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...

Correction

It has come to our attention that National Hug Day was actually January 21st, not Tuesday of this week as mentioned in our last blog entry. Apparently, that old woman just wanted to give Dan a hug. And can you blame her?!

On a completely unrelated note (yet food-related and therefore relevant to this blog), we had a late-night bite at Hotel Felix downtown on Clark and Huron (the sign is enormous-you can't miss it). It's a hotel bar and restaurant so it's a little hoity toity but the menu is impressive. We met our friend, Andrea, there last night after dance class (Kristen) and Voiceover class (Dan) and split a burger. But this was no ordinary burger. Besides bacon (which we happen to think makes all food better), it was also topped with creamed leeks. It sounded strange to us but it tasted great. In fact, we took some convincing that there was no actual cheese on the burger because the leeks were so flavorful. Andrea ordered the $30 chef's week tasting menu but had such slow service that we had to leave before she finished. She's pretty sure it's because her name was on the ticket and the kitchen staff knows her since she works there as a bartender at Elate. But the food was good, and as long as you don't work there, the service is good, so it's definitely worth a shot for a date night. Or, better yet, go WITHOUT a date on a Monday night (industry deals for those who work at restaurants/bars) and hit on Andrea instead!

Tutto Italiano

501 S. Wells

Chicago, IL 60607

312.939.4824

Type: Italian
Fancy Shmancy Factor: 3.5/5
Price: Entrees range from $15-$20 for the most part

Quality for price: 2.5/5

Ambiance: Casual/romantic depending on dining room
Other: Closed on Sundays, outdoor sidewalk se

ating

Kristen: Everyone likes free stuff. And we are no exception. On Monday, Dan informed me that the next day was one of his favorite days of the year and told me to guess why. Now, I happen to know that Dan's

favorite day of the year is St. Patty's day hands-down and since that was a few weeks ago, I was stumped. "It's not Paczki day..." I began. "No, but you're on the right track." He finally informed me that Starbucks was giving away free pastries with the purchase of a coffee. Okay, so kinda free. But it didn't stop there! My best friend, Claire, who works at Navy Pier emailed to tell me that Ben and Jerry's was having a free ice cream day. Now we're talking. I hastily texted Dan to let him know the good news and he wrote back to ask if any place was giving away free insulin. Funny guy. Now, turns out it was also National Hug Day (who knew?!) so Dan also got stopped by and old woman on his way to work and received a free hug!

So we couldn't let the free stop there of course. We used a buy-one, get one coupon from a book my parents had given us to dine at Tutto Italiano in the South Loop.

When we first entered the restaurant, the interior was dark wood and loud music that made the place seem like a typical venue for after work drinks or pub fare. However, we were led through this bar area, past a cozy lounge area with leather chairs, into a train car with intimate seating for 2 and authentic Italian music playing. It was as if we walked through one restaurant to get to a completely different restaurant but we were pleasantly surprised. When the couple next to us commented on the locamotive dining room, the server told them that it actually moved as well. Fascinated, they asked how. "It depends on how drunk is the conductor" replied the server, using a joke he'd clearly used about 800 times before.

The servers "charm" was endless. When Dan tried to order a salad without tomatoes and onions, he shook his head sadly and said, "You know what they would do to you if you tried to order like that in Italy? Too big guys would come and grab you and they throw you outside but keep the chair. And that's in the north where they are polite. South, near Sicily, they shoot you."

Dan decided to go with the Penne Bolognese instead.

By the end of the meal, I thought that if he "pulled my leg" one more time, it was going to come off. He moved from telling us several times that if we don't finish, we will be charged double to insisting that they don't accept credit cards as we tried to pay with one (turns out they do accept them; this was just another one of his silly "jokes"). He did all of this with a completely straight face and hint of a smirk to clue us in that he was joking and this made it especially difficult to politely laugh at his unwelcome (and unfuny) jesting.
Oh yeah, there was food, too. Before the meal we were provided with the requisite bread and olive oil. When it came to entrees, as I mentioned, Dan had the Penne Bolognese, which was decent. It was a heavy dish and didn't have a lot going on besides the noodles and meat sauce but the flavor was fine. The lasagne I ordered left something to be desired. The layer of ricotta was too thick and overpowered the rest of the dish. The sauce was strangely sweet and some bites had a distinct "fishy" taste. Needless to say, we weren't very impressed.

The verdict: since the best part of our dining experience was the ambiance of the place itself, we don't suggest spending a ton of dough having a multi-course meal here. This would be a great place to meet for after-work drinks, wine, or maybe share some appetizers. To be fair, we found out later that the restaurant is known for their risotto and veal, of which we had none, so perhaps those menu choices would have changed our experience entirely. But to be safe, stick to a nice Italian wine and see if you and your date can get the train car moving.

