Dining Out: Chicago Edition

Analise Gregory November 11, 2019

“Eventually, I think Chicago will be the most beautiful great city left in the world.” - Frank Lloyd Wright

This is my final recap of my Chicago trip, and I had to end this series with the post I’ve been asked about the most - Dining Out: Chicago Edition. Chicago had some pretty amazing places to eat, and out of all the places we dined, G and I only had one spot that was a little lackluster (that place is obviously not featured on this list, ha). To say that our food experience was wonderful is an understatement. Also, there is such a wide variety of food choices to choose from, this city is so diverse that you’ll be sure to find something that is beyond enjoyable.

If you have been reading along so far, I’ve recapped my experiences indulging on some of the best donuts and drinks the Windy City has to offer. Now, we are diving into some wonderful restaurants that we had the pleasure of enjoying during our trip in October.

RPM Steak

RPM Steak was so wonderful, and G and I totally splurged on this restaurant during our fancy date night out for his birthday. The space is stunning - from the bar to the dining room. This spot was super packed when we went on a weeknight, and having a reservation is an absolute must for RPM. Our waitress was amazing, and the in-house sommelier guided us through the wine list, which had spectacular options to choose from. We were super impressed with all of the options on their menu as well.

Take a peek at what we ordered below!

The sommelier assisted us and selected an amazing wine for us to enjoy during the evening.

An amuse-bouche provided by the chef, a potato cake with smoked tuna, and caviar on top.

Roasted Ora King Salmon + Tarragon Aioli

When it came to the dessert, I was dying to try the 14K gold chocolate cake. It was featured on “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” on the Food Network, and ever since I saw it, I knew it was something I’d have to order at RPM. This decadent chocolate cake did not disappoint whatsoever, and it was totally worth the wait.

The cutest cotton candy setup for Carlton’s birthday surprise.

Portillo's Hot Dogs

Portillo’s Hot Dog is a relaxed spot, that serves up Chicago classics, like the city’s iconic hot dog. This place is very popular with the locals, and gets crowded super quickly. Also, we loved how casual this spot was, it was set up cafeteria-style, and once you place your order you’re able to grab any table you want in the restaurant. This place is casual, fun, and a great way to try some of Chicago’s popular dishes.

Nutella Cafe

Who isn’t in love with Nutella? This chocolate hazelnut spread is one of my favorite treats. The Nutella Cafe has a marvelous storefront right in the heart of Michigan Avenue. Visiting this spot was super easy for us, as it was right across from our hotel. The cafe gets very crowded during peak hours, but we arrived shortly after they opened for breakfast, and were able to get our order in very fast. We were given excellent recommendations by the staff and enjoyed some delicious treats during our visit.

Pound Cake “Panzanella” with fresh Berries

Nando's

Nando’s is a chain, but it was the first time G and I tried this spot. Also, it was super convenient, as this spot was also right by our hotel, and it was the first spot we tried when we arrived in the Windy City. I was actually super surprised at how delicious this place was, but I should have known this place was a hit with so many people flocking to the restaurant! Nando’s has excellent options on their menu and with such a wide variety. Now that I know there are some locations close to home I’ll be visiting them again for sure.

Getting ready to try the PERi-PERi Wings for the first time.

Giordano's

Giordano’s was so so good and absolutely worth the 45 minute wait it took for our deep dish pizza to get to our table. This restaurant rivaled another popular deep dish pizza restaurant - Lou Malnati’s. The only difference between the two places is: Giordano’s uses a traditional dough based crust, while Lou Malnati’s uses a cornmeal base mixture. If you visit Chicago you’ll see both of these places everywhere, but Giordano’s was my absolute number one pick. The best advice when getting a deep dish is to arrive early to the restaurant. There was a wait for patrons to be seated by the time we wrapped up our meal, and there was no empty seat in the place! G and I went to Giordano’s around 11AM, as it takes 45 minutes to 1 hour for your deep dish pizza to bake. Also, we skipped on ordering any appetizers so we could really enjoy our dish! We opted to order a small deep dish to share, which yields 6 slices, and was more than enough for the two of us. Also, our experience was so nice. The staff was super kind and really did their best to make our experience enjoyable.

Grabbing a slice of the delicious deep dish pizza - look at the ooey gooey mozzarella cheese!

XO, Analise

Uncorked: Chicago Edition

Analise Gregory November 5, 2019

“Too much of anything is bad. Too much Champagne is just right.” - Mark Twain

Our trip to Chicago during the last week of October was so much fun. The food was spectacular, but the cute wine bars and shops were just simply fantastic. Each person we met at each stop was just so helpful. They went above and beyond to make our experience really enjoyable.

I’m sharing my top three spots for wine and champagne in Chicago!

