A trip to Italy via Café Spiaggia

Upon my return from recent vacation (hence my little hiatus) I was happily surprised to see an invitation to the unveiling of Café Spiaggia’s new look and menu sitting in my inbox. A chance to try the new bites, have a little vino, watch the chefs in the kitchen, and rub shoulders with chefs and foodies I admire? You don’t have to twist my arm. And so there I was, this past Tuesday evening.

Chefs hard at work in Cafe Spiaggia's intimate kitchen

Spiaggia Chef Sarah Grueneberg slicing delicious prosciutto

The intimate café space was hopping, brimming with Chef Tony Mantuano fans and crew. The wine was flowing, and the food was fabulous. I couldn’t stop munching on the thin crust pizza, and when I asked Chef Mantuano for the secret he did give me a few words of advice: 1) always let your dough rise in the fridge overnight to pronounce the flavors, use a pizza stone, cook it at really high heat, and finally, it doesn’t hurt to have a wood-burning oven. Ok, I’ll leave the last tip alone and simply visit the Café for that great wood-burning oven thin crust – the rest of the advice I can employ at home!

flowing wine ~ yum

the ridiculously good pizza

Stepping into Café Spiaggia feels like visiting an Italian relative’s home ~ it’s warm, welcoming, and true to Italian tradition and food. Handmade pasta was made as we mingled, the focaccia was exploding with delicious cheese, and did I mention the thin crust was out of this world? I’d recommend Café Spiaggia as the perfect leisurely lunch while shopping Michigan Ave and Oak Street, and if you know me, you better invite me along! :)

Italian pasta-maker

Chef sightings: Tony Mantuano (James Beard Award winner, Top Chef Masters finalist, Chef of Spiaggia, & Terzo Piano), wife Cathy Mantuano (wine expert), Meg Colleran (Chef di Cucina of Terzo Piano), Jaime Canete (Sous Chef of Terzo Piano), and Sarah Grueneberg, (Spiaggia Executive chef).

The perfect summer day ~ Perennial brunch and sailing away

This past holiday weekend I was delighted by the gorgeous weather, and spent Friday through Monday sunning myself and spending as much time as possible outside with family and friends. Sunday was particularly delightful, as it involved two of my favorite pastimes – eating and sailing.

I don’t think I’ve ever talked about sailing on this blog before, and that’s a surprise, considering the husband and I have made it an avid hobby for four years now. It all started when we used to picnic by Belmont Harbor and watch the boats come in and out, when we began to question the different things we observed about sailboats. How come that one doesn’t have its sail up? What is that strange third sail billowing out and of such vibrant color? How does one man alone sail a boat that large?? So we decided to take up lessons, to learn such answers and hopefully have some fun along the way. What we didn’t anticipate is this would soon become one of our favorite hobbies, and a way in which we spend many a pleasant summer weekend.

So this past Sunday, we decided to have a good meal before setting out on an afternoon sail. I had been wanting to try Perennial’s outdoor seating for quite some time, as I love the way it looks like such an oasis right on the corner of a couple of bustling streets. And let me just say, the view of Perennial’s patio as a passerby is nothing compared to the patio as a diner. It felt so lush ~ with tall potted ferns and flora all around us, tabletops which looked of bamboo, and the summer sun on my shoulders. If you’re one who looks for a great atmosphere for which to life fork and knife, look no further, Perennial is it.

the bloody mary had a full-out appetizer on top!

I got a kick out of the mini Highlife served with the Bloody Mary

Not to mention, the food was delectable and fit right in with the atmosphere. I felt like this is the type of place where one should be drinking an indulgent Bellini or Bloody Mary, and that is what we drank. I wanted to be eating smoked salmon with crème fraiche, beautiful caramelized onions and the most delicate paper thin bagel chips, and that is what I ate. I devoured my plate, and savored each bite. Each dish was smart, sourced locally, and tasty. The freshly baked chocolate croissants we had to whet the appetite were heavenly.

need I say more? :)

And then we topped it all off with an afternoon sail ~ where the wind was a bit rough (read: adventurous) and we were sailing on “jib only”. My self that once watched the sailboats pass by would be proud to hear such lingo slip off my tongue. From passerby to favorite pastime, for me, that's what summer’s all about.

A City Girl's Review: French Women Don't Get Fat

Have you ever read anything so inspiring, you were excited to embark on the next day of living, to set forth in applying the ideas you’d collected? That is how I feel right now after just finishing the book French Women Don’t Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano. Utterly French, the book explores Mireille’s reasoning for why the French seem to have it all – fashion, buttery croissants, wine, and most of all, well being and a trim waistline. With simple words of advice, she captures the heart of the French way of life and inspires you to look at your way of living in comparison.

The ideas are simple – the French focus on the pleasure of eating and living, rather than the sins of eating. This way of life is then lived out in every facet of their day-to-day. It is not a diet book, because French women don’t diet. It is a way of thinking, and a way of balancing your well-being. There are countless bits of French wisdom interlaced with delicious recipes along the way, and the cohesive message that all the little things add up to total the pleasures of life which should be explored and celebrated.

This book encourages you to eat chocolate. I’m sold. I picked up a couple of dark chocolate truffles at yesterday’s Farmer’s Market and the husband and I savored them for dessert.

~ C’est la vie ~