After weeks of preparation for the big Thanksgiving meal, cookery skills exhausted, I usually find myself completely pillaging the leftovers. It's all pumpkin pie for breakfast and turkey sandwiches for lunch until I finally arrive at the fridge to discover one lonely lump of sweet potato casserole making a break for the door and that second bag of rolls I didn't even open.
Fear not! Working at the bakery in Salem, we make dozens of bread puddings every week. They are sweet and sticky and dense, and if you flip the recipe from sweet to savory, you have a delicious meal, which is ridiculously easy to prepare, and versatile enough to serve with a salad for brunch or a cup of tomato soup for dinner. It also works as a super simple dish to bring to vegetarian friendly potlucks.
Fat Angel is a hidden gem near the Fillmore, serving wine, small and big plates, and my new favorite, Pimm's Cups. Your drinking/eating mission is below.
1) Get here early to grab a seat. They open at 5 pm.
2) Get chummy with the servers. They're very nice, attentive, and knowledgeable.
3) Order a Pimm's Cup. Order three in fact. Pimm's No 1, the primary ingredient is based on gin, tastes subtly of spice and citrus, and is low in alcohol (25%).
Pimm’s Cup – Pimm’s No. 1, lemonade, & cava $7
Markethouse's 3-course for $20 deal on Sundays may be the best value dining in Chicago. Generous portions of great food make this deal a must. Each week features a different array of prix-fixe dishes. When I stopped in last week, field green salad, pea soup, and grilled whole trout were on the menu.
Restaurants make their first impressions with bread service, and here, Markethouse does not disappoint. Sweet potato pecan bread is flavorful enough that butter becomes superfluous. Tasty as the bread is, the housemade pickled vegetables that accompany the bread are even more intriguing. Pickled cucumber, cauliflower, garlic and pearl onions are crisp and the perfect blend of sweet and sour.