Viva la Feminista

If you are looking for some great seafood and a delish drink, look no further than Kinmont in River North. I attended their opening in late January, Kinmont opened to the public on February 1st, and enjoyed the atmosphere and tastings. First, the restaurant is beautiful. It has the look of a lodge, but with a modern feel. Dark wood, stone and large mirrors.  In the bar area I found servers with trays of different drinks and I chose the Bridgetown Milano. Over the past few years I have discovered that I am allergic to wine, yes even whites, so I have been trying my hand at bourbon drinks. The Bridgetown Milano is made with Woodford Reserve bourbon, cinzano sweet vermouth, falernum and fernet branca. Strong and delish.  As for food samplings, servers walked around with a lot of different options. There was also a buffet of shrimp, oysters, and lobster ( just like on their reservations page! ). I tasted a good number of things, but the one thing that made me really...

Anyone who has ever eaten out knows that you should tip your server. But most of us most likely do not know WHY we need to leave a fair tip. For the record, I usually tip around 20%. The closest I have been to being a restaurant server was my summer at Santa's Village putting french fries and pizza puffs on people's trays. I did not wait tables to make my way through college. Why? Cause I knew I would totally and utterly suck at it. Thus, I tip as generously as I can, especially when very much earned, because I admire anyone who can remember my order, check on me and all that jazz that makes a meal out a happy event. I was shocked to learn, a few years ago, that because servers work for tips, their minimum wage is $2.13 . What the WHAT?! And that hasn't changed in 22 years. I did know that most of them do not have access to paid sick days . Which of course means people who serve you lunch have to decide to go to work sick (possibly making you sick) or staying home and los...

Making dinner is a chore for me. I hate having to figure out what to make every...single...day. Ugh! But baking ? Oh, that is where I shine. Cupcakes, cookies, brownies...oh, my! And of course when I was asked if I wanted to review " The Hoosier Mama Book of Pie: Recipes, Techniques, and Wisdom from the Hoosier Mama Pie Company " by Paula Haney and Allison Scott, I said "YES!!!!" First of all, the book is beautiful and sturdy. You won't have to worry about it being on your counter as you bake up a storm. But while I was excited to get the book, once I opened it and started to read through the recipes, I started to feel overwhelmed. The only time I've tried to bake a pie I have used store bought crusts. And well, the results were so bad that I haven't tried making a pie in ages. But I'm committed to bringing you, my dear readers, reviews based on my experience! And then something happened...Ella took over. Yes, my sweet 10-year-old daughter to...