THE MALBECKONING…read more SixtyFour Wine Bar is a winning concept in downtown Naperville. Much like what Tapville Social does for beer, SixtyFour follows the concept of guests having the freedom to pour their own drinks. This place is on Water St in Naperville, near Vasili's and Blue Sushi Sake. Street parking isn't plentiful so the garage is your best bet, especially in the evening. You can build your own charcuterie, but use caution: everything is a la carte and without much effort that cute cheese platter can swell upwards of $40. This happened to us on our 1st visit, I thought "yeah sure, add a $4 honeycomb and seasonal jams, why not" to go with the $9 prosciutto, $7 manchego, and $5 cornichons. More recently, I got the restaurant week pre-fixe ($49) which included a starter, entrée, dessert, and glass of champagne. Each course separately would've added up to $55 (not counting the bubbly), so this option saved a few bucks. Both my wife and I got a pour-your-own wine card, that set us back about $20pp. The wifey got a mix of a dozen west coast & east coast oysters ($36) that came with cocktail sauce and a zippy pomegranate mignonette. The goat cheese bruschetta ($13) was incredible: goat cheese spread on several large pieces of grilled sourdough with roasted tomato and balsamic. We loved this and would get it again in a heartbeat. 5/5 The dates ($13) were a different story, however, as they came with cranberry goat cheese, orange honey, and crushed walnuts. I've been so used to savory dates (wrapped in bacon with a tomato sauce) that this much sweeter iteration caught me off guard. They weren't objectively bad, I just wouldn't order them again. 3/5 For my main course, I chose the short rib ($31) as I've done several times now: tender beef with mashed potatoes, braised carrots, crispy onions, and a red wine jus. This is a delicious entrée that I find myself steering towards every time I'm here, as it pairs perfectly with a Malbec or red blend. 5/5 The gnocchi ($33) were fairly pricey which I attribute to big chunks of lobster in a white sauce. But what SixtyFour did felt like a "bastardization" of gnocchi (my wife's words, not mine) by turning it into a homemade mac 'n' cheese of sorts, cooking it in a mini cast iron skillet topped with toasted breadcrumbs. Say what?! "Breadcrumbs" and "gnocchi" should never be used in the same sentence, unless it's "hey honey I did that grocery shopping, and I got beer, eggs, wine, gnocchi, ice cream, laundry detergent, kitty litter, AAA batteries and a box of breadcrumbs". It tasted fine, but there was absolutely no need to innovate here. 1.5/5 We reached a split decision on the dirty chai crème brûlée ($11). My wife thought it was different but lovely, whereas I found it strayed too far from vanilla custard and the flavor was overpowering, as if I just snorted tea leaves. It was REALLY strong, y'all! 3/5 Bread = 3.5 Circuses = 4.5 Our server Melissa was attentive and let us know about the wine tasting inside near the hostess' stand. We had a couple small pours (1-2oz) which equated to a free half glass, no complaints there. Restrooms were clean and the outside patio has a relaxing ambiance. The vibes are classy, romantic even. * TL;DR * It's fun sampling bold reds, sweet whites, and even rosé in 1oz, 3oz, and 6oz pours. I pity the fool who grabs a glass, sticks it underneath the first tap they see up front and presses 'POUR' without realizing they just selected a 2014 Chateau Haut-Brion ...... which retails for $500 a bottle! A half glass is nearly $75! I'll stick with a $7 Shiraz, thanks. As for the food, it's been mostly great with only a few exceptions. The gnocchi was whack, and the chai crème brûlée was polarizing. Due to the presence of delicate wine glasses literally everywhere, I would keep kids away from here. Leave the little ones at home and come here for date night. SixtyFour lists themselves as a wine bar first and kitchen second, which I agree with. If what you're seeking is a kitchen *and* wine bar, hit up a Coopers Hawk. Both places have solid wine selections, but being able to enjoy wine on-demand is a big plus. I'd happily recommend SixtyFour to friends and family.

