ChiLuxe Travel

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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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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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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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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My Mom started a tradition eons ago that we go have tea someplace festive around Christmastime. We would go with my great-aunt, who has since passed away and my cousins. When my Mom moved out to California, I continued the tradition with my cousins, and we’ve had tea pretty much everywhere in Chicago you can have tea by now. I definitely should do a top five list of teas in Chicago! Now that my Mom is back, we’re a foursome…

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I recently came to Bar Mar to have lunch with a friend in early December, 2023. Bar Mar is part of a complex of two restaurants by Jose Andres in the Loop area of Chicago, specializing in seafood. The space is bright and open, with lots of glass, giving it an open-air feeling, even though you’re inside. The furnishings are modern and funky, and I love the light fixtures as well. For lunch, Bar Mar offers a tasting menu of…

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