Dining out

The husband and I have been going out a lot lately, which suits my current cooking slump. Recent meals include:

A killer breakfast at Flo. We used to live a couple of blocks away right when they opened as a coffee shop. The owner is somehow related to the people behind The Shed, one of our favorite places in Santa Fe…and I think that’s where Flo’s great fire-roasted chiles come from.

Dinner at the always delicious, always feel-good Lula Cafe in Logan Square. Every meal is inspiring and the people-watching can’t be beat.

A perfect octopus and arugula salad at Forno.

Inconsistent service and frat boys but yummy hangover sandwiches at Jerry’s on Division.

Good tapas on the patio at Azucar, also in Logan Square.

An absolutely stunning anniversary dinner at Aigre Doux.

And it kills me to admit it, but the foot-long Polish sausage I split with the husband on Saturday at Arlington Racetrack was well worth the grease stains each of us suffered on our laps. As with so many things in life, it’s all about context.