Tag Archives for food

CHICAGO DEEP DISH PIZZA… THE HUNT BEGINS

it had to happen right? the search for the best chicago deep dish pizza was bound to begin as this self declared foodie just recently relocated to chicago. see that hot sizzling pie above? that my folks is deep dish.

last week i accidentally got lost. {but who really gets lost on purpose?} and i ended up walking a very inconvenient 2 miles from work to where i was trying to get to. and as i was walking i just happened to peak to my right and see pizano’s pizza and pasta. i was annoyed at myself, hungry, and thirsty as all get out. and so i opened a big door and found myself inside a tiny, dark restaurant. i ordered a small cheese deep dish to go and sat at the bar to wait {i swear the bar was the only place with an open seat}

30 minutes later {they warn you about the wait, because guys deep dish takes time} i was no longer annoyed but instead excited at my new decision: i was going to find the best deep dish pizza in chicago. {or gain 10lbs trying}.

and my review of pizano’s? well, it was my first time trying deep dish, so i don’t feel this is completely fair but i would give it 3.5/5 stars. the sauce was a juicy, tomatoey party in my mouth and hands down the best part of the pie. but the colder the pizza got, the less i liked it. by deep dish what they mean is crust, a whole hunk of cheese, and then sauce on top. {interesting right?} so when the cheese went from warm and gooey to cold and solid, it just felt strange eating. it was essentially eating a block of cheese on top of bread with great sauce on top.

so the moral of the story? my journey to find the best deep dish pizza has begun. but, to keep things fair i believe i will always eat in, never take out. so chicagoans… what pizza place would you recommend?

if you’re lucky enough to have a new goal in life, you’re lucky enough

 

 

croatia: oh what a trip

croaita was a completely different trip than the ones i’ve taken these past 5 months. it felt relaxing and refreshing. the food we ate was amazing. everything was fresh and healthy. we had fruit for breakfast and beautiful salads throughout the rest of the day. excuse the flood of pictures, but we all know how much i love to photograph food.

we spent one day island hopping. we took a ferry from split to the brac island where we then relaxed on the “best beach in croatia.” the water and the views were out of this world. the only downside was that the beach wasn’t sandy, it was rocky. so my feet didn’t have as much fun as my eyes did.

and the next day we went white water rafting. hands down my favorite part about the trip. it was both kelly and my first times going rafting and now we are officially hooked. but next time i want a little more danger and excitement.

croatia was beyond fun. and while i’m sad we weren’t able to make it to greece, this trip definitely bandaged the wound. it’s weird to know that this was my last european excursion for a while, but can you believe all the places i’ve been to? holy smokes. lucky lucky, that’s for sure.

and now, please enjoy some of my favorite photos from our trip.

if you’re lucky enough to relax in croatia, you’re lucky enough

pizza pizza, i cannot wait for pizza

last weekend on our way home from the api trip to dublin and kilkenny, we stopped at a cute italian restaurant outside of galway. a few of us ordered pizza. and it was mindblowing. and now, looking through the photos, i am so excited to go to italy.

lizzie is going to italy? why yes she is. lauren and i have a trip booked for venice on tuesday, april 19-thursday, april 21. then rome from thursday, april 21-sunday, april 24. we will be in rome for easter! i cannot wait. and now, i especially cannot wait for the food. yum yum. italy, we have some major culinary expectations for you.

if you’re lucky enough to eat excellent food, you’re lucky enough

food. nom nom nom.

i’m not sure who said it or why they said it, but a lot of people think the food in ireland is, well shiet. well, as someone who has spent nearly a month in ireland, i would like to dispute this statement.

i am enjoying the food. i wouldn’t say it’s especially fancy or gourmet, but if you love soup, sandwiches, fish, chips (formally known as fries), and potatoes- your tummy will be happy here. it’s harder to eat healthy  (or at least how i’ve learned healthy to be. low carb, little red meat) in some ways. however, we’ve all noticed that everything tastes a bit fresher. and the lack of preservatives and chemicals in absolutely mind blowing. our bread goes moldy in days and even when we eat less healthy food, we don’t feel as sick as we would in the states.

my favorite foods/drinks in ireland include the following:

vegetable soup: now it’s never really the same at any restaurant and i’ve even noticed it’s not the same two days in a row at the same pub. however, it’s always amazing. and when served with brown bread, oowweee. brown bread is THE best bread in the entire world of breads. honestly.

fish & chips: a little bit pricey and a lot bit greasy, but always yummy. within the first week in galway, me and the girls went straight to the famous mc donagh’s for fish and chips.

tea: after having to work at 6.30am regularly for the past year, i got a wee bit addicted to coffee. now i’m still trying to force myself to grab a cup of tea rather than coffee here in ireland but every time i do, i’m so happy. the tea is amazing. and it’s a normal practice to stop in somewhere for a cup of tea and a chat.

potatoes mash: mashed potatoes. yumm. i’ve been a fan of mashed potatoes since my lil leprechaun grandma introduced them to me as a tiny baby. it’s really fun to order them now because they look so fun like an ice-cream sundae sans toppings. i do miss having gravy on them, but they’re still so good.

irish stew: in my attempt to broaden my taste buds’ horizon, i ordered irish stew one time recently while on our east co. clare trip. and i was surprised by how much i enjoyed. i’m not normally a fan of dark meat but the stew was absolutely amazing. it also feels like one of the more traditional irish meals i’ve had.

supermacs: smacks! smacks! supermacs! after long nights out, everyone’s favorite destination is supermacs. my irish friend allanna even told me it’s called club smacks. supermacs is similar to mcdonalds but so much better. their burgers are a thousand times juicier and their chips (fries) are thicker and more heavenly. now, i’ve yet to eat supermacs during the day time or without a few pints in me… and honestly i don’t plan to. nothing ends a fun night out better than a stop at supermacs. however, we are all trying to cut back. my name is lizzie and i haven’t eaten supermacs in 6 days.

now unfortunately, me and the girls don’t have money to spend on eating out every meal. but we’ve had a good time grocery shopping and cooking together as well. we’ve made a few family meals thus far.

we had “taco tuesday” which included guacamole made by rachel, salsa, chips, and delicious quesadillas.

we also attended an api sponsored cooking class by kate’s cookery. she showed us how to make vegetable soup (thank you kate!), fish pie, and an apple tart. it was so fun to watch her cook and even more fun to get to eat the finished product.

it’s really easy to call yourself “a picky-eater” and it’s really easy to put your nose up at food you wouldn’t normally eat. but what’s the point? i use to be very choosy and very “oh no, i hate that!” when it came to food that i wouldn’t normally consume. but after working at resort with a fine dining restaurant and now traveling through europe, i’ve realized it’s a waste. just as my eyes are soaking up the new views, my taste buds deserve to do the same with new food. if you’re one of the people that justify their unadventurous appetites on being a “picky eater,” i dare you to try something new. even if it’s ordering your eggs a different way than you normally do, try living life on the edge.

if you’re lucky enough to try new foods, you’re lucky enough