Places You Should Eat: Fin Sushi Bar

I was craving sushi Sunday so I carried out from one of my favorite places to eat, Fin Sushi Bar. Nestled at the corner of Wilson and Hermitage in Ravenswood, Fin pairs cozy outdoor seating with a hip, contemporary dining room and sushi bar. The staff is super friendly, the service is good and the is food delicious and always comes out quick, things that always help make a pleasant experience. My favorite offering of Fin is their Bento lunch specials. Everyday, except Mondays(they are closed), until 4pm you can get either 2 rolls for $9.95 or 3 rolls for $13.95, there are 16 creative rolls to choose from and it also includes miso soup. My favorite rolls included in the special are the crunchy spicy tuna, which is tuna, scallion, spicy sauce, chili oil, cucumber wrapped with tempura crunch, and the Ebi Tempora roll, which has shrimp tempura, avocado, Cucumber, mayo, and Unagi sauce. From the dinner menu, I love the Crunchy Plantain roll, which is fried plantain, cream cheese, avocado and cucumber wrapped with tempura crumb outside topped with unagi sauce. All the sushi here is fresh and creative, they also offer a small selection of traditional Thai dishes and unique fried rices, such as Smoked Bacon with mozzarella cheese or Spicy Crab with bacon. I definitely recommend taking a trip over to Ravenswood and checking this place out, I know I will be back again soon!

 Check out their website for more info and a menu: 

www.finsushibar.com 

 xoxo Kate G.

15 Minute Meal Under $10: French Bread Pizza Boats

I got the idea for this recipe because my son loves the kids pizza boat they have at Costello's Subs, a great family friendly sandwich shop with live acoustic music we frequent in Lincoln Square. It is super simple, costs under $10 for 8 servings and fun for the kids to assemble.

You will need:

1 - loaf of french bread from the grocery store bakery

1 - 15 oz can of Pizza Sauce

2 - 8 oz packages of shredded Mozzarella Cheese or 4 Cheese Italian blend

Oregano or Italian Seasoning Blend

Optional Toppings:

1 - Package of Pepperonis

1- Large Tomato sliced into wheels

Garlic Powder

Basil (dry or fresh)

Or any other toppings you enjoy on your pizza

First preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the bread in half lengthwise and then again into 4 sections. I used 2 mini loaves instead of one long french bread loaf and because I only have 3 people in my family, I saved a section for sandwiches at a later time. Each boat is filling enough for 1 per person, but I like to make an extra one for each of us because they make a great leftover lunch, just pop the leftover boat in the microwave for 1 minute and it's ready to eat! Put the bread onto a flat metal cookie sheet. 

Next take a spoon and evenly spread the sauce over the whole boat, not too thick or the cheese and toppings will slide off as they cook.

Then add the cheese to your liking. My husband and son like extra cheese, so I loaded theirs up with mozzarella. I used the 4 cheese Italian blend for my own.

And finally, add the toppings. I did pepperoni sprinkled with oregano for the guys and tomato slices sprinkled with garlic powder, basil and oregano for myself. Brush the cheese that fell over the sides off of the pan or it will burn before placing it into the oven.

Bake in the oven 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted. Let cool for 3-5 minutes before serving, will be very hot.

Pizza boats go great with a green leaf lettuce salad with chopped tomatoes, carrot sticks, and your favorite dressing. 

And there you have it, 15 minutes and your done! A quick and easy meal your whole family will enjoy! 

XOXO Kate G

Okay, let's try this again

Hi all! After a year long hiatus, I'm am picking back up this blog and am going to vow to post at least once a day (and hopefully you will help me stay accountable to that vow). Let me refresh your memory on myself, I'm a stay at home my of an energetic, brilliant, beautiful little red headed 2 year old boy. I am also the owner of a small graphic design company, Kate Geary Design & Photography, which I run out of my home office. I live in Chicago, IL and love this city more than any place in the world. I grew up a Jersey girl, then moved to the Chicago Suburbs for about 10 years before moving into the city about 11 years ago. I have lived in 7 different neighborhoods since moving to the city from Tri-Taylor, Little Italy, Wicker Park, Lakeview, Wrigleyville, Uptown, and now all the way out to Northpark, and have seen and been to most everywhere (within reason) over the years. I will be sharing my city experiences, mom stories, photos, recipes, local tips, favorite places to dine, drink and shop, and much more! Please subscribe if you like the articles, all comments are welcome and will be taken in with an open mind, and also if you'd like to share a story or have a place you'd like me to review on my blog, please email me and it may be featured!

XOXO Kate G