turning 40 at el ideas

i love his face.

he turned 40 and our little tommy turned 4 together this past week.  they share a very special day.

i planned lots o fun for the big love of my life.  we started last friday with a huge surprise party and a few days later i surprised him again with a trip to el ideas - one.uniquely.amazing.restaurant in chicago. 12 other real foodie souls joined us for the fun.

let the adventure begin.

it's byob, so you can bring your favorite vino or drink of choice with you.  i should have followed their suggestion and just brought three types of wine.  a bubbly, a light bodied white and a medium bodied red.  i brought a tad too much.  keep it simple and just bring three.

these three little piggies were left home.

surprise honey bunches!!  you're driving in a stretch tonight baby.

we arrived a tad early, so we stopped in at the corner bar, the waterhole.  they even have a blue's bar in the back... it was a great start to the night!

how did we e.v.e.r. find this place!?  christina, kristy and i stumbed upon el ideas during our cooking class adventure.  we mistakenly went here first.  it was a very, very good mistake.  

this door sign had us at hello.  

12 unique and delicious courses.  

musical chairs amongst our party of 14.

trips into the kitchen to watch, learn, listen and laugh.  did i mention they play music?  yea baby yea. 

what did i love the most?  it is a very small restaurant.  there are only 24 seats to fill per night.  all guests are welcome to enter the kitchen and interact, watch, chat and get all HOT in there with the chefs, ovens and stoves.  i don't think they've ever had heels on their floor like yours miss briana cardone!  i could have listened to the fashionista of food talk to the boys all night.  the world of food & cooking is such a big one.  it is a thrill to know my cup will never fill up with all there is to experience and learn.   food familiar to the bizarre was all around, filling our senses into creatively plated works of edible art. what a mouthful.

and there we are, all filled up and ready to get the "el" home.  

to phillip foss, dubois, iacono, gancarz, bill, "steven seagal" and all of the wonderful chefs and staff that make it happen at el ideas, thank you so much for having us.  

it was a real food 40th to remember, forevah. 

i loves you, my two birthday-buddy cutie pies.  

you give me such a wonderful, big life.  

let's light the next 40 up.

xoxo

ps

"i love his face" was snapped by tanya fergus of fergus fotos.  thank you girlfriend!!