Green Street Smoked Meats

Last week, a group of friends and I decided to get together and grab food/drinks after work. There are a lot of new, interesting and delicious places that are popping up everywhere, but the West Loop seems to keep hitting it right on the mark. If you are unfamiliar with the West Loop of Chicago, it is directly west of the loop (shocker) and is home to some of the best food/restaurants in the city: Au Cheval (known for their incredible bacon cheeseburger), Girl & The Goat/ Little Goat (Stephanie Izard’s famed dish – pig face), Avec (bacon-wrapped dates), The Publican (Serrano Ham and Beer), RM Champagne Salon, Nellcote, The Aviary, … just to name a few 😉

We all decided that we wanted something low-key, but with awesome food and drinks, so Green Street Smoked Meats it was.  I had not yet been to GSSM, but as an avid lover of all things barbecue I was on board.

The first cool thing about this place is that the entrance is in an alley.  An alley that has been transformed into an outdoor eating mecca with communal picnic tables and twinkle lights galore.  When you enter, you are immediately greeted by a bearded staff member who explains the order of events – get in line and pick out your meat/sides, then go to the bar to order your drinks.

(blurry – I was so excited! … but you get the idea)

The smell inside the building was intoxicating and seeing the giant smokers with chefs pulling out delicious, succulent meats almost made me go weak at the knees – how could I decide what to order?!

Since we went right after work, the line went by fast and before I knew it I had decided on pork ribs with a side of potato salad and house made spicy pickles. – I’m literally drooling right now just thinking about it.

We passed by the bar to grab some margaritas and beers and headed outside to snag a table.

Fist of all, the sides were AWESOME.  I could have eaten two containers of the pickles which were not super spicy, but had a good kick from the spice/vinegar combination.  The potato salad was light, not overly dressed with heavy mayo and the potatoes themselves were perfectly cooked – love red-skinned potatoes.

The ribs, oh those ribs.  Do you see that rub?! They were phenomenal.  Juicy and succulent, you bet I took off all that meat straight down to the bone.

I had little bites of other dishes that were around me as well – smoked brisket, broccoli salad, frito pie (oh, yes).  Everything was phenomenal and BONUS under $20!

We took our time eating through our plates, going back up to the bar for a second round and enjoying the beautiful weather.  I’m fairly certain we could have sat there all night if it wasn’t for that dog at home we needed to take care of at home…

If you are ever in Chicago and are looking for a fun place to grab food/drinks, I highly recommend making your way over to the West Loop.   Stroll around, take it all in and wander over to Green Street Smoked Meats for some amazing smoked meats and strong drinks in a causal setting.  You won’t regret it!

Good Eats – The Radler & The Dawson

These past two days have been stupendous in terms of my eating. My exercising, wellllll… not so much.

Tuesday night a couple of coworkers and I went out to The Radler in Logan Square to enjoy some delicious German beer and shared plates. The decor of The Radler is my favorite part about the place. It’s large with German Hall style seating, a massive bar area that sits in front of three giant handmade wooden clocks and a mural that was restored from the 1800’s.

 

“The mural was uncovered during demolition and was an advertisement for Bohemian Export Beer. The beer was brewed by West Side Brewing Co. and was only on the market for 10 years, from 1881-1890. The brewery was founded by German immigrant Conrad Seipp. During the time it was open, the West Side Brewery was one of the largest producers in the U.S.A. The brewery also produced about eight other beers as well as the Bohemian. The mural was also painted by Thomas Cusak Company. The company painted many of the advertising murals around Chicago during that time frame. It was also one of the last murals that they painted at street level, soon after Thomas decided to paint on higher elevations to make them more easily seen.”

There are touches of old and new with modern paintings on the wall and bike sculptures from a local Chicago artist.

We sat down, took a look at the menu and decided we just wanted to split a bunch of dishes to get the most out of the meal. Side note: dining with people who are so easy going and not bit picky over checks or food are my favorite kind of people to dine with.

To start, we ordered the Sourdough Spring Pea Pancakes with shaved vegetables and the German Onion Pie.

Both were delicious, but the onion pie really stole the show. It was creamy like a quiche with a perfectly flaky crush and a bacon vinaigrette – perfecto.

As our mains, we split two types of house-made sausage: the Jagdwurst and the Boarwurst and the roasted rabbit.

