I didn’t realize at the time that Julius Meinl is a Viennese coffee purveyor, selling gourmet roasts in 70 countries. Heck, I just found that out now looking at the website. If I had, I would’ve ordered more drinks–the spiced chai cider, for example, or the peppermint mocha. As it is, I only tried the Earl Grey Vanilla Latte, which was very delicious, mild and flavorful and not too sweet.

As for the food–I regret that the bacon cinnamon roll was all out by the time we arrived that morning, so we got a regular cinnamon roll, which was quite good. Another dish we tried: Kaiserschmarren, which if you’ve never had it is basically bite-sized pieces of Austrian-style pancake with golden raisins, cinnamon, powdered sugar and Meinl preserves for dipping (we had a few different kinds of preserves, and they were all outstanding, in case you like that sort of thing).

Both my breakfast companions had baked egg dishes, and I may do the same next time. These are a bit like skillets, although in not quite such heavy portions. The oven-based eggs are offered in seven different combinations, with other ingredients mixed in, including chorizo, tomato, mushroom and feta; Rosti potato pancake, caramelized onions, Parmesan and truffle oil; smoked salmon, cream cheese and dill; and tomato, basil and goat cheese. This is all served with your choice of a really tasty piece of toast.

I had seafood crepes in a creamy green sauce. I can’t remember exactly what was in it and I think it was a special. It was good, although I’m wishing now I’d tried the Nutella crepes or the ham and brie crepes instead. Maybe next time. We also ordered Austrian mac and cheese, which, for someone who spends a lot of time cooking Kraft mac and cheese for her child, was a wonderful treat.

It happened to be Mother’s Day when we were there, and the restaurant was full of parents chasing their kids around. On a Sunday morning we had to wait 15 minutes or so for a table. We felt quite relaxed because we didn’t have kids with us, and I’m sure that added to our pleasure. It was really nice to be in such a comfortable cafe setting with a true European feel, both in terms of ambiance and food. I’d highly recommend this place to anyone, and I’m glad I discovered it myself.

My computer is still kaput, so I can’t provide any images, but I can point you to the website where you can see the restaurant for yourself:

Julius Meinl

3601 N. Southport, Chicago, IL 60613

(773) 868-1857

northamerica.meinl.com/coffeehouse_southport/

Back in March a little Irish restaurant in the foodie mecca/suburb of Highwood invited me to come in and try a few dishes. I’ve actually been to Bridie McKenna’s before, for a political event hosted by a friend of my husband’s who was running for office. By the time we got there, all the food was gone. I did drink some Guinness, which seemed like what you were supposed to do at an Irish pub. Afterwards we had planned to visit our favorite Indian restaurant in the area, Curry Hut, but as we were leaving someone standing outside the restaurant next door, Alex’s Washington Gardens, enticed us in.  So I never did get to eat at Bridie McKenna’s during that visit.

It’s been a year or two since then. I have to admit that Irish food always looked comforting to me, but also fatty and not particularly exciting. Still, I’m always up for trying something new in culinary terms. So when Bridie McKenna invited me in for free food, how could I possibly refuse?

First, Bridie McKenna’s is quite charming. I like the green phone box outside, and I’m hoping that sometime before the next Ice Age we’ll have good enough weather to enjoy that cute little patio right outside. The place looks like it belongs on a little cobblestoned European street, and it features dark woods and lots of atmosphere inside, along with TVs at the bar where you can watch events like the royal wedding coming up this weekend. It features events like live music and dancing pretty regularly, and on Sunday we came here for Easter brunch (those white chocolate-covered strawberries from the buffet are my husband’s new favorite dessert).

Since there are certain Irish dishes I’d never tried, I opted for my first visit to immerse myself in authentic fare. I had fish pie, corned beef and cabbage, beef and Guinness stew, and something else that involved mashed potatoes and meat. I also tried my son’s fish and chips, which he absolutely loved. Wow, is Irish food heavy on the potatoes. I suppose I should have expected that.

