I meant to mention Three Dots and a Dash! We went there for one of the famous tiki cocktails. The glasses are fantastic.
Biggest Chicago things we missed were the Italian Hot Dog and Roast Beed Dip Sandwich. Will try those the next time around.
Made it to Indy! Let's Go RU!! Made it Home, too and thanks to the players and coaches on a great 2 seasons!
- Thread starter RU848789
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Biggest Chicago things we missed were the Italian Hot Dog and Roast Beed Dip Sandwich. Will try those the next time around.
1) Transit—I live along the blue line (connecting line between airport and O’Hare), and take it to work…unfortunately, service has not returned to pre-pandemic levels. On a Sunday morning you won’t have crowding issues, but I could see an annoying long wait if the timing doesn’t line up. Less of an issue on the return trip.
Also, the blue line will drop you at the Clark and lake stop which is about a mile from your hotel…not bad, but sort of an annoying walk if you have a lot of bags. Keep that in mind.
There has been construction on the inbound Kennedy expressway (I don’t drive much, I think it’s still going on) that has caused really bad delays…but it shouldn’t be a huge problem on a Sunday morning.
Overall you definitely don’t need to rent a car (my wife and I have lived here six years…we have one car and use it mostly for groceries) but I also wouldn’t be surprised if you end up not using a ton of public transit based on your itinerary. A good deal of walking with a some Ubers mixed in.
Museum of Science and Industry has a U-boat exhibit that I enjoy (I’m a history guy), but my recollection is that a lot of these exhibits come with an extra admission charge above general (annoying…). You might be able to bus it down there, but that’s definitely one you’d want to Uber vs the L. Jackson Park / Hyde Park / University of Chicago are enjoyable to walk around down there. There’s a monument to the splitting of the atom, some very scenic spots in the park, Obama’s house, and a breakfast spot that Obama frequented (they call out his favorite order if you want to duplicate).
Overall on public transit: I wouldn’t have said this before the pandemic but these days: if the night is getting late, just Uber it…don’t mess around with the L later at night to save a few bucks. Chances are you’ll be fine, but I think there’s been a degradation of both service and rider behavior in recent years.
2) Food—Bavette’s was mentioned here and is a very good steakhouse, Maple & Ash is good too. Both of those have a trendier vibe. Gibson’s is old school, but very solid. GT Prime, Swift & Sons and RPM steak are all good too. All are in river north / Gold Coast areas except Swift & Son’s which is West Loop.
I prefer Lou Malnati’s to Pequods, but some people swear by the latter…too “bready” in my opinion. The only benefit is that it has a neighborhood bar vibe, unfortunately the wait can get crazy…plan ahead from a timing perspective if you go to that one.
I strongly recommend a rib dinner at Twin Anchors, and have a beer before or after at nearby Old Town Ale House. Neighborhood vibe at both, and unique art on the walls at the Ale House (it was Roger Ebert’s haunt and there’s a portrait on the wall to commemorate him).
I think there are better spots than three dots and a dash but DM me if you’re doing bar exploration on this trip and I’ll take you down that rabbit hole.
Chicago has a good burger scene and The Loyalist in the western part of the West Loop is a terrific spot, but Au Cheval—another west loop spot—is also an institution of the post-great recession dining scene (the wait isn’t bad during the week).
3- Neighborhoods: Mexican food in Pilsen, trendy restaurants in the West Loop, Breweries along Milwaukee Avenue (the “hipster highway”) in Logan Square / Wicker Park, grave hunting in Graceland Cemetery north of Wrigley, there are some good bars and restaurants in Andersonville and Ravenswood, a visit to Chinatown. I think people tend to stick to the river and lakefront near downtown, but there’s a lot of good spots around the city.
Reach back out here or DM with any questions.
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Italian Beef—he has this well covered if he makes the trip to Johnnies in the burbs, but it’s a hike from downtown. Portillo’s is a chain, but actually very solid in my opinion. Mr. Beef is good too, but has weird hours (it’s the spot from The Bear)
A few other possible moves that will impress the locals:
1) a breakfast at Lou Mitchell’s…grab a free doughnut hole on the way to your table, and if your server is on top of it you’ll also receive a prune, tiny cup of soft serve, and you’ll be sent off with a little box of milk duds.
2) beers on the riverfront at Metropolitan brewing’s scenic taproom
3) chocolate cake and high end beer at Michelin starred Moody Tongue (the bar area usually has space for walk ins, the cake is…epic)
4) do a shot of Malort somewhere…then post your thoughts here
5) If you want to get really wild (and have some cash to burn), do a tasting menu somewhere…might be tight on reservations at this point but take a chance and see if you can get into Moody Tongue, Temporis, Mako (if you like sushi), or Alinea if you’re really lucky. Chicago’s biggest art scene is its dining.
6) old school south side Chicago vibe at Vito & Nick’s — their tavern style pizza is kind of having a moment (the decor on the other hand hasnt had a moment in a few decades)…bring cash for this one (they don’t have an ATM)
7) slice of pie at Spinning J
8) Philipino breakfast at Uncle Mike’s
(But still strongly emphasize my twin anchors + old town ale house recommendation from the first post)
Edit — realized these are all food and drinking. If we get a nice afternoon on your trip, take a late afternoon walk on the elevated 606 trail…starts in Wicker Park (the neighborhood not the park itself) and shoots off west from there (keeping with the food/beverage theme, you can grab Icelandic beers at Orkenoy, tucked under the 606 on Kimball)
1) a breakfast at Lou Mitchell’s…grab a free doughnut hole on the way to your table, and if your server is on top of it you’ll also receive a prune, tiny cup of soft serve, and you’ll be sent off with a little box of milk duds.
2) beers on the riverfront at Metropolitan brewing’s scenic taproom
3) chocolate cake and high end beer at Michelin starred Moody Tongue (the bar area usually has space for walk ins, the cake is…epic)
4) do a shot of Malort somewhere…then post your thoughts here
5) If you want to get really wild (and have some cash to burn), do a tasting menu somewhere…might be tight on reservations at this point but take a chance and see if you can get into Moody Tongue, Temporis, Mako (if you like sushi), or Alinea if you’re really lucky. Chicago’s biggest art scene is its dining.
