Hi everyone!

Back again with another monthly mashup! Lots of events to recap this time around.

First up is my beautiful friend Cody’s first planned event at Diptyque. It was filled with cute cookies, fragrant candles, and champagne bubbles! She just started a blog and melds fashion with mental health and body positivity — aka all the good things — so definitely check her out here. 🙂

Next up, in the spirit of Galentine’s Day, chocolate decorating at Veruca Chocolates: a woman-owned chocolate shop in Lincoln Park. If you need an activity that’s a little more out of the box, definitely check this out. Plus, it tastes good!

After that, I checked out Enolo Wine Cafe in River North – a great place for happy hour and catching up with friends. We got the charcuterie board, burrata with smokey tomatoes & pesto, calamari, and baked goat cheese with spicy marinara – yum!

More food – this time at longtime favorite Holt’s, home of the best cheese curds! This time, in addition to the curds, I had the blueberry muffins and the blueberry French toast with ricotta: a menu item that I have NOT had before there. It has a muffin base so it’s super thick and fluffy – plus that ricotta just takes it over the edge. I was able to take this home and make it last for another couple days because that’s how filling it is!

Another Galentine’s Day event…because you have to have one for Valentine’s Day too! My co-worker and I went to Paradise Park, the yummy pizza spot in Wicker Park. They partnered with Casamigos — George Clooney’s tequila — that night with themed cocktails too like this ginger mint paloma topped with a Sugarfina orange gummy (on top of the orange slice). We started off with potato skins filled with pulled pork, cheese and bacon as well as the Knife & Forkner bbq chicken & bacon pizza. To finish, we got the amazing cookie dough balls with Oreo dust – the best way to end your evening at PP or Homeslice or Happy Camper.

And the final stop this month: Two Lights in Old Town, an East Coast seafood style restaurant. To start, I got the Bramble On cocktail with charred lemongrass vodka, agave, orange and pickled blackberries – sweet and refreshing!

 

Then the whipped crab dip with dill-vinegar Kennebec chips – mmm! Highly recommend for the chips alone. Very easy to share too!

Now the main courses: tuna tacos and a scallop roll. The menu is small plate style, so why not share everything else too? The tacos were perfection – crunchy wonton shells filled with ahi tuna & avocado & topped with spicy aioli. Yum! The scallop roll was the most unique out of all of them and I loved it! So succulent and fresh!

And finally, dessert! We tried the gooey butter cake with blueberries and lemon zest. Never had one before and it was the perfect note to end on – and the perfect size too!

To round out a packed month, I went to another Blackhawks game in United Center, yay! This time, my friend Sami and I went on a tour of the team locker room, weight room, kitchen, and saw tons of other memorabilia thanks to our alma mater, Indiana University. Super cool to see and we got good seats too. If you still haven’t been to a home Blackhawks, I highly recommend it now that I’ve seen one from start to finish inside UC.

Local Spots I Checked Out: Diptyque Wicker Park, Paradise Park, Veruca Chocolates, Enolo Wine Cafe, Holt’s, Two Lights, IU Blackhawks Night

Events I’m Looking Forward To Next Month: Austin Trip (though technically the first night was the last day of February), Mardi Gras, Maren Morris Concert, Joe’s Imports, St. Patrick’s Day, Fat Shallot, Friends’ Birthdays

See you in the next post!