A Taste of the Windy City

Happy friday everyone! Hope everyone plans on enjoying the pretty weather we're going to have this weekend. Today's post is going to be a review on all the food places I ate at in Chicago, so if you're ever planning on visiting soon, some of these places are so good and some may not be worth it (depending on what you eat). For the most part, when I eat out I'm vegetarian unless the restaurant serves Halal meat (since I am Muslim)-- so if you see me mentioning this down below, that's why :). 

1) Usmania's, ($$) an Indo-Chinese restaurant located on Devon Ave. 

Orange Chicken and Hakka Noodles

This was one of the first spots we tried in Chicago and man was this place good! There are two restaurants with the same name located right across each other (not sure how/why this happened lol). The Usmania restaurant is bigger & serves (halal) Pakistani food whereas this was across the street serving (halal) Indo-Chinese food. The servers were kind and accommodating and the prices weren't bad for the amount of food you received. We ordered the: corn soup, orange chicken, hakka noodles, manchurian chicken with a side of white rice. I can't say I was a fan of the soup however everything else was absolutely delicious. Definitely stop by here if you're in the area!


2) Catch 35, ($$$) a high-end seafood & steak restaurant located at 35 W Wacker Dr. 

Catch 35 was recommended to us by almost everyone in our lobby at the Renaissance hotel. It was less than 50 feet from the hotel and apparently everyone working there loved it so we decided to try this place out for dinner. Since they do not serve halal meat, I was limited in what I could order here. They had a variety of shrimp options and I got buffalo shrimp with a side of fries. My sister ordered salmon, which she liked. The buffalo shrimp however is something I do not recommend getting. It was literally buffalo sauce poured on cooked shrimp (I'm glad I ordered French Fries is all I'm saying lol). Personally, I did not enjoy this place but if you eat meat (fish, etc.)you will have a lot more options and may want to try it out or find Yelp reviews. However, everyone was nice and the ambiance is upscale formal. 


3) Lou Malnati's, ($$) an American Chicago-style pizza restaurant chain (multiple locations). 

The Lou

Oh. My. God. If you visit Chicago and don't go to Lou Malnati's... what are you doing with your life? I will say this, do not let the wait time turn you away from trying it. There were three of us and we were given an estimated 1 hour wait however they gave us a booth used for two people in about 15 minutes and we all fit so it worked out! A plus is that while you put your name down, you can go ahead and order so by the time you're seated your pizza is ready since it takes 45 minutes to make. 

It is no secret that I love pizza but I had never tried deep dish before so I was excited to try this place out because it was recommended by so many. We got the classic "Lou" pizza in medium and it was big enough for all three of us. If you love pizza or are a major foodie, you have to try this place and somehow make room for the chocolate chip cookie desert. It takes 10 minutes to make so they recommend ordering it after you start on your second slice. We waited awhile after finishing our pizza to put in our order for desert because we were pretty stuffed, but I wish we had gotten the bigger size! The small order is a sample size and once you take a bite-- you'll wish you ordered the bigger one (like we did haha). 




4) Max's Take Out, ($) a small American fast food joint serving hot dogs, burgers & fries located at 20 E Adams St. If you eat halal/kosher-- ask for a separate menu! 

Personally, I wasn't a fan of this place. It wasn't bad-- I ate my chili cheese + onions hot dog and my fries but the chili didn't have enough flavor that I'm used to from making my own at home. The fries were actually pretty good. 




5) Wildberry Pancakes & Cafe, ($$) a popular breakfast/brunch cafe located at 130 E Randolph St.

The Garden

Go ahead and schedule this place in your vacay itinerary and download the NoWait app to reserve your name so you aren't waiting on location for 2 hours (because if not-- you will. This place is busy but it is worth it. They open at 6am so logon to the app and reserve your spot). We weren't told about the NoWait app until we got there, even though we called beforehand to inquire about it but we were catching up with family so the time flew by. 

Berry Buttermilk Pancakes

Red Velvet French Toast

We ordered "The Garden" which is essentially a skillet of hash browns topped with cheese, sautéed and fresh vegetables and 2 sunny side up eggs on top. I'm going to attempt to recreate this heavenly breakfast item on the blog soon, so look out for it! My brother ordered the red velvet french toast that was also amazing. The fries were good. It's just all good haha. 6) Sunda, ($$) a chic space serving Asian fusion food. They offer a vegan menu!

