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Ambria
Category:
Restaurants
2300 N Lincoln Park W Apt 312
Chicago, Illinois 60614
(773) 472-5959
When you walk into this intimate dining room, you will feel transported to a Viennese coffeehaus or a French cafe. It has that old world charm: waiters who know the menu and can recommend what you...
When you walk into this intimate dining room, you will feel transported to a Viennese coffeehaus or a French cafe. It has that old world charm: waiters who know the menu and can recommend what you will really like, a sommelier that will find just the right bottle of wine at your price point, and perfect table settings with heavy linens, fine china, and good silverware. I haven't found a restaurant in Chicago other than Ambria that makes me feel like I was in Europe. The food is amazing, although pricey. This is an evening-out kind of place. You won't feel rushed. You won't feel like the chef is trying to "make a statement" with your food. You'll feel princely, special, as if everyone was just waiting for you to come to dinner that night. I highly recommend this place to everyone who is looking for great food and a charming atmosphere that you just don't often find any longer, which is too bad indeed!
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I used to love Joy Yee's Noodle Shop (I have gone to both the one in Chinatown on the South Side and the one in Evanston on the North Side); I always wanted to go there when I was with friends and...
I used to love Joy Yee's Noodle Shop (I have gone to both the one in Chinatown on the South Side and the one in Evanston on the North Side); I always wanted to go there when I was with friends and we were looking for cheap but satisfying eats. I had been telling my sister about the place when she came to town. Well, I took her to the Joy Yee's in Evanston and while we are waiting for our meal to be delivered to the table, we notice huge cockroaches crawling all over the unoccupied table next to us. I was so disappointed. I always thought of the place as nice and clean (it has Scandinavian wood tables with modern decorations, an open kitchen). When I mentioned the bugs to our waiter, he just looked at the table, brushed one of the bugs to the floor (still alive) and walked away. Well, such is my appetite for Joy Yee's. I think the waiter's reaction was more disturbing than the bugs! Since that incident, I have not gone back. I am not naive about restaurants and bugs, but I think anyplace that has such a laissez faire attitude about them is no place I want to spend my dining dollars when there are so many other great restaurants out there.
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Alinea
Category:
Uncategorized
1723 N Halsted St
Chicago, Illinois 60614
(312) 482-8113
Although this restaurant may be completely booked on the weekend evening you are planning, and the prices are more than you would consider paying for your best winter coat, and you are not sure you...
Although this restaurant may be completely booked on the weekend evening you are planning, and the prices are more than you would consider paying for your best winter coat, and you are not sure you like new wave cuisine, GO to this great restaurant. You will not regret it and will probably be mentioning it to all your friends for weeks to come. Grant Achatz was long the chef for Trio (in Evanston), and he has gained national attention for his food, deservedly so. The critics were tripping over themselves this past year to review this new place of his, and they weren't disappointed. And you won't be either. Bring a fat wallet.
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Ok, you love to golf, but you live in the Midwest and frankly, the golfing season can be limited by those blustery winter winds. This is the solution for you. Although it can get crowded on the...
Ok, you love to golf, but you live in the Midwest and frankly, the golfing season can be limited by those blustery winter winds. This is the solution for you. Although it can get crowded on the weekend, and it's more expensive then too, you can work on your game at the preheated White Pines Golf Dome, which is open all winter long for those of us who are die-hard golf fanatics. Spend some time with a golf pro, work on your drives, chip into a green. As an added bonus, they are open until 11 pm so you can get some practice in after work. In addition to golf stations and target greens, there is simulator so you can practice your virtual golf stroke. This is a great place to keep in up your game when the weather doesn't want to cooperate!
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Don't know your Bordeaux from your Beaujolais? This is the place for you, and even better, this wine school will come to you. The Chicago Wine School offers courses from 1 day to 5 weeks, is...
