I had a favorite gyros place growing up in Chicago, but recently they stopped carving gryos off the spit, instead resorting to heating up pre-portioned and cooked meat. I only found out when I ordered a gyro and every piece was paper thin and completely uniform. How can that be!?! So I’ve been on a quest to find a gyro replacement ASAP. We had heard from our foodie cousin and several other Milwaukee locals that Oakland Gyros was good, and even though its Milwaukee location does not put it in our regular rotation, we knew we had to go give it a try. There are two locations, old (2867 N. Oakland Ave.) and new (9530 W Layton Ave.), and we ended up being closer to the new Layton Ave. location. 
This location is outfitted like a basic fast food joint, but there is plenty of seating (you order at the counter and then your order gets delivered to you). When we stepped right in we knew we were in for some good eats right away. Behind the simple takeout counter there were two large rotating cones of meat, which obviously is a necessity for a good gyro, though not always a given. We ordered chicken souvlaki platter and a classic lamb/beef gyro. In Greek diner tradition, the menu is pretty exhaustive, including various burger permutations, spinach pie, Philly cheese steaks, soup, malts, and even Greek frappe coffee. Another great feature is that they bring you a whole bottle of tzatziki sauce with your order – not just a measly little cup.
Even though there was a bit of line we did not have to wait long at all to get our food. This gyro looked pretty darn good and certainly was generously portioned. The gyro meat was tasty and flavorful, and the tzatziki sauce was delicious, but the gyros meat did not have the crispy edge that I’ve come to expect from off-the-cone gyros. Some describe these gyros as “thick cut,” which I am sure has its backers, but I think I prefer the thin cut variety with a nice char. M devoured the souvlaki, which was piled perilously high with charred meat and onions (the fries were pretty good, too), with a nice chunk of feta on the side. It is also worth noting that the pita was also particularly light and fluffy, and left us hoping we had ordered a few extras. Oakland Gyros is a great lunch option in Milwaukee, but the quest for the prefect gyro in Chicago continues. Any suggestions?
We have longed for a nice cafe in Evanston that sold delicious pastries and coffee for a while now. There are places that satisfy one need or the other, but now we have Patisserie Coralie (600 Davis Street, Evanston) to help us out with both! Coralie is located in the former home of Cafe Mozart, and more than fills the long-vacant spot. Coralie is the brainchild of Pascal Berthoumieux who also owns the Evanston restaurant Bistro Bordeaux (the patisserie is named after his daughter). 
The end of October/start of November is full of holidays, but one that certainly has not caught on in the US is 
Our trip to Miami was a distant memory so we were jonseing for some of the tropical atmosphere.
Diwali, the 
After two years of trying, we finally made it to Rick Bayless’ star restaurant. It was Matt’s birthday, and Lindsay planned ahead making reservations months in advance as to ensure a spot. We, like everyone else in the city, were caught off guard by the meteoric rise in Rick’s popularity following his win at the inaugural Top Chef Masters; but at the same time, we, like everyone else in the city, took a renewed interest in his food.
I am crazy about pupusas – it’s no secret! What could be better than a pocket of carbs filled with cheese and other fillings? Nothing, I tell you. When we heard that the pupusas were on point at Brianna’s Restaurant (4911 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60625) we knew we had to visit! Brianna’s advertises itself as having Salvadoran and a Guatemalan cuisine, with a small selection of Mexican dishes.
We ended up at 
We ordered one of our favorites from Singapore, Prawn/Shrimp Lemak (£8.70), and a new-to-us dish: Beef Rendang (£7.95). Both dishes came out pretty quickly and were perfect portions to share. The Rendang was advertised as being in a spicy, “almost dry” curry, meaning it was more of a thick paste that coated the meat. Not a photogenic dish, but spicy, flavorful and tender. The prawn lemak was a coconut milk curry, with plenty of lightly spicy soupy-ness and a strong lemongrass flavor. Both dishes were flavorful and complex, and had clearly been cooked to order. Overall, we found the food at Sedap to be unique and reasonably priced (for London) for the quality. We wish we had more time in London to explore more of Sedap’s Nyonya dishes and flavors. But even if we won’t be back for a while, we encourage people to get off the tourist track and try something new beyond the typical curry.
Eating The World 