After visiting SkyDeck we were absolutely starving and initially we were trying to go to Xoco, a mexican place but that specific location was closed. This was the closest spot from where our Uber dropped us off that seemed good. I had a bad pad thai experience in Atlanta and the noodles were just hard to chew. However, form the vegan menu I ordered their pad thai and while I could've done without the chopped peanut, the dish itself was plated perfectly and tasted amazing. Both my sister and my brother ordered sushi and enjoyed their dish as well!

7) Eataly, ($$$) a modern market featuring a wide variety of Italian eateries & markets located at 43 E Ohio St. 


This is the cutest little market! They have a bunch of desert places like a Nutella crepe bar, Gelato, etc. I tried a Nutella crepe and my friend got the strawberry Nutella crepe and both were amazing! Definitely a cute little spot to pop into while you're walking the streets of Chicago and are craving a little something sweet. 

8) The Halal Guys, ($) a Middle Eastern eatery serving falafel and gyros located at 49 W Division St.

I have heard so much about this place and like I mentioned on my travel vlog, it's like a Chipotle but the Middle Eastern version. They have a rice platter and you choose your choice of meat, etc. and it comes with the infamous white sauce that wasn't actually bad (I'm a picky eater lol). They don't mix the food items either, it's all separated on the platter. I've never tried the NY Halal Guys but I have heard that the location there is better than the Chicago location. 


9) Ghirardelli, ($) a chocolate shop/desert cafe located at 830 N Michigan Ave. 


YUM. Without a doubt, this was guaranteed to be good-- let's be honest haha. The brownie sundae and banana split was to die for, I'm craving it all over again. We were strolling through Chicago and ran into this place and of course being the foodies we are, we stopped in. 

Putting the Chic in Chicago

Happy Sunday babies! Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend so far (don't let these April showers get you down!) So if you follow me on my social media and caught the last blog post (here), you know I just took a quick vacay to the windy city of Chicago. I had only visited this city once before as a kid but going back as an adult was obviously an experience, especially with my two best friends (aka: my siblings).

I took my Canon T3i and Sony A5100 with me so of course I'm about to hit you guys with some slay ootd's I wore and fill my babies in on all the deets! Since I had two amazing cameras with me I vlogged for the first time (ahhh). I love making movies in iMovie so this was a blast for me to film and edit. In fact, this vlog was done and ready to upload last Monday night, less than 24 hours after I got back BUT my computer was giving me hell for it, hence the delay.

Watch my travel vlog here! (hint: grab a snack/meal!)

Hotel: We were there for four nights and stayed at the Renaissance Hotel in the heart of Chicago. This hotel was everything and then some-- the decor, hospitality and at home vibe we got from the staff and other guests truly made for a wonderful experience. Plus the Iowa State basketball team stayed their during their March Madness game so our lobby was always a fun spot to hang out. We were within walking distance to the majority of all tourist attractions and just as close to the shops and food (the most important lol). Part two of this mini-series will talk about the attractions we saw and the food I have been posting (I'm craving it already and it hasn't even been a week since I've been back #foodie). Anytime I find myself back in this gorgeous city, I already know where I' m staying (each and every time) and no this is not sponsored LOL ;).

The diva that I am wrote a how-to: travel in style blog post that was also space efficient but ya girl didn't know which season to pack for so I didn't even get to wear more than 1/2 my suitcase (#fail). As soon as we landed it was raining and freezing which made sense because by lunchtime it was hailing/snowing. I wish I wasn't too busy stuffing my face because even though I dislike cold weather (being born/raised in hotlanta and all) that snowfall was absolutely beautiful-- I wish I could've captured it for you guys. The rest of the days were in the upper forties/low fifties which would've been bearable but the winds were something I was not used to at all. I do not know how the locals deal with that intense wind on the daily, I came back craving a haircut from all my tangles. My phone was acting up while I was there so I barely was able to use it but whenever I got a chance to Snapchat complain about the wind, man did my friends give me hell for it. Lol, and yes I know I was visiting the windy city but I assumed since it was full on Spring ft. pollen down here it would've been slightly warmer (false). Regardless, Chicago has stolen my heart because the city vibes & the food was perfect.

