I'm a little late on my usual menu planning because I spent most of yesterday getting groceries in the house, doing laundry and just enjoyed being ALONE while the kids were at school. Don't get me wrong, we had the most wonderful trip with them and I'll likely put a photo dump post up soon. But, I need to charge my introvert batteries. In the interim, I shall do a food photo dump!
Our first night we ate at one of our favorite Chicago steak chains, Wildfire. It's been so long since I had my beloved peppercorn filet and I devoured the spinach and kale salad, which is definitely a new-to-me addition to the menu, and an excellent one. They also have a great kids menu, and it was a perfect welcome home dinner.
On our second day in the city, we just ate lunch at the aquarium and then hit up Granite City Brewery near our hotel, of which there are none in our neck of the woods and I wish there were - it's similar to Wildfire in that it has a nice atmosphere, great food selections (and beer) for adults, while having a robust kids menu. Sadly I didn't take pictures, but my pulled pork waffle and black cherry old fashioned were delicious.
The next day was full of crisscrossing the suburbs, and when in my husband's hometown, it's a MUST to visit Lake Forest Food and Wine. They've moved locations since our last visit, and it's kind of tucked away - but worth seeking out. Their Italian sub is the absolute best, and I also love the turkey and havarti on sourdough.
Afterwards, the other must do is a trip to Sweets for a little something - usually a dark chocolate ladybug (their name for a turtle) and the kids got chocolate covered pretzel rods and a chocolate covered Twinkie!
To cap off our suburban eating, it's always easy to find our absolute must when going home: PORTILLOS. I got the Italian beef, and my husband and kids devoured their Vienna beef hot dogs.
As if that wasn't enough indulgence, there was an Oberweis nearby and we went for milkshakes: the best in the WORLD - not hyperbole.
The last day was filled with a trip to the mall to walk and stretch our legs after a day in the car, because it was really chilly and rainy. But we did hit up Garrett popcorn for some Chicago mix before heading to the wedding. The kids were impressed: caramel corn AND cheese popcorn?! And, yes, it's a shame we didn't eat pizza on this trip. However, we do regularly get our favorite (Lou Malnati's) shipped to us and the only other place that was easy to get to with the kids was Giordano's and I'm not the biggest fan. Hopefully when we return, we'll have time to take the kids to Pequod's or Uno's or even our favorite late night delivery joint, Chicago's Pizza. So, yep, last night we had pizza at home!
As always, I'm linking up with Org Junkie, and now Beth Fish Reads weekend cooking - be sure to check out all the great weekly food inspiration!
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