I will admit that Irish food still isn’t my favorite–it’s heavy, and full of gravy (not that there’s anything wrong with that). But the flavors are good, and can be very satisfying if you’re in the right mood. And Bridie’s does a fabulous job with traditional and iconic dishes like Shepard’s Pie (their spelling) and corned beef, which is lovely with mustard or horseradish sauce. That fish pie was extremely tasty. I wanted a full entree, not just the sample size.

Bridie McKenna’s also offers Irish beers like my husband’s favorite, Smithwicks. It’s owned by Irish people who know their stuff, and I hear it was a great place to watch the World Cup. So if you’re jonesin’ for a bit of Irish culture, this is a fine place to get it. I recommend it highly. And if I ever get access to my computer again, I’ll post some pictures of the delicious samples I tried there.

Bridie McKenna’s The North Shore Pub

254 Green Bay Rd., Highwood

(847) 432-3311

www.bridiemckennasirishpub.com

Enter Las Palmas. Yes, I know, there’s a chain in the Chicago area with eight suburban locations, called Las Palmas Mexican Restaurant & Bar. I rather like that Las Palmas, which some consider boring and I consider to be easy, inexpensive and decent. Especially since we get coupons every week in the mail and the margaritas are not bad at all. But this Las Palmas is a couple of steps above and beyond, an elegant oasis just a short walk away from the super-crowded, lively atmosphere at Piece.

We were seated in the back, a far cry from the bustle of North Ave. You can’t tell this from the front, but Las Palmas has this lovely glass-enclosed back area that leads out to a patio for use in the nicer months. It’s a very pleasant place to have a meal, with sunlight streaming in and bits of greenery, along with art pieces hanging on the walls.

Las Palmas is one of those restaurants that  brings out the big guacamole setup for preparation right at your table, although we didn’t actually do that since I live with two boys who don’t like avocados (sigh). My husband did, out of character for him, order me some nice fresh guacamole, though, which I was then able to take home and hoard all to myself.

There is a kid’s menu, and my son ordered a four-cheese and maraconi plate that he said was the best ever–but he’s a very enthusiastic kid and he says that about a lot of things. I tried some, though, and I can attest that it was quite good. It came with a few spears of asparagus and grilled carrots, which I mostly ate because my son is currently anti-vegetable (another sigh).

My husband and I both ordered vegetarian options, so that we could share (there’s also one vegan option on the list). I got the Enchayotadas, which are basically enchiladas stuffed with grilled chayotes, carrots, portobello mushrooms, and crispy corn chips in a creamy jalapeno-tomatillo salsa with Chihuahua cheese, crema Mexicana, queso añejo, and some mixed greens with a garlic vinaigrette.  I will say straight out that these are the best vegetarian enchiladas I’ve ever had. Wow, were they tasty. I have no idea what chayotes are, even to this day (Google is now telling me it’s a type of squash), but I’m in love.

My husband ordered the La Calabaza Rellena, an oven-roasted acorn squash stuffed with artichokes, peas, wild mushrooms, chile de árbol and a flavorful saffron risotto. I had a few bites, enough to be impressed, but I still liked my enchiladas better. He also had a margarita or two, a necessity when we visit a Mexican restaurant, and I have no complaints about that either.

Only my son was hungry enough afterwards to want dessert, so he chose a trio of sorbets. As I recall the flavors were guava, coconut and prickly pear–a nice combination, fresh and light and fruity. Yum.

One of my favorite things about Chicago is discovering new restaurants, so I’m happy we stumbled upon Las Palmas. The restaurant apparently serves up a fine Sunday brunch, so perhaps that will be our next trip here. I think this will become one of our favorites in the future, whenever we happen to be in the area. Unfortunately, Chicago has so many great eateries, it’s hard to limit yourself. I mean, fortunately.

