Starfruit opened early in 2008 with a new approach to cold confections. They serve organic kefir, a dairy product similar to frozen yogurt with cultures that aid digestion and help the body process calcium. Kefir is usually found in liquid form in grocery stores, much like a smoothie. The drink originated in the Caucasus Mountains of Russia, and as its popularity spread west, flavors were added. After enjoying the sweet/tart flavor of kefir drinks, I moved on to Starfuit, the only Chicago shop that sells the soft-serve, frozen form.

If your friends know and love frozen yogurt, they will appreciate kefir even more. Starfruit serves Lifeways frozen kefir, with vanilla and different fruit flavors like peach, strawberry banana and pomegranate. Cappuccino is my all-time favorite, combining creamy chocolate and coffee flavors. Like the frozen yogurt shops I miss from the 1980s, Starfruit has plenty of toppings to mix with the kefir. You can have a healthy parfait with California green grapes and walnuts or go totally hedonistic with Butterfinger bits and mini chocolate chip cookies. The peach kefir goes very well with mochi balls, for a peaches and cream type parfait. Smoothies here provide plenty of calcium, protein and Vitamin C, with the option of seasonal fruit like Washington cherries or exotics like Brazilian goji berries. Your health nut friend and your chocoholic friend will both appreciate Starfruit. The cappuccino smoothie with Butterfinger bits is my favorite summer treat, and I can still tell people it’s a health food.

All the organic kefir cups, parfaits and smoothies cost between $4 and $7, so you can afford to treat your friends. This is also a good spot for parents to bring their kids for a dessert or after-school snack. You can tell them it’s healthy after they try it and like it. Best of all, Starfruit’s friendly servers will let you sample the flavors and help you pick out tasty combinations of toppings and kefir. Every time I visit, the service is excellent and unhurried. The cool white restaurant interior and its outdoor metal tables and chairs are always spotless.

Frozen yogurt is back in fashion and kefir is the next delicious step. Treat your friends to something new today at Starfruit. Be sure to ask for a punch card, so your tenth frozen dessert will be free.

For a great finale to a meal here, split a dessert. Try the traditional sticky toffee pudding ($7) chocolate cake or bread and butter pudding with whiskey caramel sauce ($7.50). The elegant vintage cheese plate with raisins, apples and nuts also appears as a dessert option. For total decadence, share a dessert combo for only $8.99 and find a favorite sweet.

As in Ireland, you can order beer by the pint or half-pint here (20 or 10 glasses). I like the 10 ounce Guinness and my friends recommend Smithwick’s a lighter lager-style Irish beer. The wine menu offers a good mix of American and imported reds and whites, most for under $10 a glass. Your whiskey choices include Jameson, Bushmills (S7) and aged Scotches, like the 12-year-old Glenlivet ($8). If your date likes sweet drinks, suggest the unique Celtic coffee made with Tia Maria and whipped cream.
Music

The house band played mostly instrumental Irish music, always at a pleasant volume so diners can converse. The instruments include a fiddle, string bass, banjo and mandolin. I really enjoyed the traditional music and the theme from the “real party” in Titanic. The music, fine food and coziness of The Celtic Knot will soon make it a favorite date spot.

As Frida probably knew, a shortcut to the heart of a man or a woman is through the stomach. Start your meal with an appetizer like the guacamole de Frida with queso fresco, or the ceviche, a simple, addictive mix of shrimp, avocado, tomato and red onion ($8). The crimson salsa is smoky hot but won’t scald your tongue; spices are used wisely here. Offer your date some corn comfort food with the popular tamales ($2 each), baked fresh here every day.

Many dishes give you the option of steak, chicken, shrimp or beans and cheese. The Mexican cheeses nicely balance the spicy dishes. Vegetarians and others will appreciate plentiful, unique vegetables like the traditional grilled cactus salad, pickly yet crunchy, flecked with white cheese. I ordered La Bomba de Frida, an explosion of chorizo, ham, pork, pineapple, red and green bell peppers, crowned with melted manchego cheese and cilantro, with tortillas. There was plenty to share, so I sampled and traded with my dining partner, who enjoyed the special carne in chipotle, chicken with a white sauce of Chihuahua cheese smoked chipotle peppers, with a side of beans and cactus salad.

