Entries Tagged as 'lakeview'

Wine and Cheese Pairing Class at 404 Wine Bar

November 22nd, 2011 · No Comments

Jen, Jill, Limey and I had one more iWish class to take before Limey moves, so last week Monday we went to the Wine and Cheese Pairing class at 404 Wine Bar. We’d hoped to do something like a Spanish Tapas class or some other cuisine, but we just couldn’t get our schedules to align right in these last few weeks before the move. So, wine and cheese it was. Not that I’m complaining. Who doesn’t love wine and cheese? It’s just that it was SO similar to the wine and chocolate pairing class we took a couple months ago

I think my favorite pairing was the blue cheese with the Riesling because the cheese was very pungent and the wine was a little sweet. I also really liked the South African Pinotage wine. I’d never even heard of this before so it was fun to try.

Last time after the tasting we went to 404 Wine Bar for dinner. This time we went to their attached sister bar & grill, Jack’s. You can actually get the menus for both restaurants in each place, so it didn’t really matter. What did matter was that we could watch the Packers whomp the Vikings on MNF (45-7!). Wine, cheese, & a Packers win. WIN WIN WIN!

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Fish Bar

November 11th, 2011 · No Comments


Fish Bar :: Lakeview, Chicago


Fish Bar :: Lakeview, Chicago


Condiments


All drinks are in jars


Calamari – “Federal Hill” style


Tuna Salad/Avocado – Celery, capers, etc.


Tater Tots with crack in them to make you want to eat more and more.


Oyster Po’Boy – Remoulade, spicy slaw. Favorite!


Scallops were on special. It was fall. I think that might be some kind of squash sauce.


Eastern Belly Clams – Tarter sauce.


Sara somehow had a bunch of free oyster shooter vouchers. Couldn’t let those go to waste!


Oyster shooters


Mindy Segal’s Key Lime Pie

A couple months ago Sara and Jessica introduced me to Fish Bar, a place where Sara is a bonafied regular. And. I loved it! It’s this tiny little place and the inside reminds me of something I’ve seen on The Cape. Or somewhere in Boston. Some old place that’s been there for a million years serving fresh seafood. And not fancying it up. Just serving it simple, how it should be. I know they’re doing this on purpose, manufacturing this look on the inside, but I didn’t care. I loved it. Maybe that is just a hint that I’m due for an East Coast visit, but I was all for it. Not to mention that the food was fantastic. I especially loved the fried oyster po’boy. Jess, Sara and I split everything, so I only had a third of it, but I swear, I could have eaten two full ones. It was so delicious. Also, where else in Chicago can you get clam strips WITH the bellies? Nowhere, I think. This is something I really only associate with Mass. and there it was on the menu! The desserts are done by Mindy Segal, so you know they’re good. They change regularly, according to Sara, the regular. We tried a slice of key lime pie. Not totally “my thing” but very tasty. Can’t wait to go back to Fish Bar… at least until my next trip to the East Coast!

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Sara’s Labor Day BBQ

September 5th, 2011 · No Comments

Yesterday I went to my second Labor Day barbecue of the weekend at Sara’s house. She lives nearby the busy intersection of Clark and Roscoe but her backyard is an awesome, colorful, relaxing urban retreat. We grilled sausages from the Paulina Meat Market while sipping her favorite beer of the summer, Bud Light Lime (kind of bleh!). Fun times sitting in the backyard visiting with her friends. .. .until it started raining! We all had to make a mad dash for the door, it just came out of nowhere. Before that, it was a beautiful night. Cool, though. People seemed thankful to have to put on their hoodies. I love the fall and am looking forward to it, but in the back of my mind it makes me anxious, because I know what’s next…

Oh, let me not forget that this happened:

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Wine and Chocolate Pairing Class at 404 Wine Bar

August 15th, 2011 · 1 Comment

Last week Jen, Jill, Limey and I went to a wine and chocolate pairing class at 404 Wine Bar. The class was put on by I Wish and we’d purchased tickets from Groupon. The Groupon was actually just for a wine class, but we were having problems scheduling a date in Chicago (not the suburbs) and I Wish was nice enough to let us transfer the ticket and take the wine and chocolate pairing class.

