Food Critic – …on the B.L.

Salt + Lime

August 9, 2018 RaeAnna

Salt + Lime is a wonderful Mexican restaurant in downtown Steamboat Springs, Colorado. I wanted to enjoy a rooftop dining experience before leaving town, and I had heard good things about this restaurant.

The decor is really cute and modern. I had to wait a few minutes for a rooftop table to open up – worth the wait. I ordered a mocktail at the bar, which is a concrete with a black and white tile base.

Once at the rooftop table, I enjoyed another mocktail because there were just so many yummy options. The server brought over chips and salsa. I am telling you, they are crack. Whatever seasoning they sprinkle on top, it is addictive, and I am slobbering just thinking about it. As the food connoisseur I am, chips and salsa just wasn’t enough. The chorizo fundido combined with crack chips are fabulous.

I ordered two tacos the al pastor and the lamb. Honestly, all other tacos are trying to be this al pastor taco. So much so, I ordered another one. I just about exploded. The bison burrito: also wonderful. No one gets to go out to eat with me without sharing at least a bite. Not sorry.

I didn’t have room for dessert, but the menu looked yummy.

I highly recommend this fun restaurant. The view is unbeatable. So grab a bite, grab a drink, and send me the recipe for the crack chips!!! I’m desperate!

Salt + Lime
628 Lincoln Avenue
Steamboat Springs, CO 80487
970.871.6277
Facebook – @SteamboatDining
Instagram – @saltandlimesteamboat
Twitter – @DineSteamboat
#suckalime

Travel, Travel Eats

Bésame

July 30, 2018 RaeAnna

I hadn’t been to Steamboat Springs, Colorado in nine years. Almost exactly. The first full day in town, I wanted to walk around and scout out all the new stuff. I walked passed Bésame, smelled what was wafting out the door, stopped to look at the menu, and I knew I would be back before long.

Fast forward a couple days.

The decor is fabulous. At the bar, there are blue velvet chairs. Equal parts comfy and luxurious. There are floor to ceiling windows looking onto downtown, which open up during service to let in the fresh mountain air. There is a small patio with four tables. Succulents adorn each table. The dining area is beautiful decorated with dark wood. An upstairs has extra seating for parties or the busy season. Spanish music plays in the background. (I danced on my way in and out.)

These photos are taken from two different trips to Bésame. I was too full for dessert the first time; I had to go back in order to try their kickass desserts. The first time we sat on the patio, and the second time we sat at the bar. There’s just the right amount of shade to make it fabulous.

The service was impeccable. Hayzen was our server and the bartender both times. Being a non-drinker who still likes unique, fancy drinks is not always easy for bartenders. He is my new favorite, so if I come into a pile of money and have an event, I will hire him immediately. I had a virgin peach mojito (fantastic) and then a virgin spicy, sweet passion fruit margarita. Seriously, amazing. Not only is he a talented tender of bars, he is incredibly personable, knowledgeable, and truly passionate about the restaurant.

The food was fantastic. There is a smatter of South American and Spanish dishes. I saw Patatas Bravas on the menu and, duh, had to order it. Then I ordered the Tostada de Vieja Ropa. I dated a Cuban for a bit in college, and he introduced me to Vieja Ropa, which is now one of my favorite foods. I have high standards and Bésame met them. What I loved about the dish: it was served on a sweet plantain disk. Believe me, it’s awesome! The kitchen accidentally made an extra order of their special of the day, which was a chorizo tostada with a small green salad. Hayzen – being the fabulous man he is – sent it our way. He jokingly said “Just leave a good review!” Little did he know, I was already geared up to write this phenomenal review. I should probably go post on yelp too…. Anyways! The chorizo was awesome. I don’t love refried beans because they usually have an au de tin can after taste. Not these! Yum. The table next to mine wanted me to let you all know the ceviche was the best they’d ever had. I am inclined to believe them because they were older with what seems like a good handful of money by their dress and jewelry. Anyways, the ceviche is always changing depending on the fresh fish market, and that day it was made with salmon.

For dessert on the very last day in Steamboat Springs, I enjoyed the Kaffir Lime Churros and the Banana Bowl. Hayzen said the Kaffir Lime Churros have a slight fruit loop taste because of the unique flavor combination. He is not wrong. It’s not in an intense fruit loop flavor, and it definitely does not have the refined sugar throat coating quality. It’s served with frozen wine grapes and a Mexican hot chocolate dipping sauce. The Banana Bowl came highly recommended, and I will recommend it to you. So good! I can’t even describe it to you in any other words than heavenly.

