A Mother's Day Feast! A spectacular display of food that was fresh and platter pleasing. A LIVE…read moreJazz band was playing (not pictured) only during this special day. The wait staff was helpful, the decor was unique and fun. Inside the EMC hotel, this gem was a nice getaway from the usual. Reservations were required and main courses of either Lamb Chops, Salmon, or Prime Rib was the perfect dishes to any meal.

So I took myself to a place that was on my "must go to" list. Called The Albert. Menu online is…read morewell designed and great looking food. Advertises as $100+ pricing so I'm like ok this is gonna be a nice dinner. What you don't see unless you're looking closely - It's in a medium end Marriott - not mad at that but it's not a stand alone restaurant. The menu looked absolutely nothing like they show on the restaurant website. It was cheap looking. Same food options as website. The ambiance was well designed but - hotel restaurant vibes. Ordered the tuna crudo. Nothing to write home about. The mussels - I'm maybe gonna wake up with food poisoning tomorrow. The bucatini pesto pasta looked like regurgitated peas baby food and overcooked pasta. I sent it back kindly. And the chicken thighs were cooked. Like, that's all I can say. So I paid, still hungry. Cause the chicken thighs had basically no meat. Crudo is naturally so small and the mussels equally. Left and am now at Hampton Social eating a delicious lobster roll and tomato bisque. The highlight! The people sitting next to me asked me if o was a good critic! Haha - best compliment ever! But disappointment of a restaurant.

We had a half stab of ribs with garlic Parmesan tater tots, side salad with bleu cheese dressing…read moreand side of Mac and cheese and an Orange chicken Bowl. The food was really good. The ribs fell off the bone and were delicious. The tots were super good, just the right amount of garlic and cheese. The side salad was good, almost too much for the amount of dressing. The Mac and Cheese was really good, not based in an Alfredo sauce. I had a bite of the Wife's bowl of orange chicken. It was really good. It was Goldielocks, not to spicy not to sweet, just right. Oh and it was huge according to the better half. We ordered on Grubhub so I can't talk about the service and the way it looked inside. My hotel room was very quiet and comfortable.

I had some time to spare and decided to stop in for a drink. The bartenders were friendly and…read morewelcoming, and the bar itself has a decent amount of space. Unfortunately, the overall experience fell short. Getting into the bar requires walking down a very steep staircase, which seems like it could be a safety concern, especially during the winter. Once inside, there was a strong bleach odor that was hard to ignore. After being there for a bit, I also noticed fruit flies around the bar. I had planned on ordering food, but the smell and overall atmosphere changed my mind. The staff were great, but because of the cleanliness concerns and layout, I wouldn't return.

Z Bar is the lounge at the Peninsula. There's a terrace if the weather is nice or huge windows if…read moreit's not. Getting there was a bit complicated - you take elevators up/down depending on where you come in. I chose to sit at the bar, but there are nice loungy spots too. Expect well curated and well crafted cocktails, along with a nice menu of snacks. I Enjoyed some very nice champagne (Perrier Jouet) and mini samosas. The samosas were really nice and an absolutely huge portion. Yeah, it's expensive but it's the Peninsula and you're worth it.

A large group of us met up here one weeknight for after dinner cocktails... We sat outside and they…read moregave us a nice, corner spot which was private and tucked away. Our server was great! She kept an eye on us and even brought a blanket, as it was a little chilly out and I was wearing shorts that evening. The drinks were great too.. but the vibe is really what we enjoyed. Definitely worth stopping in for a visit!

Let me start by saying that the views were 5 star and the place has a cool vibe - although the…read morehouse music they were playing was a bit loud for the small number of people eating when I was up there. That said, this place just completely disappointed. The food was just not good. I had the burger sliders and for $9 a piece you expect them to be something special. They were not. Overcooked with a little sauce and two pickles slapped on the bun with a tiny little dab of fake cheese - it was like a bad and way more expensive version of McDonald's. The onion rings were the frozen crumbly kind not the fresh beer battered kind and so that's a big "no!" for me. The dipping sauce was okay. Service was friendly and I think the guy was new but it wasn't good enough for a place like that at the top of the building. There were two servers so I'm guessing one was training maybe. They didn't make it to my table to check to see if everything was okay while I was eating and it even took them a while to notice that I was done eating. It's was slow so I don't think they were stressing with too many tables. That kind of place should knock your socks off - but it was on the low end of mediocre. I wouldn't go there again for food. Maybe it's a decent place to go to the bar but since I don't drink I can't help much on that end.

Great food, drinks, and view. We came on a Sunday and ordered some drinks to start, as well as…read moreBrussels sprouts. There were a small portion but delicious. Not too crispy but still tasty. We also shared the half chicken and Ceasar salad with shrimp. There were only 3 pieces of shrimp for the extra money we spent; but otherwise the food was delicious. Definitely on the pricier side because of the rooftop and area.

This was my last stop on my trip to Chicago. The bartenders…read more(Julius and Shaq) were so nice, funny and HANDSOME. Just shut up and go. You'll have a great time.

