Art de Pizza, worth a stop on the brown line

I'm very particular about my pizza. The thinner the better. What can I say, I'm a New Yorker. We like our pizza, we like our pie, we like it in triangles. Minimal ingredients....no meat-lovers, veggie-lovers...just sauce, cheese and maybe an herb or one veggie topping. This weekend brought a visit to a cozy little place in Ravenswood Manor called Art de Pizza on Rockwell by the Brown line stop. My friends had raved about the bruschetta and I have to say it did not disappoint. The bruschetta and a salad could make a meal on its own. Baked on foccacia and topped with tomatoes and mozzarella, the bruschetta packed a punch, with TONS of garlic. If you're not a fan of garlic, steer clear.

The pizzas are Neopolitan style. Thin, slightly doughy crust. Not as good as Spacca Napoli or Sapore de Napoli but not bad either. And actually not bad as left-overs, which I was surprised. The margarita pizza is a fine choice. I love the atmosphere here....bustling on a Saturday night, some booths, some tables, some seating outdoors...all around nice evening and it's BYOB. I'm not a fan of Chicago pizza, so I would choose this place in a second, over a run-of-the-mill Giordano's or Calo.

a taste of heaven

For many, September is a time of renewal. A time to "buckle-down", get "back-to-business", "turn over a new leaf"...head back to school, work, the farm, the city.

With the dreaded last day of August beginning on a Monday, I leave you with a breakfast that breathes a hint of a summer that is quickly fading.

Scone: check

Fruit: check

Jam: check

Only thing missing is the coffee.

The scone is from A Taste of Heaven in Andersonville. In my opinion, the best scones in the city. They come in many different flavors. I like raspberry best.

I've been really into coconut lately. I like to drizzle it on things like pineapple.

Have a great week!

Salam in Albany Park

If you're looking for good, cheap middle eastern food, go to Salam in Albany Park. It's in a storefront on Kedzie, just north of Wilson. The owner greets you like he knows you. The hummus is creamy, and the grilled chicken is outstanding. Wash it all down with a mint tea.

Read the yelp reviews here:

www.yelp.com/biz/salam-chicago

Well, hello there!

Welcome to everything's better on toast. Well it IS, isn't it?

I've been wanted to do a food blog for so long. I love taking pictures of what I cook and food I have at restaurants. I hope you will enjoy my blog!

Here's a photo of a typical breakfast I might whip up in the morning. I guess it is morning...1:19am. Well, nighty-night. And remember....everythingsbetterontoast....bookmark it.

Laura

fruits and nuts

I don't often have cereal for breakfast. I would choose an egg over cereal. Not over cereal, over-easy to be exact, or to be more exact, over medium.

Tonight I had cereal for dinner. It tends to be a Friday night thing. People that know me know that i tend to chillax on Friday nights, and if it's been a long week..well, cereal it is.

The perfect Sidecar

1 1/2 oz. brandy

1/2 oz. lemon or lime juice

1/2 oz. triple sec

Shake and pour into sugar-rimmed glass.

Restaurateur

I thought the word was restauranteur until I worked for a visitor magazine and found out it is restaurateur. I think people like to say restauraNteur because they think it sounds better.