NTTGPR: We're going to Chicago for the first time, help?!

Tara0604 · August 2012

Hi Everyone,

My husband and I are going to Chicago for the first time as a summer vacation / "we're taking the next step in life and trying to make a baby" trip. Wink Anyone on here from Chicago (I think i saw a few) and do you have any recommendations for must sees?

TIA

jerseygirl81 · August 2012

Definitely go to Giordano's for pizza!

mitzidanny · August 2012

Must see... Navy Pier (also, if you can, try to do a dinner cruise, it a beautiful skyline)... Millenium Park is a must... Willis Tower (Sear Tower)... If you enjoy shopping i recommend The Water Tower... Also, for a nice romantic dinner, i'd recommend John Hancock's restaurant The Signature Room (awesome view on a clear night)...

Have an awesome time, the weather is beautiful now!

TeamAwesomeBaby · August 2012

YES. Where to begin... First, where are you staying? And are you more of a platinum budget, or sterling silver? Because I have recommendations for high and low end hotels.

NOW. First, you must eat Lou Malnati's Chicago-style pizza - get it with spinach.

Second, you must eat Italian Beef at Portillos. Get Mozzarella, sweet peppers, hot peppers if you can stand the heat. This is the one thing I regret giving up after becoming vegetarian.

For drinks, go to the Trump hotel terrace. It's a gorgeous view. But drinks are expensive so only plan on one, and go around 3-4 in the afternoon.

If you're into history, do the architecture tour put on by the Architecture Foundation (the bus ones are amazing but long, the river ones are fun and about an hour and a half long).

If you're a foodie, you could go to Girl and the Goat at 4:30 promptly for drinks and order dinner in the bar (or maybe they'll seat you). You won't get in after 5 unless you manage to get a reservation.

Walk along the lake front path for awesome people watching. Go to the Lincoln Park Zoo if you want fun family inspiration for gettin' jiggy later.

Okay, that's a lot already. What are you more into? Food? Shopping? Sight seeing?

RockyR12 · August 2012

Where are you staying and what kind of things do you like to do?

The Shedd Aquarium is cool. Millenium Park is great for a picnic (and they have free concerts depending on the day you go). I would rent bikes and bike down the lake shore path.

The Signature Room in the Hancock building is great for an afternoon cocktail and amazing view (skip the overpriced dinner).

Do you want restaurant recs?

bhjones1980 · August 2012

I concur with the deep dish pizza and signature room suggestions

I have always loved the Natural History Museum in Chicago, so many fun memories as a kid.

Sports fans, a game at Wrigley is always great!

TeamAwesomeBaby · August 2012

jerseygirl81:
Definitely go to Giordano's for pizza!

Giordano's...eh. I sometimes find their crust to be dry. But I know it's a fierce battle among Chicagoans.

TeamAwesomeBaby · August 2012

RockyR12:
Where are you staying and what kind of things do you like to do?
The Shedd Aquarium is cool. Millenium Park is great for a picnic (and they have free concerts depending on the day you go). I would rent bikes and bike down the lake shore path.
The Signature Room in the Hancock building is great for an afternoon cocktail and amazing view (skip the overpriced dinner).
Do you want restaurant recs?

This is my favorite weekend activity!!!

RockyR12 · August 2012

TeamAwesomeBaby:
Walk along the lake front path for awesome people watching. Go to the Lincoln Park Zoo if you want fun family inspiration for gettin' jiggy later.

HA!! Awesome.

TeamAwesomeBaby · August 2012

Oh!! I forgot to tell you. Go to the Lobby at the Peninsula (it's a restaurant) for the most amazing grilled cheese you'll ever have at lunch. Or go at 4 (get reservations first, but it's not too hard to get in) and have amazing high tea (42 bucks a person without champagne). Or go to Pierrot Gourmet (also in the Peninsula, but enter from the street) for the most incredible roasted chicken you'll ever have. If you're rich, I hate you and you should stay at the Peninsula and/or go to the spa, which is consistently winning all sorts of awards for being so GD awesome.

raeyn · August 2012

TeamAwesomeBaby:

If you're into history, do the architecture tour put on by the Architecture Foundation (the bus ones are amazing but long, the river ones are fun and about an hour and a half long).

I definitely recommend the Architecture Foundation boat tour! It is my favorite thing to do with out of town guests, and I never get tired of it.

mitzidanny:

Also, for a nice romantic dinner, i'd recommend John Hancock's restaurant The Signature Room (awesome view on a clear night)...

I am not a fan of the Signature room for dinner, honestly. I think the service and food does not stand up to the steep price. If an expensive romantic evening fits your budget, I would recommend Cite. It's not far from Navy Pier and also has a gorgeous view.

A couple years ago my husband and I did a Segway tour by the lake. As weird as it sounds, it's a really fun way to see some of the city.

Something else I love to do on special occasions or with guests is go to the Drake Hotel for high tea.

