With my wedding nearly 100 days away, I figured it was only appropriate to dedicate this post to Wedding Season. And it wouldn’t be Wedding Season without a bunch of traditions I don’t fully understand. So here’s my food translation of the long-standing "something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue."
Something old
Tarantino’s (Lincoln Park) – An evening of looking at hundreds of wedding invitations left my mom and me too hungry to decide on anything. We wandered across the street (after PaperSource finally, mercifully closed) and found ourselves at Tarantino’s, a casual Italian restaurant. While my salmon entrée was very good, there are four other reasons I would return to Tarantino’s: 1) They brought warm bread and olive oil right away. 2) The waitress knew a lot about the menu and wine list. 3) We ordered entrees that came out at the same time. A small wonder in the current world of small plates. 4) There isn’t a single TV in the entire place. A refreshing concept from a restaurant that’s been around for 18 years
Something new
Howells & Hood (Magnificent Mile) – If you work at a large firm, I bet your holiday party will be here. H&H is an instant hit with plenty of room to accommodate large groups in the winter and a patio with retractable windows for you, and an even larger entourage, this summer. With more craft beer than anywhere else in Chicago and 114 different brands, it seems outrageous not to order one while people watching from the patio.
Something borrowed
Kanela Breakfast Club (Old Town) – Okay, so you’ve seen it all before, red velvet for breakfast (Bongo room), funky juices for mimosas (Meli Café), farm to table brunch (Lula’s). Kanela may not be original, but who doesn’t love dessert for breakfast, creative drinks and local produce? That’s why the wait is long but totally worth it.
Something blue
I don’t know about “something blue” so we’re going with something local…Local Root (Streeterville) is a new restaurant serving sophisticated fare while staying true to its mission of using local farms, seasonal ingredients and sustainable practices. The wine list is also interesting with varietals from only California, Oregon and the Midwest. On a Tuesday night I was pleased to find these bottles of wine half price and a pleasant atmosphere for a laid back dinner after work. Friday evening was much busier with tourists in town for the weekend, families taking a break from the Magnificent Mile, and students out for drinks and small plates.
More reasons your bridesmaid dresses, tuxes and wedding gowns will need to be let out this season…
Carriage House (Wicker Park) – The homemade biscuit with honey butter is huge and delicious. Don’t bother pretending like you won’t eat the whole thing. The menu is small but interesting. I ordered the smoked grouper but had serious order envy when I saw the Pullman French Toast.
Dear Bub City (River North), Why are you so fun? And how do you get soooo many calories into your food? After the giddy up fries, Texas torpedoes and fried pickles, I was thankful to see a salad on the menu. But don’t worry – no matter how unhealthy griddled barbecue bacon is, this place is fun and country fans are going to keep coming back for more.
Prasino (Wicker Park) – Wait a minute, a restaurant that’s packed for brunch and popular at dinner too? Very few places master the art of all-day cool. There were so many great entrée choices it was hard to choose. Luckily, our waitress was very knowledgeable and steered us toward the flatbreads to start and the fish and pasta specials for entrées. We couldn’t have been happier.
Glazed and Infused (Multiple Locations) Help! I need more excuses to eat these donuts! Sometimes I wish I hadn’t eaten them because now I can’t stop scheming ways to go back. Even the plain ones are amazing. Consider yourself warned.
Rachel Repke is the North America Client Development Manager for Baker & McKenzie. Rachel would like to thank the LMA Midwest Chapter for giving her a more legitimate platform for sharing her thoughts on restaurants and event venues, rather than the highly unofficial “Foodie Update” she sends to a few people in her office.