Gulliver's Pizza

We went to dinner at Gulliver's Pizza in Oak Brook Terrace.  We saw this place on an episode of Chicago's Best, on their Roosevelt Road episode.

Pig Skins

Pig Skins Appetizer - basically potato skins with cheddar cheese,  green onions, bacon bits, pulled pork and bbq sauce, with sour cream on the side. It is hard to say this but they almost had too much cheese; we were really hoping for a lot more pulled pork/bbq sauce (a heaping mounds of pulled pork)   Nick got more pork taste from the bacon than the pulled pork.

Pan Pizza with sausage, pineapple, and jalapeno. This pizza in a pan was not quite deep dish but pretty thick crust. It was definitely spicy due to the jalapenos; the seeds were still there.

Pizza with sausage, pineapple and jalapeno

We wished we had only ordered this because it was much more appetizing than the Pig skins (but sometimes it is really hard to wait so long for a pizza to cook).  A medium was too big for the two of us alone - we took over half of it home with us.

Final thoughts on Gulliver's Pizza:
Food - Tasty; the pizza was good.  Can't say much more about the menu.
Service - Our drinks were filled u quickly.  The kitchen was very slow on getting the appetizer to us. We're not sure why it would be so slow we were one of the few tables there when our order went in.
Atmosphere -Lots of wood and tv's.  The bar was a hopping.  In an adjacent area to ours there was a kid's birthday party going on, which seemed kind of random; it didn't seem like a place that a kid would have chosen (compared to a chuck e cheese). If you wanted to take your time and watch a game this would be your place.

Triple Crown

We went to Triple Crown in Chinatown for dim sum. Natalie's parents had been here a while ago on a Chinatown food tour and we wanted to check it out.

Steamed BBQ Pork Bun (Bao)

On the weekends this restaurant does the official dim sum thing with carts of food wheeled around the restaurant. But during the week you just choose from a menu with pictures. Since we were there on a Friday, Natalie had looked at pictures of the options online so she knew what to get. There were some very exotic options including things like chicken feet so we wanted to steer clear of them - we are somewhat adventurous eaters but not that much.

It appears we chose well with this restaurant in general because we were the only non-Asians in the restaurant for a long time  usually this is a good sign that you are eating authentically.

Inside of steamed custard bun (bao)

The dim sum is served between 9 am and 3 pm so we were there at 10:45 for a brunch of sorts. In fact they wouldn't let us order anything from the lunch menu because it wasn't 11 am yet.  Good thing there were plenty of dim sum options to tempt us.

Steamed BBQ Pork Bun - Bao, to us this is the quintessential dim sum dish. We could keep ordering this. They were warm fluffy steamed rice buns surrounded with warm savory Asian BBQ,  They were sweet with a hint of spice.  What's not to love! But these can fill you up fast.

Steamed Custard Buns (Dessert Bao)

Steamed Custard Bun - dessert Bao;  same exterior as the BBQ but inside lies a gooey sweet dollop of vanilla custard

Shrimp Dumpling - with a scalloped dumpling shape; The dumpling shell itself was almost translucent so you could see the filling.

Potstickers

Shrimp Dumplings

Pork and Shrimp Dumpling - Nick enjoyed these dumplings. They were filling with a nice "meaty" filling and cute cup like pouches.

Pork & Shrimp dumplings

Pan Fried Pot sticker with pork - you can get this dish at almost any Asian restaurant but it seems different when it is served out of a steamy container.  These were better than your local restaurant.

Custard Roll - cake with custard in it, this was served warm; fun to eat dessert for brunch.  This was one of Natalie's favorite. This roll was more of a spongy cake encapsulating yummy custard in a pinwheel shape

Egg Rolls

Custard Cake

Taro and Pork Egg roll - nice and crispy outside, it was served extremely hot so it almost burned Nick's tongue

Fried Sesame Balls - with red bean paste in the middle.  These were a little intimidating as to their size but once you bit into them there was a burst of flavor from the sweet red bean paste. To our Western ears that doesn't sound sweet and tasty but it really is.

Sesame Balls

Inside of a Sesame Ball

What menu looks like

Final thoughts on Triple Crown:
Food - we enjoyed all of the dim sum options we ate and would go back to eat any of them.
Service - The service was very quick. The items came out to our table as they were ready.  We got to the restaurant at the very beginning of the lunch rush; it sounds like it can get very busy here on the weekends.
Atmosphere - This restaurant is right in the heart of Chinatown. From the table we sat at we could see across the street to a very impressive building with wonderful architecture. As we said before we were some of the only non-Asian customers so apparently we were in the right place.