6) old school south side Chicago vibe at Vito & Nick’s — their tavern style pizza is kind of having a moment (the decor on the other hand hasnt had a moment in a few decades)…bring cash for this one (they don’t have an ATM)
7) slice of pie at Spinning J
8) Philipino breakfast at Uncle Mike’s
(But still strongly emphasize my twin anchors + old town ale house recommendation from the first post)
Edit — realized these are all food and drinking. If we get a nice afternoon on your trip, take a late afternoon walk on the elevated 606 trail…starts in Wicker Park (the neighborhood not the park itself) and shoots off west from there (keeping with the food/beverage theme, you can grab Icelandic beers at Orkenoy, tucked under the 606 on Kimball)
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Hey Numb3rs,
Wow, Barnaby&Neill is WAY more current than I am! I was in Chicago about a year ago and went to Lou Manati's and liked it a lot. I still really like Uno's and Due's, as they are kind of the originals, but man, I do like a deep dish pizza. Don't get caught up in the Chicago/NY/Italian pizza debate nonsense. Deep dish pizza is a very different dish from NY or Italian style pizza. To me, it's like trying to compare pasta carbonara to mac and cheese. Why do it? They are both great. (And I speak as you know, as the grandson-in-law of the founder of Santillo's in Elizabeth. Moms Skillethead's granddad.)
Another thing (two actually) I LOVE are Chicago style hot dogs and Italian beefs. Mouth is watering as I type. And Chicago always has a great new place opening up. Ask your concierge what's new.
Now, what I do know about, and which don't change much, is museums. Here's the great thing about the Art Institute. It has a wealth of famous and great paintings. You can't see everything in a day, but here are my "don't misses":
Nighthawks by Hopper (the couple eating inside a diner
American Gothic by Grant Wood
The Old Guitarist by Picasso (blue period -- if you look closely, you can see the woman he painted over to make this painting)
A Sunday on La Grande Jatte by Suerat (inspiration for the Broadway musical, "Sunday in the Park with George" great pointillest work)
Paris Street: Rainy Day by Caillebotte (this is one of my all time favorite works of art
Two Sisters by Renoir (he once said, If a painting needs more red, I put in more red. It is as simple as that." This painting is a great example of him putting that in practice.
The Bedroom by Van Gogh (unbelievable colors)
The Basket of Apples by Cezanne (I have a "theorette" on Cezanne's fruit paintings. I think they are actually kind of street scences, with the fruit being people. To me, they seem to interact with one another.)
Time Transfixed by Magritte (fun surrealist work)
Stained Glass Windows by Chagall (actual stained glass)
That's a ton, but there are many more. One that is not at all famous, but that I discovered a couple years ago there is The Shoe Shop by Elizabeth Sparhawk-Jones. I did about six pages on her life in my book, "Scoundrels, Cads, and Other Great Artists" She was an amazing painter, and then had a breakdown and was institutionalized. Recovered and painted again, but incredibly dark stuff. But this painting and a companion called "Shop Girls", to me are stunning post-Impressionist pieces. Wish I could take you on a tour there.
OK, one other recommendation. Oak Park (Chicago burb) is the home of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. You can tour his home and a bunch of homes he designed in the neighborhood. An old high school friend of mine does tours there. If you go visit, email me and I'll get in touch with her so that maybe you could tour with her. She's terrific.
And Moms Skillethead would tell your wife that Michigan Avenue shopping is great. Have fun! =
Wow, Barnaby&Neill is WAY more current than I am! I was in Chicago about a year ago and went to Lou Manati's and liked it a lot. I still really like Uno's and Due's, as they are kind of the originals, but man, I do like a deep dish pizza. Don't get caught up in the Chicago/NY/Italian pizza debate nonsense. Deep dish pizza is a very different dish from NY or Italian style pizza. To me, it's like trying to compare pasta carbonara to mac and cheese. Why do it? They are both great. (And I speak as you know, as the grandson-in-law of the founder of Santillo's in Elizabeth. Moms Skillethead's granddad.)
Another thing (two actually) I LOVE are Chicago style hot dogs and Italian beefs. Mouth is watering as I type. And Chicago always has a great new place opening up. Ask your concierge what's new.
Now, what I do know about, and which don't change much, is museums. Here's the great thing about the Art Institute. It has a wealth of famous and great paintings. You can't see everything in a day, but here are my "don't misses":
Nighthawks by Hopper (the couple eating inside a diner
American Gothic by Grant Wood
The Old Guitarist by Picasso (blue period -- if you look closely, you can see the woman he painted over to make this painting)
A Sunday on La Grande Jatte by Suerat (inspiration for the Broadway musical, "Sunday in the Park with George" great pointillest work)
Paris Street: Rainy Day by Caillebotte (this is one of my all time favorite works of art
Two Sisters by Renoir (he once said, If a painting needs more red, I put in more red. It is as simple as that." This painting is a great example of him putting that in practice.
The Bedroom by Van Gogh (unbelievable colors)
The Basket of Apples by Cezanne (I have a "theorette" on Cezanne's fruit paintings. I think they are actually kind of street scences, with the fruit being people. To me, they seem to interact with one another.)
Time Transfixed by Magritte (fun surrealist work)
Stained Glass Windows by Chagall (actual stained glass)
That's a ton, but there are many more. One that is not at all famous, but that I discovered a couple years ago there is The Shoe Shop by Elizabeth Sparhawk-Jones. I did about six pages on her life in my book, "Scoundrels, Cads, and Other Great Artists" She was an amazing painter, and then had a breakdown and was institutionalized. Recovered and painted again, but incredibly dark stuff. But this painting and a companion called "Shop Girls", to me are stunning post-Impressionist pieces. Wish I could take you on a tour there.
OK, one other recommendation. Oak Park (Chicago burb) is the home of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. You can tour his home and a bunch of homes he designed in the neighborhood. An old high school friend of mine does tours there. If you go visit, email me and I'll get in touch with her so that maybe you could tour with her. She's terrific.
And Moms Skillethead would tell your wife that Michigan Avenue shopping is great. Have fun! =
Good call on Frank Lloyd Wright / Oak Park, and that’s pretty close to Johnnie’s Beef…so some nice planing synergy there
Thanks @Barnaby&Neill and @SkilletHead2 - lots of great suggestions to absorb - will probably have a few questions later or tomorrow, but one initial question just on transport. Hadn't looked closely enough at the transit maps to realize that the Clark/Lake stop on the blue line, which is almost a mile - was reading that cabs are plentiful at that stop and would likely only take 2-3 min for $6-8 to get to the hotel.
While I'd probably do some 1 mile walks to the Loop lines to go to various locations, not sure my wife is going to want to walk a mile and back from the hotel each trip, along with lots of walking at attractions, so the cab option sounds good (hopefully the reports of cabs being available is correct - seems easier than Uber for a very short trip. Even Uber trips are less expensive than renting and garaging a car and we said this was a bit of an experiment for us in trying to use mass transit and/or Ubers more - normally we always rent a car and I drive (still my preference, but we do end up arguing more, lol, so for domestic tranquility trying it this way).
