I think that May was the busiest month yet for fun foodie events. I mean, I actually had to start saying “no” to invites because there were multiple events in one evening. I wish I could clone myself and be able to go to everything. Until then, I’ll write about what I was actually able to get to, which was still a lot!

Freds At Barneys

Freds At Barneys– I absolutely loved this “Sunset Dinner Preview” for many reasons; 1) the setup for our event was one of the most beautiful ever with personalized menus as well as gorgeous flowers and candles adorning the tables, 2) the fact that our special menu for the evening had mostly vegetarian and vegan dishes and 3) I had the chance to cross off a restaurant from my ever-growing list of “must-visit” places to check out in Chicago. A major score all the way around! As for the food, I can’t go on enough to tell you how much I loved all the new and inspired dishes by Chef Mark Strausman and the fact that he really took the time to include dishes to accommodate any diet. There is even a vegan pizza on the menu…not something you see everyday. Everything from the appetizers to salads to pizzas to desserts were delicious. I left feeling like this a place I can always come back to and know that I will eat great, healthy food that fits my vegetarian lifestyle. Who is in a for a little shopping and lunch with me at Freds at Barneys? Ok, maybe just some window-shopping, but lunch for sure!

Dolce Italian Restaurant – The Godfrey Hotel

Dolce Italian Restaurant– I love being “in the know” about hot spot restaurants, and even more so, before the restaurant has even opened! I was so thrilled to be invited to a sneak peek of the very cool and modern Italian restaurant Dolce, located on the first floor of The Godfrey Hotel in River North. I live just a few blocks away and had no idea this restaurant was even opening, so it was awesome get to check it out before it opened to the public. Dolce started in Miami and now has sister locations in Chicago and Atlanta. There’s a mozzarella bar, featuring made-to-order mozzarella dishes, as well as many Italian classics including perfectly made pastas and pizzas (which were absolutely delicious, by the way). I just happened to notice that Dolce has a fantastic happy hour special every single day of the week from 4-8pm where you can try many of the great cocktails and small plates for very reasonable prices while seated at the bar. I can never say no to a good happy hour. Is it 5 o’clock yet?

View From Chicago Elite Private Charter Yacht

Chicago Elite Yacht Cruise– I was SO excited for my first ever yacht christening and my first boat ride of the summer. And just as we were about to set sail, it monsooned. Like, black skies, sideways rain, even-with-an-umbrella-you-were-drenched, kind of downpour. And then the captain said we would have to remain docked due to the choppy waters on Lake Michigan. Sad face. But, I reminded myself that I was still on a yacht, with Moet and Chandon champagne and snacks, so it was all good! The most ironic thing was that about 10 minutes after the captain made the announcement to not sail, the skies parted and it was clear, sunny and beautiful. Go figure. At any rate, it was still nice to check out the new Chicago Elite private charter yacht. It’s a beautiful space that can be rented out for private parties with a smaller and more intimate setting than similar type cruises from Navy Pier. The amenities on the boat were modern and very well done, which makes for a great experience in my opinion. When I decide to host a bash on a boat, Chicago Elite will be it!

Baked Potato Bar At Macy’s Culinary Council Event

Macy’s Culinary Council– I think it’s pretty cool that each month Macy’s Culinary Council hosts awesome events around the country with some of the best chefs in the industry. To commemorate 125 years of food service in the Walnut Room (the 7th floor restaurant at Chicago’s State Street location), there was a wonderful luncheon to celebrate the occasion. For me personally, it was such an honor to meet chefs Cat Cora and Takashi Yagahashi, both of whom I have watched on many cooking competitions on tv. And, one of the neatest things from the event was the highlight of one of Macy’s food innovations, the baked potato. We’re talking celebrating the baked potato with a bar with 125 toppings. Can you just say overwhelming? Because I didn’t know what to do with the sheer volume of options, I just went a little crazy and tried as many veggies as I could (not that it’s such a bad thing). I’m thinking that was the first and last time I’m going to have 125 toppings to choose from for a baked potato (unless Mom, if you are reading this, want to do a bar with 126 toppings??) Check out Macy’s Culinary Council to see what events might be happening in your area, because they are clearly pretty awesome.

Drinks At NoMI Garden Rooftop

NoMI Garden Rooftop– It’s officially my favorite season in Chicago; rooftop season!! And, I’ve already been back to one of the best rooftops in the city, NoMI Garden at the Park Hyatt Chicago. On the 7th floor, right in the heart of high-rise buildings, this beautiful rooftop serves up not only some of the best drinks, but fantastic bites. At the rooftop kick-off party, I was blown away by all of the delicious appetizers being passed around (the baked polenta triangles were my favorite), the scrumptious mini desserts (like the homemade mint chocolate ice cream sandwiches), but mostly, the refreshing cocktails. It turned out to be a gorgeous and hot day for the event, so the wide array of summer drinks were perfect. I tried a few different drinks, but kept coming back to what became my favorite; fresh watermelon and cucumber juice, cucumber vodka and simple syrup. Yes please! I will be back, and often, for some rooftop shenanigans and those awesome drinks. Watch out NoMI Garden!

Jalapeno Ice Cream At National Restaurant Association Trade Show

National Restaurant Association Trade Show– I probably had the most fun telling people I was going to the NRA (no, not that NRA) but the National Restaurant Association trade show here in Chicago. Now, I’ve been to my fair share of healthcare conferences (related to my day job in health IT) with upwards of 40K attendees and thought those conferences were totally overwhelming. Well, the NRA blew those out of the water, with more than 63K attendees! To say this conference was totally overwhelming is an understatement. But, it was such an amazing experience to see vendors with everything related to the restaurant industry from refrigerators to tableware to condiments to food. And let me tell you…there was A LOT of food. It was fun to sample all kind of interesting items, like the Tabasco soft serve ice cream with fresh pineapple and toasted coconut…which was surprisingly awesome with the spicy and sweet flavors. And for me personally, I loved coming across the vegetarian and vegan vendors to see what new products they were showcasing, like gluten-free spaghetti noodles made from black beans. Aside from the exhibit halls that were packed with thousands of vendors, there were numerous panel sessions and speakers, chef demos and parties. So much to see and do and definitely not enough time. I won’t lie…I spent just one day at the conference and was completely exhausted (I walked 7 miles just at the conference itself…crazy). But, what a great experience to see and taste the latest in the food and restaurant industries.

Vegetarian Sliders At Mondo Meatball Restaurant

Mondo Meatball– Yes, it’s hilarious; The Vegetarian Tourist going to a place called Mondo Meatball. I too laughed at first upon the invite, but then when I looked at the menu, it made perfect sense why I was invited in the first place…for the vegan “meatball”. This meatball is also gluten-free (smart that they hit up so many dietary restrictions with this one!) and is made up of chickpeas, brown rice, vegetables and is very close in consistency and flavor to a falafel, yet totally different. You can order your meatballs in several different ways such as over pasta, in a sub or over a salad to name a few, and then pick one of the many different sauces. Since I like trying new things, I ordered the slider version, so I got three small sandwiches covered in three different sauces; the summer red sauce (basically the vegetarian version of the classic red), the Korean BBQ and guac-acado. My favorite sauce was surprisingly the Korean BBQ as it had a nice kick to it and some really great Asian flavors. I think Mondo Meatball is a fun Bucktown restaurant to try something different, while still knowing any dietary restriction will be well accommodated.

Please Note: While I was invited to each event, all opinions are my own.