Las Palmas Restaurant

1835 W. North Ave., Chicago

773.289.4991

laspalmaschicago.squarespace.com

Gary Cole once said, “I miss everything about Chicago except January and February.” And although as a big city there’s still plenty to do this time of year everywhere in this area, I would have to say there’s at least a modicum of truth to this sentiment, especially with the giant snows we had starting the very first few days of February.

But the return of March Madness lifts my spirits, especially since I’m a huge Kansas fan. Even though we lost on Sunday–mercifully, I missed the giant loss to VCU because I was at the Northlight Theater enjoying a lovely production of “Sense & Sensibility,” by this time I’m at least ready for spring.

Following the show, I visited my first new restaurant in what seemed like ages. My friend who accompanied me to the show wanted to try it, and I’m always game so I agreed. We visited a cute and elegant little restaurant called Bistro Bordeaux, which is right in downtown Evanston. Evanston, you may know, is the suburb just north of Chicago and home to Northwestern University. It’s one of the more interesting and urban suburbs, and accessible by the El on the purple line.

As soon as I entered the place seemed familiar. I used to visit the restaurant all the time several years ago when it was home to Mt. Everest, a favorite Indian food restaurant. Mt. Everest moved to a different space down the block, but I’ve always liked this little storefront better. There’s a certain elegance to it, dark woods and romantic lighting–it has always seemed very suitable for a date night or an intimate gathering with friends.

It’s been a really long time since I visited a French restaurant. In fact, I can’t even pinpoint the general year or season. Partially this is because my husband and I opt for more vegetarian-friendly foods when we go out together. Which is why I need to go out with my female friends more often. We started the meal off with crusty bread and softened butter, and my appetizer was escargot swimming in an herbed melted butter sauce. To me, the sauce makes the escargot and it was perfect. Escargot, I imagine, can get rubbery if not cooked well, but these little snails had a good texture and taste. My friend ordered pork terrine, which arrived with mustard and crostini and little miniature pickles (I think). It was very tasty as well. The appetizer menu also includes foie gras, soup of the day (celery root), a tarte of the day (like quiche) and oyster of the day.

My main dish was scallops with a Black truffle hollandaise sauce, featuring toasted almonds and French gream beans. The dish was called Coquille St Jacques Pôellées, Haricot Vert Amandine, Sauce Hollandaise Truffée (isn’t the Internet a great thing?). The scallops were extremely well-cooked and the truffle sauce creamy and full of flavor.  But I love French fries as well, so I ordered a side of the restaurant’s Pommes Frites with a garlic mayonnaise. These slim, crispy fries are cooked in beef tallow; they’re salty, skinny and delicious. I’d go back just for them.

My friend had the Aile de Raie Rotie à la Grenobloise et son Choux Fleur Caramelizé–that translates to roasted skate wing, caramelized cauliflower, capers, brioche croutons, little pieces of lemon suprême and a brown butter sauce. This was also very flavorful and yummy.

We took a wine recommendation from the waiter to go with our seafood meals, and shared a split of Champagne. I don’t for the life of me remember the names–I’m quite bad at that–but I do remember that the wine list, on the back page of the menu, was very well-done and comprehensive.

We had no room for dessert, which was fine, since I’m attempting to be healthier as part of my new year’s resolution. I’m one of those people who gain weight by looking at food. And I have to tell you–despite all the salty fries, the escargot in melted garlicky butter and the bread and butter that came with our meals, I somehow managed not to gain a single pound from that meal.

So, I can wholeheartedly recommend this place, if you’re looking for a romantic French meal. Entrees cost between $20 and $30; the Chateaubriand for two clocks in at just under $30 per person. I think we’re going back for Sunday brunch next. It sounds divine…

Bistro Bordeaux

618 Church St., Evanston, IL

www.lebistrobordeaux.com

This little storefront serves what it calls “local, sustainable punk rock pastry.” I’ll be honest and say I don’t even remember the names of what I purchased there, but everything was good. More importantly, Bleeding Heart will – with a little bit of notice – take food allergies and such into account. This is important to me, since we recently discovered my son has a peanut allergy and I was just starting to realize how just walking in and buying stuff from bakeries, the way I’m used to doing it, is not going to work for him anymore.

