...In which our heroine tastes Chicago.

Although it isn't over yet, I've gone to the Taste of Chicago three times this week. The weather has been lovely, and I like the people watching as much as the food. The organization of the booths helped cut down on the crowd, which was never as bad as I anticipated. I didn't go see the Counting Crows or the Barenaked Ladies for free, but I may still hit up Buddy Guy tomorrow.

So what did I eat? Lots, and for a total of $24 spent. Granted, I shared a lot and took advantage of smaller, cheaper "taste" portions, but I still feel that I totally got my money's worth. 

From best to worst:

Steak Jibarito - a Puerto Rican sandwich I'd never tried before. The bread, which was actually fried plantains, was crispy and really flavorful. Add to that chargrilled steak, lettuce, and amazing garlic sauce and it was a great dish. Too bad the restaurant it's from is in the worst neighborhood in the city.

Lemon/Mango/Blue Raspberry Italian Ice - so fresh, and the texture was smooth but not ice cream-y at all. Lemon was my favorite of the three. 

Panna Cotta with cherry balsamic sauce and caramelized almonds - This was definitely outside of my comfort zone, I'd never tried panna cotta, but it sounded good and it was. The portion was HUGE, too much for a festival, especially for a rich dessert. Panna cotta is cooked cream made into a kind of custard, and the tartness of the cherries balanced well.

Orange Chicken - This was Emily's, but we shared. I'm wary of chinese food, especially from a festival, but the chicken was not yucky like it can be in Asian cuisine. The sauce was a really nice blend of sweet and spicy.

Prime Rib Quesadilla - The meat was tasty as was the added cilantro, but an acid would have elevated the dish, especially lime. 

Crab Cake Bites - Pretty mediocre. I don't think there was really crab, and if it was, it wasn't the lump kind, which makes for the best crab cakes. The sweet chili sauce however, was really yummy. 

BBQ Rib Tips - Spicy/sweet sauce was a good blend of both, but not enough meat and one of the pieces was all bone.

Lamington - This was Kristen's. Essentially dry, yellow cake dipped in Hershey's syrup and coconut. Not bad, but boring. 

Sweet Potato Hash Browns - I love sweet potatoes. I do not however love them when they've been made into the consistency of rice and not seasoned well. One bite was sweet, one was salty, but not in a good way. I threw most of this away.

I wish there would have been some more exotic food choices. I can appreciate hot dogs and deep dish pizza, but not ten booths of them. Overall, way more good than bad food and I was impressed with how clean and well-portioned everything was.