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Category: Chicago

After Chicago Delivers Luxe Bar Dining and Some of the City’s Best Cocktails

After Chicago Delivers Luxe Bar Dining and Some of the City’s Best Cocktails

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Following last year’s somewhat disappointing foray into Chicago’s annual Restaurant Week, I was ready to eschew Restaurant Week forever. That sentiment was only strengthened after viewing the offerings for 2026, from over FIVE HUNDRED participating restaurants. Honestly, I’m not sure how pizza places have gotten in on this multi-course prix fixe deal, but I was overwhelmed and ready to just say, “not this year.” However, After really caught my eye – mainly because I have been absolutely loving eating at…

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Top Five Restaurants for 2025 – Chicago Edition

Top Five Restaurants for 2025 – Chicago Edition

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As always, eating at restaurants in one of the greatest food cities in the world, is simply a privilege and a blessing that I do not take for granted. Standards for food and service in this city are high, and it often feels like any place you go is vying for relevance and trying extra hard to impress. There are plenty of places that fall short, and they don’t last long, but this year’s list includes some relative newcomers that…

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Inside the St. Regis Chicago: Modern Luxury, Acclaimed Dining, and Elegant Design

Inside the St. Regis Chicago: Modern Luxury, Acclaimed Dining, and Elegant Design

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We are from Chicago, and so there is a real lack of Chicago hotel reviews on my website, although I am hoping to change that, and add some more staycations to my regularly scheduled travel program. We stayed at the St. Regis, Chicago, though, in late November as a special little staycation for my husband’s birthday, and also because I needed one more night at a Marriott hotel to reach the next status tier. We only stayed here for one…

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St. Regis Chicago Spa Review: Inside the City’s Newest Luxe Wellness Escape

St. Regis Chicago Spa Review: Inside the City’s Newest Luxe Wellness Escape

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We’re lucky to live in Chicago with so many luxe hotels in the city. Each has their own high-end spa set-up and I’ve been slowly checking them all out over the years. One of these days I’ll put together a list of my most recommended spas and the plusses and minuses for each one, but for now, this article is going to tell you everything you want to know about the St. Regis Spa in Chicago! I booked a massage…

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Tre Dita Chicago Review: The St. Regis’ Luxe Italian Hotspot for Exceptional Handmade Pasta

Tre Dita Chicago Review: The St. Regis’ Luxe Italian Hotspot for Exceptional Handmade Pasta

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I am so thrilled to report that Chicago is back on the map as far as absolutely superb Italian-inspired restaurants go. After several disappointing meals at very popular spots like Il Carciofo and RPM Italian, I was starting to worry I’d never find good Italian food in the city again. Then, I had dinner at Daisies, which was a revelation, and I reviewed it here, and hope for amazing pasta in Chicago returned. Finally, most recently on Thanksgiving weekend, we…

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Daisies Chicago Review: The Italian-Inspired Hotspot that Actually Lives Up to the Hype

Daisies Chicago Review: The Italian-Inspired Hotspot that Actually Lives Up to the Hype

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Daisies restaurant in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood has been nabbing all sorts of accolades lately, and I was excited to check it out with my two cousins on a recent outing in October, 2025. I’ve been pretty disappointed with a lot of the more recent, Italian-inspired restaurant openings in Chicago, such as the over-hyped Il Carciofo, and I was really hoping for something special that I could recommend to my lovely readers. Luckily, Daisies totally delivered, and we were all…

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Asador Bastian’s Bar: Chicago’s Best Kept Secret

Asador Bastian’s Bar: Chicago’s Best Kept Secret

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There have been about a thousand articles about Chicago’s most unique steakhouse, Asador Bastian, a steakhouse that has even made it’s way onto the World’s 101 best steak restaurant list (currently the highest rated steak restaurant in Chicago at number 13). Even I published my glowing review of our incredible dinner there just last year. What people don’t know, however, is that you can come here, even without a reservation, on most nights. Because of its popularity, Asador Bastian’s dining…

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A Different Kind of Fine Dining: The Loyalist, Chicago, Delivers Michelin Quality Without the Michelin Price Tag

A Different Kind of Fine Dining: The Loyalist, Chicago, Delivers Michelin Quality Without the Michelin Price Tag

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In between all of this luxury travel, I’ve been trying to save some money at home, and one of the best ways I’ve found to do that and STILL be able to enjoy Michelin-level extraordinary food, is check out the bars and companion restaurants to the real deal. This is a review of The Loyalist, which is three-star Michelin Smyth’s baby basement bar brother. Definitely click here for my ode to Smyth, which was easily one of the best meals…

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Behind The Doors Of EL Ideas: Chicago’s Secret Dining Gem For Inventive, Unforgettable Cuisine

Behind The Doors Of EL Ideas: Chicago’s Secret Dining Gem For Inventive, Unforgettable Cuisine

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EL Ideas is the kind of place that you dream about when you book a special, Michelin-starred dinner. It’s located in a hidden, one-way street in the middle of the Douglas Park neighborhood of Chicago, which is mainly industrial; there is only room to seat about 20 people; it’s BYOB, so you won’t be paying marked up prices for booze (and allows the chef to really focus on the food); Chef Foss is there every day, hosting his intimate dinner…

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Chicago’s Hottest New Bar? Charis Listening Bar Delivers Funky Beats, Friendly Vibes, and Stellar Cocktails

Chicago’s Hottest New Bar? Charis Listening Bar Delivers Funky Beats, Friendly Vibes, and Stellar Cocktails

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I was so excited to hear that a new, hip, craft cocktail-forward joint was opening in Bridgeport, Chicago, that I had to round up a few friends and check out Charis Listening Bar (pronounced Care-iss) as soon as it was possible to find a free night. After our first evening here, when we shut down the place (at midnight), we went back the next weekend, just to shut it down again. The Bridgeport local owner, Alex Jandernoa, warmly recognized us…

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