3 Arts Cafe | GT Fish & Oyster | Pookie

In Chicago, Food & Beverages June 12, 2016

3 Arts Club Cafe

Located in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood, 3 Arts Club Cafe is anchored in the middle of a five-story Restoration Hardware store. You are encouraged to browse furniture galleries and flip through textiles while sipping your coffee or wine but I prefer to perform those activities separately.

Enjoying morning coffee under the glass-domed ceilings is a fine respite but the line to be seated can be long, depending on the time.

TIP: Head to the back of the store and place your order “to go” at the express counter. Head upstairs to the 5th floor rooftop and enjoy your beverage outside.

2015_10_15 3 arts club cafe at RH 006 — Shhh. Don’t tell anyone the express counter at 3 Arts Club Cafe carries Doughnut Vault doughnuts.

Shhh,... You can get Doughnut Vault doughnuts here. — Chocolate and coconut

Chocolate croissant, croissant, ham and cheese croissant, rhubarb pastry. — Chocolate croissant, plain, ham and cheese croissant, rhubarb pastry

2016_06_12 3 arts, gt, 003 — A butterfly caught my eye. Can you see it?

2016_06_12 3 arts, gt, 004 — I tried to see how close I could get without it flying away.

Old Town Art Fair

I was *joking* with a friend that I had been to every street festival in Chicago, Seattle and the entire Bay Area so many times that I find walking around looking at things and watching people walking around looking at things, really boring. But one thing about me, I’m always fine doing what I say I don’t want to do once I’m there. Regardless, I enjoy looking at gardens and people’s spaces, so we went to the Old Town Art Fair Garden Walk to see a garden we had previously only seen at night. While their garden was magnificent, what took my breath away was the dedicated milliner studio space located to the side of their garden. It’s a gorgeous high-ceiling studio with lots of natural sunlight.

GT Fish & Oyster

Over the years I have eaten many, many GT lobster rolls. Of their two versions, my favorite is the Connecticut-style (warmed with butter) Lobster Roll. The thinly-sliced crispy onion strings that come on the side always beckon me to come back whenever I crave a hearty sandwich.

My friends celebrated their son’s graduation in style by hosting a party at GT’s private party room called the Whale Room. It was the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Shrimp and avocado toast and duck confit appetizers

2016_06_12 3 arts, gt, 013 — Fried tofu and shrimp, bok choy, thai chili soy vinaigrette, cold green tea soba

Oysters, GT cocktail sauce, ponzu mignonette

Incredibly flavorful clam chowder with bacon and housemade oyster crackers — Incredibly flavorful clam chowder with bacon and house made oyster crackers

Oyster Po' Boy Sliders with kimchi — Oyster Po’ Boy Sliders with kimchi. They should have a walk-up window and sell these after midnight.

Fish tacos, garlic marinade, chipotle aioli, pork chicharron and their house brand hot sauces which are available for purchase online and at the restaurant.

Special awards and plaques downstairs at GT Fish & Oyster — Special awards and plaques displayed downstairs at GT Fish & Oyster

Display of Charlie Trotter memorabilia, where Giuseppe worked for 9 years. — Display of Charlie Trotter memorabilia, where Giuseppe Tentori of GT Fish & Oyster had worked for 9 years.

Pookie

My kids watched a friend’s dog during a graduation party that they were hosting because as the sign says, “Danger. Ferocious Beast.” We called him Cookie the entire night but when they picked him up, they said “Thanks for watching Pookie.” He still came to us whenever we called him and will always be “Cookie” to us.