[dropcap]L[/dropcap]ast Saturday, my Chicago girlfriends and I had brunch at Cindy’s, which is located on the rooftop level of the Chicago Athletic Hotel on Michigan Avenue. I’d attended a Veuve Clicquot event there over the summer, and completely fell in love with the space and knew I’d have to come back with Mitch or friends. I mean, just look at this! If I were engaged right now, I would totally want to get married there. (Not that the Chicago Athletic Hotel would be in the cards, haha.)
When you have a big group, finding brunch spots in the city that can actually accommodate your large party can be time-consuming and annoying. Way too many phone calls! But we booked our reservation through DINE by Tasting Table–an app that helps users discover and make those pesky reservations at the best restaurants near them–and it was super easy.
Named by Refinery 29 as the “food app of [your] dreams,” DINE allows you to search by neighborhood, cuisine or special feature. (Like BYOB, for example.) Simply check the map for spots located near you, or use one of the editors’ lists to snag a table. The app, which is managed by a full-time staff of Tasting Table editors, also automatically updates itself with all the newest restaurant-related information, such as major critical reviews, newly added editors’ lists, and the most important openings and closings. It’s seriously cool. And the reason we were able to score a huge table at Cindy’s on a Saturday during prime bunch time. Definitely download! :)
Anyway, I had an absolutely fabulous time with Lauren, Jenn, Kit, Maya, Erin, Emily, Jess, Shaheen and Blair at Cindy’s! As you can see from the photos, the restaurant features extremely tall ceilings and a giant skylight, making for one of the most beautiful restaurant settings I’ve ever seen. It also has an attached open-air terrace that overlooks Millennium Park, the Art Institute and Lake Michigan. While it’s amazing during the summer–think cocktails and dresses and warm breezes–it’s also awesome during the winter. (Fire pits and toasty patio heaters!)
And the food? Incredible. We ordered platters, which are meant for sharing, so we were able to try a lot! My favorite was the French Toast, but the Salt & Pepper Biscuits and Croque Madame were quite fabulous as well! I’m not exactly a “foodie,” and usually don’t order things I can’t pronounce, haha. But so glad my friends are more cultured than I am, because that Croque Madame thing–something I never would have tried without their encouragement–surprised me! ;)
A huge thanks to DINE by Tasting Table for having us!
And catch the last couple of “Chicago Eats” posts here:
Chicago Eats: Carriage House, Formento’s & The Hampton Social
Chicago Eats (And Drinks) with Gilt City
Blair’s glare? Hahaha
