New on the Scene: A quick look at some of Chicago’s hottest new restaurants — and why they’re thriving

RM Champagne Salon is super sexy, located in the heart of the West Loop. I love both the romantic outside as well as the cozy inside. They have fun cocktails and a great menu for sharing.

Perhaps the epicenter for taking in the colors of the season in Chicago is Lincoln Park, in all its tree-filled splendor, nestled in between high-rise condominiums and Lake Michigan.

The California Clipper is a speakeasy-style bar with live jazz music and a small dance floor. I feel transported to another time when I go there.

Parlay at Joy District is now open at 112 W. Hubbard, expanding past the Joy District rooftop and second-floor nightclub to feature this first-floor “ultramodern sports parlor.”

The Notebaert Nature Museum's new exhibit aims to introduce the public to some of the world’s most exotic and fascinating birds by focusing on the many species that call the rainforests of New Guinea home.

It’s hard not to be charmed by every detail of the space — one side is stocked with impossibly cute onesies, the other lined with personalized luggage, purses and phone cases.

Gather’s mission is to simply improve one’s way of living by selling homemade and crafty products to utilize in everyday life.

I would recommend the taco platter at Broken English. Combine that with the street corn hushpuppies and a margarita, and you are good to go.

Aside from the stands selling all sorts of sprouts, vegetables and fruit, there were also stands for savory crepes, carts selling steaming-hot tamales, and children gathered around an older gentleman playing Simon & Garfunkel tunes.