Chicago – Page 2 – Living My Best Life

Aba

January 30, 2019August 7, 2020by nattysbestlifeLeave a Comment

Mediterranean food is probably one of my favorite cuisines and I was so excited to find this spot over the summer. Aba is a hidden gem, you have to take a random elevator up to the restaurant and you don’t know what to expect until you get to the top. Walking in, it was absolutely beautiful. Even though it was summer it was chilly in the evening and we wanted to sit inside. The rooftop was even nicer then the inside. The restaurant was aesthetically pleasing so I loved it the minute we walked in!

We had gone out prior to dinner for some drinks, but the drinks here were very good. They were fresh and unique. I definitely want to go back just for the drinks one day.

The food was amazing to say the least. We actually over ordered and ended up taking the kabobs home. I can’t wait to come back and try the rest of the menu.

PSA: they have heated domes on their rooftop during the winter!

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Chicago Food Crawl

Villains Chicago

October 10, 2018August 7, 2020by nattysbestlifeLeave a Comment

We are always on a mission to eat “the best burger ever”, so the day we moved into our new apartment, we went to a bar down the street that had a burger on their menu. Walking into Villains, we already loved it. Very cool ambiance, LOVE THE BEER WALL. The only thing they are missing is a patio. I wasn’t feeling a burger so I ordered a grilled cheese, which came with tater tots. My friend ordered the Villains Burger (North Country Bacon, Hooks Cheddar, Pickles, Red Onion, Beef Fat Mayo & Fries). We were actually pretty disappointed in the burger. It was a thick dry patty, and lacked the flavors we expected. On the other had, the grilled cheese was pretty good, and come on, who doesn’t like tater tots? Over all I think we would definitely come back here, but we would order beer and get a charcuterie plate instead of a burger.

Update: we can’t come back, they recently closed! 😦

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Chicago Food Crawl

London House Rooftop

September 26, 2018September 28, 2022by nattysbestlifeLeave a Comment

Can’t believe it is already fall! My favorite thing about summers in Chicago are all the beautiful rooftops around the city! One of my all time favorites has always been London House Rooftop. It is a great spot in the middle of the city with an AMAZING VIEW. You can see the Chicago River, Lake Michigan and the Magnificent Mile all from one place!

I think any date night that starts on a rooftop is automatically a successful date night.

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Chicago Food Crawl

3 Arts Club Cafe

July 10, 2018August 7, 2020by nattysbestlifeLeave a Comment

I have wanted to go to 3 Arts Club Cafe located inside of Restoration Hardware for a while now. The few times I have tried, the wait time was over a two hours. A friend suggested that we go on a weekday around lunch. Fortunately, NO WAIT TIME!

The food is inspired by Northern California and Mediterranean cuisine and the courtyard seating is beautifully filled with natural sunlight and olive trees. We started the morning off with some flavored ice coffee on draft along with a late brunch. There were so many amazing options on the menu but of course I picked the one that had truffle and cheese: truffle grilled cheese sandwich on sourdough bread served with fries and garlic aïoli. My friend, on the other hand, chose the breakfast route and ordered the RH scramble: farm eggs, crème frâiche, avocado, chives, Texas toast.

After our wonderful brunch we decided to continue enjoying our day and ordered a bottle of wine. We got a bottle of Riesling: Leitz, Rheingau, Germany, 2016. 3 Arts Club Cafe isn’t only a wonderful brunch spot, but it is also a great spot for drinks.

We had already been at 3 Arts Club Cafe for a few hours are this point, and decided to spend the rest of the afternoon on the rooftop since the weather was beautiful. On our way to the rooftop we stopped and got another draft iced coffee and doughnut. They have doughnuts from Doughnut Vault, which were DELICIOUS! Definitely have to go and try all their flavors soon! On our way out, we walked through all the floors and praised the gorgeous furniture we hope to one day have in our home!

Overall, our day was well spent at RH. We can’t wait to go back!

