This place had a line that went out of the door during the multiple times I've crossed the…read moreMagnificent Mile bridge in Chicago. Made last minute reservations for brunch next day after the infamous architecture tour. It was quiet as we've put in an early morning. All the more better to savor all intricate dishes from start to finish. Like the name, The Purple Pig, their specialty is pork dishes so majority of our orders were this. Daily special of the bone marrow bacon jam toast - glazed, slippery off the bone, savory and sweet. Always love a good bone marrow dish to get the sweetness off it. This was so good that there were bits of the marrow and jam left stuck to the bone, I took a piece of the toast and scooped the bone dry. Nothing left for anyone to attack this. Non pork dishes were the Mushroom 3 ways and Spanish octopus. Mushroom dish was savory with all the coated sauces elevating this. Spanish octopus was kicked lightly and easily can bite in to enjoy the tender and charred portions. But the award went to my main course - the braised pork shoulder with saffron, apricots and Swiss chard. Aside from the rippable pork meat when dining on it, the sauces fused together on this dish elevated it and had everyone coming back for more. I needed an official Chicago culinary experience and found it at The Purple Pig without a doubt.

A thousand percent YES Worth the wait…read more Worth the cost. Service, ambience and food delicious. Can't wait to come back and try more Whatever wine I had was SO good and so bad I can't remember the name because I want to go back to order it again

We love Arbella!! Atmosphere inside was great, really large space! We sat at the bar, the…read morebartenders were super friendly and attentive easy to talk to and order from. LOVE the $6 cocktail of the day happy hour (M-F 4-6pm) . Our cocktail of the day was a watermelon lemon drop which was delicious!! Will be coming back next time in Chicago! My local friends new favorite staple bar.

(Kari's Rating 8.75/10)…read more Came with a friend late on a Friday night after dinner time We were able to be seated almost immediately at a nice little private Cove table. We ordered a flight of whiskey sours, which contained whiskeys from Japan, Vietnam, and Wisconsin. I also was able to order an amaretto sour, which they made with freshly hand beaten egg whites, which was a nice cherry on the top. As far as the whiskey flights go, I think the best one was the Vietnam flight because it had a slightly lemongrass twang and was a little bit lighter than the other two. The heaviest one was the Wisconsin which came with a little bit of a bite at the end, but it still wasn't bad if you're trying to blackout on a $15 budget. I would definitely come back with a larger group this seems like a great place, but is a little bit loud- so if you be prepared to yell or wear earplugs. The bathroom took my a second to find, which should have been intuitive considering it was on the opposite end of where you come in. I blame the lighting as things are already pretty hard to find in the dark, but eventually I made it there-Pat myself on the back.

Stylish Fulton Market Brunch with Great Food and Service…read more Booked brunch for two on OpenTable at Aba in Fulton Market, and it's easy to see why this spot is so popular. The space is beautiful--open, bright, full of natural light, and stylish without feeling overdone. We ordered the Short Rib Shakshuka, which was flavorful with just a hint of spice and a generous portion size. The warm, soft pita served alongside was perfect for dipping. The Steak and Eggs was also excellent--the steak and eggs were cooked perfectly, and the fried potatoes were a standout: crispy on the outside while still moist and tender inside. Portion sizes were just right. We also tried both of the recommended brunch cocktails, and they were strong, flavorful, and well balanced. Service from Mike was great--friendly, efficient, and attentive throughout the meal. Overall, Aba delivered a polished and enjoyable brunch experience. Highly recommend, and based on what we tasted, I'd absolutely come back to try dinner.

It was our first time dining here, stopping in on a Saturday for lunch. We managed to snag seats at…read morethe bar, but if you plan to visit, I'd definitely recommend reserving a table. We ordered the grilled chicken kebab along with the tuna and watermelon. The chicken was moist and well-cooked, but the tuna and watermelon dish was disappointing. There was no watermelon at all, and the seasoning was overwhelmingly salty. The cucumber and mint spritz was refreshing, but the bartender was new and not very attentive. Overall, the experience fell short of expectations.

If you like beer, you should be able to find one you like here. There are plenty to choose from…read moreand the descriptions are accurate. My beverage/beer order was the Night Moth Oak-Conditioned Hazy IPA | 7.2% | 12oz/8 - 5oz/4. I recommend this if you are a fan of Hazy IPA's. My food order was the Beer braised, short rib with roasted root vegetables, polenta, swiss chard, and sweety drops. Tender and tasty short ribs. I will be craving the sweety drops for sure. Bar seating, regular tables and high top tables available here.

