Hooray sushi -- Kyoto, Downers Grove

Shhh. I found a gem of a sushi place, hidden in a strip mall. It's surrounded by Best Buy and Disc Replay, but inside is a little oasis of calm and tastiness.

This is Kyoto, 1408 Butterfield Road, Downers Grove. Besides sushi, they also feature cooked Japanese and Chinese dishes.

I visited with my sushi partner-in-crime (not the husband, since he's not so much into the fish). The service was attentive and friendly, the food was fresh and delightful, and the atmosphere is cozy and comfortable.

We ordered:
- edamame
- 2 super white tuna, 2 red snapper
- California roll
- Mexican roll (tuna, salmon, avocado, jalapeno, fish egg & cilantro with hot mayo)
- Spicy Girl roll (tempura shrimp & cucumber topped with spicy tuna & tempura)
- a glass each of sake
- tempura fried red bean ice cream

Lotta food, right? And yet, pretty reasonably priced -- not wallet emptying! It was pretty much all delicious -- the Mexican roll was probably the most out-of-the-ordinary and had great flavors, but even the California roll managed to be special.  The white tuna completely melted in my mouth, and the snapper tasted like... the ocean. Not "fishy," just fresh and with a subtle but distinct taste.

The sake I ordered was apple flavored, and it tasted like wine with a jolly rancher melted in -- but it wasn't overwhelmingly sweet. The red bean ice cream was great for desert -- subtle and a little fruity, a little sweet, not too rich or heavy. Just the right ending to a delicious meal.

While my sushi p-i-c and I have new frontiers to explore, I would definitely return to Kyoto.

Patio paradise -- Carlucci's, Downers Grove

I was privileged to attend a Yelp Elite event last night at Carlucci's, 1801 Butterfield Rd. in Downers Grove. As such, please note that I received free food and that the service may have been influenced by my affiliation with yelp.

Carlucci's is tucked in right off I-355 and Butterfield Road, next to office buildings and a hotel. It would be easy to dismiss it as too corporate, too stuffy or too chain-y. But the building and grounds are beautiful, and you really can't hear the traffic at all. Plus, the food we had was amazing.

I am now in love with arancini (risotto, cheese and peas, breaded and deep-fried), and the Caesar salad, pizza, and fish all bear mentioning as extremely tasty.

The star of Carlucci's is really the patio, though -- comfortable, stylish, well-shaded and lush. An excellent place for a night out or a romantic warm-weather dinner. The staff attending to us was super-attentive, constantly bringing out more food and clearing our plates.

If you're looking for a little fancy, Carlucci's might just be the place for you.

Emmett's Ale House, from Cook to Kane County

One thing must be said -- I love, love, love breweries.

That also means I hold them to a higher standard than your average pub or bar.

Luckily, a locally owned option called Emmett's Ale House exists. Also referred to as Emmett's Tavern and Brewing Co. in West Dundee, the ale house has locations in both Downers Grove and Palatine. And soon, they'll be expanding to Oswego in Kendall County.

(Special thanks to That Girl, for letting me know after a recent trip to the Downers Grove spot that there was another one closer to where I live in McHenry County.)

A couple weeks ago, my boyfriend and I met a friend for a few drinks at Emmett's. My friend had raved about Emmett's homemade microbrews, and I was eager to give them a try.

Three beers later, I walked away completely happy and ready to come back again.

I tried the Double Barrel Oatmeal Stout, the 1 a.m. Ale, and the Munich Light. All three were delicious and distinct in flavor, though the best was probably the Double Barrel. It tasted close to a Guinness, but better. The 1 a.m. Ale was probably my second favorite because of its sharp bite. The Munich Light mostly resembled somewhat of a cross between a good light beer and a Belgian lager, like Stella. A refreshing tang coupled with a smooth body.

My boyfriend and friend tried the two remaining beers on their handcrafted list, the McCarthy Red Ale and the Victory Pale Ale. I had a sip of the Victory and it was a little bitter for my taste, and I'm usually not a fan of red beers so I didn't try the other one.

As for the food, we ordered a couple appetizers that were just OK: the potato skins and the nachos without meat. But, my visit wasn't food-oriented, anyway.

In any case, I'm sure I'll be back at one of these locations again, as it's becoming that time of year to bring out the seasonal brews. I look forward to Emmett's new creations.