Travels in Chicago

 No trip to Chicago, Illinois is complete without a visit to Portillo’s.  All I can say is bring an appetite!  You will want to try one of everything… and I think we did.  We were visiting for three days and visited Portillo’s twice.  Does that tell you anything about their awesome food?  This place is so busy that the line can be seen during the day out the door!  And to hear people order is a treat in itself.  Some people know the lingo of how to order while me the virgin of ordering just explained what I wanted – LOL.  On the first visit, we *had* to try an Italian Beef – loaded!  The Italian beef comes in two sizes – regular and big.  We went regular this day and still had enough to share.  It’s made with their famous thin sliced roast beef topped with sweet peppers.  And here’s a hint for you – there’s three ways to order it.  Standard with a splash of ‘gravy’; Dipped which means the whole sandwich is dipped into the ‘gravy’; or Dry with very little ‘gravy’.  “Gravy” is referred to the natural juices from the slow roasted beef.  This day, we went dry.  We didn’t want to wear the gravy all day if you know what I mean – ha!  And it was delicious!  The meat was tender, the sandwich was juicy and it felt like we belonged there eating this Italian Beef all of our lives.

The next day – yep the NEXT day – we had to come back and try some more delicacies again.  Since the beef was so delicious the day before, we thought we would try it again in a different form.  This time we split a Beef-n-Cheddar Croissant.  The same thin layers of Italian beef with cheddar cheese all over it on a nice toasted croissant.  Closing my eyes just thinking of this yummy sammy – it was that good!

Which one was better?  It’s hard to say.  Both of these were so delicious…. maybe I need to try both again before I can make a decision 🙂

 

Travels in the South

One night last week, mom was craving pasta.  Not just any pasta but a New Orleans Pasta from a local restaurant.  Look at this picture.  Wouldn’t you crave it too?  Mom doesn’t usually crave pasta but when she does, she always goes for this one.  It has penne pasta, shrimp, chicken, smoked sausage, peppers, onions and a spicy homemade Cajun alfredo sauce.  Doesn’t it look yummy?

The only thing mom hates about this pasta are the shrimp.  Why do they keep tails on the shrimp when they serve it in a pasta like this?  Mom has to stop and take the time to remove all of the tails so she can jump right in and eat.  What do you think about this pasta?

 

Travels in the South

Everyone should have that one great Mexican restaurant that they always have on their ‘go to’ list when nothing else sounds good for dinner.  You know what I mean.  There is always the constant, “Where do you want to eat”, conversation going on here at the Hotel Thompson.  It’s daily and it always ends with, “It doesn’t matter.  Whatever you want.”  I piggy swear that sometimes they need to write all of the local restaurants down on pieces of paper, fold them and put them in a box.  When these nights come up about where do you want to eat, randomly pick a piece of paper out of said box – problem solved.

This was one of those nights where mom/dad just automatically skipped the conversation and went straight to their stand by of Mexican food.  It’s a no brainer.  They don’t even have to decide what to order because they always get the same thing and split the meal.  What is it you ask?

This wonderful meal is called Tacos De Alambre.  It’s made with flour tortillas, grilled steak, onions and bell peppers.  Mom also gets her Tacos De Alambre topped with Chihuahua cheese.  This is a great Mexican melty yummy cheese.  Can you say delicious?

 

Travels in the South

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and I agree.  Mom has fixed me omelettes for breakfast and dinner.  However, I’ve never had an omelette like this one before.  It seems mom likes something called a Colorado Omelette.  It has all kinds of wonderful yummy stuff in it – some things I can’t mention because well I’m an oinker and it wouldn’t be good for me so I’m letting mom take it from here.

For obvious reasons – this omelette is loaded.  Loaded with goodness that is.  It has bacon, sausage, shredded beef, ham, onions, green peppers, mushrooms and cheddar cheese.  And let’s not forget to top off that deliciously wonderful omelette with salsa.  Yum.  Have you ever had an omelette topped with salsa?  It just brings so much more to the table.

 

 

Travels in the South

Anyone for some nachos?  Welcome my friends to another posting of Travels in the South.  Today we went a little Mexican.  Okay maybe I should say mom/dad went a BIG time Mexican.  They decided one night to go out and split some Fajita Nachos and maybe – and I stretch maybe – a Margarita might have been involved – snorts with piggy laughter.  And I say share because look at that plate!

