Geja's Cafe

Type: Fondue
Fancy Shmancy Factor: 4/5
Price: $38-55 for 4-courses
Quality for Price: 3/5
Ambiance: Intimate, romantic
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Other: No children under 10

Normally I am not a big fan of going out to eat and then having to assemble my meals or cook for myself. I love fajitas, but there is something daunting about the idea of sitting down at a restaurant, having them bring you ingredients, and constructing the entree yourself. Fondue is one step less. They don't even cook the food for you. That being said, just as I will occasionally order fajitas at a Mexican restaurant, I will make an exception for fondue. Or, at least, for Geja's Cafe.

Geja's is probably one of the more 'fancy' or 'romantic' restaurants we've been to since we started the FoodLovers blog. When I say 'romantic,' I mean it in the traditional, carriage-ride-through-the-park, candlelit-dinner type of way. We had a Groupon and it was my birthday, so it seemed like an appropriate place to celebrate. Geja's caters to people that want a sure-fire romantic experience. It's not the type of place you bring a friend for dinner just to catch up or a group of people for dinner before going out on the town. Let's put it this way: if you bring someone to Geja's, you probably like them as more than just a friend. Because of this, it might not be the best place for a first date. I would say a first date to Geja's might be a little overboard, akin to taking someone on a twilight riverboat ride the first time you go out or showing up at their door with a dozen roses. Granted, some people might be into that, but I tend to think that style of courting isn't as popular as it once was. Just be warned: you might come off as a little over-zealous.

The ordering process is fairly simple. Essentially, you pick the meats you would like and they bring you out a salad and a cheese fondue course with bread and fruit. They also bring out another pot of oil and set it over a fire at the table to prep for the main course. The 'meal' shows up on a large tray with the raw chicken, filet mignon, and lobster meat (in our case), eight dipping sauces and an assortment of raw vegetables. We had color-coded fondue forks so we knew which ones we had placed in the sizzling pot of oil and could retrieve them when we figured they were probably done cooking. Since we had, in a sense, become the cooks, we received training in how to cook our meat. It went like this: "Chicken is three minutes, filet is two minutes, and lobster is one minute. Enjoy!" It was probably the most nervous I've seen Kristen with food since our first sushi experience. It's been a few days, though, and so far no salmonella symptoms.

Perhaps the best part of the meal came at the end when we were almost too full to enjoy it. When our server brought out the pot of melted chocolate, we somehow managed to stretch our stomachs a little more for dipped marshmallows, pound cake, and fruits, which we finished off with some espresso.

Overall, eating at Geja's is an experience and that is one of the biggest selling points. It's one of only a few restaurants in Chicago like it and the atmosphere and novelty is something that you pay for. However, for special occasions or a romantic night out, it is hard to match or beat. Just about the only thing more romantic than feeding each other bites across the table is the spaghetti scene in Lady and the Tramp. So this just may be the closest to "perfect date restaurant" that we've come! But something tells me that we'll keep on searching anyway...

Elly's Pancake House

Type: Brunch (Contemporary American)
Fancy Shmancy Factor: 1.5/5
Price: $8-$15
Quality for Price: 3/5
Ambiance: Contemporary, Casual
Other: Open 24 hours
Neighborhood: Old Town

Who doesn't love brunch? We do. We especially love brunch after waking up at 4 am to drive to a suburb over an hour away, swim 750 meters, bike 15.5 miles, and run 4 more miles before driving back to the city by 10 am on a Sunday morning. After competing in the Lake in the Hills Triathlon last weekend, we decided a huge feast was in order. We waited in line for Elly's Pancake House, despite our rumbling stomachs, for almost 40 minutes mainly because we wanted to use our YouSwoop coupon. Nothing feels better after serious exercise than serious savings!

We were led through the huge dining room, which felt a bit like a cross between a warehouse and a school cafeteria with its sparse, white walls and tall ceiling, to a table in the far back corner right under a vent blowing frigid air. Had this been minutes after our race, we might have welcomed being sat in the refrigerated section of the dining room, but after our commute and wait time for the table, this was not the case. Far too hungry to care too much, however, we quickly ordered a couple of hot chocolates and focused on the menu.

