Girls' Night at Geja's Cafe

One of my favorite things (well, one of the only things, really) about "growing up" is that my relationship with my mom shifted from being parent/child to being best friends. Don't get me wrong, she still brings me chicken soup when I'm sick, makes me dinner on Monday nights, and reminds me to call my grandma on her birthday, but the friendship we've formed over the past 8 years is seriously unmatched.

What's even better is that I've formed some very close friendships with my mom's friends, women I have known since I was in grade school (some longer). Many of them have daughters of their own, and we've formed this unique "girls' club" that travel together, shop together, gossip together, and, of course, eat together.

One particularly rainy girls' night out, my mom and I doubled with one of our favorite mother/daughter pairs to Geja's Cafe (340 W. Armitage). Tucked cozy on the garden level on Lincoln Park's busy Armitage Ave., you may miss this place if you don't know where you're going. This terribly romantic fondue restaurant is practically a Chicago landmark, and its inconspicuous exterior is not an indication of the wonderful things that wait inside. Walking down a flight of stairs from the street level makes Geja's feel a bit dungeonous, but the dark interior with cozy booths and live guitarists in the background feels warm and homey.

There is something about the communal atmosphere of cooking together in a big pot of oil that's truly ideal for a group of girls in need of some serious catch up conversation. The three course meal begins with a savory, creamy imported Gruyere fondue mixed with white wine, cherry brandy, and assorted spices. Served with apple slices, grapes, and a variety of breads, this appetizer is truly sinful.

The entire waitstaff is extremely knowledgeable, veterans in the world of fondue cooking, and teach the basics of how each item should be cooked: veggies take longer than proteins; shrimp and lobster only need a minute; be sure not to put your raw chicken on the same skewer as your other meats. Our table receives a large silver platter- the middle is piled high with fresh vegetables including broccoli, potatoes, mushrooms, onions, etc- and on each corner of the platter lay our proteins, all of it surrounded by 8 delicious dipping sauces. The foodie (fatty?) that I am, I order the Connoisseur dinner- beef, shrimp and lobster- knowing full well I will be sharing with the rest of the table.

We dip our food into the bubbling pots of oil and as we cook, we discuss work, school, relationships, bars, movies, theatre- the works. Between the cooking and the chatting, we barely notice that our platter is almost empty. I think back to the bounty it once was and understand immediately why my waistband is starting to feel tight.

We finish off with my favorite part of the meal- Chocolate fondue dessert that is flamed with orange liquor and served with fresh fruit, marshmallows, and pound cake. Before our server lights the bad boy up, I put some mallows on my skewer and get ready to start my own indoor bonfire. As the flames die off, I dip my perfectly roasted marshmallows into the delicious, rich chocolate and gently place them atop a slice of buttery pound cake- the "big girl S'more", as I like to call it.

Nearly 2 1/2 hours later, we get up from our comfy little nook in our cozy dark dungeon and face the cold, rainy night. Having shared great conversation, great food (and wine!) and great company together on this girl friends' night out together, I can't help but giggle inside when my mom yells at me for not bringing a raincoat and dashing to the car without taking time to pull out my umbrella. I love that we've become such close friends, but I love even more knowing she's still my mom.