Finally... m.henry... then, panini.

Bobby and I are back to our Saturday morning routine - a.k.a. breakfast anywhere but home!  We missed it last weekend because of our Columbus trip so today we went to this popular Chicago breakfast place/bakery called "m. henry". And this time around, two friends came with us, so it was extra fun - and I got to try more dishes hehehe!  So here goes...

Restaurant's interior - a little of country, whimsy, and modern... very cozy.
I think they also have a dining area in the garden, but it might have been closed due to cold weather.

Works of art: dulce banana rumba french toast, huevos borrachos (with chorizo, eggs, bean cakes, and masa tortilla - again, with my mexican breakfast craving), and chocolate french toast with berries, mascarpone cheese and chocolate ganache (the last one was Bobby's and I find it cute that he said, "parang pang girl 'tong sa kin hehehe"!)

Rustic peasant quiche and two happy customers

Ahhh... Saturday sunshine!  Great way to start the day!  

I'm so glad that the taste kept up with the plating.  

Definitely inspiring... so...

I spent the rest of the day shopping and watching "Hunger Games" with hubby... ok, seriously (but those were true too :-)), I decided to finally use our cuban sandwich/panini maker which was already gathering dust because it's never been used (got it from White Elephant back in December).  I've probably looked at the recipe for a Cuban Sandwich more than ten times in the last four months, but always managed to forget about it.  I don't know why!  Anyway, it was definitely a success and I was able to get my hubby to eat pickles and mustard with his sandwich and most importantly, no mayo!

The Cuban Panini

Ingredients: Rustic Wheat Bread (baguettes will do), Pickles (I used sweet ones), Dijon Mustard, Butter, Roast Pork, Sweet Ham, Provolone Cheese

Just pile all the ingredients inside the bread (except the butter) then spread the butter on top of the bread.

Grill for about 5 minutes (up to you really, how much you want it toasted/crispy)... 

Cut into half and serve with potato chips. For hubby, I used Sour Cream and Onion pringles!

It was really tasty - the secret to a good panini?  Freshly baked bread, good cheese, and of course, the right amount of grilling.  I think this panini maker will be my best friend for more laid back Saturday nights...