Despite the name of the restaurant and the fact that pancakes, crepes, waffles, and the like comprised half the menu, we both chose omelettes. And after tasting the pancakes we necessarily ordered as a side, we were pleased with our decisions. Dan's Hawaii Five-O appealed to the pig-lover in him, consisting of both bacon and ham, along with pineapple and monterey jack cheese. It was lucky for me that he was in a pig-loving mood, since I acted like one with my own menu selections. Since my spinach and feta omelette with hash browns and toast didn't contain any meat, I also ordered a side of sausage patties each equivalent in size to 1/2 pound burgers. I tried to call it quits twice but Dan's looks of disappointment urged me on.

Compared to the filling, yummy omelettes, the pancakes just didn't stand out. To be fair, Elly's does have a section of Oven-Baked Pancakes where you can choose Apple or German Pancakes but since it said to allow 30 to 40 minutes of cook time, we skipped over them. Perhaps these would have been better than the ordinary pancakes we ordered, which we ate every last bite of, by the way.

As far as date-appropriate restaurants go, there are better brunch selections in this lovely city. While the price was good for the quantity (we spent less than our $35 coupon) and service was decent (save for the waiter telling Dan if he didn't decide what he wanted by the time he came back, he would get raw chicken livers), the restaurant itself didn't have a lot of personality. It was loud and bustly and the cafeteria feel instilled instant discomfort as the high school panic of finding friends to sit with during lunch came rushing back. But get past the painful childhood memories and the long wait time, and Elly's might be a good place for a casual brunch with friends. Not so much for a date--unless, of course, you just completed a triathlon and don't really care what you eat or where you eat it!

Karyn's Cooked

738 N. Wells
Chicago, IL
312.587.1050

Type: Vegan
Fancy Shmancy Factor: 3.5/5
Price: Entrees range from $9 to $15
Quality for Price: 3.5/5 (you know, for vegan food)
Ambiance: Upscale casual, small, intimate
Other: Vegan friendly, many gluten-free options
Neighborhood: Near North

I got ribs! Well, not exactly. But at Karyn's Cooked, it's about as close as you can get. Being a couple of hardcore carnivores, we were not quite sure what to expect from this strictly vegan establishment. Kristen's friend Michelle was in town for her birthday and, being educated and enlightened about what she consumes, is a strict vegan. For those of us that choose to remain blissfully ignorant about where that medium-rare steak comes from or that fried chicken and bacon sandwich's origins, entering a vegan restaurant almost seems like stepping into another world. In this other world, animals are revered and not eaten; bean curds are a staple cooking ingredient; one can order a side of 'enzymes' and somewhat ironically, the closer you can get to something tasting like meat, the better. It's true, in an attempt to win over skeptical meat lovers, most items on the menu are actually attempts at re-creating meat-inspired dishes. You can start off with an appetizer of 'buffalo wings', order a 'meatball' sandwich to go or, in my case, go right for the BBQ 'slab of ribs' for dinner on a Thursday night out on the town. When the meals came, we all had to try each others selections and it became almost a pass-and-serve family style dining experience. Kristen's taco salad with grilled seitan was outstanding, Michelle's 'stuffed chicken' special was great, BJ's 'meatloaf' made you forget you were at a vegan restaurant, Haylee's 'sloppy jo' was spicy and satisfying and finally, my 'slab of ribs' was a pleasant surprise. The portion was almost too much, but that could be because I wasn't exactly sure what I was consuming. The side of corn on the cob was fairly dry and bland, but the BBQ sauce was spicy and tasted better than I'd expected. For dessert, Michelle got a surprise piece of vegan chocolate cake with, of course, a birthday candle. The cake was...interesting. Everyone decided it smelled like something different: from dirty feet to other things that I won't get into. I have to say, overall I was very impressed by the food and while I'm not about to give up real BBQ ribs, Karyn's is a great place to have a vegan-friendly substitute once in a while.

As far as a date restaurant goes, Karyn's has an atmosphere that is inviting, comfortable, warm and modernly classic. They have a small selection of organic wine, mead, beer and cocktails. It's reasonably priced and close to several clubs and bars downtown that you can head to and dance off that slice of vegan cheesecake. If you happen to find out that your date is a vegan, then obviously this place is a no-brainer. He or she will be impressed for being so open and if you really want to get in good, mention that you have been there before, but didn't even realize it was vegan! "Wow, I had no idea. I just suggested it because they have great food..." If neither of you are vegan, but maybe want to try something other than that new bar down the street or the latest Asian/Hawaiian/African/Latin/Antarctic Fusion place, Karyn's is a surprising treat and something you might not expect from a group of people that wouldn't ask a chicken to lay an egg for an omelet or milk a cow for ice cream.