So the reason the food is so delectable is because everything on the plate is made in house. It’s hard to beat fresh ingredients. It’s even harder to beat food made in house. You can taste the difference in the tortillas and plantains and especially in the refried beans. Pickled onions are amazing when they are freshly pickled. I love that sweet crunch they added to the Vieja Ropa!

I went to Bésame for lunch because we were trying to keep vacation costs low by cooking dinner at home, and lunch tends to be cheaper for equally great food. (Pro tip: go out for lunch on the weekends, you’ll save a bunch!) Anyways, it is definitely more expensive than McDonald’s, but it is affordable and a really wonderful experience. I would like to go back and enjoy dinner; the menu is bigger and looks delightful.

If you’re ever in Steamboat, this is the place you need to go to!

Bésame
818 Lincoln Avenue
Steamboat Springs, CO 80487
970.761.2561
Instagram – @besamesteamboat
Facebook – Besame Steamboat

Travel, Travel Eats

Davanti Enoteca

July 11, 2018 RaeAnna

I was really loving my mocktail! Who needs alcohol?

I am not blowing smoke up your ass. Davanti Enoteca is my favorite restaurant I have been to on this earth. It has consistently excellent service, food, atmosphere, and quality. I would keep going back for one of their desserts alone, but it is wonderful. They solidified there place as my favorite restaurant this trip. Keep reading to find out why.

I found Davanti Enoteca in Little Italy on Taylor Street in Chicago almost four years ago. I have brought many friends into the wonder of this little place in the years since. It is owned by Francesca’s, and has a few locations in Chicago and San Diego. I haven’t been to the other locations, but the one in Little Italy is perfect.

The atmosphere is rustic chic. The tables have their numbers painted on their beautiful surface. The lighting is dim and cozy. One wall in the back is lined with wine. Back when I was a drinker, I would always buy a bottle because you’ll want to sit, stay, and revel in the experience. Two walls are lined with floor to ceiling windows. There are high top and regular tables.

The menu changes regularly with the seasons and ingredient availability with a few things staying around for good. The menu is designed as small plates to share. You don’t have to, but I love this. If I’m there with one other person, I usually order between three and five plates plus a dessert. The polenta is so good, but filling. I suggest to order it last otherwise it will fill you up before you’ve even started. They have 10” wood fired pizzas. There salads are great! Actually, everything is delightful. If the gnudi is on the menu, order it! This is a command. You won’t regret it. There are tons of options for vegetarians too.

As far as dessert, you can’t go wrong with anything. If you ask me and anyone else who works there or has tried it, the Brown Butter Blondie is the best thing you’ll ever put in your mouth. I mean it. I can’t go to Davanti Enoteca without ordering it. I refuse to share. I also have to take one home to my best friend if she’s not with me, or she me never speak to me again.

I was so excited about all the desserts!!!

I recommend having a reservation if you are dining on the weekends or during normal dinner hours. Otherwise you might wait a little while. They do have a bar with wonderful cocktails and an excellent beer and wine menu. I suggest their housemade limoncello.

The service is exceptional. I have had a reservtion every time, and my table has always been ready. I’ve never had to wait. The waitstaff is superb. They are attentive and kind and always knowledgable about the menu, specials, and drinks. They are willing to suggest things, but I’m sure you’ll want to try everything like me. I like to order a plate at a time, so I can eat and never feel rushed. It ends up being a course-like experience. With every course, a new plate arrives, so none of the previous flavors affect the new dish.

Chicago is a foodie city. You can spend hundreds of dollars on a single dinner for one person if you wanted to. I love food, but I also love keeping my money. Davanti Enoteca isn’t cheap, but it won’t kill your wallet either. The food is high quality like the service and atmosphere. The experience is a steal for the price. I wouldn’t go on a lazy Tuesday in sweat pants. It’s a date night, girls night, etc. kind of place. At least, for me and my budget. I can eat a lot, so I probably spend more there than most.

Just look how pretty these cannolis are!