I purchased this Groupon variety pack, which included a couple of cupcakes (although they were already out, by early mid-day, of my two favorites–red velvet and salt caramel), of which I picked carrot cake and vanilla with strawberry frosting (and a surprise–a strawberry center). These were heartier-tasting than some of the more delicate cupcakes I’ve had in the past from other Chicago purveyors, and really flavorful.

The pack also included some big brownies in different flavors, a chocolate chip cookie, a giant cookie with ginger bits inside that I don’t know what it was called except that it took me four days to eat it myself, and these crispy-on-the-outside, cakey-on-the-inside cake balls in different flavors. I think of them as something akin to donut holes, except better. Seriously. I have no idea what flavor the blue one was, but it was yummy.

I should note here that my kid, with his peanut allergy, couldn’t help me eat all this stuff, and my husband, whose idea of great bakery fare is the stale happy face cookie (and yes, it has to be stale or it doesn’t taste right to him) at White Hen Pantry, doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth. So it took me days to eat all this stuff by myself. I didn’t mind at all.

If Bleeding Heart Bakery has a fault I’d say it tends to undercook so every once in a while you’ll get a pastry that’s just a tiny bit on the doughy side, which may be a result of the density of its products. But everything here is delicious, and hearty, and worth the price. I’d recommend this place–not just because of the great bakery items, but for a cute and quirky store that’s full of charm and personality and friendly folks.

Bleeding Heart Bakery has two locations:
1010 North Blvd., Oak Park
(708) 358-0559
1955 W. Belmont, Roscoe Village
(773) 327-6934
www.thebleedingheartbakery.com

Green Zebra is an upscale vegetarian restaurant, decorated in a contemporary manner with bamboo and ferns that create cool textured shadows on the ceiling. It’s small, lively and dimly lit (hard to get good photos in this place without a flash, which seems to disturb the ambiance!), and I had a bit of trouble getting a reservation on an evening immediately after the Big Blizzard of ’11–fortunately, someone had cancelled. A sign asks you to shut off your cell phones, and you can check your coat in at the front counter.

I think of my desire to eat at Green Zebra as an attempt to drag my husband, kicking and screaming, into a more adventurous world of food. His diet is what he’s dubbed “truck-driver vegetarian”–all the bread, cheese and grease you can eat, just without the meat. He’s a big guy, over six feet tall, so I think the idea of small plates makes him a bit nervous, wondering if he’ll get enough to eat. He’s also a creature of habit, and likes to visit the same restaurants over and over again. But, because he knows how much of a foodie I am, I can occasionally introduce him to something new, and he likes it. Or at least, he tells me he does. That’s how I know he’s a good husband.

I will say we actually ate pretty lightly. Our waitress said that a good meal of small plates usually consists of three or four plates per person, but between us we had five plates and a dessert selection.

We started out with two cold plates, Hen Of The Woods mushroom pâté with date mostarda and pumpkin seed brittle, and a Riesling poached seedling farm pear salad with feta, mint, almonds and citrus. I loved the pâté, which was very flavorful yet mild. Even after the bready bits were gone I just ate the stuff with a knife (see how sophisticated I am?). The pear salad was less successful for me, mainly because the pear was so soft, but again the flavors were vibrant.

Next, we had a roasted pumpkin soup with whipped creme fraiche, Thai basil, pepitas and garlic, along with a small mound of fettucine, basil, pistachio, giardiniera, garlic and parmesan cheese. Both dishes were delicate and well-done. The pumpkin soup was sweet and creamy, and the fettucine, although you might think it a fairly simple pesto-style pasta, was accented with these marinated carrots (the giardiniera, I imagine) that helped to elevate the dish into something special.

