Cité

Last Sunday evening, I surprised R with a reservation at Citè Restaurant to celebrate his birthday. All I told him was that it was at an upscale restaurant and hinted that we had biked by the restaurant earlier that day (read about our day here). Our Lyft driver dropped us off at Lake Point Tower, just a block away from Navy Pier and the only skyscraper built east of Lake Shore Drive. A little known fact about the tower is that on the top floor there is an elegant dining experience with a panoramic view of Chicago and Lake Michigan.

As the elevator doors opened on the 70th floor, we were greeted by a hostess who showed us our table. We were one of the first ones there and after biking around Chicago all day R and I were ready to see the menu.  We were seated sitting next to each other with a full view of downtown Chicago to the west and Lake Shore Drive to the North. It took us a few seconds to take in the Chicago skyline before our waiter Santos brought us our menus.

After spending all day in the sun, we were feeling summery and so I ordered the Passion Fruit Mojito, a mix of cane rum, mint, lime, and passion fruit puree. R chose the Sangria Margarita, a mix of Anejo Tequila, Cointreau, Citrus, Hibiscus and fruit infused syrup. Both drinks were full of tropical flavors and the perfect way to begin our three course meal. 

(Deviled Maine Lobster)

 Craving seafood I wanted to try the Deviled Maine Lobster – deviled eggs filled with lobster, caper berry, lemon crème fraiche mayonnaise layered on pumpernickel croutons. R chose the Ahi Tuna Tartare – topped with a seaweed salad, Tobiko caviar and topped with a lime ginger vinaigrette. Both dishes satisfied our love for seafood.

(Ahi Tuna Tartare)

The sun began to set slowly between the skyscrapers as our main courses arrived. R was served the seafood special of the day – seafood risotto with shrimp and scallions. I selected the rack of lamb – with roasted celery root, hydrated grapes and thyme reduction. We took our time enjoying each delectable bite of Chef Oscar Ornela’s creations.

(Seafood Risotto)

(Rack of Lamb)

 As we slowly finished our main courses we realized we may miss the end of the sunset. We took our time ordering dessert and while we waited I sipped on an Italian espresso. Our first two courses were brought to our table in a timely manner but as the restaurant started to fill with people the service started to dwindle. It wasn’t until the sun set, an hour after we had finished our main course, that we were served our dessert – banana flambé, a specialty dessert that is prepared in front of you. Because we waited patiently Santos brought us two glasses of complimentary champagne.

(Our banana flambe being prepared)

The long wait for our dessert ending up creating a perfect evening as we enjoyed each other’s company and watched the sun set before us. Cité was an incredible dining experience, from the stunning view of the Chicago skyline to the exquisite dishes. But it is good to keep in mind to come for your first courses early and enjoy the long wait for your dessert.

x the Adventurer