:::Chicago Bump Check-in:::

kme930

Welcome to this week's Chicago Bump Check-in!
If you want to be added to the check-in, let me know what brings you to the bump (Do you have a DC? DD or DS? Date of DC's birthday? Are you pregnant (how far along) or TTC?), whether you live in the city or burbs (give me a direction: N, NW, W, SW, S).
Also, pregnant ladies: keep me updated if you move from team green to pink or blue! And let us know when your LOs arrive! We have a due date that passed and some coming up soon!
Here we go!
   Chicago MomsChiCubsGirl, DS born 12/14/10 + DD born 6/23/09, Naperville
Madison830, DS born 12/13/10, W suburbs
eileen12183, DD born 12/4/10, Chicago
Sara714, DS born 11/11/10, Evanston
ChiTown Bridget, DS born 11/6/10, N suburbsAmanda78, DD born 11/5/10, Lincoln Square
KristenC25, DS born 10/18/10, Albany Park
Lisa602, DD born 10/12/10, South Loop
chelle2506, DS born 10/10/10, W suburbs Mollymay39, DD and DS born 9/23/10 + DD born 7/20/08, suburbsalduarte, DS born 9/2/10, Bucktown/Wicker Park
Soon 2 B Mrs. Wells, DS born 7/26/10 + 5 year old DS + 14 year old DD, Westside weebs1818, DD born 7/23/10, South Loop
kimberlyd546, DS born 7/20/10, Tinley Park
kme930, DS born 6/22/10, Lincoln Park ladychicago, DD born 6/3/10, Streeterville/Gold Coast BeckyKozi, DD born 11/22/06 + DD born 2/10/05, SW suburbs (is that right now? ) NathsPrncss, DD born 2/6/10, Hanover Park
TMDMJAOCT07, DD born 2/5/10, NW suburbs Jordanandnumber2, DD born 2/5/10 + DD born 2/12/01, N suburbs ReniaB, DS born 1/11/10, NW suburbs LSzwaya, DS born 12/31/09, Northwestside
CTJourney, DS born 10/23/09, SW suburbs nmr79, DD born 10/9/09, Winnetka (did I get that right? great bday, btw, it's mine too!)
briderx, DS born 9/24/09, Southside (did I get that right?)
egsquared, DD born 8/14/09, Lakeview
calex33, DD born 7/16/09, N/NW suburbs pharmacygirl, DS born 6/26/09 + DS born 9/22/07, W suburbs
DTNZ4Ever, DS born 3/24/09, NW suburbs mrs.lizzieb, DS born 2/26/09, Roscoe Village
kelbrian, DD born 7/6/08, Logan Square KChicago, DD born 8/12/06, Lakeview
ScarlettBlue, 11.5 year old DS Pregnant ScarlettBlue, DD due 1/12/11, Riversidemagdalenamtz, DD due 2/5/11, Bridgeport
MrsDrCook, LO due 2/14/11, LakeviewMsJosie, DD due 3/24/11, Huntley
KimPatten, DD due 3/31/11, Wicker Park
canrenell, DD due 4/1/11,  Westside 
BBColt78, LO due 4/5/11SouthSideDrea, LO due 4/8/11, Southside
calex33, LO due 4/16/11, N/NW suburbsaprilandshane, LO due 4/16/11, N suburbschubchub, LO due 4/20/11, River North mmks, LO due 4/21/11, Wrigleyville
mrambo3, DS due 4/24/11, SW suburbsluvnlfe, DS due 5/4/11, River North
MISnJER80, DD due 5/11/11
SarahP15, LO due 6/6/11, Schaumburg
lady3057, DS due 6/19/11, Edgebrook
celiabeth, LO (did you get confirmation that it's a girl?) due 6/19/11, South LoopLaSraOrtega, LO due 6/20/11, N suburbs Nurse Lisa, LO due 6/24/11, Edison Park
Pockety, LO due 6/27/11, Gold Coastpp709, LO due 7/3/11, Algonquin
loiskoo, LO due 7/7/11, NW suburbs
ShyVi826, LO due 7/8/11, NW suburbs
mcericola12, LO due 7/10/11, Streamwood
kaugie, LO due 8/3/11, Ravenswood KChicago, LO due 8/12/11, Lakeview
jillianc, LO due 8/19/11 (did I get that right?)
BeckyKozi, LO due 8/21/11, SW suburbs
CortneyK09, LO due 9/1/11, Lincoln Park
gkb0910, LO due 9/2/11, Schaumburg
Jenyfur99, LO due 9/6/11 (did I get that right? you didn't note your stats in your response, but I tried to figure it out!) AmJur, due 9/16/11
chigirl0330, LO due 9/19/11, Lincoln Park   TTC smsakai, Lincoln Square

  QOTW: Since I'm daydreaming about the days when DH and I would just hop in our car after work and go out to dinner... If you were a guest on Check Please*, what Chicago restaurant would you recommend?

