A Magical Night Out

Saturday night was a night to remember! We headed out to celebrate two of our July birthday’s and experience all the wonders of a magic show held in the heart of the city’s theatre district at the Palmer House Hilton Historic Hotel. The show is ranked the #1 on a number of online tourist platforms. We had both heard great reviews and feedback from friends that had visited the show before which added to our excitement and made this a must see for us. Important to note it is also a great benefit having it located so close to home right here in Chicago.

First, we dined at Macello Cucina Di Puglia located in the West Loop. The restaurant is a family-friendly fine dining spot that has been serving patrons since 2007. The restaurant offers unique seafood and pasta dishes along with an assortment of pizza options from their wood fire menu. The staff was friendly and they accommodated a big group of us which is always a win! We shared a margarita pizza, fried calamari, and grilled octopus for appetizers and each of us dined on our own delicious and unique pasta dish. After dinner we toasted our celebration with shots of limoncello and finished up with some tiramisu. The meal was great and we would recommend this spot!

After dinner we ubered it over to the theatre district for our 9:30 p.m. reservation. The Magic Parlour is an experience. Visitors will first step into the grand lobby of the Palmer Hotel where you pick up your tickets and are greeted to a private ballroom. The views and architecture are breathtaking and add to the ambiance of the experience. Drinks are included in your ticket package so audience members can grab a glass of wine, beer or soft drinks. All you are left to do is make yourself comfortable and enjoy the show. Guests are also given roses to confirm your paid admission to the event and can be taken as a souvenir.

The show began promptly at 9:30 p.m. and our magician for the night was Dennis Watkins who has been performing this critically-acclaimed one-man-show for over a decade. He is a third generation magician and mentalist who loves his craft and that is obvious throughout the entire performance. The entire event at The Magic Parlour was an intimate evening. We walked in the room expecting to be part of large group when in all actuality it was under 30 audience members and will not accommodate form than 50 for a performance. Guests must be over the age of 12 to attend. The show was a night of classic magic and mind-reading tricks. Dennis incorporated a number of audience members to assist in the acts. Katie and a few of our friends were called upon to assist which made the event more personable and memorable. Dennis was able to identify, read and perform things we still do this day cannot figure out.

Once the show was over we were escorted to a connecting room and grabbed a seat at the card table with our magician for an added VIP Experience. This extra show gave a sneak peek into a more personal performance. This portion of the evening offered more hand tricks and up close disappearances that wowed us to this day. We were also able to ask Dennis questions about his career as a magician and learn more about his story, recommendations for magic documentaries and advice on learning card tricks.

If you are looking for a special date night out or group event we couldn't be more excited to suggest The Magic Parlor. The show is offered at different times to accommodate your schedule and prices vary depending on additions that can be added to your package. We promise this show will be a unique evening of classic magic and impossible mind-reading performed that you wont forget.

X0 - Katie & Amanda