Restaurant Review: Lyfe Kitchen and Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream

We are both so excited to share our first of many Restaurant Reviews after a fun evening in the city, where we visited two of our favorite places in one evening! Because we live only a short train or car ride away from the city, we are fortunate enough to be close to many delicious restaurants. We are always looking for new places to try, and after watching Chopped on Food Network last summer and being introduced to the chef of Lyfe Kitchen (who won the episode!), it has become one of our favorites! 

Fresh herbs inside Lyfe Kitchen!

Lyfe Kitchen (which stands for Love Your Food Everyday) is a new fast-casual restaurant chain originally from California that aims to change the concept of fast food by promoting sustainability and providing a variety of fresh dishes. They have a large menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner options featuring local, seasonal ingredients that are sure to satisfy a variety of dietary restrictions, from vegan to gluten free. They now have two locations in Chicago and one in Evanston, and are looking to expand in the future! 

Mahi Mahi tacos!

After debating what to order (though you really can’t go wrong), we decided on the Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos and the Grilled Chicken and Avocado Sandwich on a homemade Oat Bun, with a side of sweet potato fries. Our food came out very quickly, and was also quickly eaten up! Though we had to save room for dessert, Lyfe Kitchen has one of our favorite healthy desserts (Chia Seed Budino) which is like a dark chocolate pudding made with chia seeds soaked in pomegranate juice. It is packed with the protein and antioxidants of chia seeds, while tasting like a decadent dessert! 

Chicken and Avocado Sandwich 

Following our delicious dinner, we had to make a stop at our favorite gourmet ice cream shop that we hadn’t visited in awhile, Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream. If you are an ice cream connoisseur and enjoy experimenting with unique flavors, Jeni's is the place for you. Based out of Ohio, Jeni's uses only the freshest ingredients for their artisan ice cream, including milk from grass grazed cows of Ohio farms, fair trade vanilla from Uganda and Askinoise dark chocolate. Their menu board changes seasonally, and we couldn’t wait to see what new offerings they would have for the summer.

Normally they have a lot more flavors but this was still a great selection!

Jeni's is the cutest place!

One of our favorites was the Sun-Popped Corn ice cream, made from sun-popped popcorn soaked in milk and cream. It tasted just like a bowl of rich, buttery popcorn. The Root Beer, Brown Butter Almond Brittle and Wildberry Lavender were also incredibly delicious, making our flavor selections incredibly difficult! Jenis also sells pints of their handcrafted ice cream in their Scoop Shops, as well as in local grocery stores including The Fresh Market and Standard Market! 

Salty Caramel and Sun Popped corn was a great combination!

We love our ice cream!

Great time spent with friends!

Next time you are visiting Chicago, make sure to add Lyfe Kitchen and Jeni's to your list of places to visit! You won’t be disappointed!