Here's to Summer
Here’s to Summer… Outside Lynnie’s Kitchen!
So summer is over but boy was it fun! Lots of cruising in the sun, eating wonderful food, while visiting old favorite food spots and new ones! From Illinois to Wisconsin, to Ohio and back again... Enjoying family, friends and my love!
My hubby and I seem to always stop for munchies on our weekend cruises in our ’66 Vette. Do to the cars’ age we don’t venture too far from home so Galena, IL is a favorite! A little Mexican spot, Campeche, is a wonderful late afternoon stop with an awesome outdoor eating area. I LOVE ceviche, guacamole, salsa and chips! This is a great spot for all these, plus their margaritas are wonderful too. We decided to have a little of each and some close friends joined us too, so plenty of room for a bowl of Pozole too. This place has the BEST Pozole but it’s not available all the time. When we stop and they are serving it… I have to have it! I doctor it up with all the trimmings, which makes an amazing bowl of YUM! Their special guacamole is also to die for, so If you ever find yourself in Galena, you have to stop…
Another favorite drive spot is Potosi, Wisconsin! The Potosi Brewery is such a fun spot to have a flight of beer too. The restaurant is located in an old original renovated Brewery building where you can take a tour and check out the old beer artifacts before or after you taste their beer. My hubby’s favorite is their Summer Shanty, with a lemonade twist… perfect for a hot summer day. They also make old fashioned root beer as well. I love getting a beer flight, as then you get to taste most of their varieties, in a great old school bar too! Besides the beer, the food is very tasty. Their pulled pork made with their own root beer is wonderful and perfect for sharing…leaving room for more eating further down the road!
Chicago!!
Chicago is a spot we visit at least once a month for plays, Cub games or just enjoying the city! We have our favorite neighborhood spots, but are always searching for new places too!
When in the city for a weekend we try to find a new spot each time which is difficult with so many choices! We wandered up to Replay in Andersonville with a friend on a hot day in June. They have 26 beers taps with a constant rotating craft beer lineup. Perfect outdoor seating area took us out of the sun and provided a perfect venue for a wonderful dinner! Your entrée selection is served with your choice of two sides. Hubby had BBQ Ribs, half a rack, grilled with an amazing bourbon sauce and seasoned fries. Meat was fall off the bone good! Our friend had the Roasted Chicken, a quarter chicken served with roasted potatoes. I had a tough decision, but chose the Pesto Chicken Wrap and sweet potato fries. Enough yummy fries for an entire family! Such a wonderful combination of grilled chicken, fresh spinach and pesto… wasn’t disappointed and took over half home for later.
We of course ate at Sapori Trattoria at least twice over the course of the summer… can’t stay away! It’s our favorite Italian restaurant in Lincoln Park. During the summer they have an outdoor eating area and they open all the windows to create a wonderful accompaniment to their amazing food! My hubby and I often share a meal, if we can decide on only one. Usually depends on if we are going home right away with leftovers, as the portions are generous. This time we shared a Caesar Salad and their Homemade Meat Lasagna. As you can see, half a portion of lasagna is almost too much to eat! Since we were celebrating our 13th anniversary, we were treated to their tiramisu too! Wonderful lace to celebrate our special day!
When in Chicago I must have sushi! Our little town doesn’t have Japanese fare within 20 miles, so I always talk my hubby into lunch at Jai Yen in Lakeview. During the week they have a lunch special where I order two spicy sushi rolls and miso soup and my hubby loves their chicken fried rice with soup… as he’s not a sushi lover! Such a delicious lunch and a great deal… within walking distance too and BYOB.
Sunday Night Pizza… everywhere I go!
Every week there is a Sunday and even when we’re out of town we must have pizza! You will see a variety of pizza types and see if you can figure out our favorite toppings! Our favorite Uptown, Chicago location is Michael’s Original Pizzeria & Tavern! We love their crispy crust as well as the Chicago-style deep dish… always a tough choice. My hubby also loves the 30 flat screen TVs… many a Cub game is watched here too. Besides pizza their burgers and Italian beef sandwiches are amazing as well. With a basket of fries of course!
When we are in the mood for a artisan pizza, we head for Stella Barra Pizzeria in Lincoln Park, Chicago. Here you can watch them make pizza crusts and the aroma is heavenly. They have a great selection of appetizers and their fried calamari is one of our favorites. Delicately crispy and served with marinara… delicious! Then we share a medium sausage and onion pizza with fresh mozzarella. Perfect combination… gooey cheese, crispy crust… sausage is slightly spicy and flavorful! Sooo good….
One Sunday we ventured in the Vette to Sunset Ridge Winery in Iowa for outdoor music and libations! Little did we know their pizza would be our take out dinner after an afternoon of music & wine. Their pizza was great and loaded with sausage, onions and green olives. Perfect solution for dinner on a warm August night! Who wants to cook when it’s almost 90?
Mid-August found us visiting family and strolling the Cleveland Zoo! Sunday dinner was of course pizza outside of the city, in Crocker Park, Ohio. Burntwood Tavern provided the best wood fired pizza with sausage, pepperoni and sliced pickled hot peppers! My hubby wasn’t too excited about the peppers, but I found them a heavenly pizza topping… worth every bite! Happy hour too so half price beverages.
Mickey Finn’s Brewery in Libertyville, IL hosted another family Sunday Pizza extravaganza! Perfect venue to watch Sunday football with beverage specials to boot. Luckily we got there before the crowd and enjoyed salad, Bloody Mary’s & brews! Was excited to get our sausage, onion and green olive pizza half price too…
Every Sunday we were in Galena this summer found us at Woodstone for wood fired pizza! Also, some nights were buy one get one free too, so great pizza at a great price is a sure winner. We have so many favorites from Hawaiian with Canadian bacon, onion and pineapple, to Meat Lovers … to an occasional artichoke, spinach and onion. Never a bad combination with plenty of leftovers! I consider pizza a healthy food as you can get almost all the food groups in one meal… if you watch the fatty meats. Gotta be able to splurge at least once a week too!