Darling Christmas Clementines

Clementines, gold ceramic partridges, crystal candlesticks and deep green candles. This is what I've been working on. What do y'all think?

Clementines at Christmas is something that I learned here in the midwest. In North Carolina, we did cloves in oranges* -- I love this! It's what my Mema used to do, and it seems like something I would do here, but thinking about my poor little fingers being stuck by those cloves, well, ouch. And you'd be surprised how long it takes to make those little guys. So, clementines it is.

I'm not a big fan of Christmas-y holiday stuff, either... you know, the kind of things that you can only pull out 30 days of the year. That in no way means that I don't have a few Christmas-specific items -- I have a ton of vintage ornaments, um... in the basement. I think it's much simpler, elegant and economical to find beautiful things that you can use year-round. Between vintage haunts and new places, you can find really great things for a song. And just like an article of clothing's price per wear, an objet's "price per display" goes down dramatically if you love it and can use it more than once a year.

Natural decorations are great -- if I need a snack, just reach into the display. Refill as needed.

Here it is with day lighting --




*If you're being fancy, it's a "pomander".

Christkindl Market in Lincoln Square

Last Saturday -- yes, late post -- was the Christkindl Market in Chicago's Lincoln Square, a traditionally German enclave on the northside of the city (Lincoln Avenue between Montrose and Lawrence and its environs, if you're really wondering). There is a Christkindl Market in Daley Plaza (at the Picasso) as well, but I thought this would be more real -- and local is good.

Lincoln Avenue was beautiful, decorated with lots of twinkling white lights --



Merz Apothecary is a health and beauty wonderland! Homeopathic remedies, European skin care -- Lord it is good.

At Chicago's Brauhaus, they polka all night --

Once inside the tent, everyone makes a beeline for the food. Apple strudel (really good) and Julius Meinl coffee (it's Austrian, but whatever).




The band was great -- Captain Blood Orchestra (though I say "CBO") rocked 60s and 70s pop. Always a good show. Saw Mr and Ms Fab there, too.




And there was pretty spiffy fashion among the fleece and Uggs --



Love her hair with this plum scarf and hat.



I took this for the crowd -- and that fur hat in the center.



Nice hat! This guy was dapper.

And here's some more local flavor for the close --


Frohe Weihnachten!

To Quote :: "Welcome In!" (Club Lago is Back!)

It gives me more pleasure than you can imagine to say that one of my favorite Chicago spots is back! Club Lago has been around since the 1950s, and it is the quintessential Italian joint -- run by two of my favorite people: GianCarlo and Guido Nardini.

When you walk through the door -- it's adorned with a ship's wheel -- you'll hear the call of the Nardini brothers -- "Welcome In!"





Last spring a boiler exploded in an adjacent building, causing extreme damage to the place. Luckily, the explosion happened early in the morning, and no one was hurt. Read more about the damage and see pictures here.

Saturday morning through a completely random social media chain, I found out that Lago had reopened after six months of dormancy and rebuilding. I had to go.

I think that Lago's food is best described by an old coworker -- and Italian himself -- he said, "This how my [Italian] mother makes Italian food." Hearty, Italian comfort food.

When I arrived, I looked around, and I was so happy and full of joy. Every thing was the same. Except better. Luckily, the damage was mostly in the back of the house, so the front bar area was pretty much unchanged. All their little knick-knacks were there -- from the photo of the brothers as kids, to the "Women's Lib" plaque (a woman standing next to a man at a urinal -- ugh, don't ask!) -- and of course, a vintage portrait of Hizzoner Richard J. Daley (father of Chicago's current Hizzoner).

The painted plywood cut-outs of boats were back on the walls, as was the iconic lighthouse that shines a green light from above in the back of the restaurant. Even the big boat with sails that divides the bar and the dining room was intact (the mylar balloons were leftovers from a party the week before -- very festive!). The walls have always featured black and white portraits of regulars -- from the 80s I think -- and all the wood is painted the perfect Club Lago Capri red. Iconic. Iconic. Iconic. There is a depth to that red that I love!







I will tell you right now that I started to tear up.

Go, go, get thee to Club Lago -- and tell them At the Meadows sent you!

Welcome In!

