Prepare yourselves as you feast through this post! My family flew to Illinois last week for a wedding, and I thought it was a great chance for me to try out new restaurants. I have to say though that by Saturday I was really craving for rice – this always happens when I travel and eat mostly non-Asian dishes. LOL

Our first stop was Bonefish Grill at 9310 Skokie Blvd. My uncle brought the whole family here (aka the Canada group) for dinner as well as to celebrate my mother’s birthday. For starters, we had the epic Bang Bang Shrimp (crispy shrimp tossed in creamy spicy sauce), Calamari, and Ahi Tuna Sashimi. For mains, we had the Atlantic Salmon, Ahi Tuna Steak, Filet Mignon, and Scallops. I find the place to be good for a family dinner while catching up and sharing stories.

On Friday, we had lunch as Bella Bacinos at 75 E. Wacker. We were actually still full by the time we arrived because we were running behind schedule, so my husband decided to just order a small stuffed (Chicago Deep-Dish) pizza and some appetizers – Crispy Polenta with Mushrooms and Warm Goat Cheese Salad. The sides were really tasty – I love cheese, so the salad was a big hit for me. I was disappointed that we were full so we didn’t get to enjoy the pizza as much as we wanted to. 🙁

As part of our itinerary/schedule, we rested and freshen up at Intelligentsia Coffee Bar at 53 East Randolph before we head to Cloud Gate and later for dinner. My husband had a cappuccino and me and my sister had a mean iced chai tea. The place was packed and obviously popular with patrons and tourists alike.

Probably the highlight of this post was my husband’s choice for dinner – Home Bistro at 3404 N Halsted St near Roscoe. The BYOB place is tucked somewhere and is a bit of a walk from the train lines. But it was worth it as soon as we entered – the place is intimate and cozy; great for a Friday dinner date. For starters, I decided to be a bit experimental and ordered the Sauteed Garlic and Escargot (roasted tomato, mandarin orange, fresh herbs, croutons) much to the chagrin of my companions. My husband instead ordered a good size of truffle fries which was also yummy. For mains, my sister got the Seared Scallops (fava bean and roasted garlic puree, wild rice, pepitas, kumquat pico de gallo), my husband the Buttermilk Fried Smoked Chicken Sandwich (napa slaw, bread & butter pickles, house hot sauce, mayo), and for myself Spaetzle and Cheese (cheddar, swiss, smoked gouda, cauliflower, red onion jam, pretzel breadcrumbs).

Everything was so good. And I love my husband for getting us a moscato. 🙂

We went out for a late lunch at Makisu Sushi Lounge on Saturday before the reception which I didn’t take photos of our food so as not to freak out my cousins. LOL.