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Igloos, Greenhouses And Domes To Stay Warm in Chicago/Chicago North Shore Restaurants
For those not ready to go inside winter of 2020 here are restaurants that have igloos, greenhouse etc that are perfect for date nights outside. Be sure to call and ask what the heating situation is for these!
35 Places
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Andrea’s 4-star review: I've been meaning to dine here since it opened, but the pandemic got in my way. Now that things are looking brighter we chose RPM seafood to celebrate my husbands bday. It turns out this is a popular spot to celebrate bdays because we were surrounded by them there. We arrived 30 min early for our 7pm reservation so enjoyed a few drinks at the crowded bar. When our table was ready we were greeted by our lovely waitress, Valerie, who helped us navigate the menu where I would have been happy with basically anything. We enjoyed the petite seafood tower (I can't resist a good seafood tower), the chopped salad, ceviche, bass entree, whipped potatoes and greens beans. All were amazing besides the bass, which we really didn't need...I think apps and sides are the way to go here. We had also ordered fries instead of the potatoes, but the potatoes were tasty so we didn't inform Valerie of the small mistake. We were too stuffed for dessert, but can't resist on a bday so enjoyed the banana napoleon which was delicious. They also brought out chocolate ice cream with a candle in it for the bday boy. All that good food + a bunch of drinks ended up being one pricey night...but you only enjoy a bday once a year so it was worth it. We sat inside, but I would love to go back and sit in one of their greenhouses along the River...or even just outside on a warm summer day. -
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Heated bubble tentsAndrea’s 4-star review: I have a slight obsession with the show Chorus Line so when I found out my alma matter, NU, was putting on the show I bought tickets for myself + 9 other fans. And when a group of moms has an excuse to skip the dreaded bedtime routine it's fun to make a night of it so I did a little research (thanks Yelp) on a good dining spot for a large party. NaKorn proved to be the perfect spot since it's a few blocks from the Davis St. Metra (perfect for those of us coming from downtown), had parking outside for those driving and they were very responsive when I emailed them for a large party res. I heard back just seconds after pressing send. I haven't been that satisfied with Thai food I've found in Chicagoland, but NaKorn is really tasty! The majority of our table chose to share a bunch of dishes, but with the intent of being healthy I ordered my own rainbow trout and even skipped out on the rice (was very proud of myself). It was soo delicious and the others at our table seemed to enjoy their meal as well. The service was also great. Our waiter did a great job of explaining his favorite dishes on the menu and our food came out relatively fast so we had plenty of time to settle into our seats at the show before "One Singular Sensation" began, which was amazing even though I've seen it 4839 times now. I'll definitely be back when I'm looking for somewhere to dine in Evanston!
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Heated greenhouses -
can make reservations to eat in campers -
Andrea’s 4-star review: My kids think that JoJo's shakes are the most amazing desserts. I can't say I blame them since their most recent shake was full of oreos, large cookies, chocolate covered marshmallow, cake pop and more. It's basically 8 delicious desserts in 1 cup. We were lucky enough to get a res in their Candyland tent on closing weekend. There was a table fee of $20, which seemed a bit ridiculous to me, but I was happy to find a downtown activity/lunch that appealed to them. While their Candyland and other experiences are technically outside it's in an enclosed tent so if you're eating outside due to the pandemic it's really no better than eating inside. That being said the Candyland themed decor was really fun and my three kids were as happy as 3 kids in a candy shop. Our waiter was very nice, although the service itself was very slow...which can be painful when you're with 3 kids who really want their shakes. He warned us that the shakes would likely come out before our food (OK w/ my sugar addicts), but it didn't show up for at least 20 min after the food. Personally I was happy with that since it gave them the opportunity to fill up on a nutritious (sarcasm) kids meal lunch: mac and cheese, cheeseburger & PB&J. They all seemed happy with their meals. As for me I went with a salad to balance out all the sips of chocolate nirvana shakes I snuck from my kids. And my dad ordered the reuben sandwich, which he seemed to enjoy....along with a shake he created. He was also amused that you can add CBD to any shake. Personally I think the food is mediocre and overpriced, but my kids declared it was the best meal ever...and happy kids = happy mom and grandpa. After lunch we walked Michigan Avenue for a few hours and I'm convinced all that sugar got them moving more than usual. I think from now on we'll just stick w/ the shakes so the kiosk at Water Tower is probably the place to go, but the Candyland experience was certainly a fun way to spend an afternoon. -
