All About Chicago Afternoon Tea Spots

 By Lu

That's my Silver Needle Jasmine!

Afternoon tea (also known as high tea only in America) is one of my favorite things to do. It is my time to be girly and to imagine that I'm Kate Middleton, sitting in my nice veranda, sipping tea and munching on scones, patiently waiting for my darling William to pick me up for our afternoon horseback ride in the country. *Sigh...*

When I'm back to reality, the actual reason I like it is because it is simply enjoyable. If you follow our blog, I'm sure you know my love for tea. I'm not kidding about that. It is the perfect thing to do with friends to catch up or just to shoot the breeze. It's a great alternative to the usual lunches and brunches. It is a nice idea to do for showers. It's just so much fun! In the US, people seem to think afternoon tea is intended only for the ladies. However, this is really not just for girls. Guys, you should try it too! There are millions of men in Europe that enjoy sipping a cup of tea and eating pastries in the afternoon. It is really a faux-pas that afternoon tea is intended for the females only. So, I'm daring you (American) men who are secured enough with your masculinity to  go try high tea! You'll be pleasantly surprised that it can be really enjoyable to do on a Sunday afternoon after a hangover from the bar hop the night before.

What you can expect when having afternoon tea: first, you have to select what tea you want to drink. It will be served in an individual pot, complete with a strainer for the leaves. Then, you will get a three tiered serving apparatus, for the three offerings: finger sandwiches; sweet breads, scones, and cookies; and lastly little pastries and finger desserts. Most afternoon tea places also offer selections of Champagne, Mimosa or Bellini. The condiments served usually consist of Lemon Curd, Marmalade or Berry Preserve, and Devonshire (Clotted) Cream.

Due to my deep fondness of afternoon tea, I have tried all the spots in my city, my beloved Chicago. There are some that I frequent and some I would not go again. Here is my list:

The Lobby - Peninsula Hotel

Beautiful Tiered Offerings at The Peninsula

Hands down, the best spot in town for afternoon tea. Peninsula Hotel itself is known for their reputation to be one of the highest echelon of hotels along with The Four Seasons and St. Regis. It is not a surprise that it is one of the best spots for tea in town. It wasn't always my favorite at the beginning, as usually I am always about the taste of the food first. Coming from Indonesia, service and atmosphere aren't always my priorities. I can be happy eating tasty pork dumplings in a makeshift restaurant of someone's garage and having to deal with not so bright waitress. Things like that do not faze me at all if the food is superb. However, after several visits later and having been able to compare it to other places, I am so comfortable to put The Lobby at Peninsula Hotel on the top of my list.

It is definitely the most expensive of all the tea places, and that is for a reason. When you compare these high-end hotels, you have to compare it as if you are looking at a diamond with a magnifying glass. In the surface, they're all comparable. However, why would you pay the extra? Like diamonds, when you look at it at a glance, they're all pretty and expensive. Yet, there's a reason why they have color, cut, and clarity to determine price points. With Peninsula Hotel, you are paying for that quality.

Ri, enjoying afternoon tea in Chicago

The hotel is obviously beautiful. The Lobby itself is gorgeous, decorated with fresh cut flowers at the entrance. It is a big room with huge windows that give you an abundance of natural light. The seats are at regular height for dining, not love seats. I found it to be much more comfortable for eating. Love seats and couches could look cool and hoytie toytie, but I found it awkward for eating. The food and the tea selection are great. Another place beat them only in one category - the scones. However, through my many visits, their sandwiches have been consistently tasty, gorgeous, and creative. The pastries have always looked and tasted top notched. The scones and breads have been proven above average as well. Another cool thing to mention - each time I was there, they always added a bonus course. They surprised me several of times with various kinds of Souffles. One other time, they gave Ri and me a cake with a plastic syringe-like applicator filled with rum. We had to inject it to the cake and boy was that good!

My tea posse - Tina, Sandrine, Marilou, and Rebecca all loved the Peninsula tea and its service. The service has always been pleasant and not snooty.

One more thing - they usually also have violinists playing in the balcony for the patrons' enjoyment.

The Lobby at Peninsula Hotel is definitely top shelf for afternoon tea for me.

The Seasons Lounge at The Four Seasons
It used to be my number one place; however, I do like the overall feel and value of The Peninsula's tea service. I've been here over five times, and they didn't really change up the food a lot. I remembered getting the same sandwiches each time. The only thing I'm glad they didn't change is their scones. They're delicious beyond delicious. Their cherry or cranberry scones are always so moist and biscuit-like. They are just so yummy.

The atmosphere will remind you more of the classic English living room, with the love seats and the fireplace. It is definitely cozy and classic with that touch of the English elegance. When I was there,  I didn't mind it a bit. Again, I never really paid that close attention to how the staff can get snobby or stuffy. My friend Tina, definitely noticed it and she will only go back there for special occasion, like my birthday, where she would feel bad to say no to.

Yet, it is still up there for me. I would crave that scones and this was where I discovered my beloved Silver Needle Jasmine. I would go back here with or without my friends for the scones.

The Ritz-Carlton

The tea posse at The Ritz-Carlton

The Ritz-Carlton goodies

I also enjoyed myself immensely at The Ritz-Carlton. I thought the tea service was great. The Ritz-Carlton Chicago is also a Four Seasons hotel, so service and food should be pretty similar in standards. However, at The Ritz-Carlton, the room is huge and bright, and not dark like The Seasons Lounge. I love the windows that seemingly looked like skylights. It would be so pretty being there in a nice afternoon or in a snowy day. The tea posse and I were there last summer and had a great time. The food were picture perfect and I actually liked the service better there compared to The Four Seasons. The wait staff were friendlier and more at ease. Sandrine went back several weeks later with her mom and friend because she liked it last time. I would definitely go back here again.

Palm Court at The Drake Hotel
It's the perfect place for a tea beginner (as Tina puts it). It captures all elements of what afternoon tea should be, and it will get you to like it, and then, loving it. However, once you're a tea veteran, you will want more. The Drake Hotel is one of the most famous Chicago Hotels. Mark and I got engaged there and it will always have that special spot for me as being an endearing landmark of Chicago. I had my first tea experience there as well. I went there with Michelle, Ri's sister-in-law, who is also like a sister to me. I had so much fun that day at tea though Michelle missed her flight that night.  However, that is when my long love affair with tea started.

The Palm Court is dark and classic in atmosphere, complete with a powder room for the ladies. There's also a Harpist plucking away classical melodies for the background music. It adds the wow factor for newbies. I was definitely impressed by the Harpist back then. First couple of times going there, I had no complaints. Yet, then I got spoiled and learned better. On my visits, the food was nothing to complain about and their Devonshire cream looked like whipped cream - or maybe it was whipped cream. After awhile however, it's pale in comparison in the overall service to the above hotels. However, they're also cheaper compared to those above.