The sausages were good and had two very distinct flavors, one was made with pork while the other had boar in it.

We took our time nibbling our way through dinner and ordering multiple rounds of beer and radlers. If you don’t know what a Radler is, it’s a mixture between German beer and usually homemade fruit juice soda. So crisp and refreshing and not too sweet!

My second stellar dining experience was last night when I met my dad after work at The Dawson in River West. The Dawson is another huge dining venue with a fabulous outdoor patio complete with wood burning fires and cushioned seating.

We started our night outside at the bar and ordered a round of Chardonnay and the Shishito Peppers as an appetizer.

If you have not had these peppers before, 1 in 5 of then are hot which makes it all the more fun to gobble them down 🙂

Right as we finished our first glass of wine the heavens opened up and it started POURING… Oh and thundering and lightening. The staff did a great job of breaking down the bar quickly and transferring all of us indoors.

Once inside, we both decided we were ready for something more substantial, and split the Steamed Mussels with chorizo in a tomato broth and the Crispy Soft Shell Crab. Both delicious and light – the perfect meal!

The key to dining out at great places and not getting fat is of course portion control and lots of exercise. While I was able to squeeze in some strength training, the wine really got to my running! It’s a good thing I have soccer tonight and a race on Saturday. All about the balance!  Bon appetit, my friends!

Ceres’ Table

I’m back-tracking a little bit from yesterday’s post…

This past Friday, Brian and I decided to go on an impromptu date night at a new local restaurant called Ceres’ Table that features “Regionally Inspired” Italian cuisine.  The restaurant used to be located just north of us in Ravenswood, but the owners decided to snag the open lot where Frog N’ Snail used to reside due to heavier foot traffic and a larger and more sound-proof dining space.

After reading a bunch of great reviews, I knew it had to go on my must-try list.

When I walk into an Italian restaurant there are two things I want to see: 1. a wood burning oven and 2. a warm rustic atmosphere.  Ceres’ Table fit the bill.

The hostess immediately sat us down at a table for two which featured over-sized love seats and gorgeous wood tables.  The menu while impressive, but not overwhelming like many Italian restaurants can be.  I like when chefs know what they make best, offer a small variety of seasonal dishes and deliver on them consistently.

To start, Brian and I ordered a round of drinks – beer for him and a gin cocktail for me.

As we perused the menu, we could not help but stare at all of the delicious looking dishes that were coming out of the kitchen.  We were STARVING and wanted to order so many different things, but limited ourselves to just 3 dishes to share:

The funghi (mushroom) pizza

The charred octopus

And the spaghetti nero with cuttlefish

Everything was divine.  The pizza was perfectly crisp on the bottom with fresh vibrant ingredients on top and the perfect amount of melted cheese.  We had no problem finishing that off.

The charred octopus was light and tender and the spaghetti nero was fabulous.  Fresh homemade pasta at it’s finest.

Our waitress was wonderful in that she let us take our time to nibble our way through or meal and didn’t make us feel as if we were being rushed.  When she brought out the dessert menu it only took us five seconds to proclaim that we were really in the mood for a more liquid type dessert 😉  Brian ordered a local homemade grappa, while I ordered a cool and crisp glass of rose as my finale.

Our dining experience at Ceres Table was phenomenal and we will definitely be going back to try more of their signature cocktails and homemade pastas.

Happy hump day peeps!

Wining, Dining and Rioting

Mmmmmm coffee.  The perfect drink for me to sip while I recap this past weekend for you all.  Side note:  Is there anything better than Sunday morning coffee?  I truly love the few hours I have to myself Sunday morning while Brian and Bailey are still snoozing and the t.v. is turned off.

I digress.

Friday was quite the eventful day for me.  10 miles was scheduled on my Half Marathon training plan and since I had a full Saturday planned, I decided to get my long run in before the weekend even kicked off.  I have run home from work once or twice before and really really enjoy it.  The trick is to basically come to work with only the essentials.  Since I run with a hydropack, I can put my ID, medical insurance cards, Ventra and debit card in there.  I dress in an outfit that I don’t really mind leaving at work over the weekend and the same goes for the shoes.  That way, when 5:00 p.m. hits on Friday, I can change and head out the door without looking back.

Going into Friday, I knew there was about a 90% chance I would be running the route by myself and was a little nervous about it.  I talked to a few friends about my concerns and one of them suggested downloading a podcast or audiobook to keep me entertained.  Sometimes music for me just does not cut it.  I ended up downloading Tina Fey’s ‘Bossypants’ audiobook and was SO GLAD that I did.

