Read Yes Length 343 Quick Review Charlie is an American sweetheart when an injury jeopardizes her tennis career. In order to make it back in the game, she changes everything inviting a fierce coach into her life.
The Singles Game is my first Lauren Weisberger novel, who is the bestselling author of The Devil Wears Prada and many other books. I grabbed it because it looked like a great book for summer. It is! Weisberger takes you along on drama, high fashion, trips, and a young woman’s journey in elite tennis to find her game and herself.
Charlie Silver is one of the most likeable characters I have ever read. I wouldn’t necessarily call her complex and dynamic, but she is a genuinely good person. She makes mistakes and makes up for them, but she is never not a good person. She is young, barely in her mid-twenties, and from Southern California. Charlie was a talented tennis player from the beginning, but she has an injury at Wimbledon causing her to take a look at her life. She hires a new and very tough coach to help her recovery and become the tennis player she knows she can be.
The Singles Game is pretty much the perfect summer/vacation read because it takes the reader to incredibly luxurious locations with glamorous parties and men with amazing bodies.
I would call the plot line mysterious; in fact, I was able to guess it pretty quickly. The “hints” are pretty blatant. The characters are fairly flat, but it doesn’t make them unlikable. Todd, the tennis coach, is heralded as the devil himself, but even he’s not that awful. One of the aspects I really enjoyed about the book was Charlie’s conversations with her best friend. They’re honest. Their conversations about sex is so realistic for twenty-something women.
Weisberger has a great sense of humor and ability to tell a well thought out story. It’s the perfect easy and compelling read for the summer. I highly recommend it for any vacation coming your way.
Memorable Quotes “…chunk-heeled snakeskin booties that could, oddly, work for both prostitutes and grandmothers.”
Title: The Singles Game Author: Lauren Weisberger Publisher: Simon and Schuster Copyright: 2016 ISBN: 9781476778396
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!!!
A stunning domed ceiling.A second dome because one isn’t enough.
I used to work in downtown Chicago. I walked passed the Chicago Cultural Center more times than I would care to admit without ever going inside. I blame this on the fact I thought it would cost me money and my laziness of not looking to check.
As we were walking around downtown, we had some time to kill before lunch. The Chicago Cultural Center has a bronze bull outside its front door. After taking a couple funny pictures, we decided to go inside. Suprise! It’s free and absolutely beautiful.
This staircase is breathtaking.
There are art displays, but mostly the architecture is what you should go for.
The staircases are bonkers. Up one stairway at the back of the building there is a large hall with a huge stained glass dome. Of course, there was some laying on the ground to capture the whole thing.
A courtyard has a super cool display made up of wooden ladders and walkways. It made me want to climb around.
Another really interesting exhibit was … I’m not sure how to describe it. Very architectural. It’s pictured. Anyways, it was metal in a hallway of windows, so the shadows and sunlight were really visually appealing.
The structural cool but weird thing.
The highlight for me was the main staircase into a hall. When you enter there is a large, white, imposing staircase with shades of green mosaics that sparkle in the sun. The balcony of the staircase looks out onto a busy Chicago view, but you feel like you’ve stepped back in time. The hall has another impressive dome. The arches in the halls have names of philosophers, scientists, writers, and more historically important men. There are also two quotes about books in the mosaic walls along the stairway.
If you have a couple minutes to spare, stop in. It doesn’t take long to walk through, but you could spend a good deal of time taking it. I highly suggest, and I will be back!
I love mosaic quotes about books.
Instagram: @chiculturcenter 78 E Washington Street Chicago, IL 60602
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
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
Read Meh Length 310 Quick Review Through the eyes and flavors of many, the story of a great midwestern chef, Eva Thorvald, is told from her childhood to success. I enjoyed it because I’m a Midwestern girl.
I snagged Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal because I am a born and raised Iowa girl. I lived in the Midwest for 25 years. It was on the title alone. It was an enjoyable read. Many of the cities mentioned I have spent time in. The recipes, culture, and flavor were all familiar.
Eva Thorvald has good food in her blood. She moves throughout the Midwest collecting flavors along with experiences that contribute to her culinary success. Only the second chapter is told from Eva’s point of view. The other chapters are told from people who encounter or are close to her. The plot begins before Eva’s birth with each chapter jumping years into the future. I did enjoy how each chapter was left on a cliffhanger leaving you wondering. Though, the cliffhangers were on the predictable side.
There were a lot of interesting aspects to the novel. I’m not sure if I liked it or not. I thought the ending was nothing special and largely guessable. It was interesting the Midwestern foods Stradal chose to highlight. Throughout the novel there are classic recipes most of us middle-americans are familiar with.
Though Eva is the main protagonist, she plays a minor role in most of the stories comprising the novel. The other characters range from likeable to abhorrent. Each character plays a role in Eva’s journey whether she is aware of it or not. Overall, the book is a lesson in someone being a sum of all of their parts, as well as, it’s a small world. I think it’s a state of mind most Midwesterners share.
I suggest reading it. Although, I wish there were a few Midwestern recipes he left out.
Memorable Quotes “Iowans knew how to appreciate the two most precious things in life – family and warm weather.”
Title: Kitchens of the Great Midwest Author: J. Ryan Stradal Publisher: Penguin Books Copyright: 2015 ISBN: 9780143109419