Sign outside restaurant

Topolobampo

Gaucamole

Well after going to Frontera Grill back in May we didn't think we would be back so soon to their sister restaurant Topolobampo.  But since we had a rare weekday off together and you don't need to make reservations months in advance for lunch (like you do have to do for dinner service) we decided to go.  Topolobampo is known for a higher level of service which we were hoping for after not that great of service at Frontera.

We made reservations less than a week in advance, but we really could have made them even closer to the date.  We had a reservation for 11:30 when the restaurant opens and we were the only ones in that room until noon.  You get to walk past the much busier and louder Frontera Grill and go past a door into a different more refined space. It was so nice to have the space ourselves for a half hour; it felt like such a luxury.  The waiter explained the favorite dishes and regions of Mexico they came from.

Chilpachole de Hongos

Before you get any other food you get a complimentary guacamole and chips dish. We've never had free guacamole before (usually salsa) but when you are at one of best Mexican restaurants in the country it's a little different.

For lunch they offer a 3 course fixed priced menus with limited options - but they were the options Natalie was wanting anyway (the soup, mole and tres leches cake) so she went with that and Nick went with items on the regular menu.

Tamal de Platano

Chilpachole de Hongos - wild chanterelles, butternut squash three ways, epazote, chilpachole (savory, silky broth infused with ancho and chipotle.  This soup tasted great and wonderful with all of the vegetables and spices. It is not something you would normally have at a Mexican restaurant but it was a gourmet surprise.

Tamal de Platano - plantain-malanga tamal, seared pork belly, spicy ancho-sesame sauce, jack fruit, heirloom runner beans.  This other first course was spicy but flavorful. It was such a wonderful mix of ingredients; we especially enjoyed the pork belly. It was a bit spicy with the ancho chile sauce, but nothing Natalie couldn't handle.

Lamb with Mole

Borrego en Mole Negro - wood-grilled Crawford Farm lamb leg, classic Oaxacan black mole (chilhuacle chiles and 28 other ingredients), corn husk-steamed chipil tamal, unctuous black bean, smoky green beans. The mole had a wonderful flavor.  The waiter told us that they have culinary students come help prepare the mole since it has so many ingredients in it. The lamb was tender and this dish was also served with corn tortillas to create tacos and mop up the remaining sauce.

Carne Asada

Carne Asada "Brava" - spicy habanero-marinated, wood-grilled Creekstone Natural ribeye, spicy salsa huevona (hand-crushed, grill-roasted tomatoes, jalapenos), grilled knob onions, and sweet corn tamal (topped with homemade sour cream and fresh cheese). This dish had a bit of a kick to it with the different chiles, but that heat was cut a bit with the cheese and sour cream.  We also made tacos with the carne asada and tortillas. It was nice and tender, not tough and chewy.  Both main entrees had completely unique tastes that were wonderful.

Tres Leches Cake

Pastel de Tres Leches y Avellana - classic tres leches cake infused with toasted hazelnuts, Oaxacan chocolate ice cream, vanilla-poached quince, housemade ricotta, hazelnut crumble & meringue two ways.  The cake was smooth not grainy (probably because of the ricotta in it).  The meringues that came with it were soft and it all was a great combination with the ice cream and fruit.

Crepas con Cajeta, Platano y Chocolate - warm, buttery crepes filled with ripe plantain & bittersweet chocolate, cajeta (goats milk caramel), caramelized plantain ice cream, toasted meringue, Spence Farm whole wheat crumble.  This was a great combo, especially for Nick because he loves chocolate and caramel.

Crepa con Cajeta

Final thoughts on Topolobampo:
Food - all of the food was amazing.  This restaurant elevates Mexican food to another level.  All of the food exceeded our expectations and we would eat it over and over.
Service - well this made up for the not as stellar service we had at Frontera back in May. The waiter was very friendly and explained the classics and favorites on the menu
Atmosphere - very serene; compared to the more chaotic Frontera Grill; also a definitely elevated experience as well; would prefer comping here again over Frontera but it is a bit more expensive (that is why we went there for lunch).

Interior of Restaurant

Mastro's Steakhouse

We went to dinner for our wedding anniversary at Mastro's Steakhouse in Chicago.  We had heard about this restaurant from Check Please and we know someone who has eaten there. 

Lobster Bisque

Appetizers:

Lobster Bisque - it was warm and creamy (but not too creamy) a perfect way to start the meal.  Better lobster bisque than we have had in a while.