Whatever you do, have fun!

Tara0604 · August 2012

Thank you soo much for all of the tips already!

And i'm definitely having an "off" day because I told you just about nothing in my original post! eek! We like to do pretty much anything and are willing to try anything at least once (though i'm not crazy about heights without railings). We LOVE food! We are from just outside NYC so the pizza thing is going to be a bit weird, but we're willing to try at least one deep dish pie this trip. We are definitely on a more of a sterling silver budget. (I like that term!) We plan on seeing/doing as much as we can (as long as we can do some BDing as well) because we don't know when we will be able to make it back.

We are staying at a hotel on Magnificent Mile. We have already purchased a 3-day cta transit pass from Groupon and will rely entirely on subway/trains/buses or walking. We will be there next week from Sunday night to Thursday morning. I believe my husband wants to go see the Yankees play the White Sox (?), and we are running in the Goose Island 5k, but other than that was have no plans and really know nothing about Chicago.

Tara0604 · August 2012

TeamAwesomeBaby:
YES. Where to begin... First, where are you staying? And are you more of a platinum budget, or sterling silver? Because I have recommendations for high and low end hotels.

NOW. First, you must eat Lou Malnati's Chicago-style pizza - get it with spinach.
Second, you must eat Italian Beef at Portillos. Get Mozzarella, sweet peppers, hot peppers if you can stand the heat. This is the one thing I regret giving up after becoming vegetarian.
For drinks, go to the Trump hotel terrace. It's a gorgeous view. But drinks are expensive so only plan on one, and go around 3-4 in the afternoon.
If you're into history, do the architecture tour put on by the Architecture Foundation (the bus ones are amazing but long, the river ones are fun and about an hour and a half long).
If you're a foodie, you could go to Girl and the Goat at 4:30 promptly for drinks and order dinner in the bar (or maybe they'll seat you). You won't get in after 5 unless you manage to get a reservation.
Walk along the lake front path for awesome people watching. Go to the Lincoln Park Zoo if you want fun family inspiration for gettin' jiggy later.
Okay, that's a lot already. What are you more into? Food? Shopping? Sight seeing?

This is too funny! I do enjoy going to the zoo though! I was there today

RunningGal900 · August 2012

TeamAwesomeBaby:
YES. Where to begin... First, where are you staying? And are you more of a platinum budget, or sterling silver? Because I have recommendations for high and low end hotels.

NOW. First, you must eat Lou Malnati's Chicago-style pizza - get it with spinach.
Second, you must eat Italian Beef at Portillos. Get Mozzarella, sweet peppers, hot peppers if you can stand the heat. This is the one thing I regret giving up after becoming vegetarian.
For drinks, go to the Trump hotel terrace. It's a gorgeous view. But drinks are expensive so only plan on one, and go around 3-4 in the afternoon.
If you're into history, do the architecture tour put on by the Architecture Foundation (the bus ones are amazing but long, the river ones are fun and about an hour and a half long).
If you're a foodie, you could go to Girl and the Goat at 4:30 promptly for drinks and order dinner in the bar (or maybe they'll seat you). You won't get in after 5 unless you manage to get a reservation.
Walk along the lake front path for awesome people watching. Go to the Lincoln Park Zoo if you want fun family inspiration for gettin' jiggy later.
Okay, that's a lot already. What are you more into? Food? Shopping? Sight seeing?

Great recs. Lou Malnatis is the best Chicago style pizza. Also if you want to do the signature room, the signature lounge is much cheaper if you just do a drink, but there's usually a line on Friday and Saturday. For lunch, I love Rick Bayless' Xoco. Get the churros. I thought the Willis Tower glass bottom deck was pretty awesome. I lived in Chicago for 5 years, but haven't been back in about a year, so there are probably new restaurants I'm not familiar with!

RunningGal900 · August 2012

When my girlfriends came to visit we did a bike tour which was really fun.

Tara0604 · August 2012

RockyR12:
Do you want restaurant recs?

These are always appreciated! Could you recommend some more lunch spots also? and not romantic dinner spots? (Though they may be the same thing)

Tara0604 · August 2012

raeyn:
TeamAwesomeBaby:

If you're into history, do the architecture tour put on by the Architecture Foundation (the bus ones are amazing but long, the river ones are fun and about an hour and a half long).
I definitely recommend the Architecture Foundation boat tour! It is my favorite thing to do with out of town guests, and I never get tired of it.

A couple years ago my husband and I did a Segway tour by the lake. As weird as it sounds, it's a really fun way to see some of the city.

Whatever you do, have fun!

Thank you for the links for some of theses activities. Super helpful! The boat tour was recommended by another friend IRL and I was going to look it up, but ended up on her instead. (I have been on trip advisor, but there are sooooo many things and this is sort of a last minute trip.)

