The Food + Travel Idea: Piccolo Sogno

Piccolo Sogno, originally Italian, when translated to English means “little dream-” the perfect descriptor for this marine blue star of a restaurant. I made reservations for the two of us here for our night out on the Windy City, and would jump at the chance to eat here again. This restaurant sets itself apart from the mafia meeting-place, family-run Italian restaurants generally associated with Chicago in a few big ways.

From simply browsing the website, you can safely assume that the restaurant is fairly invested in its own style and outward appearances (it's got a really refined, web 2.0 kind of setup- kudos to whoever designed it). This assumption holds true on-site as well, as all the design aspects contribute to a cozy, comfortable vibe that's perfect for romantic outings and dinners with family.

How about the food? Well, if you like seafood, you're in luck (I feel like all I've written about is fish). Piccolo Sogno specializes in food from Southern Italy, serving up a fishing village's worth of the sea's fruits. Clara ordered the black (squid-ink) spaghetti Frutti del Mare, and I got a similar dish with more seafood and no pasta- their seafood stew. Both dishes were delicious, and I can only assume that most other seafood-inspired dishes on their menu are of similar quality.

Our waiter was helpful, if not a bit passive in helping us decide which entree to order. At first we thought he had a fake Italian accent, but it wasn't until we took our time and listened to the wait staff's conversations with one another that we realized it was probably just an over-eccentric Spanish accent. Nonetheless, he helped make the dinner successful, and for that he gets my stamp of approval.

For more information, or if you simply want to see the website's cool, refined design, check out Piccolo Sogno online at piccolosognorestaurant.com.

The Food Idea: The Grand Lux Cafe

If you've ever been to the Cheesecake Factory, the Grand Lux Cafe shouldn't be too much of a surprise for your palate. Being a part of my family easily qualifies you as a seasoned veteran of all things Cheesecake Factory. It's not uncommon to see the Alexander clan, five deep, sitting nicely at a table within The Factory's hallowed walls. We put our aggressions aside and replace them with the worldly (but still Americanized) dishes of the Cheesecake Factory's menu.

Conceptually, the Grand Lux Cafe is nothing more than a Cheesecake Factory with a sprig of parsley perched atop its faux-Venetian exterior, but it's that extra sprig of parsley that makes the entire experience feel all the classier. While the Grand Lux's added class is nice, though (and I still enjoyed my time there), it doesn't completely annul the problems that the restaurant faces.

Upon entering the Grand Lux Cafe, you are enveloped by a whirlwind of orange, yellow, and dark red that gives a casual (yet still somewhat refined) sensibility to the entire restaurant. It's not entirely convincing, but hey- I'm willing to put aside my critiques if it means I can enjoy a good, solid meal. Clara and I were seated in a circular room overlooking Michigan Avenue, lined with artwork of a decidedly modest style. The view was nice, the ambiance was welcoming, and our waitress was eager to help.

As I'm familiar with both the Grand Lux and Cheesecake Factory menus, I decided to order one of my favorite standbys: chicken enchiladas (boring, I know, but hey- they're good). Clara, more adventurously, ordered the restaurant's DeLux Breakfast Sandwich, which promised all the protein-rich fixings of a home-style breakfast (and then some) sandwiched between two slices of brioche. Both dishes were, as expected, above average, and were perfect fuel for the day ahead.

Don't get me wrong, I love this restaurant, it does what is advertised. The Grand Lux Cafe is a consistently adequate, fairly classy restaurant. Like a workhorse in a tuxedo, it gets the job done while still maintaining a refined sensibility, accessible to even the most unexperienced of tenderfoots in the world of fine dining.