DAY ONE (airport):

As I mentioned in my travel in style post, a comfy outfit for the airport is a must especially if you have a super early flight and want to catch up on some zzz's en route to your vacay. Since our hotel wasn't ready for us when we landed, we headed straight to the shops and even though I packed enough to change into a more casual outfit rather it was cold so I decided to stick to my sweats for the first day. Which is shocking considering I never ever wear sweats publicly like that unless I'm on a plane or doing a late run to Target lol. It's even funnier that I can't even find a photo of me wearing this outfit because when I'm in sweats-- it is straight chill mode. However on the flight back to ATL I wore the same outfit and traded my grey sweats to some comfy black H&M jeans that were a steal at $7. YUP. SEVEN. But tragically, these were the only pair (booo).

details:
(1) Heather grey sweats from H&M (here), the best sweats ever! So presentable + comfortable.
(2) My simple Ralph Lauren grey tee was stolen from my brother's closet (tysm) (similar here)
(3) My favorite teal jacket is also H&M (surprise surprise). I believe these are a year-round staple item for them because whenever I'm shopping there I always see these hanging around.

DAY ONE (evening):

After a long day of travel and shopping, we decided to eat at a restaurant right next door called Catch 35 (will review this place in part two of the series). Even though we were literally walking 100 feet to dinner, I was dressed in sweats all day and brought a suitcase full of clothes to dress up in so I did my makeup and threw on a warm outfit.

details:
(1) I wore my H&M black jeans (similar here)
(2) My all-time fave tan sweater from Gap-- last season
(3) Brown leather jacket (old but any leather jacket will suffice!)
(4) Necklace (old + I don't remember where it's from
(5) Shoedazzle blush strapped heels (style: CLARISSA)

DAY TWO (daytime): 

We visited Cloud Gate where the infamous "Bean" is located. Seriously such an amazing piece of art. Afterwards we went to try some amazing pizza that I will rave about in my next travel post!



details:
(1) I wore my H&M black jeans-- recent (similar here)
(2) A black/white H&M striped blouse--recent
(3) Red trench coat from Banana Republic-- last season (any trench coat will suffice!)
(4) White Converse All-Stars (here)

DAY THREE (daytime): 




We roamed the city and visited Willis Tower (Skyledge, also formerly known as Sears Tower). Since we walked everywhere I wanted to be comfy and stuck to a basic all black outfit with a bold necklace and warm leather jacket!


details:
(1) I wore my H&M black jeans (similar here)
(2) Simple H&M black tee
(3) Brown leather jacket (so old but any leather jacket will suffice!)
(4) Necklace-- Black Friday (Icing)
(5) Black flats (Steve Madden)













DAY FOUR (daytime): 
This day was mostly a traveling day besides breakfast so I re-wore my airport outfit. Details are under Day One :)

Part-two of my Chicago series is next! I will be reviewing all the food places we ate at and the tourist spots that stole my heart!

Rasmin, xo

HOW TO: TRAVEL IN STYLE

Happy Friday jetsetters!

It’s about that time for many of us to start traveling for spring break and in a couple months—the summer now that the semester is coming to a close (thank God). As for myself, I’m flying to Chicago early tomorrow morning and decided to give you guys a travel guide because I know packing can be stressful, especially if you pack last minute or if you’re like me & have a habit of over packing (oops). But in my defense, I go to sleep with a bomb outfit picked out and wake up wanting to wear a hoodie so ya girl has to be prepared (am I right? Lol). I also make a tentative itinerary of locations and eateries with their address to make the most of my trip which helps me decide what kind of look

STOCK/RE-STOCK

Regardless of where I’m going, I have a basic list of essentials in my notes I need for almost every trip and I adjust it according to where I’m going. A week before I leave, I like to go ahead and stock up on whatever I am running low on that will also be coming with me on my vacay. For example, the past three weeks I’ve been extra low on concealer and moisturizer. Knowing I was going on a trip, I didn’t bother running to the store every time I ran out of a beauty essential this past month and made a trip to Target to stock up on my drugstore favorites on Sunday. Of course, it’s totally optional to restock your skincare and beauty essentials right before a trip but I always have some replacement lying around that I use and I always like to go get everything all at once.

*TIP: Don’t forget to pack a small bag of medication such as painkillers, Zantac and any other medication you may need to toss into your purse. It will save you the hassle of running to the drugstore should you get sick!


 CHECK THE WEATHER!