Enclosed greenhouses -
private, heated pods with an electric stove heater -
Igloos on their rooftop -
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IgloosAndrea’s 3-star review: First rule of eating at Sapori Trattoria- never pay full price! With all the deals and coupons going on at this place paying full price for a meal here is like paying the first price a car salesman gives you (yep, that's dumb too). We were there for the Monday night family style dinner. And boy, this sure is a lot of food for $19.95 per person. 4 different courses for $19.95 per person! Is it as good as La Scarola? Nope. How about Rose Angelis? Nope. And not Mia Francesca's either or other Italian restaurants in Chicago either. But the family style dinner price is right for the quality of food. I myself just ordered the minestrone soup (pretty good) and the grilled calamari appetizer (also decent)...and I also had a taste of everything else brought out family style to the rest of my party. I always have to have a taste so I can write a fair review! The gnocchi and sweet potato fries were good, while the seafood risotto could use some work. The highlight of the dinner was the tiramisu dessert. My fiance is a huge tiramisu fan. I personally could take it or leave it, but this one was absolutely delicious! They probably could have had more quality chocolate syrup than the hershey syrup that topped it, but didn't stop me from devouring it. The service was a little slow, but we were a party of 7 so that's to be expected. Good group spot so may go back for a good deal with friends at some point, but for really good italian food I'll stick to my favorites.... -
IgloosAndrea’s 4-star review: Napolita has a new little sis right next to it in Wilmette. While I"ve been wanting to try Pescadero since they first opened their doors, no reservations tends to scare me off. However, when a friend suggested we go on the earlier side for a Saturday night dinner I was game. It wasn't more than 10 minutes before we were seated at a lovely outdoor table on one of the most perfect end of summer evenings. I really liked everything about Pescadero. Our waiter, Wally, could not have been friendlier and did an incredible job of walking us thru the menu. We were perfectly happy enjoying our drinks and apps (oysters of course) when he came out with a complimentary order of brussel chips and apologies that our food was taking so long. It didn't seem long to us, but little did he know the longer the better so we could miss the dreaded kid bedtime routine. Wally sold me on the scallops for dinner and they did not disappoint. In fact, everyone at the table was very satisfied with their meals. My friend mentioned to Wally that her salmon wasn't cooked as well done as she likes and he immediately brought her a new one to her liking. We had a nice chat with the Manager before leaving who seemed like a good guy despite being an Ohio State fan. ;) He also let us know that the plan is to eventually take reservations, which may just turn this into a 5 star business in my eyes. -
3 greenhouses out frontAndrea’s 4-star review: I really want Guildhall to make it, especially since it's the only restaurant within walking distance of my house that's appropriate to dine without your children. Imagine that. Based on the crowd there last Sat night I"m not the only person in the North Shore excited about this new restaurant. For a few minutes there I almost thought I was dining in the city just looking at the trendy crowds filling this restaurant. The french inspired decor of this restaurant is beautiful. I"ll admit I found myself checking out every little detail from the ceilings to the walls...and wondering what decorating ideas I could borrow for my new home. The cocktails and food that we actually received (more to come about that later) was delish. I liked my pisco sour so much that I ordered another. The tuna app was scrumptious and my salmon special should be added to the main menu...and should probably replace the mediocre trout my husband ordered. I'm being gracious with my 4 star review and giving them a little slack since they are new because the service deserved no more than 2 stars. Our drinks took at least 20-30 minutes. They forgot to bring out 2 of our appetizers, which they made up for with a dessert on the house (you can skip dessert here by the way) ...but a few members of my party mentioned they left the restaurant hungry. Our waitress wasn't cut out for fine dining and would be better fit for the casual kid friendly Vernon's down the street. We'll be back out of convenience and as I mentioned above they've got something good going on with the food and ambiance. However, if their service remains the same I think we're likely to lose our first fine dining restaurant in the hood. -
