For an appetizer, I started off with fried sweet plantains. Y'all know I LOVE plantains and I was more than pleased with these. They even came with a scoop of spicy cole slaw which was delicious. I'm so used to having regular cole slaw, but this added spice made things interesting. The dinner also came with a side salad. I'm not a big fan of iceberg lettuce, however the salad was a nice addition to the meal. If they could serve kale salads, that would be awesome. 

For dinner, I had the Pwason Nan Sos which is "fish in creole sauce". Customers get to choose between red snapper and tilapia, and I chose the red snapper. The waitress assured me the fish was a whole fish and very big, but I'm a foodie so I was down for the challenge. The fish was covered in creole sauce, which is mad of tomatoes, along with onions, bell peppers, and carrots. I expected the fish to be spicy because of the sauce, but it was actually on the mild side, which I have no issue with. I wonder how this would taste if it were salmon (my favorite fish).

On the side, I had black mushroom rice, fried green plantains, and more cole slaw. I originally was going to get white rice, but decided to grab the black. The black mushroom rice was divine. I added a bit of creole sauce to the rice for some extra flavor. 

I am more than pleased with my food here! Everything was delicious, the servers were friendly, patient, and warm, and I am looking forward to returning.

After I used the scrub, I lotioned my body down with the Egyptian Argan Oil Body Butter. This light lilac body butter has a pudding like texture and medium consistency. The butter has a slight musky, sexy smell that reminds me of the Mediterranean. Ingredients in this body butter include cocoa seed butter, grape seed oil, shea butter, and of course argan oil. The shea butter, cocoa seed butter, and argan oil really add to the amazing scent. My skin was really smooth and soft after applying the body butter and I think using the ginger scrub really added to that feel. This is super hydrating and moisturizing and an A+ in my book.

The All-Over Body Sea Salt Scrub was cute, I wasn't too crazy about that, perhaps because I personally like a sweet smell to my soaps and scrubs all the while doing the job of exfoliating. While I didn't care much for the smell, it definitely exfoliated my skin well. Sea salt is one of the most popular ingredients used in scrubs to exfoliate. My skin was soft after using it, but not as soft as my skin was after I used the ginger scrub. However, like the ginger scrub, this sea salt treat was not sticky and also has a thick consistency. This scrub has a eucalyptus scent which is one of the main ingredients. I would highly recommend this scrub for people who love earthy oil smells. 

Norman's Bistro has been on my mental list of Black owned restaurants in Chicago to support for a while. I participated in the Amalgamation 2016 fashion show at the Little Black Pearl Workshop (another amazing Black owned business and art gallery for my creative folks in Chicago) and since I was in the Bronzeville area, I decided to finally check out Norman's.

Norman's is on the corner of 43rd and Ellis. I was expecting it to be a smaller spot, but it's pretty large inside. The brick walls were decorated with African inspired art while laughs from a large party and old school rhythm and blues filled the room. The service at Norman's was excellent. Arrived around 10:15pm and had dinner by 10:38pm.


For starters, I had a simple garden salad. Carrots, lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and vinagarette dressings. I was a bit thirsty, so I already knew what I wanted for dinner which was Smoked Cranberry Salmon dinner. I got two sides with this dish, the sauteed spinach and Caribbean smashed yams. I'm a huge fan of salmon, so this mix of cranberry and my favorite fish was new and exciting to me and the taste was delicious. I think this would be an awesome and healthier alternative for holiday dinners. The yams are my second favorite from this dinner. I can honestly say that out of all the soul food and Caribbean food restaurants I've been to, these yams tasted the best. I can't quite put my finger on the spices that were added in the yams, perhaps mango, but there was certainly a hint of tropical fruit added in. The dinner also came with Norman's "island coleslaw", similar to the mini coleslaws you would receive with dinners at places like Harold's or Uncle Remus.


Just by my dinner alone, I can tell that Mr. Bolden has been very inspired by different cultural foods. The mini cup of coleslaw compliments the cup of slaw from chicken shacks that Chicago is so known for on the west and south sides. The creolization and unorthodox flavors of different dishes like the cranberry glaze and salmon sets Norman's Bistro apart from your regular "soul food" restaurant. Not only is the food and atmosphere superb, but here's the fact that Norman's disproves the stereotypes of Black owned businesses and the reputation of the southside of Chicago. Norman's is the class, elegance, and standard that is needed and I can't wait to visit this place again.

Autumn is here, y'all! And I'm super excited! Years ago, I never got the hype for the fall season. I mean, school starts back, it gets darker earlier, the weather gets cooler. I've grown to appreciate the mystique of autumn, the beauty of the leaves changing colors, a reason to snuggle, drinking tea, and most of all- the fashion. When it comes to vintage clothing and fashion across the board, there's something so sophisticated about fall clothing. Layers, beautifully knit sweaters, dark colors.

Photography: Asil Nworb Designs

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