[ot] Weekend trip to Chicago-restaurant reviews as requested

[Mark]

Well, we've been to Chicago perhaps half a dozen times before, usually to visit the Art Institute. We've also been to the Museum of Science & Industry and the Natural History Museum. We both like history and art, good food & wine, and digging around in used book stores. I like shopping, my husband doesn't so much, but he humors me. (Sak's 5th Ave!!!! Yipee!) If there are some obsucre museums, like the broadcasting one mentioned earlier, that's the sort of thing we'd like, I think. We're not interested in nightlife, particularly.

Tentative plans so far, some of them based on advice here are:
The Art Institute
Watertower Place (shopping & Foodlife)
Bookstores in Hyde Park
Fogo de Chao
Planetarium
Erawan Royal Thai restaurant (Zagat's says it's excellent)
???

I'd recommend adding the Chicago Cultural Center. You can take a self-guided tour of the building (which is magnificent) but I'd urge you to try and stop by (no reservations needed) to take the guided tour. The current exhibits include David Plowden (B&W photography), Jerry Bleem (abstract sculpture forms) and a collection of various works by Michael Ferris Jr. (paintings and sculpture).

Also, while downtown, do make time to see the Harold Washington Library. It's an impressive structure (the largest single library building in the USA) as well as having a great collection of books. Make some notes from their online self-guided tour of what you might like to focus on while there.

As long as you are traveling across the river there is a couple of bookstores worth checking out. I assume that your trip to Hyde Park is to visit Powells Books? But here are a couple more...

Just north of the river and a few blocks west is a good bookstore named After Words. This will be a good place to settle in and take a load off of your feet. It may be the cleanest bookstore I've ever seen in my life. Take a peek at some of their rare books (locked on display) while you're here.

Just across the street of the Water Tower (the actual tower, not the mall) is a good sized Borders with a games section downstairs that has some books from WotC, S&S, FFG and others. Their Sci-Fi section (first floor toward the back) is sizable and can keep you busy for a while. The Water Tower, itself, will usually have a decent photography exhibit inside.

Just north of the Water Tower (by a couple of blocks) is the Drake Hotel. Long as you're in the neighborhood, take a walk through there and enjoy the opulence.

It's getting a little chilly to enjoy the outdoor artwork, which is a shame, but you've probably had the chance to check some of this out on previous visits. (The Lincoln Park Zoo is definitely out this time of year! ) But if you get tyhe chance to go a dozen and a half blocks north of downtown (Water Tower is about 850 north) you can check out the Chicago Historical Society. This place rocks for everything mundane and eclectic to do with the city. Take a run down their current exhibitions to see what I mean.

That ought to fill a day or so and takes you from Randolph street up to the north end of the Mag Mile. If you find yourself stopping and shopping along the way you can always see some of these places on the next trip through...

 

[Danzilla]

If your going to be anywhere in the vicinity of the Sears Tower or similar, you owe it to yourself to try Gino's East of Chicago pizza... eaten at any of the other "Gino's", so I can't speak to what they are like (I assume similar, but I could be way off)... Yeah, it's just a pizza place, but it's amazing pizza.

My chicago experience is limited, though, I'm afraid... only been there twice now. Enjoyed it both times, though.

Mmmmm...Ginos....good pizza and if you're there with an artist with a spare sharpie it becomes an incrediblly fun experience...one of my long time friends is Phil Morrissey, a sometime game artist and longtime comic-book artist (did Stellar-babe in the old vortex magazines) and whenever we get to Chicago together we make it a point to go to Ginos and cover as much of the walls and the tablecloth with lots of fun scribbles...a mucho good time...

Danzilla

 

[Buttercup]

Wow Mark, you've given me lots of great ideas! Thanks.

 

[johnsemlak]

IF you do end up going to hyde park bookshops, do post how they are now, especialy for fantasy enthusiasts. I'd like to go myself soon. I remember that there were at least half a dozen really good used bookshops there. One (I forget which one) had a whole basement full of fantasy/sci fi.

