Chicago!

So I am here with my Sister visiting our Cousin R in Chicago for the long weekend. It has been a wonderful vacation so far (we have about 23 hours left) and are really enjoying ourselves so far. We've also eaten some superb food. A quick rundown.

SATURDAY
Breakfast was eaten in the airport. I enjoyed some oatmeal from Starbucks which was a bit less thick than I prefer, but really tasty with the brown sugar packet. I would totally enjoy it again for a meal on the run.
The plane ride was uneventful and I landed in beautiful Chicago. Cousin R picked us up and we went to the supermarket for sustenance (100 Calorie Lorna Doones, grapes, Baked Lays, carrots, spinach dip) and then off for deep dish by the slice. The restaurant, the Art of Pizza, seems to be pretty well known for its deep dish and it should be - it was delicious. Cousin R got pepperoni, Sister got sausage and peperoni, I got mushroom and spinach. I now know why Chicago is famous for deep dish. It was SO GOOD. Warm, cheesy, gooey, doughy and wonderful.
After a quick stop in Cousin R's apartment to put on long underwear and a second pair of socks, we headed out to Lincoln Park for a stop at an amazing chocolate shop, Vosges. We sampled some of the toffee they had and then bought some bars and truffles. I'm sure The Pedant will explain more another time...
After a walk around the area, we headed to Lincoln Square for dinner at Chelsea Grill. It was really tasty - an eclectic menu that was not very expensive. We shared homemade potato chips with sea salt and fried goat cheese for an appetizer. Fried goat cheese is just super. Gooey and well toasted. For dinner, Sister had the burger with homemade fries and Cousin R and I shared the roasted vegetable and goat cheese sandwich and the Macaroni and Cheeses. It was great. The sandwich had chunks of veggies as opposed to slices which made it even tastier. The mac & cheeses was really decedent.
We went to Old Town to kill some time before seeing Second City (which was so amazing and really funny!!) and ate dessert - bread pudding recommended by the hostess and worth it! - at Bistrot Margot. They seemed to have a problem when Cousin R asked for a hot chocolate and I asked for a mocha. It seemed to throw them off (sister's espresso was no problem...) but they managed and it was tasty.

SUNDAY:
Brunch was in Wicker Park where we were joined by Cousin I. We ate at Hot Chocolate which was just wonderful. We each, of course, got hot chocolate. Sister and I both had their half and half - half dark chocolate, half espresso and one FULL taste. Rich, a little bitter, tasty. Cousin R enjoyed her Mexican hot chocolate. Cousin I really liked her dark, which was 72% dark chocolate that, as she rightly put it, tasted like liquid brownie. We then shared the sweets plate, with banana bread (which was actually quite good and not so banana-ey), croissant filled with duck and pear (I got an end so I didn't have to worry), mini scones, and a homemade donut. Very tasty. For the meal I got the market scramble with queso fresco, spinach and mushrooms. It was amazing. Perfectly cooked, not overly cheesy. Sister and Cousin R enjoyed sharing a ham and egg sandwich and Cousin I enjoyed her fresh ricotta and egg sandwich. We rolled ourselves out and enjoyed walking and shopping.
Cousin R, Sister and I are realizing with some snacks and Austin Powers (a favorite!) before a dinner out and jazz (an update later!)