The first half of my run was easy peasy.  I ran north on the lakeshore path and took in all of the sights and energy of the city.  It was a really overcast day, but surprisingly it was not windy whatsoever. The lake was super calm – almost in an eerie way, but I was ecstatic because the wind was one of my main concerns.

By mile 5, the sun came out to say hello!

The run itself was good, honestly I have no complaints – Tina kept me well entertained, but I just didn’t feel as enthused as I do when I run on a Saturday or Sunday morning.  I ran past bars and restaurants and saw people enjoying the Friday happy hour and thought damn – that coulda been me.  When I had two miles to go, I literally was CRAVING a glass of wine.  I packed some Margarita Clif Shot Blocks because I like their extra salt and because I wanted to pretend I was partaking in the Friday festivities – I’m a loser.

I planned my route perfectly so that I would end right by the Potbelly’s close to my house – huzzah!  Surprisingly, I kept a really good pace by myself – faster that my usual 9:40 goal.

Success!  It did feel REALLY good to have my long run over with for the weekend.  I grabbed Brian and I some Potbelly subs, hauled butt back to my apartment so that I could inhale said subs and then immediately head back out for a 8:15 p.m. hair appointment.  As I have mentioned before, I absolutely love my hair salon.  I go to Indira, which is an Aveda salon, on Southport just off the brown line.  My stylist Angela, immediately gave me a shoulder massage with their heavenly oil when I sat down followed by a rockin shampoo session and hand massages.  Bliss.

Summer is just around the corner and I really wanted to switch up my hairstyle so I CHOPPED off 5 inches!

I love it, I basically get 15 minutes back in my morning not having to deal with such a mass amount of hair.

Saturday was just as eventful as Friday.  I ran errands all morning because at night I was meeting my girlfriends out for a night on the town.  First, we went to Little Goat for an early dinner to get a good base for the evening.  This was my second time going and I wanted to try so many things, but decided to split a few entrees with my friends so I wouldn’t be too stuffed going into our next event.  I split the veggie Chickpea salad and Los Drowned sandwich with two of my friends and it was the perfect amount of food.

Oh, we also got their famous shrimp cocktail which was wrapped in fried soba noodles – awesome texture and flavor!

After dinner, we all headed over to Union Station in the Great Hall for Chicago’s Wine Riot!

Wine Riot is basically the best thing of all time.  Inside the hall, there were a ton of wine vendors with over 250 different kinds of wines from all over the world for us to try.  The company that hosted the event, Second Glass, did an excellent job of setting up the space and providing enough vendors so that it did not get too crowded.   Once we walked in, we were provided with a tasting glass to take around with us from vendor to vendor.  The pours were standard tasting pours, but after 3 hours of sampling we definitely got our moneys worth 🙂

PS – We bought the tickets in January when they were only $45.

There was goat cheese sampling which included a fabulous truffle cheese that was to die for, a bubbly bar to try various types of champagne as well as a photo booth to take funny pictures with friends.  It was a serious good time.

Sunday was basically spent in recovery mode.  Brian and I have started watching Scandal and are basically hooked – Olivia Pope is awesome.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!  Hope you all celebrate with lots of tacos and margaritas!

 

Chicago Food/Drink Hot Spots

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!

BAHHH.  I wish I was a millionaire for the sole reason that I want to frequent all of these restaurants every night of the week – without getting fat.  In honor of the spring/summer season approaching, here is my HOT SPOT list for Chicago restaurants/bars.  This may need to be a reoccurring post as my taste changes all the time and there are always new and exciting restaurants coming out each week!

I apologize in advance if this post makes your crave sushi, pizza, and slushies at 8:00 a.m. in the morning.

Chicago Restaurants I’m loving lately…

1. Kai Zan

I was first introduced to this amazing sushi place by one of my coworkers who lives in the area.  After my first bite of their famous ‘angry crab’, I was hooked.  Now, I stalk their Instagram feed daily to see what their newest creations are and when they have open tables available.

Note: Double the points – this place is BYOB.

2. Coalfire Pizza

There is something about coal burning ovens that really speaks to me… oh yah and pizza!  This Neapolitan style pizza place has my hands-down favorite margherita pizza in all of Chicago.  It’s something about their thin crispy crust and unique toppings that really make me go weak in the knees.

