I begin my stay in Chicago with Lou Malnati

My cousins came to pick me up from airport, we dropped the luggage at home and then headed straight for lunch to the Lou Malnati’s that has the best creative pizzas in Chicago.

Pictures, pictures everywhere, most of the walls of the restaurant were adorned with memories and one wall was dedicated to basket ball players displaying autographed basket balls

But we were there for special Malnati salad that the place is most famous for, a delicious green, crunchy, sweet and sour salad of romane lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, mushrooms, crumbled salami, gorgonzola cheese and sweet flovors of vinegar and romano cheese.

My family ordered deep dish pizza and I wondered what was so special about it till it arrived at the table. It was extraordinary…Chicago style pizza that had thick layer of mozzarella cheese on a thin crust with ingredients like mushroom, onions and sausages sunk into the layers of cheese. The pizza was then topped with fresh tomato sauce, and sprinkled with cheese and spices, every bite so juicy and delicious.

First day in Chicago and I had already tried the best pizza in town…before I could even unpack my bags.

Farmhouse

Junk food is out as more people start on healthy eating. Youngsters nowadays prefer fresh food to canned food and they have become more inclined towards organic food. Be it India or around the world, people are getting more aware of healthy eating. I have come to spend few days on the other side of the world. Here I am visiting my sister in Chicago.

When my nephew told me that he owns a restaurant, I was excited and wanted to visit immediately. He drove us to his restaurant at 228W Chicago Ave and proudly introduced us to most impressive farm themed hangout called Farmhouse.

It was late afternoon and the weather was quite pleasant. Many people sat in the patio to enjoy the meal.

But we walked indoors to enjoy the meal. The ambience is beautiful. A small room called pickle room had different pickle bottles in the room.

Another smaller room had a cozy setup with seating for fifteen people to enjoy a private dinner

A long bar with high chairs occupied the large part of the room where people could enjoy food with hard drinks.

The rest of the restaurants in the large room had seating arrangement in such a way that each table had their own privacy.

We ordered crispy cheese balls, salads and pizza. The USP of this restaurant is the freshness of the food. The restaurant has the finest ingredients from the surrounding Chicago area and nearby states. It encourages the fresh farm products, thus supporting the local farms for cheese, wines, greens, breads and meat.

No canned food is used at all; even the tomato sauce and the dips are freshly cooked. The food had the most unique taste.

Dessert is to die for. The strawberry and cream burger was melt in mouth, delicious dish. I just loved it and couldn’t resists eating even though I am always watching my diet

One floor up, and there was a large room, big enough for a private party or some social meetings. If I were to stay in Chicago, I would love to host open mike poetry performance in this room like we do back home in India.

So very proud of my nephew for owning such a beautiful restaurant where health come first and dining is a great experience….

Restaurant Review - Shanghai Club

During the time, when I first started teaching Special Children, I used to travel from Bandra to Byculla by 4ltd bus everyday, I passed through the mill areas of Parel that had mainly small community homes and chawls, there were some traditional small food joints that served delicious authentic food to the cotton mill workers. It used to be buzzing center of activity and prior to that, during my grand parents times, it used to be a posh colonial residential settlement where governor of Bombay-Sir William Hornby lived.

A lot has changed in Parel over the years and it has a different skyline now, the beautiful ITC Grand Central Hotel with its majestic Indian touch adds an ethnic charm of this place.

This week I had an opportunity to visit Shanghai Club that is located inside this hotel in the celebration zone, the wing separated from the peace zone by a long corridor, lined with designer stores and an open lounge with water fountain in the center..

I was invited for Sagria and Seafood dinner by FBAI. There were four types of Sangria, fruity and sweet, (my favorite being the Berry flavor although the other three, the cherry and plum, watermelon were equally good) they were very refreshing after a long walk from peace zone to celebration zone.

In between my sips, I took in the beautiful ambience of this place, the charming parasol lanterns against the polished Burma teak rafters, the porcelain pots and other art work all around the room.

There was a set of 5course meal prepared specially for us. We had fan-shaped menu card,, which in a way was a good idea, that we could ration our serving to be able to enjoy all that restaurant had to offer.

The appetizers arrived as soon we were settled. Master chef Yuanzhing Jia had crafted a new Seafood Menu and was eager for us to start the party. We took a little time to click pictures before we began to eat (food bloggers are weird that way, before the aroma touches the senses, the cameras captures its visual impact) the lighting was low, hence I was not able to get very good shots, I decided to concentrate on food instead.

Main course was to die for. The Singapore chili crabs in egg white were perfectly cooked, tender meat under shells so brittle and juicy that there was no need for nutcrackers. I got my hands dirty, just relishing its flavors of marinated meat infused with sauces. I was happy when they gave me wet towel to wipe off my hands before I went on to continue with my next dish. But this is one dish I enjoyed thoroughly and will be the good reason for me to return once again.

This was followed by Wok fried Lobster with chili black bean sauce cooked from freshly made lobster stock. This tasted delicious when mixed in the bowl of brown garlic fried rice dish.

The attractive dessert plate of jasmine flavored Tiramisu, star anise torte and vanilla ice cream and mixed fruit bowl marked the end of the meal. It was very satisfying meal.

The service was very good and the staff was quick to refilled glasses with sangria as soon as possible, they made sure that food was satisfying, and even offered to custom cook for us to suit our palate.

I would highly recommend Crabs and lobsters in this restaurant. They are truly amazing, waiting for my next guest to visit me, this is on my to-do-list for sure……