* For those of you who aren't familiar with it, Check Please is a silly local TV show where 3 Chicago residents recommend their favorite restaurants, all 3 go to each other's restaurants and then report back. They are usually hidden gems, though they don't have to be complete holes in the wall!

ReniaB

Monterra's in Algonquin, definitely not a hole in the wall but a small local place.

Wouldn't be a recommendation for "Check Please" as it's a very well known restaurant but mentioning it cause it's one of my fav downtown places, Joe's Seafood & Crab...yummy

 

eileen12183

Paulines in Andersonville for bfast. French toast is amazing Evergreen in Chinatown. 90 miles Cuban in Wicker park- garlic on everything! Oxtails are insanely god.

mrs.lizzieb

We've only lived here since Oct, so I don't have a wide selection to choose from, but we liked Sapori Trattoria in Lincoln Park as well as Chalkboard in Lincoln Square.  And like a pp said, we loved Joe's Seafood and Crab.  It was so delicious!

canrenell

i love that show! 

anyway, i would recommend the mayan palace near diversey and halstead.  they serve mexican food and have some of the best veggie enchiladas ever.  i love it so much that i've gone there for my last two birthdays.  and oh yeah...i'm looking forward to having more of their margaritas post-baby's arrival!

DTNZ4Ever

LaTasca in Arlington Heights. The tapas are so yummy and the sangria is delish.

CTJourney

This is a great QOTD!  I love hearing recommendations for good places to eat. 

I have 2, but one of them I cannot remember the name of! It is a very authentic Thai food restaurant in the city, and it is sooo delicious.  If I remember the name I will come back and post.  

The other place is Sepia.  We went there for our anniversary last summer, and everything was delicious!  

pharmacygirl

Carmines on rush street has the best salmon ever. I also love JC'S Mexican in downtown Bartlett.

kme930

Yay! I love getting new recommendations. Thanks everyone!

And I think someone did pick Joe's on Check Please once, but you're right, ReniaB, it wasn't really appropriate for the show. Nonetheless, I love that place. DH and I were close with one of the managers there a while ago, but he has since left and it's tough going now without an "in."

CTJourney - Sepia is yummy! I like to go to work lunches there. In fact someone recently offered to take me to lunch (their company is paying) and it was my first choice!

As for my recommendation, Spacca Napoli. It's not so hidden, but I love it! Fast, easy, super tasty, super authentic Italian pizza! 

AmJur

We like Treat near North and Kedzie.  Really yummy indian flavor food in a cute casual dining area.  Really small and its byob. 

kelbrian

Revolution Brewing in Logan Square, 90 Miles in Logan Square/Bucktown.

TMDMJAOCT07

I don't think its a hidden gem or a whole in the wall, but the first place that came to mind was : Smoque - basically at 90 and Pulaski. Yummm.

DH and I love bbq food, and he's traveled all over KC and Texas but still thinks Smoque is one of the better places.

LaSraOrtega

Hi! This is a great QOTW!

There's this breakfast place in Libertyville called Wildberries, it's awesome! They have fresh squeezed orange juice, they serve their own wildberry preserves with the toast.

I usually order the mexicana skillet which has hash browns, mexican chorizo, jalape?o, avocado, cheese and is topped with two eggs....mmmm....

they also have this strawberry cheesecake stuffed french toast which is so yummy...

now i'm hungry. :-(

chubchub

Ooh, I don't think I have a favorite -there are so many great restaurants in the city. I do love Sepia though... hm... I'll have to come back and think of an absolute fav...

DTNZ4Ever

LaSraOrtega:

Hi! This is a great QOTW!

There's this breakfast place in Libertyville called Wildberries, it's awesome! They have fresh squeezed orange juice, they serve their own wildberry preserves with the toast.

I usually order the mexicana skillet which has hash browns, mexican chorizo, jalape?o, avocado, cheese and is topped with two eggs....mmmm....

they also have this strawberry cheesecake stuffed french toast which is so yummy...

now i'm hungry. :-(

I love Wildberries it is so yummy!

