Chicago Eats

The way to both of our hearts is food. It's true.  Between Em's guest post and my brother's suggestions (he's a chef in NYC) we had more options than we had time. Since we were celebrating Taras's birthday that weekend, we were up for the challenge to fit in a lot of eating and drinking... a culinary tour of the city, if you will.

-Amanda

Here it goes...
Dinner at The Purple Pig. We got into the city around dinner time and made this our first stop - a very good welcome to the city.  This place was packed, and for good reason. Meats, cheeses, and Mediterranean small plates that are to die for.  And the milk braised pork shoulder could be its own food group.

Xoco is a Rick Bayless restaurant and was a perfect spot for lunch. We shared the shortrib red chile soup and a pepito torta. This place stays packed, so be prepared to stand in line for a while!

That night (our last night in the city) we headed over to the Randolph Restaurant Corridor in the West Loop for a little restaurant crawl...

Dinner snacks at Girl and the Goat, including goat belly that Taras declared to be better than pork belly (also, reservations were difficult to get, so we ran to catch the bus that would get us to the restaurant right when they opened to snag a spot at the bar).

Maude's was up next for whiskey smashes and $3 whiskey shots in the the most adorable setting. Plus the sweetest bartender who treated Taras to a second whiskey shot on the house, and she gave us great suggestions on other restaurants to visit.

We made a quick stop by de cero for spicy salsa and chips with a side of  micheladas (one of Taras's favorite beer cocktails, which consists of a light beer mixed with lime juice and assorted spices/sauces - a beer bloody mary of sorts).

We had heard great things about the beer from Haymarket and loved that we could get 4 oz samples for near $1. We each had a tiny sampling, then were on our way.

Our bartender at Maude's told us to be sure to stop by Sepia. We settled in at the bar for a leisurely final drink of the night. This place was niiice.  Most every gentleman was wearing a blazer - that, combined with the general ambiance of the restaurant, made us feel a bit like we were in the middle of a Harvard alumni reunion.  It was the perfect place to unwind and just chill. Taras grabbed a beer and I settled on the Death & Taxes cocktail (I'm an accountant - I had to!).  And, seriously, this was the best cocktail we had all trip - the perfect mix of smokey, bitter, and sweet.  Some day we'll have to play with the ingredients and remake it ourselves.

We finished the night with a super indulgent late night "snack" of traditional Chicago deep dish pizza at Giordano's. We got there so late that we had to wait 45 minutes for them to make the pizza (after a certain time they no longer have pizzas partially made for quicker service). And, oh my goodness, it was good and worth the wait.  But I'm pretty sure I didn't eat cheese for a few days after this.

For lunch on our last day in town we wanted something a bit lighter and found Mana on Yelp. Everything was fresh and healthy, with a focus on vegan and gluten free foods.  They also have delicious sake cocktails and fresh juices and smoothies.

Our last stop in town was Bangers & Lace where we shared a beer sampler from their large and well chosen selection.  The beers were good but it was the decor that would keep me coming back here - exposed brick walls adorned with antlers and vintage paintings.

So, yeah, we indulged a bit in Chicago!

Travel tip: It's important to know what you enjoy most about visiting a place - for us, when we visit cities, it's all about food.  We knew we wanted to be able to splurge in the city so we made sure to spend less money in the couple weeks leading up to Chicago, that way we were able to enjoy food and drinks guilt-free.  Understanding what we value most makes it easier to re-allocate money in order to have an experience we will enjoy.

all food photos are from the iPhone

Chicago, IL

Chicago! Gosh, we fell hard for Chicago. Such a great city with amazing restaurants, a beautiful skyline (I'm such a sucker for those skylines), and endless fun to be had in the public parks and beaches.

The details from our time in Chicago are after the photos! PS - our food tour of the city will be coming up in a separate post.

-Amanda

When we first got into Chicago we were a bit stunned with all the traffic and tall buildings - we hadn't driven in a large city for a few weeks and it took a bit of time to adjust; it hit us almost like a culture shock. We did come to enjoy (kind of) the aggressiveness of the city's drivers - it reminded us of the spirited drivers in Boston. We found it refreshing to be in a city with well-planned roads (something Boston lacks) and were kind of obsessed with the double-stacked roads around downtown.  Our GPS was less impressed, she couldn't keep track of where we were and lost her satellite signal a few times. Oh, and we had the hardest time with our AT&T service in the city, even though overall on the trip AT&T worked great. 

We learned quickly that Chicago is appropriately named the windy city, as the nights spent walking around downtown were chilly and windy. And then, the days were HOT - we happened to be visiting during the record breaking heat wave over Memorial Day weekend.

We visited the Navy Pier for a couple of hours. It was, of course, touristy, but it was fun to ride the Ferris wheel (Taras had a grand time swinging our cart when we were at the very top, scaring the crap out of me), listen to some live music, and enjoy a couple beers in the hot sun (tip: the beer prices go up and up the further you walk on the pier). We realized later that it would have been fun to visit the Pier at night, when they light up the rides and it's not so dang hot.

