Wednesday, September 26, 2012


"Mango Guacamole! So simple and so good. Mango, avocado, lime juice, onion, tomato, salt and pepper and cilantro. " 

"Red pepper sauce, momo special made noodles tossed with some sauteed mushrooms! Basil and grated pecorino are a standard. " 

"Breakfast sandwich. Rustic french style wheat bread, toasted and buttered. Fried eggs, sauteed red onions with sweet potatoes. Feta cheese and grated pecorino romano and sliced avocado!" 

"Simple, easy, done. Sliced wheat bread with a fried egg, sliced tomato, avocado and feta cheese. 5 minutes to make, worth the wait." 

Friday, September 7, 2012

Sometimes leftovers can be used to make the best meals. In this case left over shrimp that was cooked in an amazing variety of sauces and spices was recreated to make a great Risotto that puts a 180 degree spin on previous shrimp risottos. This risotto simply had so much flavor

Chicago, Illinois...known for having a diverse palette of culinary adventures.

This restaurant is definitely one that helps this city keeps its name. XOCO had everything I had expected from the minute I walked in--the loud noises of a bustling kitchen on one side, and patrons eating and talking on the other. The menu was not too complicated, but definitely gave enough reason for any guest to look it over at least twice...simply because they would not be able to make up their mind over the array of choices. Perhaps it was also the nice weather that helped bring the dining experience of this restaurant to its full potential, but there simply isn't a negative thing that I can say about this great downtown corner restaurant.

The menu consisted of dishes primarily from Central America and ventured slightly to the top of South America. The menu consisted of many different varieties of food to suit any type of diet from Vegetarian to Carnivore. They even had Vegan and Gluten Free options. Another area in which the restaurant was doing well was their specials, which were updated not only daily, but weekly as well. While waiting in line, I asked another person, who had mentioned that they came here a lot, what they would recommend. He simply answered, "Anything."

A particular part of the menu at XOCO that I appreciated was their drink menu. It included not only the typical coffee drinks, but also multiple varieties of homemade cocoa drinks and after-meal digestives.

This was a hands down great experience and I will be sure to go back and visit again.

One thing you might want to add is what type of line you were waiting in.
So instead of saying "While waiting in line,..." you can say "While waiting in line to order,..." so that readers have a better idea of how the restaurant is set up (order and pay at the counter vs. waiting for a table and sitting down to order).