Since June was so incredibly busy, I actually wrote two separate posts to include everything I was up to. If you didn’t already see Part 1, here it is. Otherwise, read on…..

Barcocina Chicago Jalapeno Cornbread

Barcocina Chicago– I will never say no to Mexican food. Ever. So, the chance to check out Barcocina, a new Mexican restaurant in Lakeview, made me very happy! There were so many things I loved about this spot, especially the beautiful space that is so open and airy. I can definitely see myself back here during the summer AND winter Chicago months! As for the food and drinks, all fabulous. My favorite drink was the Basil Bramble which is made of Botanist Gin, muddled strawberries, basil, jalapeno simple syrup and lemon juice. And from the food, I really enjoyed the Barcocina guacamole (basil + Oaxaca cheese + pasilla lima balsamic sauce) and the Cumin Scented Mushroom tacos (spiced lentils + poblano + goat cheese crema). But, easily the favorite at the table was the jalapeno cornbread with maple butter, served piping hot, in the cutest little cast iron skillet. Not only did I want to steal the cast iron skillet, I wanted to order like 5 more cornbreads for the table. But, I didn’t. Should I have? And should I next time?!

Trump Spa Chicago

Trump Hotel Wellness Day– Turns out that June 13th was celebrated around the world as “Global Wellness Day.” Don’t feel too bad, I had no idea either. To celebrate the special day, The Trump Spa had a morning filled with various workout classes (like bootcamp, yoga, cardio dance and strength/core training) as well as mini massages and other activities. It was a great reminder to focus on health and well-being and make both a top priority. I was definitely excited to check it out. I thoroughly enjoyed the cardio dance class as the teacher was so high energy and had us doing all kind of genres of dance from hip hop to belly dancing to country line dancing. And lets just say that when I got my mini massage, the masseuse was a little shocked at how tight my back was. Guess that’s all the confirmation I need to now book myself a full, one hour massage at The Trump Spa. Right?! Right.

Sugar Bliss Cake Boutique

Sugar Bliss Cake Boutique– My dear friend Teresa owns this fantastic cupcake shop in the Loop and I absolutely love her story about how she quit her job in finance and followed her passion to open up this dream. Not only are her cupcakes beautiful and delicious, she has expanded her offerings to include cakepops, French macarons, and most recently, popsicles. Together we hosted a party for local media and bloggers to showcase the new popsicles and not surprisingly, they were a HUGE hit. I loved how everyone was raving about the popsicles and brimming with creativity for great pictures to post on social media. Not only that, we were taught how to frost cupcakes from the experts at Sugar Bliss and let’s just say that none of us media/blogger folk will be quitting our day jobs anytime soon. I spent more time laughing at my efforts than actually frosting because I just could not recreate that beautiful flower pattern that adorns each cupcake at Sugar Bliss. Even Teresa got a good laugh at my cupcakes! Anyways, now that it is finally summer, pop in for a popsicle at Sugar Bliss (the mojito popsicle was the fan favorite from our party….sorry, no alcohol in it though)!

Current Restaurant at W Hotel Lakeshore

Current Restaurant at the W Hotel Lakeshore– It’s funny…for the sheer amount of time I have spent at the W Hotel (Lakeshore), between the downstairs lounge, upstairs bar and Bliss Spa, you would think that I would have eaten at the restaurant at some point. Nope! So, I was pretty excited with the invite to dine at the newly concepted restaurant called Current. While our evening’s menu was designed to highlight some of the best meat and fish dishes, the chef created special vegetarian options for me since I was the only veggie person at the table. Of all the items I tried, I absolutely fell in love with the baby cucumber salad which had mint, ricotta, radishes and white balsamic. Such a simple, yet light and refreshing dish and perfect for the summer. I guess it was better that I went to town on the cucumber salad than on desserts (speaking of, the Belgian waffle sundae with caramelized bananas, frangelico and malted vanilla gelato was to die for). So, if you find yourself at the W Hotel Lakeshore, be good and have the cucumber salad or be really good and get the waffle sundae!

Infiniteus Rocks and Juice

Infiniteus Rocks and Juice– I am definitely liking the fact that I have been trying out so many new juice places lately. I feel like it is my little way to detox for at least one day while I get the chance to be foodie extraordinaire the rest of the week. What’s great about the Infiniteus Rocks and Juice spot in Bucktown is that it so much more than just raw, vegan, organic juices (I absolutely loved the juice called “Green Crack” that is made of green apple, celery, cucumber, kale, parsley, lemon and ginger); there are also delicious food items to try out as well as cool energy healing rocks, all in one spot. In the back of the building is an entire separate area dedicated to rocks, gems and stones. Pretty cool to walk through and learn about as it’s all about healing your body and your energy at a one-stop-shop. How can you not leave this place feeling better? I know I did!

Just Salad Chicago

Just Salad– It’s funny, just the other day I saw someone complaining on Facebook about how Chicago doesn’t have any of the awesome salad places that NYC and SF do. Enter Just Salad. This NYC-based chain (also an internationally present in the UAE and Hong Kong) opened in the Loop a few months ago and is a great healthy option. I popped in and have to admit that I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of choices…which for a vegetarian is an unknown feeling. From the suggested salad options to the build-your-own, I literally stood there for like 10 minutes just staring at the menu trying to figure out what on earth I was craving (seriously, it all sounded good). I went with the baked falafel salad and was not disappointed at all. I liked that all ingredients, calories and information are clearly listed so you know what you are getting yourself into. You can also get each salad prepared as a wrap, which is a nice option. I wish Just Salad was closer to my office so I could go more frequently, because I definitely would. Sometimes I just crave a good salad.

Please Note: While I was invited to attend these events, all opinions are my own.