Views of Chicago from the Architecture River Cruise purchased through the "collective buying power" of Groupon.

Your relationship with where you live can feel like a fickle romance: sometimes you're in love, sometimes you're not. Lately I haven't been feeling Chicago's mojo. While exploring the city with an out-of-towner, I tried to fall in love again. I realized that while I may not be able to feel those butterflies of my earlier days in the city, it is possible to swoon from time to time.

Mornings at the Art Institute help.
As do visits to the 95th floor of the Hancock.

Access to gourmet cupcakes can't hurt any relationship.

And who could be disagreeable about
museum-like window-displays?

A visit to The Bean is sure to restore at least a crush.

And if all else fails...
time at the lake will surely re-connect the heart strings.

If you live in Chicago, here are some petite treats (light on the pocket-book) to try for every day of the week:

On a groggy Monday morning, a motivating mocha at the modern-woodsy Little Branch Cafe.

A mid-Tuesday-afternoon snack of an organic butter and jelly pretzel at Hannah's Bretzel.

On hump-day Wednesday, a Pancakes & Bacon (or any other flavor of the week) cupcake at Cupcakes.

An appetizer of black-truffle gnocchi on a comforting Thursday at Perennial (pictured above).

A Cranberry Old Fashioned cocktail at Zed 451 to celebrate your arrival at Friday.

A Saturday jaunt to the Green City Market (before it closes for the season) to grab a Hoosier Mama pie.

A Sunday afternoon session with Kate at Pilates on Broadway to detox and rejuvenate for next week!

Five inspiring experiences from this past week:

1) Dinner and a bottle of wine with HeeJai at Mado. The homemade tagliatelle with Japanese eggplant was scrumptious and so was the company. I would highly recommend a visit to this restaurant and soon - before the BYOB status changes.

2) Adjusting to life in the South Loop and joyfully finding that nature resides nearby at Burnham Park and the McCormick Place Bird Sanctuary. Enjoyed the last remnants of summer flowers and the view of lingering sailboats.

3) Dew feathers on the Harbor Country shoreline of Lake Michigan during our last visit before the big day.

4) Collecting wine along the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail for a special Thursday night dinner party before our wedding. Finding the gem of the group – Hickory Creek Winery - and leaving with a bottle of 2006 Chardonnay that deposits the taste of butter on the palette.

5) Discovering a peaceful and private community that reminds me of Sea Haven, the fictional town in one of my favorite films, The Truman Show.

Last Thursday, N surprised me with tickets to the annual Green City Market BBQ. I was jazzed to meet my favorite Top Chef superstar, Dale, from Season Three along with Sara N and Stephanie, the winner from Season Four.

Many of Chicago's top restaurants were present and it was a rare opportunity to be able to chat with the chefs along with some of the restaurant owners. There were so many tasty savory dishes (N really enjoyed Rick Bayless' creation - served with a smile by the chef himself), but of course - I enjoyed the sweets. A berry cheesecake and corn ice cream were among my favorites.

On Friday, we left for Harbor Country, Michigan for another weekend of wedding meetings. Super exhausting, but also wonderful beyond words. More and more, it feels like "home" there...


Photos:
* Detail of yellow flower in Mahogany Room of the Rabbit Run Inn (one of our host Inns).
* Bench fabric at the Bentwood Tavern in the Marina Grand Resort (our reception hotel).
* My favorite dog on the entire planet, dear Lulu (her owners are Linda Jo & Rodney, the fabulous inn-keepers at the Rabbit Run).
* A wooded area on pristine Lake Shore Road.

N and I recently visited the renovated Blackstone Hotel in Chicago. The interior design is totally wild. I'm not sure exactly how I feel about the carpet selection. It appears to be the Swirl Rug designed by Paul Smith for The Rug Company. If so, I think they would have fared better selecting the slightly more subdued color choice below.

The front desk includes a small live video installation by Lincoln Schatz.

Lincoln's work incites a visceral response - in particular, the Cube.

While there, I treated N to a fancy breakfast at the hotel's restaurant, Mercat. We shared a crab omelette with asparagus and roasted peppers and lemon-ricotta pancakes. The bill was a bit extravagant for breakfast, but every once in awhile it's good to indulge - especially when it leaves you reminiscent of the food for days after.

Photo of the Blackstone Lobby from Chicago Magazine.