook at 500 until the cheese is all bubbly and delicious

Look at that thin crust!

The second pizza we put on spicy salami, artichokes, basil, tomato slices and topped it with arugula once it was cooked

Talk about yummm