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    American Girl Place - Chicago

    American Girl Place - Chicago

    (296 reviews)

    $$$

    Streeterville, Near North Side

    So here's the thing I've actually been to this café twice as an adult. Obviously, I grew up as an…read moreAmerican girl doll lover I mean, come on I'm an American and a girl???? But my friends have had two separate birthday brunches here and you know what I'm not mad about it??? You got four courses for $38??? And you get to bring your own doll BYOD! I brought my own, of course, and she has a backpack......They always start you off with the cinnamon rolls, which are very flaky but good. If I was a child, I would eat 10 of these, but they only give you one. Then they give you this tea service ask plate with a variety of strange appetizers. For example, meatballs, fried ravioli and hummus bites. Very random, but that's OK. There is something for everyone at the American girl doll store. For my main on both times that I've been here I've had the quiche with the side salad. Look, I'll be honest it's a really good quiche. It's a quiche I would seek out if it wasn't at the American girl doll store. Finally, you finish with dessert, which is normally chocolate mousse, but if you're celebrating a birthday, you get the chocolate and vanilla cake with a side of ice cream with rainbow sprinkles. The cake actually isn't that good but the ice cream is. You also get a free nonalcoholic beverage! Look even as an adult I think this is a funny side quest or bit and like I said, the food is actually good. Yet again, another win for capitalism.

    A friend's daughter saved up $37 for a trip to Chicago's American Girl store, and it's quite a…read moreplace! The 18-inch-tall dolls are cute and gently real-looking, more fabric than plastic. They have some smaller size dolls, too. There were a number of clothing items around $40, and our friend found a newly-released gymnast outfit for her doll within her budget, thanks to a 15% Presidents' Day sale :-) (Feb 2026). We ourselves gifted a cute $7 set of doll hair-gems to add some jazz :-) It was fun to visit a store full of happy shoppers and friendly helpful staff. A pleasant, I dare say amusing adventure.

    Mrs. Newberry's Traveling Tea Party - The tea room! Dresses and hats (and everything you see) provided by Ms Newberry

    Mrs. Newberry's Traveling Tea Party

    (1 review)

    River North, Near North Side

    All 3 of my kids have similar birthdays so my daughter has been sharing a bday party with my son…read morefor the past 3 years. When she declared she was getting her very own "super girly" party this year I suggested an American Girl (her current obsession) Tea Party. She loved the idea so I did a bit of research on who hosted the best tea parties in town...and came across Mrs. Newberry's Traveling Tea Party. Mrs. Newberry is running quite the operation. She arrived hours before our party w/ her tea truck (no joke) full of gorgeous china, chairs, tables, unicorns (yes, unicorns) and more. Within hours she turned my kitchen into a gorgeous tea parlor that made my daughter exclaim "oh my goodness" and jump up and down for the entire day. And if that's not enough to excite a 6 year old she brings dozens of gowns, hats, and jewels for the girls to dress up in before they sit down for tea. Tea is a favorite pasttime of mine (Peninsula anyone?) and Mrs Newberry gave these girls quite the intro. While enjoying a cup of delish tea (aka: fruit juice) they stuffed their faces with pizza bagels, cupcakes, muffins, cookies, candy, cheese, fruit and more birthday cake (the only thing I actually had to provide). Delicious tea & food is only part of the fun. Mrs. Newberry read some adorable books, including our favorite Fancy Nancy, and had very engaging conversation with the girls. She had complete control of 26 mostly kindergarteners- even my 3 yr old son was mesmerized by her "show." She ended the "par-tea" with a craft project that I thought was a bit too easy for the girls (stickers on pumpkins and bats in honor of Halloween), but then again that's probably all they could sit thru after all the sugar. My only mistake was not sending the kids home after 1.5 perfect hours with Mrs. Newberry because when it was my turn to take over (which basically involved setting them loose in my basement) it was complete chaos. I had worried when I booked her that 1.5 hours wouldn't be enough, but like everything else Mrs. Newberry knows best. I only wish I could hire Mrs. Newberry to come entertain my kids every weekend....she truly is a real life Mary Poppins.