My cousin and I chose Sixty Four for our birthday celebration lunch. We sat outside along the river…read moresince it was a beautiful day. Chris was our server and provided great service and went above and beyond. My cousin and I decided to share the grilled oysters and the charcuterie. Chris noted my reservation said no nuts and seeds and he said that the charcuterie came with seeded lavish. He went through the lavish and only chose the ones without the seeds. Now that's service! The grilled oysters were amazing! Only four came on the plate and I wanted to eat all of them and not share. I will definitely get those again - and all to myself. The charcuterie was your typical charcuterie. You can choose your own cheeses and meats on the board which is nice. The only disappointing thing is no complimentary dessert for our birthdays. Lots of restaurants do that, but I guess not at this one. Get those grilled oysters, you won't be sorry.

This is a good place…read more Attended a corporate private party this evening but the location was also open to the public during the event which was a bit odd for those not attending the party, but wasn't an issue for those of us in the large group. It's down a long flight of stairs and pretty hidden on the block. Enjoyed some wine flights with co-workers and would recommend for those who are looking for a local wine vibe.

Such a fun experience! It's not ordinary!!! The experience is different from any other…read more.. I've been there twice. I'd go more, if I could. It's so chill. The bar tender, both times, very knowledgeable and friendly. I've done the wine tasting and the whiskey. They both knew what to suggest, after explaining my preference. I was able to sample so much more than I could anywhere else. It's such a treat!

Altavida is a new addition to the downtown Naperville area as they have only been open for 3 weeks…read more It has taken over The Craftsman building which offers three floors. Altavida's concepts for the three levels are Publico, Rumba, and Altura. Publico (1st Flr)- A South American fusion of food and drinks that will be rotating. The cocktails will be more tequila and mezcal based and food will be subtly rotated based on trends happening in South America. The food menu currently offers tapas, empanadas, ceviche, guacamoles, larger format meat/seafood entrees, and more. They will have a front of our bar as well as a back bar that will specialize in more coffees/coffee cocktails. Rumba (2nd Flr)- The entertainment floor! There is a separate bar on this floor that will specialize in more Rum based cocktails. Additionally, they will have a wine bar area with wines in tap. Lastly, they will have an open area for live music as well as dancing. Their hope is to have a mix of jazz, club music, salsa dancing options available. Altura (3rd Flr)- This floor is still under construction but will have a rooftop patio. The hope is that this space will be an event space both for public and private events. Back to my experience! My partner and I stopped in for a cocktail and to see what Altavida was about. Our first bartender was very nice but was still getting used to the drink recipes and was leaning on their cheat sheets. While we waited, another bartender kindly told us all about the restaurant and its focus on hospitality. Unfortunately, each bartender had a slightly different explanation of the restaurant's goal concepts which was confusing. We ended up ordering the El Toro and Vaquero (both mezcal drinks). Both were VERY spirit forward to the point that it may have needed better balance. Both drinks had a nice presentation with garnishes, color, and a skull feature at the bottom of the glass. Lastly, we saw many people walk up and look confused as there was no formal host stand. They didn't know if they should seat themselves or wait for someone. Overall, there still seems to be some kinks needing to be worked out as well as some conceptual editing. I feel they are trying to achieve too much and it ends up being confusing for staff and guests. I hope with time, Altavida is extremely successful in the Naperville area and I hope to circle back after some time passes.