Wish I could give a 3.5 stars. I applaud the true creativity. But every order was a mixed bag…read more Fried chicken sandwich - 3.5/5. Pickles are the star. Cut through heaviness. Magical first few bites. But chicken gets boring. Crispy Brussels sprouts - 3.5/5. Solid fry level. Cheesy bites are delicious. But quickly bland. Raisins is an unexpected addition but unsuccessful in my view. Kids grilled cheese - 4/5. Tasty and simple, though my kid wasn't willing to try. Duck and dumpling - 3.5/5. I can see how this is someone's favorite dish. Lovely rich broth. Crispy skin. But there was a heaviness that didn't totally work for me, especially with the bigger duck chunks. Definitely better fresh than leftover. Chocolate beer cake - 3.5/5. Slightly dense cake. Nice frosting. Beer aroma and flavor definitely comes through. Hazelnuts a nice crunch. Fun and glad to have tried, but not reaching for the next bite.

Love this place especially during the summer. Nothing like walking around outside in the heat and…read morecoming in here and getting a nice sangria. Also really good for happy hour! Staff is attentive. The place is small and a little crowded so keep that in mind when planning your visit.

Lil Ba Ba Reeba was such a good time! I've heard about this spot forever, so I was really happy to…read morefinally try it, and it definitely lived up to the hype. We sat outside, which was really nice, so we didn't really get to experience the atmosphere inside. Service was super helpful and attentive. We got the garlic shrimp, roasted dates wrapped in bacon, patatas bravas, and the lamb brocheta. The roasted dates wrapped in bacon were sooo good. Sweet, salty, and warm. Just one of those bites that makes you immediately want another. Those were delicious. The lamb brocheta was probably my favorite. Super juicy, super flavorful, and just really satisfying. That's definitely the dish I'd go back for. The patatas bravas were good too, though I do think they could've used a little more salt. The garlic shrimp weren't my favorite, but they came with this amazing oil that was really good for dipping bread in. I love tapas so I'm really glad I came here, and I'd definitely come back to try more of the menu!

We've been in Chicago for three days and, until now, hadn't found a restaurant we could honestly…read moresay was truly delicious. Café Ba-Ba-Reeba finally changed that. The patatas bravas were flavorful. The garlic shrimp was cooked perfectly. The fried calamari was the only dish that missed the mark for us, as it was a bit too greasy. The highlight of the meal was the seafood paella. Both the shrimp and scallops were cooked perfectly, but what really impressed us was the rice. Paella can be difficult to get right, and the rice had excellent texture and flavor, making the dish a pleasure to eat. We ended with the butterscotch custard which was perfect and the almond caramel bar. After several disappointing dining experiences during our short trip to Chicago, Café Ba-Ba-Reeba finally delivered a meal that left us satisfied. The service was great. She was attentive and efficient. We'd gladly come back.

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is a famous tapas restaurant in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. Is it the…read morebest tapas I've ever had? No, but it's pretty damn good and doesn't disappoint. Highlights included the deviled eggs, bacon-wrapped dates, and tuna tartare. All very good! The layout itself goes very deep and is decorated very fun, plus it's in a great neighborhood with lots to do. For sure recommend stopping by here.

