u.s. apothecary

Welcome to the Southport neighborhood U.S. Apothecary.  If you've ever found yourself meandering more in the home goods section of Anthropology, then you'll want to listen here.  This little boutique shop recently opened on Southport Avenue and I've welcomed it with wide open arms (and wallet).

amy's candy bar

A few weeks ago I stumbled upon this article from DNA Chicago on my Facebook news feed featuring a mouth watering picture of a candy bar that made my stomach churn with excitement.  The article profiled local shop Amy's Candy Bar and a signature item  that is called the "OMG Bar" that included salted caramel, chocolate ganache and hazelnut praline all covered in dark chocolate.  After I read the article I bolted to the candy shop the next day to purchase a few bars...and  a few more unexpected sweet treats.

magalie naturals

As someone who used to participate in a lot of client entertaining, it's hard to host an event that is unique.  Nice lunches and dinners are always welcomed, but doing something like cooking classes, customizing shoes or having a jeans party is much more memorable and different.  Well last week I had the pleasure of participating in a class that was just that - something new and different. 

life (layhf) | fit foot

Finding time to squeeze in any sort of pampering or beauty maintenance is tough.  Between family, work, and other obligations sadly my routine "well-being" care complete with yoga, mani/pedis, massages and yes even the dreaded waxing have taken a back seat.  When I have a free hour to myself sometimes I would rather be gabbing with a girlfriend over a few glasses of wine or, sadly enough, cleaning the bathrooms.  While time is precious, the cost of said maintenance is more of a luxury than it is a necessity and these days, I'm all about necessities.  However, if you're open minded, willing to explore different areas of the city and have a spare hour you might just find the best experience at Fit Foot.

Hidden in a row of shops on Fullerton is this wonderful gem with a one-hour massage special that re-boots my zen and makes me feel pampered at a very reasonable price.  When I say reasonable, I'm talking $28!!!

While it may not be your typical "spa" experience, this place gives the best massage and believe me those small but mighty masseuses pack a powerful punch.  So if you decide to go, which I hope you do, here are a few things to expect:

• You are in a room with other people who are getting massages, but the dark light and extremely silent atmosphere helps you forget that you're in a room with strangers.
• Expect a full body massage with your clothes ON - yup no nudity here, so wear tight fitting clothes to ensure the excess fabric doesn't get in the way of your relaxation.
• If you don't like deep tissue massages, give them a heads up.  These folks mean business and I'm talking use of elbows to clear out those knots, so speak up if you want light pressure.

Fair warning - this place is addicting.  So much that you'll find yourself frequenting this place as often as possible.

life (layhf) | this week's little things

When I moved to Chicago almost 6 years ago I was introduced to this wonderful condiment known as Giardinara.  This did not exist on the west coast.  How did I live my first 26 years of life not knowing this existed?  This week I indulged in my favorite condiment and for a brief moment it made me appreciate our move to Chicago that much more, because if we hadn't, I would have never known a life with this perfect condiment. :)

|What are your little things? Share pictures of the little things that made your week a bit better using #thisweekslittlethings & you will be featured in next week's this week's little things blog post!|

food (food) | kingsbury street cafe

As a parent there are a few things you look for in a restaurant you plan on taking your child to:

1. Space.  Whether your child still needs to be in a stroller or has upgraded to a high chair you need space between each table.  No one likes a place where you have to suck it all in to get by.
2. Loud chatter. Even if your baby is as silent as can be you want a loud environment either to put your baby to sleep OR to let your baby's crying fall in line with the rest of the background noise.
3. Good food.  This is clearly for you.  Just because you need a kid friendly place, it doesn't mean you should sacrifice the quality of food.  While the other 2 are important, this is the make it or break piece (at least it is for me).

So if you ask me what place has all three of these things?  Kingsbury Street Cafe.

Now yes, it is nestled neatly next to a strip club, but everything else makes up for it.  This has become my #1 place to meet friends for brunch when I know I'm taking Liam.  Not only can you make a reservation in advance (yes, even for small groups), but they provide all of the three things I outlined above.  In addition, a "plus" for me is that whenever I make a reservation and note that I need a high chair, they have a place setting for him with a plastic to go cup of water and kid utensils.  I haven't even mentioned the food.

While Kingsbury Street Cafe offers these great things that make it easy for kids, the best part is their food. The first thing you recognize when you walk in the door are these picture perfect baked goods and pastries.  They welcome you and automatically know that the place is going to be good.  Drinks are top notch with a great variety of alcoholic drinks and coffee, but the food is truly icing on the cake.  Deviled eggs with crispy chorizo, salmon hash with mashed tater tots, an amazing chillaquille special, fluffy pancakes...the list goes on and yes, we have tried all these things.