We also had spiced hush puppies with seven-year cheddar. I was a little hesitant to order this, because my experience with hush puppies to date has been in Long John Silvers’ Fish & More meal, and they were eaten with ketchup. But the guy at the table next to ours, who was also using his Groupon, assured us it was an amazing dish, and he was right. Basically, hush puppies here are these little balls of fried dough, with some cheese melted on top. I think I might come back just for those.

After that we decided we were still hungry, so we decided on the dessert plate, which seemed big enough to satisfy whatever was left of the hunger pangs in each of our bellies. We were right. The plate was a chef’s selection that included three homemade sandwich cookies (chocolate chip and peanut butter, chocolate and mint, and ginger and maybe vanilla, I think), a cupcake and a doughnut, complete with hole. These desserts were rich enough to complete our meal with a flourish.

I almost forgot what was my favorite discovery of the night, something called a pink peppercorn thyme soda. This was a lovely little concoction that was just enough carbonated without being fizzy, with a clean and crisp and unusual flavor. I loved it. I would go back just for another taste.

We both enjoyed our meal immensely, although my husband admitted that he could have used a heartier meal after the long day he’d had. Personally, I found the amounts perfect, but I am about a foot smaller than my husband and he runs half-marathons regularly while I sit around and stare at my elliptical machine as though it was going to do something interesting.

I will tell you what I think is the greatest strength of Green Zebra: its chef, Shawn McClain, knows how to put flavors together, whether it’s to complement another flavor or to accent it. Every dish we tried included some unexpected little zing of something that just made it exciting. I love food, but I’m a newbie when it comes to food culture. I’m out of my element when I go to places like this. Nevertheless, the restaurant had me discussing flavor combinations as though I knew what I was talking about. It’s the kind of place where you can’t help but talk about the food, because it’s the type of place that makes you think about the food. It makes you consider the ingredients separately, and together. That in itself makes Green Zebra special.

Honestly, this is a place that’s a bit out of my price range for regular nights out. But I’m already trying to figure out which of my vegetarian friends–and which of my non-vegetarian friends, since I didn’t miss the meat one bit–I should take back for a meal at Green Zebra.

Green Zebra also features a tasting menu and honors other dietary restrictions, so vegans will have no trouble eating there as well. The guy who sat next to us also said the Sunday brunches there are fabulous, so that may be our next visit.

Green Zebra
1460 W. Chicago Ave.
312-243-7100
www.greenzebrachicago.com

She and her daughter received a coupon from the public library for a place called the Colonial Cafe, which I’ve since learned is a local chain based in the western suburbs. In fact, a few weeks after we had our first breakfast there, we happened to be in St. Charles, and we visited what turns out to be the original location.

The Colonial Cafe looks exactly like one of those family-friendly breakfast restaurants, some of which are great, and some of which are less than great. It has a comfortable but not special appearance and I’m pretty sure I’ve passed some of their locations many times without even registering them. The restaurant features lots of booths and tables. Older people come here, families come here. It’s not exactly an urban hotspot, with locations in Naperville and St. Charles and Elgin and Crystal Lake and Aurora.

But the food here is more than decent–and I say that coming from a region that has spawned Walker Bros. Pancake House, among others, and offers me plenty of outstanding breakfast options. I’ve now had a couple of meals here, including a biscuits and gravy breakfast and a simple soup-and-sandwich combo, and both have been very tasty. The iced tea is also very good, which is pretty much my standard for returning to any restaurant. My son prefers to stick with the mousehead-shaped pancake, which is not called a Mickey Mouse pancake but I’m pretty sure everyone calls it that anyway.

But here’s the main reason we returned a second time:

This baby here is called a Kitchen Sink. It includes six scoops of ice cream in three flavors: vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, along with three toppings (chocolate sauce, pineapple sauce and strawberry sauce, if I recall correctly), two full bananas, whipped cream and chopped almonds. And of course, a cherry. It actually comes in a mini kitchen sink on a stand, and you get a bumper sticker with it. The entire dessert costs about $13.50, and my growing five-year-old boy and I were able to eat about half of it by ourselves.

