Chicago Chronicles: Grahamwich

What do fresh coffee, laundry detergent, dog food, and cute shoes all have in common? I can buy them at Target. My love affair for the Bullseye store is deep, like, way deep. I can go into that store for toothpaste and a roll of tape and come out with four bags of items I didn’t even know I needed.

Recently, Target has been doing a great job of getting big name designers to create clothing collections that are fashionable and affordable. I could buy a cute Missoni top or Jason Wu skirt and feel like a million bucks, without actually spending a million bucks.

I feel like Graham Elliot and Target have a lot in common. 

With his self-titled restaurant, Graham Elliot has left a huge culinary imprint on Chicago and the world. The restaurant and its name sake are racking up awards and accolades like nobody’s business. While dining at Graham Elliot would undoubtedly be a revelation, I have yet to make it there. My dollars will only stretch so far.

Chicago Chronicles: Stanley's Kitchen & Tap

Since I am avoiding class work for one more day going into Chicago to visit my aunts this afternoon I figured it was high time for a new Chicago Chronicles post. It has been far too long, although I’ve been eating out plenty. I either forget my camera or forget to take pictures.

But I didn’t forget it when I ate at Stanley’s Kitchen andTap before Christmas. And I was with a large group of ladies, so we ordered a bunch of different dishes and I got to try a whole bunch of items that I wouldn’t have gotten if it were just me, or just two people, that’s a win.

I don’t pretend to be an authority on any southern cuisine. And I’m always a little leery of eating popular regional dishes out of said region. But, Stanley’s is doing something very, very right with their approach at comfort food from the south (at least, according to this Wisconsinite).

I know shrimp and grits is a HUGE thing in the south, but I had never had it before Stanley’s. I don’t know how or why I waited so long! Grits to me had always been a grainy, hard, and bland substitute for oatmeal in the morning or rice at dinner. Not something I was into. But, oh boy, am I even into grits now! Creamy, buttery, and full cheese, these grits were amazing! I have tried grits at other so-called southern restaurants since, and none have even come close to Stanley’s. None I say. The shrimp on top were cooked perfectly and the Andouille sausage had just the right amount of spice, even if it was a little on the tough side. I ate the entire bowl!

The second best thing I sampled that night was the pulled pork with apple slaw. I love, love, LOVE pulled pork. It’s one of the dishes I order most at restaurants, looking for the perfect one. While Stanley’s wasn’t the best pulled pork sandwich I have ever had, it is definitely up there. The pork was tender and soaked in a tangy barbeque sauce, my favorite! I think what really put it over the top was the apple slaw which was a tart, crunchy contrast to the succulent pork. Swoon.

The much touted mac and cheese was so-so. I like my mac and cheese really creamy and lush, with extra breadcrumbs on top please! Stanley’s mac was a little dry for my taste, and it didn’t have that fluidity that comes from a creamy, rich sauce. It was more like a pasta bake which isn’t really my style. It was also a bit plain, but better than boxed mac and cheese!

While the food was all good, if not great, the service could use a little work. We were one of maybe five tables in the restaurant at the time and our waiter was very inattentive and we saw neither hide nor hair of him the entire meal. He dropped off our food and then dropped off our check, never really checking on us during the process.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed Stanley’s but I don’t know that I will go there again, barring a huge craving for shrimp and grits. It was good, don’t get me wrong, and reasonably priced to boot! There is just so much to see and eat in this city that I’m going to have to get to work if I even want to make a respectable dent!

Sarah's Pastries and Candies

I am an extremely competitive person. I will make almost anything a competition. Walking somewhere? I’ll beat you there. Eating ice cream? Bet I can finish mine first (that may not be my competitive streak so much as my love of ice cream). A friendly game of cards? I will cheat to win. 

That’s right. I said it. I have cheated at card games! I am a big, fat cheater. (I said I was competitive, I didn’t say I was always proud of it.) Now, I haven’t done this for a long, long time. When my sisters and I used to play when we were younger I had no qualms about sneaking a peak at their hands to see what I was up against. Thankfully, I risen above my cheating ways.  

But, I still know how to win. Or at the very least, find a way to get what I want out of situations. Take my journalism assignments for example. Last year, I painstakingly twisted, maneuvered, and tailored my ideas so that I got to write about what I wanted to – not necessarily what was originally assigned.

Like food. I found a way to write about, go somewhere, or talk to someone that was “food-centric.” 

Bennison's Bakery

I like to get up. I’ve said it before (and to your annoyance, I’m sure I’ll say it again), I am a morning person. I love mornings. They’re the best part of the day. Steaming coffee, soft robes, the promise of a new day, a new start. There’s nothing better.

So, when a journalism assignment required me to photograph a series of events for a slideshow, I knew exactly what I wanted to do – photograph the opening of a bakery. But not just any bakery, oh no! I was going to Bennison’s Bakery.

Introducing: The Chicago Chronicles!

I go to school very close to Chicago. There’s a lot of good food very close to Chicago. I like to eat. A lot. You do the math.

Since I am blowing my work study money have a great opportunity to explore and taste the city, I figured I would share it here! And so, without further ado, may I present to you The Chicago Chronicles!

The Chicago Chronicles is going to be a place where I get to recount my eating-out exploits. As a student, sometimes I spend more money time eating out than in the kitchen. As disappointing as that may be for my bank account, I love experiencing this wonderful city through my taste buds. Since coming to school I have stepped outside of my comfort zone as a diner, and subsequently as a cook. I’ve got to keep eating so I can keep cooking, right? Right!

Head over to the Chicago Chronicles page and check it out!