Chicago Anniversary Trip

THEU

THEU

2,500+ Posts
Going with my wife this September for our 5th. She has NEVER been to Chicago and I went to grad school there. I have a list going because I want to do the city right. I am making a list of things to do and places to eat. I just don't want to miss anything, and would love help here brainstorming.
BTW, we are going up from Ft. Worth to Chicago via train, and I am very excited about this.
 
Of course you have to do the pizza, hot dogs, and Italian Beef sanwiches (wet with peppers). But Lostgirl ate here Rivers one evening and reported that it was very nice. Her comment was "You know how on those dating shows they always have a table with a great view? Every table here had a great view!" She was pleased with the food as well. It is located in the Mercantile Exchange on the Chicago River.

There is tons to do - museums, Navy Pier, Frank Lloyd Wright tour, Cubs game, drive along Lake Shore Drive/Sheridan Rd through Wilmette, Kenilworth, Glencoe. Wendella River Tours is another good activity.

This is probably the equivalent of Austin's BriscoeHotel: Drake Hotel.

Lastly, if you are into Chicago history at all, visit Biograph/Victory Gardens.

Have a great time. It is a great city!
 
lostman, you just about sent my own list back to me! Glad I am not missing too much. Wendella is a MUST in my book. Also, we might check out that restaurant Rivers. Also, if you get back that way soon, don't forget drinks at the top of Hancock Tower... that is always a great 'pre-evening' thing in my book. You can watch the sunset from 98 stories up.
 
The architectural boat tour is great from what I hear- two of my co-workers went this year and both did it and loved it!

I love going to the top of the Hancock for a drink- the 96th- The train sounds cool! I will have to try this sometime!
 
THEU - great minds I guess!
biggrin.gif

If you are spending the weekend, those are the high points IMHO. Grant Park band shell in the afternoon sometimes has the symphony practicing. You can grab lunch and sit and listen to great music for free. Buckingham Fountain at night is pretty too,with the light show. Rivers looks like a really nice place for a romantic dinner. Have a great time!
 
Cubs game, museum, participate in a parade, and then put your car on jackstands and run it in reverse to get the miles off the odometer.
 
BigWill,
I actually lived in Highwood not far from the suburb, Lake Forest, where Ferris was 'from.' It was odd to drive around and see the place as a living place, because it was just filmed in the neighbourhood there.
 
Scottsins,

here is my list of places to eat so far.


El Famous Burrito
Tacos El Norte
Gabriel’s
Giordano’s
Portillo’s
Tommy Nevin’s

Granted many of these are places I ate when I lived there and are cheap.. like El Famous Burrito and Portillo's. Plus pizza and Portillo's because pizza and a dog must be had in Chicago. Other than that I think we will probably eat at Tapas Barcelona in Evanston, another place I used to eat when living there.
I have looked at maybe Charlie Trotter's, but the wife didn't seem too enthused. We like Japanese/sushi a good bit, Italian, American, Chinese, Mexican, Irish.. pretty much anything I think. As long as it is good. The only thing I know we don't really like (really I don't like, is SE Asian like Thai and Vietnamese). We do like Arabic/Middle Eastern food a good it.
There was a Greek place I used to like, forgot even where it was. And we ate at a Middle Eastern place north of Wrigleyville I think that I liked.
 
Gino's East - Best deep dish pizza in Chi-town
Mr. Beef - Best Italian beef sandwiches in the world
Twin Anchors - An absolute must if you're a rib connoisseur. Amazing.
 
Saint,
I am just a bigger fan of a couple places over Gino's East. Their crust has too much corn meal in it.

Also, I had to laugh when you mentioned Twin Anchors and ribs. lol. I bet scottsins will laugh too when he sees that you mentioned that place to me. lol. I don't do pork ribs, just cow ribs... lol. It is a joke on here when ribs are talked about and I always post 'step up to cow'
You are spot on with the Italian beef recommendation. I also need to be sure we go to a club till late and then eat at one of those fast burger places that are open for clubbers late at night... just for old time's sake.
 
I'll pretty much eat pig or cow, if it's good stuff... no preference.

Do you know whether "Red Hot Mamas" is still open? Those were some real good late night hot dogs.
 
Saint,
not sure at all. I know we would just hit whatever little dive was near to where we were.. Not all that sure whereever we were was... I know that near Kingston Mines is one place we used to hit. Was in a bar somewhere on the Gold Coast, just north of Hancock with friend and we hit one place and that was one of the best 3 am burgers I ever ate.
 
If you want something higher end, I suggest Graham Elliot. Not too pricey for that type of fare and an amazing meal. Dishes are innovative, but not over the top small portions/foams/essences and all that other stuff. their sweetbreads are phenomenal.
 
David Burke Primehouse - ask the server for a tour of their dry aging room.

If you want to have a meal of a lifetime, try to get into Alinea. It is way over the top/experimental/gastro-chemist type of stuff. It's in the Top 10 in the world according to the latest rankings.

L20 is phenomenal, and along the same vein as Alinea, but scaled back a bit. I have not been to Alinea, but i may go up there just to eat there and fly back.

I have eaten at L20 and it's incredible.
 
Thanks scottsins. Alinea was one I had read about andwe are very interested in. Thank you for all your help. I was a poor student when I lived there so I didn't eat at anything approaching that quality or price. Hence, some of the very cheap, but still good places.
I am not wealthy now, but want to make some great memories from a 5th anniversary trip.
 
all right THEU, which places do you like better than Gino's East, cuz I thought their pizza was the cat's meow--of course, it had been a long day back then in '95 at ND, and we were some hungry folks--just want to know what you recommend for my next trip to the Windy City...
 
All y'all all too young for the Billly Goat - I think that's the name of the place in SNL - cheezeburger, chips, no Coke- Wouldn't mean anything if you never saw Dan Akroyd et all to the skits!
 
I like Giorganos, the orginal Pizzeria Uno, and Lou Malnati's all more than Gino's East... not that Gino's is bad. It is just that there are others I prefer.
 
Giordano's crust has more buttery flakiness to it, whereas I find Gino's East to just be crumbly/dry/mealy.

Oh, THEU, if you are into the type of stuff being done by Achatz at Alinie, just go there. Don't even debate or question. I had a chance to go on my first trip there but we thought the reservation was too early. I think about that missed opportunity all the time.

It's basically the closest you can actually get to eating at El Bulli.
 
scottsins,
I agree about Gino East's crust. It is dry, and it seems like it has a great deal of uncooked or unincorporated corn meal in it. It is very heavy, and has no lightness.
 
We're also going in September. In Manhattan, we traveled cheaply through the whole city via the subway for a week. Is Chicago's public transit setup similarly or should I get a rental car?
 
The train system is really good. I only used it to get to Wrigley and back, mainly, but I know people that use it a lot when they visit. Other than that, for anything downtown too far for me to feel like walking, i just take a cab. Cab's are so damn cheap in bigger cities.
 
It's not food, but you should walk through the Frank Lloyd Wright neighborhood and visit his home and studio. It's some wonderful architecture.
 
Chiro,
My wife and I are going up from Ft. Worth via Amtrak, and we aren't going to even have a car. We might rent one for one day so I can show her around some of the northern burbs where I have old 'haunts' from my seminary days... We don't need one otherwise.
 
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