This decadent deliciousness drizzled to perfection is 4 types of salads available in one dish, offered on the second floor of famed Ikram designer boutique in Chicago. Kale with pine nuts, cous cous with nuts and veggies, and insalata caprese cover the dishes confines, and even in eating a rainbow of nutrients, you can’t help but think, “This is what world first class tastes like.” As the shop houses a lush world of couture and glamor, some of the glittery garments sit way above my price range making this salad an approachable way to excuse my way inside. A meal here seemed a better value if allowing me to pretend to be someone else for a day.
Did I fail to mention what Ikram looks like? It’s an enormous red building with round windows that channels a massive submarine. If a submarine were red, sitting on land, and full of designer drag. This place sat under construction for some time, and living right next door (on E. Huron and N. Wabash) I got to experience it emerging from a pile of dirt and dust to this impressive shiny ruby gem. Some days at the crack of dawn walking home from a friend’s house after a late night out, I’d catch a glance of this pleasant eye mirage a block away only to smile at the extremely well dressed security guard as I walked past, heels in hand, and sneak in through the side door to avoid my doorman’s judgmental glance. While never splurging on a single item in-house, the splendid sight both outdoor and in, is enough to make me want to go back and grab lunch here again. Downstairs the fitting room welcomes you with an octagon labyrinth of mirrors so that you can’t miss an angle of that too nice for words ball gown you try on, only to make you feel like a real life pretty pretty princess from childhood days of yore. An awesome Chicago staple for those with a taste for time consuming window shopping and fantastical vicarious experiences.