As it turns out, Colonial Cafe is known for its ice-cream treats. The restaurant features 15 regular flavors, but the two-page ice-cream menu includes concoctions like turtle sundaes, five-scoop sundaes, apple pie a la mode, black cows, a create-your-own-sundae option, shakes and some sort of layered treat called a “chipper.” It certainly gives us a reason to go back.

Colonial Cafe and Ice Cream
7 locations in the western and NW suburbs
www.colonialicecream.com

Chicago Originals is an organization of local and independent restaurants. This event won’t be nearly as large as the city-wide one, but it does include some excellent local eateries. And since the hook for Restaurant Week is fixed-price 2-, 3- and 4-course meals at a reasonable price ($29.11 for dinner and $29.11 bottles of wine), this is a great time to try some well-respected regional favorites.

The restaurants participating in this promotion are:

Bella Bacino’s, Chicago and LaGrange
Cafe Bernard, Lincoln Park
Cafe Central, Highland Park
Co-Si-Na Grill, Chicago
Cyrano’s Bistrot & Grill, Chicago
Dinotto Ristorante, Chicago
El Nuevo Mexicano, Chicago
Hemmingway’s Bistro, Oak Park
Kiki’s Bistro, Chicago
Le Titi de Paris, Arlington Heights
Mizu Yakitori and Sushi Lounge, Chicago
Oceanique, Evanston
O’Briens Restaurant, Chicago
Restaurant Michael, Winnetka
Sweets & Savories, Chicago
Trattoria Roma, Chicago

This list includes restaurants both in Chicago and around the suburbs, and many of them are critically acclaimed, so take advantage–that is, if the holiday festivities haven’t depleted your budget too much.

For more information and Restaurant Week menus and specials, visit www.chicagooriginals.com. You’ll have to check with the individual restaurants for exact details; Oceanique, for example, runs its Restaurant Week specials through February 6.

I’ve included a link to local luminary Phil Vettel’s take on the news, because I agree with him wholeheartedly. He says, “If Taste and Chicago’s other lakefront festivals become privatized — as the cash-strapped city would dearly like to see happen — their egalitarian nature might be permanently, irretrievably transformed.”

Now, here’s the thing. I don’t much care for the Taste. I discovered long ago that it was crowded and dangerous when the weather isn’t perfect. I almost never get to eat what I want to because the lines are so long (it once took me 45 minutes to get food at a booth 100 yards away). If I thought privatization might remove some of these evils, I’d be all for it, especially if it’s true that we’ve been paying invisible charges all along.

But I think that the city loses some of its character and its greatness if it privatizes these iconic events. I’ve always taken pride in the fact that anyone could attend these amazing festivals for free; that families and folks without extra funds could still go out during the nice Chicago summers and enjoy the best the city has to offer. The idea that this is no longer a priority for the people who run Chicago doesn’t surprise me at all, but it does disappoint me greatly.

I’d love to hear what you guys think about this! Please leave a comment if you can.

Although I only had my Blackberry with me, and it doesn’t take very good pictures, you can at least get an idea of the festive atmosphere of the place and a small selection of the goodies within.

This first picture represents a small portion of the cookie counter. Yum.

Some of the bakery’s standard, non-holiday goodies.

Some of these cakes are such works of art I’d hate to eat any of them.

Some people found this cake a bit pricey at over $35, but I mean, look at it. It’s worth every penny.

A close-up of some of the delicious-looking cookies. I wish I had the money and the metabolism to eat them all!

And look how cute this penguin cake is!

This one was my son’s favorite cake. It cost about $25.

And this is what I ended up bringing home today:

You can see why these happy faces reflect my mood right now!

Happy holidays and happy new year to all!

Deerfields Bakery
813 N. Waukegan Rd., Deerfield, IL
201 N. Buffalo Grove Rd, Buffalo Grove, IL
25 S. Roselle Rd., Schaumburg, IL
847-520-0068
deerfieldsbakery.com