Recently, my husband and I celebrated the anniversary of the day we met. We don't always mark the…read moreoccasion, but this year it was a milestone worth celebrating. We chose to dine at Girl & the Goat in Chicago, a restaurant we had never visited before. The acclaimed restaurant by renowned chef Stephanie Izard truly lived up to its stellar reputation! One of the first things we appreciated was the convenience of the restaurant's valet parking, located right by the front patio. At $22 for up to four hours and $26 for four to eight hours, the rates were quite reasonable for the area. As soon as the three of us stepped inside Girl & the Goat (we had made a reservation for 6:30 pm on a Friday), we were warmly greeted by one of the two friendly hostesses, and were promptly led to a comfortable four-top table with a banquette and two chairs along the wall. We felt fortunate to have one of the better tables in the dining room, as some of the others were positioned very close together. The nearby two-top tables, in particular, were quite small and placed only a short distance from ours. The restaurant's rustic-industrial décor was dark but trendy and stylish, the lively and vibrant vibe was warm and welcoming. However, I have to mention that it was really loud in the dining room, as guests seemed to be enjoying themselves and talked loudly.  It was hard to hear our server and the staff who delivered and explained the dishes to us.  Our server, Yazmin, was extremely friendly and attentive.  It was very sweet of her to wish us a happy anniversary both in the beginning  and at the end of the meal.  She also checked in on us several times during the evening.  Now, on to the food and drinks. I started with a glass of the NA Sparkling Rosé ($17), which was light, crisp, and quite refreshing. My husband ordered a glass of Le Colture Prosecco ($18), while our daughter chose the Sun Kid ($18). She enjoyed her drink, although she felt the portion was a bit small, as the glass was filled with a lot of ice that took up much of the space. Since the restaurant offers small to medium plates which are shareable, Yazmin advised us to get 5 to 6 dishes for 3 people to share.  We decided to get 5 savory dishes and 3 desserts to share: Savory dishes: - Chickpea Fritters ($20), goat yogurt, green chutney, sev spice crunch, pickled rhubarb. - Pan Roasted Halibut ($37), miso-Marcona almond butter, spring onion blueberry nuoc cham. - Roasted Pig Face ($28), sunny side egg, tamarind, cilantro, red wine-maple, potato stix. - Goat Empanadas ($24), smoked tomato-corn salsa, roasted poblano crema queso fresco. - Confit Goat Belly ($38), strawberry goat braise, smoked yogurt drizzle, pickled strawberries. Desserts: - Vacation, Please! ($16), toasted coconut crunch, lemon passion fruit sorbet, rum-soaked pineapple cake. - Berry Yummy Par-tea ($16), earl grey soaked sponge cake, yuzu curd, spiced blackberries. - Chocolate Basil Brownie Bash ($16), olive oil semifreddo, chocolate fennel crunch, basil granita. The meal was just phenomenal!  All the savory dishes were cooked perfectly with bold flavors; the meats were tender and full of flavors.  There were dishes that we normally would not have ordered if we saw them on menus of other restaurants.  Here, we tried them and were delighted that we did!  Our consensus is that Roasted Pig Face is our most favorite! It is everything we love in a comfort dish -- crispy on the outside, meltingly tender inside, and packed with rich, balanced flavor.  We will definitely order this again!  The Confit Goat Belly is a close second, with buttery, fall-apart meat and just the right balance of richness, acidity, and crunch. For dessert, "Vacation, Please!" is the one that we will always come back for. The toasted coconut crunch adds texture, the lemon passion fruit sorbet brings a refreshing tang, and the rum-soaked pineapple cake ties it all together with just the right amount of sweetness.  The other two desserts that we ordered were also very good.  The staff even brought out a scoop of Chocolate Ice Cream on the house, with two lit candles to celebrate our anniversary - a thoughtful touch that made the evening even more memorable.  This dessert spread was the perfect ending to an incredible meal. I'd like to mention that the restaurant added a 4% surcharge to the bill, which the customer may request to have the surcharge remove if you choose.  We let them keep it. We spent about two hours at the restaurant. The savory dishes came out very quickly, the pace probably was even a tad too fast, but the desserts made up for it by taking a longer time.  We did not mind as we were still full, and had time to enjoy the ambiance more.  I would say it is a restaurant great for group gathering and celebratory functions, but not so much for intimate romantic date night.  All in all, it was a wonderful dinner, we look forward to returning again.

I was there the other week (I've been here at least five times before), and a busser--not our…read morewaiter--started clearing both of our plates before we were finished eating. We each only had a couple of bites left, but it definitely gave off an "okay, you're done now" vibe. Then he went to take the green beans (arguably the cult classic on the menu), and we still had more than half of them left. I had to stop him and say, "Yeah, we're not done with those. We paid for them. Can you put them in a to-go box instead?" For context, it was about 20 minutes before closing, but we ordered with plenty of time and were already eating with a "get in, eat, and get out" mindset. I've just never had someone at a restaurant start clearing plates while we were still actively eating--without asking, "Are you finished?" "Can I clear this?" or "Would you like a to-go box?" It was just... "You're done, these are leaving now." We were there for less than 45 minutes, left about 15 minutes before closing, and spent over $200 (not including the tip). With so many options in Chicago, I don't see myself coming back here.

This was so much fun! It's been on my list forever, and I'm glad we got a group to go. I did my…read moreresearch and wanted to check out the performance bar beforehand - PSA you do not need a ticket for this and can go enjoy drinks and tricks any time! This was so cool but intimate and small so not much space and fills up quickly. The speakeasy door is also so cool though a line will likely form outside right before shows so be prepared for that. The show itself was so impressive, as were the magicians that came up to your table to do tricks beforehand. Drinks were also great. The vip performance after the show was also nice and intimate. Everything was great and so much fun!

This place is so great, from the chic old timey but upscale speak easy aesthetic, to the staff that…read moreall feel like they're out of a bogart, Cagney, etc movie. Nice drinks that are classic, lots of little touches from the secret doors, down to the swirl colored straws that add to the rich texture and depth of the experience. What a gem.