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Places to Eat on your Chicago Honeymoon
Where can you find world-class cuisine of all types at super-reasonable
prices? Chicago. From tapas to American comfort food to traditional
French, there’s something for every honeymooning couple.
Sangria
Tapas has come to the Windy City with a bang! Visit Sangria, which
serves up top-notch Spanish food in a sprightly, modern setting. These
are dishes you’ll want to share on your
honeymoon, like marinated, grilled mussels with chipotle mojo and fresh
tomato; crisp-fried calamari, and serrano ham
with manchego cheese. Then sample the huge selection of tapas, like
ceviche of ahi tuna, bacon-wrapped dates, warm goat cheese, or chicken
enchiladas. And with prices between $3.50 and $7 each, you’ll want
to order just about everything. Or honeymooners may want to try the
seafood paella, grilled swordfish, or oven-roasted chicken with green
olives, Spanish onions and garlic. And whatever you do, be sure to order
the eponymous drink; there’re even specialty sangrias, like white peach,
raspberry, and mango, as well as scores of sultry Spanish cocktails like
a Spanish mimosa and mojitos. Oh,and
Sangria has a small but fun wine list – check out the rose champagne!
The perfect way to toast a honeymoon!
Tru
Tru’s motto is “fine dining with a sense of humor.” The minimalist in
honeymooners will revel in this exquisitely designed restaurant. Its
all-white decor, especially its sheer white drapes, give it a hushed,
serene ambience, a sense of perfect calm-how romantic for a
honeymoon. Every detail is perfect, from striking artwork to
exquisitely designed plates (order the “stairway to
caviar heaven,” where three kinds of caviar crown each step of a
three-tiered, staircase-shaped plate!) And of course, glassware,
flatware and linens are all top-notch. Tru’s extensive, cutting-edge,
well-balanced wine list features wines from hot, up and coming areas
that complement the light, seafood-based menu (prix fixe only) with
Asian-Mediterranean influences. You might start your meal with
langoustine ravioli with edamame and l
emongrass-kaffir lime emulsion, or butter-poached Maine lobster, or swan
creek ricotta gnocchi. For entrees, go for the roasted milk-fed veal
tenderloin or the veal sweetbread ragout with sauce surpreme. But be
sure to save room for dessert; try the chocolate mousse crepe with
banana bisque and candied mint, or an old-fashioned root beer float.
Both are divine! What a romantic honeymoon dinner!
Fuse at Hotel 71
Critics and lay-diners agree (along with honeymooners): French-American
cuisine is fabulous at Fuse, where a simply presented menu lets the
flavors in the dishes speak for
themselves. Try the yellow and red beet carpaccio
with frisee, mache, orange supremes, chives and truffle vinaigrette, or
chef Aubriot’s signature dish, seared foie gras with bittersweet
chocolate sauce– it’s just perfect a cold winter
evening for two honeymooners. Then dive into roasted black cod with
poached egg, black olives, truffles, and zucchini
puree, or braised short ribs with parsnip puree, glazed Brussels sprouts
and braising liquid. Whatever you do, don’t rush: this is “slow food”
made to be enjoyed leisurely! Ah, the relaxation of a honeymoon.
I recommend a stay at Hotel 71, where style and design meet form and
function. Here is a hotel committed to helping its clients take care of
business smoothly, then relax when work is done. Urban and sophisticated
yet proud of its Midwestern values, it’s a friendly yet elegant
environment.
Heaven on Seven
For a fun and exciting night out on your honeymoon, Heaven on Seven is
the best Cajun restaurant outside of New Orleans! This cozy family-run
joint really is heaven for Cajun lovers. If you’re craving
an oyster po’ boy, jambalaya, chicken fried steak or New Orleans-style
BBQ, Heaven on Seven is it. And lovers of all things hot n’ spicy can
bring a unique hot sauce to add to the Wall of
Fire, an extensive collection of hot sauces around the world. There's
some spice for your honeymoon!
South Water Kitchen
If you’re looking for old-fashioned comfort with an upscale twist on
your honeymoon, look no further than South Water Kitchen, adjacent to
hot, trendy Hotel Monaco. Located in
the loop, South Water Kitchen harkens back
to a time when dinner was an important event, never something eaten
in a rush while standing at the kitchen counter. Warm lighting, rich
colors, and fringed lamps on the
tables are reminiscent of a stately Chicago saloon circa 1910, and
reasonable prices will certainly make honeymooners feel
like you’re traveling back in time. Order a drink from the bustling bar,
then start with a hearty butternut squash soup
or a deviled-eggs salad. Then move on to one of the wide selection of
sandwiches, like hickory-smoked turkey pastrami with cranberry
mayonnaise on country rosemary bread. Stick-to-your-ribs entrees could
include sautéed tilapia accompanied by mashed potatoes, spinach, and
caper-butter pan sauce, or crock-simmered pot roast with root cellar
vegetables and smoked pepper gravy. This is truly an anti-fast-food
establishment!
If You Go:
Sangria
901 West Weed Street
Chicago, IL 60622
312-266-1200
Fuse
71 East Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60601
312-462-7064
South Water Kitchen
225 N Wabash Ave
Chicago, IL 60601
312-236-9300
Heaven on Seven (on Wabash)
11 North Wabash Ave., 7th Floor
Chicago, IL 60602
312 263-6443
Tru
676 North Saint Clair Street
Chicago, IL 60611
312-202-0001
Sheree Bykofsky is the author of The Best Places to Kiss
in and Around NYC and the 52 Most Romantic Dates in and Around NYC
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