Ice Cream Sandwiches / Lula Cafe by TrackBelle, on Flickr

Ice Cream Sandwiches @ Lula Cafe - (left to right) lemon ice cream with waffle tuille, blueberry buttermilk ice cream with gingerbread, and rhubarb ice cream with chamomile meringue....this is AMAZING. One of the best desserts I've had in a long time (and by long time, I mean since three days ago when I had foie gras ice cream at Quince)- delicate yet vibrant and the three flavors really complemented one another well, without one overwhelming the other. The ice cream was just bursting with flavor, and there was plenty of lemon zest in the lemon ice cream.

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My first visit to Demera was incredible. Everything was outstanding, and I wish I had the forethought to order a second entree to go.

Mahi Mahi "Oscar" at Middle Grounds Grill in Treasure Island, FL. I usually avoid anything "Oscar" but the allure of soft shell crab atop my fish instead of regular crab meat was too interesting to pass up. It did not disappoint. The fish was perfectly cooked and the crunchy crab offered an ideal contrast in texture.

maybe it was the alcohol or the fact that it was 3 in the morning, but the tacos de tripa at Los Comales (on Milwaukee) were outstanding last night.

Asparagus and prosciutto pizza with rosemary at Stop 50.

Fusilli with fresh pesto at Sotto Sotto in Toronto - simple & classic (I'll be posting a trip report on the whole meal & a couple of other restaurants I recently visited in Toronto sometime this weekend).

I'm not generally a fish taco fan....but....this past Sunday at Totopo on 22nd St. in Lombard....fantastic...over the top....best, by far, I've ever had!

Napa Valley Basil Smoked Burger

Ground sirloin mixed with fresh basil, red onion, sun-dried tomatoes (in olive oil), Italian style breadcrumbs, zinfandel - topped with jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, thinly sliced red onion and basil pesto mayo.

Best burger I've had - ever!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/ ... ers-355970

Ravioli with ricotta, asparagus and spring peas at Antico Posto in Oak Brook. The ravs come in a herb butter sauce with more peas and asparagus. It's springtime on a plate.

A tie between the steamed mussels and the lobster roll @ Petey's in Rye NH

The pan-fried lake perch at Todd's in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin last Saturday night. Served with a baked potato and fresh green beans and carrots, it was so good, I've been thinking about it all week and wishing I lived closer so I could go back for more.

Suzy

The lahbster roll at Chatham Pier Fish Market. $45 for two rolls, slaw and fries and worth every cent.

Dante and walnuts with a Sprecher Black Bavarian. I felt like I was at Redwall.

Rhubarb, lime and cardamom frozen yogurt at Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream in Dublin, OH. The cherry lambic sorbet and goat cheese and cherry ice cream weren't shabby either.

-Dan

And from a completely unexpected source...

Lunch Special #6--Pancit guisado to go from China Chef (an LTH veteran fave) on Lincoln in Morton Grove. Veggies (including crunchy baby bok choy), thinly-sliced pork, large shrimp & Cantonese noodles (but not pan-fried). Packed, and I mean packed, with some fried rice in an aluminum tin. $5.45 including tax. Non-greasy, delicious. Probably more Americanized Chinese than Filipino in cuisine, but who cares? Great stuff.

jnm123 wrote:And from a completely unexpected source...

Lunch Special #6--Pancit guisado to go from China Chef (an LTH veteran fave) on Lincoln in Morton Grove. Veggies (including crunchy baby bok choy), thinly-sliced pork, large shrimp & Cantonese noodles (but not pan-fried). Packed, and I mean packed, with some fried rice in an aluminum tin. $5.45 including tax. Non-greasy, delicious. Probably more Americanized Chinese than Filipino in cuisine, but who cares? Great stuff.

China Chef is just a few minutes from my new Niles office. I haven't been there in a while but your post reminds me how much I like it. Not always great but when it's on, it's on. I'm definitely going to push for a lunch there next week.

