Tastes of Chicago
I am so full. This was me every night after returning to my Airbnb. Though I averaged walking 7.5 miles each day, those burned calories were absorbed by delicious pizza and sweets. I enjoyed cafes, rooftops, and fine dining restaurants. There wasn’t an eatery that I did not enjoy, well, the ones I tried in Chinatown were not my favorite but I had to at least try them out.
My absolute favorites were Goddess and the Baker and Girl and the Goat.
Aba - This was a fine dining restaurant west of downtown Chicago. It was absolutely beautiful. The dining area was indoor/outdoor on the rooftop of a hotel. The vibe of the entire place was upscale Mediterranean style, with indoor trees, string lights, and gold chandeliers. I was served like a king. I was seated in the corner of the restaurant at a personal table and seated in a giant leather king chair. It was the perfect spot to people-watch and look over the entire floor
The menu was, what I would call, Owen-approved and reminded me of a place I would recommend to Allison Thomas. This meaning, I would have ordered every item on the menu. Of course, I selected every drink from the Mocktail menu and tried some of the specialty food items. I ordered whipped feta with pita bread as a first course and for my entree, I ordered green falafel and a spicy tahini sauce. I was already full of these items, but when I glanced over at the dessert offerings, I couldn’t resist the creme brulee pie with a strawberry rhubarb sauce. Oh, how I wish there was a location just like this near home.
Overall - 10/10
The Crepe Shop - This place was pretty cool. I got here right when it opened (I saw her flip over the “OPEN” sign on the front glass door). This was a pretty good breakfast spot, with a good crepe and iced latte, BUT it’s a screen-free cafe (My first time visiting one of these). I planned on eating and maybe checking an email or two on my laptop but was asked to sit outside at the picnic table area if I wanted to stay around. I got up and left.
Overall - 7/10
The Hero Coffee Shop - This unique and tucked-away cafe was right in downtown Chicago and had a pretty good Iced Matcha Latte. You could tell this was a local spot. (Picture in my Project Gallery)
Overall - 7/10
Amorino - A gelato shop, right on Michigan Ave. I was hot and tired from walking, and I really wanted a sweet treat. I also knew I wanted to get dinner soon, so I opted for a small size cup of Blueberry Cheesecake Gelato. Don’t get me wrong, it was pretty tasty BUT IT WAS $11.
Despite the price, I rate this an Overall - 7/10
Giordano’s - In Chicago, there are BIZILLIAN pizza restaurants that each have their arguments and claim fame for the best Pizza Pie. But after some research, this is a pizza hub that is one of the most popular choices for Deep Dish Style Pizza. Being solo, I ordered a personal-sized Deep Dish Pizza. It was great! The crust kinda reminded me of the flavor of Pizza Villa from home. But, I also feel like I didn’t get the full experience because I had to get a personal size, I still would argue it was pretty good.
Overall - 7/10
Sawada Coffee - Another local spot. I got a “Military Latte,” which is a matcha latte with a shot of espresso as well. It was really good and the atmosphere here was very lowkey. It was a happening spot, they even had a water station for guests to utilize while they waited in line.
Overall - 7/10
Cindy’s Rooftop Bar - I discovered this hidden gem while just browsing on Apple Maps. This is the rooftop of a hotel. The floor itself was indoors but surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows and overhead skylights. I ordered a crab and shrimp roll, which was not a typical mayo-based or warm roll that I had previously eaten. This mixture was marinated and had cucumbers and really hot peppers. It was great and I would return back just for the view and to try other available options.
Overall - 9/10
Cabra - Before coming to Chicago, I had only had Peruvian food one time. When learning about this spot online, I saw that it had a rooftop area and lounge that overlooks the skyline. Being solo, again, I found myself sitting at the bar. It was still a great view and the food was amazing. The atmosphere was similar to Cindys, in which the entire dining room was enclosed with floor-to-ceiling windows and skylights that allowed the space to not use overhead lights but to rely on the lights cast by the city. I ordered an avocado dip, which was served with homemade sweet potato chips, and as an entree, I got a quinoa and tuna bowl with veggies and crushed pistachios.
Overall - 8/10
Swadesi - This was an Indian-style cafe. They served a variety of pastries that incorporated both American and Indian-style cuisines. I had a brown sugar and honey iced latte and avocado toast. Though, avocado toast is not considered “Indian,” this was topped with different types of spices and was really good.
Overall - 8/10
Goddess and the Baker - After a hefty breakfast, I just wanted something small as a “Pick me up.” This cafe had a variety of sweets and a kitchen menu with other options to choose from. They had 15 different specialty lattes to try, and it was incredibly difficult to choose just one. I got an iced wildflower honey latte and a key lime pie slice. It was incredible. This was my favorite cafe/coffee shop of my entire trip.
Overall - 9/10
Girl and the Goat - After a recommendation and looking up the menu online, I knew this was a spot I wanted to try. It was very upscale; the dining room created atmosphere created a dramatic night scene, this is what I wanted in Chicago. I got here early, and they still didn’t have a table for one, so I wiggled my way over to the bar. First, I want to shout out the bartender. He was very enthusiastic about the menu, telling the history of the restaurant and providing his recommendations.
I ordered the brioche and pimento cheese appetizer, which was bread and homemade pimento cheese and pickle relish. As an entree, I ordered the salmon poke. This was a layered dish with an avocado spread on the bottom, pickled salmon with tomatoes, and strawberries topped with some sort of sweet glaze. (THIS WAS AMAZING). For dessert, there were heavy options, so I chose the Bourbon Peach Pie. When I told the bartender this was what I wanted, he then replied “Oh you’re in for a unique treat.” This was a deconstructed pie, with a layer of peach jam on the bottom, a custard filling, graham pieces with a ritz cracked gelato and caramel sauce. It oddly worked.
I wish I could return with a larger group to order other things on the menu (Goat empanadas and short ribs, for sure).
Overall - 10/10
Tous les Jours - A French-inspired Chinese bakery. This place was so cool! I had some sort of green tea and strawberry cake and a mango and strawberry refresher. They had a variety of pastries and cakes with vibes of France with a Chinese influence.
Overall - 8/10
“The Ramen Place” | Chinese Fare Restaurant - Because I don’t know how to read Chinese, the name of this restaurant I will call “The Ramen Place.” I got some sort of fried shrimp ramen bowl. It was pretty tasty and HEAVY. But, it did not taste well in my mouth the rest of the day.
Overall - 5/10
Big Shoulders Coffee Shop - I googled “Coffee shops near north side Chicago,” and this was the first on the list. Here, I ordered a marshmallow Iced latte and they literally torched a marshmallow on a stick and served it atop of the latte. It was tasty and the shop itself was really tiny and hard to navigate around other customers at 9 am.
Overall - 7/10
Kong Fu Boba - I am not a boba person, but everyone else in Chinatown was holding these drinks and I really wanted to try one. I got a regular chai tea without the boba and it wasn’t very good. I will always just prefer the Chai Tea lattes from Starbucks.