Lincoln Park is perfect for walking or lounging and is home to a FREE zoo, where most animals were hiding from the heat, and a gorgeous lily pond, which offered great shade for us humans trying to beat the heat. The Park borders Lake Michigan and the city's beaches.  And, can I just say, holy beaches - the water is a beautiful blue color and the sand is soft, although yellowish in color. Being Memorial Day weekend (and ridiculously hot) it seemed every single person was at the beach - sunbathing, swimming, playing volleyball, sail boating, paddle boarding, and cruising on bicycles. For this native Floridian, I have to admit that lake beaches give ocean beaches a run for their money.

We also wandered through the Lincoln Park neighborhood and eyed the great homes, walked around Old Town to take in the beautiful, historical buildings, and visited The Bean (we suggest visiting it at night when there is less of a crowd to mess with the standard self-reflection photo op).

Chicago, we'll be coming back to visit you soon!

Chicago on Dwellable

Guest Post | Emily Fleming

Next up we have Emily, the hilarious doctor living in Texas with her handsome doctor husband. She tells you a bit about herself below, so no more spoilers from me.  But, seriously, visit her blog and you'll keep coming back and back for a little peek into her life!

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hi!

i'm Emily from Em=Me

and even though the above picture was taken in San Antonio, TX

(where I now live)

i'm here to tell you about Chicago

(where i moved from)

i lived in Chicago while i was in med school

which is where I met this handsome guy

emily+nick=4evah

and promptly married him

then we graduated from med school

and moved to San Antonio

to practice being doctors

he's a Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation resident at UTHSCSA

i'm an Emergency Medicine resident at San Antonio Military Medical Center

yes. military.

i'm also in the Air Force.

blam.

us in a nutshell.

 so Chicago.

it's often cold there

Lakeshore Drive during "Snowpocalypse 2011"

Lake Michican. there's a lake under there somewhere.

and to be honest,
the cold scared this native Florida girl a little

my first time using a snowscraper. circa 2007.

okay a lot.

but the fall is lovely.

yellow leaves are my fave.

but enough about the weather.

i'm here to talk about what to DO.

chicago is a fantastic city.

great culture

great music

aMAZing food

so here. in no particular order... 

visit the beach

skyline from Fullerton Beach

go to Lincoln Park Zoo Lights

(at Christmastime...obviously) 

me, Nick, and my sibbies

 visit the Hancock building

(amazing view from the 95th floor...and there's a bar with floor-to-ceiling windows

...great spot to catch your breath after shopping on Michigan Ave)

it's pretty tall

go for Afternoon Tea on Sundays at the Drake Hotel

Nick looks beyond thrilled. but he DID have fun. i swear.

or if your man is as great as mine,

you can stay at the Drake

and this will be your view from your room

just like in My Best Friend's Wedding (:

if you're into blues,

there's a spot called Kingston Mines that canNOT be missed

you should also go shopping on State Street

(a Nordstrom Rack, H&M, Loehman's, F21, and Anthropologie all right across the street from each other. heaven.)

or on Rush Street

or on Armitage Ave

or on Milwaukee

(i did a little shopping. sometimes.)

but let's be honest.

Chicago is all about the food.

the cutest lil goat. the best food. evah.

 here's my picks:

girl & the goat (West Loop)

Top Chef winner's restaurant. amazing food. don't miss it. but make a res. waits can be long

toro sushi (Lincoln Park)

tiny, but best rolls in Chicago. it's byob, so grab a bottle or a six pack on your way

the bourgeois pig (Lincoln Park)

coffee shop with sandwiches named after great works of literature. studied here all thru med school

piece pizza (Wicker Park)

also a brewery with great beer. the pizza isn't Chicago-style though...no deep dish. just good

GT fish & oyster (River North)

right downtown. phenomenal seafood. great wines. swanky vibe.

ricardo's trattoria (Lincoln Park)

our favorite Italian spot. intimate. excellent food. walking distance to the park.

hema's kitchen (Lincoln Park)

somewhat austere, but the indian food is the best. it's byob too

the purple pig (Mag Mile)

it's a wine bar, specialized in pork dishes...hence the name. milk-braised pork belly. do it.

yolk (River North or South Loop)

a ridiculously huge brunch menu. seriously. it's impressive.

it's by no means an exhaustive list

but it should get you through

(i've listed the neighborhoods they're in to help you plan your trip. prepare to eat. a lot.)

in all seriousness,

Chicago holds a very dear place in our hearts

it's where we fell in love

(:

happy.

 here's wishing you safe travels and happy trails,

Amanda and Taras!

and if anyone wants more of the scoop on Chicago

hit me up. 

i'm happy to help.

or reference this guest post i once did for a friend

(and you'll recognize some of the photos. they're vintage.)

xoxo,

em

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Thank you so much Em!!  I'm already hungry just thinking about getting to Chicago!