You can finish your meal on a romantic, traditional note with a thick slice of flan ($4). The creamy caramel flan sits in a light cinnamon sauce with a cherry on top. Or warm up with a big mug of hot cocoa; the original food of love from Mexico.

In a city with hundreds of good Mexican restaurants, La Cocina de Frida is a great one.

Smaller and simpler than many Greektown restaurants, Artopolis emulates a Mediterranean shop and café. Customers hang out after work for wine and dinner, many of them conversing in Greek. I enjoyed finding pastries and dishes that were new to me, including the signature artopitas. The spanakopita “spinach and cheese pie” is one of many types of dinner pastries here, including the Kotopita of chicken, mozzarella, peppers and a baked ham and cheese pie ($8-$10). The name “Artopolis” means “city of bread” and the fresh bread, thick crust pizzas, sandwiches and artopitas are baked fresh daily.

Soup and salads are excellent here too. Try the traditional soup, a golden avgolemono with lemon, egg, white rice and big chunks of chicken ($3.75). Salads include the Frutti di Mare with shrimp, calamari, octopus on greens and French style Jardin with big slices of Brie cheese and pears on mesclun greens. The no-lettuce Greek Country salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, feta and Kalamata olives remains my favorite. If you and your friends meet here for lunch, you can have the soup and salad combos or split a big pan pizza.

The wine list and shop features imports such as Retsina and some domestic wines, by the bottle and by the glass. Mediterranean cocktails, like the champagne and peach Bellini or the Café Calypso with iced coffee and rum complete a meal on a high note.

For those with a sweet tooth (everyone I know), Artopolis offers an assortment of Greek cookies and pastries like baklava and honey puff loukomades. Other types of new and traditional sweets include tiramisu, chocolate mousse in chocolate cups and mango yogurt tarts. Coffee choices include espresso, hot or iced cappuccinos and wonderful Greek coffee ($2-$2.75). Served in a small cup and brewed strong, the Papagalos Greek coffee here tastes dark-roasted and aromatic, either sweetened or plain, with none of the bitter edge of many espressos.

If you are looking for a last-minute gift for a friend or food to bring to a party, Artopolis can help. The wines, cheeses, cakes and cookies here make unique and delicious presents with optional gift wrap. You would have to come back to Artopolis many times to try everything, but the varying daily menu adds to its appeal.

Many flavors of smoothies include pineapple, mango, watermelon, kiwi and avocado, for $3.50, with the option of adding tapioca for bubble tea. Your health-conscious friend can sip on a smoothie and enjoy their Vitamin C. If your friends like coffee with dessert, they can enjoy Boyd’s coffee here. Lattes and mochas range from $1 to $2, a good deal anywhere especially with the fluffy tiramisu or the cannoli with ricotta cream and chocolate flakes. Dim sum lovers will appreciate the coconut rolls and egg custard tarts (75 cents). Baked fresh daily, the crème brulee arrives lush and creamy with a delicate shell of brown sugar ($2.75).

The many French-style mousse cakes include: Valencia (with orange cream), bright green Pistachio, Opera (with coffee and chocolate) and a fruit and nut mix simply called Perfect Delight. The mousse cakes come in light, sweet individual portions, enough to enjoy without feeling overly full.

If you visit La Patisserie around lunch time or want a savory snack, try the shu mai or puffy hom bow with barbecue beef, pork or chicken. The egg rolls or ham and cheese buns also make a good light lunch. Even the hot dogs come wrapped in savory pastry Sweet rolls and jelly-roll cakes with cream filling are popular as take-out.

Because of its Argyle Street location, La Patisserie P is a good place to meet before a show at the Riviera or Aragon or on the way to the Lawrence or Montrose Beaches. Parking can be scarce in the evenings here, but it’s worth the wait and the Argyle Red Line stop is only a few blocks west.

Perfect Delight is a cute name for a cake, and also aptly describes this friendly place.

