Winter Wine Soiree Review

Happy Hump Day!

I had a fabulous time last night with my friend Connor at our first Winter Wine Soiree at Boarding House. I had posted about the event earlier this month and it finally took place last night from 6pm to 8pm in the The Cellar, filled with ten different wines and an assortment of foods to accompany them.

Connor and I both got stuck in the lovely rain storm on our way there but was greeted by the gorgeous glasses on the ceiling when entering the restaurant. The whole place is just gorgeous with the glasses above and the clean bar.

 We made our way down to check in at the Cellar on their lower level. Master Sommelier Alpana Singh greeted us downstairs and encouraged us to start trying while everyone arrived. Once everyone was present she stated that this is the first of many wine tastings that they will begin to host. Our tasting was focused around the ten red wines that are perfect for the winter but will also be a great fit for a spring picnic.

The Cellar

We were able to taste almost all of the wines that were available and my favorite were the three below:

Chateau Thivin, Cotes de Brouilly, Beaujolais, France 2011

Cepa 21, Ribera del Duero, Spain 2009

Bethel Heights Pinot Noir, Oregan 2010

It was a perfect way to spend our rainy Tuesday night and I encourage everyone to try out some of the other tastings that they will have available. I will make sure to alert you on the ones coming through to buy your tickets ahead of time because they do sell out fast. Also, a good tip would be to make sure to get the food right away when it begins, otherwise you'll fight with the vultures for the food if you wait too long!

Thanks for the sending through the event Con! We'll be sure to go again!

Hackney's

Today I bring you a review of a must try place for those who love burgers and haven't ventured south to Hackney's yet. Hackney's has been run by the same family for over 70 years.

Right off the Harrison Red Line stop you can venture in for one of their famous Hackney Burgers right in Printer's Row. I got to try it out last Thursday and was impressed. It is your standard bar with a seating area on the other side to enjoy their tasty burgers. We sat on the dining side and tried out two different burgers, The Inside Out burger, which is stuffed with bacon and Cheddar Cheese and the Pretzel Burger, caramelized Spanish onions and provolone cheese on a pretzel bun. I'm a sucker for pretzel buns so I couldn't refuse!

Both were so delicious and perfectly cooked. The fries that were an option to come with were also very tasty. The burgers are pretty big so be ready to take home a doggie bag!

The Inside out burger was rated on Guy Fieri's Diners, drive-ins and dives as one of the best burgers in Chicago and he adapted the recipe and features it on the Food network now if you want to try it out at home: Hackney's Inside Out Burger

Go ahead and check it out! The red line makes it very convenient to stop on by after work. Make sure to get there before 6:30 or 7pm before all of the regulars fill up the place!

Weekend Recap

Hello Friends!

What a great weekend celebrating a Birthday, trying a new dinner place and catching up with one of my favorites. Please excuse some of my pictures from this weekend, I really need to work on my skills.

Friday night I headed to Tortoise Club with two of my favorite ladies to have a fancy ladies night. It is the cutest place, with great ambiance and delicious food. I was in love with this Red Room and recommend going for drinks, apps and or dinner.

I'm in love with this room! There is where we sat for dinner and it is just gorgeous! The food was very delicious but a bit pricey for our ladies night taste :) We all started with the Tomato Soup and they both had the pasta carbonera and I had their cali mac (cauliflower mac and cheese) that was to die for. So rich and creamy. We finished up with sharing a brownie with a scoop of home-made vanilla ice cream that was the perfect end to a fabulous night out with the girls.

It is a great location on State to go for after work drinks on our cold winter nights ahead!

Saturday we celebrated our good friend Holly at Stout. I love this bar and grew more in love with it Saturday night. The crowd was a little interesting towards the end of the night at 1AM but from 9-midnight it was a great time with lots of good jams and drinks. Here are some pictures of the crazy night.

 The Birthday girl and Con

Some of the group!

 The drinks were kicking in for some of us :)

Sunday I went to brunch at Orange with a great friend and caught up with her and her trip to Antigua then spent the rest of the afternoon snuggled under a blanket watching TV with the crazy weather.

Get ready for this week! Connor and  I are heading to Boarding House tomorrow night for the Wine event and I have some other reviews from last week as well.

Have a fabulous Monday!

