The Dawson

I had heard that the Dawson had a phenomenal patio, so when my sister asked me if I wanted to check it out with her, I happily obliged. This place is in West Town at six corners, and was opened by Billy Lawless (The Gage, Henri). The restaurant has a massive layout with an upstairs, downstairs, and spacious outdoor patio. And although I didn't see it, from reading, it sounds like there's a great private space with a large fireplace. Hello, winter party.

Luckily because it was a gorgeous night we were able to enjoy the outdoor space. Although I had a lovely time, I wasn't crazy about the food. They've already gone through several Executive Chefs, the most recent starting in May 2014, so I can imagine the menu isn't that stable. I would say this is more of a drinking focused place. That being said, the cocktails were amazing...some of the best I can remember in the recent past. I had a frozen Mai Tai and I am craving another just writing about it. Bottom line, I think it's best to come to The Dawson on a nice night when you can sit outside and enjoy a cocktail, and then grab dinner somewhere else nearby.

Au Cheval

I have been dying to go to Au Cheval for years and it took me forever to get there because they don't take reservations, and I lack patience. I finally made it there though with my friend Rochelle. I was warned that the wait, even on a weekday, would be long. And it was. An hour and a half wait for a table! On. A. Tuesday.

That being said, the meal was totally worth it. The Au Cheval burger has been recognized and voted nationwide as being one of the best burgers. And it is. I literally couldn't get enough and was almost sad we'd decided to split. We also got the fried bologne sandwich, which was equally as good. They had a special smoked salmon dip that we just had to order, and of course it came on buttery texas toast. There was not a bad thing about our meal, all amazing.

AND the best part might be that you can bring your own wine. There is no corkage fee, they just ask that you give a glass to a neighboring table. So worth it (especially with my huge discount on luxury wine!).

Au Cheval is also owned by the same people as some of my other favorite restaurants...Gilt Bar, Maude's, and Bavette's. Although I loved Au Cheval, I wouldn't recommend brining out of towners or impatient people here. Try one of their other places that take reservations.

Cicchetti

Italian restaurants are some of my favorites, and there seem to be an abundance of them opening up in Chicago the past few months. Cicchetti is in Streeterville and was opened by restaurant vet Dan Rosenthal. There are also some heavy hitters as the executive chef, sous chef and pastry chef.

I absolutely loved this place. Not quite as much as Bottlefork, but a close second for new places I've been to recently. The food is so good and we could have ordered so many things on the menu. The Nonna's Meatballs are must, as well as getting a flatbread. I've also since learned Dan Rosenthal's restaurants are known for their homemade ravioli, so wish we'd gotten those. At the end of the meal, they bring out a shot of limoncello for everyone. This was such a fun touch and made us very happy!

The staff was super friendly, and the ambiance and interior are also just my style. Lots of white, marble, exposed wooden beams and black metal. They have a great area that could be separated off for private parties. The layout is a bit confusing though because it is connected to a Sopprafina (which Dan Rosenthal also owns), and at first you might think that half the restaurant is empty. Well, apparently that half is not part of Cicchetti and is actually Sopprafina. They also have a great outdoor area, so this would be a fun place to come back for brunch. Overall, I highly recommend this place!

Stella Barra Pizzeria

If you know anything about me, you know I love pizza. So I had to try Stella Barra Pizzeria in Lincoln Park, which was opened by Lettuce Entertain You and is the sister restaurant to Summer House Santa Monica, which is next door. This place has been getting rave reviews and seemed like the perfect spot for a girls night out. Although I always have an amazing time with these girls, this place definitely made it even better.

The artisan pizzas were truly amazing, and the menu has so many good options that we almost had to play eeni meeni miney mo to make our choices. We settled on three pizzas, my favorite being the Prosciutto and Farm Egg. I know that to some a runny egg on pizza sounds disgusting, but man oh man do I have a newfound love for egg on pizza! The crust was also to die for. There are also salads and pastas, but we didn't try any of those. We did try one of the vegetable sides, and the brussel sprouts were delicious. If I could make brussel sprouts like that, I might eat vegetables more often. This is the type of menu that you could order anything and be happy. The prices are also incredibly reasonable, considering you generally split a pizza anyways. The less money you spend on food means the more money you can spend on wine and cocktails!

The ambiance was great. The walls are painted a dark almost black color with black subway tile, dim lighting and wooden tables with tea lights. I didn't like our seating though. We were seated in a raised booth that was open on one side, so you weren't able to face the people at your table. Great for people watching though... I would have rather watched MY people though.

Overall, although this wasn't one of my all time favorite most amazing restaurants ever, it definitely is a great place to go and is an easy place to grab a good bite in a chic setting with friends. You should definitely come here if you live in Chicago, or heck, even bring out of towners here if you're up in Lincoln Park!