Chicago Spotlight/EWP Review: Perennial Virant

I've decided to add a new feature to this here blog - little reviews and posts about local Chicago places. I've been doing it here and there, but now it'll be more official and part of the "Chicago Spotlight" series. It might be a local boutique or local eatery, but they'll get a spotlight shined upon them and get reviewed on the following EWP scale:
0 stars = Crocs
1 star = Payless
2 stars= Nine West
3 stars= Stuart Weitzman
4 stars= Christian Louboutin

As you can guess, everyone should be shooting for the coveted Louboutin rating :)

Today I'm reviewing a new restaurant. Yes, I normally talk fashion, but what's the fun in dressing up if you have nowhere to go?


A week ago I had the supreme pleasure of dining at Perennial Virant. [Isn't it cute?!]

My friend Foodiebia was visiting from California and I knew she would totally love the local, fresh menu as much as I would.

Perennial Virant is located across from Lincoln Park and the Green City Market. As a lover of farmer's markets and specifically the Green City Market, it was wonderful to see the produce from the market make its way across the street to the Perennial Virant menu. The menu changes daily, based on what is fresh and available. I LOVE this for several reasons: 1) I get bored with menus that don't change, 2) what could be better than tasting things at their very freshest instead of off-season and trucked in from places far away?, 3) I like being encouraged to show up to a restaurant repeatedly because they have new things for me each time.

The decor was fresh and streamlined. Simple, a little earthy, some tables to be shared with other groups, but not too close to them that you're weirded out that you're sitting with other people. We actually got a shared table and the only time I noticed that I was sharing was when I would peek over to see what they were eating.

The feel is casual and friendly. There were kids in attendance, the waiters all wore plaid (but in a cute hipster way, not a lumberjack way). The only complaint of mine was a person who was a little too friendly - the overenthusiastic water refill guy. He was just a little too much for me, interjecting jokes into our conversations. He was cute, but I wasn't in the mood for a full on press joking flirtation. But better an overly present water guy than one you can't ever find as you sit there parched. So if my only complaint is an overly friendly water guy, then this place is great.

And now let's get to the food. Perennial features small plates to share, so of course we ordered a million things. And every single thing was divine. Even the cheese plate, and I'm not a cheese person at all. But the cheese plate had these delicious Spanish almonds that had Foodiebia, Mr. EWP, and myself all swooning. And I don't even like almonds! We had short ribs, corn cakes, green beans, heirloom tomatoes with baked ricotta. All super delicious. But there were two standouts from the meal: 1) The beef loin. That was an incredible piece of meat. Mr. EWP is a meat guy, he's picky about his beef and he was drooling all over the table and basically fainted from the awesomeness of the beef. 2) The wings. Yes, a fancy restaurant that serves wings. Can you say EWP heaven? I'm a wing nut. I don't know why but I super super love chicken wings. But you can't really get them anywhere but a sports bar, but enter Perennial Virant and the most delicious barbecue wings of all time. They had been drenched in liquid smoke which really upped the flavor factor. I was literally licking my fingers and may or may not have considered ordering another round.

And lastly I have to show y'all the patio. Because it is adorable. If it hadn't been 95 degrees that day, I would've totally been sitting outside. I'll be there again soon I'm sure, I love me some outdoor dining. I'm seriously already thinking about when I can go back.

I give Perennial Virant an amazing Louboutin rating! (aka 4/4).

Look at that, a Louboutin right out of the gate for Chicago Spotlight. Wonder who'll be getting the EWP inspection next....

Website Spotlight: Emily Kate Hargrove - Capital Style

Today we're shining the spotlight on my new favorite website: Emily Kate Hargrove - Capital Style.

My dear, wonderful, and lovely friend Emily after many years toiling as a lawyer in DC thought, as lawyers eventually do, "I don't want to be a lawyer." But unlike the rest of us lawyers who sit around complaining about our life of lawyering, Emily actually did something about it, she quit the law and focused on her true passion - fashion.

Now you can head to Emily Kate Hargrove - Capital Style for help in styling, wardrobe makeovers, and catching up on the latest trends. I really love her blog feature where you'll find such fun things as Fascinator Fridays (SWOON!) and the LWD.