Don't know your Bordeaux from your Beaujolais? This is the place for you, and even better, this wine school will come to you. The Chicago Wine School offers courses from 1 day to 5 weeks, is reasonably priced, comes highly recommended from those who love wine, and has three levels of classes. They've even put out their own book! For those of you who just want to get your taste buds tuned, there are excellent (and manageable) one-day seminars focusing on a particular type of wine. The five-week courses require more of a commitment, but once you attend the first session, you'll be hooked. Check out their website for details, wine specials, and "the article of the week," usually a brief, but pertinent topic.
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In this age of celebrity chef, we all seem to having cooking envy, and in the dreary days of winter, there is nothing better than hanging out in the kitchen (or cooking school) to hone our skills....
In this age of celebrity chef, we all seem to having cooking envy, and in the dreary days of winter, there is nothing better than hanging out in the kitchen (or cooking school) to hone our skills. This cooking school offers classes for all levels, and if you are like me, you can do with some of its very basics, among them, learning how to chop properly, make sauces......and eventually go on to fame and fortune as a master chef (well, maybe that is exaggerating a bit, but you will be pleasantly surprised at how you can show off your newly learned skills for your friends and family). The instructors know the cooking business and are patient with novices; the only real drawback to this place is its location in the burbs. Check their website for times for their reasonably prices classes.
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This centrally based Chicago Theatre offers some of the best live productions in town, but there are a few secrets to making your experience the best. First, try and see something during the week;...
This centrally based Chicago Theatre offers some of the best live productions in town, but there are a few secrets to making your experience the best. First, try and see something during the week; weekends can be notoriously crowded and cabs hard to find. Parking is pricey but conveniently located across the street. Second, be sure and get on their e-mailing list; you will be offered deals to plays you won't hear about anywhere else. Third, be sure and make a reservation next door. Petterino's Restaurant is a gem in the city and makes sure you get to the theatre on time, but it can be extremely busy on theate nights, especially in the bar area. It's worth planning ahead.
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Table 13
Category:
Restaurants
1313 Auburn St
Rockford, Illinois 61103
(815) 964-1300
The number of fine dining restaurants on the west side of the city has been limited in recent years due to a migration to East State Street, but here is a find for folks in the "old neighborhood."...
The number of fine dining restaurants on the west side of the city has been limited in recent years due to a migration to East State Street, but here is a find for folks in the "old neighborhood." This cozy restaurant on Auburn Street offers fine Italian food and a charming fireplace to set the mood. Drinks are reasonably price, and there is a small bar area. The wait staff aims to please, but are a little weak in skills. The food is very good quality, with excellent salads (try the spinach and beets) and desserts (tiramisu is great). A good alternative to the chains or pizza joints!
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If you are longing for that authentic Christmas or just looking for a fun place to take the kids in the middle of winter (that's not the mall, of course), then look no further. Here you can find and...
If you are longing for that authentic Christmas or just looking for a fun place to take the kids in the middle of winter (that's not the mall, of course), then look no further. Here you can find and cut your perfect vision of Christmas tree. Of course, they have pre-cut trees, but that would take all the fun out of the experience! They also have a gift shop and variety of kid-oriented activities, and Santa is known to make an appearance on weekends. The Williams family also raise gold retrievers, and the dogs are sure to delight the small ones, as is the candy corner. But go for your own sense of delight as well. Getting outdoors in the snow is not a pleasure limited to those under 10.
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Think you can't find real Cuban cigars for that true cigar-lover you know? Look no further than the Cigar King in Skokie. Although there are many other brands (get help from the informed staff if...
Think you can't find real Cuban cigars for that true cigar-lover you know? Look no further than the Cigar King in Skokie. Although there are many other brands (get help from the informed staff if you don't know what to purchase), the true find here is hand-rolled cigars made with Cuban tobacco that has been in the US since before the revolution and embargo (pre1960s) of all Cuban items. These cigars are costly, but a single Cuban, along with a selection of others, won't set you back too much and make that cigar-lover you know the perfect Christmas, birthday, or Valentine's present.
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