I'm here in Chicago for business, but also tacked on a couple of extra days to visit a friend who lives in downtown. Her question to me was, "Where would you like to eat?" I replied, "Somewhere with outdoor dining!" She introduced me to this fabulous French restaurant in a charming part of town near a park with "lightening bugs" (bugs that light up like sparks!) called Chez Joel.

On a pleasant summer night, you can eat al fresco -- but we had to wait an extra 20 minutes for a table, even though there were plenty of seats indoors. Believe me, it was well worth the wait. The spacious patio, featuring lively French music, was filled with tables - lit with candles, creating a cozy atmosphere. For starters, we couldn't decide between the cheese & fruit assortment plate or duck and chicken liver pate plate...so we ordered both (accompanied by a plentiful basket of slices of baguette)! Excellent combinations, actually. Surprisingly, the servings were generous -- which was surprising to me because each plate was reasonably priced: $7.95! Perhaps it's because I'm used to eating in California. But I thought it was a great price for what we got. I ordered the steak au jus with pomme frites for my main course - $20.95 (in the SF Bay Area, the same meal would easily cost $28-30). It was juicy and cooked just right! The pomme frites were definitely the highlight -- fried to perfection: thin and crisp. Makes my mouth water just to thinking about them! For dessert, we ordered the chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream (which was actually a lava cake...scrumptious and decadent!)

I would certainly return to Chez Joel during my next visit to Chicago. The food was excellent, the service was superb and the experience was overall...just delightful! :)

After watching the previews for Hellboy 2, I was immediately captivated by the remarkable and fantastical creatures (similar in appearance to those seen in the movie Pans Labyrinth). That's why I was anxious to see it on opening night (plus, it was my husband's turn to pick a movie...and just so you know, the ladies will also enjoy it)!

Hellboy 2 has a strong story-line with interesting character development; witty dialogue, humor... and more romance than you'd expect to find in a comic book adaptation -- and it doesn't come off as THAT cheesy or forced.

The movie is a visual smorgasbord with cutting-edge special effects, action sequences, and artfully choreographed fight scenes.

It's not often that a sequel is better than the original, but this is definitely an exception!

Go check it out if you're interested in a fun, action-packed fantasy adventure!

The vibes are good here. Poised to open March 4, Nick's On Main is billed by new owner Nick Difu as an American bistro. Black ceilings meet stark white walls, a traditional background for servers in long black aprons. But there's more going on here than theme.

The word is out. Folks already are dropping by, something they feel comfortable doing. The snug and intimate space once occupied by A Matter of Taste at 35 E. Main St. in Los Gatos now is holding the dream baby of Difu, who has garnered a faithful following during the seven years he was chef at local eateries Cafe Marcella and 180.

For the past 2 1/2 years he had been trying to get the empty building, now owned by Todd Hill of Los Gatos, for his restaurant. Well-wishers and the curious stream in, cell phones ring. It's some two weeks before the long-anticipated opening. Difu sits at a small, linen-clad table, handling the endless details of new ownership, his cell phone at the ready above a sheaf of papers. Men on ladders are putting on finishing touches.

Los Gatos resident Lisa Leese, who has spent the past months with Erin Perrucci shepherding design ideas from paper to reality, frets over some lingering details. She wipes down a shining black wall with a feather duster, a cell phone shouldered to her ear.

"I'm worried about these chairs," she says, pointing to where she wants a chair rail along the wall. Difu acknowledges her with gratitude and relief. "The details I had to worry about were taken
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over by Lisa and Erin," he says. "There were two things they said must be done - take out the old bar and paint the ceiling black. They were right, and it's perfect."

"I want people to come here and feel at home," Difu says. "It's going to be loud, and it won't cost a fortune. The food will be bistro or country style with an Italian twist - simple food with abundant flavors." And the wines are decidedly local Italian - Testarossa, La Rusticana, Perrucci.

The Italian influence is no accident. The east wall of the restaurant is covered in framed black and white photos. They represent the Cali clan - the Sicilian parents, aunts, uncles and cousins of Difu's mother, longtime Los Gatan Ann Cali. Among the scenes is one of the hay and grain store in Cupertino known by locals for years at Stevens Creek and Saratoga Road as "R. Cali and Brother." The brother was Difu's grandfather Joseph, and "Nani," his grandmother, is the reason for his cooking. "From her I learned about food and what it does for you. Every time I left her house, after a Sunday dinner of rabbit stew and meatballs, I felt good. All of us six grandkids felt that way."