I can't say enough great things about this place.  Not once have I had a bad experience and I've been there a hand full of times - you can even check my OpenTable history - which is why I will continue to go back to Kingsbury Street Cafe.

Don't forget to enter my UrbanSitter $50 giftcard giveaway!

food (food) | sienna tavern

This is a LONG overdue post about the not so new restaurant, Siena Tavern.  Being a HUGE foodie and Top Chef fan, I was ecstatic when I first heard that the fan-favorite Chef Fabio would be opening a restaurant in Chicago.  Obvious to anyone who watched his season, he has this charisma that makes every lady swoon and every man want to be in his shoes.  So when the announcements were going around that Fabio's new restaurant Siena Tavern was set to open, I quickly jumped on Open Table and secured a table stat.

Both Matt and I immediately walked in loving the vibe of the place.   It has a great huge bar right when you walk in and the restaurant is extremely spacious.  They quickly seated us at our table and immediately our server came over explaining everything about the menu.  Their menu was what you expected it to offer...charcuterie, cheese, pasta, pizza, salad, entrees and my favorite part - a crudo bar (which you don't normally find in an Italian restaurant).

We started with a bottle of wine (obviously the necessities first) and landed on a pizza, as well as some charcuterie to share as starters.  The pizza was good, but very reminiscent of La Madia pizzas - which I love, so it's hard to trump that one for me.  Nonetheless though, it was pretty tasty.  

For our entrees, Matt and I usually go polar opposite directions, which this case was no different.  He went for the Double Cut Veal Chop and I went for the Siena Chopped Salad.  Matt was totally satisfied with his meal, I think more for the amount of food he was given, and I was...left expecting a little more.  The salad was good and his veal chop was perfectly fine, but my expectations were a little higher than what we experienced.

Overall everything was "good", but I'll be honest. In a city where mediocre food doesn't last very long, your food has to be exceptional if you expect it to make it very far.  Was Siena Tavern above average?  Yes when it comes to service, but the food itself was just good only because there are other Italian restaurants in the city that offer truly exceptional fare. So will I return to Siena Tavern?  Sure, but I'll always have a hand full of restaurants that will be my first choice.

food (food) | bellyq

Another birthday whizzed by and now that I'm settling into my early thirties the thrill of late night drinking binges or ranging dance parties just doesn't have the same "fun" factor that it did in my twenties.  Especially now that I'm a mom I've enjoyed several late nights out with two too many glasses of wine, but the reality of waking up early in the morning with a hangover to take care of Liam sometimes isn't worth it.  It's more obvious now that the only decent way to celebrate a birthday is to enjoy a really (really) good meal - so that's what we did.

When Chef Bill Kim's third restaurant bellyQ opened up in the West Loop I was ecstatic that he finally had a place that I didn't have to drive 15 minutes to get to.  As a fan of Urban Belly and Belly Shack, I knew that bellyQ wouldn't disappoint.  Having scrambled last minute to make a reservation and book a sitter on a Saturday night, I was fearful that there wouldn't be good times available but to my surprise a reservation 2 weeks out gave me a perfect seating of 7:45pm.

The vibe in the restaurant is so unlike any of the Kim's other restaurants, trendy, sceney and a little intimidating, but very cool.  As a parent I loved that there was space to get around each of the tables and we even noticed a few people that had infants with them.  We were pleasantly surprised that such a place is so accommodating to infants, equipped with high chairs and all.

As soon as we sat down, I dove straight for the drink menu (obviously I had priorities).  I love that their signature drinks were unique, but not overpowering with sugary syrups and what I loved even more is that there was a page entirely dedicated to cold un-filtered sake.  In fact the place doesn't serve hot sake, so there was even more reason to love this place.  I decided to order the Red Lotus and as someone who hates signature drinks, this one has to take the cake.  It's clean, crisp, and is the perfect drink to clear a palette.

The menu is designed to share everything and having a husband that likes to eat it's tough to do that, but the portions were big enough that he was willing to let me snag some bites off his plate.  We ordered the Thai Style Fried Chicken, Kimchee and  Spinach with Chinese Sausage to start.  Both were a perfect taste of what was to come.  The chicken was boneless with a nice balance of sweet and spicy, while the Spinach had such deliciously intense flavors because of the coconut milk.

