Chocolate chip pancakes with chocolate syrup and powdered sugar
Buttermilk pancakes with fresh, seasonal blueberries
Resident Foodies say: We had a delightful breakfast at Wildberry Pancakes & Cafe on Randolph Street across from Millennium Park in Chicago. We tried the omelette, crepes, and, of course, pancakes. Pictured above are the decadent chocolate chip pancakes and the the flavorful blueberry pancakes. A regular stack comes with 5 pancakes and the short stack has 3 (large) pancakes. We got the upgrade side order of 2 pancakes with our eggs.
The pancakes are nice and fluffy, but the chocolate chips and blueberries steal the show! Breakfast is served all day, so if you are looking for a snack near Millennium Park, Wildberry Pancakes is your place!
Resident Foodies say: Chef Grant Achatz of Alinea in Chicago is a master artist with food. His dishes are creative beyond belief, leaving you dazzled and amazed. The plating of his dishes are beautiful to behold–like a painting or sculpture of edible material. It’s no surprise that Alinea is rated by some as the best restaurant in the United States, if not the world. Alinea’s so good that it can eat The French Landry for lunch.
From the moment you walk in the door of Alinea, you realize you are in for an other-world experience. The front door leads you to a dark passage way in which the floor is grass. Yes, grass. It’s almost pitch dark, and a wind chime sounds lightly in the background. On the left is a tub of lemonade to whet your palate. Then, mysteriously, a door opens, emitting light into the corridor. You have arrived.
All of the dishes are unique, with interesting composition, plating, and taste. Chef Achatz definitely pushes the boundaries of culinary delight–he is an artist at his craft. Alinea is perfect for special occasions. It’s pricey and dinner takes 4 hours, but you will discover new possibilities with food and have a memory you will never forget. Some of our favorites include:
(A) Burn morels, ramps, asparagus, smoked date served on stones
(B) Hot potato, cold potato, black truffle, butter
(C) Black truffle explosion, romaine, parmesan served on silver spoon
(D) Squab inspired by Miro (served on spoons to reflect on silver pitchers)
(E) Blueberry dessert with buttermilk, sorrel macadia (liquid nitrogen to start), served with a straw to sip from center
(F) White Chocolate dessert strawberry, english pea, lemon (liquid nitrogen to start)
Be sure to check out our photos and videos of the tasting at Alinea below.
Steelhead roe with coconut, curry, yuzu
Oyster leaf mignonette, king crab with passion fruit, heart of palm, lobster with carrot and chamomile, top neck clam with shiso, soy, daikon
Woolly pig with fennel, orange and squid
Scallop acting like agedashi tofu
Otoro with thai banana, sea salt, kaffir lime
Burn morels, ramps, asparagus, smoked date
Hot potato, cold potato, black truffle, butter
Lamb……..?????…………..!!!!!!!!!!!!
Black truffle explosion, romaine, parmesan
Squab inspired by Miro (spoons appear melted in reflection)
Anjou pear with onion, brie, smoking cinnamon
Ginger five other flavors
Blueberry dessert with liquid nitrogen, buttermilk, sorrel, macadamia
Balloon dessert with helium, green apple
White chocolate dessert with liquid nitrogen, strawberry, english pea, lemon
Resident Foodies say: If you like vegan food, you will absolutely love the vegan fare at Native Foods in Chicago. It tastes so good, you can’t even tell it is vegan food.
Our favorite dish is the vegan portobello, sausage burger. You can select the side, and tonight we chose the irresistible sweet potato fries with chipotle dipping sauce. Chef Tanya describes the dish on the menu: “Juicy grilled portobellos, our homemade Native Sausage Seitan, caramelized onions, pomodoro, sweet roasted garlic, creamy pumpkin seed pesto and mayo.” The portobello is the star of the sandwich. And the sweet potato fries are sweet and savory, a delectable combination.
This weekend, Native Foods will have a special item–drunken tofu banh mi sandwiches! Can’t wait.
Resident Foodies say: One of the true delights of Town’s End Restaurant and Bakery in San Francisco is the complimentary basket of muffins and biscuits that awaits you when you are seated. Today we had both blueberry and gingerbread mini muffins, and biscuits. Delightful!
