A Fun, FOODIE Mother/Daughter Weekend in Chicago!

This past weekend, my amazing Mom came to visit me in Chicago. Not only was it so great to spend time with her, but I finally got to share my passion for food with her. She got a glimpse into my new career as a food blogger, my inspiring friends and life that I’ve built in this incredible city over the last two years.

We had a whirlwind of a time and got the opportunity to eat at some amazing spots. If your mom is coming to town, I highly suggest you go to these 6 spots I’m going to tell you about. Not only are each of them incredible delicious, but they made my mom feel like a rockstar.

Brunch

Summer House Santa Monica: No matter what time of year, it’s always summertime at Summer House. Located in Lincoln Park on Halstead, I promise you will feel completely transported the second you step foot into the restaurant. This spot serves up some of the most incredible brunch in the city. Hands down. Everything is so crisp, fresh and delicious. My go-to dish is the avocado toast with a poached egg. Oh and if you’re really nice and ask politely, they can add some freshly shaved truffles for you. It’s a game changer.

Freds at Barneys: If your mom is a big shopper like mine is, than there is no perfect place to kill two birds with one stone. Freds is the restaurant above the famous Barneys department store in the Gold Coast. Just make sure you go shopping BEFORE you eat, because this food is so delicious, you may need a nap afterwards. My favorites are the Chicken Milanesa and the margarita pizza with a sunny side up egg!

Lunch

GT Fish & Oyster: Since I’m from the East Coast, I always crave a good lobster roll (and so does my mom). In my opinion, there isn’t a better one in the city than at GT. They serve it up two different styles, Connecticut (with butter) and Maine (with mayo). I usually opt for CT because of all the buttery goodness that comes along with it, but the traditional Maine style is also incredible. It’s served along side these highly addictive crispy onion straws and picked veggies. Simply but, it’s a must.

Lou Malnatis: You can argue all you want, but in my opinion, Lou’s is the best deep dish in Chicago. Everyone has their preference, but whenever a guest comes to town, Lou’s always seems to get the biggest applause. Pequods is a VERY close second…but Lou Malanti’s wins for me. Every single time.

Dinner

Sunda: If you ever want to make your Mom feel like a celebrity, take them to Sunda (and I can almost guarantee you will spot one there). Every time I go, the staff makes me feel like I just got off the red carpet from promoting my multi-million dollar movie (which by the way will never happen). It’s really incredible how spot on their service is. Couple that with some seriously crave-able dishes, and you’ve got one of the best spots in the city. The highlights for me are the brussels sprout salad, rock shrimp tempura and spicy tuna with crispy rice.

Dolce Italian: This may be one of the hottest new spots in the city. Located in the insanely popular, Godfrey Hotel, Dolce is serving up some of the most authentic Italian in the Chicago. My mom and I loved every single dish we tried (so it’s hard to pick a favorite). She loved the fettuccine bolognese and I loved the spicy Tartufata Pizza. Whatever you choose, you can’t go wrong. Oh and DON’T miss the meringue cake for dessert. You will thank me later.

Between all that eating, we even got to go watch my friends, Ryan Chivarini  and Ji Suk, rock it out on Windy City Live (check out the cover photo)! We also took out an amazing architecture boat tour.

Needless to say, we had the greatest time. We saw, did and ate absolutely EVERYTHING we could possible. We’re both leaving this weekend 10lbs heavier and with a lifetime of new memories.

Love always,
Erica