'Adam Eats Ice Cream' Blogger Adam Rozen's Guide To Chicago

"Like any good ice cream reporter, I always get the scoop," says Adam Rozen, the tastebuds behind Chicago's popular Instagram account Adam Eats Ice Cream. Whether he's documenting his dessert explorations in his home base of Chicago or taste-testing gelato from all corners of the world, Rozen is constantly on the hunt for the next must-have cone and sharing his frozen finds with his loyal social media followers.

Even the Windy City's brutal winters can't stop the life-long Chicagoan from grabbing an ice cream cone in his neighborhood. Still, it's the summers, Rozen admits, that truly highlight Chicago's vibrancy, pride and beauty. "When people flee other cities for the beach, Chicago fills itself up with street festivals," says Rozen. "People love this city in a way you don’t see many other places."

In between his ice cream-filled posts, you can sometimes find Rozen enjoying a scenic river cruise to view Chicago's extraordinary skyline or going on a romantic date at Geja's Cafe with his wife, Rachel (aka #IceCreamWife). Check out some of the ice cream expert's other favorite spots around the city, below.

Where were you born? Northbrook, one of Chicago’s northern suburbs.

How long have you lived in Chicago? My whole life — I grew up in the suburbs, went to the University of Illinois, and I’ve lived in the city for more than 10 years since graduating. My son makes it five generations living in Chicago.

What neighborhood do you live in? River North

Describe Chicago in three words: Vibrant, passionate, proud

What’s your favorite overall Chicago restaurant? The next one. Chicago has an incredible food scene right now, and it’s impossible to keep up with everything. My wife and I rarely go back anywhere, not because we don’t enjoy it, but because there’s a new hot place we haven’t been. Also, obviously, Portillo’s is the king.

Best sushi: Traditional elegance: Juno. Modern twist: Kai Zan.

Best Italian food: Piccolo Sogno. Although, I haven’t made it to Monteverde yet.

Best dessert: Since I have too many opinions on this (follow me on Instagram, you’ll see), I’ll just say the best plated dessert I’ve had was a s’mores dish with housemade marshmallow and graham cracker ice cream at Sable Kitchen & Bar.

Best pizza: Happy Camper has the best cheese pizza I’ve ever eaten. Nancy’s for Chicago stuffed. And Roots, which is Quad Cities-style pizza, is outstanding.

Best spot for a quick lunch: I probably eat at Seoul Taco three to four times a month. I’ve asked them to start a rewards program, but no luck yet! I also fly a lot, and have probably eaten Tortas Frontera (at O’Hare International Airport) over 100 times.

Best spot for a romantic date: Geja’s Cafe might be the most romantic place in the city. It’s an old school fondue place (over 50 years running). The lights are low, the fire is burning, there’s a great wine list, and you can even curtain off your booth for a little privacy. Pro tip: If you ask nicely, they’ll bring you extra pound cake for your dessert fondue.

Best glass of wine: Hard to beat Quartino, where the wine flows like water.

Best Sunday brunch: It’s not really a brunch place, but my wife and I love the brunch at Green Door Tavern. I’m already afraid just saying it that our secret will get out!

Best spot for a power business meeting: It sure seems like Chicago Cut Steakhouse is the “official” restaurant of business meetings.

Best cup of coffee or tea: I don’t drink coffee, but the best cup of tea I can remember having in the city was the oolong at 3 Arts Club Cafe.

Best steak: I’m partial to Joe’s Seafood Prime Steak & Stone Crab. The crab’s even better, though.

Best craft cocktail: It has to be The Violet Hour, the O.G. Chicago cocktail bar, doesn’t it? It's still the best Manhattan I’ve ever had. Shout out to The Berkshire Room for their “off menu” cocktails, in which you choose a glass shape, a liquor, and a flavor profile, and they make you whatever they want.

What hotel would you recommend for your out of town guests? If you want new school beauty, my wife and I had a staycation at the new Waldorf-Astoria Chicago late last year and it’s gorgeous. If you want old-school cool, the InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile on Michigan Avenue has some amazing history to it, including the original pool designed by Johnny Weissmuller (the original Tarzan and a five-time olympic gold medal swimmer!). Also, we got married there.

Favorite shopping venue or boutique: Does Target count? We really (really) like Target.

Best gym or fitness studio: I work out in my building gym, but my wife loves Pilates ProWorks and Studio Three.

Best spa: The spa at the Virgin Hotel was pretty fantastic. But you can’t beat the price at River North Massage Therapy Center. It’s no frills but the massages are great, and you aren’t paying for frills. I have a monthly membership.

Favorite charity event or organization: I don’t do as much charity work as I’d like, but our dog Crosby is a rescue from Bow Wow Revolution, and he’s absolutely amazing. They rescue dogs from animal control and set them up with foster parents until they can get adopted. If there’s even one more dog like Crosby out there, they deserve all the funding they can get!

Favorite cultural event: Does Lollapalooza count as cultural? I’ve been every year since it returned (except the one we took off for our honeymoon). I also love that Chicago dyes the river green for St. Patrick’s Day every year, and the annual Chicago Bridge Lifts, when the bridges open for the boats to travel to and from the lake.

Favorite cultural institution: The Art Institute of Chicago is really fantastic. I should probably go there more often. Also, Portillo’s has to be a cultural institution, right?

What’s the best museum or current exhibit in Chicago? See above. I also grew up loving the Field Museum of Natural History, but all the big ones (Adler Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium, Museum of Science & Industry) are worthy of a city of our stature.

Best historic or iconic Chicago landmark to see or explore: Is the entire skyline a “landmark”? Our skyline beats any in the world. Everyone needs to take a Chicago Architecture Foundation river cruise (at least) once in their life. It’s the best way to learn about the beautiful architecture and the history of our city.

What’s your all-time favorite spot in Chicago? I suppose my favorite place is whatever they call Sox Park now (Guarenteed Rate Field) to watch the White Sox with a swirl waffle cone on a beautiful summer day.

The best aspect of Chicago is: The people. It’s a wonderful mixture of big city living with midwest values. People love this city in a way you don’t see many other places. The pride is real, and the easiest way to see it is that in the summer: When people flee other cities for the beach, Chicago fills itself up with street festivals. And we have our own beach, so you don’t even need to leave!

Photo Credit: Adam Rozen