For our entrees we had the Tea Smoked Duck Breast and the BellyQ Beef.  Both dishes were massive and full of flavor.  With duck I'm used to having to dig for good hunks of meat, but this dish had a big portion of boneless breast and was served with steamed buns as well as a spicy hoisin bbq sauce.  I'm  used to having this dish at a traditional chinese restaurant and let me tell you, this version gives the others a run for their money.  The BellyQ beef was served with a huge portion of rice and vegetables, and if you like Korean Bulgogi, you're sure to like this.

As if we weren't full enough no birthday dinner is complete without dessert.  We shared the Vietnamese doughnuts with homemade soft serve and this was the best way to end the meal.  The huckleberry jam balances perfectly with sweetness of the doughnuts and it was the best way to end the meal.  Well that and a glass of beer. :)

Either way the meal and experience was one that I would want to re-live over (and over).  As I imagined, bellyQ didn't disappoint and at the rate Chef Kim is opening restaurant, I can only hope he has a South Loop location in the works.

ba·by (ba-be) | goldfish swim school

As Liam gets older I look forward to all of the amazing milestones that he reaches and new activities he's able to participate in.  Early on we decided that Liam would take swimming lessons right at the 6 month mark and this was one activity that Matt was ecstatic about participating in.  All the other classes with singing, dancing and rhymes just wasn't his cup of tea.

I started researching various swim schools in the area right before Liam turned 6 months and I just couldn't get over the fact that half of the places out there are so expensive.  I knew that I would have to shell over a couple of hundred dollars for a swim course that only lasted a few weeks and it just didn't settle well.  If I'm willing to pay X, Y and Z on these types of activities at 7 months old, what more when he's 7 years old?  

Luckily it was brought to my attention that Goldfish Swim opened up in Roscoe Village because compared to some of the other schools out there, this was on the more cost effective end.  For $85 a month, the program runs like a "gym membership" - it's an on-going 30 minute class that meets once a week with a fantastic facility that caters to little infant swimmers.  The changing area is extremely spacious and has multiple changing pads equipped with extra diapers just in case.   On top of that, the water is a consistent 90 degrees - making it extremely compelling to visit the school on cold 30 degree snowy days like today.

The infant class isn't designed to teach technique, but more so to get your baby acclimated to the water.  Despite the fact that some babies love their baths, the pool is a completely different situation, but luckily it didn't affect Liam.  He loved the planned activities of chasing the giant rubber ducky, staring at himself in a mirror to work on his floating techniques and practicing his balance technique as he sat up on a floating mat.  Liam easily could have stayed in the pool for much longer, but sadly the class had to end. 

I have to say that I was a little skeptical about how the class is structured, but after our second class I had a better feeling for Goldfish Swim's offerings.  Although it's a little distracting to have 5 other swim classes going on simultaneously, the class serves it's purpose for introducing infants to the water.  I would just recommend that babies that get easily stimulated possibly find a time to take the class when the pool isn't full.  It's tough enough as it is to introduce your baby to water, but to do it when a ton of other kids are in the pool can be a little overwhelming.

Overall, we really like the Goldfish Swim School.  For the services that the school offers and wonderful facility, it's a great way to introduce your little one to swimming.  Luckily Goldfish Swim is located across the US and offers classes to various age groups. Visit their site to find a location near you.

Thank you to the wonderful team at Goldfish Swim School for giving me an opportunity check out a few classes and enjoy the great Roscoe Village facility.  Welcome to the neighborhood!

food (food) | ruxbin

Last weekend my friend Rachel and I decided to finally try Ruxbin!  We both heard such amazing things for the past few months, but unfortunately restaurants that don't take reservations make it hard for us to try.  However, a post birthday celebration for Rachel was the only excuse we needed to finally try this place out. 

We arrived promptly at 6pm on the dot thinking that the wait wouldn't be horrible since the restaurant opened at 5:30pm.  Wow were we mistaken.  Arriving at 6pm, guaranteed us a table for 7:15pm.  We weren't prepared for that wait, but we were on a mission to try this place so we headed over to a bar close by, grabbed ourselves a glass of wine and waited for our call from the restaurant to let us know our table was ready.  Just before 7pm, we got the call and we eagerly rushed back.  Unfortunately because the restaurant is TEENY (really it is), there's no bar or waiting area that we could hang out at.  We sat down at our table next to the window and that's when I realized just how small the place was, at most there were a dozen tables, but the restaurant made great use of space. 

The menu was filled with such great options and if that wasn't hard enough, they had seasonal specials that made the decision tougher.  The one thing we were both sold on though were the garlic fries.  The smell of garlic that filled the restaurant was so intoxicating that we couldn't resist.  They were absolutely delicious and it was served with an amazing aioli that complimented them perfectly.