3. Pastoral

This little artisan wine, cheese and bread shop is just a couple blocks away from my apartment.  I can’t help but stop in every time I pass by and pick up some good stinky cheese and a fresh loaf of bread.  Heaven.

4. Kinmont

She had me at first oyster.  Have I mentioned that oysters are at the top of my list for favorite foods.  The collaborators behind Nellcote and Old Town Social have done it again – great addition to the Chicago restaurant scene.

 

Chicago Restaurants that really speak to me in the summer

1. Piccolo Sogno

You’ve heard me say this before, but Piccolo Sogno is my FAVORITE restaurant of all time.  Especially in the summer.  When you sit on their patio you completely forget your are in a busy city with your first bite of their parpadelle with spiced wild boar ragu.

It should be noted that I am referring to it’s original location on Halsted and Grand Ave.

2. Fish Bar

Another great restaurant that is just minutes from my apartment.  Their patio is in the perfect location for people watching and for dog mingling 🙂

3. Three Aces

Although I have only been to Three Aces once, it is on my list of go-to places for the summer.  Their patio is amazing with a great view of the Sears Tower ( not the Wills Tower, okay!).

4. Parson’s Chicken & Fish

Negroni Slushie.  Outdoor Patio.  Fried Chicken.  Enough said.

 

Chicago Restaurants I NEED to try (speak up if you want to go with me!)

1. Honey Butter Fried Chicken

2. The Radler

3. Cicchetti

4. Fat Rice

 

I need a cocktail… STAT.

1. Billy Sunday

2. The Berkshire Room

3. Chicago Distilling Company

4. Sportsman’s Club

 

You know who to call/text/email if you need a dinner date 😉  Have a fabulous weekend.

Fun, Relaxing and Adventurous

One of my best friends posted this picture last week and man do I wish it would come true.

This weekend was the perfect mix of fun, relaxing and adventurous.

Friday I met two of my best girlfriends out for happy hour at Howell’s and Hood.  Being there made me really excited for summer because they have such a great outdoor patio.  We had a couple rounds of wine and appetizers, including a DELICIOUS steak salad.

When our waiter asked how we wanted our steak cooked we all replied, “medium rare” at the same time.  I love having girlfriends who have the same taste in food as me 🙂  P.s.  Is there any other way to eat steak?

After round one, we decided to head over to The Berkshire Room for a few cocktails.  The space there is absolutely gorgeous.

One of my favorite things about their cocktail menu was that they had an option to let the bartender build you one.  All you had to do was give them the type of liquor your wanted – ‘GIN’ – duh and then your flavor profile.  I chose ‘spicy’ because it sounded very intriguing.  The cocktail ended up being one of the best gin cocktails I have ever had.  The drink included some delicious Hendricks, Ginger Beer, Fresh Orange and some kind of bitters that I forgot.  All of us had a different variation of the ‘build your own’ and we were all very pleased.

In the beginning of the night I told myself I would take it easy, but one thing lead to another (like many girls nights do) and I ended up having a wickedly awesome hangover Saturday morning.  I know it was an absolutely gorgeous day out, but all I wanted to do was curl up in a dark room and watch a movie in my sweat pants.  As motivation to get out of the house, my same two girlfriends suggested that we go see ‘Divergent’ at the theatre, so I was in.

I read the first two books while I was in Hilton Head and was very happy with the movie.  I know there were a lot of things missing that I wish they would have included, but overall I think that they did a really good job of sticking to the book and WOW is Tobias hot.

Like for realz.

Saturday night Brian and I had dinner plans with his family.  Brian’s cousin, Diane, is an excellent cook and invited us over for a full feast.

Homemade canape’s.

Beef tenderloin, brussel sprout salad and these awesome duchess potatoes.

Everything was so fresh and delicious.  Brian and I went home full and happy – it was the perfect fuel meal for my 8:00 a.m. running date with Ms. Lindsay.

We had 7 miles listed on our training plans and had an absolutely BEAUTIFUL day to complete them.

Lindsay and I ran a simple down and back along the lake and had a blast catching up/gossiping while running with everyone else that was out.  I never need to bring headphones when I run with her because she keeps me so entertained.