LWD by EmilyKateDC on Polyvore.com

Emily Kate Hargrove - Capital Style doesn't get the EWP stamp of approval because Emily is a friend of mine, but because I honestly truly love the site. So be sure to check it out, add it to your favorites, or plug it in to your Google Reader. It's a must visit!

EWP Gift Guide: Cute Cosmetics Bag

If the person you're shopping for is all set in the makeup department, why not give her something to carry all that face paint in?

I have a Kate Spade cosmetic bag and just love it. Super cute and just enough space for my gargantuan amount of makeup I like to cart around when travelling. Or you could get the smaller size like a normal person :)

Kate Spade, $85-$145 @

@Available in more colors

EWP Gift Guide: Magazine Subscription

There's nothing more exciting than getting mail. Well, mail that you actually want. So aside from a promise to write a personal note to your giftee every week/month, why not go with a magazine subscription? It's the gift that they'll enjoy all year long. And maybe longer depending on what kind of subscription you get them.

My personal magazine faves:
For the fashionista - InStyle, Elle, Marie Claire, Vogue, W
For the celeb gossip junkie - UsWeekly, People
For the domestic goddess - Martha Stewart Living, Real Simple
For the guy - GQ, ESPN the magazine

EWP Gift Guide: Hunter Boots

I wouldn't normally put shoes on a gift list. Buying shoes for a person can be hard. Unless you're me, then you'd be awesome at it ;)

But these boots are too awesome not to be in everyone's closet. These rain boots are no joke. Sturdy and super dry, Mr. EWP has informed me that they're the brand the Queen of England wears when she's out hunting. I'm going to have to watch The Queen to fact check him, but I'll believe it, these boots are just that good.

And to keep that special someone both dry and warm when the weather takes a dip, try buying some Hunter fleece liners - available in cable knit or plain - Foodiebia says they are ridiculously warm.

Hunter, $125 @

Hunter, $40 @

Hunter, $30 @

@ Available in more colors

EWP Gift Guide: Chic Aprons

A true fashionista looks great wherever she is - not just at work or out with friends, but also at home lounging or cooking. So what better gift for a lovely lady in your life than a chic apron?

There are TONS of options out there, especially on Etsy, and Anthropologie has a million super adorable ones. I swear I want to buy them all, but I own, no joke, 6 aprons, so I'm set. I'll just have to content myself with telling y'all to buy some!

Apron Queen, $26.95

CreativeChics, $28

Anthropologie, $32 @

Anthropologie, $32

Anthropologie, $38

@Available in more colors

EWP Gift Guide: Amazon Kindle

I like to call it the gift that keeps on giving. The Amazon Kindle is any reader's dream gadget. And even will make a reader out of a non-reader. I swear in all the time I've known Mr. EWP, I maybe saw him read 3 books, but as soon as I got my Kindle, he was always stealing it and reading my books. So I thought it was high time to get him his own, and he has not put it down in months. And the fun part of a Kindle, buy multiple on the same account like I did and all the books each person orders are available on all the Kindles on the account, so we can share books without actually handing our Kindle to the other person.

Stores 3,500 books, weighs less than a paperback, and is so freaking small it can be thrown in any purse and taken on the go. And, my personal favorite feature, it is NOT backlit (computers/phones/ipads, etc. are backlit). Back lighting is a huge strain on your eyes and reading a book that is backlit really can cause some damage on your peepers, but without backlighting, read away like you would any regular book. And with the 3G Kindle, you can download books ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. Never again will you lug 6 books with you on an international trip, just grab your kindle and you are all set. It's seriously amazing.

Y'all, I'm telling you, my Kindle may be the best thing that's ever happened to me. Don't tell my hubs. Actually, I'm sure Mr. EWP would understand, he really loves his Kindle too.

Buy one immediately. For yourself. For your brother. For your dog. Everyone needs one.

Amazon, $139 wifi, $189 wifi +3G @

@Also available in white.

EWP Stocking Stuffer: Envirosax

I've blogged about these before. They are totally my favorite thing. What's more useful than a big, and super cute, shopping bag that rolls up to conveniently tuck away into your purse for use at a moment's notice. I love Envirosax bags and keep them in all my purses. Yes, I have a million.