Flatwater Grill

321 N. Clark
Chicago, IL 60610
312.644.0283

Type: Contemporary American
Fancy Shmancy Factor: 4/5
Price: Entrees $26-32, Pasta $16-19
Quality for Price: 3.5/5
Ambiance: Romantic in dining room, More Casual on river front patio
Other: Brunch and lunch menus as well
Neighborhood: River North

Like most members of the 9-5 working population, we look forward to our weekends to relax and let loose a bit. Recently, however, we have been spending our precious days off traveling out of town, entertaining visitors (whom we adore, don't get us wrong!), and babysitting. So when we finally found ourselves with no plans or commitments this weekend, we decided a date night was in order.

We started our night attending a free Johnnie Walker tasting presentation at Carmichael's Steak House. Actually, no, that's not quite right. It actually took place in a giant garage right next door to the steak house. Despite the humble location, however, it was decorated beautifully and proved to be quite the swanky affair. We were served whiskey cocktails and hor d'oeuvres such as mini Monte Cristos and Blue cheese and fig tarts before being ushered into an open area with long rows of white seating and tasting supplies. In the next hour or so, we learned the entire history of the Johnnie Walker label and tasted all five of the label's whiskeys. A great start to our night, this free event significantly cut down on our bar bill when we went to dinner later on. Johnnie Walker has events like this one all over and quite often so we highly recommend you take advantage of this opportunity. Bring a date or go alone and flirt with the beautiful "Johnnie Walker Girls" who work the event.

When the tasting was over, we still had time before our 9 o'clock dinner reservation, so we headed to Sullivan's to see if our friend, Reena, was working. Turns out she was and we enjoyed specialty martinis while Reena told us about her recent trip to Israel (which she had just returned from the night before!) until it was time for dinner.

This was our third trip to Flatwater Grill, though previously we have only been for brunch. When we purchased a groupon for Flatwater in the fall, we decided it was the perfect opportunity to try their dinner menu. Due to a temporary closing of the restaurant for repairs, it has taken us until now to check it out and the experience was quite a bit different from the brunch experience we enjoy so much. To get to Flatwater Grill, you have to go down from the street level to the River front entrance of the restaurant. The small, chic dining room is comfortable and romantic but if the weather is right, we recommend sitting on the river front patio.

Accustomed to ordering coffee or Mimosas when we brunch at Flatwater, we each had a glass of white wine with our dinners instead. We opted not to order a bottle as we normally might have since we had just been to the tasting and for drinks after. Typically, we would also order an appetizer, but since we weren't exceptionally hungry, we opted out of that as well. This turned out to be a good thing since the dinner menu (as you might expect) was quite a bit more expensive than the brunch menu. When complimentary jalapeno-cornbread muffins were delivered to our table, Dan's face lit up. They weren't on the menu but they were so delicous that we got jealous and a bit upset when the table for two next to us received four muffins in comparison to the two we were given. But, alas, beggars can't be choosers so we bit our tongues.

Until our dinners came, that is, and then we put our tongues to use tasting those instead. It's hard to say who ate what, since halfway through the meal, we literally traded plates across the table and finished each other's meals. The standout dish for us was the medium-rare rack of lamb with goat cheese, crisp-tender green beans, and creamy mashed rosemary potatoes. Equally delicious and more generously-portioned was the Caprese fettucini pasta. Both being anti-tomato foodies, we left those off, but between the light, oil-based sauce, fresh mozzarella and basil, and drizzle of balsamic vinegar, it didn't seem to be lacking anything.

The meal was delicous, the ambience pleasant, and the service respectable but still, we can't seem to get those Huevos Rancheros and Brioche French Toast breakfast dishes out of our minds! Perhaps it was the fact that our dinner bill was pretty hefty, or that it was too chilly to enjoy the fresh air out on the river, but we think we'll stick to brunch at Flatwater from now on. If you like the fun, relaxed vibe of the patio like us, check them out for brunch, but if you are looking for a more fancy, romantic dining experience, dinner may be more for you. But be sure to make a reservation; the small dining room books up fast, especially when the patio is closed!

