One of the things I had always wanted to do was attend a Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament. I love the Medieval period, and figured the restaurant would be such a great experience. Boy was I right.
Friday evening, Kyle and I were off to the Medieval Times Chicago located in Schaumburg. From the minute we got to the parking lot, we were in awe. The building is absolutely gorgeous. Add to that the fact that once inside the building, you feel as if you are entering the 11th Century, and you got a perfect set-up for a great evening.
While checking in, we found out that we had V.I.P. tickets. I had no clue what this meant, but knew it had to be super freaking awesome. Once finding out we were V.I.P.'s, we were told our table number. More importantly, this was also the point we found out that we would be part of the Black & White Team. Having been newly crowned with our Black & White Team colors, we got to have our photograph made with the King. He was so friendly and nice.
After the photograph, we got time to roam around the Hall of Arms to view artifacts from medieval times. The wandering around made Kyle and I thirsty, so we had to visit the bar. One neat thing we discovered is that all the drinks come in souvenir cups. That makes the night even more magical.
Once our thirst was quenched, we had to go see the horses. They were so beautiful, and it was great to watch them be readied for the show. While watching the horses, I got distracted because across from the horse viewing area is the 11th Century Torture Museum. This small museum shows many types of torture devices that were used in the Medieval period. Some of them were pretty awesome, while others made me hurt in certain regions of my body just thinking about the torture.
Once we got our fill of the sadistic museum, we went over and picked up our souvenir photo. The photo we had taken with the King had been framed in a great little Medieval Times photo holder. It displays the picture along with the date and location of the picture. A pretty awesome thing to have for prosperity purposes.
Anyway, before we knew it, it was show time. We were gathered around the lobby to hear about the rules of the show. It was at this point that we discovered that the Green Team was evil. They were our enemy, and they must be defeated. Upon being informed of the new enemy, we were welcomed into the arena.
The arena is gorgeous! The lighting, the set-up, and even the seating. Everything is just right to make you feel like you are about to watch a real medieval tournament.
After we were seated in our section, the show started almost instantly. We heard the story of the match we were about to watch. They took the time to give us the back story on the characters of the show. When the introductions and back story were over, the next 90 minutes kept us enthralled in visions of horsemanship, jousting, swordsmanship, and some awesome man-to-man battles.
One of the coolest parts of the evening was when they released a live hawk in the arena. The hawk soared above the audience. Though I was too afraid to move, my eyes followed the hawk's every move. He was beautiful.
John, he was our server, was also a huge perk to the evening. The gentleman was so nice and friendly. He stayed in character, and enhanced the show so much. I could hear the server in the row behind us, and she kept breaking character. Our server never did. I was so impressed.
While watching the live action tournament, we were served tomato bisque soup and garlic bread. This was followed by half a roasted chicken, a BBQ rib, and a roasted potato. Though we had to eat with our hands (they do not give you silverware), it was not too hard until it came to the BBQ rib. That got a little messy.
The meal was actually really good. The chicken and potato were seasoned just right for my taste. Though I am not a huge fan of BBQ, Kyle seemed to enjoy his. He said it was very tender, and the meat came right off the bone.
My only complaint with the dinner was the apple tart pastry served for dessert. I am not a fan of tarts. I am sure it was a wonderful; however, I would have rather had a fruit serving. That is medieval also right?
Anyway, the biggest news of the evening was that the Black & White Team won the Tournament. Our knight was phenomenal, and we never doubted his ability to destroy the other teams.
With everything said and done, I must say that the evening was THE best dinner and show I have had the pleasure of watching. The dinner and the tournament are exceptional. The team that puts on this experience places as much emphasis on making sure the show is just right, as they are in making sure that stomachs are not disappointed.
So, though I have a few little interesting tidbits and stories to share from the evening - and I will in the next few days, I have to say that for a review, this was exceptional. Kyle and I are already planning our second trip to Medieval Times.
If you have not been yet, be sure to visit. The Medieval Times Chicago is located at 2001 North Roselle Road in Schaumburg, IL. It is literally right off of I-90 at Roselle Road. It is a huge castle. You cannot miss it if you are looking.
Finally, one thing that made the night even more magical was during the portion of the show where the names of special guests are read. This mostly consists of the longest list of birthdays ever compiled. However, on this night, they announced that Lord Quinn (that's me) had finally visited the castle. That was awesome. It really just added to the experience of the evening. I just hope, on my next visit, they introduce me again.
Of course, they may not. I have yet to be able to convince everyone around me to call me Lord Quinn, as they did at Medieval Times. Sometimes, real life is just mean.
To see photos I posted as a teaser to this review, click here!
More photos coming soon!
Filed under: Chicago Life, Food, Photography, Suburban Life, Things To Do
Tags: Chicago, Chicago Life, Food, Hospitality, Medieval Times, Reviews, Social, Things To Do
