Perennial Virant

This past weekend I went to brunch with a girlfriend at Perennial Virant, which is one of my favorite restaurants in Old Town. The decor is extremely cozy with a touch of modern. I want whoever decorated this place to come and decorate my house! The lighting is always set just right so it's a great date spot.

Perennial Virant has the most amazing diverse menu and I really never feel like I've stuffed myself after eating here. They are known for their farm-to-table dining, and the ingredients are super fresh and locally sourced. Be warned though, the brunch menu is very savory. There was only one sweet entree item. They also have craft cocktails, which are quite yummy.

Overall I highly recommend coming to this place. You will not be disappointed.

Little Goat Diner

The other week I went to Little Goat Diner for a later dinner with a girlfriend. This is the sister restaurant to Girl and the Goat, although on a very different scale. And they have a rooftop, which would make this an amazing place to come for a cocktail on a summer night (before an expensive dinner at one of the other Restaurant Row places).

Little Goat serves an amped up diner menu, and the food is definitely the greasy food you'd expect to have from a diner. For the Restaurant Row location, it is a great price point. You can easily get out of there spending twenty bucks or less with tax and tip. The atmosphere is relaxed, so this is definitely not a place you'd need to dress up too much for.

Little Goat has a bakery and coffee bar attached to it, which serves fresh baked bread all day. If I live over in the West Loop area, this is definitely where I'd be coming to stock up on baked goods! They open at 7am and close at 6pm, although the restaurant stays open much later and turns the coffee area into a bar.

The Aviary

I have been dying to try The Aviary for a while, but the high prices of the cocktails meant I'd have to find a very specific person to go with me, who would be willing to shell out for this kind of experience. That person would be my friend Michelle. We finally settled on a date and went to The Aviary to try their cocktails, only allowing ourselves to indulge in one, because they are so pricey.

The Aviary is in the Fulton Market area, and is part of the same team that owns Next, which is next door. The Aviary's website does a pretty spot on job of describing who they are; "where cocktails and service are given the same attention to detail as a four-star restaurant; where bartenders are trained as chefs; where the produce and herbs are carefully sourced and procured fresh daily; where the name and branding of the spirit mixed is less important than its actual flavor; where drinks are made quickly and consistently in a state-of-the-art drink kitchen; where innovation and tradition are both honored."

I have to give this place credit that the cocktails were out of this world. If coming here, I would highly recommending splurging and getting the three flight cocktail. You will already have a hard time choosing which cocktail to get (if only choosing one), so getting the flight will save you that agony. Take note though that if you are just coming for a cocktail, they put you in an area next to the kitchen where it is standing high tops only. So if you want to sit just buck up and make a reservation. The atmosphere is dark and sexy, and it's pretty neat to be able to see in the kitchen where the magic happens. You should also know there aren't true meals here, just snacks. Very expensive snacks.