This place is a wonderful addition to DT Naperville! I was able to get a last minute dinner…read morereservation on a Friday night. I arrived at 6:30 and there were plenty of people already in the restaurant, but I was seated promptly. My server Richard came over to greet me right away. He went over the menu options and gave great recommendations. We put our order in pretty quickly because we've been to tapas restaurants before. I loved the modern decor and lively music being played. The place is truly colorful and has a very energetic vibe. The service was excellent. Everyone was extremely kind and happy to help. Edwin, the general manager was so friendly and accommodating by making sure that everything was to our liking. He is a gem. My husband and I ordered a few different tapas to share. We started with the empanadas and they were truly 10/10, highly recommend! We had the beef and chicken with the chimichurri sauce. We also tried the papas bravas and those were delicious as well. They are spicy and have a nice kick. The portion is pretty big and shareable. Last, we had chicken en mole. Omg, so good! They knocked it out of the park with this one. The presentation is very pleasing and the flavor is 10/10! I'm a hot sauce girly and even carry it in my bag just in case. The sauce they had in the dish was so good that I didn't even think about adding hot sauce! The rice and chicken along with the sauce is chef's kiss. I also tried the Brussels sprouts but they were my least favorite of everything. They should go back to the drawing board on that one. The drinks we had were solid. My husband had an espresso martini and dragonfruit margarita, while I had a mango margarita. All were good. Needless to say, I had an amazing evening at Altavida! The dancing on the second floor was also very fun and entertaining. I will definitely be a regular here!

We came here to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We had an early-ish reservation at 5:30pm in the…read moremiddle of the week so it was on the quieter side, which we absolutely loved. Service was great! Everyone was friendly and prompt and wanted to make sure we had a great meal. This is what we ordered: * Nonna's Meatballs * Pear & Fennel Salad (walnuts on the side) * Focaccia di Recco (requested with prosciutto & arugula) * Linguine alle vongole I also ordered an Almafi Spritz (zero proof) which was wonderful and bright a slice of Italy to Chicago's suburbia. The food was fresh and delicious. I recalled a Davanti location in Chicago but never had the chance to check it out, so this was my first time and it was great! The atmosphere is chic and the food was excellent, but not in a flashy, overdone, complicated way, just real good, made in house, hearty Italian fare. The Focaccia Di Recco was AMAZING. Yes, all caps. We packed up half of it to take home and it was still great the next day (reheated and then toasted in our mini counter oven/fryer). If you order just one thing here, let it be this focaccia dish. I understand why it's popular and I blurted out loud several times while eating this in restaurant: "on my god" it was truly divine. As my husband said, "this food might be better than what we had in Italy..." and I don't disagree. The kitchen does not do split portions for pasta but they were able to bring out 2 plates for us to split ourselves. This is a great spot for date night, a ladies night out, or a solo wine & dine at the bar. I can't believe I didn't come sooner. Plus, it's located right next to a parking garage which made our night out really convenient! We can't wait to come back! Five shining stars.

Always perfect pasta, fabulous service, and a great location. Julia was our server and was so…read moregracious and funny. She also treated us with a Lemonchello shot for my birthday.

Held Rehearsal dinner there recently and was perfect! Well…read moreworth the stop not just for dinner as well.

When was the last time you had homemade pasta at a restaurant? Honestly, I don't even want to eat…read moreItalian anywhere else after coming to Vai's. Unless it's in Italy. Walked in with starving teenage boys on a Sunday after noon. The place was packed. Ordered a Margarita pizza with 6 slices for an app. We have high expectations of this one and we were all so busy eating it and looking up. Wondering is this really this amazing. Hell yes, it was. The sauce, the crust. The amount of sauce. Etc. all hit it just right. Second app was a plate of fresh cut fries. Once again this place does not cut corners. Perfectly fried with a crunch and sea salt on top. That was a busy plate getting gobbled up before our entrees showed up. For my entree, I got the mushroom parpadelle with shrimp. I had no clue until I started to eat it that it was homemade pasta. In my head I kept thinking there is no way this is not made in house. I asked the waiter and yes indeed he said they are making pasta all day long. With the amount of people in this restaurant. I can only imagine how busy that kitchen is creating this soft and fresh beautiful pasta. If you have ever made pasta. You know how much time and work it is. Sorry, back to my dish: the shrimp we cooked to a perfection. Quality high, the mushrooms were fresh and I could not wait to find more. If you want Italian. Skip the chains. You will not get this quality and love like this place.

