I didn’t think that we would be able to squeeze in Duck Duck Goat on this trip even though I was eager to try it. Such a fun brunch and very cool space. It was tough to narrow down the things that I wanted on the menu and despite some initial skepticism as to how this concept would work out all of our menu choices were fantastic. I am definitely looking forward to a return trip for dinner.
Steamed barbeque pork buns
Duck tongues
Shrimp toast
Octopus, cucumber and peanut salad
Au Cheval
Where else to start a whirlwind one day tour of some of my favorite places in Chicago than at Au Cheval? I know I have had burger blinders on for years and have largely ignored the rest of the menu venturing only as far as the raw vegetable salad. A huge thank you to our server who told us that the beef cheek marmalade could be ordered as a side dish. How I have lived without this I don’t know. Next time I may thrown caution to the wind and add it to my burger.
pickles
beef cheek marmalade and toast
cheeseburger with egg and bacon
Cold Storage
Some travel days call for a double lunch, and not only a double lunch but going big with the large seafood tower. After visiting Swift & Sons a few weeks prior I was looking forward to checking out its more casual inner restaurant. Fantastic hospitality. How we ate this all I don’t know.
Chicago Athletic Association
For years before the Chicago Athletic Association opened as a hotel, I looked at the amazing facade from across Michigan Avenue on many of the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s walking tours. I just love everything they have done to maintain the original details and character and can’t help but walk through whenever I pass it. Unfortunately the cocktails in the grand lobby were far from fantastic, but ambience almost made up for it.
Sidecar and Negroni 
Aviary
As anybody who reads this blog likely knows, Aviary is my favorite place in Chicago. Not only have I met many people here who have become incredible friends, but I am always blown away by something new on the menu. I am always nervous bringing somebody new here, afraid that they won’t like it as much as I do or I have talked it up too much. But when the person gets it and is as excited about the experience as I always am, these are the best visits of all. Many, many pictures missing somehow.
Loaded to the Gunwalls
Next Alps
This was an absolutely frigid day which made the Next Alps menu the perfect dinner. A very fun menu separated into six sections – the French farmhouse, the German beer hall, the warming yurt, the top of the Swiss mountain, intro to Italy and Austrian sweets. While there wasn’t necessarily one stand out dish for me as there has been on previous menus, anytime you can have raclette is special and this is definitely a menu that I would happily repeat.
stone soup
gratin of Beaufort and trumpet crozets
game pie
tourton of salsify and apple
gateau de St. Genix avec du beurre de chevre
pork belly schnitzel with cherry and black walnut
pretzel, sausages and pickles
Raclette with potatoes, fermented mustard greens, chestnuts, and black truffles
Augustiner Brau Edelstoff lager
chocolate with black truffle and milk crisp
preserved summer berries with cognac and honey
smoked arctic char with cauliflower and juniper
goulash of beef and Barolo with sour cornbread
bitter green salad with pomegranate and fennel ice
Salzburger nockerl
pie spiced ice cream
apple strudel with clove and cinnamon
And as if this wasn’t enough in one day, missing from the photos are cocktails at Grace as well as post dinner in the Office.
Mfk
I will wait for my next trip to definitively say it but this may be my new favorite in Chicago. Exactly the type of food I could eat every day. So bright and crisp that even with sausage I did not feel guilty at all afterwards. And its always a good sign when its nearly impossible to make a decision about what to order because I wanted everything.
ceviche, poblano guacamole, squid ink tostada
squid, chinese pork sausage, cashew vinaigrette
poached shrimp, green papaya, cucumber, sugar snap peas
Swift & Sons
After looking at this building for years while waiting for a cab after leaving Aviary and then watching it defrost, I couldn’t wait to see what this building had been transformed into. An absolutely gorgeous (and quite huge) dining room. For as much as I love a great steak, I seem to rarely go to steakhouses as I am typically disappointed. My aged ny strip was fantastic, as were all of the vegetables as well as the shellfish platter (with the much appreciated heavy side of horseradish).
cold shellfish platter
broccolini, sauce gribiche
roasted mushrooms, porcini aioli, crouton
roasted carrots
dry aged bone in strip
boston cream pie – vanilla bean cream, bittersweet chocolate, yellow sponge cake
black bottom pudding – black cocoa crumble, baked dark chocolate mousse, milk chocolate pudding, white chocolate sorbet
Boka
I had been over a year since I’ve been to Boka so very happy that my dinner companions suggested it. It is such a solid choice but inevitably falls off of my radar in the quest for new places. Absolutely perfect service and beautiful plates. My only regret is that we did not have time for dessert as I was looking forward to the funnel cake component of the roasted strawberry. A perfect reason to return very soon.
Amuse
Marinated Blue Marlin – yuzu kosho, almonds, wild fennel
Heirloom Tomatoes – watermelon, sunflower seeds, lemon balm
Corn Soup – razor clams, summer beans, avocado
Cured Foie Gras Salad – apricot, baby lettuce, buttermilk
Salt Cod Ravioli – artichoke, lemon, sorrel
Colorado Lamb Loin – cauliflower, cherries, dandelion
Pekin Duck Breast – fennel, apricots, sheep’s milk feta
Olive oil poached halibut – carrot, olives, mussels 
The Office
As usual there is nowhere I would rather end an evening! Of course no recollection of what these were but they were delicious.
iwillmakeualist 