Travel, Travel Eats

The J. Parker

DSC_0399.JPG

I went to The J. Parker, a rooftop bar, at the Hotel Lincoln in Old Town Chicago. I really want to love this place, but I really can’t.

Last weekend, was my little sister’s birthday. She wanted to go to a rooftop bar in downtown Chicago to celebrate. As the loving person I am, who is also always up for fun, food, and cool pictures, I said, “Absolutely! Whatever you want.” So four of us headed to The J. Parker around 1:15 on a Friday afternoon for a fun girls day. I am completely aware this will be a busy time, but that is no excuse. I was a waitress and bartender for years while my freelancing worked on becoming lucrative. I know the business, and I know how hard it is.

DSC_0360.JPG

When you enter the lobby of the hotel, there is a guy standing behind a podium to the right. He checks ID’s to make sure everyone is 21 and legal before you hop on the elevator to head to the rooftop. There’s a hostess at another podium, who will tell you to take a seat anywhere. First and foremost, the view is to die for. There’s a covered patio, an uncovered patio, a covered patio bar, and a fully enclosed bar. We sat at the bar first to wait for a table outside to open up.

I’m not a drinker, but their mocktails were great and reasonably priced at $5. My friend’s said their drinks – for normal people – were yummy. I wouldn’t call them cheap, but they are what you would expect from an upscale Chicago bar. When we claimed a table with a view, our waitress came up, took our order, and we never saw her again. I had to track her down to get the bill for our food. If I was a lesser person, it would have been very easy to leave without paying. Not even kidding, we didn’t see her for over an hour. She never checked to see how the food was or if we wanted more drinks. We would have spent quite a bit more money on drinks, but decided nah because, frankly, we weren’t being served.

DSC_0446.JPG

The food was sub par. I ordered a fried chicken sandwich with fries and cheese curds. The flavors were good, but the chicken was only on half of the bun. There was a really thick, gross layer of chicken skin and fat covering the whole piece. It looked disgusting, and made the sandwich pretty much inedible. Not pleasant. I did like their fries and chees curds, but it’s hard to fuck up french fries and fried cheese. My friends had identical experiences with their food. The prices are reasonable for the city, but I do not suggest eating there unless you hate yourself.

They are absolutely banking on the fantastic view and good drinks. However, the service is the worst I have ever had. It was busy, but not busy enough to warrant our AWOL waitress. I suggest it for the Instagram pictures and a fun place to drink with friends, but do not eat there or have a waitress. Just go to the bar.     

DSC_0508.JPG

Instagram: @jparkerchicago
1816 N Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 254-4747

 

Travel, Travel Eats

La Fournette

IMG_20180709_232559_723.jpg

My best friend has been talking about La Fournette for longer than I’ve known her. I finally got to go. After a less than pleasant experience to The J. Parker, we decided we needed to have something exceptional. So Kelsey took us to La Fournette in Old Town Chicago.

I love macarons and coffee. The first time I had macarons was when I was living in Southern France. Not to sound uppity, but I have high standards. La Fournette is owned and run by a French family. There macarons and eclairs are authentic. Nothing to fear here.

IMG_20180709_232713_067.jpg

They had some really inventive flavors like Moscow Mule and Tequila Sunrise with more traditional pistachio, espresso, raspberry, and a whole bunch more in between. I only ordered three because they are surprisingly filling. Also the macarons are very reasonably priced at $1.80. I can hardly find any in Houston for that price! The coffee is strong and yummy.

The atmosphere is lovely. There is a lot of wood giving a rustic french vibe with sun streaming in through the windows. The music was strictly in French. I loved it!

Instagram: @lafournettebakery
1547 N Wells Street
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 624-9430