I recently discovered two restaurants in Chicago that I think have instantly become two of my favorites! These new Windy City eats involve pizza and waffles. What’s not to love?? I wanted to share these delicious hot spots so that if you’re in for a visit, or live here haven’t had them yet, you can get ’em on your agenda.
Eric and I had a date night at Homeslice. This place had been on our radar for awhile because it instantly made us think of the Home Slice back in Austin that we loved. The classic, cool neighborhood vibes are obvious from the moment you step foot inside this restaurant.
The space is adorned with unique interior design features – from polished, wooden tables to rose-gold colored light fixtures to a log bar. Then, when you didn’t think it could get better, you find the outdoor patio with more cool furniture, strings of patio lights, and wooden beams holding up windows that encase the whole area. This sign was my favorite, perhaps I’ve found a new life motto.
We shared the bread sticks and goat cheese for an appetizer, and basically died because they were so good. You must try them. We had to keep telling each other to stop eating them so we’d have room for pizza. Basically, it was out of control.
For our pizza, we split the Bennett’s Beauty – a wheel of deliciousness complete with pepperoni, Italian sausage, mushrooms, mozzarella, provolone, and marinara. The crust is delicious! We left with happy and full bellies that were on the verge of exploding. I wanted to just roll into an uber, but thankfully Eric made us take the train home and I got to walk it off some.
The second place I fell in love with that weekend was Beatrix in River North for Sunday brunch. This is another place that’s just beautiful on the inside. High ceilings, wooden beams and light fixtures, and a variety of chairs and tables that give the whole place a unique feel. I felt like I walked onto the set of an HGTV show. It was totally poppin’ – very glad we had a reservation since we still waited for a bit.
Beatrix has the prettiest breakfast cocktails! Becca and Kelly tried the blueberry and strawberry mimosas, while Eric and I clung to our coffee.
The whole menu looked incredible, so of course it took me a long time to decide. The girls ended up choosing the Eggs Your Way and the Spicy Chicken Tinga. Eric went with a special migas buffet and I landed on the house-made Belgian style waffle. It ended up being four adorable mini waffles, topped off with fresh strawberries and sweet cream – best presentation ever. I also ordered a side of the brown sugar bacon.
It was all SO GOOD. Such a great meal with good conversation and company. I love brunch for that reason – eating yummy breakfast food with people you love is the best.
I hope you get to try these Windy City eats soon. If you’ve got another Chicago must-try, I want to know!