Pars Cove

435 W. Diversey
Chicago, IL 60614
773.549.1515

Type: Mediterranean/Persian
Fancy Shmancy Factor: 3.5/5
Price: Entrees range from $10-$18
Quality for price: 4/5
Ambiance: Cozy and romantic
Other: Weekly specials, check website

We thought the sign in front of Pars Cove reading "Causal Dining" was merely a misspelling but now we're not so sure. For one, the dimly lit, intimate dining room wasn't quite what we would describe as a casual, jeans-and-a-tshirt type place. When we went for dinner last night, the place was hardly busy, especially for a Friday night, and we were ushered to a table for two in the corner. The small, below-street level dining room might have made us feel claustrophobic if it weren't for the fact that we were seated under large skylight windows. The authentic decor and music was as calm and unimposing as our server, who told us in barely more than a whisper that she would arrange for us to use a coupon we had on the Dinner for Two special we were considering.

This is where we got more than we bargained for. Emphasis on bargain. For $50, we ordered the Kabob Dinner for Two. That's 50 dollars total. The deal includes any two drinks but we opted to pay the 7 extra dollars to get a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, though the specialty martinis did sound delicious. After eating our two appetizer selections of hummus with naan and Persian potato salad, and then our course of Lentil soup and salad with Feta, we didn't know how we'd have room for the main course. However, we somehow managed to eat every bite of the perfectly tender chicken, lamb, and tenderloin kabobs as well as the dessert of baklava and ice cream. Since it turns out that their current Friday special is free after dinner drinks with a Dinner for Two, we ended the meal on a sweet note with a bit of Bailey's. And in case our desserts and cordials weren't sweet enough, our server delivered a single fresh rose when she dropped off the check, a sweet deal at about 50 total after our $9 coupon.

Though we didn't ask the owner of Pars (who frequently checked on us and helped serve us during our meal) if the spelling on the sign was intentional, we're now inclined to believe "causal dining" is exactly what he meant. The effect: Full stomachs AND full wallets.

Marigold

4832 North Broadway
Chicago, IL 60640-3604
(773) 293-4653

Type: Indian Restaurant
Fancy Shmancy Factor: 3.5/5
Price: Entrees range from $12-$30
Quality for price: 3.5/5
Ambiance: Intimate and warm, on the verge of elegant
Other: Named after a flower

Here is something that restaurant patrons always love: being rushed. There is a fine line between getting people in and out of a restaurant in a timely manner and making them feel like they are welcome to stay as long as they want. It's a very delicate ballet between the server and guest at every stage of the meal. Last Thursday we decided to use one of our Groupons to Marigold in Uptown. We called around 8:00 to see if we needed reservations, but the woman on the phone assured me we would not. We told her we would be there in an hour and confirmed they closed at 10:00. Usually this would mean that a restaurant would take their last seating at 9:45 or 10:00, but not close the kitchen right at 10:00. However, we showed up a few minutes before 9:00 and by the time we could say, "Table for two" a gentleman at the door informed us the kitchen would be closing soon. He wasn't rude about it, just very matter-of-fact. So at this point, as conscientious restaurant patrons, we felt rushed. We sat down, trying not to let this initial contact get to us. We got water from the busser (who was awesome, by the way) and our server came over to greet us. And, what luck, it's the guy who greeted us! Oh goodie. We asked about the appetizer and drink special they had listed on their website and at first he acted like he had never heard of such a thing. I told him I saw it on the website an hour ago and he admitted that they used to do that, but had discontinued it. The next part is our favorite:

"Okay, well, what would you recommend for a cocktail?"

"That's really hard for me to say, since I created most of them. That would be like asking me to pick between my children."

"Okay, well we won't tell the other cocktails you didn't pick them."

"I'll give you guys some more time."

That was almost verbatim the exchange. So it went "What do you recommend?" to "Pretentious comment" back to "No, really, what do you recommend?" and ended with "I'm leaving and not answering your question." We were really not fans of this guy. But did we mention the busser was awesome? We ended up trying a couple of cocktails and then a couple more with our meals. Trying to win us over with his mixology skills and charm he asked, "Okay pop quiz: Out of the four cocktails you've had, three were created by me. Can you guess which one was not?" So now we get to play Quiz Show with this guy? We guessed it correctly and he was interested to know how we came to our conclusion. If we weren't so nice we would have said what we were thinking: "Well, that one was our favorite..."