The 7 miles went by quickly and I was really pleased with our pace time.  Technically I jumped from 5 miles (last week’s Shamrock Shuffle) to 7 miles so I was a little apprehensive going into our run about how I would perform.  The good weather and great company made it easy to stay fresh on my feet and I felt really good as we stopped at the 7 mile marker.  Bailey was so proud of us.

The rest of the day was spent outside keeping my legs fresh and taking much needed stretching breaks.  Bailey accompanied Brian and I outside and demanded that we make a pit stop to enjoy a couple of delicious brews on a dog-friendly patio.  We were happy to oblige.

We ended Sunday evening on the couch per usual watching our favorite season premiere – GAME OF THRONES.  By the end of the episode, I was calling Bailey ‘my dragon’ – she cannot be tamed.

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend!  Cheers to a productive Monday.

 

This is how I fuel

Defeat.

It’s something that no one likes to deal with, but it’s something everyone has to accept.  Whether you grew up an athlete, mathlete, or was in band, you probably have experienced the feeling of defeat once in your life.

Tonight was the final round of indoor soccer playoffs.  We had a game at 8:35 p.m. that was against the fourth place team – we were ranked second.  It was a good, intense game, but we did defeat them.

Immediately after our first game, at 9:35 p.m. we played in the championship game.  Is this fair?  No.  Were we tired?  We had some energy left.  Did we win?  No.  Did we leave pissed and grumpy – nope – we were the last ones out on that field and had a great time hanging out in the aftermath.

Although it would have been really awesome to have customized sweatshirts that read ‘Champions’ on the back, it was a seriously awesome season.  Also, we really did play our best games.  Surprisingly, I was not as tired as I thought I would… and you want to know why?  Okay, I’ll tell you!  I consumed some pretty rockin fuel the past two days!

You knew this was coming, right?

Wednesday night after work, I headed to the gym to complete this awesome tempo/row workout:

I feel like a lot of people I know are too afraid or just don’t know how to use the row machine, but it is such a great piece of equipment to incorporate into your weekly routine.  Here’s the thing you guys, if you don’t know how to use a machine – ASK THE TRAINERS AT YOUR GYM.  You don’t have to pay them personal training fees or anything, they will be happy to show you how to do it properly.  Trust me.

After the gym I B-lined to one of my best friend Katie’s house to devour some delicious sushi.

It seems like everytime we hang out we order sushi and I love it because Brian hates it and I never order it!  Delicious fuel #1 – check!

Yesterday on my lunch break, my good work friend Priscilla and I headed out to Siena Tavern for lunch to treat ourselves in honor of our 3 year work anniversary.  Crazy how time flies.

We order the MUST order appetizer: Coccoli

Crispy light and airy dough, stracchino cheese, prosciutto di parma – all drizzed with truffled honey and pesto.  Uhhh yum.  The flavor combination is incredible, if you go here and don’t order this you are an idiot.

For our main meals we split the Kale Chicken Cesar Salad which was light and delicious with so many great textures, plus the Pappardelle with Bolognese Sauce.

Nom nom nom.

This is a little heavier that I typically do for lunch, but I knew that there was a 99% chance I would be playing back-to-back soccer games, so I was okay with it 😉

To top off the night with wonderful fuel, Brian and I created some bomb-ass open faced sandwiches for dinner:

Toasted whole wheat sourdough, pesto, arugula, tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms, avocado and… a fried egg.

🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

Needless to say, I was ready for the game.

Have you been doing a good job fueling your body?

Rest Days & Meal Plans

Happy Monday, friends!

This past weekend was relaxing and eventful all in one.

Friday, right after work, Brian, BAILEY and I headed out to the suburbs for our monthly Supper Club dinner.  This month’s theme was: ‘Small Plates, Big Pours.’

Our friends Cassie and Kevin did an awesome job hosting and providing plates after plates after plates of delicious food.

And wine!

Some of my favorites were the mini chicken and fish tacos:

How adorable are the little clothes pins that are holding them all together?

I also enjoyed the caprese skewers, fresh fruit plate, chimichurri beef bites and meatball sliders (I obviously was not a very good Catholic on Friday).

Some of you may be wondering, where was Bailey?  Well, Kevin and our friend Lauren are allergic to dogs, so we found an awesome dog friendly hotel 8 minutes from their apartment.  We stayed at the Crowne Plaza in Lombard/Downers Grove and it was such a great stay.  First of all, as a dog owner, I find it really difficult to find nice dog friendly hotels and I honestly could not believe how friendly everyone was when we walked right into the reception area.