You can start a meal with pork or chicken sate in peanut sauce or the fresh, spicy spring rolls with cucumber, bean sprouts and egg. Salads include the traditional Papaya Salad with your choice of salted shrimp or crab. The Thai iced tea and Thai iced coffee are sweet but not cloying, and arrive in round ceramic cups. All of the rice and noodle dishes and entrees cost less than $10 and portions give you enough for two meals. If your date likes to share, you can try several dishes. The cook will accommodate your request for more or less spice. Many wait staff totally ignore or disbelieve my request for spicy food, but Siam Café understood.

The Sweet and Sour Chicken came with large slices of pineapple, tomato, green pepper and onion in a tangy brown sauce, sweet but not too sweet. I really enjoyed the wide rice noodles and fresh basil in my Pad Kee Maow, which I ordered hot with tofu. The dish had plenty of red peppers and crisp seasoned tofu. If your date likes seafood, they can enjoy many shrimp dishes like Kao Pad Kra Paow (with holy basil and jalapenos) and Kao Nam Mun Hoi (with mushrooms, green onions and oyster sauce) and cuttlefish, mussels and sometimes red snapper and pomfret. Siam Café is the first Chicago Thai restaurant I’ve found that serves my favorite soup, the spicy pink Yen Ta Fo with shrimp, wide rice noodles and vegetables. Vegetarians can easily get tofu or vegetables only in most dishes. If you have a weekday off, try the $6.50 lunch buffet from 11:30am until 2:00pm.

The unassuming Edgewater storefront houses a quiet dining room decorated with wooden statues and plants. Many customers order take-out, but I prefer the cool, quiet dining room. Service is polite and you are never rushed to finish a meal. You have plenty of time to savor your appetizer, enjoy your main course and sip Thai iced tea or Thai iced coffee. The large comfortable booths invite you to sit and converse. When I visited, the only noise was from a family watching Thai TV in the back of the dining room, which added to the welcoming atmosphere.

There are no desserts or alcohol on the menu, but neither is really necessary here considering the large portions and spice. If you or your date live Devon (north) Western (west) Lake Shore Drive (east) and Diversey (south), you can order take-out. Otherwise, Siam Café is well worth the trip for a savory meal in a mellow setting.

Another good pick for happy hour is pizza. Café Penelope has the standard Meat Lovers and Veggie Lovers but also some new flavors such as Cheesesteak, with thin-sliced steak and green pepper and Chili with chili con carne and sour cream. Split the large with your friends for $18 or order the small one for yourself for $10.95. Pizza toppings include eggplant and anchovies and barbecue beef for those who want something different.

The soups at Café Penelope have won several awards and vary daily (vegetarian soups like minestrone are available on Wednesday). Cajun Crab and Corn Chowder and Chicken and Rice are some favorites. You can get a soup and sandwich dinner for $8. The Italian Beef Sandwich is popular here and Italian Eggplant with marinara and cheese is a good hot vegetarian sandwich. My Crabcake Remoulade sandwich combined spicy yellow sauce with a tender crabcake flecked with red pepper on a poppyseed roll, plus roasted red potatoes and fresh coleslaw. The many big fresh salads include spinach gorgonzola and Greek, with grilled and salmon options. Most of the sandwich soup and salad combos are under $10.

If you want to treat your female friends, make reservations for the Monday Martini and Manicure Night. For $20 a person, you and your friends can enjoy a manicure and one of the specialty martinis like Lemon Blueberry, Caramel Apple, or Chocolate.

If your friends like to meet for brunch, Café Penelope serves a great one, which won an Independent Restaurant Award in 2007. Some unique brunch dishes are the chai latte French toast with caramelized apples, honey, and house-made bread stuffed with ricotta cheese. The Eggs Benedict choices include the traditional ham, crab cakes or Caprese with pesto, mozzarella and tomatoes crowning the poached egg and English muffin. Buttermilk pancakes with strawberries or blueberries or your choice of omelets make a great start to your day. Remember that on weekends, Café Penelope is only open until 3, but you can enjoy dinner and drinks there on weeknights. If you need to order food for an event at work, check out their catering site.

It's little wonder why it's so popular: on top of dealing with fighting for a parking spot or dropping hundreds of dollars on car payments, mandatory insurance and maintenance, folks are also waiving paying for city stickers, zoned parking and lot fees. Plus, with so many neighborhoods covered, pretty much anyone can reserve one within walking distance of their homes, right on their computers, for as little as $5 per hour. An added advantage is the cars available are rather nice, with many of them available in hybrid versions!