While I'd probably do some 1 mile walks to the Loop lines to go to various locations, not sure my wife is going to want to walk a mile and back from the hotel each trip, along with lots of walking at attractions, so the cab option sounds good (hopefully the reports of cabs being available is correct - seems easier than Uber for a very short trip. Even Uber trips are less expensive than renting and garaging a car and we said this was a bit of an experiment for us in trying to use mass transit and/or Ubers more - normally we always rent a car and I drive (still my preference, but we do end up arguing more, lol, so for domestic tranquility trying it this way).
I really think a rental car for a week would be more trouble than it’s worth. It would be useful for getting out to Johnnies, but otherwise it will add cost and inconvenience (looking for parking, for example) and isn’t really necessary. I looked up the route from your hotel to museum of science and industry and it looks like the #6 bus could be a pretty convenient route. (Use Ventra app to monitor times…fyi- if you don’t see the rss symbol next to the scheduled time, that means it’s not an accurate time).
Re the airport to hotel trip: the red line is closer to your hotel; if you really wanted to you could take the blue line from the airport to Jackson, then transfer (free) to the red line and take that back up north to Grand and you’d only have a half mile walk. Seems like a lot of work to save half a mile though.
Clark and Lake is a very busy L terminal with multiple lines (blue underground, green / brown / pink / orange above), but on Sunday mornings there isn’t a ton of foot traffic in that part of the loop — so I wouldn’t expect it to be teeming with cabs. I could be wrong though, I’m more of an Uber / Lyft guy so I don’t really notice the cabs as much these days.
@RU848789
One more thing, a bit of a pet peeve of mine, the exit on the north side of that Clark and lake platform has escalators that will take you up to the turnstiles. When you pass through those, you’ll face another flight of stairs to get to the street. No escalator or elevator. If you don’t have heavy bags it’s no biggie, but I’ve seen so many tourists get trapped at the bottom with huge suitcases. “Welcome to Chicago!” You have to choose your exit wisely when you’re on the platform.
One more thing, a bit of a pet peeve of mine, the exit on the north side of that Clark and lake platform has escalators that will take you up to the turnstiles. When you pass through those, you’ll face another flight of stairs to get to the street. No escalator or elevator. If you don’t have heavy bags it’s no biggie, but I’ve seen so many tourists get trapped at the bottom with huge suitcases. “Welcome to Chicago!” You have to choose your exit wisely when you’re on the platform.
Thanks, but we travel pretty light: carry-on, plus a knapsack, for each of us, not fully loaded and on wheels.
They need to put a sign there; maybe you’ll see it on Sunday. It’s a bait and switch…escalator exit turns into stairs (and the staircases are out of view from the bottom).
Still focused on transport for now. When I first posted about our trip, I saw the CTA stop at Grand/State, but didn't realize I had to switch from the blue line to the red line to get there (Clark/Lake is nearly a mile to our hotel, which is at Grand/N Columbus, while Grand/State is just 2/5ths of a mile). Looks like it's a few more stops to Jackson vs. getting out at Clark/Lake and getting a cab - might just do the latter, although it looks like one can get off the blue at Washington/Dearborn and walk diagonally to the red line at State/Randolph and go north a few stops to State/Grand.
The only issue with doing the train over Uber is it looks like it's close to an hour for the train/walk vs. 20-25 minutes via taxi or Uber, so I'm pretty sure my wife will vote for the car if traffic isn't bad (and it shouldn't be on a Sunday around noon) even if it's $60-70 vs. a $5 train ride (I'm cheap, lol).
But yes, for the whole trip, it's great to hear you saying that a car isn't really necessary, confirming our decision to not rent one. Definitely see us walking a lot for the attractions along Michigan and the river, which are all pretty close (maybe a cab/Uber if it's raining - some light showers are in the forecast Sun/Mon and maybe Thurs/Fri, but most of those days should be mostly dry thankfully; Tues-Weds look gorgeous), and the subway/L look good for some places we want to go with Uber/cab always being an option, especially if we're short on time. Even a $120 Uber/cab round trip per day is less than the car rental/parking per day would've been.
The train actually even looks ok to get out to the Frank Lloyd Wright home/studio in Oak Park (assuming the ~1/2 mile walk is an ok neighborhood); the trip from there to Johnnie's Beef in Elmwood Park is about a mile, so I would imagine an Uber would be best for that, with an Uber from Johnnie's back to the train line in Oak Park.
Also, it looks like one could take the green line to Washington Park, then walk through that to the University of Chicago and then walk over to the Museum of Science and Industry/Jackson Park (about 2-3 miles of total walking which wouldn't be an issue on a nice day) and then take the MetraRail back to Michigan/Randolph which is a very nice walk up the MagMile to our hotel or we could take the bus as you mentioned earlier. That's a pretty full day.
Thanks again for all your help. Still many suggestions to ponder, lol...
Still focused on transport for now. When I first posted about our trip, I saw the CTA stop at Grand/State, but didn't realize I had to switch from the blue line to the red line to get there (Clark/Lake is nearly a mile to our hotel, which is at Grand/N Columbus, while Grand/State is just 2/5ths of a mile). Looks like it's a few more stops to Jackson vs. getting out at Clark/Lake and getting a cab - might just do the latter, although it looks like one can get off the blue at Washington/Dearborn and walk diagonally to the red line at State/Randolph and go north a few stops to State/Grand.
The only issue with doing the train over Uber is it looks like it's close to an hour for the train/walk vs. 20-25 minutes via taxi or Uber, so I'm pretty sure my wife will vote for the car if traffic isn't bad (and it shouldn't be on a Sunday around noon) even if it's $60-70 vs. a $5 train ride (I'm cheap, lol).
But yes, for the whole trip, it's great to hear you saying that a car isn't really necessary, confirming our decision to not rent one. Definitely see us walking a lot for the attractions along Michigan and the river, which are all pretty close (maybe a cab/Uber if it's raining - some light showers are in the forecast Sun/Mon and maybe Thurs/Fri, but most of those days should be mostly dry thankfully; Tues-Weds look gorgeous), and the subway/L look good for some places we want to go with Uber/cab always being an option, especially if we're short on time. Even a $120 Uber/cab round trip per day is less than the car rental/parking per day would've been.
