As a special treat for the girls over the holidays we stopped at Hilary's Cookies, 4917 N. Lincoln, to sample some of the options available at this small store front. The interior is very spare with just a counter with cookie jars full of different types of cookies and a couple of tables. The cookies are available in two sizes. The large size is so substantial that even my cookie addict daughters were unable to finish it in a single sitting. The smaller ones are more like bite size. When we stopped in there were approximately five or six different types of cookies available. We tried three - chocolate chip, pumpkin, and peanut butter chocolate chip. The girls absolutely loved them. The cookies are super soft (and vegan if that is important to you) and my girls thought they tasted more like cookie dough, which I think is about the best compliment a cookie can receive. The store also sells all types of coffee/tea/hot chocolate/espresso type drinks.
Hilary's Cookies is open Tuesday through Sunday and hours vary depending on the day. Check their Facebook page for exact hours. Parking is not super easy right in front of the store but there is plenty of parking available a couple blocks away if you don't mind walking. The Western stop on the Brown Line is also quite close. If getting to Hilary's is not that convenient, the cookies are also sold at Whole Foods stores within the City.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Monday, December 10, 2012
Afternoon Tea at Celtic Knot
When I think of wonderful Christmas activities that I want to do with my daughters I always think about how perfect it would be to have afternoon tea with them. In my mind we are in a beautiful restaurant with holiday music in the background and the girls look and act like perfect little angels. Reality, I think would be pretty far from this picture. At three and six I thought maybe this year they were old enough but wasn't really willing to chance it at the Drake or another downtown hotel where the price for afternoon tea can be $40 per person. Hopefully in a few years we will be ready for that. Instead we decided to try the afternoon tea at the Celtic Knot located at 626 Church Street in Evanston.
Tea is offered at the Celtic Knot on Wednesdays and Saturdays between 2 and 4 PM. The price is $16.99 for adults and $8.99 for kids. We were offered either a common pot of tea for the table (I believe it was an blackberry flavored black tea) or a choice of individual tea bags. We all chose our own since my husband is partial to green tea and we wanted to get something decaffeinated for the girls. Everyone was able to find something they wanted, however, upon trying it, the girls didn't really like the tea. Not a big surprise. I'm not sure if the food is always the same, but we were presented with a three layer tray with sandwiches on the bottom, scones in the middle, and pastries on the top. There are three sandwiches provided per adult and two per kid and consisted of ham, salmon and dill, and egg salad. The scones (one per person) were a big hit at our table since they came with whipped cream and really delicious jam. Of course everyone enjoyed the desserts (two per person), which consisted on mini tarts, chocolate caramel bites, and a raisin cake. Service was a little slow for the girls. They kept asking when the food was coming and were having a difficult time waiting because other families were there having lunch off the regular menu. The pace was definitely better for a relaxing afternoon with adults instead of restless kids.
The Celtic Knot is an Irish pub but the interior is very cozy and family friendly. They suggest that you make reservations for tea and it probably is a good idea, however the restaurant was not busy at all when we were there at 2 on a Saturday afternoon. We were able to find street parking nearby fairly easily and the Davis stop on the Purple line is quite close. My girls are still maybe a little young for doing something like this since they weren't crazy about all of the food or the tea, however my husband and I enjoyed ourselves. It's definitely a great choice for a lower cost afternoon tea where you don't have to go downtown.
Tea is offered at the Celtic Knot on Wednesdays and Saturdays between 2 and 4 PM. The price is $16.99 for adults and $8.99 for kids. We were offered either a common pot of tea for the table (I believe it was an blackberry flavored black tea) or a choice of individual tea bags. We all chose our own since my husband is partial to green tea and we wanted to get something decaffeinated for the girls. Everyone was able to find something they wanted, however, upon trying it, the girls didn't really like the tea. Not a big surprise. I'm not sure if the food is always the same, but we were presented with a three layer tray with sandwiches on the bottom, scones in the middle, and pastries on the top. There are three sandwiches provided per adult and two per kid and consisted of ham, salmon and dill, and egg salad. The scones (one per person) were a big hit at our table since they came with whipped cream and really delicious jam. Of course everyone enjoyed the desserts (two per person), which consisted on mini tarts, chocolate caramel bites, and a raisin cake. Service was a little slow for the girls. They kept asking when the food was coming and were having a difficult time waiting because other families were there having lunch off the regular menu. The pace was definitely better for a relaxing afternoon with adults instead of restless kids.