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Chicago Food Crawl

A Burger Better then Au Cheval?

June 28, 2018August 7, 2020by nattysbestlife1 Comment

When articles came out stating there was a burger in Chicago better then Au Cheval, we had to try it! Many people were claiming that The Loyalist burger was better then the infamous Au Cheval burger. It was time for me to figure out the validity of that myself. The Loyalist is located under Smyth…there is an arrow that directs you exactly to the right spot. We went St. Patty’s Day weekend on Saturday night and ironically there was no wait. We got seated immediately, which was \thrilling because we heard there is usually a line there depending on what time you go. For starters, the ambiance was nice. It was in the basement and there were tall tables, booths and bar seats. The drinks were good too…I ordered a green drink in the St. Patrick’s Day spirit. We were so excited for the burger we couldn’t even wait. We ordered the Loyalist cheeseburger and we weren’t disappointed. It was cooked just right, it was nice and juicy and there were caramelized AND raw onions on it. The fries were served with a side of garlic aïoli and vinegar which paired great with the burger. Even though it wasn’t “better then Au Cheval” in my opinion, it was pretty satisfying! I think the two burgers are very different and both amazing in their own ways.

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Chicago Food Crawl

Brunch @ Beatnik

June 25, 2018August 7, 2020by nattysbestlifeLeave a Comment

We picked Beatnik for an anniversary brunch and I was very excited because I had heard about how cool the inside of the restaurant was. The interior was inspired by Bohemian lifestyle and aesthetic sensibility of the 1950s in America and Europe. It truly felt like a Mediterranean farmhouse. We sat in the front half of the restaurant, and there was a lot of natural light. The foods were a fusion between Eastern Mediterranean, Asia and Latin America. We ordered some amazing cocktails and of course we got a burger! We also got a Muffaletta Sandwich which was served on a Arepa Style Bun– which was essentially a masa bun.

After brunch we decided to continue the celebration on the other side of the restaurant at the bar. This side had a completely different vibe. It was beautiful with a lot of greenery. We got another round of cocktails followed by the famous chai cinnamon roll– this was probably one of the best things we have ever tired! It was extremely sweet and rich but worth every bite!

Can’t wait to come back and try the dinner menu! I also want to see the decor at night, must be a completely different vibe.

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Chicago Food Crawl

Au Cheval Almighty

June 23, 2018August 7, 2020by nattysbestlifeLeave a Comment

I can’t believe that I tried my first Au Cheval burger less then a year ago, but now I know what all the hype was about. I truly was missing out, until I finally went last fall, I was told that it was “the best burger ever”. There are some tricks on how to get a table at Au Cheval.

Go with a small group ≤ 4 people
Go on off peak hours, like after 11:30 pm
Go prepared to wait, and be ready to have a drink while waiting– doesn’t make the wait as bad!

I have been fortunate to usually go to Au Cheval with seasoned veterans, and I don’t think I have ever waited over 20 minutes for a table.

I keep it pretty simple at Au Cheval, always ordering the same exact thing. A single burger + the juicy thick cut bacon and an Old Fashioned. This last time, I went outside of the normal order and got fries, which came with a side of mouth watering garlic aïoli sauce– best add on ever!

There was a little hiccup in the burger last winter…they changed their bun and it was very disappointing. Fortunately the OG bun is back and the burger is better then ever!

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Chicago Food Crawl

Brunch @ The Allis

June 18, 2018August 7, 2020by nattysbestlifeLeave a Comment

I think brunch is honestly the best meal to enjoy in the city of Chicago, especially when the weather is nice because there are so many places that you can go! Me and one of my girlfriends went to The Allis and absolutely loved it. I had never been but a friend had referred to it as “very Instagrammable”. It felt like we were having an adult tea party. The decor and ambiance were absolutely amazing, and so was the food. The best part was the baked deserts! If you are looking for a cute brunch spot, the Allis is definitely the place to go. The best part about this place is you can go when the weather isn’t beautiful and still have a wonderful time.

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