The train actually even looks ok to get out to the Frank Lloyd Wright home/studio in Oak Park (assuming the ~1/2 mile walk is an ok neighborhood); the trip from there to Johnnie's Beef in Elmwood Park is about a mile, so I would imagine an Uber would be best for that, with an Uber from Johnnie's back to the train line in Oak Park.
Also, it looks like one could take the green line to Washington Park, then walk through that to the University of Chicago and then walk over to the Museum of Science and Industry/Jackson Park (about 2-3 miles of total walking which wouldn't be an issue on a nice day) and then take the MetraRail back to Michigan/Randolph which is a very nice walk up the MagMile to our hotel or we could take the bus as you mentioned earlier. That's a pretty full day.
Thanks again for all your help. Still many suggestions to ponder, lol...
1) You can transfer from blue to red at the Washington blue line stop (and the transfer is fairly simple through an indoor shopping center), but if you don’t have some form of unlimited pass you have to pay again to get to the red line platform. The Jackson transfer doesn’t require exit / reentry so it’s a free transfer (though it does require walking through a tunnel that usually smells like piss 😂).
2) I’ve done the green line to get to Hyde park before…you end up with a very long walk. It can be a nice walk through Washington Park and UofC’s campus, but it’s over 2 miles to museum of science and industry. You’re riding the green line through a bit of a dicey neighborhood after passing say the 35th st stop. Middle of the day, I’m sure you’ll be fine and I don’t recall feeling uncomfortable after exiting or while walking through the park…but just something to keep in mind re: your safety on the train and when you get off. (You wouldn’t want to stray anywhere but East after getting off the green line by the park)
3) Both green and blue cut west to oak park, I’m not sure which leaves you closer to where you need to be in Oak Park, but that doesn’t sound like a bad plan…I have coworkers who commute on those lines from the Oak Park area without issue (though once again just be aware that you’ll riding through some tougher areas as you go farther west within city limits — so don’t randomly get off and wander).
Edit—clearly I’m not reading closely enough. I now see you acknowledged the long walk. The metra is sort of like NJ Transit style commuting with big trains on set schedules; just keep in mind you can’t access with a CTA pass, you’ll need to buy a separate ticket for the ride (but I think they can be purchased on the Ventra app)
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@RU848789
In one of my posts from March 2021 in this thread, I mention that you might enjoy the architecture open house weekend. I don’t know if you planned it this way or not, but it happens you’re visiting during that weekend.
If you’re arriving early and can rush yourselves into action on Sunday, it looks like the Rockefeller memorial chapel bell tower on UofC’s campus is on the list again. It requires a claustrophobia inducing walk up a very tight and seemingly endless spiral staircase, but is a very unique experience and great views of the south side from the top (if it’s nice out)…a rare Chicago experience. But check out the website to see if there’s any buildings you want to check out:
In one of my posts from March 2021 in this thread, I mention that you might enjoy the architecture open house weekend. I don’t know if you planned it this way or not, but it happens you’re visiting during that weekend.
If you’re arriving early and can rush yourselves into action on Sunday, it looks like the Rockefeller memorial chapel bell tower on UofC’s campus is on the list again. It requires a claustrophobia inducing walk up a very tight and seemingly endless spiral staircase, but is a very unique experience and great views of the south side from the top (if it’s nice out)…a rare Chicago experience. But check out the website to see if there’s any buildings you want to check out:
Chicago Architecture Center
The Chicago Architecture Center's Open House Chicago is a FREE annual festival that typically offers access to hundreds of sites across Chicago, from iconic locations to under-the-radar architectural gems.
openhousechicago.org
Yes, thanks, I did look back at the old posts and was thinking about that. Sounds cool, but I'm sure my wife will say no to anything involving a claustrophobic climb, lol. However, that site has quite a few cool looking sites close to our hotel, including the Chicago Architecture Center, which looks like a nice prelude to taking the boat tour.@RU848789
In one of my posts from March 2021 in this thread, I mention that you might enjoy the architecture open house weekend. I don’t know if you planned it this way or not, but it happens you’re visiting during that weekend.
If you’re arriving early and can rush yourselves into action on Sunday, it looks like the Rockefeller memorial chapel bell tower on UofC’s campus is on the list again. It requires a claustrophobia inducing walk up a very tight and seemingly endless spiral staircase, but is a very unique experience and great views of the south side from the top (if it’s nice out)…a rare Chicago experience. But check out the website to see if there’s any buildings you want to check out:
Chicago Architecture Center
The Chicago Architecture Center's Open House Chicago is a FREE annual festival that typically offers access to hundreds of sites across Chicago, from iconic locations to under-the-radar architectural gems.openhousechicago.org
https://openhousechicago.org/sites/site/chicago-architecture-center/
The U of Chicago is my doctoral alma mater. Don't miss the Robie House (FLW house) and the University chapel, which has some great stained glass. A number of the buildings are kind of dumb big gray stone buildings, but some are very nice. What always amazes me is that many of them were built after the Robie House. That is, they could have built an amazing campus, but went for the Oxford/Cambridge approach. Here is a link to the architecture: https://architecture.uchicago.edu/map/
The Medici is a nice Chicago style pizza place to eat down there. It was a favorite when I was a grad student ('72 -'76!). That it is still there maybe speaks to the quality.
The Medici is a nice Chicago style pizza place to eat down there. It was a favorite when I was a grad student ('72 -'76!). That it is still there maybe speaks to the quality.
We had a Pizzeria Uno chain location right here in Edison for years and I liked it a lot and on my trip to Chicago in 2021, I had Lou Malnati's deep dish pizza and it was fantastic. Santillo's is also fantastic, as you know. And the two other things I had to try in my one day in Chicago 2 years ago were the Italian beef (Johnnie's) and a Chicago hot dog (Billy Goat's), so sounds like I did ok on that count.
And thanks for all the Art Institute tips - my wife is pretty knowledgable about art, so she'll probably love all those suggestions and I'm sure I will too, as I'll have more than an hour there, lol.
Thanks for the suggestions! The steakhouses all look great (we'll probably only go to one, as my wife is not a steak hound) and Torchio's looks awesome as we're both huge fresh pasta fans. May have to try Pequod's, although I did love Molnati's. Cool bar suggestions too.
Have a great time! Don't forget to leave the recap after you get back of what you liked and the new stuff you found on your own.
Skillet really went into the actual paintings at the Art Institute and we were lucky to see everything he mentioned. The basement floor had an interesting exhibit also that I didn't know existed. Miniature model houses from different historic periods in USA and Europe. I got a kick out of it.
