I Got LUXy!

When the Gibsons Restaurant Group opened LUXBAR in 2005 in Chicago, they wanted it to be a place with great food and also visual appeal.  And they were able to create just that. To give you an example, the restaurant boasts a bar that was designed and built in Vienna

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'Holt' Your Horses!

Highlight of this week was a little excursion to Park Ridge for a menu tasting at a restaurant named, Holt’s. Located in the heart of downtown, this year-old sidewalk café seems like the perfect, summer hot spot for its city residents.  My guest and I went on a Wednesday and the bustling scene could have fooled you for a Friday night

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Halibut...HaliGOOD!

I’m still speechless from the magical menu tasting I had at The Florentine this week. And possibly still full from all the food I ate while I was there

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Good Things Come To Those Who Wait!

Last week’s tasting at Naoki was an all around discovery for me.  Not just of a Lincoln Park hidden gem, but also an unveiling of the true genius of Lettuce Entertain You’s long time sushi chef, Naoki Nakashima

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Magiamo!

Even as a food blogger, Italian food for me has always been synonymous with pizza and pasta. Unlike a recent trip to Greece, which changed my perception and understanding of authentic Greek cuisine, I haven’t had the pleasure of visiting Italy yet.  So when my good friend, Chef and Owner Bruno Abate invited me in to his restaurant Tocco to taste the “real deal” as he put it, I was indeed excited.  Tocco is a stylish Italian restaurant nestled in the heart of Wicker Park, with a chic dining room, a lavish lounge and an extensive bar

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Living Life Like A King!

You know what’s impressive? A place that can keep me indoors on a Saturday night, on a beautiful summer evening. And that place is Kings Bowl in Lincoln Park’s New City. There is absolutely nothing lacking in this 24,000 square foot entertainment complex, featuring 16 ten-pin bowling lanes, a social gaming area, an upscale lounge and a restaurant. The Lincoln Park spot is their eighth venue nationwide. Why am I just discovering this place

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Ocean To Table!

Last week, I got to do something very cool. I was invited to a Seafood Themed Community Dinner organized by Paul Sippil.  The dinner was a part of the farm-to-table themed club Sippil started last year, in an effort to connect people through responsibly sourced meals

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I'm Turning Japanese....I Really Think So!

My first tasting this month was at a restaurant I’ve heard a lot about and been wanting to visit for a long time. Who wouldn’t be curious about an authentic, latin-inspired, Japanese eatery featuring both tacos and sushi! Along with their PR Manager, I finally ventured to put my curiosity to rest

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What's All The OctoFuss About?

I finally made it to Sink|Swim, the first restaurant offering by the Scofflaw Group, that celebrated its first birthday earlier this month. Sink | Swim is a seafood driven eatery with a fun nautical décor, headed by Executive Chef Matt Danko, who’s carved out a well thought out menu offering coastal eats, predominantly in a small plates format. The restaurant aims to provide you with a solid, pescetarian dining experience, although there are many items on the menu that are non-seafood related. With that, the restaurant also offers a carefully crafted beverage program comprising of cocktails such as the Santa Cruz Hurricane, which I tried.  A delicious blend of Letherbee Gin, Lucky Falernum, Peychaud’s Bitters, passionfruit, lime and East India Sherry. Having just returned from a vacation in Portugal and being on a port wine kick, I was ecstatic to have its close substitute (sherry) included in my drink

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Who Needs Meat When You Have Fishcuterie!

Last week I went with a friend to Kinmont for a menu tasting. A restaurant named after a salmon fly-fishing lure named Kinmont Willie, which was used by a group of 19th century environmentalists who partook in ethical fishing practices, Kinmont is one of the most sustainable seafood restaurants we have here in Chicago. Owned and conceptualized by the Element Collective group, the objective was to offer traditional concepts using modern approaches evident in the food I ate there. The décor although plain seems to work with the restaurant’s overall ethos, which is about the basics and not the glitz. Overall the atmosphere is warm and cozy and seemed and I welcomed it after a long week

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