The Rundown v17

Hello! As Chicago gears up to host the James Beard Awards on Monday, I am taking a look back at some of the wonderful events I have attended recently. While I might have cheated on my diet… I made it to the gym 22 times this month, and when I ate at home I promise it was chicken breasts, sweet potatoes, and vegetables. I did indulge in some incredible food though.

I dined at Pizza East with my friends Erin and Margaret, I was seriously craving pizza after writing a freelance piece about Chicago pizza.

I joined my friends Anne, Alexis, and Lauren at a preview party for Weber Grill Restaurant’s new menu. I had a massive burger with cheddar and grilled onions topped with fried pickles and served with parmesan fries.

My friend Nicole and I went to the Virgin Hotel launch party. Chicago is home to the very first Virgin Hotel, and it boasts three different restaurants, and a rooftop.

The next week I went to the launch party for Cerise, the Virgin Hotel’s rooftop lounge, and this roof is definitely going to be the summer hotspot.

Arianna Huffington paid a visit to my office where she talked about making little changes to your routine, like sleeping more, to make yourself more effective. You can read more about the talk over on the Windy City Blogger Collective site.

I discovered TallBoy Taco, a new restaurant in part of the National 27 space. I highly recommend both the Corn Fundito and the Beer Batter Avocado Tacos. Plus, the chef is very accommodating to people who don’t like cilantro.

Then we headed across the street to the Green Door Tavern. Did you know that there is a speakeasy in the basement? It’s called The Drifter and it’s my new favorite place. The drink menu is printed on tarot cards, and there are burlesque shows.

I went to a tasting at Fresha Place, a new quick service restaurant in the loop where everything is fresh and under 550 calories.

Food + Wine magazine invited influencers to Spiaggia where they announced that they are launching a Chicago food festival. Mark your calendars for August 28-30. And in case you missed it, I broke down all of the upcoming Chicago food fests.

PopSugar asked me to create a video about my favorite food truck, and of course I picked The Fat Shallot.

I attended a brunch at the Waldorf Astoria to celebrate the launch of the Goop Pop Up Shop in Chicago.

The Goop Pop Up Shop at 11 East Walton Street and it has a great mix of kitchen essentials, home goods, and fashion.

The Windy City Blogger Collective hosted an event at SoulCycle, a new spin studio in my neighborhood. I thought that I hated spinning, but SoulCycle’s classes which are described as a dance party on a bike are a combination of serious fun and serious workout. (photo via)

Rent the Runway opened a storefront in Chicago, and they threw a huge bash to celebrate. The coolest thing was that they brought in female owned businesses to help with the party. (photo via)

The shop is you answer to a last minute wardrobe crisis. It’s filled with gorgeous dresses in every color or every occasion, plus accessories too. My friend Kelly is sharing a discount code for $30 off your first RTR order over on her site, Kelly in the City.

After the RTR launch party, my girlfriends and I headed to Henry’s Swing Club for 90s night… and it was the most fun thing ever. The menu has a great variety of guilty pleasures like cheese fries, onion rings, fried pizza balls, and a huge selection of sliders. We loved the fried chicken and honey slider. And don’t even get me started on the cocktails. The cocktail menu is huge and the drinks we tried were delicious. My favorite was the hucklebuck a champagne cocktail with passionfruit and citrus. We will definitely be returning to Henry’s.

Tonight, my friend Lauren and I, along withs some other wonderful bloggers, are hosting the #RiojaBuzz twitter chat. From 8-9pm CT we will be talking about two of my favorite topics: wine and tapas. Follow the hashtag #RiojaBuzz to join the fun, plus there will be great prizes for participants!

This weekend promises to be crazy busy with events leading up to the James Beard Awards and Derby parties. Follow me on Instagram to follow along.