Mentioned by Atlas Obscura
14 Surprisingly Romantic Places in Chicago
"For a big city, Chicago has a surprising number of places dedicated to all things green. For example, the Lincoln Park Conservatory, on the shores of Lake Michigan, has a botanical garden teeming with ferns, tropical flowers, and palms."
"Lincoln Park Conservatory has been a beautiful getaway since the 1890s. Inside, you’ll find tropical palms, ancient ferns, and plenty of other exotic plants."
"Among the 26 different gardens here are the three-island Malott Japanese Garden, the 5-acre Evening Island, and the Grunsfeld Children's…"
"The Loop isn’t quite rife with French cuisine so this casual steakhouse, attached to the Hyatt Centric and run by WellDone Hospitality Group, has been a welcome addition to the area since opening two years ago. Whether guests stop in during lunch for a beef dip sandwich or treat themselves to a nice hunk of dry-aged beef at dinner, there are plenty of delicious choices that’ll evoke visions of Paris."
"Kick off the last day of your Chicago itinerary with brunch at Cochan Volant, a French bistro in the Loop that is basically a brunch-lovers paradise."
"A partnership of L.A.’s Stan’s Donuts with our homegrown Labriola Baking Company, the Chicago version may not be quite as star-struck, but wow, do they know how to donut. Now open in nine Chicagoland locations (with a 10th coming soon to Oak Brook Terrace), you can load up on their Standard (Glazed, Powdered Sugar, Plain Old Fashioned), Dough Boy’s Best (Peanut Butter Banana Pocket, Glazed Pretzel), and Specialty (Raspberry Bismark, Glazed Orange Old Fashioned, Dreamsicle Bar) donuts, as well as a small selection of “glutenless” donuts, and wash it down with Stan’s Dark Roast coffee (another happy partnership, this one with local Passion House Coffee Roasters)."
"If you’re still trying to diet in this pandemic, well you should definitely avoid following Stan’s Donuts & Coffee’s Instagram, because one look at their photos will completely override any self discipline you thought you had. More importantly, Stan’s has the flavor to back it up. Featured flavors include: Biscoff Banana Pockets, Glazed Pretzels, Lemon-Pistachio Old Fashioneds, and their new Caramel Marshmallow Pockets."
"There are regular doughnuts and then there are doughnuts topped with sprinkles and filled with bananas and Nutella, and Stan's specializes in the latter."
"Many of Chicago’s most historic buildings are located in the loop. The Willis Tower was the world’s tallest building until 1998. Including the antenna, it is 1,730 feet tall."
"It is rare to find a restaurant solely serving brunch and happy hour, however, Hutch Bistro and its sister venue Hutch Café have this concept down to a science. Hutch Bistro opened in Lakeview in 2013, followed by Hutch Café opening in 2016 in River North. The menu at both focuses on American comfort food and cocktails, made with quality ingredients."
"Imagine enjoying one of Hutch’s amazing Bloody Marys al fresco. Sounds heavenly, right?. Well, Hutch not only has amazing food but also has a fantastic outdoor space for you to soak up the sun while trying the unbelievable croissant French toast."
"In the meantime, please enjoy the restaurant’s description: Riccardo started his career at a very young age in Milan's prestigious GIRARROSTO which ..."