Aba

Since my birthday was spent in quarantine, I had to change up my celebration this year. I had been dying to try Aba and I figured there’s no better place to ring in my 25th birthday! Aba did a great job adapting their restaurant into a corona free environment. All of the interior dining was shut down. Only the rooftop patio was open and all of the tables and lounges were separated more than 6ft apart. The restaurant asked that if you move around the rooftop or use the bathroom that you wear your mask to keep others safe. I’m still not comfortable eating inside restaurants yet so I was delighted to have such a safe birthday experience at Aba.

This restaurant and rooftop were absolutely stunning. The modern and earthy atmosphere were a delight. The menu is all Mediterranean and the dishes are fantastic. My personal favorite was the Everything Jerusalem bagel. It comes with whipped honey, za’atar and lemon zest. They are famous for their hummus selection. I also loved trying the short ribs, the grilled skirt steak and the grilled chicken kebabs. Everything you order is made to share so make sure you grab your pals and come hungry. The desserts were so delicious. I tried the dark chocolate babka which was a cinnamon, cardamom and raisin pastry and it was insanely good! My waiter was so sweet and gave me a swirl of frozen greek yogurt with a candle on top for my birthday. I’m a huge creme brulee fan so I obviously had to order the creme brulee pi with burnt honey and fresh farmer’s market strawberries on top. 10/10 baby!

The cocktails were so refreshing and the bartender kept them coming all afternoon. This is the perfect lunch spot in the West Loop. It’s a perfect way to spend an afternoon eating great food and sipping on yummy cocktails.