Tuna Tartare 

Ahi Tuna Tartare - with layers of avocado and wontons and alioli sauce - this general dish is becoming one of Natalie's favorites.  The wontons brought a nice crunchy texture to the dish as everything else is soft. The alioli gave the dish a bit of a kick without overpowering it.

Bone in Filet with gnocchi and sugar snap peas

Main course

Bone in Filet (12 oz) - this was one of the steaks the waiter recommended and it was worth it.  We were considering the Filet without the bone but the bone in Filet tasted really great. It was very tender and buttery. Another great steak to add to our list of favorites. The bone it filet also comes in a 18 oz size.

NY Strip with gnocchi and sugar snap peas

New York Strip (16 oz) - not quite as tender as the filet, but that is the difference in the cuts of meat.The tips were a little more done than we enjoy but the center was nice and tender (we ordered both steaks medium).

Butter Cake

The steaks and sides are all ordered a la carte (and you can order half sizes) so we ordered half sides of sugar snap peas and king crab truffle gnocchi which were more than enough for the two of us.  The gnocchi was truly amazing.  Obviously how can you go wrong with King Crab and truffles. The sauce was super creamy.  If you weren't into steaks, you really could just order this for your meal. For all the other food we ate a half size order was a good size for us. If we hadn't had appetizers maybe we would have gone with a full order.  We ordered the sugar snap peas as kind of the antithesis of the super rich gnocchi. Also pretending that we were eating healthy by having something green (although choosing to ignore the face that they were sauteed in a lot of butter).

For dessert we had of butter cake with whipped cream, which was comped for our anniversary.  We had heard that we definitely had to order this dessert here, so we couldn't leave without trying it.  Before eating it we could smell the wonderful aroma of the cake. They customized the plate for our anniversary dinner (not quite as personalized as last year at North Pond but a great touch). The cake was served with a heaping bowl of homemade whipped cream. It was so good we wanted to eat it all but since we had such a large meal it was very difficult. We thought it would be a slice of cake but it was served as an entire cake with hints of lemon.  Overall it was outstanding and we knew it might not keep well be as awesome cold the next day so we powered though and ate most of it.

Cross section of the butter cake

Final thoughts on Mastro's Steakhouse:
Food - expensive but awesome.  Something we didn't order but we saw at other tables was a seafood tower served over smoking dry ice.  It would have been way too much food for just the two of use but would be fun with a group of 4-6 people.  Also they offer sushi designed for Mastro's from the chefs at a restaurant called Nick-San; a restaurant in Cabo San Lucas that we remember walking by on our trip there a few years ago. Also even though it is a Steakhouse, they do also serve a lot of seafood options as entrees.
Service - impeccable. our main waiter took his time in explaining the menu to us.  When the steaks and sides came out, a team of waiters helped dish out the sides onto our steak plates.  The personalization of the dessert was a great touch.
Atmosphere - The interior is dark but it was fine for us"young lovers" celebrating an anniversary.  The whole space is huge.  We were seated in the dining area on the first floor.  There is also a large bar area on the first floor.  Then up the stairs are several smaller and larger dining spaces. It is quite luxurious looking inside.  As a side note we have seen the outside of the Mastro's Ocean Club in Las Vegas at the City Center complex.  It is extraordinary looking for the outside and maybe we will venture in sometime when we visit our relatives in Vegas.

Butter cake before digging in

Tavern on La Grange

Stuffed Portabello Mushroom

So we went out to dinner near home at a place called Tavern on La Grange.  I think we are kind of wondering why we tried this place - we had seen some deals on their street signs and thought it looked good from the outside.

Stuffed portabello mushroom - stuffed with bread crumbs, garlic butter, and topped with Parmesan cheese.  These were pretty good; they had a bit of a lemony taste them.  It's hard to mess up something drenched in butter.

Italian Beef Sandwich

Italian Beef Sandwich with cheese and giardiniera and a side of chips. We weren't super hungry and some of the other entrees seemed to be more filling larger sized (and pricey). It was a pretty standard Italian Beef; so stick to the classic Italian Beef places to get your fix.

Fish Tacos

Fish tacos - tilapia with rice, really not that exciting. This was a bit disappointing because fish tacos can be really good with some interesting spices and flavor.  The tilapia was dry and the rice was boring. The best part about the dish was the southwest flavored mustard sauce.

Final thoughts on Tavern on La Grange:
Food - nothing too interesting and it seemed pricey; we probably won't be returning.

Service - at the end of the meal it took a really long time for the check to come out to us; even though there weren't too many people in the dining room.

Atmosphere - it was a very large space with lots of TV's.  It is probably better suited as a sports bar.  A while ago we heard that on certain nights there are dueling pianos and we thought they would be there that night - either that wasn't the case or it happened later in the evening. 

