Berry Chill

Yogurt Couture is the fitting slogan for Berry Chill, a frozen yogurt hot spot on the near north side. The small store offers a cold sweet you don't have to feel guilty eating.

Typically there are two to three flavors of yogurt - of which one is always the standard vanilla flavored with a little lemon. It's a tart flavor and I really enjoy it. After patrons pick their yogurt flavor they can choose toppings. Up to three toppings is included in the standard price, add any more and you pay 79 cents per topping. The toppings are the best part! You have a choice of lots of candies and fruits. I always get a combination of fruits, and my favorite combination is strawberry, mango and blueberry.

I took a friend to Berry Chill last week and even on a cold day it was a big hit, but this place is really perfect for an afternoon snack on a sweaty summer day.

Tab: $5 for a small (5 ounces) with three toppings

e.leaven

Looking for a quick lunch spot near the Mag Mile? If so, try e.leaven. It's just a couple blocks from the Apple store (and my office) and it's tasty. Nothing fancy or special, but reasonably priced and well-located.

I've gone a few times and only tried one thing: the avocado salad with chicken. The salad is generously filled with avocado and a yummy dressing. There are lots of sandwiches, salads and sweets on the menu. Everything looks good and it's never too crowded - perfect for the week-day lunch.

Tab: About $10 for a large salad

Ann Sather

I turned 25 on Sunday, March 21. You might find the next statement ridiculous, but it made me feel kind of old. When I was in high school, I remember thinking about my mid-twenties as a time when I would be fairly 'established' in my adulthood. It's not like I wanted to have a kid by now (I did not and still do not), but I think I figured I'd own a house, dog and be well on my way to stealing Peter Jennings' old gig. I did get married recently, which is certainly a big step into serious adulthood, but other than that, I don't really have many of the things figured out that I thought I would. That said, I think 15 year old Jenn would be surprised, but pleased.

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In high school, sometimes my mom would make me Pillsbury cinnamon rolls for a quick breakfast (served with fruit, of course). Since then, sometimes I crave cinnamon rolls. So, on my birthday I went for a big brunch at Ann Sather, home of Chicago's best, fresh cinnamon rolls. The rolls are enormous and served warm in pairs. I love them!

With the cinnamon rolls, I had the Veggie Florentine. It's a version of Eggs Benedict, that substitutes the ham for veggies. It's somewhat healthy and really tasty - if you like hollandaise sauce like me. Ann Sather also has really good Swedish style pancakes, which are thinner than normal pancakes and almost like crepes.

There are a couple Ann Sather locations, but the one in Andersonville is the best. It is a great place for brunch and it's bigger than many of the other brunch hot-spots, so you probably won't have to wait for a table.

Tab: About $25 for breakfast for two (w/drinks)

Spacca Napoli

My Dad is obsessed with pizza to the point that he tried to feed me some as an infant. His love is focused on Chicago-style deep-dish like Lumalnati's, and my taste is often a bit different, but the love of pizza has rubbed off on the entire family. I truly enjoy all types of pizza and other than the chain, Sbarro's, I've never had a pizza I couldn't eat. Lately, I've been particularly hooked on Neapolitan style pizza with thin crust, chunky tomatoes and delicious cheese. Spacca Napoli is the pinnacle of this type of pizza.

The restaurant is focused solely on using the best ingredients to make pizza the way Italians really eat it. Spacca Napoli offers several different varieties, containing lots of ingredients, or just a few, like the classic 'Pizza Margherita.' Everything is delicious and served quickly from the special oven. They have appetizers too - including a really yummy eggplant (melanzane) dish that's served cold.

But, the pizza takes center stage here. I've had a few of different kinds and while they are all fantastic, 'The Buffalina,' is the show-stopper. It's a classic margherita style pizza, with cheese, tomatoes and basil, but the cheese is really special. It's buffalo mozzarella, and it's creamy and hard to stop eating.

Spacca Napoli is a wonderful place. It makes me want to visit Italy so bad it hurts and happy my Dad forced pizza into my life so early. You'll never want American-style pizzza again.

Tab: About $35 for a pizza, appetizer and two Peroni's

Revolution!