The Hilton Palmer House

at Palmer House

We were just here last Saturday. Rebecca, Marilou, Sandrine, and Tina took me there for my annual birthday tea. It was so nice of them and we had an absolute fun time! We talked, laughed, took pictures, ate and drank tea and Mimosa. Sandrine even befriended one of the nicer waiter, Jordan. However, overall - it wasn't our best tea experience.

When you walked in to the hotel, it oozed Chicago classic of Capone time. It was classic and elegant. Then, when the hostess took us to our table,  she took us upstairs and to the hallway that looked like balconies of an opera house overlooking the lobby. However, the area we passed to get to our table upstairs wasn't pretty. It felt like they were taking us to the back of the house of the hotel. The table was huge and felt like a banquet table. It definitely didn't fit my perfect idea of what the atmosphere should be for afternoon tea.

The food was below average. The finger sandwiches were a little boring and the breads got a little dry. Maybe they didn't cover it with damp towel to keep them from drying out. The scones and desserts were just okay. The worst part was they did not give us a consistent amount for each item. Usually, from my knowledge of my past visits to other tea spots, they would give you one piece of each item. The Palmer House gave us four maple scones and one blueberry scones for five people. We had to cut and divide. When Sandrine asked the not-so-nice waiter about the odd scone count, he looked a little miffed and of course I had to call him back to ask for more hot water just as soon as he was walking away. When he stopped at mid step due to my bidding, I caught a glimpse of his facial expression and it was ugly. Disappointing! Further, they gave us eight servings of Panna Cotta and again, there were only five of us. They served the Panna Cotta in mini Martini glasses; thus, we couldn't even bring the leftovers home.

Russian Tea Time
Don't go here if you are looking for an impeccable tea experience. If you are looking just to try it, and not want to spend a lot of money, then yes - that is a big MAYBE. We took Marilou here last year for her birthday in February  and it was bad. No valet parking available at the time, and parking on the street was hard. We had to park at a garage that was quite pricey.

Russian Tea Time is actually a restaurant serving Russian food. They just also chose to serve afternoon tea. It definitely has just a regular restaurant ambiance. We were seated at a booth. Not long after, the waitress spilled a whole glass of iced water on my lap - in the middle of February, mind you. The food was not good in my opinion. The sandwiches felt cheap and deli like, the scones and breads were forgettable. The desserts were appalling. They looked like store bought and some were cookies from the can. Considering they're cheaper, I could have a little tolerance. However, the more I think of it, it was still above $20. I would expect something more of a quality and also more authentic. I didn't even remember the tea selections. They didn't offer any type of consolation for giving me an ice bath either. When I saw other tables eating some Stroganoff, it looked good and smelled good. If I ever come back, I would come back for the Borscht and the Beef Stroganoff, not the tea.

Seasons of Long Grove
This is a humble tea place in an artsy area of Long Grove. The price is cheaper, below $20 and you can expect whatever you can expect for what you pay for. However, it is a great alternative for tea in the suburbs. You can make it a great day for afternoon tea followed by strolling around Long Grove and shop for some chatzky stuff.

If you have not tried afternoon tea, do go! I can assure you it would be a plesant experience (if you go to the right place). Yes, it can get pricey for some finger foods and tea; however, it is a great time. I could go every week, but my check book says hell no. Most of the tea places above offer a discounted/validated valet parking and it made it quite reasonable.

I hope someday I can write more lists of where to go for tea in other cities. It is definitely in my bucket list of things to do!

** UPDATE ON THE DRAKE - APRIL 16, 2011
I went there today on Saturday, April 16, 2011 to celebrate my friend, Holly's birthday and we were in for a surprise. It has been a couple years since I had an Afternoon Tea at The Drake, and since then, they have renovated the Palm Court. The decor has been updated with nice white satin draperies, taupe colored velvet love seats and white leather chairs. It looked more modern and yet still classic. The service was also so much better. Our server had a big smile on his face the whole time, and everyone was very attentive and sweet. They also updated their price. They're no longer cheaper compared to their peers. The food was still average in my opinion, but they did improve their clotted cream. You can never find a "tea crowd"  in Chicago anywhere other than The Drake. We saw baby showers, bridal showers, girls in big hats and gloves, little  girls in pink running around, women in evening gowns! Wow! Also, I saw a lot of men there! Holly had a great time! Rebecca and Marilou had never been to The Drake for tea before, and they also thought it didn't disappoint! So, people... We like The Drake!

**UPDATE ON RITZ-CARLTON DECCA RESTAURANT - June 11, 2011
I had fun at afternoon tea at the Ritz-Carlton last summer, but my experience this time was very different. Ri was in town and she slowly is trying all these afternoon tea places in Chicago, and it was time for the Ritz. I took my friend, Evi as well this time. They have moved the tea area from the nice "verranda" like space with the massive skylight, to the dark back space of the restaurant. We were seated at a booth. It definitely changed the whole tea experience of being able to sit and lounge on a sofa or a nice chair. Instead, we were sitting upright like we were about to have dinner. We said something to the waitress about the whole arrangement, and she said something about after the renovation, the hotel lost table spaces and wanted to use that nice well lit area for the bar where they can make more money from alcohol. I think it's a bad call for tea though, because I probably wouldn't come back here again for it. Next, after it's over, I walked by the fountain, and there was a puddle of water and I slipped and fell. Great ending! My knee was black and blue, and surprisingly, the Ritz-Carlton did very little to appease me. Actually they did absolutely nothing except asking me if I were okay and if I needed ice. They gave me a business card of the assistant manager of the restaurant - whoohoo. It wasn't fun experience. I won't be coming back anytime soon, Ritz-Carlton.

**UPDATE ON FOUR SEASONS - March 24, 2012
One of our readers just informed that the Four Seasons is no longer serving afternoon tea. How sad as they did have the best scones in town. 

**ONE DOWN, ONE MORE UP - March 24, 2012
The Sofitel is also serving afternoon tea now and it is quite delightful. It is not traditional afternoon like the other big names mentioned here, but it's not bad at all. You still get to pick the tea you want, and they will bring you a tray of sandwiches, desserts, etc all at once. There's just no scones, which was weird. Yet, it's still fun and the foods looked gorgeous.

Well by July 2012, I found out that Sofitel is no longer serving afternoon tea. It was just a trial when they were serving it in the spring. That's too bad because it was quite nice.

36 Hours in Beantown

By Crivenica

I imagined myself as a “jet-setter” sometimes, especially after a brief long-haul trip to NYC and Boston in a span of less than 10 days. A good portion of those days were spent in an uncomfortable Continental Airlines’ Economy seat of a round trip 14-hour non-stop flight from Delhi-Newark. So, I was not quite the jet-setter I imagined who traveled in style, enjoying a flat-bed seat in Business Class, wearing fabulous traveling wear, and dining at Michelin star restaurants. But close enough. My husband and I may not travel business, wear designer clothes, but we always eat well. And most importantly, we always enjoy the time we spend with each other and our family or friends that may share the trip with us.