IgloosAndrea’s 4-star review: This may just be my favorite local coffee shop in the North Shore. I wish it was right in Glencoe, but I'm finding that it's worth the 10 minute drive to Highland Park. The first time I visited with my 3 year old in tow. He's never my most patient dining companion, but he was perfectly happy eating a macaroon while we waited for our eggs. Because when you're 3 it's acceptable to eat your dessert before lunch. They were a bit slow bringing out our french style eggs, but they were well worth the wait. I usually have to bribe my 3 year old to eat (if only someone offered me dessert for eating one more bite), but he cleaned his plate...as did I. Since then I've been for coffee a few times and it does not disappointed. I tend to stick with cold brews or nitro (even in the bitter cold winter) and both are great, although their nitro machine was unfortunately broken during my most recent visit. Overall great food, friendly staff and a darling atmosphere. The service could be a bit faster and it does tend to get crowded, but glad That Little French Guy decided to give us a taste of Paris in the North Shore. -
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Domes on their rooftopAndrea’s 5-star review: Aba's food never disappoints from the incredible breads to tasty spreads to pistachio cake (yum) and more. The restaurant inside is beautiful with an events space that I hope to plan many parties in once it's safe to host large gatherings again. However, I've always said nothing beats sitting on their gorgeous patio on a warm day. Nothing until I experienced sitting in a cozy greenhouse on their patio this past weekend. If you had told me a year ago that I'd be on the hunt for the best igloos/greenhouses to dine in during a neverending pandemic I'd say "whaaaa?" But here we are 10 months into the pandemic and if sitting outside in January in greenhouses/igloos is the only way I get to experience the Chicago dining scene than be it. I've quickly learned that not all greenhouses are created equal and Aba's may be the best of the best. Spacious, warm, beautiful view of the city...it doesn't get better than that. Their website says you have 1.5 hours to enjoy your greenhouse, but we didn't feel rushed at all by our lovely waitress. In fact, she even offered us a 3rd round of cocktails (VIOLETTE BEAUREGARD so good for those who love sweet drinks) when we mentioned we weren't looking forward to getting back to our rowdy little ones for bedtime. :) I can't wait until summer comes around to enjoy their tasty food on their patio, but hope the greenhouses are here to stay in winter even post pandemic. I just recommend booking sooner than later since the best greenhouses in Chicago tend to book up fast. -
14 greenhouses -
Domes
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Several enclosed private tents -
Greenhouses -
Part of “dining together, apart” program -
Part of “dining together, apart” program -
Domes and greenhouses to reserve -
Part of Fulton markets dining together, apart programAndrea’s 4-star review: This is probably NOT the best date spot unless you want to share your meal with others sitting at Publican's communal tables. Date nights are a bit of a rarity in my life right now (thanks to my lil one), but I did enjoy Publican with 2 of my colleagues. It was an early Monday night dinner, but Publican was still packed. Publican is the type of place where you probably want to share a bunch of dishes, but that wasn't going to be easy for my group of 3 which consisted of a carnivore, vegetarian and pescatarian (me!). Instead we opted to get our own meals, although the carnivore and I did share some delish oysters to start. Oh, and we could all enjoy a bottle of pinot gris as well. As for my main entree I ordered the mussels. It was a huge portion that came with a very large chunk of french bread..and I made a pretty good dent in it. My dining companions loved their meals as well, although the vegetarian wasn't happy to discover bacon in her salad. To our waiter's credit he was very apologetic and got her a new salad ASAP. -
Domes on back patio -
Many greenhouses in the front. They are very warm and have a fun menu for both kids and adultsAndrea’s 5-star review: Like many others in the world I'm currently quarantined with a busy job and 3 crazy children. I"ve never needed coffee so badly so a big shout- out to the Rubins (the force behind Hometown) for keeping me caffeinated. I'll admit that my guilty pleasure is the Starbucks nitro, but have come to love Hometown's nitro and cold brew over the past few weeks (which seems more like years). And even more than their coffee I love their food. The berry bowl has become my favorite and the silver lining to having to eat it at home is that no one sees all the seeds that get stuck in my teeth. I also love all the local products they sell...my new favorite being the everybody eat sea salt chia chips. My apologies if no one else can get there here since I keep purchasing them all! One of the owners, Lou and Julie, seems to always be there working alongside their staff who are taking all the proper precautions of wearing masks, social distancing, etc. They are no longer open for walk ins, but you can grab your order from their massive window or they'll run it out to your car. Their easy to use app also makes it easy to order ahead. -
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