June 2011: Burger Bar Chicago

About Caroline:

                       
Hometown: The STL

Likes: Tim the Hubs, Timmy the Son, Tim the Movie (starring an as-yet-unknown-but-probably-still-anti-semitic Mel Gibson)

Dislikes: being preggo (not quite as serenely glam as the Virgin Mary made it out to be), non-Kraft mac and cheese, 

Past Picks: Hema's Kitchen Lincoln Park, DMK Burger Bar

The Choices:  

Sakura Teppanyaki & Sushi
Chilapan
Burger Bar Chicago

The Winner:    Burger Bar by a whopper (HAH!)
 
We started out with the fried pickles,  thin slices breaded in panko and served with "urban sauce" (Seriously? Eating a pickle in Chicago is not "urban" enough for you? You have to sauce it?) and just OK calamari.

Tina's Gyro Burger was slightly short of lambtastic (maybe it needed more feta?) while Tim's Fa-Getta-Bod-It (prosciutto, fried egg, tomato, mozzarella and basil mayo) looked tasty and like it could feed a small African nation. My Belly Up burger (cider-braised pork belly, apple slaw and roaster onion-garlic aioli) was a little greasy, which made me reconsider whether entire burgers should consist only of a porcine belly.

While most of us opted for the stackers, a few people branched out and tried an "alt burger."  Technically Sarah "vegged" out. (Get it? Get it?) Michelle kept it meaty with the Wild Bill bison burger, which made her as happy as if she had shot it herself from the window of a steam engine rolling through the Great Plains of yore.

Burger Bar has an excellent beer list that runs all the way from Abita to Victory Brewing Company, and when we were there, they had a limited selection of $5.00 craft drafts

Our waiter was attractive - I mean, attentive - and the rock don't stop at the BB. So bring your single lady friends and your moderate expectations. It falls short of Kuma's, but don't they all?

May 2011: Frasca Pizzeria and Wine Bar

About Ben:

                        Hometown: The Gateway City

            Likes: BBQ, Tina, Cats Who Act Like Dogs, The Cardinals

Dislikes: Seafood, Michelle, Rich Uncles Who Say They are Going to Leave You a Fortune and Mysteriously Forget to Put You in Their Wills.

                        Past Picks: Honkey Tonk BBQ, San Soo Gab San

The Choices:   Resi's Bierstube

Frasca Pizzeria
            Franks 'n' Dawgs

The Winner:    Frasca Pizzeria by a single, three-way-tie-breaking vote

The Meal’s Notable Quotable: “SHUT UP! I still have to DELIVER the PLACENTA!” - Tim

Frasca Pizzeria did not disappoint in either price or quality. Wednesdays are their two-for-one pizza deal, so the total bill before booze came to $16 bucks per person, and included two appetizers, six pizzas (with two boxes of leftovers), and one shared dessert. The wine list was extensive, and the food DELICIOUS!

We started with some fried calamari (meh) and continued with the wild mushroom risotto fritters (whoo hoo!). Favorites included the roasted potato pizza (roasted onions, bacon, fingerling potatoes and three cheeses), the caponata pizza (tomato sauce, eggplant, goat cheese, red peppers, mushrooms, and artichokes), and the primavera pizza (tomato sauce, aspagarus, red onion, artichoke, and lemon ricotta cheese). Ben and Caroline also took advantage of the build-your-own-pizza option, which was a delectable success.

Frasca’s crust is thin and beautiful with no mushiness in the middle, much like the runway models of Milan. You can even watch the dough tossin’ from your seat.

For dessert, we split a skillet cookie. We learned that the skillet really is hot -- and that the caramel and ice cream-topped cookie is as melty warm as a Grandma's hug.

Service was attentive, and the noise level was moderate to noisy. Reservations are encouraged, especially on Wednesdays, and they have seats and crayons for the kiddies.