 

[kobold]

I'm glad to hear Fogo de Chao is on you list, I can't stress enough what a great place this is. Also here's a link to give you an idea:

http://www.fogodechao.com/

Do us a favor and post your reviews of the restaurants and book stores you make it to, I'd like to hear yor thoughts on Fogo de Chao and Erawan Thai (I hear its very good Thai).

 

[Buttercup]

Okey dokey, I'll post a 'Weekend in Chicago' thread when I get back.

 

[Buttercup]

Well, as always happens when we go to Chicago, we don't stick to our plans. We never made it to Hyde Park, instead spending spending most of our time in the Art Institute. Well, that and shopping. We had a good time nonetheless, and since kobald asked me to post some restaurant reviews, I'll do that.

Fogo de Chao We went for lunch when we arrived on Thursday, and I think that was a good choice, since it was less expensive that way. Note that I didn't say "not expensive". The lunch price was $25 bucks a person, but worth it, I think. If you go, make sure you're famished, so you will be able to get your money's worth. The service is excellent, and the food...well, it was unbelieveable.

Now for the details. Their salad bar is incredible. It includes everything you can imagine, and lots of stuff you can't. All of it was fresh and succulent. You could easily make a gourmet meal from the salad alone, but then you would be missing the meat. This is carnivore's heaven, no doubt about it. I didn't even try all the different sorts of meat, but of those I did, everything was tender, juicy and perfectly cooked. I had two favorites, the 'house specialty' which was some cut of very tender and flavorful beef, and the garlic beef chunks. Awesome, both of them. My husband really dug the roast pork loin. They bring you little plates of side dishes, which I think vary from time to time. We got polenta, mashed potatoes with scallions & cheese, and fried bananas. They were all wonderful. I would definately recommend this place, unless you don't like meat, in which case, don't bother.

Emilio's Tappas This place was good, but it's one of those places you need to go with a large group, so you can taste more things. The service was good, and the decor is nice, too. I'm not a huge fan of Spanish wines, but the glass I had was pleasant enough. We tried about 4 different tappas, (appetizers, for the uninitiated) and enjoyed all of them. My favorite was the sliced vennison & grilled tomatoes on herb-garlic bread. Emilio's is a good choice if you have a bunch of people who want to sit around talking and nibbling. It's not the best choice for a light, romantic dinner for two.

Russian Teatime We tried this one for lunch in between visits to the Art Institute, since it is more or less across the street. The ambiance is sort of faded, shabby grandeur, and really sort of charming. The service was prompt and friendly. I've never eaten Russian food, and I guess I know now why they drink so much vodka--it's so they won't notice the boring food. Not that it was bad, exactly. Just bland, and a tad austere. Lots of cabbage. I'm glad I tried it, since I was curious, but I won't bother again. Chicago has too many really wonderful restaurants to try in a lifetime, so why waste money and time on this one?

Erawan Royal Thai I don't think I have the skill to describe how truly wonderful this place is. My hubby & I are big fans of Thai food, and we've eaten at probably 50 different Thai restaurants across the US. Never have I had such a wonderful Thai meal. Never. They had lots of interesting choices on the menu, and we couldn't decide, so we did something really wacky (and pricey!) and got their Royal Degustation. This means that they bring you tiny helpings of all sorts of stuff, and pair each with a wine that they select. Seven, yes, seven appetisers! Each one was no more than a bite or two, and served with a few ounces of wine. Then the entree, which one selects from their menu, and is also accompanied by wine. (I chose lobster in turmeric sauce, hubby chose beef & baby bok choy.) Then a plate with tiny pieces of about a dozen desserts along with, you guessed it, a glass of wine. Everything is beautiful and perfect. One appetizer plate was decorated with a tiny swan carved from a radish. The service couldn't be better in Buckingham Palace. We walked back to our hotel, or rather staggered. Full and a bit drunk.

If your idea of Thai food is take-out pad thai, and you don't want to spend more than 10 bucks, don't go here. If, on the other hand, you want the meal of a lifetime, and you don't mind dropping some serious cash, then you simply must go to this place.