Uncommon Ground, with an Old Friend

Alexa & Jenn January 27, 2010

Alexa and I have been friends since middle school – we have the kind of friendship which allows us to pick up right where we left off. So, even after attending different colleges (but joining the same sorority – we're sisters now) we find ourselves living a short distance away form each other in the city and grabbing dinner every few months. The freezing temps and snowfall couldn’t stop us from checking out Uncommon Ground in Wrigleyville (3800 N Clark) and catching up on life, family and boys!

The warm and cozy feeling embraces you when you walk into this Chicago hot spot! Equip with a fireplace and wall to wall eye catching artwork, it was easy to warm up and unwind (but if that doesn’t do it for you try their $6 whiskey drinks, the Wednesday Special). We did manage to fit in some eating between all our gabbing – this organic inspired restaurant offers a wide variety of delicious options. We started with the Crispy Wild Mushroom Roll which was complemented by their house guacamole; this dish was filled with a fresh flavor and goodness (we loved this tasty treat)! I totally want to go back to try their Baked Organic Spinach & Goad Cheese Dip; the table next to us ordered it and it looked delightful. For our main dish we split the Pumpkin Ravioli with creamy sage brown butter, Gorgonzola and toasted hazelnuts. This dish is rich but the mixture of these bold savory flavors are absolutely mouth watering. As we continued chatting we had a cup of coffee and indulged in a S'Mores Tart – a chocolate ganache, bruleed homemade marshmallow with a graham cracker crust (mmmm, so good).

Uncommon Ground is a must try! Their laid back atmosphere and friendly service is perfect for any occasion; especially if you want to catch up with an old friend.

Jenn

Big Jones - Andersonville southern cuisine

Januraury 21, 2010

First stop, Big Jones . Mer, AJ, Nate, Susan, Matt and I headed to Andersonville for dinner to try some coastal southern cuisine. The ladies and I enjoyed the decor however we all indulged in an array of fabulous treats. It is always a pleasure to dine with those who are willing to try anything; we of course ordered the fried green tomatoes (we couldn't resist), the cheddar herb croquettes (super yummy) and for something a little different we went with the sugarcane cured pork belly. Be sure to ask for the pepper jelly; it isn't on the menu but it is a little taste of heaven and compliments the cornbread perfectly. These items started our night off right. For our main entrees we each had something different. We concluded there wasn't a bad item on the menu, everything was delicious and the service was accommodating. It was truly a shame we didn't save room for the red velvet cake which they bake in the oven while you wait - might have to go back just to try it . Overall, the eats at Big Jones were fabulous and I will speak for all of us when I say we would go back(perhaps for brunch)!

Nate wins best presentation of the night with his Peach Tea-Infused Pork Chops.

Matt wins best microbrew selection for his Pabst Blue Ribbon. Who knew heaven could fit in a 12oz bottle?



Thanks to those who joined us, for the great company and inspiring us to blog....

Matt and Jenn

How It All Began....

Matt and I love to try new restaurants and living in Chicago makes our options endless! This year for Christmas, Matt bought me the A La Card deck of cards for Chicago (if you live in Chicago you should definitely think about investing); for $30 you receive a deck of 52 cards, each being a $10 off coupon for a different restaurant. I was excited to see the list of the 2010 restaurants, mainly because we haven't had the pleasure of dining in the majority of hot spots. So, our adventure begins with a goal of venturing to each and every restaurant in the deck by the end of the year (when the cards expire). We'll dine together, we'll dine with friends, or we'll dine with family. Either way, we'll enjoy great food with great company. We hope you will join us on our adventure through Chicago's tour of restaurants from Smoque to Sushi Wabi.

Jenn and Matt