And this last trip was no different, though this trip was not all about food. The main purpose of this short trip was to attend David's graduation from the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, Tufts University, where he earned his Master degree in International Affairs. It had been a hard long year of him working full time and studying in every single spare moment. There were long nights of listening to lectures and reading tons of books, early mornings of writing on the discussion boards and papers, precisely-timed Skype conference calls with his team mates, and three two-weeks residency sessions away from home. But all his hard work had finally paid off. I can’t be more proud of him.

Lu and I drove to Boston with my sister-in-law, Michelle, and her best friend (who is like another sister-in-law to me), Bryn, a day before the graduation. The drive from NYC to Medford where David’s campus is, took about three and a half hours. Michelle and Bryn dropped us off at our hotel before continuing on to Wellesley to meet up with Michelle’s former professor. So, there Lu and I were at two o’clock in the afternoon (David was still at campus), starving, and all we could think of was to get us some delicious lobster rolls. For your information, aside from David’s graduation, those rolls were our mission on this trip. But of course, the closest seafood joint with a decent lobster roll was a bus trip and a train hop away. Hungry (and I get cranky when I’m hungry), we settled for a simple 10-inch pizza from Za restaurant, a few blocks away. Lobster rolls just had to wait.

That night and the following morning were filled with graduation events. We went to a nice dinner hosted by The Fletcher School to welcome the families of the graduates at the Historic Commander’s Mansion, a beautiful three-story house built to house the military commanding officers after the Civil War. Now, the mansion and the beautifully maintained grounds  have become a great spot for private events, such as weddings and the official dinner we enjoyed.

The next morning, we all went to Tufts’ Medford campus for the graduation, where, I'm proud to say, my husband was the class’ speaker. It was a wonderful commencement ceremony, which was then followed by a marvelous brunch. And after a lot of farewells, David, Lu and I changed into more comfortable outfits and set out to Boston. Here are the highlights.

Neptune Oyster Bar
To please Lu and me, David took us to this little gem of a spot on the North side of the city. Neptune Oyster Bar is a small and always packed restaurant, famous for their fresh oysters and hot lobster rolls. Now, a lobster roll is usually chunks of lobster meat in mayonnaise served on a soft bun, but Neptune’s hot lobster roll is a slightly different version in which the lobster meat chunks were drenched in hot melted butter, and served in a brioche hot dog bun. This was more to my taste, really. At first, I was worried we were going to ruin our appetite for dinner (since it was already 5 p.m., when we finally got a table), but after taking the first bite, I didn’t want to stop.

Haymarket
Walking distance from Neptune Oyster is the famous Haymarket, Boston’s open farmer’s market. If you love farmer’s markets, make sure you make time to check out Haymarket when you’re in Boston. Started in the 1830s, the market has gone through transformations throughout the years, but it’s still open every Friday and Saturday in the daylight hours. Looking at the beautiful produce and fresh fish available there gave me the itch to shop and cook. I miss having the diversity of fresh ingredients available for me to use in the kitchen. Unfortunately, I was too keen at looking at the products and daydreaming that I forgot to take any pictures. 

The New England Holocaust Memorial
This holocaust memorial was one of the most heart-wrenching memorials I’ve ever visited. However, I did not acquire that feeling from graphic historical pictures that many memorials display. It was the feeling I got just as I walked through the base of the six glass towers making up the memorials. Each tower stands at 54-feet high over a dark chamber that bears the name of one of the principal Nazi death camps as a remembrance of the chimneys of those death camps. Smoke rises from the bottom of these chambers, giving you a sense of the gas chambers in which six million Jews and others that the Nazis didn’t deem worthy, perished.

Going through the chambers, on the glass wall, you would see brief quotes of  some of the survivors’ memories of watching their loved ones murdered in front of their eyes. My breath caught in my chest as I read these quotes, but I could hardly contain my tears when I realized that all around me, small series of numbers were etched on the glass walls of the towers (all 54-feet of the six towers). These are the numbers that the Nazis tattooed onto their victims after taking them away from their lives and stripping them of their identities. These were what was left of those people whose souls went up the death camps’ chimneys - all six millions of them.

The Freedom Trail & The Boston Common

Lu & I at Paul Revere Park

If you’re a history buff, this is a perfect thing for you to do while in Boston. The city is full of history of the American Revolution and you may wonder where to begin. This is why the Freedom Trail is cool because all you have to do is follow the red brick trail through the city and it will lead you to 16 important historic sites. David, Lu, and I caught some part of the freedom trail in the North End and walked through Paul Revere park and its surrounding and picked up the trail again at Boston Common, which is the oldest city park in the US (est. 1634).   

EVOO 

After walking through a part of Harvard in Cambridge, we ended our night with a celebratory dinner with David’s family at Evoo (stands for Extra Virgin Olive Oil). Named the Best Eclectic restaurant in Boston in the 2007/2008 and 2009/2010 Zagat guides, it was David’s second choice for his graduation dinner (the first one was No. 9 Park, but it was difficult to book for 12 people there). But don’t get me wrong, the food we ate at Evoo was wonderful and since it was Restaurant Week in Boston, they were offering a prix fixe menu of $33.

Still rather full from the lobster roll, I decided to skip the appetizer and kept it light (yeah, right!) by ordering the Parsley and garlic studded beef tenderloin with sour cream whipped potatoes, portobello mushrooms, grilled sweet onions and orange Bernaise sauce. It fulfilled my craving for a medium-rare steak, but in hindsight, I regretted not ordering the beet salad with smoked trout served with crispy crostini thin slices. I had a little taste and it was delicious! David had the Arctic Char on a bed of polenta, topped with a fine slaw, which he testified was excellent. He also thought his dessert, a super moist carrot cake cone topped with home made pistachio ice cream with caramel sauce, was more divine than it sounded. Again, unfortunately, I was full and skipped dessert. Darn it!

I think for only having a couple of days in Boston, we did pretty well in covering parts of the city. Of course, there are other parts of Boston worth seeing like the South End, Newbury St. (for the shoppers) and the Charles river (make sure to watch the Head of the Charles Regatta, the crew competition, if you’re in Boston in late October). But most importantly, we did what we went there to do: to watch David receive his Master degree and eat some lobster rolls!

