Couples guide to Chicago...

We are back from a whirlwind of a weekend in Chicago. I am exhausted. So much for resting...but when you only have 2 days with your best friends in one of the best cities in the US, sleeping isn't a priority! We spent the weekend with our California friends who we met in Chicago 6 years ago when we all lived there. It was so fun being back in the city, visiting all the places we used to love as well as experiencing some new spots.

We started off the weekend with a late lunch at Jellyfish; a new sushi restaurant located in the Gold Coast right across from Gibson's and Hugo's frog bar. The space is small, but very hip. It sits up on the 2nd floor overlooking Rush street. The service and sushi was just ok, I don't think I would go back. It didn't take me long to order my first glass of "champs".

Next stop was Nomi in the Park Hyatt hotel. Back in the day, this was our favorite place for drinks (in the summer, their terrace is amazing). In the winter it's super cozy, overlooking Michigan Avenue and the historic Water Tower. It's the perfect place for apps and an aperitif. Even after all these years it's still a pretty happening bar with both travelers and locals.

For dinner we hit up a new hot spot called Bavettes Bar and Boeuf. The place was jammed...great energy and great ambiance. We all agreed the basement bar was the place to be. Exposed brick, candlelight and intimate seating arrangements made us feel like we had been transported to Paris in the twenties. 

For dinner, I had the short rib stroganoff, which was insanely good. The crab and Avocado salad was a hit, as was the chocolate pie which we all shared (and quickly devoured). I would definitely recommend Bavettes, either for dinner or just for drinks. 

Our evening ended at the Bar in the Peninsula Hotel. Do you see a theme here? Apparently we really like hotel bars. Truthfully though, the Peninsula bar can't be beat. The service is impeccable, they have a fantastic wine list and cocktail menu and almost always you will get a seat. It beats having to stand around a bar and fight a crowd to get your drink ordered. This is just another sign that we are getting OLD! 

oh and those wasabi nut thingy's pictured at the bottom left are ADDICTING! Love them. 

This pic was taken on our walk back to our hotel...I love the "ceiling" of lights hung on the walkway between the Park Hyatt and Topshop. 

It's also SO nice to be able to walk stumble home...gotta love city living. 

Late night=late brunch on Saturday. We went to an old favorite, Luxbar. They do a decent brunch and have great bar food. 3 cups of coffee and a fried egg sandwich fueled me up for some more shopping, eating, drinking...

Saturday night was so much fun. We miraculously got into RPM (Guiliana and Bill Rancic's new restaurant concept) which currently is booking 2 months out. I am SOOOO glad it all worked out, because it was fabulous.

The decor is cool, but not over the top. The service was phenomenal and the food was probably the best we had all weekend. Highlights for me were the Ricotta Semolina toast,  Zucchini chips, White Truffle Risotta, Gnocchi and the nutella filled doughnuts for dessert. (can you tell we were hungry?!)

If you have the opportunity, get a reservation. You will love it. It's also great people watching! 

Cali and K.C. crew at RPM

We ended our night with some of our oldest and dearest friends in Chicago. We had reservations at the Aviary, but none of us were feeling it (for all you Chicago peeps...did we miss out?) They have a very eclectic drink menu; and truthfully none of it looked appealing. 

So, we met up at a cute bar called Maude's Liquor Bar on Randolph in the West Loop, which sort of reminded us of Bavettes. Same french bistro/roaring 20's feel...

. This is one of my best friend's Emily...when we used to go out all the time, people thought we were sisters. Do you think we look related? We obviously think alike as we were both sporting some sparkle Saturday night. 

Overall it was a perfect weekend. It was so nice to get away, but at the same time we couldn't wait to get back to our kiddos. A HUGE thanks to my mom and dad who held down the fort for a few days. 

Stay tuned later this week  for my Chicago shopping report!!!