Social Butterfly Chicago

Crust

If I could get away with eating pizza every day, I would.  Unfortunately, or maybe luckily, I'm too vain and care about what my waistline looks like.  But I do love to indulge every so often, and when I do, I want it to be worth it.  Pizza, among junk food junkies and pure foodists alike, is the food of the gods.  I say this because you can top a pizza with just about anything, and it will be awesome.

Crust Wicker Park illustrates this perfectly by pairing the not so ordinary ingredients with light, organic crust to make even the harshest critic smile.   The combinations are unusual and loaded with flavor.  But they don't just do pizza well-they do everything well.

Dining out with a group of friends, we started with a featured drink called St. Germaine Summer Punch.  It was concocted with of course, St. Germaine, strawberry nectar, sauvignon blanc, fresh ginger, fresh lemon squeeze and soda water.  Cool, fruity and light, it was the perfect cocktail for a warm summer evening.  Crust also has a good size beer list, and almost all the wines and liquors that they offer are produced using sustainable, organic, or bio-dynamic methods. 

For starters, we ordered the Chips and Mango Salsa, along with the Deconstructed Tapenade.  The salsa was sweet and had a little kick, and the tapenade was unique with carmelized onions and goat cheese in the mix.  Great beginning.

On to the pizza!  It was tough deciding, but we ended on getting two pizzas and a calzone, which we thought was a type of pizza, but actually is a calzone.  The Flamkuchen Pizza, with bechamel (white sauce), applewood smoked bacon (bacon makes everything better), carmelized onions, caraway seeds and parmigiano reggiano seems like an odd group, but it all worked wonderfully well together.  The Mexicali Blues had pico de gallo, shrimp, provolone, mozzarella, cilantro and lime, tasted like ceviche on flat bread-and all the flavors were distinguishable on their own, as well as blended.  Amazing, to say the least.  And the calzone was very good, although I'm not a huge fan of them, instead of being heavy and doughy, this one was light, a little crispy, and the fresh spinach and sausage were perfectly proportioned inside.  It was a great meal for foodies like us. 

We sat on the outside patio, which has trees and fairly lights hooked up to the tent that covers the area, making it festive and lovely.

The only thing that put a damper on the meal was our poor service.  I have been to Crust in the past, and it was nothing but the best.  So I hope that it was just an off night.  All in all, I have to say I will be back to try more of their one-of-a-kind, mouthwatering pizzas.  
                                                                                                                        

                                       
Crust

2056 W. Division
Chicago, IL 60622
773-235-5511

Sun - Thurs: 11:30am - 10pm
Fri - Sat: 11:30am - midnight

 Unfortunately, Crust has closed its doors.  No more wonderful pizza creations. 

Flying Saucer

 I love breakfast at a restaurant that knows how to do breakfast.  That's what I got when I stopped in at Flying Saucer in Humbolt Park.  Inside, it looks like a lunch counter/kitchen from the 1950's.  It has on old refrigerator like the one your grandmother probably had, right behind the counter, and a 1940's style radio above a shelf of all kinds of loose teas.  Earl Grey, Mint Cranberry and a host of others, perfect for your morning drink.  

Flying saucer has a vegan menu, but does offer bacon and sausage for people who prefer it with their meal.  They use local merchants whenever possible for their food, and they have quite a collection of local art on the wall.  It is a small, intimate place with loft like ceilings and exposed brick that draws an eclectic crowd.  It has little nostalgic nuances, such as cake domes on the counter, and those little mini cereal boxes that my grandparents use to buy for me.

Now, for the breakfast.  I had the special of the day, French Toast with Chocolate Sauce and Peanut Butter Ganache.  OMG, it was to just die for!  Bacon was good and crisp, and coffee was excellent.

Flying Saucer also serves lunch, which I am excited to go back and try!

Flying Saucer

1123 N California Avenue

Chicago, Il 60622

(773)342-9076

8am - 3pm Daily

Cash only

Irazu

  Irazu is the name of one of many volcanoes in Costa Rica.  Luckily for us, it is also a restaurant in Chicago that serves fabulous Costa Rican food.

Rafters and ceiling fans, wrought iron fixtures, golden yellow walls, one with a beautiful tropical mural painted by a local Chicago artist makes you feel as if you are sitting in a small restaurant in Central America.  It's no surprise, as Irazu is owned by the Cerdas family, who originated from Cartaga, Costa Rica.

Once seated, homemade tortilla chips and Lizano sauce are brought to the table.  Lizano sauce is a staple of Costa Rican fare, and is a non-spicy condiment, marinade and salsa.  The tortilla chips are super fresh, and have a slight sweet/salty taste, which the Lizano compliments perfectly.  I then ordered the Tilapia Tacos, and they were amazing.  The tortillas are made with corn flour instead of whole grain, which gives them a much smoother texture and flavor.  The tilapia was flavorful and tender, and not a hint of a fishy taste whatsoever.  My dish came with fried plantains (so good!), and Gallo Pinto, which is a blend of white rice, black beans and various spices.  So delicious, that the Gallo Pinto could be a meal all on its own.  And lastly, cabbage salad.  I have to say I'm not a fan of cabbage salad, but this one was quite tasty.

For dessert, I had an Avena (oatmeal) shake.  Sounds strange, I know, but it was recommended by my waiter, so I gave it a shot.  All I can say is "Delish".  Tastes like ice cream!  You can have it made with milk or soy, and I had mine with soy.