Demera

4801 N Broadway

Chicago, IL

773.334.8787

(Parking available at 1130 W Lawrence for $1/hr)

Type: Ethiopian

Fancy Shmancy Factor: 3.5/5

Price: Entrees range from $10-$20

Quality for price: 3.5/5

Ambiance: Bright, casual, live traditional music

Other: Family style options

Neighborhood: Uptown

So to celebrate our first blog in a while, we were lucky enough to have a special guest join us for our latest culinary excursion. Mr. Ken Ellison of Holly, Michigan was in town for a short weekend to visit his daughter and that guy that always seems to be hanging around his daughter. We had quite a packed day of sightseeing that started off at Millennium Park for the Celtic Festival, moved to the Plaza at Park Grill to have some drinks and watch the Cubs lose, then a walk to the Hancock building which was interrupted by a van selling cupcakes parked on Michigan Avenue (really, who can resist cupcakes?) and finally up to the 95th floor of the Hancock building to the Signature Lounge for expensive drinks and amazing views. After all of that, we were ready for some food. Kristen was performing in the Green Mill Poetry Slam at 7:00 so we headed up that way. We had planned on going to Fat Cat, but decided to try something a little different in honor of our guest.

Across from Green Mill is an Ethiopian restaurant called Demera that we've been wanting to try, so the three of us decided to give it a shot. We walked in and as it turns out, the manager was a guy I used to work with a couple of years back so after a brief reunion, he sat us at a table. The dining room was fairly empty, but it was a Sunday at 5:30 on Mother's Day after the brunch rush so it wasn't too surprising. It started to fill up closer to 7:00. The decor was bright and kind of earthy with white tablecloths and...hmm...no silverware on the tables. They had a small selection of Ethiopian beers and wines, including a house-made honey wine and even Ethiopian coffee. The wines were a bit sweet, sort of like a honey-flavored Riesling, and the beer was good, but different. My friend, Ralph, brought us out a complimentary Sambussa sampler, which are like Ethiopian Empanadas and they were a great start to the meal. One note if you end up at Demera: Like many traditional ethnic restaurants, there are a lot of words on the menu that you've never seen. There is literally a glossary on the menu. Feeling a bit overwhelmed, we had Ralph pick out our messob-the traditional Ethiopian dining experience. When it came out we felt overwhelmed in a whole different way. There were at least five different meats, lentils, a salad, fish, shrimp, collard greens, and beets. And, oh yeah, still no silverware. Instead, they bring out baskets of a flavorless, sponge-like bread that is almost a crepe, but not quite. So we had a giant plate of food and we all took turns tearing off pieces of bread and scooping up various meats and veggies. I loved it. I thought almost every dish was unique and delicious. I will tell you this wasn't exactly the consensus, but I really enjoyed the food and the experience. As far as a good date spot...maybe skip Demera if it's a first date. Or, as Kristen pointed out, take your date here if you want to find out right away if they're adventurous and laidback. Either way, a trip to Demera promises to be an experience. Good food, warm atmosphere, and a unique (if messy) dining style.

Bar Louie

47 W. Polk St.

Chicago, IL 60605

312.347.0000

Type: American, Bar Food

Fancy Shmancy Factor: 2/5

Price: $6-15

Quality for price: 3.5/5

Ambiance: Casual

Other: Crazy good happy hour specials

Neighborhood: South Loop, but locations all over

[Kristen:]

Bar Louie cures the blues. When Dan and I met after work on Tuesday for a burger at this South Loop restaurant located in historic Dearborn Station, I could tell right away that he was in a lousy mood. He didn't have a very good day at work and it was the first beautiful day so it was a double whammy that he was stuck inside at all. Yet, an hour later, when we parted ways--he to go home and get some cleaning done and myself to tap dance class--he was in a good mood.

Now, perhaps it was the aforementioned beautiful weather that did it, but since the patio seating was full and we had to sit inside, I doubt that was it. Perhaps it was the witty interchanges with his charming dining companion or the energy of the happy hour crowd in the packed bar, but more likely it was the food and drink. In case anyone is somehow unaware of this little nugget: Bar Louie has dollar burgers on Tuesdays! And not tiny little things, either. It's extra to add cheese and sauces but at reasonable prices between 25 and 50 cents, it's still a deal! Dan ordered blue cheese, bacon, and barbecue sauce and I got cheddar and bacon on mine. (Have we ever mentioned we love bacon?) We split a huge side order of tater tots and while Dan had a Shocktop (classic warm-weather beer), I had a soda using the excuse that I shouldn't drink beer before going to dance class, as if a greasy burger, salty tater tots, and sugary soda is so much better.