New York Short Excursion - Eataly, Doughnut Plant, and Legal Beans

Ri and I at Doughnut Plant

By Lu
This time, I really can't avoid talking about food. This whole trip was jammed packed with one great food after another. Ri and I planned this trip for months. It was just a short weekend trip, but it was filled with two great occasions - my birthday and Ri's husband, David's graduation from graduate school. She would tell you more about it I'm sure. As far as my birthday, I can be such a little girl about it. I love birthdays, especially mine! Last year's birthday was so great and there's no reason for this year's birthday to not be as great. Glad I could spend the day with people who care about me.
I definitely can certify that it was an eating weekend! Diets, exercise, cutting back, and everything else went out of the window for these four days. However, everything we ate was worth the calories. Check these out!

Eataly
Ri and I headed to NYC on Thursday as soon as I arrived in the vicinity. We were meeting my old old friend from high school back home in Jakarta, David (yep, a lot of Davids in this post). David was not the same dude I used to know back home. He's now a big shot NY stylist who's responsible for many famous magazine covers and why some stars can look so fabulous. I sacrificed not wearing my comfortable Crocs and changed to my Cole Haan ballet shoes that hurt my feet so bad just so he wouldn't laugh at me. But even after getting blisters on both of my feet, he still said I looked like an Indonesian or Illinois Housewife, I forgot exactly what he said. Yeah, that was worth it! Not!

He was running late, so Ri and I had a chance to explore Eataly in Manhattan's Flatiron District, on 23rd st. and 5th Ave. Established by Oscar Farinetti, Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich, and Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, Eataly is an upscale Italian grocery store complete with five or six different restaurants, starting from a fine dining called Manzo (the chef is one of Mario Batali's ex-chefs at Babbo), to a vegan restaurant (Le Verdure), a Fish Restaurant (Il Pesce) and a standing restaurant (La Piazza). There were also other eateries including a bakery, a sweet shop and a cafe serving LavAzza coffee...mh..my favorite coffee!

Cheese Case

La Piazza, look at the stacks of Parm Reg!

Out of all of those restaurants, Ri and I chose to eat at the standing one. Yep, they didn't think chairs were necessary. We didn't choose it because it was a standing restaurant, but because we wanted the salumi and formaggi platter. We are suckers for cured meats and cheese! Since we were starving, we munched on a sample platter while we were waiting for David. It was so delicious and it hit the spot. The platter consisted of Speck, Prosciutto di Parma, Prosciutto San Danielle, Salami and Mortadella cubes. And it was complimented with a sampler of fresh Ricotta, Taleggio, Gorgonzola, Merisco, and Parmigiano Reggiano. I simply loved Taleggio cheese. It was bitter, creamy, and yummy. I loved it!

Lu with Salumi Platter

If you like to cook Italian food, this place would be heaven for you. It was almost orgasmic looking at the fresh Mozzarella being pulled by hand right there in front of your eyes, all the assortment of cured meats, fresh and dried pasta, beautiful looking meats, wines, and pastries. I was in heaven. I wanted to take the big wheel of Parm Reg and use it as my pillow and cuddle it at night. Their motto is that they cook what they sell and they sell what they cook. The whole place is oozing with freshness. I am sure anyone would pay top price for the products and it put Whole Foods to shame.

If you're in NYC, you should stop by for a sample platter of salumi, or even just a cup of LavAzza coffee here in Eataly. Unfortunately, NYC is the only Eataly location in the US, but they also have numerous locations in Italy as well as in Japan.

Doughnut Plant
 

Doughnut Plant at Chelsea

Another highlight of the day was a dream come true to taste Doughnut Plant's doughnuts. I knew of it from watching Food Network and the Donut Paradise Program on the Travel Channel. Ri also had been dreaming about getting her fingers on one of these famous doughnuts. So after lunch at Va Piano with David, he took us to Doughnut Plant for dessert and coffee. It was his treat for my birthday though my birthday wasn't until the next day. Of course we were lucky because they just opened this new location at the Chelsea Hotel which was walking distance from where we were.

The Housewife & The Fashionista

Mark Israel, the owner and founder of Doughnut Plant, did a Donut Throwdown with Bobby Flay, and since I saw how good the doughnut looked on TV, I have always wanted to taste it. Of course, there was a line in that tiny store and there were a lot of people dressed in green - it was St. Patty's Day after all - waiting in line perhaps for the Shamrock Doughnut. David bought a sampler box consisted of four regular size doughnuts: Organic Orange, Coconut Glaze filled with Coconut Cream, Pistachio, and Vanilla Bean Glaze with Blackberry Jelly. And he also got the smaller size Crème Brulée doughnuts, which he described as two bites of heaven. He would not share this one in particular, so he got each of us one of these decadent doughnuts.

Our Doughnut Box

 
He didn't exaggerate about the Crème Brulée doughnuts. It was pretty special. Boston Cream Donut at Dunkin Donuts did not stand a chance to this one. This doughnut was so fluffy and sticky. The glaze was to die for and that cream custard filling was divine. I could eat three of this, but that would be pretty piggish of me if I actually did it.

Vanilla Glazed Doughnut with Blackberry Jelly

Coconut Glaze with Coconut Cream

 
Then I tried a piece of the Coconut Glaze with Coconut Cream and all I wished was that my mom was there with us. She loves coconut donuts. She used to make me bring coconut donuts from Dunkin Donuts home to Indonesia. She just simply loved it and the Dunkin Donuts back home did not have that kind of coconut donut. I couldn't imagine if she tried Doughnut Plant's version of it. Wow, no comparison. Krispy Kreme and Dunkin Donuts can't hold a candle to the Doughnut Plant for sure. It is just several notches above those Donuts establishments. I am definitely interested to compare the Doughnut Plant to Voodoo Donuts in Oregon, however.

Cute Wall Doughnut Decorations

The establishment is tiny with only several tables with a long line of customers. They have nice wall decorations of tacky throw pillows that resemble the doughnuts, but yet put together, they look like a pretty artsy wall piece. We had a blast sitting there, sipping coffee and sampling the heavenly doughnuts. They were really exceptional. And I had a ball browsing the eye candies in Chelsea, but David crushed every hope as he kept on telling me that they were gay. "Honey, this is Chelsea," he said. My bad! Man, they're cute. But Doughnut Plant...mh, I can't wait to come back there again! It will definitely be a sure stop from now on whenever I'm in NYC.

Birthday 
The next day was my birthday. We were getting ready in the morning for our road trip to Boston. Ri and I caught a ride with Ri's sister in law, Michelle. Also joining us was Michelle's BFF, Bryn. The four girls were ready to attack Boston! All of them have been to Boston many times, except me. Michelle and Bryn went to college there, so they knew the city well. I was just excited to go because it was my first time and I kept on salivating on the thought of Lobster Rolls.

