Love is in the air in Lincoln Square: Couples share how they met in the neighborhood this Valentine’

Chicago Tribune / by Rebecca Johnson / February 14, 2026

Katie Kraus was wearing a dirndl when she met her now-husband. For her, the traditional German dress with a tight-fitting bodice and apron couldn’t have been more “embarrassing.”

It was 2003 and she was waitressing during German Fest at Chicago Brauhaus, a Lincoln Square staple. She snuck glances at a “really cute” man who showed up that night with his friends. She’d seen him around the neighborhood before since he worked across the street at his family’s clothing store, Martin’s Big & Tall.

Katie got the feeling that the man, Jason Kraus, was checking her out too. They even both mentioned each other to another waitress, who helped make the introduction, she said. Read More Here.