No one mentioned the heavy metal.

I am not a heavy metal fan. If anyone had told me that The Lockdown was all about the heavy metal, I never would have eaten here.

Do you know how hard it is to listen to excruciatingly loud, ANGRY heavy metal and eat a huge juicy burger at the same time?

I took home three-quarters of my burger — “The Punk Bitch” with garlic mustard, gruyere, and proscuitto, — and 7/8ths of my caesar salad. I ate them at home in the quiet comfort of my living room. With some Satie playing.

Everything was very good, particularly the garlicky caesar. But I won’t be going back for more.

The Verdict: LOUD, even with no patrons.

The post Burgers and Heavy Metal at The Lockdown first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

Native Foods, Wicker Park: I want to like Native Foods because I want to feel virtuous all the time. And you know, as a lover of food of all kinds, I can get down with veganism once or twice a year. But my Soul Bowl at Native Foods was two-thirds cardboard.  (The Soul Bowl is made up of Southern fried Native Chicken (i.e., not chicken), red beans, rice, steamed veggies, and kale dressed with ranch and BBQ suace and served with cornbread.) After eating half of this dish, I came to the sudden realization that I do not really like kale. The Native Chicken was pretty good, for not being chicken and all. I might go back here for my twice-yearly “I need to feel virtuous” visit but otherwise…meh.

DMK Burger Bar, Lakeview: I refuse to go back to Fish Bar, so after my last hair cut, I dropped into DMK for a burger.  They have a weird space issue going on…it’s like the space is just a little too big for them. But service was pretty cheerful and helpful and I liked my roasted hatch green chili, fried egg, sonoma jack and smoked bacon burger. My only complaint was the usual one: SOGGY BUN SYNDROME. I really need to remember to ask restaurants to toast my bun for me before serving. I really liked the lemon alioli they did with the sweet potato fries. Everything is served on small little plates though. That’s weird. I would still go back here though.

Siam Rice, The Loop: Dropped in here one afternoon for a quick work lunch. We got here on the early side, and for that I remain grateful. Because by the time we left, we couldn’t even get out the front door, so crowded was it. My Thai green curry — a standard by which I measure most Thai restaurants — was watery and missing its zip. I was very disappointed. I would not go back here. Or if I did, I would not have the green curry.

Hot Woks, Cool Sushi: Another quick lunch during the work week. I love the idea of a bento box, but in this one, the only thing worth eating was the vegetable tempura. (With one battered shrimp thrown in for good measure.) The chicken teriyaki was dry and flavorless and the California rolls were oddly assembled. I would not go back here.

I am still way behind. More Chicago, plus Mexico City, Doha, Tel Aviv ahead. Stay tuned.

The post Where I’ve Been Eating, Chicago Edition first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

Ooh, I’m way behind. I blame the airlines. And Design Star on HGTV. And my cousin George, who was in town for all of six days and managed to completely redecorate my apartment, rearrange my kitchen cabinets, and fix anything and everything that has bugged me since I moved into this damn place nearly exactly a year ago. (Who knew the top rack of my dishwasher was adjustable?) Exhausting, all of it.

I tried to entertain George food-wise, but here’s what I learned: he’s a picky eater.  He likes Red Bull. And cookies. And pretzels. And could happily survive on all that for breakfast and lunch. I think he also likes Chinese food, but I denied him his second take-out in the hopes I could convince him to go to Ruxbin. Denied. More in a bit.

Paris Club, River North: I made reservations ages in advance at Paris Club, and the charcuterie — for two — was pretty damn amazing. However, it should have been labeled “For two very large Americans” or “For four plus-sized French people” because it was really way too much food even for our table of four to do justice to. Our server was fantastic: I spilled a glass of wine all over myself (Long Island girl, talking with her hands) and he brought me a replacement glass, no problem.The atmosphere at Paris Club is very lively, but in a “What? What did you say??” kind of way.  Finally to the food…my ahi tuna main dish was pretty disappointing. Too salty.

I’ve been thinking about salt lately and have to list it out as one of the main differences between eating in the US vs. eating in the UK. Everything in the US is sooo disgustingly salty. And we wonder why we have high blood pressure. (I’d also say it’s because we don’t walk enough.)

Randomly…I went to use the ladies’ room at Paris Club on the main floor and there were six girls in line. For one toilet. Good times. About 10 minutes in, a staff member told us that there were more loos downstairs, but by that point I was next. I ended up using the men’s room, and you know what that’s like. The Verdict: Out. There are things I want to like, but that salty main dish was just too much. Oh, and my cousin George would like you to know that he and my friend Matt were two of the only men in the dining room at 8 pm on a Friday night. Odd.