Thanks for the exhaustive list of suggestions - we'd need a month to to do them justice, lol. We tend to like old school steakhouses (like Sparks in NYC), so maybe Gibson's is the place to go and we love rib places and Twin Anchors sounds great as does the Loyalist for a burger, although all those meat places may be enough beef for my wife, lol.
So that might mean a trip to the Mexican area or a search for a good Greek or middle eastern kind of place (she loves both). And I'm sure we'll hit a few places we stumble upon, especially near the hotel, as we probably don't want to have to "plan" every meal. Waterfront beers sound great (we like eating/drinking on the water for some reason).
Unfortunately, tasting menu style places are usually a no-go for us, as they generally feature at least some seafood and she doesn't like any seafood at all. We already eat out probably 5 nights per week, so if we started going to tasting places, too, we'd likely run out of money too soon, lol. Will try a Malort though.
The 606 Greenway on the old rail line sounds great - we go to the high Line in NYC at least once a year and love it and usually have a nice meal in the neighborhood.
Trip update. Decided to go with the Uber from the airport to the hotel (just easier), after getting in 30 min early on our flight, which was nice. After checking in, went for our first meal to the original Billy Goats a few blocks away under Michigan Ave and had a dog and a burger - yum. Wife thought the burger was just ok.
Then it was off to a walk around the river area by Michigan just to see the sights and then we went to the Chicago Architecture Center, which was very cool. Their current exhibit is all about engineered timber products for construction, showing how it's made and the various uses in major buildings around the world, including skyscrapers up to about 50 stories so far. Plus they have the permanent section showing the scale down version of every major building in Chicago among other things.
After a little shopping and resting up, we took the walk out to the French inspired Bavette's Bar & Boeuf, as several of you recommended, Huge thanks from the wife and me, as we both thought the meal and the ambience were in our top 5 all-time, which is saying something for us, as we probably eat out 4-5 nights a week (and always have). Couldn't get a reservation, so we took a chance on getting bar seating and got seats within about 20 minutes, which was great. Also, the walk down Hubbard St. in particular, was great, as there were tons of people out and about, as there are so many interesting/cool looking bars and restaurants along several blocks (might want to visit a few of those).
Had a great couple of gin and tonics and then we had apps: I had the shrimp cocktail, which was superb, as the cocktail sauce was perfect, but even better was the Dijonnaise, while my wife had the wedge salad which she loved. Then the star of the show, as I had the classic ribeye (my favorite cut, usually - I love the marbling/fat/flavor of the ribeye over leaner cuts) and my wife had the filet mignon and both were great, especially with their phenomenal Bearnaise sauce and "steak salt" (and even the fries with the garlic aioli dipping sauce were great). The bar was seriously cool and we dug the low key jazzy music and we ended up chit-chatting and joking around with several others sitting at the bar, which is not something that happens at a table. We might even go back before we leave, as it was that good.
Today's activities started off with a walk down Michigan Ave towards Millenium Park and the Chicago Art Institute, with a stop at Sweet Water for lunch. Nothing spectacular but very solid Buffalo wings and pretzel bites for me while the wife had a grilled chicken dish she enjoyed. I knew my wife would love the park and the museum and she did. Took our time walking around most sections of the park, taking lots of pictures (she has showed her photography at art shows in the Metuchen area for many years and has curated a local Metuchen gallery for about 15 years).
And we had a good 3+ hours for the museum, which is way more than the ~1 hour I had 2 years ago. Were able to leisurely go through the entire Impressionist wing, as well as the Modern Art wing (our two favorite art "types"), both of which are filled with amazing works from the best ever. And @SkilletHead2 will be happy that we found all of the paintings he recommended - and it turned out these made up about 2/3 of the paintings I took pix of 2 years ago, lol (I just didn't know all the titles).
We also spent some time in the currently running feature exhibit of work from Camille Claudel the famous French sculptor who studied under Rodin (in more ways than one, lol) and eventually became his equal, prior to kind of losing it and being committed by her family for her last ~40 years which is very sad. We both were huge fans of the French film bearing her name which came out in 1988 and was instrumental in getting the art world to pay attention to her accomplishments more.
After resting up for awhile (lots of walking tires out old folks, lol), we went to Joe's Seafood for dinner, as we have been to the one in DC and both really enjoyed it. Another great meal was had. I had the octupus with Kalamata olives app and the sauteed scallops entree, both of which were fantastic, along with another side of fabulous fries, while my wife had a roasted garlic and lemon chicken that was absolutely delicious. We also had scrumptious desserts: Key lime pie for her (this place makes the best one she's ever had and it's her go-to dessert) and a fudge and cream concoction for me that was yummy.
Probably the architectural boat tour and maybe the 606 rail line converted to a park; haven't selected a dinner place yet (I'm interested in Torchio as I love top end Italian).
Then it was off to a walk around the river area by Michigan just to see the sights and then we went to the Chicago Architecture Center, which was very cool. Their current exhibit is all about engineered timber products for construction, showing how it's made and the various uses in major buildings around the world, including skyscrapers up to about 50 stories so far. Plus they have the permanent section showing the scale down version of every major building in Chicago among other things.
After a little shopping and resting up, we took the walk out to the French inspired Bavette's Bar & Boeuf, as several of you recommended, Huge thanks from the wife and me, as we both thought the meal and the ambience were in our top 5 all-time, which is saying something for us, as we probably eat out 4-5 nights a week (and always have). Couldn't get a reservation, so we took a chance on getting bar seating and got seats within about 20 minutes, which was great. Also, the walk down Hubbard St. in particular, was great, as there were tons of people out and about, as there are so many interesting/cool looking bars and restaurants along several blocks (might want to visit a few of those).
Had a great couple of gin and tonics and then we had apps: I had the shrimp cocktail, which was superb, as the cocktail sauce was perfect, but even better was the Dijonnaise, while my wife had the wedge salad which she loved. Then the star of the show, as I had the classic ribeye (my favorite cut, usually - I love the marbling/fat/flavor of the ribeye over leaner cuts) and my wife had the filet mignon and both were great, especially with their phenomenal Bearnaise sauce and "steak salt" (and even the fries with the garlic aioli dipping sauce were great). The bar was seriously cool and we dug the low key jazzy music and we ended up chit-chatting and joking around with several others sitting at the bar, which is not something that happens at a table. We might even go back before we leave, as it was that good.
