My travels haven’t taken me far as of late, however, this past weekend I was presented with the opportunity to visit Chicago. While New York currently has my vote for my current favorite city to visit, Chicago is nice since it’s just a train ride away.
We arrived in the evening and had dinner reservations at Coco Pazzo in the River North area. This isn’t your typical Italian restaurant and certainly is a notch far above Olive Garden flavors. Coco Pazzo offers Tuscan inspired dishes with seasonal ingredients. I had visited the restaurant before for New Year’s Eve and has quite possibly the most delicious fresh truffle risotto. If you haven’t tried truffle (I’m not talking chocolate) you absolutely must try this unique flavor.
We started dinner with their Antipasti Misti, a plate filled with aged meats and cheese, roasted vegetables and olives. Served with a focaccia bread, this plate offered a wide variety of flavors to choose from.
Once I found out that we would be dining at Coco Pazzo, the only thing I could think about was that truffle risotto. Unfortunately this wasn’t on the menu this night but the chef was able to whip up something similar with the truffles he did have on hand. Course 2. We dug in too quickly for me to event get a photo of the dish!
Course 3 was a pasta dish with their homemade sausage, tomato sauce and pesto and topped with goat cheese. I feel like goat cheese is something I love to hate. It always seems so strange to me but the minute I have some, the creamy flavors bring delight to my mouth. It was delicious.
We opted to skip dessert and instead headed to the Cheesecake Factory for a slice…or two. I know that this seems generic but really, who doesn’t love their cheesecake?!
Saturday morning we headed over to Luxbar Restaurant in the Gold Coast area. Another favorite food destination of mine and a trip here is not complete without their pecan sticky bun.
Being that it was St. Patrick’s Day, we figured we’d throw some Irish flair into our day with a serving of corned beef hash and of course, french toast. (Yes, I realize french toast isn’t Irish.) Both were amazing but even more delightful was the honey butter served with the french toast.
After walking off the fattening breakfast, what trip to Chicago is complete without a Chicago Dog? Mustard, onions, relish, pickles, tomatoes and peppers. You can’t go wrong.
What’s your favorite Chicago foodie destination?
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