Gilt Bar, River North: I went to Gilt Bar nearly exactly a year ago when I first arrived back in Chicago, but for some reason never wrote about it. Although I would like it better if I could see my hand in front of my face while I’m eating (flashlight, anyone?), I do love the food here. My truffle pasta was the dish that kept getting passed around the table.  I also really like the music at Gilt Bar; they played The XX, only one of my fave albums of 2010.  (OK, OK it came out in 2009 but still.) Great cocktail bar downstairs…all very chill and mellow.

Feast, Bucktown: I asked my cousin what he likes to eat for breakfast. He says — and I quote –“I’m not really a breakfast person.” You can guess where this is going. Every morning, I would wake up, make breakfast for myself, eat it, and then he would say, “What are we doing for breakfast?” Ahem. As we were up abysmally early on Saturday, so I thought we’d try for The Bongo Room. Let me point out two things. It was Saturday — not Sunday — and we arrived at 9:15 am. 9:15! They had been open 15 minutes!! And told us that we’d have to wait 30 to 45 minutes for a table. 30 to 45 minutes! So we went to Feast instead and had some pretty luscious peach and blueberry challah French toast. This place totally needs a lick of paint and our table was too wobbly for its own good, but those are minor quibbles in the face of a breakfast this nice.

The Boundary, Wicker Park: George wanted to eat outside, so I pulled up along Division and suggested Prasino. He ix-nayed it because it “looked too healthy” so instead we made our way to The Boundary, where we watched the cars go by as we snacked on some burgers and tomato soup. Everything was fine here. PS Did you know there are no parking meters on the main stretch of Division? (OK, not meters but that green machine ticket-y thing. You know what I’m talking about.)

Pizza Metro II: I wanted to go to Ruxbin. George wanted Chinese. We compromised on pizza because I wanted a salad. Hah! This place is more a take-out place than anything else. We brought home our 1/2 potato (him) and 1/2 pepperoni (me)  pizza, along with my salad, and enjoyed it in front of HGTV. George said, “Yeah, this wasn’t really that great.” I would concur. Fine, nothing special. Could have used a better more bubbly crust.

I have more coming up…Blue 13, GT Fish & Oyster, Prasino, and um I decided to go to London for the weekend last week so there’s that too. Brace yourselves.

The post Where I’ve Been Eating, Chicago Edition first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

Date of Last Visit: Wednesday, November 3, 2010

The Victim: Matt

The Damage: Not too much. $25 each?

The Background: Everything changes and sometimes life is like a boomerang, sending you back from whence you came. So it is with me. So it is with Matt. He too is back from London (along with Carolyn, his wife).

And we can’t get over how expensive food is here. It’s really crazy. A small soup at Au Bon Pain? $4.33. Just for some tomato puree and some pasta. Really. Go for a burrito and you’re out $10. A BURRITO.

I suggest to Matt that we catch up about repatriation at Revolution Brewing, a relatively new brewery in Chicago’s Logan Square. And you know what’s scary? Even though I lived in Chicago from 1996 to 2004, I’ve NEVER been to Logan Square before.

But now it’s relatively close to my new place, so it’s a no-brainer. We take the Blue Line up to Logan Square and there we are.

It’s a big space. An airy space. I like the tin ceiling and the light fixtures. But again, I’m afraid of what it might be like on a Friday or Saturday night. (And indeed, Foursquare tips confirm: Stay away on the weekends when the wait can stretch out forever.)

And there it it. The burger. Sorry that there’s not a shot of it open-faced because as always, I totally forgot to take a photo until the very last minute. I opted for the farm burger: baby spinach, roasted beet, horseradish cream, organic egg. FANTASTIC. Really, really…a really good burger. My only complaints were (as always) a soggy bun from too much juice, and a bun that just wasn’t as toasted as I like it. (And well…I was hypnotised by the horseradish cream, as I often am these days, and it didn’t pack the whollop I was hoping for.) I opted for the side salad instead of the fries, so I can’t comment on the potatoes. The side salad was HUGE though. More baby spinach. Good stuff.

This was all washed down by a number of Revolution’s beers. Between the two of us, I think Matt and I tried 75% of the menu. (Hey, they have 2 oz tasters…calm down. It was a WEDNESDAY.) I wish I could say that one or more really stood out, but nothing is really springing to mind. They were fine. Just fine.

The Verdict: I liked my burger. I liked the tin ceiling. Apparently, the bacon popcorn is something to go back for. Maybe I’ll go back. Maybe. But there’s a lot of other places–and a lot of other burgers–in Chicago that I need to check out first.

The post Revolution Brewing, Logan Square first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

Date of Last Visit: Sunday, September 19, 2010

The Victim: Me

The Damage: $10

The Background: Something bad has happened in Chicago. And it scares me. I was up in Lincoln Park buying a mattress (which are freaking expensive these days, by the way) and decided to walk down Clark Street and check out the old ‘hood. (My first Chicago apartment was on Deming. The second on Wrightwood. Both in Lincoln Park.)

