Grab your farm-fresh argyle… it’s Bristol time.

The good. The tacky. The ugly.

Just finishing a Top Chef episode on the importance of farm fresh to table, I was very intrigued to enjoy a fresh, seasonal meal after one too many ‘lets just make it through the winter’ meals.  My Wisconsin roots always appreciate a meal that reminds me of home … had I grown up next to a local farm.  Now imagine tapas, only each entree varies by portion, price and palate – and they all sound fabulous. And your hungry. And your eating with a group of 10. It’s Friday night and you just waited about two hours for a table to share it with four other women who display no interest in wanting to share the remaining bites of their meal with your pal. Yes, the start of the meal was an interesting challenge at The Bristol, a new Bucktown/Wicker Park contemporary American hotspot with rave reviews.

Meal in a Cup & a Family of Four

2009.01.25 Hot Chocolate and some unexpected guests made the usual brunch get together randomly fun. Yes, you can find an entire meal in a cup in this cozy Wicker Park brunch spot. Seating presents a challenge for groups of 10 plus like us, but we were able to negotiate the curtained-off rear table… provided that all of us came and ate within 55 minutes. Minor dining challenge, but we made it work.  The room, surrounded in deep browns, felt warm and inviting just walking into the room.

Definitely not a morning to come on your second coffee – you have to start the day with one of their signature (moderately pricey) cups of hot chocolate.  The homemade marshmallows made it completely worth it. Within our group, their

eclectic menu satisfied each person’s chocolate palate – whether it was totally over the top or more like a coffee – dark, bitter and hits you right between the eyes. I had the medium and just like the three bears, I found it to be just right.