:::

Visit Club Lago online here.
Join Lago's Facebook group here.

Running Hot and Cold

Eating with real silver adds so much to the gastronomic experience*. I find that particularly with cold foods -- ice cream is ideal -- the chill travels up the utensil to your fingertips. The first time I felt it was the first time ever that I actually felt "connected" to my food, that it was actually an experience rather than just a taste thing -- it was a heightened multi-sensory experience.

It works with hot foods as well, but I think the cold is more pronounced. Try it -- besides, it is truly an elegant way to dine, with your silver. And it gets better with use.

Find out about the mug at its original post here.


*(25¢ bonus for "gastronomic")

Bin 36

Chicago's famous Marina City through the window (otherwise known as the "corncob buildings of Wilco cover art and Steve McQueen movies). Had a delicious prosecco and a cheese flight with a couple of DAR ladies.





The end of the cheese flight:

To Quote :: "The Best, Jerry -- The Best!!"

While in New York I had the pleasure of dining at Compass on the Upper West Side. The menu features seafood, and my red snapper was delish. But the end-all was the dessert by Executive Pastry Chef Jerry Thornton ("J.T." on the whites): an interpretation of classic s'mores, but for a decidedly adult palate. Envision chocolate mousse and toasted marshmallow ice cream on crushed graham cracker with a cinnamon-bourbon foam. My God it was good. To quote Kenny Bania à la Seinfeld, "The best, Jerry -- the best!!"

Visit Compass here.

The image above doesn't do it justice, it's just a quick shot! Trust me. Get the s'mores.

Love :: The Secret of Southern Cooks

Best. Mayonnaise. Ever.

Dukes Mayonnaise is so good that whenever I drive down to NC, I bring back a jar of this fantastic stuff. I recently connected with a cousin of mine (my mother's 81-year-old first cousin who just got rid of his motorcycle last year) and told him this fact during the course of our conversation. Not three days later did a USPS flat-rate box appear at my mail box with this hefty 48-oz jar of Dukes rolling around inside.

You cannot imagine how happy this surprise made me on that run of the mill Thursday. I emailed him to say thanks, and his reply was, "Let me know when you are running low."

Thanks Jimmie!

Now That's What I'm Talking About.

Now this -- THIS is what I've been talking about! I have been wanting to try 12 Bones in Asheville, NC for a long time, and this week I finally had the opportunity to go. The barbeque was just right -- Eastern NC style (as in little to no vinegar-based sauce), even though we are decidedly in Western NC here. They do have an array of sauces you can add to your pulled pork or pulled chicken (they have ribs, too). Of course, my go-to order item for lunch is the pulled pork sandwich, and this one did not disappoint!

My brother recommends the green beans and corn pudding (which was more "country" than what I usually have in corn pudding -- think paté de campagne vs fois gras -- a little chunkier and "rough"). Add a big glass of sweet tea (those are not my sweetner packets -- I'm anti- fake sweetner), and you have it made!

My personal favorite of the 12 Bones sauces:




And a little taste of Chicago:



Let's face it, our President knows where to get good vittles. The line was out the door the whole time we were there. 12 Bones is only open for lunch!



I promise: Last barbeque post for a while. I've had my fill for now. I seriously need to add a tag on the blog sidebar for this topic -- I had no idea that I thought that this was one of the things that "makes life great". But, there you go.

Love :: "I Have My Sources"

Today I had the pleasure of having coffee with my friend E.

I was telling her about At The Meadows and explaining the concepts of "my haunts" (see sidebar if you're not in the know), she told me her mother's solution to the age-old question:

"Where did you get that?"

Her response: "I have my sources." (with a sly smile, I imagine!)


And the fabu cake we enjoyed at the Viennese coffee parlor:

Looks pretty good --

Oh but those hushpuppies were dense! Like little breaded super bounce balls.

Kitty and I made a barbecue run on Saturday between haunts -- to Sweet Baby Ray's restaurant. They say their BBQ sauce is "the boss" -- and it is good if you like the red stuff (on chicken, I would say).



But I dragged Kitty out to try an Eastern NC style sandwich. Kitty was raised in Chicago, so this was exotic! And I was ready to give this Chicagoland sandwich a try.

