Savor the Flavor

This week I traveled to Savor the Flavor, a little restaurant gem that I have been dying to try ever since I happened by it. The concept behind the establishment in brilliant...grilled cheese, ice cream and coffee. What else could anyone really need?

Now usually when I get myself all psyched up to try a new restaurant I tend to leave a little disappointed, or at least realizing it was not what I had expected it to be. To my pleasure, Savor the Flavor was exactly what I expected!

It had a very relaxed/comfortable, hole-in-the-wall type of feel that worked well with all the mis-matched, worn-in furniture strewn throughout the place. Of course it didn't hurt the vibe they gave off by having Nora Jones playing the background.

The restaurants walls were covered with purchasable art and from local artists, which is a great concept in my opinion. I personally LOVED the one in the white frame on the left side in the picture above. If it hadn't been $250 I might have ran away with it.

Oh, and did I mention that they had a whole collection of well-loved board games to play while waiting for your food?

Yummy grilled cheese. I had mine made with cheddar and swiss with tomato on wheat bread. Savor the Flavor lets you create your own grilled cheese by choosing from a variety of breads, cheeses and toppings to customize your sandwich to your liking.

Ice cream. One of my all-time favorite treats. I had the Moosetracks. I would have taken a picture of it for you but unfortunately for me, i was quicker at eating the ice cream than my hands were with the camera...oh well. :)

Here Comes the Sun...

Which means it's time to FINALLY break out those sunglasses! I've been scanning the latest issues of all my favorite fashion sites/magazines to determine what the latest trend is in eye-wear and I'm pleased to see that plastic-framed sunglasses are going to be a big seller this season. I'm loving this trend because they come in a lot of bright, fun colors and shapes that that make it easy to spice up a spring outfit. Also, because their seems to be a variety of these shades at different price levels, which is always helpful when it comes to the bank account :)

Below are the links to a few that have made my wish list with my favorite being a pair of Ray Ban's that have a map of the NY City subway on the inside (pictured right). I've been told that their are similar one's with a map of the Chicago "L" but I haven't been able to find them yet. But if anyone else has heard about these and/or knows where to get them, please let me know! Happy Shopping!

Ray-Ban 'Classic Wayfarer' Sunglasses in Red/Subway $159

Retrosun Vintage Palomo Picasso Sunglasses in Yellow $220

Tory Burch Wide-Arm Plastic Sunglasses in Tortoise $145

Carrera Plastic Hippy Glasses in Red $98

ASOS Flip Frame Sunglasses in Black $20.51

Color in Optics Women's Metal Sunglasses in Turquoise $110

Betsey Johnson Women's Bj 247 Resin Glasses in Raven $65

Urban Outfitters Thick Plastic Frame Sunglasses in Purple $10

DMK

For anyone that lives in Chicago, or any big city for that matter, you probably know what its like to be spoiled with endless restaurant options all around you. That's not to say they are all amazing options, though. Even in this great city, I have found, and unfortunately eaten in, several restaurants that should be avoided by anyone having more than six taste buds. Now, I do not claim to be a food editor of any kind (although, I wouldn't mind being one), but I do appreciate restaurants that are willing to create an experience for their customers by putting their own unique style and flare on their food. That being said, after a series of some disappointing restaurant choices as of late, a friend of mine and I decided to pay a visit to a place that we knew wouldn't let us down in the culinary department: DMK.

DMK is a burger bar in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood that is, without question, one of my favorite "go-to" restaurant's in Chicago. Their menu is small but affordable with only 13 unique burger options that are all priced at $8.00. They also have a variety of speciality french fries ranging from sweet potato with lemon aioli dipping sauce (my favorite) to salt and pepper fries with a chipotle ketchup. YUM!

Cute beer glasses (they have an extensive variety of beers on tap) and cupcakes that are available at the bar

DMK has also been rated as having some of Chicago's best macaroni and cheese

(pictured above)

Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Starbucks Cup

Does everyone remember when Starbucks used to print The Way I See It quotes from those individuals deemed "influential" by our society on their signature white with green kinda-unsettling looking mermaid—if you look too closely cups? Well, I do and I LOVED them. I know it sounds a little naive and/or short-sighted to say that I learned everything that I need to know from a Starbucks cup, but it's more or less true. The fact is, I probably had already learned a majority of the lessons and guidance that were provided to me through the medium of the cup, but that doesn't make them any less valid in my opinion. And yes, maybe some of the quotes really didn't apply to me or were a little more abstract than I was hoping for when I would make an excuse to venture over to Starbucks and pay my $3.50 for a quote. Regardless, I still loved them.

For instance, the quote in the image below...A LITTLE too intense for me. I'm all about helping other women sure, but I don't need to be threatened to do it at 7:30 a.m.

However, there was a time in my life where I was just out of sorts and really was looking for some (reformation ?... maybe reinforcement?) that everything what going to be okay. I had asked my friend Emily to meet me at our local Starbucks to discuss the inevitable decline of all things related to my life i.e...

Why do my professors expect me to come to class when it's sunny out?

Why does "boy that I shouldn't care about that much because he only calls me after midnight on the weekends" not pay more attention to me?

Where should we go on Spring Break this year?

If I buy a pair of True Religion jeans this week, will I have enough money in my budget to still make it to Happy Hour on Friday?

...you know, the REALLY important and pressing issues in life. :)

But, let's get back on topic...