We learned about pairing different kinds of wine with the different kinds of chocolate. How to complement and contrast the flavors and that sort of thing. My favorite pairing was a Santa Christina Sangiovese with dark chocolate. The wine was very fruity and cherry-like and mixed together it tasted just like a cherry cordial. I should note that this was Jill’s least favorite wine. She actually dumped it out. Ha! She has a thing about fruit. Jen and I were teasing her and Limes from across the table. Hence the thought balloons above.


I really liked this wine: Proyecto Garnachas de Espana

I thought the class was fun enough at the discounted rate ($20). We learned a few things and had an enjoyable lesson. I don’t know if I’d ever pay the full price for the lesson, $45 seems overpriced to me, but I guess that’s why we got the Groupon!

On a side note, you may recall that this is the second I Wish class I’ve taken. Jen and I went to a Korean culture and food class earlier this year.

Since our class was in a side room at 404 Wine Bar and we hadn’t eaten dinner yet, we headed into the bar/restaurant to eat. We ordered a bunch of things and split them:

- Housemade tapenade with crostini
- 3 cheese plate with cranberries, grapes and honey almonds
- Sauteed Maine sea scallops
- Wild mushroom ravioli with a truffle cream sauce
- Fish tacos (from Jack’s Bar & Grill, which is attached to the wine bar)
- Chocolate fondue served with pound cake and apples

Everything was really delicious. Everyone agreed. We also agreed that we all loved the mushroom ravioli. SOOOO good. Also, how appropriate that we both started and ended with chocolate?

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Benefit Beauty Bash

June 3rd, 2011 · No Comments


Benefit Boutique


Benefit Boutique


Benefit Cosmetics


We had red wine, white wine, cheese, crackers, and fruit.


Benefit Cosmetics


Janice getting her makeover.


I took a photo of myself in the bathroom after my makeover.


Memory Aid: Some of the products used in my makeover.


Memory Aid: Some of the products used in my makeover.


Jessica after her makeover.


Maria, Jamie, Janice


Maria, Jamie, Rachelle, Jen, Jessica

Quinn’s school had a big fundraiser and Jen “won” a Benefit “Beauty Bash” in the online auction. She got to invite a dozen guests to be treated to an after-hours private party at the Benefit Cosmetics Boutique on Southport Avenue. Benefit served us red and white wine and Jen also brought cheese, crackers, and fruit for us to snack on. Everyone was treated to a complimentary brow shape and lash tint and then the “Beauty Artists” made each of us over.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this party. I was having flashbacks to when I was a teenager and went to Mary Kay or Avon parties. I think they used to give you like teeny, tiny sample packs of things and then everyone just had to try to follow along to the instruction. At Benefit, we all kind of mingled around drinking and eating until it was our turn for the lash or brow services or our turn to personally get our makeup done by someone else. It was so much fun. And I was impressed that so many people were free to attend, given that it was Memorial Day weekend. We had Jen, Caroline, Jamie, Jessica, Janice, another Jen, Maria, Jill, Lynn, Kristin, Abby and me.

I got the brow shaping with threading, not wax. And I loved how my makeup looked after they redid it. I bought a few Benefit products, but definitely not everything. We’ll see if I go on to buy more. I thought the products were of a good quality, I loved the store’s vibe and the product packaging. The prices were not cheap, but also not the most expensive I’ve seen either. One funny thing was that they didn’t use any blush on me because they said I was already perfectly flushed. I think what they were really telling me is that I should drink 3 glasses of wine before leaving the house every day.


Tank Sushi extravaganza!

After we got all dolled up, we all headed to dinner at Tank Sushi in Lincoln Square. Sushi extravaganza! Also, some people kept on with the wine but a lot of us switched to lychee martinis. Multiple lychee martinis!

After dinner, everyone kind of went their separate ways. Jess, Kristin, Lynn, Abby, Caroline and I headed for Tiny Lounge for more cocktails. I was feeling sleepy so I had the espresso cocktail made with handmade vodka, kahlua, tia maria (Jamaican coffee liqueur), espresso and cream. Delicious drink, but I had two and was still sleepy. Maybe it was the fact that the makeup party started at 4, so wine drinking started at 4, and by then it was 10 or 11 pm. Yeh, that’s a lot of cocktails. We ended up calling it a night after 2 rounds, but what a fun time!

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