Who is chicago foodie girl?

My name is Starr (yes, that really is my given name, and no, my parents weren't hippies) and I'm a 30-something English professor by day and rampant foodie by night.  I'm constantly encouraging my students to write about what they love, and although I've maintained & contributed to various blogs for the last seven years, I've never fully dedicated myself to writing about food... until now!

I'm originally from Michigan, did a brief stint in Wisconsin (aka the land of the delicious cheese curd) for undergraduate school, and have been settled in Chicago with my boyfriend, Mario, for the last 12 years. Chicago is one of those well-known food cities, so for someone who loves to explore and eat, it's a fantastic place to reside. The bulk of my reviews will center on restaurants and events in Chicago; however, I do love to travel and always make sure to partake in the local cuisine, so I do plan on discussing as many non-Chicago places as possible.

I'm not a chef or a professional food critic; nor do I work in the food industry (although I did once work for a culinary school!), but I am passionate about food (along with education reform, Prince, exercise/health, shoes, books, and London - all topics that will most likely work their way onto this blog at some point). I spend an inordinate amount of my free time trying new restaurants, attending food-related events, trading tips with my foodie friends (many of whom have agreed to contribute here!), snapping random and not-so-random photos of food, sniffing herbs at farmer's markets, watching various food/cooking shows, and trying new recipes. The bottom line is that I love food and I love to share my experiences. 

So, let's eat, drink, be merry... and blog about it! :-)