Spritz

When I was in Italy, wine was cheaper than water. Seriously, that's not just an expression. A glass of house wine cost 1 euro, while a bottle of water cost 1.50. Which was a nice change from the U.S. where ordering a drink can easily double the cost of your entire meal.
Since wine was so cheap, I often tried a lot of different drinks while in Italy (I mean, when in Rome....) One drink in particular, called 'spritz,' was native to the Veneto region of northern Italy and could be found at nearly every restaurant I went to. It was a light fizzy beverage that became the perfect afternoon drink on a hot day. There were two types: Aperol and Campari, or, more simply, orange and grapefruit. Orange was a lot sweeter, but both were equally delicious.
Unfortunately, spritz is a lot harder to find back in the US. Fortunately, all of the ingredients can be purchased. Which is why this is my new go-to summer drink recipe and the perfect recipe to wow your friends on 4th of July.

To make enough spritz for 4 people, you will need:

1 bottle Aperol (difficult to find, but a grocery store or liquor store with a large selection will probably carry it)

1 bottle prosecco (try to get Conegliano-Valdobbiadene if you can)

1 bottle pellegrino or other sparkling water

4 wine or rock glasses

Start by lining up your ingredients

Starting with the Aperol, then the prosecco, and finally the sparkling water, fill each glass with 1/3 part of each liquid. Add some ice if your beverages aren't already chilled and toss in an orange slice for a garnish if you want to look extra fancy.

See? Isn't that easy?

Perfect for picnics, pool parties, or balcony get-togethers, particularly during the upcoming holiday season. Just put on your fancy pants and get ready to wow everyone with your amazing and exotic cocktail-making ability. Or just wear jeans and a t-shirt and make everyone thing that effortless class just comes naturally to you.
Your choice.

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Big & Little's

Guess what?

I moved to Chicago for the summer!

Which means tons of food, food, and food.
And my first main stop when I came over was a place I'd seen on The Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. 
It's called Big & Little's, a.k.a., fancy fried food.

It's a small building on a really not built-up street, but boy is this place packed for lunch.
And why is it called fancy fried food, you might ask? Well I'll tell you.
Because the menu features things such as duck fat fries, foi gras and fries, fried soft shell crab sandwiches, and beer battered burgers.

You get in line, head up to the counter, and order what you want. Cash only folks. Then you wait by the side until your name is called and your delicious food crackles its way onto the serving side of the bar.

Take a look at the fish and chips.....

It's basically an entire cod filet, battered in a deliciously crispy coating and served with a platter of fries.

I, however, had to go for the original wonder that I saw being made on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. The pork belly po boy.

A mountain of delicious salty fried pork belly piled onto a bed of lettuce, slices of pickles, hot sauce, and maple mayo on a toasted sub bun.

My face for scale.

I managed to eat the whole thing, and I'm currently craving another one. And more fish and chips...

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