Desiree "Libra Rockin'" K.'s Profile

So, I'm going out on a limb here because I am pretty sure so many of you are not in the loop. What loop you ask? Oh, the loop that Beans and Bagels now serves Dinner...

Yes, you read it correctly, our little coffee shop is completely transformed Wednesday's - Saturday's into a cute little BYOB Italian Trattoria.

I came here on a whim the other night with a friend and left with enough left over's to write home to mom about. Seriously.

We started off with the Pear Pesto Bruschetta, think little slices of toasted bread topped with a zesty pesto and crisp tomatoes and pears...yum...

After the bruschetta at the recommendation of the server, I tried the Chicken and Dumpling soup... I have this uncanny feeling that this soup will cure even the heaviest of colds, I don't know how the chef does it but the chicken was super moist and the broth was so tasty...I could eat that soup everyday. Delicious.

Now, I have to be honest, we contemplated stopping there, we were starting to fill up but then decided eh, when in Rome, cough Beans cough, do as the Romans do, and ordered full orders of pasta dishes.  

My friend is a vegetarian, so she ordered the Eggplant Timpano, and having fallen in love with the Chicken soup, I decided to order the Chicken Cacciatore.

I had never heard of Timpano before, it turned out to be this dish where the chef wrapped eggplant around penne noodles that were mixed together with marinara, zucchini, onions, mozzarella and romano cheese. The Timpano is molded into individual servings about the size of your fist, and then served over a parmesan cream sauce.... my description may not be doing this dish justice but just try to envision it...I tried a bite and think I might go for that next time I'm feeling a little more like vegetarian fare versus chicken.

Anyway, on to my Cacciatore, just like the chicken in the soup, the Cacciatore was also very moist. I really liked the marinara sauce. One of my biggest judges of character is how one makes their "sauce". (You'd almost think I was an Italian in another life). Anyway, the chef here hits it right on as the sauce was not too sweet (that's the worst by the way), nor was it too "chunky". I had the option of noodle so I chose the fettuccine, he did a good job on this also as it was not overly al dente. I hate when the pasta is too al dente, it's like hey Bozo, why don't you just serve the pasta to us raw. I digress. I had to take most of it to go, but wasn't sad about that because it gave us an excuse for sharing a dessert.

We finished up our wine and then grabbed a couple cups of the famous Metropolis coffee Beans is so well known for and then split a homemade Tiramisu.  Listen folks, if you've suffered from eating store bought Tiramisu suffer no more, this Tiramisu was the real deal.  Heads up, you may want to ask for a little less chocolate powder they put on quite a bit.

Service was pretty good, the servers stayed on top of my water, (why do I get so thirsty when I eat Italian?), and our bill came out to about $25, split with a bottle of wine, I'd say I have a new weekend hot spot. One more thing, I asked if they do carry out and they were like "of course"!  Score!!  

For an on the whim kinda night, we really lucked out. We'll definitely be back.  

Thanks Beans!!

STOP THE PRESSES!

As of Monday, November, 16, 2009, after a four and a half month renovation, Garcia's on Western has officially reopened!

True true story.

Not sure about you all, but I was counting down the days to Enchilada goodness and refreshing Margarita bliss, and low and behold on a whim tonight and completely unbeknown to us we ended up at Garcia's during their grand reopening.

Lucky us.

So, here's the skinny.  

They have expanded in a major way.  The ceilings are higher which means more light, the dining room is wider which means no longer feeling guilty when you have a large party because you'll no longer take up the whole center or corner of the dining room.  The bar is bigger, meaning Friday and Saturday waits will be a lot more comfortable.  And in the summer we were told that the windows open so there will be a little al fresco feel to the front.  Que lindo!!  Anyway, they kept some of the "old charm", meaning don't freak out when you see some of the murals from you memories past on the North Wall.  The bathrooms have been gutted and now sport fancy schmancy dryers which normally wouldn't impress me, but for some reason had me singing their praises into the late hours of the evening.  And they have kept all of the same servers (which may or may not be a good thing for you, but for me was wonderful catching up with some of the "originals".)

