Take the elevator to the Terzo Piano. It is hard to tell if the Art Institute's Terzo Piano restaurant was really designed with art-lovers in mind. On the one hand, it is ideally placed, being on the third floor (the ‘terzo piano’, see?) of the Art Institute’s modern wing. However, on the other, going there for lunch can really interfere with a culture-filled day out. Once you have had a look over the menu and ordered a pre-dinner drink, you start to realize that this is not somewhere you'd want to rush your lunch.
We started to get some strange looks as we tried to see "what everyone else is having". We settled on the butternut ravioli (very rich, the kind of dish you can get away with eating only in winter. I’m talking waistline, ladies), and my friend ordered the Uno, Due, Tre burgers, a plate of three small burgers, beef, lamb and shrimp.
I suspect the waiter was overjoyed when we finally ordered, because we had already spent far too long looking at everything on the menu. We changed our mind multiple times, as we saw more and more interesting dishes emerging from the kitchen. But, to be honest, I’d go here every week if only for the desserts and the wine (the financier with lavender ice cream is definitely worth trying).
And for those of you who lean towards French wines, you'll know it’s rare to find a bottle of Château d’Esclans this side of the Atlantic, and certainly this side of Lake Michigan. Speaking of which, after lunch, stop and take a look out at the view from the restaurant terrace. On a clear, blue-sky wintry day it makes you happy to be in Chicago.
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