{"id":367273,"date":"2025-11-09T16:54:19","date_gmt":"2025-11-09T16:54:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/367273\/"},"modified":"2025-11-09T16:54:19","modified_gmt":"2025-11-09T16:54:19","slug":"savor-newest-levain-bakery-nonninas-friends-twist-staycation-review-of-the-radisson-blu-aqua","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/367273\/","title":{"rendered":"SAVOR Newest Levain Bakery, Nonnina’s ‘Friends’ twist; STAYCATION review of the Radisson Blu Aqua"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2014Bake boarding:\u00a0Levain Bakery has opened its newest Chicago location<\/strong>\u00a0in Lincoln Park, at 849 W. Armitage Ave.<\/p>\n

The bakery marks Levain\u2019s third location in Chicago and 19th nationwide. For the grand opening, the Lincoln Park bakery is offering an exclusive cookie, found only at the new location\u2014Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Chip,which features creamy and chunky peanut butter paired with gooey dark chocolate chips. <\/p>\n

\"\"Levain mini-tote. Photo by Andrew Davis<\/p>\n

And to sweeten the celebration, on opening weekend only (Nov. 7-9),guests can receive Levain\u2019s viral mini-cookie tote, free with the purchase of any cookie four-pack. Levain donated all proceeds from opening day\u2014which had a line of about 250 people when the site opened at 8 a.m.\u2014to Care for Friends, a Lincoln Park-based nonprofit.<\/p>\n

In addition, Levain Bakery founders Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald just released a book called\u00a0Levain Bakery: A Story of Friendship, Community, and Cookies.<\/p>\n

\u2014Having baggage: Combine a cafe with a store that sells high-end travel items and you have\u00a0Monos<\/strong><\/a>\u2019 Chicago store\u00a0<\/strong>that recently opened at 170 N. Morgan St.<\/p>\n

\"\"Postcard. PR photo.png<\/p>\n

So while you figure out what to get yourself (or someone else, as holiday season is rapidly approaching), be sure to stop by\u00a0Postcard<\/strong>, a cafe that offers coffee and tea (including a kick-ass matcha latte) as well as items like croissants and much more. Also, Postcard has partnerships with local favorites including Metric Coffee, Rare Tea Cellars, Open Water, and Publican Quality Bread and Meats<\/p>\n

Monos co-founder Victor Tam told me that the goal of the store\/cafe is to provide as welcoming an environment as possible, adding that he would definitely like Monos to have a global presence. The company is opening other stores in New York and LA, but Chicago will be the only spot with a cafe.<\/p>\n

\u2014Friends\u00a0to the end: This November,\u00a0Nonnina<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0wants Chicago\u00a0to celebrate Friendsgiving\u2014with a\u00a0Friends\u00a0twist<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The bar is offering a playful nod to Central Perk, featuring weekly cocktail specials inspired by the show\u2019s most beloved duos. Remaining are drinks during Nov. 10-15, including Phoebe\u2019s \u201cSmelly Cat Spritz\u201d(gin, elderflower liqueur, prosecco and soda water) andJoey\u2019s \u201cHow You Doin\u2019\u201d (bourbon, amaretto, sweet vermouth and orange bitters); and, during Nov. 17-22, Chandler\u2019s \u201cCould There Be Any More Olives?\u201d (an extra-dirty martini) and Monica\u2019s \u201cThe Best Lemon Drop Martini\u201d (vodka, ginger liqueur, lemon and simple syrup).<\/p>\n

Then, Nov. 21-26, the celebration continues with Nonnina\u2019s\u00a0Friends-themed Friendsgiving dinner. The three-course menu ($59\/person) is filled with nostalgic dishes like Joey\u2019s Meatballs, Ross\u2019 favorite \u201cMoist Maker\u201d and Rachel\u2019s (beef-free) English Trifle.<\/p>\n

STAYCATION REVIEW Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, Chicago<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Radisson Blu exterior. Photo courtesy of Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, Chicago<\/p>\n

With its wave-oriented architecture courtesy of the iconic Jeanne Gang,\u00a0the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, Chicago<\/a>\u00a0has one of the most recognizable exteriors in the city. However, what\u2019s a night like in the hotel (which occupies the first 18 floors of the 81-floor Aqua tower)? I spent time there and here\u2019s my report:<\/p>\n

