Minnesota State Fair

OH MY GOD YOU GUYS.  I MADE IT.  I MADE IT TO THE MINNESOTA STATE FAIR.  So after about ten years of being with Charlie and unsuccessfully timing our visits to Minnesota, we just so happened to be in town so we went and I ate everything.  Well not everything.  Probably only about 1% of what the fair had to offer, but we did our research and the 1% we did have was absolutely outstanding.  Ready?  Are you ready?  Hold on to your corn husks. 

So we started early.  Like 8:30 early and we bee lined for the bacon wrapped turkey leg from Texas Steak Out.  Words can not describe how delicious this was.  Even though we were diligently trying to pace ourselves, we nearly polished this off.  It was first smoked and then wrapped with bacon and grilled and then kept warm on top of a bed of onions.  I can't even handle it.  

The Corn Roast is famous at the Minnesota State Fair.  They roast super sweet, tender corn in the husks, peel it back, dip it (legit DIP IT) in butter and then let you season it with S&P.  It was amazing. Exactly what you'd expect sweet, in season corn to taste like.

So...those of you that are familiar with the fair know that they serve everything you can imagine on a stick.  Like everything.  I can do without the deep fried Oreo on a stick, or the meatloaf dinner on a stick, but there was no denying that Big Fat Bacon's bacon on a stick was meant for me.  It was cooked PERFECTLY.  Thick cut, salty, crispy, but not too crispy...and they give you chocolate to drizzle on it.  Sounds weird but it wassssssnnnn't.  I die.  For bacon.  I die for bacon a stick.

So these Australian potatoes were not part of the plan.  But we couldn't help ourselves.  They looked so crazy good and different.  They are sliced potatoes, battered and deep fried and topped with cheese or ranch sauce (or both plus bacon if you're me and Charlie).  We also added some dark malt vinegar that was life changing.  I think the camera lens is cloudy from my greasy little finger prints. 

So you guys know that I like sweets but they have to be really over the top crazy special for me to have more than a couple of bites.  Let me put it this way.  I was mowing this - Minneaple Pie's deep fried pumpkin pie with cinnamon ice cream.  This wasn't just good because it was deep fried.  The crust was super duper flaky and the pumpkin filling was sweet but not too sweet and the ICE CREAM. I can't.  If I didn't pack my suitcase to the absolute MAX I would have smuggled three of these home with me.

Yawn. Cheese curds.  Actually...I shouldn't say yawn.  In light of all of the other fantastic and unique food we had, the Minnesota State Fair staple - battered dipped and deep fried cheese curds - were amazing.  I've just had them before.

Sweet Martha's chocolate chip cookies were everything I dreamed of and more.  They were lovingly and magically made and piled high for us to enjoy.  Ok - so funny story.  We were nearing the end of our food tour and I couldn't bare to throw these out but I literally could not eat another bite.  Well not literally because I ordered a Dole Whip after (see below).  Anyway, we wrapped several napkins around the top and then fashioned them with a hair elastic to seal the cookies in the cone.  My hair looked INSANE but I didn't care.

Ah, Dole Whip.  How I love thee.  They ran out of the vanilla swirl, so I was left with just the pineapple portion but I just had to have it.  The only other place I have EVER seen Dole Whip is at Disney next to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. So I had to.  I just had to.

This is a picture of me after the food tour.

Just kidding.  I didn't take a nap.  We visited the animal barns.  The deep enjoyment I got from this sheep is just embarrassing.  I keep looking at this picture and just cracking up.  I mean OBVIOUSLY sheep wear blankets to keep them clean. 

Here I am thoroughly enjoying my first fair visit.  So little time so many places to visit and try.  I'll be back, fair - I'll be back!

Stay hungry! 

Nico Osteria

We had dinner last week with some friends at Nico Osteria.  It was an incredible meal.  We are all still raving and dreaming about it.  I absolutely can not wait to go back.  MMM MMM MMM didn't have a bad bite the entire night. 

Below is a summary of the amazing dishes we had.  

This was a mix of the east and west coast oysters with celery and champagne vinegar.  

Yum.  Fresh bread including olive focaccia.  Forget it.

This was the La Quercia Prosciutto with gnocco fritto (little savory beignets), radish, clock shadow caprino, black currant-pepper jam. The waiter lovingly called this dish "ham and donuts."

