A Windy City Birthday Celebration!

Following my recent trend, this weekend was spent in a state not called Indiana, celebrating an occasion with great friends and making the best of a snowy situation. This time around, we ventured to Chicago to cash in on some overdue girl time and celebrate Jenn's birthday. Though my Sunday afternoon required a three-hour nap and I still haven't quite recovered from the dancing on Saturday (signs of getting old?), the weekend was deemed a resounding success.

This is partially because it started on Thursday when Jenn rolled into town. We watched The Babadook before heading to Brugge Brasserie for dinner. Nothing beats their fries with delicious dipping sauces. The next day, Jenn and I went to a matinee showing of The Lazarus Effect - can you tell we are horror movie addicts? - before heading to Pizzology for lunch with Wheat. The pizza was pretty good (I had prosciutto and onion with no sauce), but I still prefer Bazbeaux.

After lunch, we hit the road for the Windy City, making a quick pit stop at the magical, Willy Wonka-inspired Albanese Candy Factory on the way. Despite a tiny bit of typical Chicago traffic, we arrived safely at Morgan's place, only to find that it was already festively decorated for the occasion.

Once presents were exchanged, we made our way to Three Dots and a Dash, a swanky tiki bar known for their beautiful drinks. The place, which was tucked away in a basement down a small alley, was obviously a popular spot because we couldn't find a table and stood for the duration of our drinks. Although I don't drink, I was enthralled by the actual bartending - the concoctions were gorgeous and even included real flowers. I also endorse the place because they served me a Coke in an actual glass bottle.

Right about when a table opened up for us, we decided to head back to Wrigleyville for a quick stop at Old Crow, an Ohio State country bar, and a late-night snack at Dimo's Pizza. Guys, this place absolutely rocked my world. My biggest regret of the whole trip was only buying one slice. While I enjoyed my piece of chicken-barbeque-ranch, I drooled over Morgan's mac & cheese slice. This place will require some more taste-testing on future visits.

The next morning, we indulged in all things millennial trendy when we decided on a day of brunch and cupcakes. We regret nothing. After some debate, we settled on Batter & Berries, a tiny gem in Lincoln Park. We knew there would be a line, so we put our names in for a table and headed down the street to Racine Plumbing for mimosas, girl talk, and college basketball.

The wait ended up being 45 minutes longer than the projected hour wait time, but once our food came out, we quickly realized why the place was jam-packed with people craving waffles at noon. Both Jenn and Morgan ordered the chicken and waffles and, after a small bite from Jenn's plate, I wish I had, too. I opted instead with the french toast flight, mostly because this non-drinker never enjoys flights of any kind. I had slices of blueberry, caramel, lemon, and strawberry and was surprised to admit that the caramel was my favorite. I also had a side of delicious cheese-crusted hashbrowns. Food coma for days. The place was BYOB, so Jenn and Morgan also invested in a bottle of champagne to continue their mimosa party.

Somehow, we managed to waddle our way back to the car and into Molly's Cupcakes. I've heard tell that Molly's (which won an episode of Cupcake Wars) is even better than Sprinkle's (*gasp*) and I'm here to report that I agree. First, I should say that I didn't try the red velvet, which was a total mistake. I also forewent my usual choices of anything cookie dough or cake batter. Instead, I went with the peach cobbler and a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Guys, the peach cobbler, with an actual slice of peach on top and a delicious compote inside, was a total game-changer. Plus, you can't beat a place that has swings set up along the bar for a unique and fun eating experience.

You know how I mentioned a food coma earlier? I wasn't joking. By the time we got back to Morgan's apartment, we were all ready for a nap and spent the next several hours lounging on the couch and watching TV, more specifically the season finale of How to Get Away with Murder. That night, a couple of Morgan's friends came over before we all went to Beauty Bar, a bar/salon where you can get your nails done and then grind away on the dance floor. With old-fashioned salon chairs (complete with helmets!) lining the walls, the decor was great and the music was even better. We attended '90s night and the playlist and disco ball had me dancing until 2:00 AM.

After quickly inhaling some philly cheesesteaks, we went to bed for a few hours before waking up early for the drive home...and by drive home, I mean crawl home. Central Indiana decided to host a blizzard on Sunday, but despite witnessing a car actually slide off the road in front of us, we arrived home safe and sound.

...and here I am, yet again, in my normal Tuesday routine, feeling tired and fondly nostalgic about the events of the weekend. There is truly nothing better than celebrating the birthday of a loved one, but it's even better when it's the best person of all.