Deep apologies to my neglected blog.

Dear Blog,

Where did we go wrong?  I have seriously neglected you.  Since our last encounter, I have enjoyed a multitude of beautiful tasting menus at Luma on Park, fell in love with their sister restaurant, Prato, dined at Victoria and Albert's, tried Cask & Larder before their opening...oh...and...experienced two epic foodie trips to New York City.  We ate at Le Bernardin (twice), Marea (twice), wd-50, Blue Hill, Jean Georges, ABC Kitchen, Momofuku Milk Bar, and The Breslin.  I can't believe I didn't share this with you, foodie blog of mine, but it's true.  Many of these meals are worth their own Blogger entry, and I plan to tell you all of the details in due time.  My most heartfelt, foodie apologies, because all of these meals were amazing, and some can only be described as transcendent.

Hopefully, foodie blog, you will accept my apology and take me back.  I am spending next week on a foodie trip to Chicago for my wedding anniversary and would love to share our sentiments with you.  A picture says a thousand words, so hopefully these tantalizing photos will encourage you to accept me:

Day one.
Lunch @ Purple Pig, the nose to tail concept by Scott Harris and Jimmy Bannos: wine bar and temple to the pig.

Dinner @ EL Ideas, the 16 seat permanent pop up restaurant, where Anthony Bourdain recently dined.

Day two. (our wedding anniversary)
Lunch @ The Pump Room, which is inside our hotel, but also an iconic Chicago restaurant; we will be dining in Booth One where Bogey and Bacall celebrated their wedding!

Dinner @ .......ALINEA.  Arguably the best restaurant in the United States, by Grant Achatz.

Day three.
Lunch @ Slurping Turtle (by Takashi who was recently on Top Chef Master's) for ramen.

Kitchen table tasting @ The Aviary, for ten courses of expertly paired drinks and bites (another Grant Achatz restaurant).

Day four.
Lunch @ Hot Doug's for house made assorted sausages and hot dogs (and duck fat fries)...this also happens to be on Anthony Bourdain's "13 Places to Eat Before You Die" list, alongside The French Laundry and Le Bernardin.

I don't even like hot dogs, but I have a good feeling about this place.

Hopefully my apology was deep enough, and the food porn enough tempting enough, that you can forgive me for my lengthy blog-hiatus.  I plan to tell you all the delicious details of this Chicago trip and keep you updated from here on out!  Cross my heart!

xo,

Muffin.