Garifuna Flava

We finally got to eat at Garifuna Flava in Chicago.  We had seen it on many food shows including, Diners Drive Ins and Dives, Check Please and Chicago's Best. It is known for Caribbean (especially Belizean) food, so we knew we had to check it out.

Fun Caribbean drinks

We ordered a bunch of appetizers instead of 2 full entrees:
Panades - corn patties with hashed buffalo fish and garnished with sweet vegetable sauce.  The panades kind of look like emapanadas but they have a different filling.  It didn't didn't taste fishy; but warm and sweet and it was served with some restaurant made hot sauce that looks like coleslaw but it definitely packed a punch.

Garnaches

Panades & Conch Fritters

Garnaches - crunchy tostada like dish of round fried corn tortillas topped with refried beans, a lettuce sauce, shredded cheses and a ketchup sauce.  We really liked these - they reminded us of Mexican tostadas.  They were very simple but delicious; Nick's favorite dish of the day.

Conch fritters - minced conch seasoned with various Caribbean spices. This style of conch fritter was in a ball shape; it is reminiscent of a hush puppy in texture.  It of course had the sweet conch meat inside.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken lunch - marinated with Jamaican spices and slow cooked on the grill, served with rice and beans, a fried ripe plaintain and Belizean potato salad.  The chicken wasn't too spicy (well not on its own there were some sauces that came with our meal that were sure spicy). The rice and beans were good and the chicken was tender and moist without being overly spicy.  The plaintain was nice and sweet (so we ordered more later). The potato salad was just ok - you have a choice of a garden salad, steamed cabbage or the potato salad and we thought the potato salad sounded the best.

Jerk Chicken

Potato Salad

Hot Sauce

Rice & Beans and Plantain

They didn't have Cassava cake available for dessert so we had a side of fried ripe plaintains for dessert instead. We only got one plaintain with the jerk chicken meal so we were eager for more.

Also we had some beverages - a Ting soda and a Pineapple Coconut smoothie, to put us in the mood of being in the islands (on a colder day) before our meal began.

The price was great. We were there for lunch so that may have been why; but we really got a lot of food for not too much.

Now this restaurant is located somewhere on the south side of Chicago. It's probably not in that bad of a neighborhood, but they do have their own parking lot.  And inside the restaurant, one of the tv's has a live camera feed of the parking lot just to give you peace of mind.

Final thoughts on Garifuna Flava:

Plantains

Food - warm and spicy and reminds you of the Caribbean
Service - we were the only patrons in the restaurant for the majority of our meal so it was very personalized.  But they seemed willing to help you navigate the menu. At the end of our meal they gave us menus to take with us and to share with our friends.
Atmosphere - It is a very casual establishment - definitely falling in to a Diner, Drive in or Dive category.

Country House

Muffaletta

We went to dinner at the Country House in Clarendon Hills.  We really hadn't heard much about their food but we had heard that this restaurant is haunted (but nothing mysterious happened when we dined there).

Muffaletta - sandwich with baked ham, hard salami, Monterrey Jack and Swiss Cheese, with a garlicky olive spread, served hot on french bread.  It came with onion rings.  It was not a super traditional Muffaletta but it was good. Who knew that Nick really liked warm olives and that garlic made it that much better

Poblano Bites - these were similar to jalapeno poppers but also had Poblano peppers which gave them a smoky kick. They were served with a south west ranch sauce.  Overall very good but a little too hot for Natalie.

Poblano Bites

Country burger - with Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, grilled onions and pickle on a bun (or can be on rye bread).  You have you choice of  with or without cheese and then your choice of cheese, bread, or coleslaw on the burger, and onions. This was our Goldilocks of burger sizes this month - the burger was not as super sized as Kuma's Corner but not as thin as DMK. It was the perfect ratio of meat to toppings  it was very tasty perfectly cooked. Apparently this burger was voted best burger by the Chicago Tribune.

Country Burger

Pumpkin bread pudding with cinnamon ice cream, whipped cream and caramel.  We wish there was more because it seemed to disappear so quickly. It was warm gooey goodness that was hard to resist so we didn't. Almost every thing you want out of a Fall desert.

Final thoughts on Country House:
Food - very good, we didn't have much of an expectation before eating here but everything was great
Service - all of the wait staff was very friendly to us.
Atmosphere - we got there at about 5:30 on a Friday night. The place was already quite hopping, especially in the bar area. We got the last open table at that time.  When we left there was a line waiting. It looked like there were a lot of regulars. 

Pumpkin Bread Pudding