Popping and Picking

When I made plans to meet Dr G for dinner tonight, I wasn't too keen to structure too much. I didn't know what she'd been up to over Christmas and New Year, so I wasn't sure what kind of food or entertainment she'd want to go for. But then I figured I'd just take a chance, and I chose to drag us to two venues that neither of us had been to before.

And so it was that we ventured to Pops for Champagne for a fizzy aperitif. The barman clearly took a liking to my drinking companion, so I did my best to be the charming wingwoman, and we dazzled him with gleaming smiles and much hair-tossing.

But of course, we weren't there to stay as I had made dinner reservations at a cute restaurant nearby called Graze. No-one that I know had ever been to this place before, so I was interested to check it out based on the reviews I'd read online. What I hadn't realised is that the restaurant is all about 'small plates'. So it's basically a non-Spanish tapas place. But it's gorgeous because the wine list features Aussie wines that we would actually drink (ie not your typical export fare) and the food is fresh and well-presented, and the wait staff are lovely (out of work actors, naturally). We didn't eat a lot, admittedly, but we shared a delicious cheese plate, a serve of crab cakes, and a plate of scallops. Dining with a vegetarian can often be tough, but Graze made it easy because their seafood selections were amazing. My dessert of pineapple spring rolls were great, and the South Australian wine (D'Arenberg Grenache) was a wonderful surprise.

Talking with the owner tonight, I promised to share my review of the restaurant with as many Aussies as I could find. In fact, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the place to anyone. The restaurant is not exactly located in a prime part of town; it's surrounded by some rather dodgy bars and night clubs. So if anything, its location would be its downfall, but I will do my part to redress that.

To round out our night, we headed back to Pops and we had a glass of bubbly and some surreal conversation with the Executive Chef. He gave me and Dr G his card, and seemed rather keen to have us back for a meal next time we were in the area. We even managed to scam a free glass of champagne from the bar staff who, at that late stage of their night, were settling in for some taste tests of their own. Our freebie wasn't particularly delicious but the price was right, so who were we to complain?!

Dr G is a great person to go out with because she doesn't care that I have no sense of direction, and therefore get us absolutely lost in the Downtown Chicago area EVERY TIME that we go out. It never matters where we go, we always have a great time - and tonight was no exception. We tried two places that were new to us, and we didn't regret either of them. In fact, I think that given the contacts we made tonight, we'll go back to both places without a worry in the world.