Today's activities started off with a walk down Michigan Ave towards Millenium Park and the Chicago Art Institute, with a stop at Sweet Water for lunch. Nothing spectacular but very solid Buffalo wings and pretzel bites for me while the wife had a grilled chicken dish she enjoyed. I knew my wife would love the park and the museum and she did. Took our time walking around most sections of the park, taking lots of pictures (she has showed her photography at art shows in the Metuchen area for many years and has curated a local Metuchen gallery for about 15 years).
And we had a good 3+ hours for the museum, which is way more than the ~1 hour I had 2 years ago. Were able to leisurely go through the entire Impressionist wing, as well as the Modern Art wing (our two favorite art "types"), both of which are filled with amazing works from the best ever. And @SkilletHead2 will be happy that we found all of the paintings he recommended - and it turned out these made up about 2/3 of the paintings I took pix of 2 years ago, lol (I just didn't know all the titles).
We also spent some time in the currently running feature exhibit of work from Camille Claudel the famous French sculptor who studied under Rodin (in more ways than one, lol) and eventually became his equal, prior to kind of losing it and being committed by her family for her last ~40 years which is very sad. We both were huge fans of the French film bearing her name which came out in 1988 and was instrumental in getting the art world to pay attention to her accomplishments more.
After resting up for awhile (lots of walking tires out old folks, lol), we went to Joe's Seafood for dinner, as we have been to the one in DC and both really enjoyed it. Another great meal was had. I had the octupus with Kalamata olives app and the sauteed scallops entree, both of which were fantastic, along with another side of fabulous fries, while my wife had a roasted garlic and lemon chicken that was absolutely delicious. We also had scrumptious desserts: Key lime pie for her (this place makes the best one she's ever had and it's her go-to dessert) and a fudge and cream concoction for me that was yummy.
Probably the architectural boat tour and maybe the 606 rail line converted to a park; haven't selected a dinner place yet (I'm interested in Torchio as I love top end Italian).
Been a rough 10 days for me, Numb3rs, and reading your account really put a smile on my face! So glad you are having a good time in my old home town and favorite big city in the US.
Yeah, tough days indeed, as I've read on FB. Glad this gave you a smile. Hey - one other question - you had mentioned a tour guide for the FLW house in Oak Park - likely going there on Thursday, if that's something you can swing - no sweat if not.
So, Day 3 of our Chicago jaunt is in the books and we had another fun-filled day! Started off with a decent breakfast at the hotel (Embassy Suites does well with the basics of eggs, potatoes and breakfast meats) and then we took an Uber to the eastern end of the "606" (Chicago's version of NYC's High Line), built on an old abandoned elevated train line.
The starting area at Walsh Park on Ashland was a bit sketchy, but once on the trail, it was filled with pedestrians, bikers and joggers. We did about 1 mile of the 2.7 mile trail - it's nice, but not as nice as the High Line - this is more of a jogging/biking trail than a nature trail - yes there were some interesting trees and plants on each side, but not the plethora of plantings/plants and artistic planters and side excursions and stuff that the High Line has. We then got off and decided to head the 5 miles back to our hotel area, via the El blue line - wasn't too hard to figure out and it got us back to within 1/2 mile of our hotel.
From there we thought about going to Navy Pier on Lake Michigan, but it sounds kind of commercial (do want to get to the lake though), so we decided to do the architectural boat tour after a stop for a drink and a snack at the London House, on Wacker by the River. Very cool bar/restaurant and my wife had a salad with grilled chicken which was excellent and I just had a beer. The grand marble staircase leading upstairs to another lounge was beautiful - looks like a very nice hotel.
So, on to the boat tour. Was just as awesome as I remember it from 2 years ago (did the Chicago Architecture Center tour, which is staffed by volunteer architects, so you get great insights). And it was a gorgeous sunny day with temps around 60F, although it was a little cool in the shade with a breeze. Will try to include some pics later - so many interesting buildings from the Art Deco days starting in the 1920s through the Modernist, Post-Modernist and now Contemporary periods.
The most interesting story from the tour, for me though (being an enginerd, lol), about Chicago is probably how they reversed the flow of the River in the late 1800s/early 1900s, which originally emptied hugely multiplying amounts of waste/sewage into Lake Michigan, polluting the city's own drinking water, causing cholera and all kinds of other diseases, so that the river flowed from the Lake into a canal which emptied into the Des Plaines River, which eventually sent all that drek to the Mississippi. This combined with installing sewage treatment plants and other pollution control efforts over subsequent decades eventually led to the River becoming the beautiful waterway it is now.
https://interactive.wttw.com/.../how-chicago-reversed...
After resting/recharging at the hotel, we then had another simply superlative dinner, this time at Torchio's about a mile NW of the hotel in Wells Ave - thanks @Zak57! Torchio's is a fairly new Italian restaurant, which serves very innovative fare in an unpretentious, warm and cozy setting. Table reservations are needed weeks in advance, but they do take bar seat reservations and we got them.
For apps, my wife got the whipped ricotta and tomato-fig-jam crostinis, which she loved and I got the semolina gnocchi (not potato gnocchi) baked in marinara sauce with melted mozz on top and it was superb, especially with dipping their fresh bread in it. For entrees, she got the papardelle bolognese served in a baked parmesan cheese crust, which is something I hadn't seen before - the combo was fantastic (I got to eat half of it, lol - and she usually orders something I would like, knowing she won't finish, which is nice). And I got the spaghetti carbonara, which was also mouth-watering. And we weren't going to get dessert, but the bartender/waiter, who was really good, suggested just getting one scoop of vanilla gelato, which ended up being the perfect ending to the meal.
https://www.torchiopastabar.com/menus/
The starting area at Walsh Park on Ashland was a bit sketchy, but once on the trail, it was filled with pedestrians, bikers and joggers. We did about 1 mile of the 2.7 mile trail - it's nice, but not as nice as the High Line - this is more of a jogging/biking trail than a nature trail - yes there were some interesting trees and plants on each side, but not the plethora of plantings/plants and artistic planters and side excursions and stuff that the High Line has. We then got off and decided to head the 5 miles back to our hotel area, via the El blue line - wasn't too hard to figure out and it got us back to within 1/2 mile of our hotel.
From there we thought about going to Navy Pier on Lake Michigan, but it sounds kind of commercial (do want to get to the lake though), so we decided to do the architectural boat tour after a stop for a drink and a snack at the London House, on Wacker by the River. Very cool bar/restaurant and my wife had a salad with grilled chicken which was excellent and I just had a beer. The grand marble staircase leading upstairs to another lounge was beautiful - looks like a very nice hotel.