Points for having the slaw on the sandwich when it arrived. I did have to add some extra sauce, to really get a good vinegar taste, but all in all, not a bad sandwich. I had been jonesing for this for two weeks, so I'm sure I am being generous, but happy to do so (before our visit, I was on the verge of calling Kings in Kinston). As I mentioned, the hushpuppies were hard and dense. And get this -- they charge $2.49 for four puppies. I sweet-talked them for gratis, though. Good thing, since they were not up to House-Autry snuff! And no sweet tea, of course.

I was happy to just have a little bit of sandwich to taste and review... worth the drive for this Chicago-southerner. Sweet Baby Ray's is serving Eastern NC style barbecue during the month of June, so check it out for yourself and share your thoughts!

The Hog Highway

Since I posted last week about my recent cravings for some Eastern NC barbeque, I have been seeing it everywhere. Maybe there is something to asking the universe for what you want! Since I posted this, I have had the following things come to me:

1) My June/July Garden & Gun just arrived, and it features an article on the best barbeque joints of Eastern NC. (Ayden has two!)
2) America's Test Kitchen showed how to make it at home... specifically, sandwiches with slaw! My favorite!
3) The Sweet Baby Ray's restaurant in Elk Grove Village, IL is featuring Eastern NC barbeque all month! Check it out here. My expectations aren't very high, but I am desperate.

I am trying to go next weekend, and I will report back on how the Illinois version of NC barbeque goes... apparently there will be hush puppies as well!

Absinthe, Chocolate and Minnies

Last night I attended a little soiree for the opening of Vosges' wine bar service at its Armitage shop. I always love a good Vosges event -- remember? Haunt-Chocolate. Everything is so rich and wonderful -- signature purple is everywhere and the place exudes a worldly vibe.



Mr and Ms Fab* and I headed straight to the back for a glass of prosecco, and Sam (check out that suit -- talk about dandy-glam!) treated us to a brand-new Vosges creation. It's a "Rock 'n Roll" interpretation from their Groove collection, and it's a dark chocolate truffle with clove ganache that has some kind of Brazilian smoked tobacco infusion. Forgive me, Vosge-ies for not describing it exactly right or eloquently, but I am not a foodie. (I'm a lover not a foodie... I don't analyze.) To get to it: This truffle was amazing. Amazing.

But what's next:



There is ABSINTHE. I have never had absinthe before. In fact, about the only knowledge of the green fairy that I have is from watching Ewan McGregor in Moulin Rouge. Sam demonstrated how to serve it -- from pouring to sugar with water drops, to adding more water and ice -- it was quite a production. And after all that, I have to say that I am not a fan. Loved the demo, the drink, not so much. The licorice flavor is just too much for me. Back to prosecco I went.



In addition to the Rock 'n Roll truffle, we sampled the Chef Pascal (one of my favorites), the Red Fire (with chili pepper -- num) and the Woolloomooloo truffle. I can never pronounce that one.

After all this decadence, we headed off to Minnies on Halsted for a quick nosh before home with our chocolate purchases (I decided on Red Fire Chocolate-Covered Tortilla Chips). What a night. Loved being with you, Mr and Ms Fab!

*as in Fab Four, you know

Castaway for an Hour

Ahoy mateys!

It's finally sunny in Chicago today, and Mr Interior had the great idea to head down to Castaways at North Avenue beach for lunch. I was amazed at the number of people in the water! If you know Lake Michigan, then you know that the water is freezing until mid-August, and even then it's iffy. No gulf stream here, babies.

PS :: That waitress in the red tank top was totally rocking out to the tunes.

Wish List :: Bar-B-Q King

It's Sunday, and I have a hankering for a visit to the barbeque place. Alas, none here in Chicago. Oh, they can call it "Carolina pulled pork", but it's messy and doused in red sticky sauce, but that is not my barbeque. Shredded pork with clear vinegar "sauce" is what I like -- Eastern NC style. The photo above was taken during a road trip with Mama. We were traveling from Asheville to Charlotte and decided to take the business route into Lincolnton for lunch.

