yums.

another sneak from saturday’s shoot. cute shop in belmont shores.

ma la huo guo

tried this new place called cucina urbana on my last trip to san diego. i first read rave reviews on a couple of blogs, and it did not disappoint! make sure you make a trip out there if you’re in san diego. :)

on a wednesday night it was packed with people, so make sure you make reservations–but if you wander in, they’ll probably seat you at one of the cool communal tables below.

i LOVED their chandeliers.

polenta + ragu, short rib pappardelle. two dishes worth going back for. :)

afterwards, i was tempted to make my usual stop at extraordinary desserts, but we opted to try something new since we were only a couple blocks from chocolat. dark chocolate + hazelnut gelato sundae? HELLO. (p.s. why doesn’t LA have good dessert spots? anyone have suggestions?)

sunday brunch at the publican in chicago. honestly one of the best meals i’ve had. ever. enough of an excuse in itself to go back to chicago. :)

everything was charmingly mismatched and instantly nostalgic — embroidered linens, french toile plates, pewter silverware…

beer mimosas and spicy pork rinds

best dish: red-wine poached eggs with AMAZING prosciutto. that bearnaise sauce single-handedly turned me into a fan of white wine vinegar. pastrami short rib was delicious too.

i loved the feel of being in a communal farmhouse kitchen.

it was so good that our party decided on the spot to make dinner reservations for the same night. we didn’t end up keeping them, but all the more reason to come back :)