\u2014Pros: Thankfully, there are many. Checking in was a relative breeze (even with a new employee) and the lobby space was impressive, featuring pops of color and black-and-white photographs taken by the late Chicago photographer Vivian Maier.<\/p>\n

However, the prime reason for people selecting this elegant spot involved three words: location, location, location. (This was the top reason for practically everyone I spoke with, from a resident of a condo on the other side of the building to Assistant Director of Sales & Marketing Jessica Smith.) The Radisson Blu is near the Magnificent Mile, Millennium Park, the Loop and Navy Pier, and it\u2019s not that far from spots like McCormick Place and the trendy River North area.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking to get in a workout, you have multiple options. Choices include walking or jogging around the quarter-mile outdoor track; taking laps in the indoor pool; shooting hoops in the half-basketball court; or lifting some weights or riding the Peloton in the property\u2019s professionally outfitted gym. I suggested maybe putting a ping-pong table in the game room but this hotel definitely meets exercise-related needs.<\/p>\n

\"\"FireLake\u2019s roasted bone marrow with grilled sourdough. Photo by Andrew Davis<\/p>\n

Culinarily speaking, FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar is a contemporary American restaurant that never ceases to satisfy, with tempting offers that range from addictive Wisconsin cheese curds to roasted bone marrow to the pear cobbler cheesecake. (In fact, I\u00a0recently reviewed<\/a>\u00a0it.) And the Radisson Blu\u2019s policy of being pet-friendly extends to FireLake.<\/p>\n

\"\"Ambassador Suite signage. Photo by Andrew Davis<\/p>\n

My unit (the Ambassador Suite, featuring press block letters reminiscent of similar items used on Printers Row) was pretty spacious, with a living area, a separate bedroom and an impressive bathroom. And as for the view, it\u2019s simply spectacular, with panoramic views of the city\u2019s New East Side area.<\/p>\n

By the way, there\u2019s a reason individuals and companies select the Radisson Blu to hold everything from conferences to weddings: The hotel has almost 30,000 square feet of versatile space in 13 configurable rooms. In fact, Reuters wrapped up a meeting there on the day I checked in.<\/p>\n

\u2014Cons: Well\u2026 The new employee I mentioned before provided erroneous information, such as the gym being open 24\/7. (It is, but that\u2019s only for the condo residents on the east side of the building.) If you take anything from the minibar (even if you return it), you\u2019re charged the cost of that item, and renting a mini-fridge is $25\/night. (And, going back to the gyms, a resident\/trainer named Mike said that when the building opened in 2009, the equipment was state-of-the-art \u201cbut now it needs updating\u2014and you can quote me on that.\u201d He also mentioned the microwave next to the gym being removed, which really annoyed him.)<\/p>\n

And the fact that the hotel and restaurant are pet-friendly is great. However, having pet-friendly floors (as opposed to the entire hotel) might be beneficial to those who are allergic or just phobic.<\/p>\n

\u2014Overall: The Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, Chicago, features unmistakable, beautiful architecture\u2014but it also has many other perks, including its location, restaurant, meeting spaces and other amenities. Booking ahead is a financial benefit, of course (knocking up to $100 off, say, booking a day before arrival)\u2014and this spot is certainly worth your dollars.<\/p>\n

Grade: B+<\/strong><\/p>\n

Note:\u00a0This visit was pre-arranged.<\/p>\n

Note:\u00a0No reproduction of this column is permitted under any circumstances without the express prior written permission of the columnist.<\/p>\n

\n\tRelated<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u2014Bake boarding:\u00a0Levain Bakery has opened its newest Chicago location\u00a0in Lincoln Park, at 849 W. Armitage Ave. The bakery…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":367274,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5124],"tags":[64,960,990,5386,1818],"class_list":{"0":"post-367273","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-chicago","8":"tag-business","9":"tag-chicago","10":"tag-food","11":"tag-il","12":"tag-illinois"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115520789946344667","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/367273","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=367273"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/367273\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/367274"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=367273"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=367273"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=367273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}