Irazu is a BYOB establishment, and all of their menu prices are quite reasonable.  They have outside seating in the summer, and is available to rent out for private parties.  Just make sure you bring cash, as that is the only form of payment they accept.  I did not know this, and I felt a little ridiculous, but my waiter said not to worry, just enjoy my dinner, and the owner would hold my receipt and I could come back and settle up.  Amazing! - who does that in this day and age?  They have a lifetime customer in me!

Irazu

1865 N Milwaukee Avenue

Chicago, IL

(773)252-5687

Open Monday through Saturday

11:30 am to 9:30pm

Closed Sunday

Kuma's Corner

I've heard for quite a long time about "the" most awesome burgers in Chicago, and it is always followed by "where" and the response is "Kuma's Corner-have you been?"  Finally, we get to say yes!  Does Kuma's Corner have the best burgers in the city?  I can't answer that, as I have not been to every burger joint in the city, but I can tell you that I don't know if "awesome" really sums up how good the burgers are here!

You walk in and the place looks like a "heavy metal" bar, waitresses and waiters sporting lots of tatts,  not a lot of windows, plain wood tables and chairs, and at lunchtime, pretty overpopulated with testosterone.  During the summer, they have patio dining in the back, and there isn't a great view onto the street, bit once your food comes, that's all you'll need to view!

I had the Kaijo Burger-comes with bacon, melted blue cheese and frizzled (fried) onions.  Wow-what a burger!  I asked for it medium well, and it was done to perfection, and the blue cheese gave it an amazing kick!  Oh, and did I mention there was bacon on it?  It was fabulous!  Illiam had the original Kuma burger, with the fried egg on top, again, bacon, and cheddar cheese-equally delicious.  The burgers are served on pretzel rolls, which adds to their flavor, and are served with waffle fries or chips.  That's my only complaint, not a fan of the waffle fries-I'd rather have the shoestring variety.   

Most of the burgers are named after heavy metal bands, such as the Judas Priest, or the Slayer, both of which are really unique burger choices.  I want to try the Slayer next time!   They do serve more than just burgers, however.  You can dine on appetizers, salads, and other sandwiches as well, including chicken breast, gardenburger, or chicken tenders.

Kuma's also boasts quite a beer list.  I think even the most discerning beer enthusiast would be impressed, as they serve craft beers from all over the country and some from Europe, and their selection changes seasonally.

As I said before, I can't say that Kuma's is the best burger in Chicago, since I haven't been to all the burger joints, but I can definitely say it's absolutely the best I've tried so far!

Kuma's Corner

2900 W Belmont Avenue

Chicago, IL 60618

773-604-8769

www.kumascorner.com

Hours:  Mon-Fri 11:30am-2am

Sat 11:30am-3am

Sun 12-12

La Scarola

   

Love Italian food?  Who doesn't?  La Scarola is a diamond in the rough.   It is a petite little restaurant right off Grand and Milwaukee, and if you blink, you could miss it!  But don't, because you would be missing out on some fabulous Italian dishes.  La Scarola's atmosphere is very Old World Italian.  The walls have windows that have been painted on, and they look as if they are looking out onto a vineyard.  There are photos of local and national celebrities that have patronized the restaurant, and an ivy trellis leads to the back room.  When you recieve your menu, it looks like one you'd get in a Greek diner.  

Then, they bring out lots of bread!  For my entree, I had the Pasta Lorenzo, which is bow-tie pasta with chicken and shrimp, sun-dried tomatoes in a light red chipotle sauce.  It was wonderful, and it had a nice little kick to it.  I also got to try the Penne alla Vodka, which was superb-just the right amount of cream in the red sauce, so it wasn't at all heavy.  Last but not least, I tasted the Chicken Vesuvio, which was delicious as well, the potatoes were perfect!

La Scarola is a very tiny, intimate restaurant, so with a bigger group, the seating can be challenging.  But definetly worth the challenge!

La Scarola 

Located at 741 W Grand Avenue, Chicago, IL 60610

Phone:  312-243-1740

www.lascarola.com

Hours:  M-F 11am-3pm  for lunch, 5pm-11pm for dinner

            Sat 4pm-11pm

            Sun 4pm-10pm

            

South Coast Sushi

If you are a sushi connoisseur, then South Coast Sushi should be high on your list of best restuarants!  The atmosphere is light, modern and spacious.  The walls are yellow, with white trees painted along them, and white tree branch chandeliers decorate the high ceilings.  South Coast is a stylish place to bring a date, or have an intimate dinner with a couple of great girlfriends!

To start, some of the best appetizers are the standard Edamame, and the Sesame Scallops will melt in your mouth!  (Just make sure you cut them in half, as I once choked on one while I was on a date-it was not pretty!)  and the Gyoza is light and crisp, not soggy like most can be.

And lets not forget the amazing sushi!  It never disappoints, and they have some of the best combinations we have ever tried.  South Coast has select rolls they call their Signature Maki, and the White Dragon Roll is outstanding, so when you go, make sure you order more than one.  If you like spicy, the Volcano Roll will give your tongue a definite kick.  The spring Roll is incredibly light and refreshing.  They also have traditional Nigiri and Sashimi, and other dish combinations as well.  Make sure to order the fresh Wasabi with your sushi.  Their is a $2 upcharge, but the difference is amazing!

One of the best sushi places in the city!

www.southcoastsushi.com

located at 1700 S Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL

Hours:  Mon-Sat 4:30-11:00, Sun 4:30-10:00

No outdoor seating

Street Parking

Accepts Reservations

Has Full Bar