Chicago – ChiLuxe Travel

Rediscovering Old Favorites At Francois Frankie: Chicago’s Carousel Bar & Brasserie

October 30, 2024 Aukse Comments 0 Comment

Did you know there is a French-American Brasserie with an actual working carousel bar in the middle of Chicago’s Loop Theater District? Well, now you do! I’ve enjoyed Francois Frankie a few times in the summer/fall of 2024, and I’m here to give it a resounding recommendation for drinks and dining in Chicago! Francois Frankie opened in Chicago in 2019, but has garnered more attention this year, when Matt Ayala became the Executive Chef. Bringing back his signature “Cochon Volant…

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An Evening At Bavette’s Bar & Boeuf: Chicago’s Premier Steakhouse

October 23, 2024 Aukse Comments 0 Comment

This is a review of Bavette’s Steakhouse in Chicago. If you are looking for Bavette’s in Las Vegas, you can check out that review here! It had been a while since we checked out Bavette’s in Chicago, probably before COVID, but I was really looking for a nice date night after weeks on end of constant school stuff: games, races, concerts, practices, you name it! Bavette’s is a tough reservation to get in Chicago – they only open up 21…

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Unforgettable Dining at Asador Bastian: A Spanish Steakhouse Gem in Chicago

September 4, 2024 Aukse Comments 0 Comment

My husband scored a reservation (they book only 30 days out) for my birthday this August, 2024, to the very hyped, very hot, and very exclusive Asador Bastian, one of Chicago’s most highly-praised restaurants of the last year. We adore Spanish food, and we also love steak, and our recent experience at Bazaar Meat (another incredible Spanish Steakhouse in Chicago) made for some very high expectations. Truly, this was one of the best meals I’ve had this year. The place…

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A Love Letter to Jose Andres from Chicago

April 24, 2024 Aukse Comments 1 comment

Dear Jose (can I call you Jose?): Thank you so much for opening such brilliant restaurants in our fair city. Bazaar Meat and Bar Mar are delightfully fresh, and a much needed addition to not only pre-theater and pre-opera dining, but to the loop neighborhood in general. A while ago, I wrote a short little article singing the praises of Bar Mar after a nice three course lunch I enjoyed there. Since then, I’ve been back to Bar Mar for…

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The Ramova Grill – Feels Like Home

February 20, 2024 Aukse Comments 0 Comment

We’ve been living in Bridgeport, Chicago, for almost nine years, not a long time according to Bridgeport standards. This neighborhood in Chicago has a ton of history, and for me, as a Lithuanian-American, is an important place for my own personal, ethnic, and family history, which are some of the reasons I decided to move here. Since we’ve been living here, and long before that, the Ramova Theater, and its adjacent Grill, have been empty, vacant, and an eyesore on…

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Indienne Restaurant – Gorgeous Elevated Indian Cuisine

February 13, 2024 Aukse Comments 0 Comment

Indienne is one of Chicago’s newest one-star Michelin Restaurants, and they focus on vegetarian and vegan preparations, although they have a non-vegetarian tasting as well. We came here on a Thursday evening in February, and we tried all three tasting menus on offer here, since we came with one of our vegan friends. I opted for vegetarian, and Brian got the non-vegetarian. The space is beautiful with soft hues of pink, taupe and gray. Everything is modern, clean, and fresh,…

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Girl and the Goat Restaurant, Still Popular, Still Average

February 6, 2024 Aukse Comments 0 Comment

The Girl and the Goat has been one of the most popular restaurants in Chicago for almost 15 years, and I had always thought it was pretty average, and not super impressive, so I hadn’t been in a very, very long time. I thought I’d give this restaurant that continues its extreme popularity another shot during restaurant week, and I still think this place is pretty mid for the hype. The food and service are not bad, though nothing super…

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Boka Restaurant, Chicago, A Masterclass in Michelin-Starred Dining

January 30, 2024 Aukse Comments 0 Comment

Restaurant week 2024 is wrapping up here in Chicago and we were lucky enough to score a table at Boka for dinner. Boka offers a prix fixe four course menu during restaurant week for $59, and offered wine pairings for an additional $40 per person. This is a great value for Michelin-starred dining in Chicago! Boka just celebrated its 20 year anniversary last year, has maintained their one-Michelin-star status since 2011, and there are obvious reasons why they’ve been around…

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Le Tour, Evanston, Illinois, A Lovely French Bistro

January 23, 2024 Aukse Comments 0 Comment

My cousin Irene lives in Evanston, which is the first suburb just north of Chicago, so we find ourselves here for some holidays and hanging out relatively often. Most recently, on a frigid Saturday in January, we came to Le Tour for a delicious french meal. The service here was attentive, and they were very focused on making sure we were comfortable and well taken care of. I absolutely despise bistro chairs, so they brought me a different chair which…

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Top Five Chicago Restaurants

January 18, 2024 Aukse Comments 1 comment

Well, Restaurant Week Chicago is here, starting tomorrow, and we will be checking out a few places next week and I’ll be posting updates right here on ChiLuxe Travel! But for now, a lot of folks ask me where the best places to eat in Chicago are, or where to go if you are here only for a night or two. This list is mainly geared more towards tourists in order to get the best taste of what Chicago has…

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