Fashion plates: Go ahead, snoop around These... : Go ahead, snoop around: These three businesses offer unlikely extras.

Follia
While most hip restaurants in the city use paintings and photographs to cover their walls, chef-owner Bruno Abate decorates this high-style Italian restaurant in the West Loop with fashion-forward clothing. “He likes to think of himself as the Versace of Chicago,” Follia manager Angel Pacheco tells us of Abate. Though not a designer himself, Abate curates the clothing displays, which change every couple of months. The current exhibition features a collaboration between Scarlet Designs and local artist Suk Ja Kang. The one-of-a-kind handpainted skirts and dresses made with luxury fabrics (each around $2,500), currently on the walls through the end of the month, explore the relationship between fashion and high art, literally giving customers some food for thought. (You know, in addition to pasta and thin-crust pizzas.) A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each item is donated to nonprofit Chicago Cares. 953 W Fulton Market (312-243-2888).

Adesso
Like many other front-of-the-house employees throughout the city, Summer Romero is more than just a server, she’s an artist. Or, to be more specific, she’s a jewelry maker. She’s been making handcrafted earrings and necklaces for about four years, most recently focusing on accessories made from feathers and other found objects. Although her collection is carried and sold at Mint Boutique (2150 N Seminary Ave, 773-472-1322), she’s also been turning Adesso customers on to her creations since she started waiting tables at the BYOB Italian restaurant in Lakeview three months ago. In fact, we discovered Romero during a recent brunch visit when she was our server and we fell in love with her dangly, boho-chic brown-feather earrings. “I use myself as a display,” she says. “People have commented on my earrings, and I’ll sell them right off my ears.” Her pieces range from $15–$40, depending on the cost of materials she uses. Just remember, though, if Romero waits on you at Adesso and you happen to make a spur-of-the-moment jewelry purchase—you’re still expected to leave a tip. 3332 N Broadway (773-868-1516).

Elements
High-end shopping can work up quite an appetite, so it made perfect sense for the River North boutique to introduce a lunch menu when it moved to its new location last fall. “It all started with the idea of an espresso machine,” says Jonathan Goodman, assistant buyer at the shop. Owners Jeannine Dal Pra and Toby Glickman wanted to offer customers coffee drinks as they shopped for must-have items like Mulberry handbags ($795–$1,695) and Pandora Design plastic flatware ($120). That idea led to dessert, which then inspired them to create a full lunch menu. The boutique just opened an outdoor patio area, where shoppers can take a break to enjoy rosemary, ham and Brie paninis with an iced-tini (iced tea that’s shaken and served in a martini glass). And since sandwiches only cost about $9, the high-end boutique finally has something to offer for every budget. 741 N Wells St (312-642-6574).