We had dinner there last night and enjoyed it but a few things might lead us to go elsewhere for…read morepizza/wine. Enjoyed our wine and our food. We tried two different wines we had not had before and while good - the 9 oz pours were a little pricy - given that a bottle in the store cost less than a single glass. They both paired well with our starter shrimp dish - which was nice and grilled. My husband thought it was a tad too salty - but I didn't notice the extra salt. We shared the Pizza Pollo pizza - definitely enough to share between two people. I enjoyed it more than my husband - more so b/c I liked the toppings more. But both agreeed that the crust was nicely done. As I write this review and look at my bill - I do see a 3% hospitality fee added on - which I find unpleasant and didn't notice last night.

I'd do a 3.5 if I could. The online ordering doesn't work. And the Margarita pizza is listed under…read moretheir "red" side for pizza, but there was no sauce, only olive oil, cheese and tomato, and not even the fresh mozzarella that the picture shows, so essentially a cheese pizza with no sauce. The crust is good though.

933 Speakeasy is located inside Embers in Downtown Lockport. I loved that getting to the bar was…read moretruly an "in the know" experience. It just so happens that I visited the night of a holiday bar crawl in lockport so the inside wasn't set up how it normally would be. For being packed, we were still able to grab a cocktail table to enjoy our drinks at. The bar was decked out in holiday decor to get everyone in christmas spirits. My group got two rounds of drinks which included the Toasted Pecan Old Fashioned, Figgy Smalls, Christmas in a Cup, Happiness is a Warm Puppy, Milk & Cookies, and Maple Bacon Old Fashioned. My favorites by far were the Toasted Pecan Old Fashioned and Figgy Smalls. My group also loved the Milk & Cookies. The bartenders hustled to get drinks out and still took time to smoke the old fashioneds to perfection. I'd love to come back on a normal night and re-enjoy this lockport hotspot.

Ever since I learned that there was a speakeasy in Lockport i've always wanted to check it out but…read moreI didn't want to go there by myself so I finally convinced my wife to visit the Speakeasy with me. We figured it would have been the perfect way to top off our evening. For first-timers it might be hard trying to find the speakeasy since at first I thought you had to access it from the Busy Street and walk up three flights of stairs. Actually you just walk inside of the Embers building, find the elevator that's kind of hidden and take it to the Third floor. I thought that the little trip up felt exclusive already. Once you're at the third floor you are treated to a beautiful array of scenery. Exit to your left and you were treated to the bar and some great tables with a cozy, intimate setting. I'm not sure if it was open seating since there was a little podium right off the elevator so we just sat ourselves. Some speakeasies require a certain dress code to keep up with the times. This one thankfully was casual though many people dressed business casual. We actually loved how the staff dressed as well. I have to try their Japanese sex drink and I absolutely loved every ship that I took. The drinks are fairly price. They did have a food menu but it was mainly snacks and small plates that were a bit overpriced. If we're having a large Gathering they have a big private room next door. This place does have a lot of great events going on as well with their upcoming Valentine's Day event that looks really interesting. It does get pretty busy as well after 7:00 p.m. from our experience. Overall, I was excited and enjoyed our visit coming to the 933 speakeasy!

Love this place. Great spot to stop for a couple of cocktails. Have a diverse array of things on…read morethe specialty drink menu, and serve some small plates as well. Has turned into a semi-regular stop when we're out and about

I've been to The Alchemist multiple times because my boyfriend loves it, even though I've always…read morethought it was just alright. We usually sit inside, but I wanted to sit on their patio. We came about an hour before their kitchen closed. For some reason the service was just bad this time. Our waitress took a long time to come and check on us, forgot to bring us our drinks, forgot to bring our food to us (the waiter serving the table next to us brought it... he was doing a great job and kinda wish we had him instead lol), and took forever to come pick up our check. Just overall felt like we were questioning where she was the entire time. We got the focaccia bread with side of vodka sauce, togarashi fries, tenderloin skewers, and oysters (forgot to get a photo). The food was good and the cocktails were refreshing. My favorite was the focaccia with the vodka sauce. The fries were also crispy and flavorful.