While, at said Starbucks with my wonderful friend who was willing to listen to me complain about things that in hindsight matter very little, I got the best quote/advice I have ever received on my coffee cup. In fact I liked it so much I saved the cup, cut out the quote and tacked in to my bulletin board in my apartment and still have it up to this day. I love it for it's simplistic yet profound message that I try to keep with me always.

The quote reads as follows:

"I have faith.

Faith in our wondrous capacity for hope and good, love and trust, healing and forgiveness.

Faith in the blessing of our infinite ability to wonder, question, pray, feel, think and learn.

I have faith.

Faith in the infinite possibilities of the human spirit."

~James Brown~

So, Starbucks, I know you have your "we still mix it up by creating new cups for the different seasons" thing going on, but The Way I See It you should re-install your quote cups because as pretty as the holiday cups may be to look at, I have a hard time using what's printed on them to hypothesize about/analyze my own life, and I think if I'm making the effort to come in early/cranky/sleepy I should be given a little more than coffee for my experience. I mean what do you think I'm paying you for? I'm only kidding...sort of :)

Reel Me In

There's nothing I love more about rainy days than curling up in bed with a good movie. Although, when I say good movie I guess I should clarify. I don't really mean "good" in reference to a thought-provoking literary work that could be considered art in its own right. I'm more referring to the guilty pleasure chick-flick and/or terrible comedy that I shouldn't be willing to admit that I would actually watch. These types of movies are great because they don't force you to pay too close attention to the plot lines because, let's be honest, they aren't that difficult to follow: Boy meets girl. Boy falls for girl. Boy messes up things with girl. Boy makes up for his mistakes with a grand gesture. Boy and girl get back together.

As basic as these films seem to be, I still go back to them time and time again as my "go to" movies. They serve as a really good distraction from the laundry piled up in the corner of my room that needs to be done, the flashing light on my email inbox reminding me I have a few too many emails that I should respond to, and the lonely gym shoes staring at me from my closet that are begging to be used. Now, of course I'm not advocating to turn to a trashy flick as an escape from all the responsibilities that come with life, but in my opinion, it doesn't hurt to use them as a quick-fix to a stressful day every once in awhile.

My "Go-To" Movie List:

He's Just Not That Into You (2009)

The Princess Bride (1987)

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

P.S. I Love You (2007)

Love Actually (2003)

The Breakfast Club (1985)

Caddy Shack (1980)

Shakespeare in Love (1998)

Office Space (1999)

Animal House (1978)

Summer Scarves

Some girls love sunglasses and some love purses. Frankly, I love both, but when it comes to an accessory that I simply can't live without my thoughts instantly turn to scarves.

I have always loved the fall/winter season because it meant I could wear scarves every day to make a seemingly bland outfit more interesting. I would take a plain white t-shirt with jeans (bland) and instantly jazz it up with a colorful scarf. In fact, anyone who knows me will probably tell you that I will try to incorporate a scarf into every outfit that I wear, sometimes unsuccessfully of course. Like the time I thought it would be a good idea to wear a winter scarf to an outdoor football tailgate party that, in my defense was in October, but was also about 30 degrees too hot for a scarf. Result: I looked ridiculous. Solution: Summer scarves.

I love the plethora of new summer scarf designs that I'm already seeing as I do my morning stroll down Michigan Avenue on my way to work. (Yeah, I know it's pretty cool that my daily commute includes strolling along the entire stretch of Michigan Ave. It's great for fashion inspiration...bad for the budget though). The bright colors and playful designs remind me that warm weather is on the way a.k.a I better start stocking up on my go-to accessory before all the good styles sell out. I thought I'd pick a few of my favorites to share with you here:

Antik Batik - Venus Scarf : $185

Diane von Furstenberg - Pleated Petal Scarf : $145

Kate Spade -Pass the Shades Cotton Scarf : $95

Tolani - Scarf in Sea : $57

JCrew - Metallic Dot Wool Scarf : $55

BCBG Maxazria - Twill Cotton Scarf : $48 (Good basic that comes in some fun colors)

Anthropologie: Shadowed Vine Scarf : $28

Gap - Colorblock Striped Scarf : $17.99 (On sale)

Forever 21 - Cotton Mesh Scarf : $5.50

"Mulling" it over

This weekend I was finally able to visit Wishbone, a Southern-inspired eatery in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. The décor was warm and inviting with a playful color palette and an assortment of knickknacks, including an impressive array of Rooster figurines. The menu was filled with many of the Southern-comfort favorites you would expect, but I have to say that the real star of the meal was the mulled wine that my friend and I ordered. Now, I know that the name may sound less than appealing, but the beverage itself was spectacular. Filled with citrus and cinnamon undertones, the warm blend served as the perfect treat on yet another cold Chicago evening. (Yes, I’m aware that it is now March, but as anyone that lives in Chicago knows, it will still be winter until mid-April around here).

I wasn’t able to find Wishbone’s recipe for mulled wine but after prodding the waitress for the ingredients I scoured the internet using my incredible Google search skills to find one that I believe is a worthy substitute…

Mulled Wine Recipe

Ingredients
4 cups apple cider
1 (750-ml) bottle red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
1/4 cup honey
2 cinnamon sticks
1 orange, zested and juiced
4 whole cloves
3 star anise
4 oranges, peeled, for garnish

Directions
Combine the cider, wine, honey, cinnamon sticks, zest, juice, cloves and star anise in a large saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Pour into mugs, add an orange peel to each and serve.