Now onto the food.  Their menu has not changed too much, they've added a chorizo and frijolles appetizer along with a flauta app, and there were a couple other minor changes denoted by an italicized "new" next to it, but overall all the staples are still there and are served exactly how you remembered them.  

The house salsa and chips were so fresh that I swear the chips melted in my mouth.  

Our entrees arrived pretty fast and we could not believe how fresh everything tasted (yes, I know it was their first night everything had to be fresh... but let's let's hope it stays this way--it should, I mean it is Garcia's).  

We had a couple Banana Margaritas and I'm happy to say their recipe has not changed one bit.  

The service was good, there were times when I felt like the beverage service was a little slow but it wasn't too bad.  So it's hardly worth mentioning.

We talked to the server who said that there are some additional minor changes yet to be made, so we're really looking forward to seeing the finished project.

Fancy tidbit of info some of you may not have known, they hadn't renovated in 18 years!!  As a result this place looks fabulous.

Que bonita Garcias!

P.S. The tables look eerily similar to the ones they had before, do not be fooled, they reordered the same style in a darker shade, they're totally new. I told the server you could probably still use the old ones and no one would notice, she laughed and said I know "but everything fresh! "

Love you guys, we'll keep coming back!

Have front window tints?  Need them removed?  

Come here.

$20 for the two front windows.  

In and out in less then 10 minutes.

This place is fantastic.  Other shops were trying to charge me between $75-$200...seriously.

Go to Grand Auto Glass, you will not be disappointed.  No more tickets for me. Yippee!

I was so worried to write a review for A'Gaci because I didn't want the masses to overrun it...but now that I've seen a few others have, I'll jump in the pool.

So here's my preface, I was looking for something cute and trendy that was not going to break the bank. I wear the frugalista title loud and proud nowadays and thank goodness I found A'Gaci.

At first I was a little intimidated... I was like "oh no, another Forever 21 that will make me look like I'm trying too hard to dress hip..." but after I got past the first few racks of size zero skirts and loud patterns that may only work for the next week and then pass, I realized that this store has so much more to offer. At the end of my shopping frenzy I scored TWO sweater dresses and FIVE shirts appropriate for work and/or going out to a casual locale for under $50. Seriously. I think the girl at the register thought I was nuts because I couldn't stop gabbing about how great the store was and how I'll be back...from the look on her face I think she hears that all the time though. Ha. Oh well, I give credit where it's due and A'Gaci gets "mad credit".

Just as others have mentioned there is a pretty sweet shoe department on the second floor. I really could not believe how many cute boots and flats they had for under $30 ... in fact, I found a really adorable pair of purple flats for $9....um, hello! I was running out of time and that area was crowded so I'll have to come back.

Side note, I used to love getting my cute shoes at Charlotte Ruse...now I think I A'Gaci may have stolen my heart. We'll see.

So to summarize, I love that there's another cheap thread shop in the South Loop, I love that you can navigate the store without feeling claustrophobic, I love the funky music they play because it got me moving a little during my lunch hour, and I love how I kept discovering new areas in the store because just when I thought I saw it all poof, I would come across a whole new area.

A'Gaci rocks!

While scrambling to get home to watch the 4th episode of season five of LOST we thought it would be funny to get some food from a place called the Dharma Garden on Irving Park.

As soon as we stepped inside we could not believe how "trippy" the decor was and how similar it was to the show...

For all you LOST fans think the hatch from season One and Two.

Anyway, I was surprised to learn it was all Vegetarian, and had semi good Lard Nar. My sister got the Imitation Duck plate and my other sister got the Pad Thai. We had full intentions of going back home to eat but the owner's wife, or maybe she is the owner, anyway she instisted...let me say that again INSISTED, that we eat in and watch LOST on their TV behind the bar.

We obliged because how often can you say that you watched LOST in a place called the Dharma Garden?!

OK, so that that went relatively o.k. it was a little hard to hear the TV at times (ha, I am complaining about hearing a TV in a restaurant), sorry, and the other patrons kept glaring at us, (again, oh well about that it was her idea not ours), so we hurriedly ate and got home to finish up the last 1/2 hour of the show.