=R=

Pork Frito Misto from Lola in Cleveland last night. Pork belly, ear, crackling with cilantro and chilies. The belly was melt in your mouth, and the ear gave a really nice crunch. The chilies complimented it well. I ate at the bar, and the bartender didn't know exactly what the chilies were, but they were both sweet and spicy.


Lola Bistro
2058 East 4th Street
Cleveland, OH

Not everything I ate in Vegas was great, but the foie gras creme brulee and lobster casoncelli at Sage (Shawn McClain's restaurant in Aria), and the boat noodles with soft shell crab at Lotus of Siam were phenomenal. A little more in this post.

A Kraft Jet-Puffed StackerMallow. A little more dense than the average marshmallow. Nicely compacted for even toasting. A much better idea than the giant campfire marshmallows that either catch on fire or melt and drip off the toasting fork before it is completely soft. I'd highly recommend the StackerMallow for proper S'More assembly. It's the little things for me.

Strawberry scone from Blue Max coffee shop in Forest Park. Sweet, luscious, delightful. I want to go back to try the mixed berry, which I hear is the staff favorite.

VBQ Bahn Mi from Saigon Sisters.

I have been working my way through the 30 sandwiches 30 days feature that the Trib recently ran and have never had this one of Saigon Sisters sandwiches - and I sorry I had missed it. It's great! Crunchy bread, thai flavors and a spiciness that hits just right. I have had a bunch of their sandwiches but now this is my favorite.

almond croissant from Beans and Bagels. best croissant i've had in a long time.

Poutine at the Small Bar on Fullerton. Thin fries, Ellsworth Creamery Curds, bacon gravy, topped with crispy kale. I've never had poutine before and this didn't seem completely traditional. The five of us inhaled every morsel. Great beer list that I started to visit after a couple of cocktails.

Small Bar
1415 W Fullerton, Chicago
773-525-2727
http://www.thesmallbar.com/fullerton/

The dinner roll at Paragon Restaurant in Waukegan. The broasted chicken was quite good, too.

The tomato pie at Dixie Supply Bakery and Cafe in Charleston, SC. Flaky pastry crust, thick slices of organic heirloom tomatoes, basil, secret cream sauce, and a load of sharp cheddar. Mighty tasty.

A couple of best things from the holiday weekend, which I spent in Chicago.

1. Steak tacos on handmade tortillas at Maxwell street. I can't recall the name of the vendor, but these things were sheer beauty - charcoal grilled steak (to be honest, could have used a bit more char), fresh tortillas, cilantro, onion and salsa. These tacos transported me to a place I've never been.

2. Al pastor taco, again at Maxwell (from the vendor with the charcoal trompo). Aggressive spice, charred edges, fresh tortilla.

3. Fresh hungarian sausage from Paulina, grilled and served with grilled onions and mustard. Probably my favorite of Paulina's encased meat offerings. Took these to a BBQ on Monday and they were a knockout success. Coarse and fatty, strong notes of garlic and paprika. Snappy casing. What's not to love?

Good eating in the Chi this weekend. Can't go wrong with Paulina, and this weekend's visit to the Maxwell Street Market has convinced me that there is no better place to eat on a Sunday morning in the summertime in Chicago.

Habibi wrote:Can't go wrong with Paulina, and this weekend's visit to the Maxwell Street Market has convinced me that there is no better place to eat on a Sunday morning in the summertime in Chicago.

Yeah, Sunday was about as perfect as it gets at MSM. I had a few DF tacos and an agua fresca. Happy food.

The duck egg at Ria is amazing, a gently, lightly poached duck egg with English peas, a broth, potato crisp (the lattice-like thing), and cured egg yolk grated over the top

Photo from their website:

Sliced brisket from Smoque on Friday.

First beef barbecue I've had in Chicago that I felt could compete with some 69th Street rib tips/hot links.

almond croissant from Beans and Bagels. best croissant i've had in a long time.

You should try them at Alliance Bakery on Division.