EMA CHICAGO RESTAURANT WEEK FULL

Even if eggplant sounds healthy and boring and like something you wouldn't want. If you were to only get one thing (which you shouldn't do), get the eggplant. If you must order three things at Giant, they are: the uni shooter, essentially a ball of butter and uni fried to perfection, the biscuit with jalapeño butter, and sweet and sour eggplant with cashew and pancetta. As a result, tables are on top of each other, so you'll want to get to know your neighbor (we did). Chef Jason Vincent (formerly of Nightwood) is crafting some amazing shared dishes and handmade pastas that will make you say 'wow, that's good.' Contrary to the name, the restaurant is pretty small. Bad jokes aside, this place lives up to the hype. One of the hottest restaurants in Chicago is so huge, it's Giant. Their version was topped with sliced bananas, caramel sauce, and vanilla bean ice cream. One of my favorite desserts of all time is bread pudding so when I spotted it on the dessert menu, it was a no-brainer choice. My steak was well-seasoned and prepared to my liking which honestly happens only about 50% of the time (medium rare all the way) so I was pretty happy. They were dipped in a Spotted Cow beer batter and their freshness was unbeatable! I'm so glad we did because the curds at Crafted Americana were some of the best I've had. When in Wisconsin, one must order cheese curds. Our dinner at Crafted Americana rivaled the quality of Chicago steakhouses, complete with fresh seafood, prime steaks, and decadent desserts.

EMA CHICAGO RESTAURANT WEEK FULL

The hotel's new dining options include a wine and coffee bar, bean + vine, as well as Crafted Americana, a full service restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The restaurant has a contemporary atmosphere and features modern American dishes with homemade touches. The wine list is quite unique as well many wines are sourced from places you don't typically find on wine lists including Israel, Lebanon, Morocco, and Croatia. It's best to order a bunch of dishes and share, so I'd recommend going with a small group of adventurous eaters. Some of my favorite dishes were the house-made labneh with marcona almonds, honey, grapes, and homemade bread, as well as the stracciatella, similar to a burrata. Both are bright and airy, and California-influenced. The Mediterranean-influenced restaurant has a similar vibe to Summerhouse Santa Monica, in my opinion. Lettuce Entertain You's Ema opened in June in River North, helmed by Top Chef CJ Jacobson. I thought I'd recap some of the highlights from places I've been in hopes that it sparks an idea or two for you the next time you're planning a meal out! But much of my time as of late has been devoted to work, wedding planning, and writing awesome pieces for Thrillist! But fret not, I'm back on The GG and it's been a fabulous few weeks of dining. MAN have I been busy eating! Seemingly too busy to write about it.

Ema chicago restaurant week