His menu reflects what it takes to feel good. There are braised short ribs, Nani's meatloaf, Scottish salmon, steak, rack of lamb and seafood linguine. But perhaps what Difu enjoys creating the most is duck confit with cassoulet, the classic French dish of white beans and pork sausage. The beans are cooked with mirepoix, a mixture of vegetables and herbs sauted in butter, and the sausage is steeped in a ragout of tomatoes, carrots and onions. The duck is covered and slow-cooked for four hours, then placed before serving in a very hot oven for crisping ($21). An average entree a la carte runs $17-$25. A similar menu at lunch is about $15. "On every table there'll be a red rose, symbolizing ... I don't know what. Just a single red rose ... for color," Difu laughs. He says he'll make anything anyone wants with a little notice. "We'll be very visible, saying hello a lot, coming out to roam the room and greet you," he says. "Here you won't get lost. We'll know you." The vibes are good here. Poised to open March 4, Nick's On Main is billed by new owner Nick Difu as an American bistro. Black ceilings meet stark white walls, a traditional background for servers in long black aprons. But there's more going on here than theme.

The word is out. Folks already are dropping by, something they feel comfortable doing. The snug and intimate space once occupied by A Matter of Taste at 35 E. Main St. in Los Gatos now is holding the dream baby of Difu, who has garnered a faithful following during the seven years he was chef at local eateries Cafe Marcella and 180.

For the past 2 1/2 years he had been trying to get the empty building, now owned by Todd Hill of Los Gatos, for his restaurant. Well-wishers and the curious stream in, cell phones ring. It's some two weeks before the long-anticipated opening. Difu sits at a small, linen-clad table, handling the endless details of new ownership, his cell phone at the ready above a sheaf of papers. Men on ladders are putting on finishing touches.

Los Gatos resident Lisa Leese, who has spent the past months with Erin Perrucci shepherding design ideas from paper to reality, frets over some lingering details. She wipes down a shining black wall with a feather duster, a cell phone shouldered to her ear.

"I'm worried about these chairs," she says, pointing to where she wants a chair rail along the wall. Difu acknowledges her with gratitude and relief. "The details I had to worry about were taken

over by Lisa and Erin," he says. "There were two things they said must be done - take out the old bar and paint the ceiling black. They were right, and it's perfect."

"I want people to come here and feel at home," Difu says. "It's going to be loud, and it won't cost a fortune. The food will be bistro or country style with an Italian twist - simple food with abundant flavors." And the wines are decidedly local Italian - Testarossa, La Rusticana, Perrucci.

The Italian influence is no accident. The east wall of the restaurant is covered in framed black and white photos. They represent the Cali clan - the Sicilian parents, aunts, uncles and cousins of Difu's mother, longtime Los Gatan Ann Cali. Among the scenes is one of the hay and grain store in Cupertino known by locals for years at Stevens Creek and Saratoga Road as "R. Cali and Brother." The brother was Difu's grandfather Joseph, and "Nani," his grandmother, is the reason for his cooking. "From her I learned about food and what it does for you. Every time I left her house, after a Sunday dinner of rabbit stew and meatballs, I felt good. All of us six grandkids felt that way."

His menu reflects what it takes to feel good. There are braised short ribs, Nani's meatloaf, Scottish salmon, steak, rack of lamb and seafood linguine. But perhaps what Difu enjoys creating the most is duck confit with cassoulet, the classic French dish of white beans and pork sausage. The beans are cooked with mirepoix, a mixture of vegetables and herbs sauted in butter, and the sausage is steeped in a ragout of tomatoes, carrots and onions. The duck is covered and slow-cooked for four hours, then placed before serving in a very hot oven for crisping ($21). An average entree a la carte runs $17-$25. A similar menu at lunch is about $15. "On every table there'll be a red rose, symbolizing ... I don't know what. Just a single red rose ... for color," Difu laughs. He says he'll make anything anyone wants with a little notice. "We'll be very visible, saying hello a lot, coming out to roam the room and greet you," he says. "Here you won't get lost. We'll know you."