Travel: Chicago, Illinois

Here's a little fun fact about me: The first time I traveled outside the state of Florida, I was in my early 20's. And I only went to Georgia. Ha.

Since then, the list of places I have visted {and still want to visit} has grown quite a bit. Because I had a late start, I feel as though I'm constantly trying to catch up on all the spots I haven't yet seen. And there are so many, especially now that I basically travel in search of good food.

This summer I got to hop around the state and also visit some other cities that have been on my list for some time, but I also had a repeat visit to one of my favorites: Chicago.

I found that there was one phrase I kept repeating over and over again throughout my short visit; one that you won't hear me say very often.

This is the best {fill in the blank} that I've ever had!

I don't use those words lightly, but it's true. I had some of the best bites and drinks I've ever had during this visit to The Windy City.

The whole reason for our visit was because we had tickets to see Pearl Jam at Wrigley Field, which is pretty epic in itself. But you know me -- no trip is complete without some grubbin'. Luckily, our friends who live in the city made reservations to some top notch spots, and we also managed to pop in to a few other places I had on my radar.

We got in to Chicago around lunch time, so I suggested that we grab a bite at Xoco, Rick Bayless' fast-casual restaurant featuring creative and flavorful versions of Mexican street food. The place was packed, so that was a good sign, and so was the fact that there was a server handing out samples of their margaritas. They had amazing looking tortas, and even the salads sounded great, but I decided on one of their highly praised "caldo" {broth} bowls  since I didn't want to fill up too much knowing there was more eating on the horizon.

Our group was hungry, so everyone ordered chips, salsa guacamole and sikil pak {roasted pumpkin seed dip} and we all munched happily until our food came. In the end, the seafood caldo that I ordered had the potential of being warming and delicious, but was way too salty for my taste, so I scooped out the seafood and ate just a few spoonfuls of the broth, chasing it with a refreshing margarita. My biggest regret: Not getting their hot, fresh churros & chocolate!

Almost all city dining requires a reservation {something we're definitely not accustomed to in our town unless it's during season}, so our friends had taken care of making them along with a plan for our evening.

We started the "night" early at the retro-Polynesian tiki joint Three Dots and Dash, but after descending down into the underbelly of the speakeasy-esque bar {which was reminiscent of a scene from Indiana Jones & The Temple of Doom}, there was no telling what time of day it was. I had heard of this place before when it was featured on Esquire's "Best Bars in America", so I was excited to try it out and figure out what the name meant, too. {Three dots and a dash are Morse code for "V", which was the way our troops reported "Victory" at the end of WWII, the era that spawned classic tiki cocktail culture. The more you know!}

For a person like me who has a hard time making decisions, their menu is slightly torturous because there are so many options and everything sounds so good. But again, since we had the whole night ahead of us, I decided to eliminate the high-octane options and go for the "Aloha Felicia" from the "Super Fresh" portion of the menu. The drink is a concoction made of Caribbean rums, coconut cream, pineapple, lime and Thai basil served in the most precious green coconut mug you have ever seen. I took one sip and I was in heaven... heaven! By the end of our visit, our table looked like some strange tiki version of chess with the ceramic skull mugs, totem poles and tropical all playing the part of tipsy pawns. I loved this place.

I don't know what sorcery they perform to make this kitchy place so magical. All I know is this: Their drinks are legit. Seriously the best cocktail I've ever had.

We stumbled our way back up from the tiki time warp to 2016, and out into the {bright!} streets once again, where we headed to our second stop just steps away: Siena Tavern. Shockingly, I have never been a watcher of the ever-popular "Top Chef", but I was familiar with fan favorite Chef Fabio Viviani from watching clips of him on Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate." He was memorable. {Read: Funny & cute.} I was excited to try out his modern Italian creations and see what all the fuss was about.

