It's been a busy few weeks here in Chicago... and it appears that we keep missing each other. One day I'm on here starting a post, the next day you're logging on to check for a little reading material to help pass your "busy" work days... before we know it 2 weeks go by and and we're teetering on the brink of remembering what our relationship was like back in the "good ol' days". Well fret not, my avid readers; the fun continues!
Let's start with a little recap of how our summer has been going.
Foodies Unite!
Hina & Mital hopped a flight from Philly to enjoy a weekend of great eating and a little drinking; and that's just what we did. From Longman & Eagle to Aviary. From Topolobampo to Big Star. But the creme de la creme was a 5.5 hr culinary experience at Alinea!
Here are a few snapshots from that night; the first being a caprese salad laid out to represent a portion of Lincoln Park.
The second photo is of dessert... all I can say is Wow! The table was cleared, two silicon table cloths were rolled out, and then Grant and another chef came out and "painted" dessert right on to the table.
18 courses of pure awesomeness!
4th Annual 4th of July BBQ on the Roof
The Nardi Party delivered another fun-filled experience for guests of all ages; and with this showing the 4th has solidified itself as one of the highlights of the summer. In a slight twist this year we actually celebrated on the 3rd to help accommodate those who wanted to party a little extra, but the neighborhood still put on a great showing with fireworks!
An Evening on Lake Michigan
Several of us were lucky enough to score an invite out on the water with Mandy & Dan on their sail boat. The weather was gorgeous, the sunset was sublime, and the company was even better. After a beeline out of the harbor we headed several miles straight out and turned around for an awesome return voyage back to the skyline.
And if all of this isn't enough, next up on the tour de force is a week on Cape Cod with the extended Nardi Party. With that on the horizon you now know why I wanted to post an update so as not to leave you hanging another week. I hope everyone is enjoying their summers as much as we are... with all of this excitement we haven't missed cable one bit... no seriously!
Apparently there has been some grumbling that we're "cheating" with this whole undertaking and that using Hulu+ isn't really getting rid of cable. I'd like to set the record straight on that topic; in my first post I mentioned that it could be used as an alternative but that we were not using this right out of the gate. In fact, since last week we have turned on the TV exactly once, to watch a single Netflix movie. That's it people, no need to get your panties in a bunch...
Now that we're on the same page, onward ho.
Around the same time that this blog was hatched it became clear to me that I was going to make out like a bandit in the department of homemade dinners. We started a new "ingredient of the week challenge" that pretty much makes our kitchen like the set of something you'd see on the Food Channel. The best part of this little plan is I get to pick the ingredient and then Ami has to use it in several meals over that week (shhhhhhhhhh, I honestly have no idea how this came about, but don't jinx it now!).
Week One showcased asparagus and kicked off with it being roasted with onion, garlic, olive oil, spices & herbs. The second appearance came in the form of a puree that was simmered and spiced into a very tasty soup. I could see the wheels turning and my stomach was liking this direction.
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| Bok choy?!?! |
Week Two featured bok choy. Seriously, you ask... bok choy? This is what she gets for making me suffer through Costco on a weekend while I'm a little hungover. If you've never been to Costco on a Saturday just picture a thousand type-A personalities with over-sized carts all playing Supermarket Sweep at the same time... sigh. Side note, for the unintentional comedic moment of the week; click that link, watch through minute 2:40... someone PLEASE tell me isn't cringing as he asks "what kind of dance?". Ha ha, classic!
Anyway, it turns out the joke was on me because she turned that random vegetable into one of the better Asian noodle dishes I've had in a LONG time! Seriously, even Emeril would have tossed a "BAM" out on that one.
Now what's on tap for week three you ask... well, we're currently in a small hiatus from the Challenge as this week has been planned for about 3 months. Mital, Hina, & Malisa are in town for a few days (to celebrate Hina's birthday) and we have a tour-de-force planned for the Chicago restaurant circuit. The agenda includes, but is not limited to, Alinea, Topolobompo, Longman & Eagle, Aviary, Chez Gashti, and perhaps a sneak peak into Big Star or Hot Doug's. After this weekend I will need to be rolled around town.
Finally, a little house keeping before we wrap up. My original post had set a goal of 5 non-family-member followers by the end of the summer. Well, we're up to 11 already, not to mention 217 unique visitors, and all of this since the site launched just one week ago! Now I realize this isn't going to be challenging Facebook for total visits/day or anything, but it does make me realize that my goals were WAY too modest.
With that said (insert drum roll here) our new goal for the summer is 50 non-family-member followers and 500 unique visitors by the middle of September... this is a drastic step but I have confidence in all of us!
So go forward my flock, and spread the good word!
Hina & Mital hopped a flight from Philly to enjoy a weekend of great eating and a little drinking; and that's just what we did. From Longman & Eagle to Aviary. From Topolobampo to Big Star. But the creme de la creme was a 5.5 hr culinary experience at Alinea! 
Here are a few snapshots from that night; the first being a caprese salad laid out to represent a portion of Lincoln Park.
