Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse

OK...so I have been to quite a few steakhouses in LA, but this place in Chicago TOPS them all...A customer at work recommended this place to me when she knew I would be in Chicago....So I suggested it to my friends and we decided to check it out..We went on a Friday night and it was super packed....ambiance was really great too...there is a bar area and it is a pretty big restaurant....very cozy , yet happening as well...We had reservations, but had to wait maybe 20 minutes..Once we were seated, the waiter came over with a plate of sample steaks and went over everything in detail...the staff was super friendly and accommodating...

I had a big lunch earlier, so did not think I would be too hungry for my own meal..(which is usually NEVER the case with me :)

My friend and I shared a Marinated Skirt-Steak that came with fried onion strings....We also asked them to add peppercorn to the steak, which made it even tastier...It was sooo delicious and tasty even without any sauce!!!! The portions are pretty huge as well. Honestly, this was the BEST steak I have ever had..I was really sad that I was not as hungry and could not devour all of it!!! I don't have many pictures because I think we were all too excited to eat and too impatient for pictures....They also have something they are known for-double baked potato!! Need I say more? You can see it on the side of my plate ;) I apologize for the lack of pictures...I hope to go again with the HUGEST appetite :)

We concluded the night with what we thought would be a small carrot cake, but it ended up being a delicious HUGE slice :) It was for 5 of us and we still could not finish it :)

ENJOY!

Angotei

This is one of the best sushi places ever! I learned about this place about 10 years ago or so when I was living in Irvine, CA. It is a small hole in the wall next to South Coast Plaza. It is in a tiny shopping center next to a 711 and there is always a long wait-since it is pretty small as well. It is def worth the wait...I have not actually had many of the cut rolls, but their seafood plates and other appetizers are to die for-which does not leave much room for cut rolls!!! I will post some of my favorite stuff....

I think these are called magic mushrooms, but not sure. They are AMAZING!!! They are mixed with eel sauce (I think) and are absolutely delicious...I like having them with the spicy seafood plate (another favorite) b/c it dilutes the spice!!

I have to say my favorite dish there is their Soft Shell Crab Hand Roll...I am absolutely sure that it is the BEST hand roll EVER!!! It is heaven in your mouth!!! It also comes with a special sauce (maybe ponzu)...Sometimes I end up ordering 2 because it is so damn good and disappears quickly!!

The Chilean Sea Bass is really tasty ....It is really soft, buttery and melts in your mouth!!!

The only cut roll I have tried is the shrimp tempura roll... It is pretty good if you have room after all the other stuff...I think you will be OK without it tho :)

ENJOY!

Persian Style Spaghetti

This is one of my favorite dishes!! The reason I call it "persian style" is because of the crispy potato. You can use potatoes or lavash bread at the bottom of the pot when making spaghetti and it turns into a crispy delight ..Most often the crispy delight at the bottom of the pot is called "tadig", and you can also do it with rice -which is the more popular form..crispy rice...I am sure many of you have tried crispy rice at persian restaurants or even at some sushi places(crispy rice with spicy tuna on top)...This is from a random sushi place in Cabo, but I will post more blogs about this later ;)

Anyways...back to the spaghetti!!!! The dish posted above was prepared by my best friend, Farangis, when I visited her in Chicago. It was my special request for my first meal there :) I truly enjoyed it with a glass of wine!!!

After posting this blog, my friend Susan got inspired to make this dish for dinner tonight ...she also sent me a picture of it!! She offered for me to go pick some up, but unfortunately I worked late and I couldn't :( It looks amazing!!!

I will post the recipe for this dish very soon :)

ENJOY!

Serendipity 3

This place was recommended by my good friend Mariam. We went to Vegas together and this place had just opened up..The original Serendipity is located in NYC. They have a lot of fun appetizers, desserts, and drinks. It is located at Caesars Palace. Mariam had heard about The Frrrozen Hot Chocolate so we were curious to go try it!! It lived up to it's high expectation so we decided to share one :)

Of course we could not just go there and only share that..so we decided to try some other stuff as well..including a hot dog plate called The Bachelorette Party:

We did not know about the Parmesan Onion Ring Tower, but I tried that a few years later with my friend Kelly...it was a total guilty pleasure and I think we were slightly traumatized afterwards b/c we inhaled it and got much more stuff as well...I do not have a picture of it, but it is def worth trying!!!

Overall, cute place mostly known for their desserts....

This caught my eye on the menu...insane!!!! I still don't know if it is for real!!

Curious to know if anyone has ever ordered it!!!

ENJOY!

The Purple Pig

I recently visited Chicago for the first time in October 2011 and I LOVED it!!! There were so many amazing restaurants, but this place stood out to me because it was so different! My intern, Caroline, recommended that I check out The Purple Pig, and I loved it! It was so unique and cute!!! I went with a group of friends on a Saturday night and since they don't take reservations-there was a 2 hour wait. Since we were in Downtown Chicago-that was not a problem. We went next door and hung out at the terrace of The Conrad Hotel(super cute hotel), and then the hostess called us once the table @ The Purple Pig was ready. They have a patio and indoor seating, and we got seated indoors at a long table with a bunch of other people. So as you can tell by the name, The Purple Pig, they are known for their swine, wine and cheese! I am not a vegetarian, but not the hugest fan of "swine'!!! However, I totally found some amazing appetizers! My favorites included....

Salt-Roasted Beets with
Whipped Goat Cheese & Pistachio Vinaigrette

This image also includes their amazing fried brussel sprouts!!!!!! I think they were the best I have ever had :)

Another favorite...The roasted bone marrow...I know it sounds kinda creepy..but it tasted sooo buttery and delicious..especially with the warm bread ..

Thank you to my dear friend Kian for ordering this and allowing me to post this pic :)

My friends also ordered a platter of different types of pork, meats...which was served on a wooden pig!!!

If you ever visit Chicago-make sure to check this place out...But don't go too hungry because there will be a wait!!!

ENJOY!!!

Yummy Corn on the Cob

I will never forget this amazing corn on the cob I had at Cafe Habana in NYC, and I always crave it..but I was able to try something pretty similar to it in LA @ Sharkeez...It was pretty tasty!!! I am not sure exactly what they put on the corn, but I think is has some spicy stuff like chili powder and maybe a lil mayo!!! It was really yummy! I will hopefully go back to Cafe Habana in NYC and post some pics from there soon!!! I believe they opened one up in Malibu as well...For now, here are some images of the corn from Sharkeez in Hermosa Beach:

ENJOY!

La Golondrina Restaurant in Los Cabos, MX

This is my favorite place in Los Cabos...I went for the first time with my sister and our friend Mariam (she actually heard bout it and recommended the place).. We had a beautiful evening there and it was our last night and a great way to end the trip. I have been to Cabo four times and I have made sure to visit this place every time!

I was truly impressed by the service, ambiance, charming patio, and the lovely group of men with their guitars -they would come to each table and ask our request for a song..I requested my favorite Gipsy Kings song and they were amazing....

The lobster was the most amazing I have ever tasted...You get to pick from different sauces to go with the lobster and my favorite was the Dynamite Sauce...All I can say bout the sauce-spicy and creamy delight!!! They also bring a mini tostada salad, amazing garlic bread and soup as appetizers for each meal..The side next to the lobster is dynamite shrimp..also very very delicious....

I also wanted to include the Mexican Coffee that we had after dinner..The waiters come make it in front of you!! Super cool!!!

ENJOY!