So hey, why not explore going car free? In this day and age, Chicagoans no longer need to be shackled to cars they hardly drive, now that I-Go has become such a fixture. Of course, folks are also discovering Zip Cars, which operate pretty much the same way and are available in many cities around the country, but for me, I'd rather go with the home team!

You can bring a date here for breakfast, lunch or dinner, but my favorite is the Swedish brunch. Order the thin, fruity lingonberry pankoeken and smoky Swedish sausage or branch out with tuna salad with grapes and almonds or lox cured in Aquavit, a favorite Norsk liquor transported north across the Equator. Pick the healthy muesli with yogurt and dried fruits and nuts or the Belgian waffle with blueberries and strawberries floating on a whipped cream cloud. Small fresh quiches and flaky pastries are baked here daily.

My hazelnut vanilla pastry combined slivered nuts and delicate cream in a buttery crust. The ioksoppa - baked onion soup - combines onions and thin sliced brown bread and Jarlsberg cheese (a great deal at $4). My date had a spinach and cheese omelet with sausage and brown bread. Omelet selections change daily with plenty of vegetable and meat and fish options. Unique salads include the Swedish Caesar Salad with romaine, Swedish anchovy, Jarlsberg and croutons, Ostallad with mixed greens, goat cheese and bacon and Melonsallad of Bibb lettuce, melon and blue cheese. European-sized portions here are filling but will not overstuff you. The pickles, potato salad, and two kinds of herring are house-made.

If you and your date need coffee to wake up, Tre Kronor will serve you a better cup than many coffee shops. My cappucinno was fluffy and sprinkled with cinnamon (only $2.75). Fresh-squeezed juice and teas are also good complements to the fresh fruit and cheese dishes.

The wood dining room with a fireplace has an Old World coziness, but, like any well-loved brunch spot, it can fill up fast. If you can, sit in the dining room upstairs, a smaller space for quiet conversation by the sunny windows. In summer, try the outdoor seating.

After a fresh, healthy yet fun breakfast at Tre Kronor you’ll feel ready to walk on the beach, peruse the nearby shops or go wherever the day takes you.

The menu includes the usual rice, noodles, salads and soups: pad thai, pad prik king, crying tiger (spicy beef), red, green and yellow curry. There are plenty of appetizers to share, including: satay, shu mai and fried bananas. The peanut sauce on the Rama chicken has a perfect balance of sweetness and spice. Basil, peppers and other vegetables are fresh and flavorful. Tofu and brown rice can be substituted in most dishes. Seafood dishes abound and specials change weekly; ginger tillapia or fresh sautéed perch for $13.95 are a few good picks. Most entrees range from $5 to $10.

The hot and sour seafood soup mixes green mussels, tender squid, and shrimp with basil and bell peppers. The kang pa red curry tasted spicy but not overpowering with Thai eggplant (lighter and crunchier than the Japanese variety) bamboo shoots and seedy little green peppers swimming in lush golden broth. Pud see ew is savory sweet with brown sauce and fresh carrots. Portions of pad thai and wide noodles with broccoli are generous and just saucy enough.

Tall glasses of Thai iced coffee and Thai iced tea mitigate the spice of the hot dishes and you can also order coffee, a pot of tea and soft drinks. Thai Pastry is BYOB.

Remind your friends to save room for dessert. You can try some of the pastries, many filled with cream, coconut or fruit. The house-made ice cream comes in parfait glasses or by the carton to take home. Coconut, green tea and mango are available and my favorite is lychee, light and creamy with chunks of the sweet white fruit.

Delivery and carryout are available and super cheap with the $6.50 lunch specials. If your coworkers like Thai food, try this menu on a weekday between 11am and 3pm. Delivery is available between Devon, Lake Shore Drive, Diversey and Western and it’s well worth a trip to Thai Pastry for lunch. You could also come here for a happy hour dinner after work. Popular but never overcrowded, Thai Pastry is relaxing with lime green walls, soft Thai music, and doll-house size models of Thai restaurants by the entrance. Service is friendly and substitutions are no problem.