This is so important and surprisingly—many people forget to check the weather of where they’re going. Oftentimes, they will assume what the weather is like (i.e. Florida is always sunny) but it’s always better to be safe than sorry. As soon as I confirmed my hotel and flight, I checked the weather for Chicago and unfortunately, the windy city has been bipolar, leaving me confused as to what to expect. At first, the 10 day forecast said it would be snowing, a few days later it changed to freezing rain and as of late it’s a mix of light showers and sun in the mid-fifties (talk about roller-coaster!).

READY, SET, STYLE!

Now that you have stocked up on anything you were low/out of and have checked the weather, you can start to plan your outfits. I like to stick to a basic guideline of “types of outfits” when I travel and it has never failed me and leaves me room to pack various options and styles. 

For starters, you need a comfy airport outfit (depending on how long your flight is and whether or not you’ll be able to check into your hotel as soon as you land). This is important because most check-in times are at 3 pm and if you have a red-eye flight (like I do) you want to be comfortable for the flight yet be dressed enough to be able to start site-seeing or going out to eat when you land.

Depending on the number of days you’re on vacation, you want to follow the 1 casual/1 slay rule. You may be doing an adventurous activity yet going to a fancy dinner spot at night so having both options for each day is always helpful. Be careful following this rule in order to avoid over-packing. For example, I’m gone for a total of 4 days and 3 nights so I packed 3 casual outfits (not including my airport one) and 3 dressy outfits with a variety of shoes and tops I can interchange with my casual outfits. After all, wearing an outfit two different ways and folding everything neatly will save space in your suitcase! 

Pack pieces that you can wear alone or layer. Layering with a long cardigan, kimono or trench coat will allow you to take it off/put it on throughout the day should the weather fluctuate and again—add variety to your outfits, allowing you to pack lightly yet stylishly. (#score!)

As you can see, I laid out all my shoes, jeans and blouses in separate piles and made outfits with the appropriate shoe and accessory. If I liked the way it looked, it was lined up on my bed so by the end of all of my outfits—I could see what kind of colors and different styles I had (taking out and adjusting whatever style that was too repetitive). After the first 2-3 outfits, I started using only tops or layering pieces (sometimes a different jean) and matched them to clothes already in the pile I planned on taking. That way, all the clothes could be worn more than one way. I took pictures as I went for the purpose of this blog post, but it actually helped my sister & I coordinate outfits so that her suitcase could be filled with whatever else that didn’t fit in mine. (We wear each others clothes so technically—I had two suitcases to work with ;) although she did pick out some looks only she planned on wearing).  

Since I’m in school I almost never get to wear my collection of heels so I fought the urge to bring them all and settled for a nude, neon & floral heel to bring a little something extra to my casual outfits. I wore my white all-star converses to the airport so my bag only had three pairs of heels. My sister wore my combat boots and since the weather is predicted to be cold-ish – we’re prepared for whatever weather Chicago throws at us. Not to mention, the combat boots will give an edge to any of my casual outfits versus my converses.

GLAM ESSENTIALS

You didn’t think I would skip this section did you? Lol, so I don’t recommend travelling with all your makeup because God forbid your luggage gets lost or worse—if you’re entire glam bag was in your suitcase… ouch. 

Living in the South, I don’t need moisturizer as much as I would in a windy/cold city so my CeraVe lotion was the first thing I threw in my beauty bag followed by a toothbrush and toothpaste. Make sure you have only your needed skincare essentials—do not take your entire vanity with you. A simple face cleanser, makeup remover wipes and some Mario Bidescu Drying lotion will do the trick for a few days. Even a small face mask packet (since airplanes tend to dry you out).

 Take your routine makeup, applicator/brushes and one eye shadow palette that can create multiple looks. Since I shower at night to let my hair naturally dry (and since most hotels have blow dryers) I only packed my straightener and 32 mm NuMe wand to create different looks throughout my trip. If you’re staying somewhere for an extended period of time, I wouldn’t bother lugging a bottle of shampoo and conditioner. I usually drop in the closest drugstore and pick it up in the city I’m vising (some hotels will give you bottles on the daily too).

I took some pictures of how I packed my suitcase below—hopefully this was helpful! I took my big Kate Spade bag to hold my laptop, DSLR, phone chargers, wallet, etc. as well as any small items that could get lost in my suitcase (i.e: extra hair-ties, bobby pins, painkillers, etc.)

xo, Rasmin