mk The Restaurant

Last week I had the pleasure of dining out with my family for my mom's birthday.  My parents moved into the city a couple of years ago and have definitely taken advantage of the restaurant scene here.  They love trying new places and my mom enjoys researching where they should go next.  For her birthday dinner she did a lot of research and decided she wanted to go to mk in River West, named one of Chicago's 50 best restaurants by Zagat (it was #15!).

I hadn't heard of mk previously, but after we ate there I'm not surprised I hadn't heard of it.  It is in kind of an out of the way neighborhood--just outside of River North, just south of the Gold Coast, not quite in the West Loop.  It is also pretty pricey and since I rarely go out for fancy dinners if I have to pay, this was probably why I didn't know of this place.  Having said that though, I would DEFINITELY like to go back there as soon as I get a sugar daddy, or maybe for my own birthday this year.

I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that this place was REAL good.  My mom said it might have been one of the best meals of her life.  I'm no food critic, but I had to agree with her.

My parents and I arrived together and while we waited for my younger brother to show up we sat in the bar area and had a cocktail.  I ordered the "sweet sixteen" and was informed by our very handsome and smooth talking bartender, Nico, that the drink is named that because the restaurant is celebrating its 16th year of being open.  This drink was great and I would definitely order it again (my brother got it as well): Ceres' vodka (shout out to Chicago Distilling!), lavender syrup and elderflower liquer.  It wasn't sweet, but very smooth and delicious.

the Janks enjoy a good cocktail

Once we were seated we decided to start with some appetizers.  We ordered the grilled octopus and the two tartares.  This grilled octopus was my favorite thing (possibly in the world).  It was char-grilled, but the waiter (who has worked there since the beginning!) says that the chef cooks the octopus in wine, vegetables and seasonings and WINE CORKS (which somehow take the rubber-iness out of the octopus? or maybe just for magic?) before grilling.  I'm not a big raw fish person but that the salmon tartar with avocado puree was pretty good (the one bite I was able to steal from my mom).

When it came time to order our entree I was torn between the duck and the chicken.  I chose the duck and I'm VERY glad I did.  It was probably the best duck I've ever had.  My mom had the chicken, my brother the steak (I had a bite and it was great!) and my dad had the white fish and lobster.  Everyone loved their choices.

mk has a very extensive/EXPENSIVE wine list.  I stuck with just the one cocktail but my mom, the family wine expert, ordered a bottle of red for the rest of them.  They were happy with their choice.

the dining room via

For dessert I had the ice cream, which included a scoop of mascarpone ice cream which I will definitely be looking for the next time I'm ice cream shopping...sadly I do this rarely because ice cream is my kryptonite and I'm like a bottomless pit once I start eating it and usually end up eating my boyfriend's too...
My mom had the s'mores dessert and I think she ended up eating most of my dad's chocolate cake because she is a chocolate fiend.

While the decor at mk isn't as fancy/interesting as some of the newer and trendier restaurants in town, it is worth a visit just for the food.  I seriously think it could be one of those dining in the dark places and no one would complain--that's how good it was.  A good place to make a reservation at for when your parents are visiting or you have something special to celebrate!

DryHop Brewers

Mondays can be rough: you're back at work after too short of a weekend, so they always seems extra long and terrible.  One way to make these days better is to have something to look forward to for after work.  DryHop in Lakeview offers the "Barman's Banquet": a cheeseburger, pint of beer, and shot of bourbon for $15.  The Barman's Banquet is my new favorite thing and luckily I live only blocks from DryHop.

First of all, DryHop brews their own beer and it is DELICIOUS.  Every time I've been there they've had something new on the menu, but sadly they only serve their beer on site.  You CAN get it to go in growlers or giant 32 oz cans, but the best way to drink it is to drink it while you're sitting down to a delicious meal.  All of the beers I've had from DryHop have been pretty hoppy and they like experimenting with new flavors.  On this particular visit I had Fearless Vampire Killer, a Belgian IPA with lemon and COCONUT (?) flavors.  I think it would be a great spring beer (which we may experience some time in April, if we're lucky).  

Fearless Vampire Killer

I also tried Too Many Puppies (the cutest beer name I've ever heard), a nitro lactose IPA.  I had previously thought that only stouts and porters could be nitro, but apparently those are just more common because they usually work better with nitro as opposed to other kinds of beers.  But the DryHop nitro IPA was VERY creamy and had great mouthfeel (so much fun to say) and I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for other nitro IPAs.

look at that creamy head!

The second type of liquid included in the Barman's Banquet is the bourbon.  I'm not much of a bourbon/whiskey drinker (unlike Caitlin), but I can appreciate it in small doses, which made a shot the right size for me.  On this particular Monday night they served Buffalo Trace shots.  I drank it in 2 large sips but my boyfriend shot it like a man.

Lastly, the CHEESEBURGER.  All of the food I've had from DryHop has been great but I think the burger may the best thing on the menu.  It was named to Thrillist's Best Burgers of 2013 IN THE COUNTRY, so you know it has to be good.  You can add an egg or bacon to it, which I'm sure would make it even better, but it doesn't even need that extra flavor.

image via

I KNOW I will be hitting up the Barman's Banquet again soon, but DryHop is enjoyable any day of the week.  If you like craft beer and good food, you'll love it.

Old Town Social

St. Patrick's Day is over, which means: it is is MARCH MADNESS!  Hopefully you've all gotten into the spirit by filling out a bracket and sneaking out at lunch time to catch some games.  If you're looking for a fun place to have a few drinks and get something to eat, I'd recommend Old Town Social on North Ave.