This was SO good.  This was the Kanpachi crudo with crispy potato, and banyuls vinegar.  So different and interesting.  The fish was so fresh and clean and the little potato chips added this amazing savory crunch.

This was the stracciatella with brussels sprouts, trufflebert hazelnuts, parsley.

These were the glazed Veal Sweetbreads with salt roasted beets, smoked olive tapenade, and pistachio.

This was the beef Tongue with sepia, radish, and sea urchin aioli.  YES, beef tongue! It was nuts.  So delicious.

This was the rigatoni with northern ragu, which was similar to a bolognese.

So I was scared to try this.  This was the squid Ink Conchiglie with ramps, royal trumpet mushrooms, bigeye tuna.  I have never tried squid ink pasta because I always thought it was super overpowering.  It wasn't at all.  It gave the pasta a beautiful hint of flavor, but was not super fishy or over the top at all.  It was amazing.

This was my favorite.  I could have eaten the entire plate time and time again.  This was the stuffed Pappardelle with milk braised pork, carrots, black truffle.

By this point, the wheels fell off the wagon and we were just going rogue.  Instead of ordering meat dishes, we just ordered a mess of side dishes - all of them were so delicious.  I could eat veggies all day every day, especially when they are this good.  This was the broccolini with ricotta, hazelnut pesto.

Oh man.  I don't even know how they make potatoes this crispy.  Charlie was going NUTS.  He kept asking, "how did they make the potatoes crispy in the INSIDE??"  Very good question. Anyway, they were topped with a sharp pecorino.

These artichokes were amaze....they were pickled artichokes alla giudia with fennel aioli.  They were crispy, crispy, but nice and soft in the inside.

This was the peas and carrots with pine nuts, and green garlic.  I've never had peas and carrots like this before...so yummy.

This was a mixture of gelato and sorbetto.  68% Nyangbo Chocolate, Tonka bean cocoa nib, and Blackberry Sorbet.  Just insane.

This was one of the best meals I've had in a very long time.  So happy I tried it and can't wait to go back.

Stay hungry!

A Minneapolis Food Crawl

Sorry for being so MIA. It's been a busy couple of weeks.  I went to Seattle, then Connecticut, then Minnesota, then Scottsdale and then next week I'm off to Florida!  Worky work, busy bee!  Well it's not all work, there's some play weaved in there. 

The great thing about being in Minnesota for work is that I also got to see my best friend Lauren, who moved there last winter.  Whenever we get together, there is nonstop laughter and ridiculousness.  We didn't really have a plan...just knew there would be lots of food and alcohol involved.  Here are a few shots of our amazing food crawl.  

We started our day off at King's.  This is their Tuscan kale salad with provolone cheese, roasted garlic dressing, croutons and crumbled egg.  I could have eaten this and this alone ALL...DAY.  

This was insane...this was their biscuits with white sausage gravy.  I mean...wow.

This dish was as delicious as it was beautiful.  It was an eggplant cannelloni with pickled eggplant, smoked eggplant and all kinds of other yummy things.

After we stuffed ourselves with brunch and like 14 mimosas, we continued our day at George & The Dragon for some wine.  We grabbed a table and some lumpia which are basically Filipino egg rolls.  So yummy.

After George & The Dragon, we sat outside at Broder's, this perfect little Italian place where we got some cold cuts...

...and some more vino.

Our food crawl ended and Lauren & Zan's house where Lauren made me fresh carrot and grapefruit juice vodka spritzers.  What a day.

As you can imagine, we didn't make it too far into the evening.  We ate, we drank, we laughed, we passed out.  I woke up on the floor next to the fireplace and then I made my way to the guest room bed. Which turned out to be Lauren and Zan's bed.  Man, I am such a treat.  

Stay hungry! 

Dillman's Chicago

Dillman's Chicago opened up not too long ago and it's utterly insane that Charlie and I haven't been yet.  It's literally a five minute walk from our condo and I've heard nothing but fantastic things. In fact, my friend Katie says their kale salad will "make you cry."  It did, Dillman's.  It did indeed.

 The raw kale salad comes with toasted almond, quinoa, parmesan, mint, and sherry vinaigrette.  Don't worry.  This was the only slightly healthy thing we ordered.

