Chicago: The Gage // To Kill A Mockingbird // Girl & The Goat

Dress: Floral Wrap Maxi Dress by Hutch (size 1x) via Nuuly

Shoes: Fluevog, Bellevues: Laura Evans 

Necklace & Earrings: Heidi Daus via Ebay 

Bracelet: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 41-39-53

Another stunner of a dress...this one was so silky & luxurious feeling on. And again with the gorgeous colors...like it was made for me with that orange background & purple flowers. This was a true wrap dress & is lined, so it might be a bit heavy for hot summer days. The length was great on me & I wore it both with heels & flat sandals. I felt gorgeous in this dress with the wind swirling the skirt around me. My bra showed a bit in front, but it was orange, so it wasn't terribly noticeable & when I tried the strapless bra on, it peeked out in front & interrupted the neckline. The straps on this maxi were adjustable, but because of the slippery fabric, they needed to be refitted throughout the day...the same with the waist tie. I should have gone a size down in this, but since it was a wrap...it conformed to the body just right...it just would have been nice to have less fabric. 

We took these photos a few blocks from our hotel under the L tracks before starting our day. The warmer ones with a bokeh background were taken with our Nikon & the brighter ones, with the iPhone. The light just didn't want to cooperate. The color is truer with the iPhone, but the Nikon shots look more professional to me. What do you think?

I wore this dress to walk ~7 miles around Chicago throughout the day...& I lost track of the compliments I received.  

The shiny part of these shoes are purple...& they looked good in person, but don't appear to match in photos. I wore the Fluevogs for part of the day & also the same purple sandals from the previous days outfit. 

A bit of bra...

I had myriad options of jewelry to wear with this maxi, but I wanted something with sparkle...& Heidi Daus never disappoints. And I get a ton of wear out of this vintage orange & amber bracelet. I never know when something catches my eye, if it will get worn a lot...or hardly ever. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Voodoo; Celestial, Blood Moon, & Royal eyeshadow from Huda Beauty; MAC lipliner in Chicory; Gothica lipstick by Kat von D; & OPI nail polish in A Woman's Prague-ative. 

The L tracks we were taking pictures under...the Marshall Field's clock we passed while walking to brunch...so stunning, every time. The Gage...we've been coming here since 2009, when David, Kate, & I went to dinner after seeing The Addams Family play...which was being tried out in Chicago before heading to Broadway. Dinner was better than that unmemorable play. 

It was a bit windy to sit outside, so inside we went. We began with an updated version of the very first thing we ever ate here, a Scotch Egg (fennel sausage, black pudding, farm egg, apple mostarda). David ordered a Croque Madam (smoked Nueske's ham, gruyere, sauce mornay, 2 over easy eggs) & I had my usual, Crab Cakes Eggs Benedict (English muffin, poached eggs, potatoes, asparagus, hollandaise). SO good. 

Coffee before noon, fresh squeezed mimosa after. David couldn't resist ending the meal with chocolate, Dark Chocolate Pavé (flourless chocolate cake, rich chocolate sauce, chocolate lime sorbet) & because I don't like to be left out, I remembered there had been carrot cake (pecan streusel, sweet cream cheese frosting, pineapple butter) listed on the brunch menu (but not on the dessert offerings). I am quite picky about carrot cake & theirs was moist excellent. 

After brunch, we strolled back toward our hotel to The Nederlander Theatre...& the whole reason we came to Chicago...to see To Kill A Mockingbird. We were going to see all the Broadway shows my heart desired back in 2020, & this was at the top of my list (Jeff Daniels was Atticus at the time). Then 2020 happened. 

Such a gorgeous old theatre...I always tear up from being surrounded by this much beauty. 

We had excellent seats in the 5th row. The play was magnificent...this has long been one of my favorite books & it translated well to this medium. Richard Thomas (John-Boy) was wonderful as Atticus, & the rest of casting was perfect as well. 

After the play, we walked to Girl & The Goat, where we were 20 minutes late for our reservation because of extra time spent leaving the theatre...I tried calling on the way, but no one answered. They were incredibly rude to us, which I have a difficult time letting go of in the moment. Kate & I had eaten at Stephanie Izard's restaurant ~10 years ago (we brunched at Little Goat Diner on that same trip) & I was excited to eat there with David. We are avid watchers of Top Chef & this was our first time dining at a restaurant of one of the winners. We began our meal with an outstanding Duck Tartare (umami mayo, pickled shallots, gooseberries). If I had to pick a favorite dish, it would be this one...although every bite of this dinner was delightful. And how could I resist a drink named, the one with the carrots?! El Guel mezcal, Amaro Montenegro, carrot juice, ginger, lime...it was even better than I was hoping it would be. David got a Goat Fashioned (goat fat washed Evan Williams bourbon, Demerara, Angostura, fennel bitters). The dishes kept coming...I love sharing plates with David. Next up, Goat Liver Mousse (crumpets *drool*, pickles, pickled craisen relish, golden beet giardinaire); Pan Roasted Halibut (miso Marcona almond butter, blueberry nuoc cham, spring veggies)...this broth was outstanding, but we both agreed it overpowered the halibut, which could have been anything; & Chili Crunch Chicken (chap chae, pickled green strawberries)...this would be too easy to pick as a favorite. When we inquired about the fabulous noodles, our waiter informed us they were house made sweet potato glass noodles...YUM. Round 2 of cocktails...for David, Ring of Fire (Espolon Blanco tequila, tarragon, pomegranate, jalapeño, ginger, lime)...which I also wanted to try...& I ended the evening with Lychee! Litchi! Lichee! (Ceres vodka, Toscolano Fragola, Koval ginger, Pierre Ferrand Curacao, lychee, lemon). Our final food...Sticky Glazed Pork Shank (spring onion kimchi, strawberry herb chimmi hoisin, hot mustard)...while this was delicious, I could only manage the small bit I put on my plate...another reason I love splitting food with David. This was nearly 2 months ago & I'm still thinking about how tasty this meal was. 

After dinner, we cantered on back to our hotel to pick up Veronika...goodbye Allegro. Back at home...the gift bag Boka packed up for us, & our new Fluevogs. This was a short, but wonderful trip.