    Party Wheelz Rentals - loved all the personalized signage at the party

    Party Wheelz Rentals

    (4 reviews)

    The Loop

    My son and his friend really wanted a Mario Kart birthday party. I looked into all the race and…read morebumper car options all over the North Shore, but ideally wanted to rent my own cars and put them in a local gym. I did some research and discovered you could rent power wheels cars (genius) and bumper cars (for older kids) thru Party Wheelz. I booked everything thru Diane at Party Wheelz who was super easy to work with. We decided on 9 power wheels for the size of our party, which also had some other mario themed entertainment. The next step was finding a gym that would let us bring in the power wheels. We had a few options in the North Shore, but ended up settling on a beautiful gym in Northbrook that was just perfect. Diane and her team showed up 45 min before party time to set up the cars and the obstacle course. When all the kids arrived they couldn't be more excited when they saw both the obstacle course and cars. In fact, they wanted nothing to do with the other activities including mario and luigi characters and playing nintendo because they just wanted to race the cars over and over again. Diane and her team kept things super well organized and I was impressed with how the kids waited patiently for their turns, although no one needed to wait for more than a few minutes. She also even had goody bags for the kids which included fun glasses and whistles, although I think all the adults who stuck around could have done without the piercing whistle sounds. Overall, it was a hit and I think perfect for a group of 1st grade boys. I think it's ideal for ages 4-7 and beyond that I'd look into the bumper car options for older kids.

    Oh my god, funnest 5th birthday party ever! We rented 5 cars and added a 6th day of to accommodate…read moresome bigger kids. Diane, the Party Wheelz Owner, was responsive, professional, and seemed to take true joy in the day along with us. Communication was easy before, during, and after the party. Dropoff was a breeze and the end of party was seamless. We had 2 straight hours of fun on the cars, smiles all around. I would highly, highly recommend Party Wheelz for any kids' event!

    Skip & Scoot - Mommy & Me Log Roll and Play Together!

    Skip & Scoot

    (7 reviews)

    Old Town, Near North Side

    My two year old (plus a few months) has been doing classes with Skip & Scoot since she was about 18…read moremonths old and I can't say enough about the classes and about Miss Luci. Skip & Scoot classes are full of fun obstacle courses, activities, music, singing, dancing, stories and more. The bubbles at the end of class are always a favorite for my mini. Oh and the stamp... she loves to have her stamp that all of the kids receive at the end. These classes are great for entertaining and also exhausting my toddler - she always takes a good nap after a Skip & Scoot class. ;-) And if this wasn't reason enough, Miss Luci will often chime in with some tidbits about how this activity or that exercise is not only fun, but is building the brain and helping improve development in our little ones. Note about Covid: We have also taken the new outdoor classes more recently (after months of sheltering in place and doing virtual classes) and would like to point out that Skip & Scoot now has precautionary Covid procedures in place. All adults (including the teacher) are required to wear face masks and the whole set up is in an outdoor park with tons of space for social distancing. Everyone (kids and adults) are asked to use hand sanitizer prior to touching equipment and everyone in the class follows along with these measures and we feel very safe and comfortable. And it's so great for my kid to be back in this type of learning and play environment with other kids!

    I hired Luci to teach classes at my playspace and she absolutely knocks it out of the park every…read moretime! Kids and adults love her and she's very knowledgeable about how to engage children's bodies and minds. Highly recommend!

    The Ivy Room At Tree Studios - Grilled salmon

    The Ivy Room At Tree Studios

    (92 reviews)

    Near North Side

    Working with Pam was truly one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. From the very first…read moremeeting, she brought a sense of calm, confidence, and genuine care that made the entire planning process feel seamless. Pam has an incredible eye for detail and an innate ability to turn a vision into something even more beautiful than you imagined! She was organized, responsive, and always ten steps ahead, coordinating every vendor flawlessly and ensuring we never had to worry about a thing! On our wedding day, Pam and her team made everything run so smoothly that we were able to be fully present and actually enjoy every moment. Beyond her professionalism, Pam is simply a joy to work with; warm, thoughtful, and deeply invested in making the day special. Our guests are still raving about how perfect everything was, and we owe so much of that to her!!

    We came here for an event honoring volunteers and achievements by the Respiratory Health…read moreAssociation. I like the outdoor setup, being cradled and surrounded by ivy walls. I wonder if that's the 'Ivy Room' of the namesake? We grabbed some drinks and enjoyed music, speeches and a special award. It's a nice space with seating, not just wicker chairs either but cushions! There were passed drinks and hor-durves, as well as friendly, helpful bartenders for those wanting beer, water or soda. One of us spilled something on a light-colored jacket, and they came to our rescue with seltzer and wipes. There was also a buffet with Spanish themed food (empanadas, paella) and small bite dessert bar. I asked about what had red meat/pork and thankfully I was dutifully informed. The caterers gave me and my party some leftovers! Not sure what prompted that but we appreciated it(we tipped even on free drinks). The missing star has to do with the wine. It was AWFUL! I tried to break it up with beer, but I got so sick the next day, I had to cancel my evening plans. I probably over indulged, but I have had more wine in one sitting with way fewer side effects. I may just stick with beer next time.

    The Painted Penguin - paintandsip - Updated May 2026

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