Vacation Means Good Food

My trip to Nashville and Chicago with my mom was so much fun.  We both love to eat, and I thought I'd just mention a few of our favorite spots, just in case you're thinking of visiting either of these cities.
Nashville:  The best meal we had was our first night in town at a Mediterranean restaurant called  The Butcher and Bee.  Fantastic, is all I can say.  A corn pudding to die for.  You've got to try it if you're in Nashville.  Pinewood Social, for coffee, after dinner drinks, or a meal.  We went for coffee.  it is so unique.  It's a huge room, divided up into cozy areas with sofas and chairs and dining tables.  Very upscale, wonderful drinks.  They have a bowling alley in the back.  It's a great place to relax and kick back when you're tired of the hustle and bustle of Broadway.

Chicago:  It's hard to get a bad meal in Chicago.  Two standout breakfast spots were Kanela Breakfast Club (several location)  and Beatrix.  At Kanela Breakfast Club I had a wonderful French toast with apricot flavored creme fraiche on top and sitting on a bed of apricot puree.  Mom had avocado toast with spicy chickpeas.  Delicious. At Beatrix, I had the most delicious lemon ricotta pancakes I've ever had.  The lady we met on the street who gave us this recommendation, and walked us to the restaurant, was right.  Our breakfast was great.  For dinner, our favorite was Monteverde, a neighborhood Italian restaurant serving modern Italian food.  This was one of the best meals I've had in a long time, and the items on the menu were so unique.  My describing them will not do them justice, but trust me, if you go to Chicago try to get a table at Monteverde.  We also tried Swift and Sons in Fulton Market.  This is a traditional grill, with steaks, seafood, and chicken.  Great starters, like lobster bisque and caesar salad and steak tartare, which I ordered.  It's like Ruth's Chris or Flemmings.  We loved it.  Another restaurant called the Grand Lux, right on Michigan Ave, was wonderful, especially for lunch.  It's owned by the Cheesecake Factory, so you know it's good.  We had two of the best salads I've ever had there.  These were the standouts on our trip.

Oh, I should mention that we saw Garth Brooks getting into his car in Nashville, and Pam Tillis walking down the street.  They were both on music row, where all the music publishing houses are.  It was a great time for us.  My mom was disappointed to find out that people from Nashville don't have much of a southern accent.  We heard more southern accents from the tourists in Chicago!