Streeters tavern is your go to real English style pub. Wooden tables, tons of draft picks, dart…read moreboard, pool table, perfectly chosen not only hospital but beautiful bar tenders. If you ask me I hit the jack pot. Only problem I had was I couldn't stay longer....

My favorite bar in Chicago, by far one of the best kept secrets in the queer world...when you're a…read moreregular, it's like a gay Cheers. Decor is a mix of eclectic modern and 1975 Wisconsin basement bar and that's meant as high praise. You won't find a stronger cocktail in Chicago and the prices are reasonable. Super great place to visit if you're from out of town and staying in/near the Loop or Streeterville. Be willing to talk to the regulars and you'll be set up with great local recommendations for the rest of your trip. Best bartenders in town, too!

Second floor walk up dive bar. Small, dark, dirty, and tons of fun…read more This bar caters to the working man, so it's busier just after the close if the work day.

Was craving a burger and a beer and with such a cool name, how could I not check this place out! I…read moresat at the bar around 5pm and it wasn't very busy. They played good music and wasn't too loud. You could easily carry on a conversation or , like me, continue listening to a podcast. By the time I finished, the place was completely full and a bit noisy, but not bad. I started out with a 10oz Birds of Prey Pilsner. It was very nice. Light and crisp and very easy to drink. I followed that up with Melodious Maibock and ordered the CBG burger with fries. I didn't have lunch so I dove right in and forgot to snap a photo. It was a very good smash burger. It was cooked well and I really liked the combination of pickled onion and caramelized onion. I didn't see it until later but you can add bacon. As much as I loved this burger, bacon would totally take it up a notch! I started chatting with the bartender about their different beers and decided to have the Super Melodious Jalapeño Maibock with the burger. It's soooo different, but in a good way. It paired so well with the burger. You get green bell pepper on the nose and a hint of it on the palate. When you swallow you get a little heat at the back of the throat. It was so good! Great bar. Great food. Great beer. Go check them out!

Good, not great, beer…read more Good, not great, service. Awesome location! We only came for beer and sat at a table (bar was full). This place seems to be much better as a dinner spot. If you want to hang out at a brewery and drink amazing beer, I'd probably choose one of the other breweries in town.

The cocktail selection is nicely innovative as it is in many of the W XYZ bars. There's almost no…read morebeer here, though. A few cans but nothing on draft. I'm not sure if it is just COVID (although every other place I went to over the weekend was packed and reservation only) but this bar is huge and empty on a Friday night. It's really not clear where the bar area is supposed to be. The live entertainment was over by the door to the hotel. When you're ready to pay, it's a weird setup. You have to walk to the end of the bar because their PIN pad is down there and not wireless. It's nice to have the security of not handing your card over but still an unusual setup. Good for a hotel bar but wouldn't come here if I wasn't staying at the hotel.

Popped into this vibrant, colorful modern hotel bar conveniently located next to the Chez wedding…read morevenue. Cocktails are all cleverly themed to match the vibe of the place. There's a cozy gas fireplace and comfy seating in the lobby. Drinks are in the sweet side. Great spot to take a break from shopping just steps away from the hustle and bustle of the Mag Mile.

Order the Guinness first. Ours came out exactly the way a pint should, an unhurried pour, cool and…read morecreamy with a proper head on it, and that one glass told us the people behind this bar take the details seriously. Now the honest part, because I think it helps to know before you walk in. We came in hunting for an old Dublin snug, the dark wood and low ceiling and worn brass kind of place, and D4 is not that. To be fair to them, they never claimed to be. The room is modeled after a Dublin townhome, bright and open, traditional details sitting alongside modern ones, with two fireplaces and a garden patio out back. It is handsome and it is comfortable, and it also reads more American pub than Irish local. If you were hoping to feel like you ducked in off a rainy side street in Ballsbridge, set your expectations accordingly. The room was the one letdown of our night. The kitchen made up the ground. The fish and chips are enormous, easily enough for two, beer battered Icelandic cod that arrived crisp and clean instead of heavy and slick, which is a lot harder to pull off than it looks. Add the shoestring fries with truffle aioli on the side. Worth knowing, and it earns them some credit on the authenticity question: this is a neighborhood-owned place that has been on Ohio Street since 2007, and co-owner Brendan McNeill is actually from Ballsbridge, right inside the Dublin 4 postcode the name comes from. Four stars. If you want atmosphere that feels imported from Ireland, keep looking. If you want a perfect pint of Guinness and a genuinely good plate of fish and chips in Streeterville, this will take good care of you.

Came here for a late night dinner with a large group from work…read more The waitress was nice enough to recommend local drinks. I ordered cosmo - which I wouldn't recommend. It is too strong... I cannot taste any sweetness from it... We ordered large portions of appetizers: cocktail shrimps, house chips and fruit salad. So when it came to the actual dinner, we were all full... I ended up with a chopped salad, which turned out to be good. (Not that it contains peanuts.)

Service is excellent, location is good, fun place. Stop in and check it out!…read more Great place for friends or couples.

Outstanding specials everyday of the week. Really got to thank our corporate overlords at Amazon…read more The pizza place right next door will have you a slice or 2 when you want something to soak up the booze. The bartenders are professional and cool.