Because we were dining with a group that we don't get to see too often, I chattered away through dinner and hardly took a pic, but from what I recall {the Aloha Felicia had kicked in, I think}, everything was delightful. We had fresh, crusty bread and I had a few bites of the Tuscan Kale Caesar and their burrata while I waited for my entree: A Roasted Carrot Tortellacci in brown butter sage sauce with Parmesan. It was very good. And while I can't say it was the "best pasta I ever ate" {that award might go to Clay Conley's simple but amazing Buccatini Carbonara at Grato}, it was a good choice indeed. Paired with the "No. 5" cocktail I ordered, my meal tasted like Fall.

I wish I had saved room {or grown an extra stomach} to find a great dessert spot somewhere along the way, but alas, I was full and a little glazed over, so I was happy to find out that our final stop -- Andy's Jazz Club -- was more about music and less about food and drink {although they do offer those, too}. Though I wanted so badly to listen to more music, I also feared that I might actually fall asleep at the table and snore along to the songs, so I was glad to stay a short while and then head back to our hotel to get some rest after a long day of travel and fun. It was a perfect way to end a near-perfect evening.

The next day was dreary and drizzly, so we spent some time milling around the hotel {they had a beautiful fireplace and a cozy area sit and watch the world go by} and finally decided on checking out Willis Tower {which I had done back when it was still The Sears Tower} and touring the Sky Deck. I had forgotten about the elevator ride up to the top, and though I'm neither afraid of heights or nor claustrophobic, I found myself taking a few deep, calming breaths as they packed us into a metal sardine can and hoisted us 110 stories up at 1,600 feet per minute. {Thank goodness it takes less than a minute!}

The views certainly make the harrowing ride worthwhile, and "The Ledge" {for those without a fear of heights} is a pretty darn cool way to view the city below.

Since Steve and I hadn't had much a breakfast that morning, we had worked up an appetite, so we scooted over to Little Goat Diner which I had been dying to try. Stephanie Izard's Girl and the Goat has been a Chicago hot spot since it opened in 2010, but I knew that without reservations this girl wouldn't be getting to taste a morsel. Little Goat Diner {est. 2012} seemed like a better chance for a walk-in, and with its casual approach to food, was more my speed anyway.

Though it does have some old-school vibes to it, the space itself is not diner-like, but airy, open and welcoming. Like most good diners, it was loud and bustling when we arrived, but we were told that the wait wasn't long so we went for a stroll while we waited for a table to open up. I made sure to head over to the attached Little Goat Bread to peruse the goods -- breads, pastries, baked goods and coffee, all drool-inducing and all "to go", and I took mental notes about what I wanted to scoop up on our way out.

Once we got seated and scoured the menu, I once again wished that I had multiple stomachs because everything looked inviting. Specifically the Fat Elvis Waffles. Look 'em up. I resisted the urge and ordered "The Chickpea" to start, and then went for the Veggie Quesadilla which may sound slightly boring but promised cheddar, goat cheese, smoked blueberries, green & white asparagus, sugar snap peas and chive yogurt -- unlike any quesadilla I'd ever eaten.

The salad came out and -- holy moly -- it was huge. Luckily, Steve is always willing to take a bite or two, so we shared it. Except, not really. Because after the first taste, I knew that I didn't want to give any of it up. IT WAS SO GOOD. Yes, it was kale, but it was covered in these crispy onions, full of veggies, and tossed in a perfect dressing. Not to mention, it was flanked by the tastiest little chickpea fritters ever and served with a dreamy tzatziki. I know, it's a salad. But it was... the best salad I've ever had.

As it turns out, they had changed up the quesadilla and I didn't get what I thought I was getting {it was still delicious, just not what I expected}, so the server set things right by offering me FREE COOKIES. Um, yes, that would be a perfectly acceptable way to make up for it, please and thank you. The Little Goat filled me with a lotta love!