The Celtic Knot is an Irish pub but the interior is very cozy and family friendly. They suggest that you make reservations for tea and it probably is a good idea, however the restaurant was not busy at all when we were there at 2 on a Saturday afternoon. We were able to find street parking nearby fairly easily and the Davis stop on the Purple line is quite close. My girls are still maybe a little young for doing something like this since they weren't crazy about all of the food or the tea, however my husband and I enjoyed ourselves. It's definitely a great choice for a lower cost afternoon tea where you don't have to go downtown.
Monday, November 26, 2012
The Big Cheese
We had been seeing the Coming Soon sign in the window of this restaurant (4229 N. Lincoln) for awhile and now that it is open we had to give it a try. We went on a Sunday afternoon around 12:30 and were able to easily sit down even though there are only about 10 tables in the restaurant. The setting is completely casual and perfect for grilled cheese loving kids. Parking out front is also super easy.
The menu at the Big Cheese has a selection of about 8-10 different grilled cheese sandwiches. I am not a huge grilled cheese person but all of the sandwiches on the menu sounded so good I had a hard time deciding. I had mushrooms and fontina on sourdough and it was really good. The sandwiches come with a choice of tomato soup or parmesan fries. I had the fries and they were also quite good. The kids menu includes a choice of classic grilled cheese or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, which comes with a choice of soup, fries, or fruit. The sandwiches range in price from around $6 to $8. Our food came out really fast, which is great for impatient kids. The Big Cheese also does take out and is open for brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. It is a great new place to try for lunch if you are in the area.
The menu at the Big Cheese has a selection of about 8-10 different grilled cheese sandwiches. I am not a huge grilled cheese person but all of the sandwiches on the menu sounded so good I had a hard time deciding. I had mushrooms and fontina on sourdough and it was really good. The sandwiches come with a choice of tomato soup or parmesan fries. I had the fries and they were also quite good. The kids menu includes a choice of classic grilled cheese or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, which comes with a choice of soup, fries, or fruit. The sandwiches range in price from around $6 to $8. Our food came out really fast, which is great for impatient kids. The Big Cheese also does take out and is open for brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. It is a great new place to try for lunch if you are in the area.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Allium
A few weeks ago we went out to a no kids, grown up dinner at Allium in the Four Seasons hotel downtown. The address for the hotel is 120 E. Delaware Place and that is where the entrance is but it is basically located on Michigan Avenue across the street from the Hancock Building. The restaurant is a bit more casual than what used to be in this space but it is still relatively fancy (you should dress up and probably not bring your kids) and expensive. The restaurant is on the same level as the hotel lobby, which is a few stories up. We took the train but I believe there is valet parking if you drive.
Most of the menu is made up of small plate type items, with a few entree sized items also included at the bottom. We ordered a bunch of small items to share and were super full and satisfied at the end, however our waitress acted like it was a little strange that we also didn't order from the entree section. She is maybe used to people who can afford to sample a lot of food without eating it all, which is not really in our budget. We shared a crab special, the cheese lavosh, cheese curd mashed potatoes, and the short rib sliders. This was plenty of food for us. Everything came in a good size portion, actually much bigger than we expected and that you find at other small plate restaurants, and was really delicious. The cheese curd mashed potatoes were especially yummy. Allium has a nice selection of wine, beer, and cocktails. When we went out, I wasn't drinking alcohol so I was very happy to also see several non-alcoholic options on the drink menu. I had a made in house soda that was really good and didn't make me miss a glass of wine too much.