I love being a blogger. Like I mentioned in a previous post, I am not in it for the free stuff. I do have a certain following, and when I feature restaurants it is because I want to not because I am being paid. For them, like the books I feature, it is a new avenue of publicity. It is genuine and honest publicity. (For a bad restaurant review see here.) I went to Davanti Enoteca without telling them because I seriously love this place. I do follow them on Instagram. At dinner, I was taking pictures throughout because I’m a blogger wanted to write this piece. They found out I’m a blogger. My waitress said they were going to send out an Heirloom Tomato Carpaccio. By this point, I was full. So I said so. She said “are you sure? It’s light.” I repeated I wasn’t sure. So she responded, “I’m going to send it out, you can always take it home.” Oh my goodness. It was light, but amazing. The tomatoes were juicy and delightful. It was perfect with tiger prawns and pea sprouts. So good. After that I ordered a cappuccino. Then the kitchen sent out three of their best desserts: the Brown Butter Blondie, Pana Cotta, and Cannolis. Holy bonanazas. It was so much food. So good. It was when the desserts came out, that the thought crossed my mind, “I think this might be free. Oh my God. I’m in heaven” As I was surrounded by too much of my favorite course to eat, I have never loved being a blogger as much as I did in that moment. They sent out a few courses “on them.” They didn’t ask for anything in return. I’m not writing this because they did so. They did however, solidify my undying love for them.

Anyways, if you’re in Chicago or ever have a chance to go, do so! You won’t regret it!!!

Trust me. You deserve this kind of happiness.

Instagram: @davanti_enoteca
@davanti_taylorstreet
1359 W Taylor Street
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 226-5550

Travel, Travel Eats

The J. Parker

July 10, 2018 RaeAnna

I went to The J. Parker, a rooftop bar, at the Hotel Lincoln in Old Town Chicago. I really want to love this place, but I really can’t.

Last weekend, was my little sister’s birthday. She wanted to go to a rooftop bar in downtown Chicago to celebrate. As the loving person I am, who is also always up for fun, food, and cool pictures, I said, “Absolutely! Whatever you want.” So four of us headed to The J. Parker around 1:15 on a Friday afternoon for a fun girls day. I am completely aware this will be a busy time, but that is no excuse. I was a waitress and bartender for years while my freelancing worked on becoming lucrative. I know the business, and I know how hard it is.

When you enter the lobby of the hotel, there is a guy standing behind a podium to the right. He checks ID’s to make sure everyone is 21 and legal before you hop on the elevator to head to the rooftop. There’s a hostess at another podium, who will tell you to take a seat anywhere. First and foremost, the view is to die for. There’s a covered patio, an uncovered patio, a covered patio bar, and a fully enclosed bar. We sat at the bar first to wait for a table outside to open up.

I’m not a drinker, but their mocktails were great and reasonably priced at $5. My friend’s said their drinks – for normal people – were yummy. I wouldn’t call them cheap, but they are what you would expect from an upscale Chicago bar. When we claimed a table with a view, our waitress came up, took our order, and we never saw her again. I had to track her down to get the bill for our food. If I was a lesser person, it would have been very easy to leave without paying. Not even kidding, we didn’t see her for over an hour. She never checked to see how the food was or if we wanted more drinks. We would have spent quite a bit more money on drinks, but decided nah because, frankly, we weren’t being served.

The food was sub par. I ordered a fried chicken sandwich with fries and cheese curds. The flavors were good, but the chicken was only on half of the bun. There was a really thick, gross layer of chicken skin and fat covering the whole piece. It looked disgusting, and made the sandwich pretty much inedible. Not pleasant. I did like their fries and chees curds, but it’s hard to fuck up french fries and fried cheese. My friends had identical experiences with their food. The prices are reasonable for the city, but I do not suggest eating there unless you hate yourself.

They are absolutely banking on the fantastic view and good drinks. However, the service is the worst I have ever had. It was busy, but not busy enough to warrant our AWOL waitress. I suggest it for the Instagram pictures and a fun place to drink with friends, but do not eat there or have a waitress. Just go to the bar.

Instagram: @jparkerchicago
1816 N Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 254-4747

Travel, Travel Eats

La Fournette

July 10, 2018 RaeAnna

My best friend has been talking about La Fournette for longer than I’ve known her. I finally got to go. After a less than pleasant experience to The J. Parker, we decided we needed to have something exceptional. So Kelsey took us to La Fournette in Old Town Chicago.

I love macarons and coffee. The first time I had macarons was when I was living in Southern France. Not to sound uppity, but I have high standards. La Fournette is owned and run by a French family. There macarons and eclairs are authentic. Nothing to fear here.

They had some really inventive flavors like Moscow Mule and Tequila Sunrise with more traditional pistachio, espresso, raspberry, and a whole bunch more in between. I only ordered three because they are surprisingly filling. Also the macarons are very reasonably priced at $1.80. I can hardly find any in Houston for that price! The coffee is strong and yummy.