Bacon Egg and Cheese Sandwich

First thing first, I begged Ri for some Legal Beans' Bacon Egg and Cheese Sandwich on a Kaiser Roll before we would leave town. I talked about this before in my breakfast post. I know it sounded so fatty and bad, but this sandwich is crazy good and since I haven't had it in at least three years, I didn't mind the calories at all. We had an hour before the scheduled departure - we were on a time table to make it to Boston at a reasonable time. It was my birthday, so my sis was agreeable enough to keep me happy that day and I got me some Legal Beans!
However, before we left for Legal Beans, Michelle and Ri surprised me with a cake! I was playing with Michelle's cat, Brooklyn, when all of sudden I heard them singing happy birthday and when I turned around I saw Ri with a cake! I didn't always get a cake with candles on every birthday, so it was truly special! Ri bought me a red velvet cake from Crumbs Bake Shop. She was so sweet and thoughtful! Though, we didn't get to eat it until we got to Boston, we did a pretty good job chowing on it the whole weekend. I had never really had red velvet cake before. I've had a variation of it like red velvet cup cake and cheesecake, but this was a whole 8-inch of red velvet cake, layered with frosting. Yum!!

Waffle

Then after the brief birthday celebration, we made it to the Legal Beans in Hoboken, New Jersey! I was getting a little pissed waiting for service there as the waitress kept on doing other things instead of taking our orders. We were in a hurry too. However, finally she came and then she told me she might not have the kaiser roll and asked if I would've minded if they'd served it on a Bagel. Hell yeah, I minded! I was about to throw a fit. But birthday luck was with me and I got the sandwich just the way I liked it. Ri ordered a waffle. I didn't know why. It looked good though.

After a cup of cappuccino and the sandwich, I was satisfied and two pounds heavier. It was a great way to start my birthday. It was really beautiful spring day and the temperature was about 70+ degree. Plus, I had my sister with me. What could I ask for more? It was simply special.

We did have a plan to have dinner at the Spotted Pig, April Bloomfield's restaurant, on Thursday. But we were so full from lunch and doughnuts that we wouldn't even enjoy dinner anymore. Maybe next time.

Next, we're off to Boston!

Fighting & Randy Couture

By Lu

I'm sticking to no talking about food for awhile. At least, one of us can keep her words! We are not only about food. There are so much more to culture and the great things in life other than delicious Bakso, perfectly seared foie gras on a toast point, Beluga Caviar with a flute of Louis Roederer Cristal.....

Well, maybe there are not much more out there better. Yet, I'm still not going back to talking about food just yet.

I'm going to talk about Fighting. You probably would say, "are you kidding me?" What could I possibly know about fighting?! Well, not much. But, I can definitely talk your ear off for an hour or two.

I'm not sure what is my obsession about fighting; but, for a girl, I have always been into martial arts and fighting. Not necessarily practicing it, but merely a fan of it. My grandpa from dad used to read Kung Fu novels written by an Indonesian Novelist, Ko Ping Ho. I remember watching my grandpa sitting on his front yard, watching the street, smoking his tobacco joint he rolled himself, and reading one of Ko Ping Ho's books. He would then tell me what it was about and I was his captive audience.

Then, later I was totally into Wayang books - Hindu mythology comic books about the epic "Mahabharata" and the war "Bharatayudha." I learned about all these Indian warriors fighting the biggest battle known to man at the time, the Battle between Brothers - or cousins I should say over a kingdom. I learned about each character's weapon and supernatural ability. It just fascinated me. I thought even though Bima had the huge gada (mace), I thought the crazy spinning arrow called "Sudarshana Chakra," the weapon of Lord Vishnu that was given to Krishna for the war, was the bomb. That thing was like a super weapon at the time, spinning serrated disk as arrow head that can tear anyone easily!

My Junior high years, I was watching Kung Fu Series like "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" and "To Liong To - The Legend of the Dragon Slayer." I would go home from school and watch the series even before doing homeworks. I didn't remember my parents being so strict about tv at all back then, which I was grateful about. This was back when Beta video tape was the latest technology. Each series could consist of 30 to 40 tapes so you can imagine how many hours I logged in front of the tube.

When I came to the US, I realized that fighting and martial arts aren't only an Asian thing. Of course many people would associate many martial arts like Kung Fu, Karate, Muay Thai Kickboxing, and Tae Kwon Do to Asia. I did. When I thougt of Kung Fu, I would imagine an old Asian guy with white hair or a bald Shaolin monk kicking butts. But, then I discovered an American phenomenon of professional wrestling. I was way into WWF (WWE now) at the time and was totally hopelessly in love with Triple H. I used to watch the video of Degeneration X and made X mark the spot sign on my crotch. I watched it still way into my twenties. I even dragged Mark to a couple live events to see my beloved Tripe H and Shawn Michaels. I know it's fake, but I really didn't see anything wrong with beautiful ripped half naked men parading around in a ring.

Then in college I also started to watch The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). I was totally fascinated with mixed martial arts (MMA) as I loved that movie "Best of the Best" with Eric Roberts...hahaha ya I know. They probably still play it on USA late night. But it was so cool to see a fighting championship like that. MMA is even cooler as they combined several different disciplines to make the best defense. Looking at a small guy like Royce Gracie just beat every body (even some bigger than him) was out of this world cool. I think even the mixed martials arts nowadays is a true art. It takes a real serious strategy in coming up with the best game plan to win. It is also interesting to see who will fare better in a fight between disciplines, for example - a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu grappler vs. a stand-up boxer. Even with video games, the only games I could stand are fighting games like Mortal Kombat and Soul Calibur. Watching UFC just reminds me of a great video game, yet it is real.

I know UFC is so mainstream now and lo and behold, every one a fan. It's not that cool anymore for a girl to be a fan or know about it. Even so, I can't give my attention to the other league of fightings like Strikeforce (though my other favorite fighter, Dan Henderson is fighting there).

But at least one satisfaction I got is that I had good taste and others followed. I remember there was a time when guys could have their jaw on the floor listening to me reciting fights, techniques, stats of my favorite fighters. Those days are over as even now, I am a little behind on my latest UFC stuff. Just lost a little interest because it is just so in your face.

When anyone asks me who's my favorite fighter, I will answer with conviction - Randy Couture. The only thing I could say I was grateful about knowing UFC back then was that I had the opportunity to watch Randy fought his greatest battles. It was just a real pleasure watching Randy fight. He's just such a nice guy and he always smiles. He's still fighting now and I can't believe he's going after Lyoto Machida on April 30. That is going to be insane! I hope he beats him.

One thing I learned about Randy - nice guys do not finish last. He didn't have to act like Tito Ortiz boasting and showing attitude to win. He didn't have to have theatrics like Rampage Jackson to be a champion. Though I love Rampage Jackson, Randy has a special place in my heart. I was just so happy I did witness the events when he beat Vitor Belfort, Chuck Liddell, Tito, and Tim Sylvia...OMG. That's all I could say. Back in 2007, Randy was the underdog fighting against the Heavyweight Champion, Tim Sylvia. Randy was much older and Tim was this scary looking almost 7 feet tall guy. When Randy beat him, I screamed in joy and knocked my red wine glass onto Michael and Helen's brand new white carpet. Oupsie Daisy.

