If you know me, you know I LOVE this great city. There is no other like it. I love showing her off to visiting family and friends every chance I get. No matter the season or day of the week, there is always something brewing. Like a true Chicagoan, if you're touring with me, chances are we are NOT going to Millennium Park or the Sears Tower. I'm going to take you to the hole-in-the-walls where locals go for good food and somewhere else to party other than Excalibur (which is a joke, btw.) Most of these suggestions are for adventure seeking adults, not so much grandma. The locations are scattered all over the city so feel free to Yelp before you go.
Without further ado, here my Special OT Guide. You're welcome.
\\ Eat //
Breakfast and Brunch:
- For a hearty Mexican breakfast: you will find the best chilaquiles at Fogata Village -order ones with the green sauce! For chilaquiles in red sauce go to Taqueria Amigo Chino (warning) all dishes are HUGE so plan to share
- If you want a tasty American breakfast, go to Yolk or White Palace Grill. The latter is a diner open 24 hours, the first one is a bit trendier. I also recommend Sweet Maple Cafe - it's themed somewhere between the two aforementioned
- For brunch, I recommend going to a place with bottomless mimosas, like LOKal or Crocodile
- For a swanky brunch, it doesn't get better than Nellcôte, and/or Nightwood - They are known for their amazing homemade donuts.
- For simple folk that want a delicious handmade-tortilla-steak-taco, go to the historic Maxwell St. Market and find Rubi's. Yes, the wait is worth it. (Please note: Maxwell St. Market is open on Sunday's ONLY from 7am - 3pm)
- Portillo's, Portillo's, Portillo's! The only "chain restaurant" exception. In order to do this right - order the beef and sausage combo, dipped, with sweet and hot peppers- and a side of cheese fries. Also, try a chocolate cake shake - it will change your life.
- Best tacos in the city are at Atotonilco; the restaurant can be found in Little Village and Pilsen.
- For a great Puerto Rican lunch go to Borinquen, it's a whole in the wall with authentic PR food
- For a great Cuban lunch go to 90 Miles Cuban Cafe (BYOB)- take advantage of their patio if the weather is nice!
- When in doubt, I like to go to Mariano's Fresh Market. Don't let this grocery store fool you. They have fresh food daily; if you buy meat, steak, fish - whatever - you can take it to go, or have one of their cooks make it in front of you. You can even open a bottle of wine/beer and drink while you shop/dine. With such a variety of options, you really can't go wrong. I recommend their Margherita pizza's, polish sausage, steaks and outstanding cheddar burgers. Go to the one on Halsted, they have parking in the back.
- Deep dish pizza must be eaten at Pequod's. Never heard of it? That's because its not commercialized! Stay away from Gino's East, Giordanos or Lou Malnati's if you want the real Chicago experience!
- Pizza Metro II is one of top choices for thin crust pizza (live a little and add hot giardinare peppers),
- I also like Simone's bar; ask for their BBQ Chicken pizza but in Buffalo Sauce instead. They're quinoa avocado pizza is also pretty good!
- For the great brick oven pizza try Coalfire or Davanti Enoteca
- As a sushi buff, here are several of my faves- all are BYOB :) Coast Sushi, Butterfly Sushi, South Kawa and Tanoshii; of all the aforementioned - go with Tanoshii and let chef Mike work his magic!
- You must have Spanish tapas at Cafe Iberico
- For great Italian food, go to Fiorentino's, Davanti Enoteca or Piccolo Sogno; the latter is the swankiest of the three
- Ay Ay Picante has delicious Peruvian food (BYOB)
- La Palapa for yummy Mexican seafood (BYOB)
- Take you're guests to Wiener Circle, but only when they've had plenty to drink and are craving greasy late night food. Any other time won't make sense. ((spoiler alert if you click the link!))
- Taqueria Amigo Chino mentioned above is also open at wee hours of the morning on Sat & Sun
- Greektown Gyros (open 24 hours) - also good for lunch or for curing a hangover
- You can't go wrong with a huge slice of pizza from Bacci's. Most are open til 2am or 3am; whatever you do, eat it after midnight. It wont taste the same if you eat it sober.
- Looking for a traditional Chicago Hot Dog? You'll find it at Maxwell's!
\\ Drink //
- Monday: Porn & Chicken Monday's at Evil Olive. Just to say you've done it.
- Tuesday: Barra ñ for lively Bossanova (party starts at about midnight)
- Wednesday: Enjoy a nice cocktail at Violet Hour. Yes, the wait is worth it.
- Thursday: Go to Big Star and eat their yummy food! It's a great place to start the night
- The weekend: Go to different neighborhoods that have several options within walking distance. The Bucktown/Wicker Park area has an array of bars and lounges that fit most every taste (North/Milwaukee/Damen), so does Wrigleyville (on Clark) and West Town (on Randolph). The Green Mill has great live jazz, so does Kingston Mines. If you wish to do it big downtown, try Paris Club, Roof at The Wit and/or Aviary (West Loop)
- Fun places "in between" the aforementioned would be Moe's Cantina, Public House and/or Untitled. All three have a different ambiance.
- For a real "cantina" experience, go to Caminos de Michocan in Pilsen (karaoke every-other Friday)
- Favorite neighborhood dive bars include: Durkin's Tavern and Halligan's
- Simone's is our neighborhood bar in Pilsen. They have good music (and oddly great desserts), but it can get ridiculously crowded at times. Worth checking out though.
\\ Play//
- Paint at Arts N Spirits! Anyone can do it (BYOB) - book and plan ahead
- Go beer and bacon tasting at Paddy Long's - book and plan ahead
- Second Friday Open Stuido's in Pilsen- the experience is better when the weather is nice, perfect for the art lover.
- If you're here in the summer time, catch a baseball game on both North side & South side (The Cell has thee best brats in the city!!) Same goes for a basketball game at United Center and football game at Soldier field.
- Take a tour of the Goose Island Brewery
- Another summertime fave: Ravinia! Check the schedule and book in advance
- If you're here during a big holiday, try to catch one of these Bar Crawls. They're a lot of fun in big groups and not many cities offer this experience.
- Take advantage of our awesome street festivals!
- Catch the midnight show at the Neo Futurist theater: Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind
Chicago has 77 unique neighborhoods for you to explore; take the red line from Hyde Park all the way to Andersonville. Downtown is beautiful and you should take half a day to walk around or take an architectural boat tour. But if your plan is to stay within the "common" areas, you'll miss more of Chicago's culture than you think. Give her a chance ;)
-Dais
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| Photo by Rasidel Slika | www.flickr.com/people/delobbo/ |
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