For my starter, I decided on a special - a progression of oysters.  I'm a sucker for oysters and couldn't resist.  The progression (starting from left to right) and each bite was different.  One had a great vinegar dressing and chopped apples, but my favorite was the last one.  It had smoke flavor that was being sealed by a glass that was not to be removed until it was ready to be eaten.  The flavor was amazing - I could have eaten 10 more.

For my main course I went for the "Osso Bucco" which was served with ramen risotto, brussel sprouts and crispy fried shallots.  This dish was complex with tons of flavor and was absolutely amazing.  No way could I ever create something like this on my own, which is why I ate the whole thing and enjoyed every single bite. 

We were a little underwhelmed with the dessert options, but it was for the best.  I was already stuffed by the time we left that I would have overdone it if we had dessert.  In short this restaurant is one of my new favorite places.  Despite the fact that they don't take reservations, it's worth the wait and you won't find anything else like this in the city.

food (food) | the bad apple

A while back, street style photographer/blogger Amy Creyer of Chicago Street Style tweeted about eating at The Bad Apple.  Intrigued by her enthusiasm of dining at this place, our Twitter conversation evolved and she mentioned it was a good burger worth the drive up north.  I had never heard of this place, but the more I talked to friends about it, the more I realized that I was missing out.  The verdict was unanimous - The Bad Apple had some tasty burgers and I had to try these suckers for myself.

Right off the bat, anywhere that serves poutine is automatically a winner in my book and we started with an order of poutine sans cheese (for Matt).  Since I'm Canadian, poutine brings back so many memories of me as a fat kid walking around the mall with a cup full of fries drowning in a delicious brown gravy.  The Bad Apple's poutine was a great walk down memory lane.  The gravy was absolutely delicious, but the fries could have used a tad bit more salt.  

Next came the burgers.  The extensive menu is filled with tons of burger options like The Frenchie which is topped with brie, spinach and truffle mayo or The Big Texan that has pulled pork, fried onion rings and BBQ sauce all on Texas toast.  Every burger is served with fries that you could spruce up with flavors like curry, minced garlic, creole or chipotle.

Matt's mind was made up pretty quickly because the menu had a burger called Elvis' Last Supper which was topped with a heaping spoonful of peanut butter and 3 thick slices of bacon.  Ironically, Matt is someone who is already accustom to putting peanut butter on his burgers (GROSS!), so when we found a place that actually had this on their menu it was almost as if his stars aligned.  Since Matt eats an obscene amount of food, he made the burger his own by adding an extra patty.  When the burger was served, a few of the wait staff came out and said they were all "impressed".  Really I think they just wanted to see the person that was going to brave this monstrosity.

Since I'm more of an average eater I went with a Bad Apple Burger topped with sauteed onions and mushrooms.  Between Matt and I, we were both in agreement that these were tasty burgers.  We both were so happy with our selections and ate every single bite of our burgers.  It goes without saying that service at The Bad Apple was absolutely stellar.  I loved how this neighborhood joint had the friendliest staff and made the experience extremely pleasant.  Overall this place was well worth the drive.  The prices were more than reasonable, the food was absolutely delicious and the ambiance was great.  We definitely will be back when Matt has an urge to fulfill his peanut butter burger craving.

Thanks Amy for the recommendation - it really didn't disappoint!

fash•ion (fash-uh n) | havaianas pop-up shop

Havaianas have become a summer staple in my closet...so much that I have more colors than I really need.  Can you blame me though? These sandals are not only super comfortable and last forever, but they come in the cutest styles.  They're perfect to slip on when you're going on a coffee run or if you plan to spend the day at the beach.  With the popularity and demand for Havaianas in the summer time, it's only fitting that the well known sandal brand set-up a pop-up shop in Chicago's own North Ave. Beach. 

Located just south of Castaways, this tiny pop-up shop gives beach goers a chance to make their very own pair of customized Havaianas.  You choose the base of your sandal, the strap and finish it off with an embellishment (optional).  By customizing your own Havaianas, you know you're making a pair you love and one that is unique. 

Last Wednesday, Glamour magazine celebrated the opening of this cute little shop and it gave me a chance to add to my Havaianas collection.  If you're planning a day at North Ave. Beach or are just in need of a new pair of Havaianas, make a stop at the pop-up shop to customize your own pair.  It'll be around through Labor Day.  Don't worry though if the heat has you confined indoors with air-conditioning - you can make your own pair of Havaianas online.

fash•ion (fash-uh n) | flea market style

It's no secret that I absolutely LOVE flea markets and we're lucky that there's Randolph Street Market right in the heart of the city.  It's been my go to place to find trickets and knick knacks to fill baby Liam's nursery.  With so many great vendors, I spend at least a good 3 hours making sure I don't miss a thing. 