We understand that Bar Louie can be found all over the place and isn't purely a Chicago spot but we figured since most of our followers live in Michigan, why not include this chain in our blog? The daily specials are definitely worth checking out, from the dollar burgers to daily half-price appetizers from 4-7 pm. The music was a little too loud for 5:30 pm and was reminiscent of a dance club, but most of the other customers seemed pleased as they awkwardly danced in their seats between bites of nachos and shrimp cocktail. This, combined with low prices, filling food, a good drink selection, and casual service, makes this an ideal place for an after-work date, in our opinion. It's a safe bet for getting to know someone you've just started seeing, or for meeting someone tried and true for a little pick-me-up after a rough day. If a burger and a beer for under ten bucks doesn't cure the blues, I don't know what will.

La Ciudad

4515 N. Sheridan Rd.

Chicago, IL 60640

773.728.2887

Type: Mexican

Fancy Shmancy Factor: 3/5
Price: Entrees range from $10-$16
Quality for price: 3.5/5
Ambiance: Minimalistic, casual
Other: BYOB (corking fee)
Neighborhood: Uptown

[Dan]
Rick Bayless ain't got nothin' on La Ciudad!

Okay, so Rick Bayless may boast some of the best Mexican/Latin restaurants in Chicago, but La Ciudad proves he doesn't own them all. It may not be as trendy or located in the best neighborhood, but this little Uptown gem could probably give Frontera a run for it's money. We have been wanting to try this place pretty much since it opened because it's incredibly close to my apartment-my kitchen window looks into the back of the place. So we decided to give it a try last Monday. After a successful trip to Trader Joe's the day before, we were stocked on good wines for cheap...and not just the "Two Buck Chuck" stuff (which is actually three bucks now). We had tried one wine in particular when we brought a bottle to a dinner hosted by our friends Matt and Chris at their house last year and loved it, so we got a few more bottles. And definitely plan on getting a few more. I'm predicting this will be our wine of the summer. It's called Vinho Verde and it's a really light, semi-sparkling white wine from Portugal. It's crisp, not too sweet, and best of all, it's $3.99 at Trader Joe's. On a side note, their vanilla granola is pretty darn good, too. But I wasn't very impressed with their sweet potato chips. That's a whole different blog, though...

Anyway, it's a Monday night, so we're not expecting much. I'm hoping it's going to be good because I could literally yell my order to them from my living room. While this is a major convenience for me, it's probably not the ideal location for La Ciudad (Spanish for "The City"). Don't get me wrong, I love Uptown and have been in this neighborhood for going on three years, but it's kind of 'sketchy' as some of my friends would say. It's definitely a 'storefront' restaurant with large windows in the front and very little privacy. So, probably not the place if you don't want to be noticed. Still, it works as a date place because it's relaxed and casual without feeling like a fast-food joint and they obviously take their food very seriously. Our server (and we're pretty sure the server for the whole restaurant) was Hugo and he was very knowledgeable and pleasant. They brought us chips and homemade salsas which were good and slightly above par for a Mexican restaurant in this city. Speed is definitely not their forte and we ended up waiting quite a while for our meals as we polished off another basket of chips we said we weren't going to eat. We weren't too bothered by this, mostlybecause we didn't have a whole lot else to do, the conversation was good, and when the food came, it was definitely worth the wait. I had the 'Carne Tampiquena' which was marinated skirt steak served with an enchilada, rice, and beans. Kristen had tacos, which came with three tacos and she ordered a different meat with each one (I'm glad to see I'm not the only indecisive one). It was all outstanding and although I think the skirt steak at El Mariachi on Sheridan and Broadway is the best I've ever had, this was a close second. Definitely worth a trip to Uptown if you're in the mood for a casual, delicious Mexican meal. And if you do find yourself having a meal at La Ciudad, give me a shout. Literally. If my window is open I'll invite you in for tea and strumpets...