So, on to the boat tour. Was just as awesome as I remember it from 2 years ago (did the Chicago Architecture Center tour, which is staffed by volunteer architects, so you get great insights). And it was a gorgeous sunny day with temps around 60F, although it was a little cool in the shade with a breeze. Will try to include some pics later - so many interesting buildings from the Art Deco days starting in the 1920s through the Modernist, Post-Modernist and now Contemporary periods.
The most interesting story from the tour, for me though (being an enginerd, lol), about Chicago is probably how they reversed the flow of the River in the late 1800s/early 1900s, which originally emptied hugely multiplying amounts of waste/sewage into Lake Michigan, polluting the city's own drinking water, causing cholera and all kinds of other diseases, so that the river flowed from the Lake into a canal which emptied into the Des Plaines River, which eventually sent all that drek to the Mississippi. This combined with installing sewage treatment plants and other pollution control efforts over subsequent decades eventually led to the River becoming the beautiful waterway it is now.
https://interactive.wttw.com/.../how-chicago-reversed...
After resting/recharging at the hotel, we then had another simply superlative dinner, this time at Torchio's about a mile NW of the hotel in Wells Ave - thanks @Zak57! Torchio's is a fairly new Italian restaurant, which serves very innovative fare in an unpretentious, warm and cozy setting. Table reservations are needed weeks in advance, but they do take bar seat reservations and we got them.
For apps, my wife got the whipped ricotta and tomato-fig-jam crostinis, which she loved and I got the semolina gnocchi (not potato gnocchi) baked in marinara sauce with melted mozz on top and it was superb, especially with dipping their fresh bread in it. For entrees, she got the papardelle bolognese served in a baked parmesan cheese crust, which is something I hadn't seen before - the combo was fantastic (I got to eat half of it, lol - and she usually orders something I would like, knowing she won't finish, which is nice). And I got the spaghetti carbonara, which was also mouth-watering. And we weren't going to get dessert, but the bartender/waiter, who was really good, suggested just getting one scoop of vanilla gelato, which ended up being the perfect ending to the meal.
https://www.torchiopastabar.com/menus/
The area immediately around Ashland / Walsh Park is a little weird because you’re kind of bordering an area that’s a little more industrial and the highway is right there, but as soon as you’re west of Ashland you’re in a pretty nice and expensive neighborhood, Bucktown. I used to live around the corner from the Damen blue line stop which may have been where you hopped on the train to go back downtown. That area’s pretty cool but I feel like it has a little bit of an identity crisis as my generation ages out into other neighborhoods and the younger folks are trying to figure out how to make it their vibe.
Agree with your assessment of the 606, it’s more of an exercise / stroll for a walk scene vs a High Line experience. On a nice day there are good views, and I think it’s useful for bringing people to parts of the city they don’t otherwise explore. On the western end you get more into Puerto Rican neighborhoods and a different restaurant / bar scene than you encounter in wicker park and bucktown on the Eastern side.
Also a big fan of the architecture cruise. Enjoyed it every time.
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Btw, the Garden of the Phoenix in Jackson Park might be of interest to you if you’re into landscaping / horticulture. Near museum of science and industry…look it up and see if it’s your thing
Hey Numb3rs,
Unfortunately, my friend has moved out ot the area and is no longer doing tours. But she said that the renovations on his home/studio in Oak Park are now complete after years of work, and it's a great tour.
Skillet
No sweat at all - thanks for checking. Going to do U of Chicago, including the FLH house there for a bit tomorrow and the Museum of Science and Industry; don't know if we'll get to Oak Park.
Yeah, you could tell it got nice quickly west of there. And we got off the 606 and walked to your old neighborhood and the Damen Blue Line Stop - seemed like a cool area.
Thanks! Heading that way tomorrow (UoC and the Museum of S&I), so Jackson Park is right there - only issue is that it might be a bit showery tomorrow, so not sure how much outside stuff we'll do...
Day 4 in Chicago sucked. Just kidding - seeing who actually reads these, lol. Anyway, after the great sunrise (will post a few pics from the trip at some point), I picked up a glazed and a red velvet doughnut from Stan's and they were scrumptious. A few hours later we were off on another adventure, this time starting at Yolk, a really cool brunch cafe a block from our hotel. I had the countryside skillet dish (eggs, potatoes, ham, bacon, cheddar, mushrooms, peppers and onions), which also came with two pancakes - huge amount of food and very tasty and my wife had fried eggs and potatoes and grits, which she liked. Also turns out friends of ours lived a block from the restaurant (we just knew they had lived in Chicago) and had recommended it on FB.
https://eatyolk.com/
After that, we took the short walk east to Navy Pier which juts out into Lake Michigan, stopping first at the beautiful Adams Park and the Ohio Street Beach, which was pretty empty, but I'm sure it's a crowded nut house in the summer - it must be very cool to have actual beaches (even if on a lake and not the ocean) within walking distance from the heart of a big city. Navy Pier was filled with restaurants (but we were full) and shops, so we walked around for awhile and then took the Shoreline Lake cruise along the Lake from there down to Grant Park. It's a guided cruise filled with lots of tidbits on the history of the Lake and some of the buildings visible from the Lake.
We then did a ton of walking around that area, which has the Adler Planetarium, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Field Museum of Natural History, along with beautiful beaches and tree-lined walkways. Since it was so nice out (temps in the upper 60s and sunshine), we decided to stay outside and walk around for awhile - wish we had time to see all of those, but there's only so much time in the day. After we tired out, we got back on the boat and went back up to Navy Pier and back to the hotel.
After resting up, we walked to Lou Malanti's, the famous Chicago deep dish pizza place and got a couple of personal pizzas to go, as we didn't want to wait for 45 minutes for a table! It was still very mild outside, so we ate our pizzas in the beautiful plaza next to the Wrigley Building on Michigan Ave. The pizzas were just good, though, not great - maybe the chain is getting too big and losing quality - the pizza I had two years ago at Gold Coast location (which many consider the flagship location) was fantastic. It was about 9 pm by that point, so it was back to the hotel to unwind.
Heading to the Frank Robie House (FLW designed) and UoC campus today and likely eating at Medici's for that authentic college bar/grill feel, followed by a visit to the Science/Industry Museum.
https://eatyolk.com/
After that, we took the short walk east to Navy Pier which juts out into Lake Michigan, stopping first at the beautiful Adams Park and the Ohio Street Beach, which was pretty empty, but I'm sure it's a crowded nut house in the summer - it must be very cool to have actual beaches (even if on a lake and not the ocean) within walking distance from the heart of a big city. Navy Pier was filled with restaurants (but we were full) and shops, so we walked around for awhile and then took the Shoreline Lake cruise along the Lake from there down to Grant Park. It's a guided cruise filled with lots of tidbits on the history of the Lake and some of the buildings visible from the Lake.