I love Randy so much, my friends Helen and Michael, got me an Xtreme Couture hoodie and Randy's action figure for Christmas one year. I love him so much I went to see The Expendables. Oh, Randy..I love you. You watch, I bet that action figure will be worth a lot of money someday!

Well, if we're going to talk about top shelf fighter, I can't think of a better guy to mention than Randy. Yes, I'm sure Anderson Silva and GSP are great; but Randy holds his own place in the Hall of Fame. He won 2 belts in different weight classes. He is in his late 40s and he is still kicking and fighting. He beat men half his age and he seems to be getting even better as he grows older. He's extremely good natured, big nice smile, and he has the most beautiful cauliflower ears out there. There's a reason people call him "The Natural" and "Captain America." To me, he is one true athlete that can be called an American Hero. He's an examplary of a role model. Now, Randy - please do not pull a Tiger Woods or Michael Vick after I got done saying this.

What I got from being a fan of fighting other than the entertainment were: Competition push you to be better. You have to practice and learn and be better. I also learned that you can win the right way and it would feel so much better. Plus, people remember you for it. Fighting is not only about beating the crap out of each other. It is not about the violence. My parents practiced Chi Gong, and other type of Indonesian martial arts in the past and from that I learned the more you know how to protect yourself, the more you're content with your inner energy. You project that peace out to the world and people would actually leave you alone.

The best thing I saw from the greatest champions out there is that the better they are, the more humble they are. I could say that about Randy. I could say that about the crazy Beggar Warrior from the North, Ang Chit Kong, from the Legend of the Condor Heroes. I also saw the same from watching Ip Man, Bruce Lee's Wing Chun teacher the other day on DVD.

Though I can't say I know how to fight, I can say I took away the deepest meaning of it and it made me a better person. Still, don't mess with me cuz I'd poke your eyes out.

Indonesia's Favorite Snack: The Bakso

By Crivenica

I guess we're back to food. Who am I kidding? Food plays a big part in my life. Growing up with a mother who is a great cook and baker, food has always been in the center of our family life. And as an adult, food has played even a bigger role as I continued to taste food from different parts of the world and learned to make them in my own kitchen. Food also tends to be one of the glue in my relationships with other people. My husband and I bonded over 3-hour brunches when we first dated, while my girlfriends and I got together every month to try out and review a new restaurant (and we dined at favorite spots in between).

The tradition didn’t end when David and I moved to Nepal. I now have lunch once a week with a group of Indonesian ladies living in Kathmandu. Similarly, we try out new restaurants or go back to our favorite ones. One thing for sure, lunch usually lasts until way after lunch hour is over. However, on top of eating out, I’m now also dedicated in making my favorite dishes that I can’t simply buy in Nepal.

When I was still living in Indonesia I never learned to make Indonesian food because it was easier to buy or ask my mom to make them for me. But, now, if I want to eat any of my favorite Indonesian dishes, I have to make them myself. So whenever Lu and I get on Skype with my parents in Jakarta, all we talk about is some recipe. And one of the recipes we discussed recently was the Indonesian bakso.

Bakso in simple term is a beef ball dish served in beef broth with rice noodle or egg noodle. However, Bakso, as simple as it is as a dish, it is not just food. It is a culture. It is probably the equivalent of the Nepali Momo (See my earlier post) to the Indonesians and it is safe to say that bakso may be Indonesia’s favorite snack. There is no Indonesian who doesn’t like bakso. Anywhere in Indonesia, you can find hawkers or little humble spots ready to sell you a bowl of hot steaming Bakso and they are usually always full with customers.

The Indonesian ladies with our Russian friend
at my Bakso party

Now, Bakso is one of those dishes that you usually just buy instead of make because they’re everywhere, but since I live in a place where I can’t ever find Bakso, I had to learn to make them. Our mother is actually a very well accomplished Bakso maker, so she dutifully talked me through the process and helped me improve my Bakso making skills through three attempts. On my first try, the beef balls tasted good, but I couldn’t get the smooth ball shape. On second try, the beef balls tasted better and the shape resembled more like Bakso, but the balls blew up due to too much baking soda. And after two trials, I felt confident that I had the techniques down that I could serve the results of my third Bakso making endeavor to my group of Indonesian ladies.

I went all out and made a bunch of regular Bakso, egg-filled Bakso, and Bakso filled tofu just like what we have in Indonesia. We had a blast indulging on a little taste of home, though my Bakso can’t taste as good as the ones in Indonesia. The reason is - I’m limited to use frozen ground beef, when you’re supposed to use freshly butchered beef (before the rigor sets in). Meat prior to rigor mortis is hardly ever used for consumption because it would be tough; but, for this application, it is preferred as it will ensure firm and snappy beef balls. When the meat is post rigor, frozen even - the balls will turn out softer (still good, though!). Nepal is a Hindu nation and most of Nepali people do not eat beef. I consider myself lucky that I can even find some frozen ground beef in Nepal!

For my Indonesian friends living abroad, here is the recipe for you.

500 gr ground beef
Try to find the freshest beef you can find. My mom goes to the butcher at 4 a.m. to get freshly butchered meat. This is the key for a crisp firm ball.
3 tbs corn starch
1.5 tbs rock salt
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
a pinch baking soda
6 ice cubes

Mixed all the ingredients (except for the ice cubes) thoroughly with your hand first and then start processing the meat and ice cubes in a food processor until it is well blend and the consistency of the meat is smooth. Depending on the size and the power of your food processor, I suggest to process the meat in several batches (you will need to divide the six ice cubes accordingly).

Heat water in a medium to large saucepan just until almost boiling. Turn off the heat. Wet one of your palms with warm water (since I’m right-handed, I wetted my left) and knead some of the processed meat in your palm and squeeze some of it through the space between your thumb and fore finger (see picture). Grab the ball with a spoon already dipped in hot water and put the ball in your palm (after returning the rest of the meat back into the bowl). With the wet spoon, smooth the surface of the ball and drop it into the waiting hot water. Continue doing this until the last of the processed meat.

While you were finishing up shaping your balls, heat another saucepan of water. After you drop your last ball, wait for 5-10 minutes before you transfer the balls into the other pan of hot water (heat already turned off). The hot water shock and cook the balls without misshaping them. After 10 minutes in the second hot water, you may turn the heat on low and let them cook for a little more (another 10 minutes).

Do not throw away any of the cooking water because it’ll be the base of your broth. Pick up some rib bones when you buy your meat and drop them into the cooking water to make your broth and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. I simply add some celery into the broth and let my guests to adjust the seasoning to their liking.