Only problem is that all the old places in the ‘hood are OUT OF BUSINESS. Except for Frances’, the brunch/lunch place I used to work at on weekends to make bus money. (The same place that told me I was the best hostess/front-of-house they’d ever had. And in the same breath, they told me that because of that, they couldn’t promote me to waitress. My only consolation is that I was the only staff member to negotiate a turkey club on dark rye with a side of fries in addition to regular pay. And the true true regulars did on occasion slip me a couple of extra bucks to make it to the top of the waiting list.)

Anyhow, I walked down to Fullerton to grab a burger. From Five Guys. Everyone raves about Five Guys.

Now let me be clear…after placing my order, all I’ve done is walk from the counter to my table. And still…the burger looks a little smushed, doesn’t it? I did debate taking a photo of the meat but when I lined up the shot, it was just a bit gross.

So I bite in. This is the small burger by the way. And it’s juicy. Good juicy. But the bun…it’s so soft and gushy. Just a bit of toasting would have made it so much better. But you know I’m biased.

And then there are the fries. Yes, this is them. I’m scheduling my quadruple bypass now.

This is a SMALL fries. I think that has to be at least two whole potatoes in there. BIG potatoes. Really. They are very good fries. They’re fresh cut. Most American places these days do frozen. And in my opinion, there’s nothing better than fresh fries. But then again, I’m spoiled. When I was a kid, we always made our own fries. My brother and I would help crinkle cut the potatoes. None of this frozen-in-the-bag shi*t.

The only thing that could have made these fries better was cooking them for about a minute more to make them nice and crispy. (My childhood spent in food service…don’t take the fries out of the fryter until they float to the top.)

Here. Visual proof. This is the entrance way. Five Guys takes their fries very seriously. Those are all the sacks of potatoes there. (And peanuts. Five guys also takes peanuts seriously.)

The Verdict: Decent. But not like dying to go back. But I admire what they’re doing…everything fresh (not frozen) on premises. The potato thing. The peanut thing. It’s cool.

The post Five Guys Burgers, Lincoln Park first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

Hawksmoor
157 Commercial Street
E1 6BJ

Date of Last Visit: Monday, December 14th, 2009

The Victims: Stacey, Feathers, Jen

The Damage: About £18 each. We each had a burger. And we split some creamed spinach. Some people had Cokes. I stuck with water.

The Background: In many ways, this is a lazy post. See, I haven't done anything with my blog since December 22nd. That's a whole 12 days without bloging. You know that doesn't happen here very often. But I needed a break over the holidays, and on this, my last day of vacation, I don't really feel like blogging up a storm.

This is also quite a lazy post because if you really want to know about the Hawksmoor burger, you can just read Dan's post. Really, there's not much more for me to say… 

Except…
1. Stacey has left us. She and Canadia Boy now reside in Washington D.C. This makes me sad because besides for being fabulous company, Stace and CB fed me many a weekend. I will miss their guacamole.
2. The Hawksmoor burger was Stacey's last London meal request. And it is a very fine burger; I can see why she requested it. Might have been better with American cheese though. Sorry, I do have a fondness for that orange stuff.
3. The Hawksmoor burger costs £15. Ouch.
4. They forgot to bring our creamed spinach. (I always get nervous when waitstaff don't write anything down. More than 50% of the time, I am right to be nervous.)
5. I am sad I never did the burger during that period when Hawksmoor was offering special deals to bloggers. Why have I waited this long?

The Verdict: If you are not American, you should go to Hawksmoor and have the burger. If you are American, you should give the burger a shot, but you might find that you have had burgers of equal or greater quality in the U.S. There's nothing wrong with that. Personally, I think it's the cheese. Give me my Kraft singles!

The post The Hawksmoor Burger first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

Date of Last Visit: Friday, June 9th

The VIctims: Too many to mention

The Damage: 10 quid a head

Echo’s husband has just moved to the UK from China, so we wanted to get together and do a little something social for them. Jimmy suggested GBK, mostly because it was conveniently located to his flat and it had a big outdoor seating area. But also because the food is good and not-so-pricey.

Well, there were 11 of us, so that meant the outside seating wasn’t going to happen. They showed us to a table in the way back of the restaurant. Two tables, actually, because there were too many of us to seat togetether.

The hostess was very friendly about this, but the waiter was kinda a jerk. We couldn’t sit here, we couldn’t sit there, we were in his way, we couldn’t have an extra chair, etc. Someone obviously felt that their job was too important. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to worker in a burger restaurant. No, really, I don’t.

Anyhow, we had some Budvars and felt better. Then we ordered our burgers. Mine was just a cheese burger and it was really pretty good. I think I prefer my bun a lot more toasty, but honestly, it was good. And the fries were nice as well. But fries are kinda hard to ruin unless you undercook them. (Which does happen frequently, but not here.)

Everyone seemed really happy with their food, and the bill was pretty reasonable.

The Verdict: Not a destination, but if I were in Belsize Park, I’d go again.

The post A Good Burger: Gourmet Burger Kitchen first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.