Hearthstone Shopping, Date Night in Logan Square

Headed over to B&B Formica, to look over some options for a new hearth for our living room fireplace.

We’re finally getting around to repairing and making the fireplace functional again – so this was quite the exciting outing.

Browsing around the “remnants” section.

The day we were visiting, we learned that the lift was waiting for some repairs – so not a lot of work was possible, since none of the slabs could be moved. Lucky for us, one of the owners joined our walkthrough and helped us with some suggestions and answered a lot of our questions.

I have to say – our conversations with the folks at B&B Formica were incredibly friendly, and I was instantly at ease. There was no pretension, no stress – the entire conversation was easy and friendly, and I felt incredibly comfortable the whole time.

While we were shopping for something small and straightforward like a hearth, I can definitely see coming back here for more involved work.

With our errand over early, Liz and I made our way over to Logan Square and got an early dinner at BiXi Beer. We took our time, given how early it was… and just hung out over cocktails and appetizers, before ordering our meal.

For me, I got the Jade Empire (Gin, Genepy, Soju, Pear, Matcha, Lime). For Liz, she got the Lucky Coin (Laird’s Straight Apple Brandy, Ginger, Clarified Lemon, House Spicy Tincture) – though I think hers was a bit much, on the spicy side.

I’m not sure why, but I ended up ordering a Quail Egg shooter. They have sushi on the menu, and this ended up catching my eye. It was surprisingly tasty, and a bit of sweet and spicy heat – a very interesting combination of textures.

For our meal, we ordered the Vietnamese Chicken Curry (lemongrass, yukon potatoes, coconut milk, makrut lime, madras spices) and Scallion Garlic Noodles (butter, scallion, gently cured soy sauce egg yolk, garlic, oyster sauce, parmigiano reggiano).

On request, they were able to use a vegan oyster sauce (given my late allergy to oysters). Which was great, because these noodles were a revelation. I don’t know that anything can ever quite compare with Lula Cafe’s Pasta Yiayia… but this thing comes really, really close.

Of note, my second cocktail was the Slice of Life (Vodka, Amontillado, Sherry, Cantaloupe, Honey, Lemon, Saline).

Also worth mentioning – there are two distinct areas, a downstairs setting and an upstairs atrium. Both have very different feels, and both are actually quite lovely. I’m looking forward to coming back here, to try out another meal in the downstairs area.

Related:
Searching for Keys, and a Visit to Marz Brewery
Screen Door, Tile Floor
Sushi + Drinks