I don't usually write out what I'd like to do each season, and my lack of organization leads me to forget to make time to visit a pumpkin patch every fall or to go sledding in the winter. So this summer, we're doing it. We're hitting all of the fun things to do in the city and not let the summer run away from us one weekend at a time.
So as you probably saw on my Instagram, I participated in the Tour de Frosé on Saturday! It was an event put on by a couple of awesome bloggers that took us to five different Chicago restaurants to sample their frosé! And I mean, really, is there anything better than frosé? In case you haven't heard of it, it's basically a cocktail made with frozen rosé - some places mixed it with a fruit pureé, and some places served a version that was closer to frozen wine. So where did we go?
Tiny Tapp is right on the riverwalk, and is in such a beautiful location! I've actually walked past it a few times but didn't stop in because I thought it was just beer - well I was wrong! Their frosé was delicious (it tasted kind of like a smoothie with some wine in it) and it was fun to hang out by the river and people/boat watch. Definitely a spot I'll have to check out for happy hour sometime!
I had no idea this place existed, and now I have to go back! Saint Lou's Assembly is just a couple of blocks off of restaurant row, and had a huge back patio complete with bocce ball and some great space for lounging. Oh, and the frosé? Really freaking good. This one tasted much more like rosé and was really refreshing. They also were serving giant buckets of fried chicken, which is enough to convince Jeff we need to visit, so we'll definitely be back!
The Hampton Social is the stop I've been to the most, and the only place I've tried the frosé before! If you've never been, it's so freaking cute - it's like their designer made sure that every single corner is Instagrammable. Jeff and I were seated under the Rosé All Day sign once, and it was hilarious how many photos we ended up in. Their frosé has some peach pureé in it as well as rosé, which makes it really refreshing. We had the lounge section reserved, and there was live music while we were there, which made it the perfect place to relax and escape from the sun! They actually gave us two rounds of frosé here, and we all left much more giggly than when we got there ;)
I've been to Drumbar before but never out on the roof deck, and oh my gosh you guys, those views! It's right next to the Hancock building and has some stunning city views, but you can also see the lake. So freaking gorgeous. The frosé here was also much more wine-y than some of the others, and I clearly drank it so fast I didn't manage to get any photos of the full glass ;)
Our last and final stop was at Celeste, and you guys, I don't know how I haven't been there before because it is right by my office! They have a roof deck too, but we didn't even make it out there because the interior was so stunning - just look at all of that green! The frosé was great here too! It actually may have been my favorite, but was so full of berries it didn't taste much like rosé anymore. I love berry smoothies though, so add a little booze to one and I'm good to go.
To cruise around the city all day, we used the rideshare app Via - have you heard of it? It's a really affordable and fun way to get around in style, and we had a blast chatting with our driver between frosé sips. If you want to try Via for free, visit it.ly/2fNYZwA and use the code "kristinadoes" for three free rides (terms apply).
Last week I took the whole week off of work for a little rest and relaxation. I wanted to do a little staycation here in Chicago had a lot of things planned for the week. Jeff was supposed to have the whole week off too but ended up having to work several hours every day, so we didn't end up having enough time to squeeze everything in.
We did, however, manage to make it downtown for a little day date! We wandered around Millennium Park in the cold and saw the Bean and the big Christmas tree, which was especially fun for me because I used to work a block away from the park so I'd go just about every day. After that we went up to Cindy's for lunch and a few cocktails. Cindy's is on top of the Athletic Club and has a beautiful view of the park and Lake Michigan. I made a reservation even though we were going really early, which meant they put us at one of the best tables right next to the windows - it was so gorgeous!!
The food at Cindy's was so good too - we freaking loved the tartine, and I even managed to get Jeff to share a salad with me, which is impressive because usually when we get small plates he only wants meat and more meat. I also accidentally ordered a cocktail that had scotch in it - whoops! Once I realized the mishap and ordered something I would actually like, I really loved the cocktails too.
After lunch Jeff had to go home to do a little more work, while I wandered the Magnificent Mile for some slightly tipsy afternoon shopping - always exciting ;) Now if only I could have another week off of work to explore the city!