Desserts continue the small plate theme with lots of cookie/candy options. Our waitress talked us into getting a bunch of desserts to share. We ordered the donut holes, peanut butter sandwich cookies, red velvet cupcake, and pretzel caramels. In addition, since it was our anniversary, they brought us a piece of chocolate cake, on the house. After a big meal, we finished maybe half of the desserts and took the rest home to enjoy the next day. As with dinner, everything was really good but if I was going to order just one dessert next time it would be the pretzel caramels.
Overall we had really nice evening. The food was great and we were able to sit next to the window for a nice view of the street below. The dining room seems a little overly formal and the bathrooms are kind of hard to find but we were definitely comfortable. The restaurant is fairly large but the tables aren't jammed close together to try to maximize the number of people they can get in the room. We would definitely go back without our kids for another special occasion.
Most of the menu is made up of small plate type items, with a few entree sized items also included at the bottom. We ordered a bunch of small items to share and were super full and satisfied at the end, however our waitress acted like it was a little strange that we also didn't order from the entree section. She is maybe used to people who can afford to sample a lot of food without eating it all, which is not really in our budget. We shared a crab special, the cheese lavosh, cheese curd mashed potatoes, and the short rib sliders. This was plenty of food for us. Everything came in a good size portion, actually much bigger than we expected and that you find at other small plate restaurants, and was really delicious. The cheese curd mashed potatoes were especially yummy. Allium has a nice selection of wine, beer, and cocktails. When we went out, I wasn't drinking alcohol so I was very happy to also see several non-alcoholic options on the drink menu. I had a made in house soda that was really good and didn't make me miss a glass of wine too much.
Desserts continue the small plate theme with lots of cookie/candy options. Our waitress talked us into getting a bunch of desserts to share. We ordered the donut holes, peanut butter sandwich cookies, red velvet cupcake, and pretzel caramels. In addition, since it was our anniversary, they brought us a piece of chocolate cake, on the house. After a big meal, we finished maybe half of the desserts and took the rest home to enjoy the next day. As with dinner, everything was really good but if I was going to order just one dessert next time it would be the pretzel caramels.
Overall we had really nice evening. The food was great and we were able to sit next to the window for a nice view of the street below. The dining room seems a little overly formal and the bathrooms are kind of hard to find but we were definitely comfortable. The restaurant is fairly large but the tables aren't jammed close together to try to maximize the number of people they can get in the room. We would definitely go back without our kids for another special occasion.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Once Upon a Child and Freecycle
I have finally gotten around to the enormous task of sorting and getting rid of all of my daughters' baby and toddler clothes. I've mainly used freecycle (www.freecycle.org) to pass these items onto families who could use them and keep them out of the waste stream. Freecycle, if you've never used it, is a really great organization that allows people to give away just about any item (except for food) to anyone who is interested and willing to pick up. Clothes are generally something that is easy to give away to friends and family or a charity but there are often lots of things that you are not really sure who would want them that usually ultimately end up in the trash. Freecycle helps you find a recipient for these items. Based on my observations, just about anything that is offered eventually finds a home. Freecycle is also a great place to find something you might want for free. Everything that I have given away I have left on my porch so there is no actual face to face interaction with the person picking up. They don't need to come into your house or speak with you so it feels a little bit safer than something like craigslist.
We did have a few things that were a bit nicer that I wanted to try to get a little money for such as fancy holiday dresses and winter coats. We decided to take them to the store Once Upon a Child. There are multiple locations of this store throughout the suburbs with the closest one for us located at 4616 N. Harlem in Harwood Heights. For other store locations and hours check their website www.onceuponachild.com. When we walked into the store we were immediately directed to the drop off location where I filled out a form and someone took our box to sort through. We were there around lunch time on a Saturday and were told it would take about 30 minutes to look at the clothing we had brought. They staff said we could either look around the store during that time or that would give us a call when they were done. The girls had a really good time browsing in the store especially in the toy section. We had to remind them that we were there to get rid of stuff not add more to our house. Most of the items in the store seemed to be in pretty good condition. In addition to clothes and toys, Once Upon a Child also buys and sells a wide assortment of baby gear, shoes, and books. When we were there they had a large number of Halloween costumes for sale.
