Each week CityBeat staffers, dining writers and the occasional intern tell you what they ate this weekend. We’re not always proud — or trendy — but we definitely spend at least some money on food.
Ilene Ross: For the most part, the BF and I hung out pretty close to home over the weekend due to the fact that we we’ve been binging on OiTNB. On Friday night, the BF whipped up a delicious paella (thanks, Whole Foods, for the fresh and tasty seafood) and we got in a couple of episodes. On Saturday, we were glued to the couch, ate omelets and got in five more. By Saturday night, cabin fever set in and we hit up the bar at Jimmy G’s for some tasty treats before a concert at The Carnegie in Covington. We split beef carpaccio and the Gribble, chef Gibson’s daily choice of grilled meat or seafood skewers. Saturday night, it was a ridiculously tender pork tenderloin. Sunday afternoon we hung poolside for Father’s Day, while my dad grilled up steak and chicken. Why is it that dads always man the grill on what is supposed to be “their” day and on Mother’s Day moms don’t have to do any cooking at all?
Katie Holocher: Brunch at Red Feather for the umpteenth time. Their entire spread is amazing, but I cannot get out of there without the pancakes. Those, plus the homemade biscuits and jams (my favorite being the bourbon cherry) are just utterly the best.
Colleen McCroskey: I wasn’t able to attend my friend Caroline’s baby shower, so on Friday I had her and her fiancé over for a home-cooked meal. We started off with a tried-and-true Barefoot Contessa recipe of whipped ricotta with herbs on grilled bread, topped with a basic tomato bruschetta topping — so easy to make, and the flavors were unreal. For an entrée, I made angel hair pasta with a white wine, butter and garlic sauce, with breadcrumbs and fresh clams (shout-out to the fish counter at the Madeira Kroger). The pièce de résistance though, was dessert (another Ina recipe; I love me some Ina): We grilled fresh peaches with brown sugar and topped them off with an amaretto mascarpone. I still haven’t managed to get the grill clean of all that brown sugar, but it was so worth it.
Sarah Urmston: The boyfriend has finally returned from his long trip this weekend and we dedicated an entire Sunday together to lounge by the pool and cook up some homemade guac, tossed salad and a pizza. A white pizza. After dilly-dallying around the nearest Kroger, we returned to the kitchen with a handful of items we saw fit for this absolutely delicious meal. We chose a gluten-free dough mix (just because), adding oil, water and eggs to the powdery substance, and, of course, there was flour. Flour everywhere. After mixing and spreading it out to an acceptable pizza shape and ignoring the cracked edges, we spread a mix of olive oil and diced garlic across the base of the crust. Next came sliced mozzarella and feta (goat cheese works, too), and on top of that came the ricotta and grated parmesan. Around 18 minutes later, the entire house smelled like an Italian kitchen forcing us to pull the pizza out of the oven. Immediately, we tossed on the final ingredients: handfuls of basil and sliced cherry tomatoes.
Taking the first bite at the same time, we were both beyond pleasantly surprised with the outcome. The crust kicked ass, and every cheese + the garlic were perfect together. This overall should take about 45 minutes, TOPS. However, having plenty of time to waste, it took us a good four hours to finish this badass pizza. PS: Totally worth it.
Jac Kern: I had dinner at Barrio Tequileria on Friday night. It was the first time I’d been back since the Northside taco joint closed and then reopened late last year (though I thought it was much more recent). We started off with a house margarita (which was good, and apparently was voted the people’s choice pick at last Wednesday’s Margarita Madness), a fancier flavored margarita, craft beer and queso with chorizo. The chips and cheese came out meatless but were enjoyed anyway. My dining companions ordered a bunch of tacos — shrimp, chicken, chorizo, carne asada — while I ordered Barrio’s take on a Caesar salad with shrimp. After my initial depression about ordering a salad at a taco place, I was really happy with it. It came with cornbread croutons and a house dressing that wasn’t very Caeser-y but was absolutely delicious. It had the consistency of the ginger dressing they serve on simple salads at hibachi restaurants. Afterward, we went to Tillie’s down the street, which I can’t believe used to be The Serpent. The interior is amazing, they’ve got a great cocktail selection and they finished their patio just in time for summer.
For Father’s Day, my dad wanted to try a new (to him) burger place. I suggested Gordo’s, but we ended up going to Mad Mike’s in White Oak. With absolutely no frills and absolutely nothing resembling a salad on the menu, it was a perfect place for my dad. We split an order of tasty fried pickle chips and then I had the Codfather (big-ass fish sandwich), my mom ordered the American Outlaw (basic cheeseburger with special sauce) and my dad yet again showed me what it means to be a man by getting the Goliath: a bacon barbecue cheeseburger with two grilled cheese sandwiches instead of a bun. His review: “Awesome.” I’d have to agree.
Jesse Fox: Saturday, I finally bought groceries and made myself a meal as opposed to wandering into Fusian or the nearest Taco Bell. I made myself a vegan alfredo pasta with Brussels sprouts, tofu and some Daiya Strawberry Cheesecake because I’ve completely given up on my quest to eat less sugar and put off my inevitable diabetes for a little longer. That night I played a show with my Chicago friends, Twin Peaks, and their tour manager surprised them with a bunch of Old Style beers, which is essentially like a Chicago PBR. I had a handful of those and I think I might even prefer them over all the other cheap beer I normally consume.
Sunday I went out for brunch with a couple friends and we found ourselves at Ladder 19. They have a pretty sweet deal with either bottomless mimosas or bloody mary’s and one of their various skillets (potatoes, veggies, meat and eggs) for $20. We took advantage of that option and spent the next couple hours talking, enjoying the amazing smell of maple syrup that made me wish they had waffles as a brunch option and trying to get their house dalmatian to spend more time sitting with us at our table.
This article appears in Jun 17-23, 2015.