Pizza, burgers, frozen kefir, oh my.

The school year is in full swing, which means a lot of writing of papers and a ton of studying for exams, and with the coziest time of year finally here, I'm left reminiscing about this past summer and its many adventures. I am constantly reminded what a wonderful city I am fortunate enough to have grown up in. There is so much to see, so many activities to take part in, and so much good food to be devoured.

I love food and I love adventure. With so many different neighborhoods, Chicago is the greatest city for food lovers. Summer is the best time of the year because I have the time to go out and explore the city and check off the multitude of restaurants that have accumulated on my bucket list. Check out my list and reviews below of the best restaurants I visited these past few months. The feeling of checking an item off the bucket list is quite rewarding, in it of itself. Take me back, please, to summer and all of these amazing restaurants.

Little Bad Wolf

1541 West Bryn Mawr Avenue

I love a well-furnished restaurant, and Little Bad Wolf does not disappoint. The Little Red Riding Hood themed bar is chic and cozy. Not only do they have a wide assortment of liquor, but they present a tasty and tempting menu featuring items from burgers to tacos. I am easily satisfied with a burger made of good ingredients. The selection within the burger category was not vast, but it was satisfactory. I opted for the Little Bad Burger and was very much content. The fries are amazing as well! They’re served with garlic aioli, and the combination of the sauce with the burger is mouth-watering. This is a great little restaurant to hit up after a long day at school or work.

Farmhouse Chicago

228 West Chicago Avenue

Located in Chicago's Near North Side, this eclectic eatery serves American food using farm-to-table and locally-sourced ingredients. Farmhouse has the absolute best cheese curds I have ever, and probably best I will ever eat in my life. What made them so great was the fact that they were beer-battered. They were served with ketchup and spicy curd sauce. I would go back to this place for the cheese curds alone, that’s how good they were. For the “main harvest,” as they call it, I had the pasture-raised, grass-fed burger. Let me just say, I think about this burger sometimes because it was one of the greatest burgers I’ve ever had (top 5, for sure). The ingredients blended together seamlessly and the french fries were the perfect combination of crunchy and crispy. On top of that, I also definitely appreciated the fact that the beef was grass fed.

MAK Restaurant

1924 West Division Street

This laid-back, delicious restaurant is perfect for any day. The outdoor patio overlooks Wicker Park’s bustling Division Street. I love chinese food, and I love orange chicken even more, so I always like to try it from different restaurants. I ordered a bowl of MAK chicken with a side of broccoli - so good! MAK offers a variety of different options, including vegetarian and gluten-free options, making it's difficult to decide on just one specific dish. The utensils are very interesting, yet intriguing - fork on one side, chopsticks on the other. Two thumbs up for this eatery!

The Lifeway Kefir Shop

1745 West Division Street

I was introduced to frozen kefir this summer and full disclosure, it has changed my life. My friends and family know all too well how much I love frozen kefir. It, in my opinion, beats frozen yogurt and possibly even ice cream. Many people don’t actually know what kefir is - it’s the tart and tangy cousin of yogurt. Most grocery stores sell it, and I highly recommend trying it if you haven’t before! What I love about frozen kefir is that it’s low in calories and healthy, too! I love to add dark chocolate chips as my topping; you can never go wrong with chocolate. Frozen kefir is my go-to treat after a long week at school and work; it makes the day a little sweeter. Honestly, I can’t believe I didn’t try it before, so so much love for it.

Sakura Teppanyaki & Sushi

730 West Diversey Parkway

I boarded the sushi-loving express a little late in the game, but once my fondness for sushi was developed, it was not to be beckoned with. It's not often that I go out for sushi specifically, but I had this sudden craving for it. I came across this elegant sushi bar through my search for all-you-can-eat sushi bars. The restaurant interior was stylish and moody, dimly lit. Perfect for any sushi fix - they offer a wide variety of rolls and meal combinations. I opted for the lunch special, which included an appetizer of either soup or salad and two rolls of my choice. I decided on the summer and spider rolls and was not disappointed.

Piece Brewery and Pizzeria

1927 West North Avenue

This wasn't the first time I visited this restaurant. I actually discovered it during the previous school year, and I immediately fell in love with it. In fact, I'm not sure words even describe my love for this pizzeria. The locale itself gives off such a positive, welcoming vibe and the second you step foot into this precious pizzeria, you are hit by the smell of freshly baked pizza. You make your own pizza, so you really can’t go wrong with anything; it’s all amazing. My personal favorite, and go-to pizza is the New Haven style (red sauce, topped with garlic, parmesan and finished with olive oil) with pepperoni, black olives, and roasted red peppers. Sandwiches and salads are also offered on the menu, and being a brewery, Piece produces award-winning, hand-crafted beers. I cannot recommend this pizzeria enough; I think I would live off their pizza if I could, that’s how much I love it.

3 Arts Club Cafe

1300 North Dearborn Street

When people come to Chicago, more often than not, 3 Arts Club Cafe in Restoration Hardware is on their to-do list. Being from Chicago myself, I found it a bit appalling that I had never before visited this restaurant. Thank you, Instagram, for the major inspiration. Never had I ever seen a prettier restaurant; I wanted to photograph every corner of every room. I have admired Restoration Hardware furniture ever since I was a little kid; I would always look through each season's catalog and design my ideal living room and kitchen with the shown furniture. The wait time is no problem when you can explore this dreamy furniture store. Kudos to Restoration Hardware for not only crafting gorgeous furniture but for also serving some delicious food in a beautiful setting! I love greenery and think it really brings any space together by integrating bits of nature into a living space, and the cafe lacks no greenery.

Mingle Juice Bar

1830 Tower Drive

Although Mingle isn't actually in Chicago proper (it's located in Glenview), I wanted to add it to the list because I enjoyed my visit quite a bit. This juice bar is a popular destination, among many folks, for its acai bowls. I ordered the “Pretty in Pink” Pitaya bowl and was astonished at how good it was! Pitaya bowls are made using dragon fruit, and Pretty in Pink specifically is comprised of pitaya, strawberries, and pineapple blended together. Not only do these bowls taste delicious, but they’re gorgeous, too.