A Mighty Fine Valentine's

Ian aced his re-current training earlier this week! Woo Woo !!  To celebrate his achievement and spend Valentine's together, we spent our day in Chicago. How ironic that Ian was awarded a long overnight (on Valentine's!) in the city that holds so many precious memories to us? It must be fate.

First, Ian flew me to Chicago's Midway airport. We left Minneapolis early, allowing us to be in the heart of Chicago by noon. 

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Chicago is always the perfect place for us to pursue our love affair with food.  So on this trip, we started with lunch. We ate at this tiny Polish restaurant where two beautiful Polish people served us simple Polish food. It was pure homemade goodness. And eating RED borscht soup (a traditional Polish beet soup) could most certainly become a Valentine Day tradition for us. That soup was divine. Seriously.  

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Next, we walked to Millenium Park. We took pictures at the Cloud Gate (the bean). Then, we laced up ice skates and glided around the outdoor rink. The pavilion was mostly filled with couples. Romance was definitely in the air. We watched old and young couples hold hands, take pictures, steal kisses, and fall into their partner whenever they slipped. Ian, who hasn't played hockey in ten years, still looks like a natural on the ice.

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Before dinner, we strolled down the Magnificent Mile. Ian was ever so patient as we leisurely shopped. He chose fashion over flowers as his gift to me this Valentines.

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Finally, we dined at The Purple Pig. With a quirky name, one can expect a quirky menu. We were surprised to see that they offered a variety of both traditional and non-traditional small plates. 

Also, let me explain our seating situation. We were placed directly in front of the chefs. For some people, this may be distracting, but for those wanting to see how a kitchen operates, these were phenomenal seats. Obviously, we thought we'd hit the jackpot when we got to watch the talented chefs in action. It was an eye opening experience, a peek into the pulse of a restaurant. And let me clarify, this was a completely different scene than what I witnessed as a waitress at TGIFridays. The chefs here operate with fresh, amazing ingredients. They make each plate as it's ordered versus pre-packaged meals being heated.  

So let's talk about the fine food. Here's what we ordered:

Butternut Squash, Pumpkin Seeds, Brown Butter & Ricotta Salata Cheese

Roasted Bone Marrow with Herbs (scrape from bone, smear onto bread)

Not pictured, but also tasted: 
-Calamari with Fregula, Radishes, Cucumbers, & Pistachios

-Braised Baby Artichokes, Fingerling Potatoes, Asiago, & Salami Toscana

Everything we tried was jam packed with flavor.  We learned that with just a few ingredients, when paired properly, a spectacular dish can be made. 

Check out Ian (to the left), watching the madness unfolding in the kitchen! We did not want to leave our seats! We will return. Most definitely.