What we gathered

Service was fast, the decor is trippy, the food was OK., imitation duck tastes more like paste and not like duck at all, Lard Nar sauce was alright nothing to write home to Mom about, and the Pad Thai was pretty decent. The owners are crazy accommodating, and we will definitely be back, I think I'll try something else on the menu though.  It was relatively inexpensive I think we paid under $20 for all three dishes.

Smart Bar

I love that you host Moby every time he comes into Chicago for an "after-set"...

I love that you have House nights, and some amazing DJ's regularly...

I love that there's plenty of room to dance or sit depending on how your spirit moves you.

I love that the lighting is blue and moody....

But I HATE how that same lighting rubs off on your employees and makes them also blue and moody.

Bah, I hate that.

P.S. Your bars should be consistent, either both require a $20 minimum tab or neither require a $20 minimum tab...thanks for for making me open a tab on weeknight. :Grumble:

I really do not shop at a lot of craft stores...so I am really unfamiliar with how these stores are supposed to be. But all I have to say is a. they are kinda pricey on things, and b. where are their employees?!?! Pardon the pun but when it comes to finding an employee it's like finding a needle in the haystack here. The aisles are not clearly labeled, the employees are scarce, there's a million people milling around looking at craft sticks and yards of cloth, and all I needed was a stinking sewing kit. Where are the regular needles people?!?! Oh, they're behind the big fabric island in the center of the store...of course. Sigh. We finally found what we were looking for but definitely after getting in my cardio workout via circling the store 100 times. Thanks JoAnn's.

I am so unbelievably happy that I "stumbled" (we'll just leave that in quotes and up to your imagination) into Swirl a couple of Friday's ago. The bouncer was super friendly, and the staff followed suit. From recommending an excellent glass of Pinot Noir, (think full body with a hint of honey) to having a fantastic DJ spinning some excellent Hip-hop, I have to say I left very very impressed.

The decor gives off a lounge vibe, and there was plenty of seats in case your feet get tired from dancing. I mentioned to the bouncer that I was interested in hosting my birthday at Swirl to which he then found me their in house promoter who then showed me their private room upstairs. I was equally impressed with the room upstairs as I was overall with the club/bar downstairs. They have enough room to comfortably accommodate upwards of 30 people and have a separate private bar. The room overlooks the main room so you do not feel too disconnected.

I'm bringing all my friends out to Swirl in a couple of weeks. I need to go dance some more and also need some more of that fantastic Pinot.

After working down here for two years I finally found "The Mediterranean" restaurant nearby....thank you thank you thank you co-worker that will go unnamed.  

It's kinda chilly in this Windy City today so I opted for the 1/2 Lentil Soup, and 1/2 Oasis Salad and it was fantabulous.  Both came out to $9.43 with tax which for a downtown lunch I was a little taken back by this but when my huge soup and my even bigger salad was plopped in front of me, I couldn't help but think this was a "crazy deal", two meals for the price of one.  Score!  

The lentil soup was served quite warm with fresh pita bread, the salad had mixed greens, goat cheese and pears...ah...happiness in salad right there.  

There was plenty of room and tables to sit at and it was not too loud for some good lunch conversations.  I will definitely be back and plan to take full advantage of those flat bread sandwiches everyone is raving about.  

Four stars to you Mediterra.   Like the Terminator said, "I'll be back."

I just love Wao Bao and their amazing way to satisfy my "need to get some healthy lunch for a change" craving in the South Loop. I really like their vegetarian Bao's which are the "buns" everyone talks about, be sure to get them with the sweet soy sauce. Also their salads are very fresh and super refreshing; they're paired with a light vinaigrette which really hits the spot. Side note, salads can be found in the cooler near the line. Oh, and be sure to try their homemade ginger ale...they do not scrimp on the ginger and it's a perfect way to end a flavorful lunch.

My only complaint for Wow Bao is how noisy it is inside...this is not the place to go if you're looking to have a some "conversations over lunch"....I always feel like I have to yell in here. This might be a better place to get lunch to-go from.