KChicago

The nachos at Firkin and Pheasant (Orchard and Diversey) are to die for!

I also really like Francesca Forno in Bucktown.

I think my other favorite is Mixteca. It's BYOB authentic Mexican located near Ashland and I think Irving Park.

ReniaB

LaSraOrtega:

Hi! This is a great QOTW!

There's this breakfast place in Libertyville called Wildberries, it's awesome! They have fresh squeezed orange juice, they serve their own wildberry preserves with the toast.

I usually order the mexicana skillet which has hash browns, mexican chorizo, jalape?o, avocado, cheese and is topped with two eggs....mmmm....

they also have this strawberry cheesecake stuffed french toast which is so yummy...

now i'm hungry. :-(

 

I've been there and agree that it's yummy!

ReniaB

Kme930, great QOTD!

 

kme930

TMDMJAOCT07:

I don't think its a hidden gem or a whole in the wall, but the first place that came to mind was : Smoque - basically at 90 and Pulaski. Yummm.

DH and I love bbq food, and he's traveled all over KC and Texas but still thinks Smoque is one of the better places.

Yummy!! Smoque is sooooo tasty! It's been too long since I was there last. I need to go back!

kme930

SouthSideDrea:

kme930:

Yay! I love getting new recommendations. Thanks everyone!

And I think someone did pick Joe's on Check Please once, but you're right, ReniaB, it wasn't really appropriate for the show. Nonetheless, I love that place. DH and I were close with one of the managers there a while ago, but he has since left and it's tough going now without an "in."

CTJourney - Sepia is yummy! I like to go to work lunches there. In fact someone recently offered to take me to lunch (their company is paying) and it was my first choice!

As for my recommendation, Spacca Napoli. It's not so hidden, but I love it! Fast, easy, super tasty, super authentic Italian pizza! 

 I LOVE Spacca Napoli!  When I'm not pregnant that is... turn out pregnant me hates- HATES pizza. 

Oh no!! Pregnant me was obsessed with pizza! I could not eat enough pizza when I was pregnant. It was scary.  

Seems safer your way. 

Jordanandnumber2

My favorite city restaurant is carmines.   Favorite in the burbs is Bob Chinns Crab.

celiabeth

kme930:

celiabeth, LO (did you get confirmation that it's a girl?) due 6/19/11, South Loop

Not yet.  I was supposed to know yesterday, but they postponed me for Monday.  Will know soon!

mmks

We have SO many places around us that we love...this will probably be the one thing that we will miss the most after our precious bundle arrives! 

For dinner and brunch - Socca is AMAZING!!!  Their fries are to die for!

The best dessert in the city is (IMHO) at Yoshi's...they also have a delicious cream of mushroom soup (I could actually eat it for dessert)!

For asian food wakamono (can't wait to really eat sushi again) and ping pong are our favs!

Mandy747

Hi there!  I'd love to be added.

I'm pregnant, due 10/7, and live in the city (Lincoln Park).

As for restaurants, I'd recommend Karen's Cooked....or Green Zebra.  DH & I are both vegetarians and absolutely LOVE these restaurants.  Great ambiance, even better food, and the staff have always been awesome.

weebs1818

I'm really late to the party, but Amelia's at 45th and Halsted. It's delicious and amazing gourmet Mexican food. If you ever find yourself on the south side, go go go! It's SO good!

celiabeth

celiabeth:

kme930:

celiabeth, LO (did you get confirmation that it's a girl?) due 6/19/11, South Loop

Not yet.  I was supposed to know yesterday, but they postponed me for Monday.  Will know soon!

Found out today.  It is still a girl!

kme930

celiabeth:

celiabeth:

kme930:

celiabeth, LO (did you get confirmation that it's a girl?) due 6/19/11, South Loop  

Not yet.  I was supposed to know yesterday, but they postponed me for Monday.  Will know soon!

Found out today.  It is still a girl!

Yay! Congrats!

ac311

Hi,

 I am 24 weeks today, and on team Pink!  I'm from the NW suburbs and finally getting around to finishing my check lists but need advice for things I'm still unsure about. 

 For a place for dinner, hands down, The Lucky Monk in Barrington right outside of AMC 30.  Have not had anything bad and prior to getting pregnant they always had really neat drinks and craft beer.  Although I did have some homemade lemonade there the other day which was great.  I would recommend getting the pretzel trio!