Regular Bakso & Egg filled Bakso

If you’d like to make egg-filled Bakso, simply hard boil some eggs, peel and cover the eggs with some of the processed meat. Follow with the smoothing and cooking process. And to make the Bakso-filled tofu, cut the tofu into triangles and deep fry until golden brown. Cut openings on one tip of the fried tofu  triangles and fill each with the processed meat and steam.

Bakso-filled Tofu

When you are ready to serve the Bakso, heat the broth and drop your Bakso into the broth for a minute. In a bowl, put some already soften rice or egg noodle, bean sprout, the Bakso-filled tofu and salt and pepper (if not seasoned yet), then pour in the Bakso with the broth on top of everything. Garnish with chopped green onion and fried shallots. And don’t forget the chili sauce and if you prefer some sweet soy sauce and a splash of vinegar.

Hope you'll make time to make this recipe and enjoy the dish with your family and friends. It's always great to share home made food that we miss with those who miss it as much as we do. I had a blast at my Bakso party!

LavAzza Coffee

By Lu

Ok, I'm listening to my sister to stop writing about food for awhile. Believe me, it's tough. I have all kinds of ideas but I can't write them fast enough. All these pacing, mixing it up, and being patient have been proven tough for me when it comes to this blog. It is crazy that writing can be so addicting! I love it and thank you ALL who have been reading our posts! In our short two months, we have received over 4000 hits! Wow, it was more than I could ever ask for. Even though, after watching "The Social Network," 4000 hits seemed so pathetic compared to what Mark Zuckerberg got on his first day of launching Facebook. But hey, like he said (in the gist of it) - most people aren't brilliant enough to come up with an idea like that and made it happened.

Even so, I am so proud of our blog. It has been truly an honor to have all of you as our readers. My sister and I have been having a blast cooking, eating, and writing! I really do need to hit the gym more often as all these eating, cooking, and baking can not be good for my waistline! This is madness!

My last six to seven months have been filled with ups and downs; yet, through writing, I have found my inner peace. It is extremely rewarding and at the same time, addicting, to be able to grab back the control of your own inner peace. You don't know how glad I am that all I had to do was write.

Some of my friends thought I have acquired another addiction, however. It happened just recently, actually; but, when you found something good, it didn't take long to get yourself addicted to it. My addiction is mostly contained in liking something so much for a period of time, until I get sick of it. Then, that's my rehab, and I'm cured.

Last year, I was out of my mind addicted to Quaker Oats' Oatmeal Square Cereals with the Hint of Brown Sugar. It's so good! I still like it, but I don't eat it now like I did last year. Last year, I would buy 5 to 10 boxes and ate it for breakfast and dinner every day. When it was on sale, I would just buy a whole bunch of boxes and horde them. Before Oatmeal Squares, I was also addicted to Greek Yogurt and I had to have it all the time. Now, I would still buy one or two Yogurts, but usually it would go bad unopened in the fridge.

Since I came back from Indonesia last December, I had been staying away from coffee. When I was in Jakarta, if you read my post of Excelso Coffee, I just lost interest of regular coffee if it wasn't Excelso. I just wanted Excelso coffee and I couldn't find it here. I would only buy coffee when I absolutely needed to have it and I would have to settle for Starbucks. Starbucks just did not taste the same anymore after Excelso. It just didn't have the same effect when they told me it was $3.25 for a tall latte. Nuh, I didn't have that same willingness I used to have shelling out the dough for Starbucks. I've just been sticking to my Darjeeling Tea most of the time now.

Lately, I've been making a lot of trips to the city of Chicago - back and forth, and good thing each trip was for fun. I'm so grateful for the friends I have and whom I have so much fun with. At the same time, living in the burbs and having to go back and forth to downtown at rush hours took its tolls. It was tiring. When we went for our outing to Branch 27 for Restaurant Week, I was dead tired. I just got back from a business trip to New Jersey the night before, and when I sat there after dinner, I just needed coffee so I could perk up and drive home.The coffee came, and it was served in a cute cup that bore the logo I sorta kinda recognized. LavAzza it said. I drank it and I was up. It was so yummy if coffee could be yummy. I couldn't get over how frothy that cappuccino was. It was strong and the flavor was just simply fantastic. I was up all night that night. I did brag to people at the table that caffeine never really affected me. I boasted that I could have 4 shots of espresso and I would go to sleep. Not sure if the cappuccino was that strong or if it was just pure psychological. I didn't think much about the dinner; but, I couldn't stop thinking about the coffee and wanting it more.

Then Tina told me that the hotel she works for is attached to a LavAzza store. I was like noooo!!! I never mind picking Tina up from work to go together to our outings, because her hotel is surrounded by my favorite places. Argo Tea is across the street (which I also love), and now I found out that, next to it is LavAzza! There's definitely so much motivation for me to come there and pick her up.

Seriously folks, if you're avid coffee drinker and you know a nearby LavAzza location, do try it. They're the real Italian coffee. They're every where in Italy and Europe probably; but in the US, it seems the locations that made it are only located in the major metros. I think many people did not know the brand; thus, ignoring it thinking it wasn't good. I was one of those people. I remember that there was a LavAzza drive thru by my place in the burbs, and I've never gone there once. That little drive thru place is thrashed and vandalized now. I almost cried because now I realized that LavAzza is the bomb! I would have killed to be able to go five minutes from home instead of having to make the drive to the city for a cup of Joe.They really do know how to make a good cup of cappuccino or espresso. They should know how really because they've been in business since 1895! The creaminess of the froth is just unbelievable. It is always thick and frothy. Some cappuccino froth feels like air and it has lots of bubbles in the froth. This one, just take a look at the picture on the side...look how creamy it is! They also offer any other varieties of Coffee drinks as well as Gelato, Panini Sandwiches, and the standard pastries you can find at a coffee shop. They also sells LavAzza coffee beans and coffee grounds.

Please - I beg you, DO NOT ignore a LavAzza coffee shop if you see one. It is worth a try and you will find yourself addicted like me.

UPDATE May 29, 2011

I like LavAzza so much, I make it at home now all the time! I don't wait to go to the city so I can get my LavAzza fix. I bought a can of their espresso grounds, and I make it old fashion at home using an espresso kettle. Then, I heat up the milk on the stove top and use a hand held frother. It works great! It gets better...my friend Tina, knowing how much I love the coffee, bought me LavAzza's cups and saucers so I can get the full LavAzza experience at home! How sweet, right? It's perfect to every morning.

My cup of coffee at home..

Chicago Restaurant Week 2011 - Branch 27 Review

Scallop Appetizer at Branch 27

By LuFor a person who loves food as much as I do, a concept called "Restaurant Week" is always top shelf in my book. Restaurant Week is a period of time usually between a week or 10 days where restaurants of a city, participating in a promotion where people can sample their limited menu for a reduced price.

