A visit to Chicago

A few weeks ago I went to Chicago for the very first time. Neither my sister, nor I had been there before, so we decided to meet up there. We stayed there for only one night, but we had a great time. Despite the short stay, we got a good sampling of the Chicago food.

One of the places I really wanted to try in this Midwest city was a Mexican restaurant called Frontera Grill, haha. But it's no ordinary Mexican. The owner is Rick Bayless, who has been called the Julia Child of Mexican food. He lived in Mexico for a long time, and prepares authentic Mexican dishes. Unfortunately, his restaurant is quite popular, which meant that there was a long wait even late in the afternoon, between lunch and dinner hours. Fortunately for us, there is a cafe attached to the restaurant (Xoco) which serves more street food-like versions of the dishes at Frontera Grill. So, my sister and I ate there. I ordered the suckling pig torta, and Pumpkin got the seafood caldo. My sandwich was great. I loved the grilled bread. Its crunch made it sturdy enough to hold the pile of meat that was in the middle. The pickled onion was a great addition because it cut through the richness of the meat. The sandwich came with a spicy salsa that was REALLY spicy. At first I scoffed at the warning by the server, but this is seriously the spiciest thing I've had. One drop was enough to set my mouth on fire for half a sandwich. I wish they would tone down the heat a little. Pumpkin's caldo was also hot, but in terms of temperature :P Compared to my sandwich, it was very light :) Yet, the broth was very flavorful and refreshing.

We also got the Mexican hot chocolate because I was curious what the original thing tastes like. And OMG, it was AMAZING! It tasted as rich as if you were drinking molten chocolate, but it was a lot more liquid to be simply that. However they prepare it, I can see why the Aztec rules loved it so much.








Of course, our other meal in Chicago had to be deep dish pizza. We went to a place called Giordano's that a friend of mine had recommended. We ordered the original deep dish pizza as it was our first time trying it. Pumpkin was a little worried whether the small pizza would be enough for the two of us, but as soon as we saw the pizza, we realized that there's no reason to worry. The pizza is GIANT! It's as thick as a cake. It has a crust on the bottom, then layers of cheese, peperoni and bell peppers, and another layer of cheese that acts as a top crust. Pumpkin and I ate a piece each, and we are stuffed. Rather than not being enough for one meal, we got three meals out of it over the next few days. I did like the deep dish pizza, but I prefer the thin crust ones. Sorry, Chicago...

Flats, and more flats

Everyone loves pizza. Even the very cheesy types that might give you a heart attack... Thankfully, pizzas have recently gotten a healthier look. Flatbread pizzas now have a perfectly crispy crust and greens-based toppings.

A new place at Linbergh called Urban Flats recently had a Scoutmob deal, so Cashew and I decided to try it. It was cute, and had a very urban, industrial look. I ordered a fig, prosciutto and blue cheese pizza, and Cashew got the curried chicken pizza. Of course, I expected some cheese, but I was disappointed to see that the whole crust was covered in it. It wasn't even all blue cheese but probably white cheddar. If it wasn't for the toppings, I would have called this a regular pizza. It was tasty, but not what you'd expect from a flatbread pizza. Cashew's pie was similar to mine in terms of cheese. However, her chicken did have a very strong curry flavor, which ameliorated the presence of too much cheese.

So, if you're looking for something fresher, don't go to Urban Flats. Go to MetroFresh or Piola instead. I'll mention MetroFresh only briefly because I didn't take any pictures there. I went there with Richie Bear and also ordered the fig and prosciutto pizza, but this time it wasn't smothered in cheese. On a side note, their turkey chilli, veggie soup, arugula salad, and Brussels sprouts are also amazing!

Piola actually serves traditional pizza. Indeed, it is an international pizza chain that originated in Italy. I add it in the flatbreads category here because that's what it reminds me of. I went there with Cashew and her friend Amy. We shared a Mantova pizza (arugula, brie, and carpaccio) and a Rossa pizza (tomatoes and basil). They were both very light and fresh. My only complaint is that the brie flavor wasn't noticeable. It's kind of funny: I didn't like the too much cheese at Urban Flats, but wanted more at Piola. There is a fine balance that neither of these two places reached.

Visiting Minnesota

Only a couple of weeks after Pumpkin was here in Atlanta, Cashew and I visited her in Minneapolis. It turned out to be a very nice city, with lots of green space and beautiful views of the Mississippi River. The food scene wasn't that bad either. Because of the big university there, there were many college students-oriented spots. In downtown, there were some nicer places as well. But overall, the food lacked the diversity of Atlanta, possibly because the Minneapolis population is not as willing to try different cuisines as the international inhabitants of Atlanta. Amid full days of sightseeing and fast eating, we enjoyed a couple of sit-down meals that I can write about.

As I've mentioned many many times, I love sushi, so the three of us had dinner at Obentu Ya, a Japanese bistro close to where Pumpkin lives. Cashew and I ordered bento boxes to best experience what the place had to offer. Mine contained a California roll and shrimp, tuna, yellowtail, and salmon sashimi. Cashew's just had many sashimi pieces. They both came with a salad, some pickled root, eggs, and a side that reminded me of mashed potatoes. The sushi and sashimi were good, but the sides weren't anything to talk about.

Pumpkin kept her meal simple and ordered grilled chicken skewers. The glaze was good, but the chicken itself was overcooked and really dry. I guess we got what was expected from a Japanese place in the Midwest run by Americans...

Our last day in Minneapolis was a gorgeous sunny day that we used for a river boat tour and then a walk next to the river. There is a cute area with big old trees that provide shade for several mostly American restaurants. We chose to eat at Aster, incited by both the food and the happy hour deals. Pumpkin went with a pork sandwich she had had before and liked. Cashew and I opted for the flatbread pizzas. Mine came with apples, bacon and blue cheese. Cashew chose the prosciutto, pear and chevre toppings. Both flatbreads were amazing and only $5 each! The good food, the sun, and lively patio, and the rumbling river nearby made this a wonderful end to our Minneapolis experience :)