Last week's weather was so nice - it kept me out and about - and not blogging! Apologies for my sporadic posts - mainly sorry to Mom, one of my few readers :)

I've been meaning to write about Revolution Brewing for a week or so. It's a really cool new brew/pub in Logan Square (full disclosure: one of my cousins is an investor). The decor is really impressive and no detail has been spared. The theme of "revolution" is used in multiple ways. They have a fist logo that is used on all of the taps and it's also carved into the wood bar.

The beer takes center stage and they have several that are brewed in house. I've heard great things about their stout, but in all honesty, I'm a light beer drinker so most were too strong for my taste. Mark and I tried each in-house brewed beer by ordering the beer flight which allows you to taste them all - and my favorite is 'The Wit.' It's a well-flavored light beer and it's perfect for weak-beer drinkers.

The food is also really good! They've tried to ensure Revolution is about more than just the beer. The menu includes Neapolitan-style pizzas with a variety of toppings, delicious and gourmet burgers, pulled pork sandwiches, vegetarian and vegan fare, and fish and chips. It has lots of other options too - including salads and pot roast. They make their own rolls and have a special pizza oven to perfect the crust of their individual pies.

I was really impressed with the food selection. I tried a variety of items including the steamed mussels, the burger with bacon and cheddar, fish and chips and pulled pork. I highly recommend the mussels and the burger. Both were truly delicious - and the burger's bun is a real treat. The fish and chips and pulled pork were good too, but not my favorites.

Revolution is a happening new spot. I enthusiastically recommend heading over soon. The beer, food and environment are all really good. I can't wait to go back for a fun night with friends soon - plus I've heard the desserts are tasty!

Tab: $40 for two (including two pints of beer and an appetizer)

Cuba Libre

Part of the reason I've been writing so infrequently is that I was in Orlando last week for work. The weather was not as nice as I was hoping for and the week was jam packed with events and lots of small-talk. Plus, if you've been to Orlando you know that the restaurant options are somewhat limited compared to the windy city. Disney's east coast home is also home to every chain restaurant in America. T.G.I. Friday's and Perkins were just two of the many less than delicious places I stopped at during the trip. But, I was able to try one unfamiliar restaurant.

One night I had an event at Cuba Libre, and while it is still a chain, it doesn't have quite the national reach of Friday's (it has three locations in Orlando, Philadelphia and Atlantic City). I've never been to Cuba (or even another Cuban restaurant) so I really can't make any claims about authenticity, but my guess is that Fidel would not be pleased - it's a bit hokey. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the restaurant.

We started with terrific mojitos - very refreshing and almost too good, as I struggled to stop drinking them. Since the event was work related, I wasn't able to choose from the entire menu. Instead, we had a few shared appetizers which were my least favorite course. It was an assortment of fried chicken and shrimp pastry turnovers that were sub-par. The next course was a plain spinach salad that was a nice palate cleanser. For an entree, we had a choice of steak, chicken or salmon. I chose the grilled skirt steak that was served with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed greens. It was served in a delicious lemon, parsley and onion sauce. I really enjoyed it and the serving size was perfect.

The best part of the meal was dessert. Everyone received three mini portions of papaya and mango rice pudding, flan with mixed berries and a chocolate souffle tart. The flan in particular was wonderful.

I'm not dying to go back to Orlando or Cuba Libre anytime soon, but it was a nice break from the generic sandwiches and salads that made up almost all my other meals in the city.

Tab: About $30 a person (w/the much enjoyed mojito)

Quartino

Sometimes my sister and I go on dates - and often we head to Quartino. It's a really lovely Italian place on the near north side (near my office).

They offer tapas-style Italian, so it's the perfect place to go to share dishes and gossip. The last time we went we had a great time, as usual. We split the funghi pizza, grilled shrimp and lots of bread with oil and cheese. Everything was delicious. I especially like the funghi pizza - they load it with mushrooms and it is wonderful [full disclosure: I LOVE mushrooms].

In the past we've ordered the broccoli rabe, eggplant parmesan, and a meat and cheese tasting appetizer. Each of these has been great, too. We've tried a lot of the menu and never have been disappointed.

Quartino is affordable, yummy and has a great patio in summer. It should definitely be on your to-do list, if you haven't been already.

Tab: About $30 for two (w/out wine)