I have a friend who’s a bit of a foodie. Actually, she’s the foodie-est foodie I know. She also happens to have exquisite taste when it comes to restaurants, so it’s easy to let her make the reservations and tell me where to eat (a win-win for everyone).

Lucky for me, said foodie friend was on my recent girls’ trip to Chicago and snagged reservations for us at The Aviary, a swanky cocktail lounge offering a five-course, small-bites tasting menu matched with unique cocktails. I had no idea what the evening would entail, but I knew my foodie friend would never steer me wrong.

As we sat down, our waiter asked about allergies and introduced us to our first beverage of the evening called Let It Linger. Fully embracing our 1990s music background, we immediately recognized the Let It Linger would feature cranberries (and it did) along with orange, rosemary, chai and white rum. Served in a circular pitcher of sorts, the taste of the drink morphed as the evening wore on, giving us different flavors throughout the night as the evening “lingered.”

Alongside our white rum beverage, we enjoyed a raw scallop topped with caviar, bathed in a truffle purée. It was equally rich and divine! I looked at my friend across the table and winked. Anytime you begin a meal with caviar, you are guaranteed a memorable evening.

Next was my favorite beverage of the night — a lychee-flavored drink with the star of the show: mini ice balls filled with cherry liquor. This drink was such a hit, someone in our group brilliantly went online to have tiny ice ball trays delivered to her home in less than 48 hours! Our sweet and tart beverage was paired with a light and tasty croquette. If kimchi and a hush-puppy could have a beautiful, delicious baby, this would be it. The flavors were fantastic together.

Then we received a Thai-inspired creamy cashew soup topped with basil, blue crab and roe, accompanied by a banana-curry gin sour. By this point in the evening, it became readily apparent I should start pacing myself and, therefore, I chose to leave the glass half-full (though it was yummy).

Our largest course of the night was duck confit with duck prosciutto, butternut squash and mushrooms. A gorgeous presentation and melt-in-your-mouth savory, it was paired with a flambéed bourbon that I couldn’t begin to drink. However, the fire was fun, and the waiter assured us we could do anything the four of us put our minds to doing (especially when fire and alcohol were involved). Me, not so much.

Finally, we finished our evening with lightly seasoned truffle potato chips and a red-wine chocolate frosty for dessert. It was the perfect sweet-and-salty finish to our meal — and I’m glad I saved room for this beverage as my last of the night.

Besides choosing extraordinary restaurants, my foodie friend has an abundance of other outstanding qualities for which I’m grateful. However, this particular talent of hers is remarkably enjoyable and makes memories last long after the weekend is through.

May you be ever-so lucky to have a foodie friend who loves potato chips as much as mine.

— Carrie Cox, account executive