From our box that we brought in, the store bought about half of the stuff for about $36. We were satisfied. It ended up being more money that we thought we would get and definitely more than we would have gotten for that stuff at a garage sale.
We did have a few things that were a bit nicer that I wanted to try to get a little money for such as fancy holiday dresses and winter coats. We decided to take them to the store Once Upon a Child. There are multiple locations of this store throughout the suburbs with the closest one for us located at 4616 N. Harlem in Harwood Heights. For other store locations and hours check their website www.onceuponachild.com. When we walked into the store we were immediately directed to the drop off location where I filled out a form and someone took our box to sort through. We were there around lunch time on a Saturday and were told it would take about 30 minutes to look at the clothing we had brought. They staff said we could either look around the store during that time or that would give us a call when they were done. The girls had a really good time browsing in the store especially in the toy section. We had to remind them that we were there to get rid of stuff not add more to our house. Most of the items in the store seemed to be in pretty good condition. In addition to clothes and toys, Once Upon a Child also buys and sells a wide assortment of baby gear, shoes, and books. When we were there they had a large number of Halloween costumes for sale.
From our box that we brought in, the store bought about half of the stuff for about $36. We were satisfied. It ended up being more money that we thought we would get and definitely more than we would have gotten for that stuff at a garage sale.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Novelty Golf and Games AKA the Bunny Hutch
Over the long holiday weekend we decided to get in one last summer activity and went miniature golfing at the Bunny Hutch, located at 3650 W. Devon in Lincolnwood. The Bunny Hutch offers two 18 hole miniature golf courses, batting cages, game room, and snack stand. We went to play miniature golf and had a really good time. Each hole has a theme and moving parts or some kind of tricky component, which kept the kids engaged and wanting to see what was at the next hole. We decided it would be best not to keep score since my kids are not the most coordinated (although my older daughter did get a hole in one) and had never played miniature golf before. At 3 years old, my younger daughter was probably too young to play but she still was completely engaged the whole time and hit the ball around at least a couple times at each hole. I'm not sure if we just got lucky, but it wasn't very crowded when we were there and we didn't have to wait at any holes, although the people behind us did have to wait for us. It was also fun to do an activity where both the kids and adults could participate.
Price changes depending on what day and what time you go miniature golfing but it ranges from $7-$9 per person for one of the 18 hole courses. They are open 7 days a week from April to mid-October. Check the website for exact hours: www.noveltygolf.com. There is a big lot out front with plenty of parking. The Bunny Hutch is a great way to spend one of the remaining beautiful days we have left this fall before winter sets in.
Price changes depending on what day and what time you go miniature golfing but it ranges from $7-$9 per person for one of the 18 hole courses. They are open 7 days a week from April to mid-October. Check the website for exact hours: www.noveltygolf.com. There is a big lot out front with plenty of parking. The Bunny Hutch is a great way to spend one of the remaining beautiful days we have left this fall before winter sets in.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Family Vacation - Mackinac Island
We recently got back from the last of our summer travels before school starts - a trip to Mackinac Island. We wanted to go somewhere that we could drive to, somewhere none of us have been to before, and somewhere that would be relaxing. We thought Mackinac Island would be perfect since there are no cars allowed on the Island, lots of horses, and cooler weather than we've been having this summer.
The drive is approximately 7-8 hours, depending on where in the City you are leaving from and traffic, to get up to either Mackinac City or St. Ignace, the two cities where the ferries depart for Mackinac Island. We spent our first night in Petoskey, a vacation town located at the top of Lake Michigan, to break up the trip a little bit and to be able to go to the beach. We were there for less than 24 hours but were able to take in the amazing views and have a good fish dinner.
The next morning we drove up to St. Ignace, which is about an hour from Petoskey. We chose to take a ferry from St. Ignace because the girls wanted to drive across the Mackinac Bridge (Mackinac City is on the Lower Pennisula side). There are three main ferry companies and they all leave from both cities. All three ferry companies, Shepler's, Arnold Transit, and Star Line, seem to be pretty interchangeable. The prices, schedules, and departure locations are very similar. I suggest buying your tickets online before you leave, where you can get a bit of a deal. Kids 4 and under are free and we were able to find a deal for 2 adults and 1 child for $48. These are round trip tickets and include handling of your bags from the ferry to your hotel once you reach the island. All of the ferry companies offer free parking at the dock. The ferry ride is about 30 minutes. The girls really enjoyed it. It is a very scenic trip.