In order to prepare myself for a day at a flea market, I have to have the perfectly fashionable but functional outfit. So, here are a few of my key rules on how to dress for a day at the market:

• Wear a light flowy frock.  If you're a true market goer you know that you'll be at the market for at least a good half day.  That means you'll be in the hot sun for multiple hours so prepare yourself with a lightweight, airy dress - one that's preferably of vintage or thrifted nature. 
• Sport a cross body bag.  You never know what you'll walk out with.  It can range from a set of chairs to go in your living room or a bunch of random jewels.  Either way you want your hands free.  The last thing you want to do is lug around a heavy shoulder bag that you constantly have to adjust throughout the day while you're balancing all your flea market finds.
• Walk in sensible flat sandals.  Would you ever wear heels to Disneyworld?  No.  Same rule applies at a flea market.  You know you'll be walking around, squating down to examine unique pieces or tip toeing to reach a one of a kind necklace.  Be kind to your feet and wear a realistic pair of shoes that give you flexibility and comfort.
• Protect your eyes.  Being in the sun all day can take a toll on your eyes.  Be sure to pack your fashionable pair of sunnies.  
• Be earth friendly.  If you plan to do a lot of shopping, why not tote your own bags?  Sometimes these are easier to carry than a handful of plastic bags and you'll find that some vendors don't have many bags to last an entire day of business.

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|What are some of your must wear pieces when going to the flea market?|

food (food) | roots pizza

Have you ever heard of Quad Cities Style pizza?  Yup, until a few months ago neither had I, but it's become one of my faves.  Definitely doesn't trump the good ol' New York slice, but it's good pizza...for the Midwest.  Our friends who are originally from the Quad Cities introduced us to this style of pizza a few months ago when Roots Pizza opened up shop in the Ukrainian Village/West Town neighborhood.  Owned by the same geniuses behind The Fifty/50 and Bleeding Heart Bakery, this pizza joint is a great addition to their repertoire.

So what exactly makes Quad Cities Style pizza different?  It's all in the crust - as it should be.  One key ingredient in the crust is malt that makes it a little sweet, a little doughy, but a lot crispy - which is just the way I like it.  The slices at Roots Pizza are big enough to paw with your hands, but never weighed down by all the toppings so don't worry about having to eat it with a fork and knife, unless you really wanted to.  Needless to say it's good pizza.

Since Saturday night has become our night of eating pizza, Matt and I headed to Roots to see if it was as good as we remembered the first time.  The pizzas come in 2 sizes, 12" and 16".  In true Matt fashion, he ordered an entire 16" pizza for himself topped with sausage crumbles, pepperoni, jalepeno and onion.  Yup, that's right the average size pizza for Matt alone is the size that normally feeds a family of 5.  Luckily I was able to grab a slice of it and enjoy the sweet taste of the Roots crust that re-confirmed that the pizza is pretty tasty.

This time I opted to order one of the salads that were part of their daily specials.  The last time we were at Roots I was tempted to go with a salad because they have so many great options as part of their "Build Your Own" menu, but it was my first time and had to try the pizza.  So this time I opted for the Grilled Shrimp and Calamari Italian salad and it was absolutely delicious.  Topped with a good portion of seafood, the salad had a great mix of romaine, red leaf cabbage, asparagus, tomatoes, crispy shallots, mozarella pickled onions and carrots - all topped with a creamy italian dressing.  It's so good that I hope they made that salad a regular on their normal menu.

With every good though, there is a bad.  For an establishment that is so family friendly (you'll find tons of kids in this pizza joint/bar like place), the music is so loud that it almost makes the volume at Abercrombie & Fitch seem like it's on mute.  I understand that this restaurant must be bumpin' closer to the late evenings, after all there is a very well stocked bar, but if it's before 10pm does the music have to be at a volume where you can't have an enjoyable conversation with the person you're with?  It's a small detail, but one that could be fixed quite easily.

Despite the music volume level though, , we'll return to Roots Pizza again.  The food is good enough to keep us coming back and it's one of the better pizza places we've found in Chicago that is actually  worth writing about.  If you ever decide to try Roots Pizza, I recommend ordering a side of extra pizza sauce with your pizza.  It's got just the right amount of spiciness to it that makes me want to dip everything in it.