It had peppers, onions, chicken, steak, shrimp and cheese slathered all over it.  It was messy and so delicious!  And hey splitting it between mom/dad meant half of the calories, right?  Don’t you love the way those two parents of mine have changed their way in thinking about food?  You don’t have to give up the things you love, just split them in half with someone else you love ❤

 

Travels in the South

For obvious reasons today – snorts/oinks/coughs – I’m giving todays Travels in the South edition over to mom.  TAKE IT AWAY MOM!

Bacon – You might want to cover your ears and eyes for today’s edition.

Friends – we have found a really unique sandwich at our local Sonny’s Barbeque Restaurant.  What is it you ask?  They call this The Smokin’ Gun.  Look at that deliciousness.  Here is what is in it:  Jalapeno cheddar hot links, chopped brisket, banana peppers and red onions topped with a sweet mustard sauce on a bun.  It’s really not that hot – mom/dad both loved it for it’s uniqueness and taste.  And of course for obvious reasons we can’t eat it at home.  But it is way yummy!

If you have a Sonny’s Barbeque Restaurant in your area, you may want to check it out.

 

 

Travels in the South

Hello friends – welcome to another edition of Travels in the South.  This week mom/dad went back for what they know.  They went to a local steakhouse that offers an appetizer called “Wild, Wild Shrimp”.  Better yet, mom had a coupon for this appetizer so that makes it even better, right?

These shrimp are lightly battered and friend.  They are served with different kinds of spicy peppers with a blue cheese dip dressing.  If you are like daddy, you pick the shrimp out and leave the peppers – snorts with piggy laughter.  But if you are mom, you jump feet first in and eat your way out.  Of course, this always goes well accompanied by a glass of Chardonnay, which mom had.

 

Fear of Heat

Let’s talk about something that is really scary – the fear of heat.  Do you think you can withstand this fear?  Let’s see when i tell you what I’ve found.

First up – the Jalapeño.   I’m sure you have heard of this lovely creature.  On the heat scale, it’s three out of four peppers being hot.  It’s origin is Mexico and these days they are grown everywhere.  You can find them in cheese dips, wrapped with bacon and stuffed with cream cheese, in salsa, in chili – it’s unlimited.  Most peeps can withstand the heat on this one… most.

Then we move up to the fierce red Habanero.  The Habanero is a variety of chili pepper.  On the heat scale, it’s five out of five peppers being exceptionally hot.  A ripe Habanero is bright red where a unripened Habanero is green.  So you see, they color as they mature into their full potential.  They can also come in different colors – look for the beautiful orange.  The Habanero comes from the Amazonas region and from there spread throughout Mexico.

Whereas you might enter a contest to be dared to eat a Jalapeño and survive the contest, you might want to think twice about a contest eating a Habanero.  Mom has said once that she believes the Habanero was made by the devil himself because he thought all other peppers were ‘tame’.

I’m sure you have heard about these two famous peppers.  But let’s go deeper my friends.  Are you ready for the fear?  How about wrapping your lips around a Ghost Pepper?  Maybe your lips shouldn’t touch this pepper.  The Ghost Pepper originates in India.  On the heat scale, the Ghost Pepper is also five peppers out of five peppers being exceptionally hot.  In 2007, the Guinness World Records certified that the Ghost Pepper was the world’s hottest chili pepper – 400 times hotter than Tabasco sauce.  Can you wrap your lips around that?

And you probably thought I could stop right there with the fear of heat in peppers.   But I can’t.  I found one more for you to fear.  Are you shaking yet?  Let me introduce you to the hottest pepper these days – The Carolina Reaper Pepper.  Okay it’s called the Reaper – does that not tell you anything? You are certain for death eating this bad boy – fear it!  The Reaper is officially  the world’s hottest pepper by the Guinness World Records.  It is a cross between a Pakastani Naga pepper and a Red Habanero.  Can you just feel the heat over your lips, down your throat to the deep pits of your stomach?

Is today’s post scary enough for you my friends or do I need to start making some brownies for you… of course with these peppers?  Happy eats my friends.