This is their burger. OH MAN.  Their burger.  The same owner of Au Cheval owns Dillman's, and I don't know if you guys remember, by I posted about the burger from Au Cheval forever ago and still think about it.  This was just as good.

Speaking of crying, my mouth is crying tears of drool. 

This was the bacon and grits.  I was scared to eat the grits.  I could basically smell the cream and butter...divine...simply divine.  The bacon was thick cut, slow cooked and then crisped up.  Just how I like it.

SO when I was going bonkers over the burger, Charlie was going loco over the latkes.  Deep fried, crispy, with just the right amount of onion mixed in.  Savory with the perfect touch of sour cream and apple sauce.  Forgettaboutit.

I wish I never tried this place.  Because I'm going to be there NON STOP.  Nice work, Dillman's.  See you next weekend. 

Love, 

Hungry 

Eataly Chicago

Eataly...Eataly...where do I EVEN BEGIN.  Charlie and I have been long awaiting the arrival of this adult Disneyland, that is two complete giant huge floors of imported Italian goodness.  There are 10 restaurants and rows and rows of cheese, meat, bread, fresh made pastas, olive oil, a gelato counter, a nutella counter, etc etc ....oh and wine...wine everywhere.  In fact they encourage you to shop with a glass of wine in your hand!!!!!  I mean, I just can't.  I kept creeping around the corners expecting resurrected Jesus to pop out because I thought for sure I died and went to heaven. 

We've gone two Saturdays in a row (oops), but here are pics from just our first visit. 

We first went to La Pizza, and ordered their Neapolitan style pizza, straight from the brick oven...oh my. 

We also ordered a winter roasted veggie salad that was just RIDICULOUSLY fresh and satisfying (for me at least)... Charlie was even kinda into it...

Charlie and I swung by Eataly's fresh pasta counter while we were waiting for our table at La Pizza. We had no idea that they also served their fresh pastas, so we ordered up the sausage filled pasta that caught our eyeballz.  Ummm YUMMMMM.

Ok for those of you that know me, you know that I have a complete and utter (udder?) problem with gelato. Meaning I can't say no to it.  Charlie and I have gotten into ARGUMENTS about it because I'm so obsessed and demand it like a crazy person.  Let me put it this way:  if I had to choose between my trusty Uggs this Chicago winter weather and real, Italian gelato...well, you know what I'd pick.

For example, it was 10 degrees and snowing in Chicago and I carried both of these home with me, sampling them as I went.  There is pistachio and stracciatella on the left and salted caramel on the right.  CAN'T EVEN HANDLE IT RIGHT NOW.

I will continue to photograph my Eataly escapades because I'm expecting many many more. 

Stay hungry! 

Adventures in Fine Dining: Grace Chicago, IL

I'm not really a fine dining kind of person.  Well not until I went to Grace.  This meal was so spectacular and so memorable...it was truly a once in a lifetime experience for me.  Luckily they let me take lots of pictures so I could share this with you guys.  Here is what I had...

Here is the amuse bouche.  The orange piece on the end was a candy covered clementine slice.  How amazing is that?

Meyer Lemon: Osetara caviar, kumquat jam, chive blossom.

 Big Eye Tuna:  golden trout roe, pomelo, thai basil.  I will be dreaming of this dish for the rest of my life.  Simply amazing.  You break the ice shell and the entire dish turns into this amazing chilled soup with varying flavors and textures.

Chilled Scallop: hibiscus tea, five licorice flavored herbs.

 Scottish Salmon:  crispy red cabbage, citrus pudding, marigold.  I can't even describe out delicious this dish was.  And this is coming from someone who doesn't care for salmon.

Grilled Wagyu Beef: matsutake, salsify, mashua leaf. Can someone tell me what any of these are?

 Veal Cheek:  red wine braised endive, black grape, black mint.

Poached Quince:  elderflower, tamarind juice, bronze fennel.




Caramelized Sudachi:  toasted cashews, asian pear, nasturtium.

Bitter Chocolate:  raw chestnut, persimmon, lemon mint.

Real Cocoa Nibs and Truffled Chocolate.  Ridiculously good.

This was a bonus round.  A chocolate truffle and salty and sweet popcorn.

Here are a couple of pictures of the kitchen...

 So cool...

Just check out their pantry.  I mean, this place was incredible.

I have a few others on my fine dining check list...I'll keep you posted on my adventures.  Stay hungry!