Pops for Champagne

Neighborhood: River North

Pops is legendary and has been open for more than 30 years. It is located in the River North neighborhood, and was a quick walk from our hotel at the St. Jane. One thing I love about Pops is that they focus on smaller production champagnes, which is really nice because you feel like you are getting something super special from this place. You are not able to pick up these champagnes in your local grocery store, which is what makes this place shine so much! Everything is super unique and new, so our experience was one of a kind. The service was fantastic, and our waitress recommended a wonderful selection for me to try. Also, they have wonderfully crafted cocktails, which G indulged in. This place is quaint, warm, and was the perfect way to wrap up our evening. If we ever visit Chicago again, we will definitely be making our way back to this spot, it was that wonderful.

What makes this place special?: Unique champagnes that you cannot find anywhere else.

Pops for Champagne in the River North neighborhood.

The Wine Bar at the Walnut Room

Neighborhood: The Loop

The legendary Walnut Room was the first restaurant ever opened in a department store. This place holds a special place in my heart, as the Walnut Room was a spot I’ve visited with my family in the past. I was so happy to share this experience with G and take him to a place I love. The restaurant and wine bar are located in Macy’s, which was formally known as Marshall Fields. This spot is tucked away in the theatre district, and the interior of this place is gorgeous with wood paneling all around. During our visit, the staff and interior decorators were actually transforming the restaurant to their breathtaking holiday theme. It was so cool to watch them flip the space and prepare for the upcoming Christmas season. The staff was so kind, attentive, and immediately sat us at their wine bar. They have a great variety of cocktails, champagnes, and even their own curated reserve wines.

What makes this place special?: It’s the first restaurant ever opened in a department store.

The Walnut Room’s reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

Eataly

Neighborhood: The Magnificent Mile

Eataly came highly recommended by a coworker, and I was super happy to visit this market. What’s so cool about this spot is that you can enjoy Italian cuisine in the store. There are a few restaurants, various stands that sell coffee, pastries, chocolate, and so much more. Also, there is a lovely little wine bar on the second floor as well. Their wine selection is expansive, and there was so much to choose from! The wine options totally brought me back to my trip to Rome earlier this year, and I was so excited to pick a bottle to enjoy. Instead of enjoying the wine and food at the market, we opted to select a bottle of red to take back to the hotel. Also, I was super impressed with the price points for their wine at Eataly. The wine prices ranged from $15 all the way upwards of $75. The food that was being served looked so delicious, and if G and I weren’t so full from lunch earlier in the day we would have definitely stayed for a bite to eat. We will definitely return back to this spot in a future visit to Chicago.

What makes this place special?: There are 23 unique eateries, 6 private event spaces, a cooking school, and a market.

An amazing selection of fabulous Italian wine.

XO, Analise

The Battle of the Chicago Donuts: Stan's Donuts & Coffee vs. Firecakes

Analise Gregory October 31, 2019

“With a doughnut in each hand, anything is possible.” - Jameela Jamil

Before our wonderful trip to Chicago, one of the most suggested places G and I should visit were donut shops! I’ve visited Chicago many times growing up, but most recently this city has been boosting up some amazing donut and coffee shops! So, we did our homework on a few spots before traveling to the Windy City.

Firecakes has been featured on the Food Network, and received rave reviews from Chicago natives. Also, right outside out hotel, Stan’s Donuts was a hot place amongst locals and tourists.

My husband and I did the hard work for you guys, and visited two of the most popular spots for coffee and donuts - Stan’s Donuts & Coffee and Firecakes.

Stan's Donuts & Coffee

Stan’s has the cutest little location on Michigan Avenue, which was right by our hotel. This California based donut shop made its way to Chicago, and has made a huge impact on this city. When we arrived into town, this was one of the first places we popped into, and the line was so long - needless to say that Stan's was very popular. The service was quick, and they had an amazing variety of donuts! It was hard choosing just one donut, but G and I finally made some amazing selections. The donuts were a really good size, and were definitely filling, but most of all super delicious. Also, their coffee was amazing, my husband grabbed a cappuccino and was super impressed with it.

The most colorful and cutest donut and coffee shop.

The cutest little pink bag filled with goodies.

Enjoying the cinnamon sugar donut from Stan’s.

Firecakes

This quaint little shop is tucked away on W Hubbard Street, and away from all of the hustle and bustle. The shop is cozy and filled with some of the most unique donuts. Firecakes uses amazing ingredients in their baked goods, and you can taste the quality. The staff was super sweet, and patiently helped any customer that came in. This experience was much different than the popular Stan’s shop, and we were able to leisurely pick out donuts and chat with the staff. Also, there was no seating in this location, but a cute gazebo and patio was set up right outside the entryway for you to enjoy your baked goods.

All of the amazing selections for the day.

My favorite pick, as well as G’s was Stan’s Donuts & Coffee. G preferred the coffee and donut combination much more at Stan’s. I loved Stan’s because their selection was much more vast than Firecakes. While I enjoyed both during my visit to Chicago, Stan’s won in my book!

Also, another popular donut spot in Chicago is Do-Rite Donuts. We did pass by a Do-Rite’s in Chicago, and honestly were not super impressed with them, which was a bummer.

If you are heading to Chicago anytime soon definitely give these sweet spots a try!

XO, Analise