Dinner in Chicago

Since moving to Chicago, I've reconnected with a few good friends from college - one of which shares an inner love of food and has now become my partner in crime for trying restaurants around town. We've made it a point to have dinner at least once a month when our schedules coordinate properly.

On our recent Monday night dinner catch up, we tried West Town Tavern on W. Chicago. This place is unassuming from the outside, but it definitely had a neighborhood restaurant feel on the inside. I had the special of the day which was Fried Chicken and V had the trout. The chicken was crispy on the outside but tender and juicy on the inside. The garlic mash potatoes were to die for and the gravy and biscuit melt in your mouth. The trout had crispy skin on the outside but the fish was juicy and flavorful. I would definitely go back and try a few of the other dishes.

Bienvenue en Louisiane

The hubby and I went back to NOLA to visit for jazz fest. We definitely had a great time with the live music and late nights we were out. And as a foodie, I was reunited with all the foods that make me go gaga. We ate boiled crawfish, crawfish bread, crawfish monica, cochon du lait poboys, shrimp poboys, hugely insane burgers with overstuffed baked potatoes, raw gulf oysters, and a seafood meal at Jacques-Imo's Cafe.

My inner fat kid came out, and I think that I probably gained a few from the trip, but no regrets and tons of memories. Below is a sampling of the meal we had at Jacques-Imo's Cafe. It's called Godzilla meets Fried Green Tomatoes. It was a beast, and I conquered it. The soft shell crab was tender and juicy and the fried green tomatoes gave it just enough tang and flavor. Definitely give it a go if you're in town. That place is one of my all time faves.