The hotel had an indoor pool, fitness center and a restaurant that was attached – not that we needed to eat while we were there!

Bailey had no problem making herself at home.

I don’t really understand why more hotels do not have ‘dog friendly’ levels or suites, but alas that is a different topic for another post.

Saturday was a REALLY REALLY lazy day.  We basically just snuggled up on the couch and watched movies/played with Bailey.  The only productive thing we did was take care of a friends dog at night while they were out of town.

Late night walks in the city are the best.

Sunday was much more productive!  I spent the majority of the morning cleaning up the house – I’m talking a deep clean of the kitchen and major dusting of the dining room.  I plan on finishing up the second half of the apartment today or tomorrow.

Around 3:00 p.m., Brian and I decided to take full advantage of the gorgeous weather and hit the town!  I stopped by a few places and got some necessities for our upcoming Hilton Head Island trip:

New Sandals – Check

Maxi Dresses Galore – Check

I also bought a new pair of running shoes!

Welcome to the Mizuno family 🙂

After some shopping, we realized how hungry we were and checked out Woodie’s Flat in Old Town.  It was our first time going there, but we knew it would be a hit once we saw a sign for $3 mimosas, $5 bloody mary’s and $3 fireball shots/. #winning

We split an order of the grilled buffalo wings while I opted for the Southwest Chicken Salad as my main entree.

The salad was HUGE and so so delicious.

As you may have noticed by now, my weekend did not include any running.  I mentioned last week that my knee was hurting me a little and I that was no joke.  I’m not really sure what happened or how it occurred, but it definitely felt like some kind of pull or strain.  I decided not to mess with it and took a much needed three days of rest, but full of lots and lots of stretching.  I am happy to say that I woke up this morning pain-free and am eager to go on a LIGHT jog OUTSIDE this afternoon 🙂

Most important rule: Listen to your body

And yes, I said outside!  It’s 50 degrees here in Chicago, which will be followed by 1 to 2 inches of snow on Wednesday.  GROAN.

Meal and Fitness Plans for the Week:

Monday: 3 Mile Jog + Strength; Turkey Tacos and Salad

Tuesday: 35 minute tempo + Quads Circuit; Grilled Salmon and Haricot Verts

Wednesday: Soccer Playoffs!; Toasted Open Faced Egg Sandwiches

Thursday: 4 Mile Run; Garbage Salads

Friday: Rest; Dinner at my parents – Shrimp!

Saturday: Punk the Monk 5k Trail Run; St. Patty’s Day Celebration in Chicago – Wing it!

Sunday: Yoga; Spaghetti Squash Bake

I love having the time to plan out my week!

Full of Flavor

I did it again, folks.  I made it to the gym at 5:00 a.m. and was greeted with a high-five when I walked in.

Okay that didn’t happen, but I was in good spirits nonetheless.

One of my favorite things about going to my gym on Thursday mornings is that the giant studio room that usually has a morning bootcamp class, is empty.  Nothing is scheduled until 7:00 a.m., so I get free reign on it!  To get myself good and ready, I started my workout with a brisk 20 minute warm-up run on the treadmill.  Once that was done, I hopped off and headed to the studio.  There I grabbed two 8 lb dumbbells, the foam roller and a boku ball.  I didn’t really have a set game plan, so I figured I would just wing it.

First up, was the 15 minute ‘Leaner Legs’ session on my Nike Training Club app.

It’s my favorite of favoritist.  I always end the workout with my leg feelin’ like jello.  My second 15 minute session focused more on arms and abs.

Tone It Up Tummy Tucks

Dumbbell Curls

Tricep Kick Backs

Boku Ball Push Ups

Forearm Planks

All those were included in the mix.

Brian and I have decided to run the Spartan Sprint at Miller Park this fall.  If you recall, Brian participated last year and killed the course.  I’m pumped, but a little nervous that my upper body strength is not up to par.  Sure, I can run 13 miles… but climb up a giant rope and lift heavy objects over my head… not so much.

I might pay for a couple personal training sessions so that I can be taught proper form and technique for lifting.  Joining a Crossfit box would be awesome, but I ain’t got that kind of money right now!