On the Island there are lots of hotel choices ranging from very expensive to affordable. We stayed at the Harbor View Inn, which is located along the main road a little ways away from the bustling downtown area. It was perfectly nice, clean, and included a very good continental breakfast every morning.
After our exciting ferry ride to the Island and checking into our hotel, we decided to walk up the Grand Hotel to look around. The Grand Hotel is the most famous hotel on the Island. It was featured in the movie Somewhere in Time and claims to have the largest wraparound porch in the world. If you are not staying at the hotel you have to pay $10/adult to see the hotel and grounds. It is not a formal tour and gives you access to just about anywhere you want to go besides the guest rooms. The hotel is pretty historic and despite the steep price to see it we all had a good time looking around. The girls especially loved running around the grounds. When we walked through the dining area they were serving afternoon tea and it looked really amazing.
The next day we spent some time at Fort Mackinac. It is located right downtown. The Fort was built around 1780 and was interesting even for our daughters. Since this year is the 200th anniversary of the war of 1812, in which the Fort played a role, there were lots of interesting events scheduled such as a rifle firing demonstration, music presentation, canon firing, and children's program where a costumed guide explained what it was like for children at the fort and let them play with toys from that time period. We were actually quite surprised by how much the girls enjoyed the whole experience.
The one other big activity that we did, besides eating too much fudge and ice cream, was to go for a tour of the island in a horse carriage. The tour doesn't go completely around the island but through it. It is a mostly scenic tour with some commentary on the history of the Island and some of the landmarks you pass. I didn't think our tour guide was awesome but overall it was an enjoyable ride. Many people see the island on bike and my husband and older daughter did rent bikes for a short ride but given the age of our family and biking ability seeing the Island by carriage was our best option. If your kids are old enough to ride 8-10 miles on their bike I would probably skip the carriage ride and go by bike. You can rent bikes of all sorts for different durations just about anywhere.
There are lots of dining options on the Island ranging for very good to completely touristy. There were two restaurants that we ate at that were standouts for us: Mary's Bistro and the Cudahy Room at Inn at Stonecliffe. Mary's Bistro is located right on Main Street. There is indoor and outdoor seating and we were able to sit outside and watch the boats going in and out of the harbor. The signature dish is spit fired chicken, which is quite good. The restaurant has a kid's menu, is quite casual, and very family friendly. The Cudahy Room is a bit more formal and pricey. It is located in the Inn at Stonecliffe, which is located on the western side of the island a good distance from the downtown area. The Inn at Stonecliffe was about 2 miles from our hotel and we were planning to take a horse carriage to get there, which we thought would only take about 15 minutes. That was a big mistake. We found that if you want a private carriage, you need to request one about 30 minutes in advance and then it takes another 30 - 40 minutes to ride out to the restaurant. We got lucky and were able to grab the last seats on a shuttle going to the Woods restaurant, which is located right by the Inn at Stonecliffe. Even though it is a long ride, it is a scenic one and really a great way to spend an evening. The menu at the Cudahy Room includes fish, steak, and chicken dishes and there is a children's menu. The restaurant is a little fancier than where we would normally take our kids, however it didn't seem like a big deal that they were along. The food was really good and we had a very nice evening.
Mackinac Island was a great place for us to vacation. It was extremely family friendly and completely relaxing. Ever since the trip the girls have been asking when we will go back.
The drive is approximately 7-8 hours, depending on where in the City you are leaving from and traffic, to get up to either Mackinac City or St. Ignace, the two cities where the ferries depart for Mackinac Island. We spent our first night in Petoskey, a vacation town located at the top of Lake Michigan, to break up the trip a little bit and to be able to go to the beach. We were there for less than 24 hours but were able to take in the amazing views and have a good fish dinner.