So what better stocking stuffer can there be? Super cute and super useful! And won't go straight to your thighs like a bunch of candy.

Or you can skip the wrapping paper or gift bag this year and just use an Envirosax bag to wrap up your gifts! I do actually plan on doing that. All that gift wrap going in the trash has always seemed like such a waste.

So be sure to pick up a few of these bags this holiday season.

Envirosax, $8.95, packs of 5 available for $35 @

@ Available in more colors

EWP Holiday Tip: Holiday Cards

Now that it's after Thanksgiving, we can officially talk Christmas. Nevermind that I'm basically done with my Christmas shopping. Good thing I got it done early, now I have more time to help all of you!

First up, something that needs to be ordered early so it has time to be printed, addressed, and mailed: holiday cards.

Here is a MAJOR MAJOR EWP pet peeve in the holiday card department - photo holiday cards printed on glossy photo paper. Yuck yuck. Maybe I'm a stationery snob, but cards should be sent on card stock, not photo paper. If your card comes and is on photo paper, I swear I won't even put it up on my fridge. I can't even look at them. If you're going to go the personalized card route, don't do it halfway and cheap out with a glossy photo paper card, throw in the extra few cents and go with card stock.

My card site of choice is TinyPrints.com. I love that place. Shower invitations, holiday cards, even personalized stationery for BabyWP, all of it gets ordered from Tiny Prints. There are of course lots of sites to use - minted.com is also an adorable one - but I'm lazy and only got examples from Tiny Prints. But you get the idea. Say no to glossy photo paper. Say yes to card stock.

Another tip for your holiday card buying - pick a picture that actually tells the recipient something. If you've got children, you're in the clear. Just putting those cute munchkins is perfect. But I get so many generic posed couple shots but that doesn't really say anything to me. Did you get married? Buy a house? Have a baby? Go on a trip? Try to pick a picture that lets me know just a little something about your year.

Tiny Prints, $.86 - $1.69/card depending on quantity

Tiny Prints

Tiny Prints


Tiny Prints

Happy card shopping!

Reader Question: Slip Sliding in Flats

What are you supposed to do about sweaty feet in flats? (And no, baby powder is not a solution.) The primary reason I have to resort to sneakers many times is that my feet get very sweaty when I'm not wearing socks, and I have yet to find a pair of flats that work with cotton socks... And when chasing down a run-away toddler, it's just not a good idea to be sliding all over the place in flats, which I have a tendency to do. So what's the solution?

Lots of flat questions these days! And obvi I am totally happy to help.

Below are a few tips to keep you from sliding out of your flats:


1) It's all about the fit.
If you buy the right size, there won't be room for your foot to slide around. I know we all fudge sizes a bit when we see a shoe we like, or if it's a really good deal. But when you want things to be just right, you have to invest the time and the money to find the right pair. If your foot is as snug as a bug in a rug in your flats, then there will be no slippage issues to deal with.

2) Create some traction.
Buy some inserts to put in your shoe that cancel pesky slippage.

Foot Petals, $6.95

Foot Petals, $12.95

3) Ditch the socks.

Most people don't wear socks with their flats. I definitely don't. Ditch the socks and you will definitely no longer slide out of your shoes.

Too worried about odor and sweat to go bare? Then check out the next few tips to keep your sockless tootsies dry and odor-free in your flats.


4) Leather is better.

Fact: man-made materials (e.g. plastic) do not allow your feet to breathe which leads to lots of sweating and lots of smelliness. Switch to natural materials, like leather, and your feet will breathe a sigh of relief and cut out that sweating.

5) Inserts

There are a host of inserts for the bottoms of your flats that will keep your feet dry.

These are both leather and ventilated - double the freshness!

Aldo, $8.99

These inserts can easily be popped out of your flats and popped into the washing machine. Soak up any unwanted sweatiness, and washable for wear after wear. What more could you ask for?

Aldo, $7.99

6) Sprays and powders.
I know you said baby powder wasn't working, but baby powder, for all its virtues, isn't specifically for fixing foot issues. I suggest you try something a little more specialized.

This kills odors

Odor Eaters, $5.99

This absorbs both odors and wetness!

Dr. Scholls, $7.99

Try those out and your sliding worries will be gone. Happy flats-wearing to you!