We then did a ton of walking around that area, which has the Adler Planetarium, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Field Museum of Natural History, along with beautiful beaches and tree-lined walkways. Since it was so nice out (temps in the upper 60s and sunshine), we decided to stay outside and walk around for awhile - wish we had time to see all of those, but there's only so much time in the day. After we tired out, we got back on the boat and went back up to Navy Pier and back to the hotel.
After resting up, we walked to Lou Malanti's, the famous Chicago deep dish pizza place and got a couple of personal pizzas to go, as we didn't want to wait for 45 minutes for a table! It was still very mild outside, so we ate our pizzas in the beautiful plaza next to the Wrigley Building on Michigan Ave. The pizzas were just good, though, not great - maybe the chain is getting too big and losing quality - the pizza I had two years ago at Gold Coast location (which many consider the flagship location) was fantastic. It was about 9 pm by that point, so it was back to the hotel to unwind.
Heading to the Frank Robie House (FLW designed) and UoC campus today and likely eating at Medici's for that authentic college bar/grill feel, followed by a visit to the Science/Industry Museum.
Did you get a personal pizza on your first visit? I wonder if it just gets executed better in a larger format
Day 5 was pretty ok too. Ubered down to the Hyde Park/U of Chicago area for our first stop of the day: lunch at Medici's a 60+ year old campus pub/restaurant that came highly recommended from @SkilletHead2. It was one of those dark, wood-paneled bars with deep character, i.e., cool art and original one of a kind knick-knacks on the walls (not crap from the "bar store" one sees in modern bar and grilles) and the food was great! After sharing their very tasty garlic bread, I had their "garbage" deep dish pizza, which included sausage, ground beef, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, peppers, onions, and mushrooms with marinara sauce and mozzarella, which was fantastic (and much better than my pizza from Lou Malnati's the night before), while my wife had a very tasty chopped salad with chicken.
https://www.medici57.com/
Afte that, we walked around the college neighborhood and then the heart of the campus a bit. Some beautiful homes and academic buildings and the huge quadrangle was gorgeous - was reminiscent of Voorhees Mall at Rutgers, but even larger and I'm sure is a favorite area of students. Was wearing my RU jacket and even had what looked like a grad student say, "hey I'm from Jersey too, go Rutgers!" which was cool.
Our next stop was the famous Frederick Robie House on campus, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1908 and often called the pinnacle of his prarie-style houses. The tour was fun and informative and the house interior was fascinating and beautiful. Learned about how he was the first architect to use structural steel in the framing, which was strong enough to allow numerous cantilevered outcroppings to extend out far further than other buildings to that point, making for dramatic design elements. And the wood, glass, carpets, lights and everything else inside all fit together so perfectly, but were also practical for the house.
https://www.flwright.org/tour/robie-house
After that we walked over to the Science and Industry Museum and spent a few hours there exploring the exhibits. Enjoyed the "Science of Storms" and Transportation and Chemistry wings and got to see chickens hatching, but was a bit underwhelmed, probably because much of the place was geared towards kids. Or maybe we were just getting tired, since we then went back to the hotel and napped, lol.
For dinner, we headed a few miles north to Twin Anchors Restaurant,as highly recommended by @Barnaby&Neill, which has been serving Chicago for 91 years and is a cool old school bar and restaurant, a bit reminiscent of the old Tumulty's in New Brunswick. Since the place is known for its ribs, I got a full rack and my wife got a half rack. I thought they were fantastic (lean and flavorful), while my wife thought they were good, but not great, although she's not exactly a ribs person - she loved the cole slaw though! And the fries were perfect.
https://www.twinanchorsribs.com/...
Finally, since I hadn't yet had a serious, authentic Chicago style hot dog on this visit (had one 2 years ago and loved it), I took a late evening walk to Portillo's on Ontario St. and had one. Just superb.
https://www.medici57.com/
Afte that, we walked around the college neighborhood and then the heart of the campus a bit. Some beautiful homes and academic buildings and the huge quadrangle was gorgeous - was reminiscent of Voorhees Mall at Rutgers, but even larger and I'm sure is a favorite area of students. Was wearing my RU jacket and even had what looked like a grad student say, "hey I'm from Jersey too, go Rutgers!" which was cool.
Our next stop was the famous Frederick Robie House on campus, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1908 and often called the pinnacle of his prarie-style houses. The tour was fun and informative and the house interior was fascinating and beautiful. Learned about how he was the first architect to use structural steel in the framing, which was strong enough to allow numerous cantilevered outcroppings to extend out far further than other buildings to that point, making for dramatic design elements. And the wood, glass, carpets, lights and everything else inside all fit together so perfectly, but were also practical for the house.
https://www.flwright.org/tour/robie-house
After that we walked over to the Science and Industry Museum and spent a few hours there exploring the exhibits. Enjoyed the "Science of Storms" and Transportation and Chemistry wings and got to see chickens hatching, but was a bit underwhelmed, probably because much of the place was geared towards kids. Or maybe we were just getting tired, since we then went back to the hotel and napped, lol.
For dinner, we headed a few miles north to Twin Anchors Restaurant,as highly recommended by @Barnaby&Neill, which has been serving Chicago for 91 years and is a cool old school bar and restaurant, a bit reminiscent of the old Tumulty's in New Brunswick. Since the place is known for its ribs, I got a full rack and my wife got a half rack. I thought they were fantastic (lean and flavorful), while my wife thought they were good, but not great, although she's not exactly a ribs person - she loved the cole slaw though! And the fries were perfect.
https://www.twinanchorsribs.com/...
Finally, since I hadn't yet had a serious, authentic Chicago style hot dog on this visit (had one 2 years ago and loved it), I took a late evening walk to Portillo's on Ontario St. and had one. Just superb.
Yes and we were wondering if that was part of the issue, too, although I do think some of it was quality control, as it was simply quite greasy, which they ought to be able to control. In contrast the deep dish pizza from Medici's yesterday was not swimming in grease and was tastier.
I haven’t been to Medici’s, I’ll have to give that a go.
Glad you made it to Twin Anchors! Impressive that you found room for the hot dog too.
One final question…have you put back a shot of Malort?
Spent a lot of time at Medici's when I was a grad student. And man are those Chicago style hot dogs great! Can you believe the Robie House is 115 years old! Apparently their neighbors wouldn't speak to them after it was built because they thought it was atrocious!
