Adult Tots

I love tater tots and they are not just for kids. The picture shown here is the adult tater tots from a restaurant in Vegas called Stack in Mirage. I've been there, eaten them and they were great. They are homemade with some fancy cheeses in them. Plus, how cute is the presentation.

Here in Ptown, if you have not tried Bar Louie's loaded tots, you must. They are in no way good for you: deep fried, topped with a spicy cheese, bacon, and giardiniera. Bar Louie also has a great selection of beers but be aware, their martinis are a little too sweet for me...again, I like my booze and I have to remind them to go light on the juice.

Get out and try them. It is a great place to go with girlfriends and get guilty pleasures like the tots and multiple martinis and share.

No black bras under tan sweaters

Ladies - I am watching you. I was out to lunch today and spotted a very well dressed professional woman wearing a black bra under a tight thin tan sweater. Next time I will have a camera.

Everyone has a mirror, look in it. If you can see your bra through your shirt, go back to start.

If you don't have a mirror, do what I do...call my gal pal, tell her I need to come by her desk immediately and she has to tell me if I look slutty. Yes, I have done this and I am blessed she is very honest with me. To date, I have not looked slutty at work...or so she tells me.

Almost cocktail time...

Friday is almost here and I am ready for a cocktail. I thought I would share my favorite - a cosmopolitan made with Grey Goose Orange. Second favorite, Absolut Mandarin with cranberry juice and a splash of club soda. I love orange vodka.

Best cosmos in town - Seven. At Seven, located in Peoria Heights on Prospect, I get their cosmo and don't ask for orange vodka, just go with the bartender's recipe. He shakes it for so long and you get the perfect little ice crystals and it is the perfect balance of vodka and cranberry. Some places use way too much juice and I need my vodka! Picture above is an example of way too much cranberry, not enough booze.

Second best cosmos - Jonah's oyster bar. But if you go to Jonah's try their Raspberry Martini - made with fresh raspberry juice. They are not very strong but delicious. And there is a super cute bartender there too! Eye candy and martinis = wonderful night!

Foodie blogs

While the Food channel can be inspiring - who doesn't want a body like Giada's and the free clothes she gets from anthropologie - check out these fun food blogs:

Chocolate & Zucchini - cute Parisian chic who shares her passion for food
Smitten Kitchen - Don't type in smitten kitten by mistake like my mom did, "the site wants me to click this box that I am over 18, should I?" screams of No in the background....this blog has the best pics of food! The caramel cake pic is such food porn.

Christmas 2008 - Tree Lighting Tip

Tear, taking down my Christmas stuff today. I love, love, love Christmas. I love searching for the perfect gift, the food, putting up my tree and my super cutey ornaments gathered from the old Post and Pillar, the annual Agatucci's pizza party, and yes, wrapping gifts.

This past year, we went to a Christmas open house and the lighting on their tree was amazing. Here's what he did - instead of just wrapping the lights around the edge of the tree, buy double the lights and on each layer of the tree weave the lights in and out, like a zig zag pattern as you move around the tree. Thus, the tree has this incredible depth and just looks amazing.

So sad as I am to see Xmas go, I am already looking forward to next year and my superbly lit tree. Maybe I'll even share my Pumpkin Pie Martini recipe with you to to make it an even merrier time...

Ptown's Top Fries

Ok, we cannot be healthy all the time. If you are going to splurge go for the best fries in Ptown. This recommendation comes from a great friend of mine and believe me, she knows her fries as she's been sampling them all over town for the past 10 years.

Favorite fries - Khoury's Cuisine. Fried to crispy perfection and to date, never had "mush fries" from them.

Favorite loaded fries - Loaded Waffle Fries from Granite City in EP. They are unbelievable, covered in melted cheese, and most importantly, they remain crisp even with all the toppings smothered on them!

Sushi & Soy Paper - A winning combination

Seaweed wrappers can be a bit much to me and overpowering. At Sushigawa (my fav in Ptown since the food is wonderful and they regularly pass health inspections with scores of 99 or 100!), you can get your rolls with soy paper! No seaweed taste, it does cost $1 extra but best of all, soy paper comes in beautiful colors so your rolls will be in a pretty pink or sunshine yellow paper.

Top pics: California, Boston, Hawaiian, and the Spicy Crab.

So next time skip the fast food for lunch and make it sushi.