ChiLuxe Travel

In between all of this luxury travel, I’ve been trying to save some money at home, and one of the best ways I’ve found to do that and STILL be able to enjoy Michelin-level extraordinary food, is check out the bars and companion restaurants to the real deal. This is a review of The Loyalist, which is three-star Michelin Smyth’s baby basement bar brother. Definitely click here for my ode to Smyth, which was easily one of the best meals…

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EL Ideas is the kind of place that you dream about when you book a special, Michelin-starred dinner. It’s located in a hidden, one-way street in the middle of the Douglas Park neighborhood of Chicago, which is mainly industrial; there is only room to seat about 20 people; it’s BYOB, so you won’t be paying marked up prices for booze (and allows the chef to really focus on the food); Chef Foss is there every day, hosting his intimate dinner…

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Let me just start this post by saying, WOW! My husband and I came to Smyth for a special anniversary dinner in February, 2025, and it vastly exceeded all, very high, expectations. This three-star Michelin eatery honestly deserves four stars, not only for their impeccable food, but also the over-the-top service. Everything you would expect from a three-star experience is here, along with amazing extra touches throughout the evening, with so many extra special gifts, you feel like a celebrity…

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It’s restaurant week (more like month!) here in Chicago, and I always try to check out a few new spots each year, since the menu is usually such a great deal. Often, there are a handful of Michelin-starred restaurants offering a shortened tasting menu. Last year we checked out Boka, which I thought was really excellent, but had a somewhat uninspired restaurant week menu, making me want to go back and check out their normal prix fixe fare. This year,…

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