I went here last week for a post-work dinner with my boyfriend.  It is pretty easy to walk to from the Sedgwick Brown Line stop (which is important for me since I am currently injured...).  There are a few different areas inside: the large bar area with many televisions behind it, the back area with booths and tables, a front area that seemed more cozy (it has a fireplace!).  There are TVs pretty much everywhere and one of the first things I noticed when I walked in: the wall bracket, just ready to be filled with winning teams and upsets (probably at least 9 feet tall?).

Image via

Obviously this place takes March Madness seriously and will be open early on all game days so that you can get a good viewing spot.  They also take reservations, which I'm sure would come in handy this weekend.

Old Town Social has an extensive beer list, including many local Chicago breweries.  I tried a couple of Moody Tongue beers, which I'd heard of but never tasted, and I really enjoyed the Sliced Nectarine IPA.  My favorite part of their beer menu though was the explanations of the different types of beer at the back.  Good reading material if you're waiting for someone to join you ;)

We knew we wanted burgers and Old Town Social's were YUM.  I had the "OTS" burger that comes with bacon, gruyere and a fried egg--the most PERFECT fried egg I've ever seen.  The whole burger was great and the truffle fries and cheese curds were wonderful sides.  My boyfriend got "The English" burger and would highly recommend it to fans of blue cheese.

LOOK AT THAT EGG

Overall I'd say Old Town Social is chill pub with good food that MAY be trying a little too hard with its ambiance, but I'd definitely go back to watch a game.

Did anyone's brackets get totally busted?  Any other good recommendations for places to watch THE MADNESS?  Are you all spending all weekend glued to the TV or do you ignore the tournament?  Let us know in the comments!

Tacos, Tacos, Tacos

There are a lot of taco options in this city, but one of the most well-known is Big Star. While Big Star gets a lot of hype, in my opinion it's well-deserved. Not only do they have a delicious and varied assortment of tacos and other Mexican foods, but Big Star also has a solid bar. As a lot of the Mexican places in the city are BYOB, this can be a nice change.

A few weeks ago, wanting to find a warm respite in the sub-zero temps, a few of my friends and I decided to meet there for dinner. I've never been to Big Star before on a Friday night, but I was not surprised that it was super crowded and that there was a wait. However, what did surprise me was that we had to wait close to 2 hours for a table! 

Thankfully, we were able to order chips and guacamole to the barrel we were waiting at - hanger averted. I think part of the reason why it was so crowded, is that Big Star has a huge patio that's open when it's warm out, which probably doubles the amount of people it can seat.

I'm hesitant to say that Big Star is good enough to wait 2 hours (especially if starving), but it's definitely worth a wait, especially if you are able to snack on their chips and guacamole, which are quite good. Their tacos are equally delicious. Previously, I had only had the Taco de Papas (potato taco) taco, which I would recommend to even the most devoted carnivores. This time I had the chance to try the chicken and carnitas tacos and I was not disappointed.

Big Star also has a great selection of drinks. I really love their margaritas - they are super strong and not too sweet (get the pitcher!). The Cheladas (tecate and lime) are pretty good, as well - although it's hard to compare as I've only had Cheladas here! While I don't really understand the connection with tacos and whiskey - they also have a big selection of the latter. They have different $3 whiskey shots each day of the week, as well as a good selection of whiskey cocktails. 

Refreshing Chelada

If you're thinking of going to Big Star, it's best enjoyed in the warm weather out on their patio - just be prepared to wait!

If you have any other taco suggestions, let us know!

The Butcher's Tap

The Southport Corridor is filled with shops, bars and restaurants.  Caitlin and I used to live just off of Southport so we are very familiar with all of the hot spots.  One place we had never frequented was Wheel House.  I'd been there once for a drink but Caitlin had never even been inside.  When we saw that the name had changed to The Butcher's Tap, we were intrigued.  When we saw the menu, we knew we HAD to have dinner there.  So a few Friday nights ago we met a couple of friends there for post-work beers and dinner.

image via

The place is 2 stories, something I did not realize the only other time I'd been there.  We were seated in the upstairs at a a pair of high top tables.  The atmosphere is chill, with dim lighting and a few small televisions around in order to watch sports.  I was pretty impressed with their beer list; they have some of my favorite local breweries.

I had a Greenbush Jadis for my first beer and we ordered the cheese curds.  If you go there, ORDER THE CHEESE CURDS.  Maybe Caitlin and I just love cheese more than the average gal, but these were delicious and the dipping sauces put them over the top.

The Butcher's Tap prides itself on offering local meats and cheeses on everything from the appetizers to the burgers and sandwiches.  Next time we go there, I plan on making former vegetarian, Caitlin, share a meat and cheese board with me.  We all ordered burgers (a veggie one for Caitlin) and we all devoured them.  I had the "Big Al": BACON, PULLED PORK BELLY, CARAMELIZED ONIONS, PICKLED RED ONIONS, JAMESON BBQ...

With my burger I tried the 3 Sheeps Really Cool Waterslide IPA which was also delicious.  Thankfully almost all of their beers are on tap which is impressive/THE BEST.

Caitlin and I would definitely go back there and maybe this time she would try a meat burger...?  I want to try "The Diner" (TWO PERFECT 1/4 PATTIES FLAT & CRISPY, TILLAMOOK CHEDDAR, BACON, ONION) and some of their other beers on tap.  If you're an Ohio State fan, this place will show every game, and I'm sure they probably also show every Chicago sports game as well.

Good for: dinner, date, beers, burgers