A few hours later we headed to the iconic Wrigley Field for the Pearl Jam concert where we spent the late afternoon hopping around the Wrigleyville bar scene before getting {unintelligibly} serenaded by Eddie as the sun set with the Chicago skyline as a backdrop. Magical. {Is it weird that I had more fun singing along to words I could understand at The Irish Oak after the concert?}

The next morning we only had a few hours to grab breakfast, get ourselves together and head to the airport. We didn't want to stray too far from the hotel, so we ended up at Yolk, which was recommended to us by our Uber driver the night before. {She mentioned that she often sees Snoop Dog there... and who wouldn't want to go check that out?!} They had a menu full of decadent breakfast items, but since I had spent the whole weekend stuffing my face, I erred on the side of healthyish and got the Kale Scrambler... and a giant cinnamon roll to share with the table. {I ate a lot of kale in Chicago, so the bite of cinnamon roll barely counted.}

A trip to Chicago is never quite long enough, but it was short and sweet {and savory and boozy}, and quite possibly one of the best trips I took this summer. And we all know that's not something I say too often. 😉

Have you visited Chicago? What are your favorite places to eat? 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

As I mentioned, my meal at Siena Tavern was very fall-y in its flavors, from the sage and brown butter in my pasta to the allspice, clove and cider notes in the No. 5 cocktail. I wanted to recreate some of that autumnal meal at home in a way that is easy to enjoy any day of the week.

While Siena Tavern has makes fresh pasta in house, I don't usually have the time or the counter space for such an undertaking, so I used a little shortcut that substantially lessens the prep time without lessening the deliciousness!

Wonton wrappers make fantastic substitutes for the real thing when you're making filled pastas like tortellini, ravioli and in this case, agnolotti. {Pronounced an-yo-LO-ti.} Agnolotti -- specific to the Piedmont region of Italy --  are similar to ravioli in that they're stuffed with meat or vegetable fillings. Unlike ravioli which are traditionally made by sandwiching a gob of filling between two sheets of pasta that is the crimped and cut into circles or squares, agnolotti are made with one sheet of pasta that is folded over onto itself to form a pocket. Potato, potahto, right?

Anyway, the important part is how they taste... and these taste super! Filled with lightly spiced, roasted carrot puree and tossed in brown butter with crispy sage and a topped with a light dusting of shaved Parmesan, you'll satisfy your pasta cravings but start to crave sweater weather!

Thanks for the inspiration, Chef Fabio!

Roasted Carrot Agnolotti with Brown Butter Sage Sauce

Dianna Muscari | The Kitchen Prep

Filled with lightly spiced, roasted carrot puree and tossed in brown butter with crispy sage and a topped with a light dusting of shaved Parmesan, you’ll satisfy your pasta cravings but start to crave sweater weather!

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 25 agnolotti

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups peeled chopped carrots {I just used prepackaged baby carrots}
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
• Tiny pinch of nutmeg
• 1 package wonton wrappers
• 6 tablespoons butter
• A sprig of fresh sage leaves removed
• Parmesan cheese

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place carrots on a foil-lined baking sheet or in a glass baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Season liberally with salt and a sprinkle of cracked black pepper.
• Roast carrots for 30-40 minutes or until they're tender and browned in spots. Remove from oven.
• Scoop carrots into the bowl of a food processor. Sprinkle with cinnnamon and nutmeg. Pulse until chopped. Add half and half a tablespoon at a time and process until a smooth puree forms. Set aside.

Fill wontons:

• Place about a teaspoon of filling in the center of each wonton wrapper. Dab the edges of the wonton wrapper with water using your finger, then carefully seal to fully enclose the filling, being careful to leave out any air bubbles.*
• When ready to cook, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add half of the filled wontons at a time. Cook for about 4 minutes or until they're tender, then drain when done.
• Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add butter to pan and melt. Allow the butter to start to sizzle and foam a bit. You'll notice that it starts to brown slightly. Add the sage leaves and allow them to crisp up as the butter continues to brown slightly, swirling the pan every so often. The brown butter is done when it smells nutty and is a deep golden brown -- don't let it burn or it'll get bitter.
• Add cooked agnolotti to the browned butter sauce and shake the pan gently to coat them.
• Spoon pasta onto a serving plate and pour extra brown butter sauce on top. Sprinkle with shaved Parmesan. Eat immediately!