After the gym I settled into my usual coffee – breakfast – work routine.  Even though it was negative 10 degrees outside, I was really craving a good smoothie.  I decided to stop by Protein Bar on my way to work and grab one of their ‘Sears Suckers’ protein smoothies full of delicious Greek Yogurt, Almond Milk, Whey Vanilla Protein, Rasberries and Bananas.

It was so yum.

They day flew by, A. because it was a payroll day and that takes up the majority of my time.  B. It was my FRIDAY! and C. I was meeting two of my girlfriends for dinner after work and I was really looking forward to it.

Just down the street from me (literally), a new restaurant opened up called BIG and Littles.  There is an original location down in they city that I have never really been to, so I was pumped with my girlfriend suggested that we check out the new spot.

BIG and Littles are known for many delicious items, but particularly for their fish tacos and fried po boys.  There were sooooo many options to choose from so we all decided on a smorgasbord of items.

I opted for a grilled mahi mahi taco, a raw ahi tuna poke taco, cajun fries to share and a small garden salad.

Also, did I mention this place is BYOB? FABULOUS – cue the Modelo.

Everything was so fresh and delicious.  The two tacos I got were both light and full of flavor, but my favorite was the raw ahi tuna poke taco.  It was basically a sushi taco.  The tuna was so perfectly fresh it just melted in my mouth.

Divine.

We took our time eating and drinking the night away, but all agreed not to make it a late evening.  This was a good thing, because I needed to pack!

Brian and I are off to Detroit to attend a wedding.  Hopefully we don’t get stuck in any kind of snow storm.

Ta Ta for now!

I’m Back!

Guys, I’m back – I know you missed me.

Things have been crazy around here between Open Enrollment with work and holiday festivities, I decided to take a bit of a media cleanse.  Instead of waking up – going to work – gym – dinner – blogging – bed.  My days looked more like waking up – gym – going to work – glass of wine – enjoying time off – bed.

I really needed that extra hour or two I would normally spend blogging each night to just unwind after a crazy day.  I am happy to report that I am back feeling fully rested and excited to share some of my recent happenings and future endeavors.

Food Wise

I’ve been enjoying my usual delicious meals and happened to snag a few photo bites while on my “cleanse”.

Healthy stuff like salads from Noodles & Company after a long day of shopping with friends:

Spicy Chicken bites with a pile of veggies on the side (yes, I will share this delicious recipe with you once I’ve perfected the spice combo – seriously they are so addictive):

Fresh Omelets made to order by one of my best friends:

And of course some unhealthy indulgences like these churros from Xoco where my parents and I grabbed a late night bite:

It was actually my first time dining at Xoco, I have been to Rick Bayless’s Frontera and Topolobampo, but never the smaller more affordable place (makes sense, not..)  I was extremely impressed with the level of service at Xoco even though it was not his flagship restaurant.  I ordered the short rib soup in a red chile broth that came to the table without the short rib the first time around.  The manager of the restaurant immediately came over and apologized and explained that this is not the standard they try to maintain at.  He then offered dessert and coffee on the house and how could we resist?  Along with the churros he delivered sample sizes of their famous Mexican hot chocolate and oh my it was to die for.

Workout Wise

I’ve still been working out everyday – there’s not cleanse from that.  My gym is starting to become more and more crowded as the cold creeps in so my early morning workouts are now a must.

A lot of treadmill runs have been completed and the Nike Training Club App is still a favorite.  I am running a Turkey Trot next week on Thanksgiving Day and checked the weather today to see what is in store – a high of 35 degrees.  Looks like I may need to do a couple outside practice runs so that my lungs can get used to the cold weather.

Fun Wise

I enjoyed watching the Bears beat the Ravens last week

… but not until after the severe weather delay.  As many of you know, there were several severe tornado outbreaks in the central part of Illinois that caused a lot of damage and took a heavy toll on some of the local communities.  The storm was not that bad out where I was in Chicago, in fact, after it had passed we went outside and only a few branches had fallen from the trees.

We were fortunate.  For a while the weatherman predicted that Chicago would end up being in the tornado’s path, but it shifted at the last minute.

On another note, can you guys believe that next week is Thanksgiving?  I’m super pumped mainly because I love to eat, but also because my sister will be in town as well as some of my other relatives, it’s BRIAN’S BIRTHDAY on blackout Wednesday and my best friend, Stacey’s birthday on Black Friday.  So much celebrating ahead of me!

Until tomorrow, friends!