Weekend Guide

We Made It!

It's officially Friday, and I cannot wait to get out of work. I have fun weekend plans ahead and can't wait to start them.

Here are some great ideas to spend the weekend:

FRIDAY:

It's Whiskey Week (Jan 24th -Jan 25th)
Head on down to Untitled for a two hour Whiskey tasting. Who wouldn't want to sample Whiskey in this speakeasy.


SATURDAY:

All-Out Rager in Logan Square for the Numbered Days  block party with an hour of free Revolution beer at Stan Mansion. From 9pm -1:30 AM.


I'm heading to the Tortoise club tonight with two of my best gals! I'm so excited to try it out and catch up with the two of them.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend!!

A Tribute to Stadium

Hello Friends! Happy Thirsty Thursday.. I'm going to need a drink or two after this day. Short weeks are amazing for the extra long weekend but not so much the 4 days..and I got some sad news the other day... my favorite bar at Miami just got bought out and could possibly turn into apartments :(

I was so sad when I received the text yesterday and wanted to just do a little tribute to some of my favorite times at Stadium.. bare with me if you have never experienced the amazing, drunk nights with me....

My 3rd home at college (2nd was Brick Street)

 Me and my brother while he was still in school 

 $1.00 Pitcher nights Senior Year (miss these all the time)

 My last photo ever at Stadium (I can't handle this!!)

So long Stadium!! Love you!

10 Best Chicago Coffee Shops to Try

Hello All! It's only Wednesday but I'm in some serious need of Caffeine to get through this day. Check out this great list of the ten hot coffee shops to stop in and try.

1. the Wormhole Coffee, 1462 North Milwaukee Avenue (between Evergreen Avenue and Honore Street)

2. Filter, 1373-75 North Milwaukee Avenue (between Wood and Paulina streets)

3.Big Shoulders Coffee, 1105 West Chicago Avenue (at Milwaukee Avenue)

4.Star Lounge Coffee Bar, 2521 West Chicago Avenue (between Campbell and Maplewood avenues

5. Bridgeport Coffee Company, 3101 South Morgan Street (at 31st Street)

6. Asado Coffee, 1432 West Irving Park Road, (between Janssen and Southport avenues)

7. Caffé Streets, 1750 West Division Street (between Hermitage Avenue and Wood Street)

8. The Coffee Studio, 5628 North Clark Street (between Bryn Mawr and Olive avenues)

9. Kickstand Coffee & Tea, 824 West Belmont Avenue (between Clark and Dayton streets)

10. Ch’ava Café, 4656 North Clark Street (between Wilson and Leland avenues

Yum! Please bring me a extremely, large mocha to Merchandise Mart :)

Weekend Recap: A long weekend of new

Welcome back from the long weekend! It was extra special to have the extra day. I kicked off my weekend by hearing the best news, my sister is engaged!! Daniel popped the question Friday night when she came home from work and surprised her with all if the food they had on their initial dates. I'm so thrilled for them!

After that wonderful news on Friday, the weekend continued to be a success. I tried out another Barre Bee fit class on Saturday morning, more of a mix of dancing and toning. It felt great to workout in the morning and be ready for the beautiful weather we had on Saturday. My friend and I made our way to the field museum to see the Maharaja exhibit. It was gorgeous! I highly recommend checking it out before its gone the 2nd week in February. They don't allow photos but I did manage to snap these elephants in the lobby.

After the exhibit we walked back to Streeterville and enjoyed the sun while walking. Next stop was Mahoneys in River West to watch the Hawks bring home a victory!

We then celebrated by trying out TWO on Grand. It was unbelievably delicious. We tried three plates between the two if us and it was perfect. The place was packed but we squeezed in at the bar and ran into an old wright wood bartender. Small world for sure. Check out TWO here.


Sunday I joined a coworker and her boyfriend for brunch at Angelina's. It is the cutest Italian place on Broadway and Addison and their brunch is a must try. $21 will get you unlimited champagne and any brunch item. They are very generous with the champagne and we had our fair share. We tried the frittata and Jess had the eggs Benedict. Both were delicious. Make sure to get there before 11:30 because it gets extremely crowded but worth it.

It was such an action-packed weekend filled with lots of rest on MLK day. Let's now get ready for a crazy week ahead!