The queens of brunch go to Old Town

Brunch is the most fun meal of the day, especially when enjoyed with friends and family.

This past weekend we decided to catch up with Sofie’s uncles Jason and Andrew. They suggested we try a place called Nookies located at the north end of Wells Street in Old Town.

Happy Sofie with uncle Jason

The restaurant had three separate rooms. I was glad that we got seated in the back with all the other families. It took away any concern of disturbing our table neighbors with Sofie’s enthusiastic attempts to “talk”.

The menu was filled with a lot of delicious offerings. I ordered the egg-white veggie omelet, and Matt got the banana walnut waffles. May I just say that this was the best veggie omelet I’ve ever had! Light and fluffy, with an abundance of variety of veggies, this delicious omelet was big enough for two meals. 

By the time we were leaving, the line of poeple was out the door. I would suggest getting there by 9 a.m., if you’d like to get seated right away. But if you have an early raiser munchkin like us, you do that anyway.

Here is the link to Nookies website.

What’s better that 2 for 1

This past Sunday Sofie, myself and our family had a big reason to celebrate. Sofie’s uncle officially became a Master of Arts in Marriage & Family Counseling. Thank god people like him! The world needs more of them. I’m so proud of Sofie’s uncle.

His “rite of passage” ceremony was in one of my most favorite places in Chicago- the  Chicago Theater. 

I just love that sign

Just like most of the public buildings downtown, the theater was accessible for wheelchairs and strollers. However, we had to check-in Sofie’s stroller with the nice lady at the coat check.

Sofie and I made a quick bathroom check and, just as expected, it was nice and spacious.

After the ceremony we went to a celebratory lunch at a Italian restaurant in River North called Maggiano’s. Talk about big portions! No, talk about double portions. This place actually gives you a second order of their signature pasta dishes to take home. You could even mix and match. What a steal!! 

Ready to go home

And the chocolate cake was as big as Sofie! Seriously, how does this place stay in business.

The portions were not only large, but everything was absolutely delicious. Piece of advise from me, do not wear snug-fitting clothes if you go there. 

The “icing on the cake” was the service. I haven’t seen such a helpful and caring group of people in a long time. We had two strollers with us (yes, Sofie has a munchkin cousin), which the hostess parked by her station. Our waiter brought those crafty stands to set the two car seats atop, right next to the table, so the lil ones could be a part of the celebration.

I’m not usually the family-style Italian restaurant type of girl, but this one certainly is one of the good ones. I love the neighborhood as well, so being located on the corner of Clark and Grand puts it within the range of my comfort zone.

Here is the link to Maggiano’s website. Hope to see you all there!

Brazilian dinner in Chicago

Hello, everyone!

One good thing about having a newborn is that you get to see your whole family. Like it, or not, they are bound to come by for the “meet the baby” visit.

In my case, I have to admit, I like it very much. This past weekend my sister came in for a quick visit. After her promised 24 hour marathon of holding Sofie and endless kisses, we decided to go out to dinner.

My sister lives in London with her family, but currently is in San Francisco for her husband’s two-year work engagement. Needless to say, finding a place to impress her with, was a mini-challenge. Luckily, we live in a city known for its restaurant scene. 

 Sleepy Sofie

“Fogo de Chao” is a Brazilian steakhouse in the River North neighborhood. If you are a major carnivore, but haven’t gone to a Brazilian steakhouse, you have got to go! They do not joke about grilled flesh on a long skewers. For a flat price of about $50 you get access to the salad bar, unlimited sides, and all you can eat meat, brought to your table side on demand.

When we arrived with Sofie in a stroller, they were extremely accommodating to the fact that we required more space. On a Saturday night, the place was full with couples and families with kids of all ages.

We got seated immediately at a table in the corner of the dining room, so the stroller was not in the way, and people did not bump into it constantly. Sofie liked that very much :).

I am pescetarian which, although it sounds like a weird religion, just means that I don’t eat meat, but I eat seafood and fish. I had to dine on the salad bar and the side dishes brought to the table. 

After two shameless trips to the salad bar, one strawberry caipirinha, and a few bites of fried polenta and bananas.  I was as happy as could be. I am not afraid to say that this is, hands down, the best salad bar in all of Chicago. It was beautifully presented, with a bountiful of delicious salads, veggies, cheeses, and charcuterie. 

A little rule I have is, when in a steakhouse, always order a dessert. They always have the most delicious desserts. And “Fogo de Chao” did not disappoint. After a  Tres Leches and a Chocolate Mousse Cake (both shared between my husband, sister, and I), we were stuffed to the nines, and ready to call it the night. 

“Fogo de Chao” made my  “absolute favorites” list. If you haven’t had the pleasure to dine the Brazilian way, you have to do it at least once in a lifetime. Take a look at the website for locations. 

Obrigado!

TGIF

I love having lunch in the middle of a work day, especially when the weather is gorgeous. My husband had the day off today, so we decided to take Sofie out to a leisurely  lunch.

The destination of choice was this little casual Italian spot in the Gold Coast neighborhood, called  Go Roma. Oh, yes! Delicious! If you haven’t been there, I highly recommend it.

The Tuscan salad is amazing, and the pizza crust is probably my most favorite ever. They also serve beer and wine, so we had to take advantage of that.

The restaurant had plenty of stroller space available. Sofie actually got the best seat in the house, right by the window, so she could watch people walking up and down State Street.

Oh, yes. Another little detail. The bathroom was nicely equipped for a quick diaper change.

Perfetto!