Azul 18, not to be confused with Azul Mariscos is a great brunch spot in the Pilsen area. I’ve added this location as a part of the 2024 Brunch Challenge, which is a goal I gave myself earlier in the year – visiting a brunch location at least once a month. Azul 18 is the third brunch location for the year.  I visited on a Sunday morning, and there was plenty of street parking available. The restaurant has about 30 tables, but the table spacing is pretty tight, so if you have big hips like me, you’ll be comfy seating on the bench seats, but squeeze your body in between the tables and be ca ..read more

This is not a paid endorsement or affiliate review.  Print Spice Jamaica Jerk Pork Chops Course Main Course Cuisine American, Carribean Keyword carribean, jerk, pork chops Prep Time 15 minutes minutes Cook Time 1 hour hour Servings 4 servings Ingredients 4 1/2 - 1 inch thick pork chops Spice Jamaica Jerk Seasoning Thyme Paprika (Spanish or Smoked) olive oil Instructions Preheat oven to 375℉. Rinse pork chops and pat dry. On a cookie sheet or bowl, place pork chops and cover with oil. Sprinkle generously the Thyme, and Paprika. The Spice Jamaica Jerk Seasoning is spicy ..read more

Seriously, Molly’s Cupcakes has to be my favorite cupcake shop in the Greater Chicagoland area. When I visit any of their locations I always feel like a kid, except I have my own money to spend! The River East (Streeterville) location is near my workplace where I can easily stop by before my drive home. However, depending on the time of day, you have to hunt for a park. Well today, I had some afternoon PTO, and while driving in the area, there were two parking spaces available. I was quick to grab one! Berry-In-Luv Cupcake Although it’s the beginning of March, the flavor of the month carried o ..read more

Tom’s Steak House, located in Chicago’s West Suburban city, Melrose Park, has been in the neighborhood since 1952. They’re known for the steaks and seafood.  Although it’s in Melrose Park, it has the classic Chicago steak house vibe. Today was my first time visiting amongst friends.  The entry and dining space is very welcoming.  By the way, if you are looking to plan a private event, there is a really large event space at the main entry.    We started the gathering with drinks, Saganaki that’s lighted table-side, and the most amazing soup of the day which was Chicken ..read more

Print Recipe: Crab Fritters with Sriracha Aioli Course Appetizer Cuisine American Keyword appetizer, crab, party food Ingredients Crab Fritters Canola Oil for Frying 1 lb quality lump crab 2 large eggs 2 tbsp dijon mustard 2 tsp lemon juice 1/4 cup thinly diced red onion 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions 1 tsp cajun seasoning (with salt) 1 tsp old bay 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp black pepper 1/4 tsp cayenne 2 cup panko bread crumbs Sriracha Aioli Sauce 1/2 cup mayo 4 tbsp sriracha sauce 2 tsp minced garlic Instructions Crab Fritters In a large bowl add crab meat. In a separate bow ..read more

For the 17th annual Chicago Restaurant Week, I choose to go to State and Lake Chicago Tavern. Can you believe it? Me, being a self-proclaimed foodie participating in Chicago Restaurant Week for the first time! Well it was a nice experience, because I went there after work and met up with a great friend. I was able to enjoy a delicious drink and order from the Chicago Restaurant Week menu items. The vibe of the restaurant was really nice. It’s next to The Wit Hotel, and I was able to sit in there while waiting for the restaurant to open at 5pm. You can conveniently enter the restaurant from th ..read more

Voodoo Doughnut has opened in the Chicagoland area, and I spent New Year’s Day seeing where the magic happens.  Before entering the doughtnut haven there’s a banner of donuts on the window so you can plan ahead what you want to get.  Sometimes the lines can get pretty long. Upon entering, you’re greeted with a mesmerizing carousel of doughnuts.  Luckily, I planned ahead and went to the website and read every doughnut description and made a list of each donut I wanted to purchase.  There’s yeast and cake type donuts. I like them both. There’s so many donuts and it will tak ..read more

This year, I’ve set a goal to visit at least one brunch spot each month in 2024.  This gets me out the house and the kitchen at least one weekend each month! Wait a minute! I didn’t know Wishbone was still here in Chicago! Apparently, it’s been at the 161 N. Jefferson St. location since Nov. 2018! The last time I visited Wishbone was when it was near Oprah’s studios on Washington St. After visiting Voodoo Doughnut, I stumbled upon the “new” Wishbone location while looking for a Sunday brunch option in the Fulton Market area. I was just happy on a Sunday morning I didn’t have a hard time ..read more

Print Salmon Croquettes Course Main Course Cuisine American Servings 8 servings Ingredients Cajun Seasoning Blend 1 tbsp cajun seasoning 1 tbsp black pepper 1 tbsp garlic powder 1 tbsp onion powder 1 tbsp paprika 1 /4 tsp cayenne pepper 1 tbsp lemon pepper 1/4 cup parsley Salmon Croquettes 2 lbs fresh salmon 1/2 medium green bell pepper (diced) 1/2 medium orange or red bell pepper (diced) 1/2 cup onion (diced) 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley 1/3 cup mayo 3 large eggs 1 cup bread crumbs 1 cup panko bread crumbs 4 tbsp butter (divided) 4 tbsp olive oil Instruc ..read more

In 2023, I set a goal to visit one “new-to-me” Mexican restaurant each month. These restaurants have been around for years, but for some reason, I’ve never visited.  Provecho Latin Provisions is number 12 and the final restaurant for 2023!  And Provecho did it not disappointment! Our adventure began by checking out the Winter WonderLights in Merrillville, Indiana.  The hubby and I figured we should check out a restaurant while we were in the area.  The holiday season is pretty busy, this would be the best time to go.  We found Provecho on Google and it had an average o ..read more