The next morning we drove up to St. Ignace, which is about an hour from Petoskey. We chose to take a ferry from St. Ignace because the girls wanted to drive across the Mackinac Bridge (Mackinac City is on the Lower Pennisula side). There are three main ferry companies and they all leave from both cities. All three ferry companies, Shepler's, Arnold Transit, and Star Line, seem to be pretty interchangeable. The prices, schedules, and departure locations are very similar. I suggest buying your tickets online before you leave, where you can get a bit of a deal. Kids 4 and under are free and we were able to find a deal for 2 adults and 1 child for $48. These are round trip tickets and include handling of your bags from the ferry to your hotel once you reach the island. All of the ferry companies offer free parking at the dock. The ferry ride is about 30 minutes. The girls really enjoyed it. It is a very scenic trip.
On the Island there are lots of hotel choices ranging from very expensive to affordable. We stayed at the Harbor View Inn, which is located along the main road a little ways away from the bustling downtown area. It was perfectly nice, clean, and included a very good continental breakfast every morning.
After our exciting ferry ride to the Island and checking into our hotel, we decided to walk up the Grand Hotel to look around. The Grand Hotel is the most famous hotel on the Island. It was featured in the movie Somewhere in Time and claims to have the largest wraparound porch in the world. If you are not staying at the hotel you have to pay $10/adult to see the hotel and grounds. It is not a formal tour and gives you access to just about anywhere you want to go besides the guest rooms. The hotel is pretty historic and despite the steep price to see it we all had a good time looking around. The girls especially loved running around the grounds. When we walked through the dining area they were serving afternoon tea and it looked really amazing.
The next day we spent some time at Fort Mackinac. It is located right downtown. The Fort was built around 1780 and was interesting even for our daughters. Since this year is the 200th anniversary of the war of 1812, in which the Fort played a role, there were lots of interesting events scheduled such as a rifle firing demonstration, music presentation, canon firing, and children's program where a costumed guide explained what it was like for children at the fort and let them play with toys from that time period. We were actually quite surprised by how much the girls enjoyed the whole experience.
The one other big activity that we did, besides eating too much fudge and ice cream, was to go for a tour of the island in a horse carriage. The tour doesn't go completely around the island but through it. It is a mostly scenic tour with some commentary on the history of the Island and some of the landmarks you pass. I didn't think our tour guide was awesome but overall it was an enjoyable ride. Many people see the island on bike and my husband and older daughter did rent bikes for a short ride but given the age of our family and biking ability seeing the Island by carriage was our best option. If your kids are old enough to ride 8-10 miles on their bike I would probably skip the carriage ride and go by bike. You can rent bikes of all sorts for different durations just about anywhere.
There are lots of dining options on the Island ranging for very good to completely touristy. There were two restaurants that we ate at that were standouts for us: Mary's Bistro and the Cudahy Room at Inn at Stonecliffe. Mary's Bistro is located right on Main Street. There is indoor and outdoor seating and we were able to sit outside and watch the boats going in and out of the harbor. The signature dish is spit fired chicken, which is quite good. The restaurant has a kid's menu, is quite casual, and very family friendly. The Cudahy Room is a bit more formal and pricey. It is located in the Inn at Stonecliffe, which is located on the western side of the island a good distance from the downtown area. The Inn at Stonecliffe was about 2 miles from our hotel and we were planning to take a horse carriage to get there, which we thought would only take about 15 minutes. That was a big mistake. We found that if you want a private carriage, you need to request one about 30 minutes in advance and then it takes another 30 - 40 minutes to ride out to the restaurant. We got lucky and were able to grab the last seats on a shuttle going to the Woods restaurant, which is located right by the Inn at Stonecliffe. Even though it is a long ride, it is a scenic one and really a great way to spend an evening. The menu at the Cudahy Room includes fish, steak, and chicken dishes and there is a children's menu. The restaurant is a little fancier than where we would normally take our kids, however it didn't seem like a big deal that they were along. The food was really good and we had a very nice evening.
Mackinac Island was a great place for us to vacation. It was extremely family friendly and completely relaxing. Ever since the trip the girls have been asking when we will go back.
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