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Category: Chicago

Indienne Restaurant – Gorgeous Elevated Indian Cuisine

Indienne Restaurant – Gorgeous Elevated Indian Cuisine

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

Girl and the Goat Restaurant, Still Popular, Still Average

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

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

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

Le Tour, Evanston, Illinois, A Lovely French Bistro

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

Top Five Chicago Restaurants

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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High Tea at The Allis, Chicago

High Tea at The Allis, Chicago

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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Bar Mar, Chicago, A Shiny Happy Restaurant In The Loop

Bar Mar, Chicago, A Shiny Happy Restaurant In The Loop

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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Ode To Moody Tongue Brewery

Ode To Moody Tongue Brewery

Moody Tongue Brewery is the only two-star Michelin brewery in the world, and it’s right here on the South Side of Chicago! Typically, I take my husband Brian out to a steak house for his birthday, but this year, I thought I’d switch it up and take him here. He loves beer, and his “Untappd” app entries grow every week. Well, he was super excited to add 10 new beers to his app, and I was excited to add another…

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Avec Restaurant: A Favorite West Loop Stalwart

Avec Restaurant: A Favorite West Loop Stalwart

Gosh, I can’t even count the number of times I’ve enjoyed Avec in the West Loop neighborhood of Chicago. It’s cozy, casual, fun, loud, and always delicious with a super interesting and diverse wine list. When people ask me where to eat in Chicago, Avec always makes it towards the top of my list, and now that they’ve been featured in the FX series, “The Bear,” they are more popular than ever. I visited most recently with a friend on…

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The Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, USA, Overview and Tips

The Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, USA, Overview and Tips

The Shedd Aquarium has been a favorite for young families in Chicago for a long time. With the addition of the Oceanarium about 20 years ago or so, there is a lot to do here, and you can easily spend an entire day at the Shedd with your family. I highly recommend getting here at open, especially on the weekends, because this museum gets super busy, and because it’s geared more towards kids, you’ll have a lot of strollers to…

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