The atmosphere is lovely. There is a lot of wood giving a rustic french vibe with sun streaming in through the windows. The music was strictly in French. I loved it!

Instagram: @lafournettebakery
1547 N Wells Street
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 624-9430

Travel, Travel Eats

Fly-By-Must-Eats in Chicago

July 5, 2018 RaeAnna

I love Chicago. I lived in the area for two and a half years. I worked in downtown for a while. It’s a city I can’t spend enough time in. There are so many things to do and see and taste. Seriously, it is a foodie’s city. So many amazing restaurants, and infinitely more I haven’t been yet. I could probably talk about the food in Chicago for just about ever, but I won’t.

I want to talk about four of my favorite restaurants in Chicago. I could dedicate an entire blog to the food I love in Chicago, so I’m just including my fly-by-musts for when I’m home for a day or two.

Naf Naf Grill

I LOVE Naf Naf. I found it when I worked in downtown. I ate it all the time. Almost every day. This is not a hyperbole. It’s cheap. It’s quick. It’s healthy. It is beyond scrumptious.

I love Middle Eastern food. They have a garlic sauce I still crave on a weekly basis, but the tahini is excellent too! The shawarma and steak are great, but honestly I eat strictly vegetarian here because the falafel is that good. Have it in a pita or a bowl with rice, lettuce, hummus, or couscous and top it with great stuff. You have options. The lentil soup is worth a try. Everything is cooked in house and in plain view. I love watching pitas made in their bakery.

Naf Naf means ‘fan the flame’ in the context of bringing people together for a sense of community over a shared meal. They come through. I have never entered without being greeted and treated well. Their staff is attentive, kind, and full of personality. #Nafon

In downtown Chicago, you can spend a pretty penny on food. You won’t at Naf Naf. Unless I felt like eating myself into a coma, I would never spend more than $9. Believe me, you will leave stuffed. Hold my pita, I’m going back for seconds!

Davanti Enoteca

This is my favorite restaurant. As the foodie I am, I do not say that lightly. So much so, I am dedicating a whole post to this place.

Authentic Italian food in Little Italy. I accidentally happened upon it one day several years ago. I keep going back because everything is amazing. A testament to this, is they are always busy. So make a reservation. The menu is always changing. Thankfully, my favorite dessert, the Brown Butter Blondie, is always there! Plates are made to share, although I don’t always.

I wouldn’t call this a cheap restaurant, but you can find far more extravagant in Chicago. Go for a beautiful meal and leave a few pounds heavier.

Portillo’s

Portillo’s is an institution in Chicago. Have you even been to Chicago if you didn’t eat Portillo’s? I didn’t grow up in Chicago or Illinois, so I don’t have that innate love for the place natives do, but I always stop by.

Known for their Italian Beef, they also have hot dogs, salads, desserts, and more. I suggest an Italian Beef Sandwich dipped. I get mine with cheese on it because cheese. Dipped means they dip the sandwich in “gravy” or what the rest of the world would call the juice. It’s a messy sandwich. Roll up your sleeves and dig in. You won’t regret taking part in this institution.

I don’t think I have ever been to an empty Portillo’s. There are always people and usually a line. The drive-through around-ish lunch or dinner consists of two lines with quite the wait. It’s worth it. Everyone thinks so.

Argo Tea at Connors Park

This one isn’t a restaurant so much as a specific little cafe I love to visit. You can definitely grab a cup of tea and a nibble, so it counts. I found Argo Tea while living in Chicago. Their tea shops are all over. The tea is great. It’s yummy, and there are tons of unique flavors hot or iced. Buy a cup of tea, tea leaves, bottles of tea, or stock up on some swag. They brew the tea in front of you and offer yummy snacks.

This specific little gem is located in downtown Chicago at Connors Park. In a historic area full of beautiful architecture, it stands out. Modern and made of glass, it’s perfect for a respite. I found it one frigid winter day as I was wandering. My hands and nose were numb. I saw it and dashed for the door. Inside the transparent walls, I felt warm and cozy like I was in a greenhouse. A fountain only added to the affect. I love going and sitting because I feel like I’m watching the city without having to be a part of it. Also the tea is delightful.

I highly suggest taking a break from the bustle for tea time. It’s small, but you’ll love it. It’s hard to find, so here’s the address.

Argo Tea at Connors Park
871 N. Wabash Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611