As the Chi is full of options, our one plan Friday night turned into an event hopping spree.  The summer air was beckoning us to dare to gain access to the hot new rooftop spot, J. Parker, nestled in Hotel Lincoln.  Apparently, J. Parker was on fire with a one hour wait so we decided to succumb to our second best bet, the patio. Perennial Virant is cozied in the corner of Lincoln avenue and Clark with a sleekly finished interior and lighted patio.  Head chef and author, Paul Virant, is known for his penchant for seasonal cooking and fresh flavors.

Carefully crafted cocktails and elite desserts were the calling of the evening.  We settled in for some people watching and summer goodies.  Our cocktails of choice were diverse in flavor and profile.  The TBD, with Greygoose, ginger beer, blueberry Aigre-Doux, was subtly sweet with just a touch of bite from the ginger.  The Spicy standard was exactly that, with rhubarb, Russian standard and lime and cherry bomb.

We finished it off with a cornmeal almond financier, a light French cake made of almond and corn flour topped with almond ice cream, fresh berries and blanched almonds.