I, my wife and mother in-law came here for dinner after leaving the city for my nephew's graduation…read morethe next day. We were actually running a bit behind, so my wife called and informed the front desk, and they made accommodations for us. We ordered the Over The Border Egg Rolls as a starter. They were nice and crispy, full of flavor and tasty. They were however, right on the cusp of being salty. We all felt that way, which kind of sucked, but mind you, we all don't really eat a lot of salt, so how palates are a bit different from others. They were still good though. For dinner, I had the Tim's Favorite Chicken Giardiniera and my wife had Gnocchi Butternut Squash and my mother in-law had the Pistachio Crusted Grouper. My wish was pretty freakin good. I had to stop myself from eating the whole thing. The chicken was pretty thin and crisp but not dry at all! The giardiniera add the right amount of heat, spice and brightness to the dish. The cheese played well in the background and the mash potatoes were nice and smooth. I wish they had a bit more wasabi flavor though. My wife and mother-in's food was also pretty good. I think we all took home left-overs! A- -Gone.......

Cooper's Hawk is a great chain that offers a consistent experience at their locations. They're open…read morefor both lunch and dinner and offer a variety of food options. They also have a wine tasting counter that often fills up in the evening time with guests wanting to taste their expansive collection of wines. They have multiple dining rooms to accommodate any party size and even have private spaces to host events in. I visited for lunch where options were endless. They offer their main menu as well as some lunch specific options that are smaller in portion for a better price. My group started with the Crispy Brussel Sprouts which were absolutely delicious. The brussel sprouts were crispy and paired with a fresh mint sauce and light space sauce; neither were overwhelming. For entrees, most got the Gnocchi with Roasted Butternut Squash while I got the Gnocchi Alla Vodka. I loved mine for being a classic dish with creamy sauce, crumbled sausage, and pillowy gnocchi. The other dish was perfect for a spring day as it was lighter in flavor, vegetable forward, and less heavy. I was a little bummed that our table never got the complimentary pretzel bun that seemed like every other table got. Our server was very sweet and kept on top of refilling our waters. She made some food suggestions but most items were off the regular menu and not the lunch menu. Pricing overall was a bit expensive even for lunch but portions were large. Overall, this was a great spot to enjoy the company of my coworkers and enjoy some good bites.

Walking into Marche feels like stumbling into a charming little French market you almost don't want…read moreto tell people about because selfishly... you want it to stay your secret. I had the pimento dip, the 3 cheese breadsticks, and the baguette with fig spread and honestly considered canceling the rest of my day and just living there. Everything tasted fresh, thoughtful, and ridiculously good. The bread was perfect, the cheeses were rich and flavorful, and the fig spread with the baguette deserved its own fan club. The drinks absolutely held their own too. The Summer Spritz was crisp and refreshing, while the sangria came in with a polite smile and then quietly reminded me to respect it because wow, it was strong and delicious. Beyond the food and drinks, the whole place has this warm, beautiful French market vibe that feels cozy, elevated, and welcoming all at once. Great atmosphere, amazing flavors, and the kind of spot that makes you start planning your next visit before you've even paid the bill. Highly recommend.

I love Marche we come here all the time whenever we're craving high-quality cheese. I love the…read moreFrench fromagerie vibe. They have so many different cheese options and new ones every time we come here. Don't be afraid to ask for samples if you're unsure! They'll gladly cut you a tiny piece to try. We love to buy the cheese to take and create our own charcuterie board at home, but we've also gotten theirs at the store to eat. You can pick 4 cheeses or meat for $20. They also sell everything else you might need to create a charcuterie board, like wine, jams, chocolate, bread, and crackers. I still need to try one of their sandwiches.