🍝 Chicago Restaurant Week – Daisies

Booked Daisies based on a local chef’s recommendation — an Italian & New American fusion spot with a Michelin Green Star 🌱. During Restaurant Week, they only offer the special menu, which helps keep service smooth and quality consistent. A 25% service charge is automatically added, but they change plates after each course and keep the table tidy, so no need for extra tip. 📋 Menu options: $45 dinner → appetizer + pasta + dessert $60 dinner → adds a protein course Portions are generous — not mind-blowing, but solid and filling. 🌿 The vibe is relaxed and unpretentious, service is decent. Perfect for: casual outings with friends you’re still getting to know, low-key professional gatherings, or early dates 😄 — the kind of place that helps break the ice. 🥗 Appetizers: Fried Brussels Sprouts – crispy, tangy with vinegar-based Caesar dressing, nicely acidic. Shaved Squash Salad – looks like a bowl of greens but surprises with creamy butternut squash shreds, still crisp and flavorful. Makes me want to recreate it at home! 🍝 Pastas: Stracci with Lamb – highly recommend! Tender braised lamb, rich and slightly fatty but delicious. Mushroom Pappardelle – sauce was fine (tasted like shiitake), but nothing creative. Both pastas had similar texture. 🍖 Third Course: Pork Collar – tender and flavorful with Maitake mushrooms (❤️). A bit salty — would be perfect with mashed potatoes or beans. Best shared. 🚫 Chicken Leg – crispy skin but overly salty, especially the beans and sausage. Skip it. 🍰 Desserts: Crumb Cake – pleasantly sweet, topped with lovely cream. Budino – too sweet for me. Tiramisu looked good but didn’t try — probably a safe bet. ⏰ We booked the 9:30 PM slot and the place was still packed — clearly a popular spot! #ChicagoRestaurantWeek #DaisiesChicago #MichelinGreenStar #ItalianFusion #ChicagoEats