Prior to my departure, I was able to sneak in a few great, Chicago meals, and they started with Beatnik on the River. My colleague/friend offered for fun, boho, Mediterranean or stuffy seafood. So, you can imagine how we landed here with those simple descriptions. Don’t get me wrong, I can get down for some stuffy and some seafood, but the older I get, isn’t it always just more fun to have fun? Not to mention, how cute is their dining room?

It was the most glorious late summer day, so naturally we opted to sit outside, along with the rest of the resto. The place has lovely views of the river and offers sun cover that still allows a breeze.

Every corner of this place was thoughtfully (wildly) groomed with an abundance of plants, lanterns, and hats!

We opted for spicy tequila drinks. The first was great and the second gave me a wee headache, but they sure were pretty.

My friend is always the best for sharing far too much food in restaurants, so I was suprised he wasn’t keen to share small plates like usual. Then I remembered, Covid, his new baby, and that I’d just gotten off of an airplane. Instead, we asked the kitchen to split the small plates, into even smaller plates. They were happy to oblige and brought us each half of hummus and octopus, which were actually two separate menu items, so interesting to see them combined, but it worked.

For mains, he had the bulgogi I failed to snap and I had these gorgeous scallops that came presented on a massive piece of driftwood. They came with a bit of serrano ham (fav) and a creamy, spicy, very salty sauce.

Awesome lunch, great view, and killer company. While I’m sure this is no hidden gem with their two locations, the maze of stairs to the patio made it feel that way. You could definitely tell the pride in the food and care of the staff. I’d be lucky to return here on my next fly through of Chicago.