Float On

When it comes to cool, sweet summer treats, ice cream sundaes and cones are the go-to. Meanwhile, there’s one nostalgia item poised for its time in the spotlight: the ice cream float.

One of the newest entrants into the ice cream float market is Big City Chicken, a brand new concept from Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises on Navy Pier. Courtesy of Tim Hockett, the chef/partner behind M Burger, Big City Chicken serves up fried chicken, crispy chicken strips, and three different chicken sandwiches. To wash it all down on a sweet note, the casual restaurant has ice cream floats for dessert, available in classic root beer or in the more novel orange flavor.

The weekly ice cream shop pop-up at David Burke’s Primehouse takes a fun new turn this year thanks to the restaurant’s new pastry chef Amanda Warren. Each Friday through the end of summer, Warren features a different ice cream float from 3:00 until 5:00 pm. Made with locally made artisan soda in to-go cups, the pop-up shop takes place along the sidewalk patio. Some flavors already featured were the reverse root beer float made with root beer sorbet and Goose Island vanilla cream soda, and the orange creamsicle made with vanilla candied orange ice cream and Goose Island orange cream soda.

At Wood in Lakeview, a contemporary take on root beer floats is the signature summer dessert. With housemade root beer as a base, the soda takes on notes of sassafras, sarsaparilla, licorice root, cherry bark, wintergreen, molasses, vanilla, cinnamon, juniper, and allspice. The ice cream is made in-house as well, topped off with your choice of Fernet Branca or Four Roses Bourbon.

Big City Chicken
600 E. Grand Avenue, Chicago

David Burke’s Primehouse
616 N. Rush Street, Chicago
(312) 660-6000
Website

Wood
3335 N. Halsted Street, Chicago
(773) 935-9663
Website