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Category: Restaurants

Juveniles Wine Bar: Lively Paris Spot for Wine and Exceptional Local French Ingredients

Juveniles Wine Bar: Lively Paris Spot for Wine and Exceptional Local French Ingredients

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On our recent trip to Paris in November of 2024, my focus was not only to see a bunch of art (success!) but also to eat some incredible food and drink incredible wines. In Paris, you don’t need to eat at Michelin starred restaurants to eat well, and Juveniles Wine Bar supplied our favorite meal that wasn’t Michelin rated. Juveniles Wine Bar is located about a 5-10 minute walk just north of The Louvre, and is a tiny little spot…

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A Review of Afternoon Tea at Roast: A Meat-Heavy Twist on a London Tradition

A Review of Afternoon Tea at Roast: A Meat-Heavy Twist on a London Tradition

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When you’re planning a trip to London, and you are tasked with choosing where to go for just ONE afternoon tea during your trip, the options are completely overwhelming. There are traditional teas like at Fortnum and Mason (one of my favorite shopping stops in the city!) or Claridge’s, and there are ultra-modern teas like at the Rosewood London, as well as hundreds of other tiny spots to grab a cuppa all over the city. My choice was primarily ruled…

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Retrobottega Restaurant, Rome: A Hidden Gem for an Unforgettable Dining Experience

Retrobottega Restaurant, Rome: A Hidden Gem for an Unforgettable Dining Experience

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Boy, I was really worried that we wouldn’t be hip enough to dine at Retrobottega in Rome. It’s dark and moody, there are communal tables, the staff is young and perky, and the front of house is jammed full of local Roman 20-somethings hanging out drinking delicious wines and snacking. Luckily, we weren’t the only ones here over the age of 40, and the lovely staff were welcoming, friendly, and attentive. I really should never worry while eating out in…

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RPM Italian: Deeply Disappointing Dinner in Chicago

RPM Italian: Deeply Disappointing Dinner in Chicago

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We recently dined at RPM Italian, excited to try their restaurant week menu. However, when we arrived and realized that the price for restaurant week ($60) was not worth it for the food options offered, we decided to eschew restaurant week for their normal menu. Unfortunately, the food here was extremely disappointing, and they really need to work on describing the food better on their menu, not only here but at RPM Steak as well. It was so bad, that…

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Esme Chicago Review: Culinary Brilliance That Deserves A More Inviting Setting

Esme Chicago Review: Culinary Brilliance That Deserves A More Inviting Setting

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It’s restaurant week (more like month!) here in Chicago, and I always try to check out a few new spots each year, since the menu is usually such a great deal. Often, there are a handful of Michelin-starred restaurants offering a shortened tasting menu. Last year we checked out Boka, which I thought was really excellent, but had a somewhat uninspired restaurant week menu, making me want to go back and check out their normal prix fixe fare. This year,…

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Ritz Carlton, Chicago Festive Tea: A Luxe Tea At A Reasonable Price

Ritz Carlton, Chicago Festive Tea: A Luxe Tea At A Reasonable Price

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I’ve done a few reviews of high tea around Chicago and around the world on the blog, as it’s a great way to spend an afternoon while traveling and enjoying local culture. Additionally, my cousins, my mom, and I go to tea in Chicago during the holidays as a tradition that has been going for over 20 years. This year, we decided to try out the Festive Tea at the Ritz Carlton in Chicago in mid-December for a lovely holiday…

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Top 5 Restaurants for 2024: World Edition

Top 5 Restaurants for 2024: World Edition

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2024 was the year of big, big cities. We tackled three of the world’s biggest cities and one of the major goals in each place was to eat really incredible, hyper-local food. I think we succeeded in our quest this year, and it was tough to narrow down the top five best restaurants of the year. While the Chicago list had very few Michelin stars attached to it, our world list has a total of nine stars. I loved each…

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Top 5 Restaurants for 2024: Chicago Edition

Top 5 Restaurants for 2024: Chicago Edition

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This year, since we’ve eaten so much amazing food, I’ve decided to do two Top Five Restaurant lists – one for Chicago, and one for around the world. This year, the Top Five list for Chicago is going to be really steak heavy, but it’s all leading up to my Top Five Chicago Steakhouses list, which I hope to publish sometime in 2025. We ate really well here in Chicago this year, and I’m looking forward to another year of…

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Celebrating at RPM Steak Chicago: A Modern, High-Energy Steakhouse In Chicago

Celebrating at RPM Steak Chicago: A Modern, High-Energy Steakhouse In Chicago

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Our annual outing for Brian’s birthday usually brings us to a steakhouse in Chicago, and with seemingly zillions to choose from, there’s always something different to try. Also, I’m really trying to hone and curate my top five Chicago steakhouse list before publishing, so they are top of mind right now. We visited RPM Steak in Chicago on November 30, 2024, and were pleased with a lot of the nice, celebratory touches they added to our meal to make it…

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Le Jules Verne: Literally Elevated Dining at the Eiffel Tower

Le Jules Verne: Literally Elevated Dining at the Eiffel Tower

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Did you know that there’s a two-star Michelin restaurant in the Eiffel Tower? Typically, such a huge tourist location (one might even say tourist trap!) will only offer the most basic, mass-produced food to cater to the gobs of tourists moving through. But, here in Paris, you can find one of the city’s most elegant dining rooms occupying the second floor of the Eiffel Tower. Le Jules Verne is a very special place, and we ate here on our last…

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