If it seems like we were dissatisfied with our experience at Marigold, we must assert that it is only because of the awful taste left in our mouths from our interactions with this server, and not at all connected to the quality of the food. In fact, we were both very impressed with our meals, the classic Tandoori Chicken and spicier Lamb Shank Vindaloo. The portions were generous and both came with sides of basmati rice and we ordered a side of naan as well. We also enjoyed the Chicken Tikka we ordered as an appetizer but didn't much care for the kachoomber salad alongside (likely because neither of us like raw tomatoes and onions, which happened to be two of the three ingredients). Unfortunately, we didn't leave talking about the food, but could barely wait until we got out the door before we both exploded with the gripes we'd had to communicate non verbally in the quiet restaurant. Sadly, the most fun we had on this date was entertaining each other with impressions and reenactments of our pretentious waiter as we walked home.

So would we recommend Marigold as a date restaurant? The ambiance is nice, the food is tasty, the cost is reasonable. But to be honest, it's not worth the risk of having this guy (we really wish we caught his name) as your server, so as for our recommendation: order carryout.

Devon Seafood Grill

Devon Seafood Grill

39 E. Chicago Ave.

Chicago, IL 60611

312.440.8660

Type: Upscale Seafood

Fancy Shmancy Factor: 4/5

Price: Entrees $19-55
Quality for price: 4/5

Ambiance: Romantic
Other: Happy Hour Specials, Rotating Four Course Tasting Menu with optional wine pairings

[Dan] Okay, we're bad bloggers. Admitted. We've been seriously slacking and there is no excuse. But we're going to come up with some anyway: The holidays, as always, were crazy; We're both in various stages of job transitioning; Being on opposite schedules has taken its toll on our ability to go out; We can be just plain lazy. But it's a new year and a chance to start fresh. This past weekend we decided to go to Devon Seafood Grill on Chicago and Wabash for a celebratory dinner because, as hinted above, we both are starting new jobs. As some of you reading this blog may know, I've worked on and off at Devon for over three years now. That being said, this probably isn't going to be the most fair and unbiased blog entry we've done. We considered not reviewing it, but what the heck? It is a great restaurant and one of the reasons I've been there so long is because there are really good people who work there, too.

[Kristen] Contrary to what Dan wrote above, at least a portion of this review should be unbiased. In the time we have been dating, we have somehow managed not to have dinner at Devon until this past weekend and so, while Dan has probably tasted everything on the menu and can provide more of a comprehensive review, I can offer the first timer perspective most diners would experience. Admittedly, I wasn't a complete virgin to the Devon experience. I had met up with friends before for Happy Hour specials (great deals on apps and drinks) in the upstairs bar but this was my first time dining in the swanky dining room on the lower level.

When we made our reservation, Dan requested an alcove, which allowed us a semi-private table with a half wall separating us from the rest of the dining room. We were informed that the last couple sitting there had gotten engaged and considered it a good luck sign. So just to be sure to harness some of that luck, we ordered oysters as an appetizer. ;) Dan was kind enough to wait until I'd finished eating to tell me that the little buggers were actually alive, a fact I had somehow missed. We also had tuna tartare and ordered a bottle of Kendall Jackson's Summation (half price bottles on Sunday nights!).

Eventually, after much deliberation, we ordered our entrees. As Dan has mentioned in previous entries, I'm not a big seafood eater. But I may have to change my ways because the simply prepared Mahi Mahi I ate was so delicious that Dan didn't have any of my leftovers to eat as is usually the case. I chose Lobster mac n'cheese and grilled asparagus for my side dishes and these didn't disappoint either. Of course, I also had to try Dan's meal, which wasn't on the menu but he ordered it anyway. He got a medium-rare filet with Alaskan King Crab legs and chose asparagus and yukon gold whipped potatoes. Reasonable diners may have called it a night at this point. But not us! We continued our gluttonous affair by ordering a warm Ghirardelli Chocolate Lava Cake, some espresso, and Dan had a port to finish off the meal.

Truth be told, one of the reasons we decided to come to Devon last Sunday was because Dan had won a gift certificate through work and so we got a pretty good deal on our food. We're not made of money and the menu is on the pricier side so it is definitely a place for special occasions as far as we're concerned, whether proposing marriage, celebrating an anniversary, or toasting to a new job. Or bring a first date to enjoy some of the weeknight specials or happy hour deals to save some money without sacrificing the romantic vibe. I can honestly say that I would come to eat at Devon again, even if Dan didn't work there, even having to pay full price, even though I've never been much of a seafood gal. It was just. that. good.