Outside My Retreat: Chicago Escapades

During my stay at the Cenacle, retreatants were allowed to actually leave the centre and explore the surrounding areas. They were in fact encouraged to, as long as we allowed God time with us. So it was really like a vacation-cum-retreat. 

As my T-mobile contract was expiring, I had to walk to the nearest T-mobile store to top it up. Along the way, I found some lovely finds! (which I had previously encountered over the internet.) Thought I'd share them with you here:)

If you want empanadas, apparently Lito's  is the place to go :)

A fuss-free shop.
There are counters along the windows of the small shop for customers to sit in and eat.

Their menu is unique :) The business was started by a young couple
whose friends loved the empanadas they made. So Lito's was born.
For more information, click here.

I had the chicken champignon - chicken and cheese with sauteed mushrooms, tomatoes and onions. 

If you're into cupcakes, you'll love Chicago's cupcake crawls. There are many places to explore - but Molly's, according to the majority of Chicagoans beats them all ;)

Molly's - named after the founder's third-grade teacher who used to bake them cupcakes all the time ;)
Check out their website for more details, rave reviews and a mouth-watering range of treats. 

You can choose from the array of cupcakes on display... or choose to put together your own ;)

The "Ooo-So-Tempting" display of tantalising treats... I took awhile deliberating before deciding what I wanted!

My choice of cupcake? Red Velvet with Cream Cheese ;)
Voted the best in Chicago by Chicago Magazine.

There's even a sprinkle station!

During the course of my retreat, it happened that one of the dates fell on the 27th of June - our 7th month anniversary. Immediately in my mind, I had a devious thought. Initially I'd wanted to get a cupcake for Steph from Molly's since it was nearby, but after a few "innocuous" messages, I realised that the cupcake he really liked was a chocolate one from the The Cheesecake Factory. According to him, it "just melts in your mouth". He had gotten it from a Starbucks outlet. Here's the clincher though - not all Starbucks outlets sell it. I had to find the right one.

I did a little google research and found out that only the Starbucks Cafe at all Barnes&Nobles bookshops have it. The nearest one was at the junction of Webster Avenue and Clybourn.   

The Chocolate Cupcake.  I have only one thing to say. YUM.
It was worth losing my way for it.

I had dinner with Steph after dance class that evening. He was in the mood for some Indian food, so we decided to try out Hema's Kitchen along Clark Street. We had been eyeing it for some time now, but just never felt the urge to really go down and try it, until today. To our surprise, the restaurant was empty. After getting our seat, we quickly googled some reviews. Apparently, the service was not too well received, but the food had mostly rave reviews.

Aloo Gosht - Seasoned lamb cooked with potatoes in a rich gravy

Dal with Baigan - roasted yellow lentils cooked with eggplant and seasoned with light spices, mustard seeds and garlic. 

Stuffed full... 

Overall, I liked the dal and eggplant, especially with the naan. The aloo gosht was a new experience for me as the lamb had a really strong taste. It would not have sat well with everyone. I liked it however as the texture of the lamb was tender and the gravy went well with rice. 

Given how well I ate during the retreat and outside of it, it won't be long before I need a diet!! :P