We found ourselves looking for lunch in Oak Park recently, having seen a movie (Toy Story 4, stay through the credits) and torn by the varied selection. We had passed a couple sushi places, so another one didn’t surprise me, until I saw the name: Poke Burrito. And under that: “Sushi Bowl – Sushi Burrito”. Suddenly, our choice was made.
The restaurant is small, there’s indoor seating for less than two dozen people, with some outdoor seating to supplement in reasonable weather. The menu is fairly straightforward – you pick one of seven house creations or build your own from the list of ingredients, then decide whether you want it as a bowl or a burrito. If you select a burrito, you then choose between seaweed and soy paper.
As you can see from the photo, I opted for a sushi bowl – Jimmy’s Creation, which features both salmon and tuna (I’m trying to keep my doctor happy by occasionally eating fish), along with other ingredients, on a bed of brown rice. While eating, I mixed small sections together, so I always had a bite of multiple ingredients. (I realize I could have stirred the entire thing before I started, and I may do that next time.) Cassandra chose a sushi burrito, which, as expected, was massive and had trouble staying together.
We enjoyed the food and service, and definitely expect there to be a follow-up visit now that we know that sushi bowls and burritos are a thing.
Starting in the front, the small rose bush I transplanted my first summer in the house has finally bloomed. I trimmed it back early spring because it was sticking out into the grass – a spiky hazard for mowing – and that seems to have been exactly what it needed. The mint, chives, and cilantro have returned to the star bed in full force, including the need to weed mint and cilantro out of the other sections and the surrounding mulch. It’s totally worth it on the days I want fresh mint tea or for the cilantro that will undoubtedly be used in salsa and other tasty dishes. I planted basil (again) in one section, and added a parsley plant to another. The center is generally a flower bed, though I haven’t seen any of the sunflowers sprouting yet; the weird weather fluctuations probably aren’t helping them. I decided the garden tower should also be an herb and flower bed, so it has a mix of random pretties and herbs I thought I would cook with, including two kinds of sage, thyme, rosemary, and a purple basil.
The side garden is just strawberries, which are starting to bear fruit, and some catnip that was already there. Yes, the catnip is huge. The keyhole bed is mostly peas, so I added cages for them to climb. There were some squash plants (pumpkin? acorn squash? who knows?) that sprouted in the composter, so I moved those to the back beds. Photos of those beds will come later in the season, I’m sure, as the squash plants sprawl and we hopefully discover what kind of fruit they bear. There’s a bonus photo of peonies, which have bloomed with their pretty pink flowers (every yard around here seems to have a different color of peonies) and are almost done for the season. There may be a family of rabbits living under them; they certainly like spending time there. Additionally, I’m learning which birds eat mulberries, as the mulberry bush is adjacent to the bird feeder. The mulberries are a bit small and underripe for me at this point, but I’ve watched robins eat them straight off the tree. I’m looking forward to a mulberry crumble once they’re larger.
The seriously geeky Lego fan will not be disappointed with these figures. Not only are they life-size, but information is provided about the statues stating how many bricks were used to build each one, and how much it weighs. Animal lovers will be delighted by the information provided on each of the animals, including where to find them if any reside at Brookfield Zoo.