If you think about it, there are a lot more pros compared to the cons when it comes to Restaurant Week. Some of the pros: a possibility to try different restaurants which are usually super pricy for a reasonable prix fixe of $33 or so; making it a point to go check out the city and making it a night in the town with friends or loved ones; ability to experience good food for all 10 days if you choose; exposing yourself to something new and getting a little adventure out of it, etc etc. The cons I can only think a couple: service might be affected due to the sudden spike of volume, and weight gain.

I think most major metros have their own version of Restaurant Week. Chicago Restaurant Week is ongoing right now starting from February 18 and ending this Sunday, February 27. The city bureau of Tourism must be the one who's sponsoring the program to invite local people and tourists to experience the culinary delight of the Second City. More than 200 restaurants are participating and there are some top shelf restaurants on the list.

Some of my favorites and must try Chicago Restaurants that are participating are:

Blackbird - Paul Kahan's famous restaurant and one of the top Chicago restaurants. Must try. Portions are small but you don't go there to pig out obviously.

Naha - Carrie Nahabedian's restaurant offering new American cuisine with a splash of Armenian inspiration. My friend and former co-worker, Jim Reynolds, was her sous chef some years back. I was lucky enough to get treated with some excellent food there with Jim, and my also friend and former co-worker, chef Kerri Fisher, just right before going to the National Restaurant Show. Wow, what a great memory.

Frontera Grill - across the street from Naha. Rick Bayless, the winner of Top Chef Master, the owner, also owns Topolobampo next door. They offer top shelf Mexican fare and I heard enough people boasting about how they love Frontera Grill. I think I need to go back someday soon as I didn't remember much about this place. Frontera chips and salsa varieties are also everywhere in any grocery stores, so have to be good if they are mass produced!

Drawing Room - Sandrine and Scott went there this week for a date night and they couldn't shut up about how great it was.

Fogo de Chao - I know it is a chain, but I think they're the best in their genre of Brazilian steakhouse. I love the variety of cuts they offer and I found the flavors are way superior compared to their competitors which offer more musty, gamy, and salty versions of the meats. The fillet and bottom sirloin are yummy. The caramelized banana and cheesy poofs on the table are also great for supporting dishes. Oh, also we have to remember the gargantuan salad bar and their really fabulous Caipirinha!

David Burke - I have not been here yet and it will be on my list next to try. None of my friends wanted to go there this year as they took out the Delmonico steak off the menu. Yet, I still want to go try his crazy out there food and steaks.

Keefer's - I personally love this restaurant. I like their Delmonico steak and when I went there, the waiter knew Indonesian. How cool was that? It would be a great steak place to take my dad as they offer sauces with your steak like Bordelaise or au poivre. My dad would love it. Me, not so much. Only on the sauce though! I like everything else just fine.

Ok, those are some of the restaurants I love or would like to go to. There are hundreds of restaurants on the list so I am sure a lot of people have gone nuts eating, and you do still have two days to go. If not, there's always next year. Do check out the Chicago Restaurant Week website for the complete listing of restaurants and their featured menus.

This year, my friends and I went to Branch 27 for our Restaurant Week outing. It is located on West Chicago Ave - on what neighborhood, I couldn't say. It didn't look too familiar but wasn't far from downtown. They described themselves as a gastro pub - a neighborhood tavern that offers exceptional American fare that is modern yet rustic. I liked the atmosphere there. It was definitely comfortable and would be fun to be there with a group of people, or if you were out on a date with someone special or someone new. The place offers extensive wine and beers lists. Tina had a Matilda, a beer with 7% or 8% of alcohol. I was like - WOW. Good thing I was driving.

For Restaurant Week, restaurants usually offer a limited menu for a fixed price. This place offered a three course dinner for $33. There were eight of us last night: Evi, Nate, Marilou, Tina, Kim, Sandrine, Scott, and me. Baby Brode was also there, but he opted for some milk instead.

Goat Cheese Empanadas

We started with the appetizers and our table were able to sample all appetizers on the menu: Spanish chorizo meatballs with grain mustard aioli; Goat cheese empanadas served with chipotle aioli with watermelon radish and arugula salad; and seared scallops with sweet potato in yellow coconut curry broth. We also ordered the mussels appetizer they're known for. It was Mexican inspired and the mussels were cooked in a mole sauce. I got the empanadas and I liked it a lot. It was deep fried and the goat cheese was creamy - so what's not to like. Tina liked the chorizo meatballs and she even still craved the chorizo today. The scallops were super yummy too. Yet, I liked the mussels the best even though I despise mole. It was pretty tasty. I got a couple of fishy mussels in the mix, but I was pretty forgiving.

Mussels with Mole Sauce

Time for the main courses: Grilled skirt steak with watercress jicama salad, bone marrow butter and fries; winter vegetable risotto with pecorino romano and white truffle oil; Moqueca - Brazilian seafood stew filled with fish, prawns, mussels crab and cilantro risotto.

Skirt Steak with Bone Marrow Butter

Moqueca - Brazilian Seafood Stew

The winner was the Moqueca. Wow, it was really delicious. The broth was rich and had a coconut milk taste to it. The fish, the mussels, and prawns were excellent combined with the rice. Nate was the only one who ordered it. Thank goodness he shared!

Tina and Kim ordered the winter vegetable risotto which was the loser of the night. It had a good taste when you were to get the pecorino and the truffle oil, but it wasn't distributed throughout that small portion of risotto. Plus it was a little crunchier than we would have liked it. I ordered the steak. It was yummy and got great flavor. Skirt steak tends to be chewy and mine was, but it was worth it for the bone marrow butter. Dear Lord! But, the fries were so good! They were just really really fantastically good fries. Scott ordered off the regular menu and got skate wing. The skate was definitely a quite complex dish, and I actually liked the skate a lot as well.

Bread Pudding

Desserts - not too much to mention here. They offered bread pudding and seasonal fruit cobbler. These weren't very strong desserts. I was really excited when I saw cobbler as cobbler could be the one top shelf dessert I really love more than anything. However, I could say I've had better. The bread pudding wasn't soggy enough for Sandrine but the table thought it was good.

Overall, I would definitely come back to Branch 27 for the mussels, scallops, the Moqueca, and the skate. Thanks Restaurant Week - if not, I probably would not know this place exists. I also think that they did well on the presentations of the food. They obviously thought it through and not just plop the food on plates or bowls. The empanadas were served on a rustic cutting board, while the Moqueca was served in a paella pan. I also love the fact they served LavAzza coffee. I really enjoyed that cappuccino that kept me up last night. It was strong, smooth, and extra creamy. The service was good and the waitress was pleasant even though it was during busy restaurant week. Many restaurants do get sloppy on service on this period of restaurant week. Some of my friends made comment on how they appreciated that this place chose to mark the table with new silverware after each course. Effort did not go unnoticed.

I couldn't say they're the best in town, but they scored enough points with me that I would definitely go back. You should try this place too. I don't think you would be disappointed.