Local Flavor: Black Rock Bar & Kitchen

Bon Jour!  I wanted to start a fun new feature here on the blog where I share my genius opinions on various places that I visit and dine at.

Nobody likes a Debbie Downer, so I wanted to start somewhere great.  And this specific 'somewhere great' is Black Rock Pub & Kitchen.

This past weekend, John's sister was in town and we wanted to be accommodating so I looked for places to eat near where she and her beau were staying.  That's what led me to the Yelp reviews for Black Rock.  This place sounded good and it was right off the Brown line so we figured we'd give it a try.

Guys.  This place is legit.  It's a dark small bar on Damen Ave. that wasn't super packed but was busy enough to give us the idea that people knew it was good.  And then they gave me a menu.

Umm. They serve TOTCHOS.  Which I've recently become obsessed with since they're a combination of Tater Tots and Nachos.  Which sounds like a great idea.  Granted, Black Rock is really missing a good opportunity to use the word 'totchos' by using the phrase 'megataters' but I'll let it slide.  And who wouldn't let things slide when the next item on the menu is Pulled Pork Fries.  YUM!!!!

Other than the great food, they had a nice bartender and good drink specials.  Not to mention they have good specials every night of the week.  And PBR on draught.  Along with a ton of craft beers.  So it was reasonably priced and plenty gluttonous.  So I was sold.

I mean, come on.  Look at these fries.

They were so good that I had to run them through a filter to make them stand out EVEN MORE.

God. I need to go back here ASAP for dinner.  And totchos.

Info:
Black Rock Pub & Kitchen
3614 N Damen Ave
Chicago, IL 60618

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes on Michigan Made

I'm sure there's a lot of cross readership here but did you know that I write on another blog once aweek?  It's called Michigan Made and it's great.

Anyway. this week, I'm sharing a recipe for Snickerdoodle Cupcakes.  You're gonna love them.

Check it out!

Oh, and disregard the fact that they're not frosted yet.  I forgot to take a picture post icing.

But check out dem domes!

January : currently

loving this new iPhone app - TimerCam.  It's awesome! I just learned that I can set my phone on it's side and take photos on a timer. It's going to come in handy for Project Life.

listening to my new 'Summer Feels' playlist on Spotify and longing for warmer weather.

craving margaritas! (see above)  John and I made a pitcher of them and watched Silver Linings Playbook on Saturday night.  It was pretty perfect.

wishing for time to go faster so it will be February and time to go on vacation!  We're going to the Florida Keys and it's going to be so amazing.

waiting for the weekend and John's birthday party.  We get to go bowling and play darts, what could be better?

missing Michigan and everyone there.  I've been watching a lot of 'Parenthood' lately and it makes me want to have big family dinners every week!



Just wanted to share a little tidbit into my mind mid week here!  I really can't wait til the weekend gets here.  But I'll bide my time by reorganizing and cleaning the apartment. :)

Hope your January is going swimmingly!

Back to basics.

Guys. I redid my blog design...again.

It was a spur of the moment decision I made a few hours ago and decided to act on it.

But come on, you have to admit that there's something about a new year that inspires you to make changes to your on line presence.  No? That's just me that thinks about myself as an entity? Huh. Weird.

Either way, I realized I hated my previous design and wanted to give this year a clean slate.  So I started with a blank template and built it from the ground up.

It's extremely basic and simplistic and I LOVE it.  All the white space? Killer.  The colors? Loving them.

Maybe I'll feel more inspired to visit this corner of the internet that I've claimed for myself now.  I'm not holding myself to it but it's definitely more inviting.

Anyway, just wanted to give you a little insight into the change in appearances.

<3

My Top 20 Christmas Movies

Guys!

I need to share my Christmas movie watch list with someone - and that someone is YOU.

So here they are in no particular order.  Unless the order is "the order in which I remembered they existed":

• Christmas Vacation
• This movie cracks me up everytime I watch it.  I can't help it.  I'm actually saving it for closer to Christmas, that's how much I love it.
• Home Alone
• We just watched this the other day.  Kevin McCallister is a sadistic little bastard.  Why didn't he call the cops? Because he's Liam Neeson as a child. That's why.
• The Holiday
• Shut up. You don't get to judge me.  I watched this Thanksgiving night, drinking in my bed alone at 9pm. And I cried (I'm a weeper). And I laughed. And you can suck it.
• Nightmare Before Christmas
• Obviously. Everyone loves this.
• The Family Stone
• I want to be part of this family.  But I have my own crazy family that's perfect.  But this story is so nice and quirky and again, I cried.
• Miracle on 34th Street
• The old one.  Not the new shit with Mara Wilson.  Classic Kris Kringle.
• It's a Wonderful Life
• This is the only movie on this list that John approves of.  And I think it's because it's a good film on it's own.  It tells a great story and it's nostalgic for everyone, you know...because it's old.
• White Christmas
• I don't care that most of my family hates this movie.  It's one of my all time favorites.  I love cheesy musical numbers. Sisters!
• Muppet Christmas Carol
• Again, obviously.  
• Love Actually
• So many adorable love stories mixed up in one great present of a film.  The scene with Hugh Grant dancing is adorable.  
• Scrooged
• This is the only Christmas movie that my step mom absolutely has to watch every year and it's obvious why. It's fantastic!
• Die Hard
• It's a Christmas movie. 
• Elf
• I'm actually watching this over several lunch breaks at work.  And cracking up out loud watching it.
• Jingle All the Way
• DASHER DANCER PRANCER VIXEN COMET CUPID DONNER BLITZEN
• The Santa Clause
• I hadn't seen this movie in a long time so I rented it this year and guess what? It's still great.  Tim Allen at his best. bahaha that's a great sentence.
• A Christmas Story
• I don't care if you hate that it's on for 24 hours every year. It's on for a reason. And that reason is - it's amazing.
• Little Women
• The movie that brought on a sizable crush on Christian Bale.  I still think it's a Christmas movie.
• Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
• Bumbles bounce!  Such a classic.  So much so that I have a stuffed Rudolph under my tree.
• Charlie Brown Christmas
• Come on.  No one can deny this one.  It's got breakaway dance hits!
• Frosty the Snowman
• I love the old claymationy movies.  I just wish I remembered the one that talks about waffling.