I really should have posted this sooner, but I am going to be at BlogHer in Chicago this weekend! (look down at the "C's"... it's me!) I am not exactly speaking, I am going to be working at the Taking Your Blog to the Next Level Lab segment. I will be there to help anyone that wants to learn how to start their blog on Blogger.
Sooooo...
#1 Is there anyone out there that plans on going?
#2 What are some of the must visits for Chicago? I have never been to Chicago before. I know I want to go to Minnies. Minnies serves itty bitty food. Hee heee!
Deep dish pizza, of course!
ReplyDeleteSo glad to know you'll be there. I have a tiny, cute, pink Japanese plush creature for you.
ReplyDeleteToo Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind - you'll love it!
ReplyDelete-Lou Malnati's Pizza
ReplyDelete-The Steppenwolf
-Billy Goat Tavern (go to the one on lower Wacker Drive, near Michigan Ave. What a dump but you can feel as if you were in SNL and John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd are waiting on you - cheeburger, cheeburger, no fries, cheeps! Warning: it's a real dive but fun, and good burgers
-If you have access to a car, get to the Oriental Institute at the U of Chicago campus. Very cool little museum, and the campus is neat. Then drive to the Museum of Science and Industry for more cool museum fun, like going into a coal mine or standing in a space suit for photos.
Can you tell I miss my hometown!?
- Lucy
1. Lincoln Park Zoo - free!
ReplyDelete2. Beachstro, a fun casual restaurant on the sandy beach of Lake Michigan right at the edge of downtown (outdoor patio with stunning views)
3. Green Mill - Al Capone's old jazz club. The neighborhood can be a bit dicey at night, but take a cab and you'll be fine.
4. Rollerblade on the paved paths along Lake Michigan.
5. Architectural river cruise run by Chicago Architecture Foundation.
Have a great trip!
A few photos:
http://www.mambomiammiam.com/roadtrip_il
I had a great laugh while eating at Ed Debevic's - a diner-y place with "good food, fresh service." waitstaff dress up in clothing from the 50's, 6o's and 70's and play their parts - even sometimes dancing on the tables!
ReplyDelete(640 N. Wells Street, Chicago, Il 60620)
So many good restaurants, Avec, Cafe Iberico. YUM!
ReplyDeleteAlso, go to 1154 Lill to make a CUTE custom handbag (Lincoln Park area) and Spa Space downtown if you want to indulge!
If you would like to check out some lesser known restaurants check out www.chicagobites.com. Two friends of mine do the show for two years. Last October they did a cupcake crawl. You have to go to Millennium Park and see the bean.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to do a (relatively) fancy meal, check out Green Zebra. It's an experience in addition to being a great meal. http://www.greenzebrachicago.com/
ReplyDeleteI second Cafe Iberico - it's at 737 N. LaSalle - delicious tapas and wonderful sangria. You'll eat and eat and eat and still get out of there for less than $20. Try the jamon iberico, the croquetas, and the queso de cabra. (Don't worry if you don't speak Spanish - the menus have English descriptions and pictures!)
My favorite place for breakfast is YOLK down on South Michigan Ave. Another breakfast place people like is Orange at Clark & Belmont. Haven't been there but I know people who like it (I LOVE BREAKFAST FOOD!)
ReplyDeleteThere is a Grand Lux restaurant on North Michigan at Ontario (not far from Navy Pier). You can order a box of Chocolate Chip cookies when you sit down, and at the end of the meal you've got gooey hot fresh cookies, awesome!
If you like Sushi, my favorite place to go is Kamehachi. Since Blog Her will be at Navy Pier, the location on Ontario near Fairbanks would be most convienent.
And while at Navy Pier, you'll want to check into the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, great shows. Also if you want to try to take in a show Wicked has an open run in Chicago. It's at the Oriental Theatre on Randolph. Easy to get to by bus depending on where your hotel is.
For more, check out metromix.com and yeah, Chicagobites.com is a great source of Chicago Restaurant information.
BONGO ROOM for breakfast! you will LOVE it, i promise. 2 locations--- you should go to the one in the south loop if you are going to be downtown. Oreo pancakes, chocolate french toast, you get the idea!
ReplyDeleteI second the recommendation for Billy Goats near Michigan ave. It's definitely an experience.
ReplyDeleteAlso, maybe try to get to one of Rick Bayless' restaurants? www.fronterakitchens.com
check out the Art Institute and the BEAN! :-)
ReplyDeleteBucca de Bepo has awesome food too!
Take a segway tour, they always look fun.
I love Chicago!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite restaurants is Geja's, a fabulous fondue place in Lincoln Park.
I also enjoyed dessert and tea at the Russian Tea Room downtown, and I love the art museum, especially the miniatures room.
And one of my all-time favorite things to do is go to the bar on the 96th floor of the John Hancock building for drinks at sunset or after dark. The 365-degree views are fantastic and the atmosphere is better than the Sears Tower's.
Have a great trip!
Never been but I've heard from multiple sources that one should try the popcorn at a place called Garrett's.
ReplyDeleteMuseum of Contemporary Art, bus or walking tour of Frank Lloyd Wright homes (half-day), delicious Korean food in the Albany Park (Koreatown) neighborhood, very funky lighting and Asian antique stores near/under tracks along N Wells/W Chicago Ave, N Wells/W Erie St. and N Wells/W Superior. That whole area has tons of cool hidden shops. I wish we had a pickup truck the times we visited. We ate some fantastic food, and shopped like crazy.
ReplyDeleteYou must go to the multi-story Nordstroms on Magnificent Mile...just for fun. They're having their half-year sale, which means 50% off everything!
Have fun! We're off to Seattle and Portland on Friday. It's a big weekend for both of us :-)
Great ideas... thanks everyone!
ReplyDeletelady m - oooh yay! we have to meet up!
anonymous - I am really interested in the custom bag thing!
sam-a-lama - a cupcake crawl? Cool!
sandy - I think Giada went to Green Zebra on her Weekend Getaway show.
pirate alice - Orange is on my list... another Giada spot from her show
natalie - have fun in Washington!
best cupcakes in the city are from southport cafe & grocery. you can get them while you are downtown at intelligentsia, a great coffee shop. they are located just behind the chicago cultural center on michigan ave and randolf (very near the bean). the vanilla cupcake with vanilla frosting are the best.
ReplyDeletegarrett popcorn is a chicago must have1
ReplyDeletealso a chicago hotdog--5 faces in division--rated by several famous actors a good place for a quick good dog--open till 5am most days on bar row have to have your celery salt
again garret popcorn--you will regret not having it i promise you will!
the chicago cultural center--just for 5 minutes--cornor of randoph and mich. free of charge--tiffany dome inside--wonder--beauty--there are art exhibits --all free and and one of those artorama thins that you just got earrings from there too. it is just an amzing building ans desevres 5-15 minutes of your times--i always take new people there and they love it.
our city is a grouping of neighborhoods, so it is hard to get to somethings--especially since you are staying by the lake.
there are some vintage stores on belmont and clark,
avoid the sear tower from the hancock is far better and more fun too.
Lou Mitchell's Restaurant the start of route 66--worth the 35 mile drive into the ctiy for breakfast. an amazing place. their donut holes are sinfully good--oh my --they are like potatoe chips you cannot stop--yes there are lines, but the wait is worth is, and their coffee is the best in the city.
again i recommend yelp.com to guide you your choices during your stay and it will give you directions as well. when as you leaving to head back east?