Luckily we found the Bar-B-Q King. Everything you ever wanted in a barbeque place. Good, fast and low-key. Every table had a bottle of ketchup, a roll of paper towels (the kitchen-Bounty variety), salt/pepper and a a bottle of Texas Pete. This place is pretty far west, but is on the geographical edge, so to speak, of where barbeque goes from shredded to sliced and sauce goes from "clear" to red. It was a great lunch. And the tea was pretty good, too. (I have a friend whose mother says that a place's sweet tea is the only real way to judge a restaurant.)

Somewhere I have the card of a barbeque place that overnights food. I need that card. I'll make tea today -- halfway there.

Love :: Tea Time

Tea time is a great way to connect with people. I have a group of friends who go out to tea fairly often, but I think it's great to entertain this way at home. A simple flower arrangement, a menu of savory and sweet tidbits -- and of course great tea -- make for a convivial atmosphere. Such a delight!

I prefer to send invitations to tea in the mail. Each invitation includes my monogram and the invitation "Please come to tea", along with the pertinent details and reply information.

A few more details:
Earl Grey with Lavender tea (served in these), and three courses, always served in this order: savory tea sandwiches, scones with strawberry preserves and clotted cream, and sweets (baby eclairs, fruit tarts, petit fours, palmiers -- and a sea salt caramel). My good friend S made the comment that the palmiers complement the teapots -- elephant ears. So true!

Tea may look fancy, but it's really not. I hope that everyone had a great time!

Okay. I need a baby eclair. Last. One.

Love :: A Chicago Hot Dog Stand

Down south I was used to getting a hot dog on a steamed bun with ketchup and slaw. They would run you out of town on a rail if you tried that order in Chicago. On a Chicago dog: mustard, onions, sweet pickle relish that is a very unnatural shade of green, tomato slices, hot peppers, a dill pickle spear and celery salt -- all this is usually piled into a poppy seed bun. Never ketchup (back to that rail). And there isn't even slaw on in the fixin' line-up.

I was inspired to visit Bill's Drive-In after seeing "The Hot Dog Show" on PBS for the upteenth time, even though I have heard that these are different owners from the "Bill" of yore. And, technically, it's in Evanston (but about 50 ft north of the Chicago border). I had a dog all the way -- just no peppers. Hot dog, eh. All the 'yelps' rave about the burgers -- next time.

Haunting :: Moravian Cookies

A little bit of Winston-Salem! These are traditional cookies -- "the world's thinnest cookie" -- made in the old Moravian communities of colonial days. We used to have these with coffee after the Moravian Christmas Eve service. I picked up the Spice Cookies and the Key Lime variety. I like the traditional, but the Key Lime could be great for a summer tea.

PS :: They had cheese straws too! Don't get me started on cheese straws -- too good.

Find out more about the Old Salem Moravian community here, and more about the cookies themselves here. Enjoy!

One for Me, One for You

What do I give people who don't need a thing? I head to my go-to chocolate haunt: Vosges Haut-Chocolat on Armitage in Chicago. Maybe I'll start calling it "Haunt-Chocolat". Not only is it superior chocolate, but the deep purple packaging is so, so beautiful.

At the shop I treated myself to some Red Fire ice cream -- I had never tried it before, but I love the Aztec collection truffles and the Red Fire toffee and tortilla chips. Let's just say it delivered. It was fantastic. Vosges serves it in a take-out container -- another signature packaging move.

And for the gift, a nine-piece box of the springtime Fleurs collection truffles for my sister who is graduating with her Masters. A wow sursie for Mother's Day, too.

Cinco de Mayo :: Chicago History Museum

It was a full-on fiesta at the Chicago History Museum last night! We celebrated Cinco de Mayo in style: kickin' Mariachis, perfect margaritas and homemade guacamole from Adobo Grill, and a tequila and chocolate pairing with truffles from my favorite place for chocolate: Vosges Haut Chocolat. We were treated to the Ancho Chili truffle from Vosges' Aztec collection -- very, very delicious -- and complex!

In addition to those kickin' Mariachis, we were also treated to Mexican 80s pop. As explained to me by the music's owner, "It's kind of like a Mexican Duran Duran or Bananarama, but definitely not like a Mexican Britney Spears."



Thank you very much, C, for inviting me! After the museum event, we ambled over to Adobo Grill for more guacamole, more margaritas, and tamales, enchiladas and ceviche. Delicioso.