Winter has been extra brutal in Chicago this year. January was mild but the last few weeks have been unforgiving. Just as indoor dining opened again, Chicagoans had no choice but to retreat back inside their homes. But in between snowstorms, my foodie friend Kelsey and I have managed to continue our monthly food crawls. And basically turned it into a weekly food crawl. Weather permitting.
As single city gals who live alone during a pandemic, we found ourselves making more effort in attempting to find normalcy and hold on to our sanity. As safely as we can, of course. Here are some of the places that we dined at this winter.
Pizzeria Portofino
On those rare nice winter days, I venture down by Riverwalk as much as I can. What better way to kick off our Chicago winter food crawl than going Italian? Located directly on the riverfront, Pizzeria Portofino offers an Italian Riviera vibe in the middle of downtown Chicago. The menu includes hand-stretched pizzas, pastas and coastal wines. I fell in love with their shrimp scampi, refreshing spritzes and the best parmesan fries I’ve ever had. Since the restaurant only had limited capacity, they expanded their space with a heated tent on the outdoor patio area. My friend and I were seated there. Needless to say, it was still freezing! Kelsey was smart enough to bring a shawl though, and so I had to keep my coat on the whole time. We also both ordered iced cocktails, which did not help at all.
Petit Margeaux
It has been my tradition to go to another place for coffee or tea after lunch. I like capping off my meal with dessert or coffee. As a longtime fan of anything French, I was happy that Waldorf Astoria’s little Parisian café was open. It is located inside the hotel lobby and comes with a nice outdoor patio.
Turquoise Restaurant and Bordeaux Lounge
Most nights, I prefer going to a nice neighborhood joint. Downtown Chicago is usually filled with tourists, business travelers or special event goers. But I think the heart of the city can be found in its plethora of unique neighborhoods, which I consider the real Chicago. Turquoise Restaurant, a Turkish-inspired Mediterranean restaurant, is a little gem tucked in the middle of Roscoe Village. I absolutely love its cozy lounge, Bordeaux, which also offers live jazz music. Above all, I am a fan of their sophisticated dishes and drinks, especially the popular homemade bread and carrot dip. Also, did I mention they have the best calamari dip as well?
Bread and dip Risotto Funghi Calamari
Frontier
For a lowkey casual night, Kelsey and I wanted to try a popular neighborhood restaurant that had been making waves in Chicago because of their James Beard semi-finalist chef, Brian Jupiter. We simply cannot exclude neighborhood gems in our mini Chicago winter food crawl, so we expanded our radius a bit more. Nestled on the outskirts of West Town, Frontier is your friendly gastropub with a vintage saloon vibe. The wagyu burger was delightful, although I was a little disappointed with their drinks.
Somerset
Brunches will always be my favorite. Maybe because it gives me an excuse to drink mimosa as early as possible. Thanks to my friend, Kelsey for suggesting this 1920’s yacht club style of a restaurant tucked inside Viceroy Hotel in Chicago’s Gold Coast. I am a sucker for retro vibes and pleasing aesthetics, so Somerset fits the swanky bill. I had the spinach and goat cheese omelet, and Kelsey had the fanciest avocado toast. Not to mention I spotted one of Chicago’s Michelin chefs – Carlos Gaytan of Tzuco, having brunch at Somerset as well. For me, I consider that a celebrity sighting.
Edie’s Cafe
Another spot introduced to me by Kelsey, is the charming Edie’s Cafe & Bar. She had wanted to take me to this place before, knowing that it is up my alley. I was excited to finally go there after hearing a lot about their Instagrammable and innovative lattes, from lavender to rose, to gingersnap and golden milk. And the fact that they also serve beer, cocktails and all day breakfast! What more can you ask?
Not gonna lie, but having a mini Chicago Winter Food Crawl was the highlight of my winter this year. It gave me something to look forward to every week or so and made me survived a rough winter.
Jen is a Chicago-based traveler and creative. She is a full-time development & communications executive specializing in non-profit organizations. Originally from the East Coast, she created The Jetsetter as a place to share her travel stories and photos with friends and family. Now, it is a place for adventurers and dreamers. Its purpose is to inspire and encourage busy professionals to see the world and achieve a better work-life balance.