This quarter is nearly done, I can almost taste it. To make the passing a little bit easier, I brought up restaurant week to a few of my friends who were willing to go. I chose Cherry Circle Room based on the gorgeous interior and an entree that had two little words, 'saffron broth.' SOLD. The cuisine is American Contemporary; it's also known as New American cuisine—actually, it goes by several names but let's stick to American Contemporary, shall we? Now before I get into the food, let's talk location.

The space was is housed inside the Chicago Athletic Association building, re-designed, re-imagined, and jaw-dropping. The words industrial chic come to mind when entering the building from the lobby. Just one floor up will take you to the drawing room; there are base-relief oak carvings and 19th century fireplaces laid out along the both sides. Rich leather chairs, settees, and other comfortable cushioned-chairs were spread around the room without appearing overly cluttered. The long tables placed next to the large windows were perfect for our pulmonology study session. (It also helped that there were servers darting around offering iced water and tea. If only that could be a daily occurrence...)




The menu for this lunch is as follows:

Appetizer: Chicory Salad with lacquered bacon, mustard vinaigrette, and a poached egg.	Entree: Roasted Walleye Pike with shellfish in a saffron broth
Entree: House crafted wild boar sausage sandwich with beer mustard, taleggio cheese, and giardiniera (what the other 3 ordered)	Deconstructed dessert: chocolate, pumpkin, peanut butter, apple, spiced meringue

The brunch menu at this establishment was actually pretty reasonable but we opted for the restaurant week menu as it provided the most amount of options to try out. The lobster roll, eggs benedict, and even the sticky bun were all screaming for my attention. I must confess that I've already made reservations for next week to try the real brunch menu. Since Ben will be flying in around that time, I thought it would suffice as a welcome back to Chicago/happy 6 years/happy belated birthday for him. February is as busy as always!

The restaurant week menu did not disappoint. The food, and of course the company, was enjoyable. Just look at these happy faces!




We got comfortable for the next 5 hours or so to study the intricate workings of the lungs and the diseases that plague them... too dramatic? We had plans for a birthday dinner for Wes at Goose Island Clybourn but there was a last minute change to meet up at Caroline's boyfriend's place for a little pregame. By the time we got there, I was quick to order a beer and scan the menu for the heartiest option (under pub fare, mind.)

Before I knew it, I saw poutine and was ready to tuck into that glorious dish. Where can you go wrong with beer braised short rib, beef thyme gravy, cheese curds, scallions, and fried egg on top of french fries? You just CAN'T. No photos of this dish due to the poor lighting; of course if it wasn't for that, my next reason would've been that I had inhaled the dish too quickly to be photographed.




I waved off plans to head to Slippery Slope afterwards. I was beat and there was still much left to do the next day that I didn't think I would get to if I danced my feet off. Next time! Or perhaps, when I move to the city in a few short months (!) I'll be able to squeeze a couple more hours into the night. Rotation depending...

Anyway, February has begun. We're already becoming a little stir crazy—the blizzard hasn't even begun!—but there is a lot to be grateful for and a lot to look forward to. Cheers to that.