Feast or Famine

This weekend I had the pleasure of trying several new restaurants (or new to me). Here's the rundown:

The Pita Inn - Wheeling, IL: On a field trip for work I tried this busy Mediterranean fast food restaurant. I had no idea what to order, so I got the Business Lunch Special which was enough food for me and three friends, quite honestly, with a combination of shish kabob, kifta kabob, shawarma, and falafel. All of the food was delicious, especially the pita bread! Unfortunately, a few hours later a friend and I both realized that the Business Lunch Special probably wasn't the best way to kick off the first Friday in Lent. Alas, the food was wonderful and I can't wait to take Stacy back there some day!

Agio Italian Bistro - Palatine, IL: Stacy and I joined two wonderful friends to try the newly opened Italian restaurant. We were warmly welcomed at this elegant, upscale restaurant that is the newest incarnation of the previous "Slice of Chicago" restaurant. The service was great, friendly and accommodating without hovering. We had a lovely dinner, each of us trying a different salad (beautifully presented) and pasta dish. I had a (huge) angel hair vegetable primavera dish with a white wine and garlic sauce. The noodles and sauce were delicious, although I could have used a few more vegetables. The dish made me think of what I could make at home once the Palatine Farmer's Market returns this spring!

We were all very impressed with the service, decor, and food and all plan to return in the future. At $12-22ish for entrees, we'll probably also consider getting carryout from the Slice of Chicago storefront next door (same owners).

Finally, while it wasn't a new place - we had a another fun visit to the Donkey Inn after our bowling night! Here's an article that can do it better justice than my pedestrian attempts.