As far as the segways go, I would love to do one of these tours, but my husband really does not want to. He's also afraid i'll get hurt somehow because I can be a bit of a klutz. Angel

AngieV84 · August 2012

You've got some great recommendations so far! I know it's been said, but going to Portillo's and catching a Cubs game, definitely a must! The Wrigleyville area (right next to Wrigley Field) is a fun place to hang out before/after the games.. There's great food and bars and the streets are always packed with people. We always go to Sluggers after a game; it's a bar, but upstairs they have batting cages and arcade games. So much fun!

RockyR12 · August 2012

Tara0604:
RockyR12:
Do you want restaurant recs?
These are always appreciated! Could you recommend some more lunch spots also? and not romantic dinner spots? (Though they may be the same thing)

I hear you about the pizza, I prefer thin crust too! Oh, the shame.

https://www.silverspoonchicago.com/ Yummy Thai food.

https://www.rickbayless.com/restaurants/grill.html Rick Bayless' restaurant- delicious!!. Perfect for lunch or dinner, but go early.

https://www.carnivalechicago.com/ My favorite! A short cab ride from the Mag Mile.

Chinatown is also right by the White Sox field and has tons of terrific and cheap restaurants.

TeamAwesomeBaby · August 2012

Tara0604:
RockyR12:
Do you want restaurant recs?
These are always appreciated! Could you recommend some more lunch spots also? and not romantic dinner spots? (Though they may be the same thing)

In addition to Portillo's and pizza and the Peninsula for lunch (MH and I call the Peninsula "the Peen," FYI), you could try Chicago-style hot dogs. I don't have a favorite spot for those, though. You could also go to Manny's deli and get amazing Reuben sammies. If you happen to find yourself in the West Loop (it's where Oprah's old studio is and also where there are lots of good restaurants), you could hit up J.P. Graziano's for some bomb.com sandwiches for lunch.

Oh! Also, it's awesome you're going to be here during the week. It's easier to get into things. If you like museums, definitely check out the Art Institute. They have a good cafeteria if you're there during lunch time. And don't forget to see the miniature collection in the basement!

JoanerMarie · August 2012

Everyone has great suggestions and I would recommend as many of them as you can fit in! We also recently went to Second City (where a lot of the Saturday Night Live comedians got their start) and LOVED it! Get your tickets as early as possible because the main theater was sold out by the time we bought ours, but the smaller theater was just as funny!

I'd second the idea of going to a Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley Field because of its history and the fun-loving fans. You'll have a blast!

TeamAwesomeBaby · August 2012

RockyR12:
Tara0604:
RockyR12:
Do you want restaurant recs?
These are always appreciated! Could you recommend some more lunch spots also? and not romantic dinner spots? (Though they may be the same thing)
I hear you about the pizza, I prefer thin crust too! Oh, the shame.
https://www.silverspoonchicago.com/ Yummy Thai food.
https://www.rickbayless.com/restaurants/grill.html Rick Bayless' restaurant- delicious!!. Perfect for lunch or dinner, but go early.
https://www.carnivalechicago.com/ My favorite! A short cab ride from the Mag Mile.
Chinatown is also right by the White Sox field and has tons of terrific and cheap restaurants.

This is the best! We always tell them we have the "coupon for the egg rolls" and they give us a free one. No such coupon exists.

For lunch, I also like Thai Urban Kitchen.

Tara0604 · August 2012

JoanerMarie:
Everyone has great suggestions and I would recommend as many of them as you can fit in! We also recently went to Second City (where a lot of the Saturday Night Live comedians got their start) and LOVED it! Get your tickets as early as possible because the main theater was sold out by the time we bought ours, but the smaller theater was just as funny!
I'd second the idea of going to a Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley Field because of its history and the fun-loving fans. You'll have a blast!

Thanks for reminding me about Second City! We've seen shows on a few of the cruise we have been on. Very funny! I'll definitely check it out!

BellaLux · August 2012

You've gotten some great recs so I know you'll have a great time in Chicago! Here's another vote for Lou Malnati's.....it is the best!! Oh, and don't forget Garrett's Popcorn (chicago mix), it's delicious! Yolk is great for breakfast/brunch!

Enjoy!

BlueGirl9603 · August 2012

jerseygirl81:
Definitely go to Giordano's for pizza!

2nd this! The one that is right downtown is the best. Pizza is same as the other ones, but the atmosphere is better. But go during an odd time (like 2pm-4pm) Your wait will not be nearly as long because it isn't lunch or dinner time.

Also, go to the bean. The field museum is awesome. The museum of science and industry is cool too, but I prefer the field musem because it isn't as "kiddie" if you know what I mean. Plus the Field Museum has Sue, the worlds largest T-rex skeleton!

ETA: Also be sure to check out the navy pier! Right at the front is Bubba Gump shrimp, co. It's a pretty neat restaurant to check out. Good food and drinks. Plus it is an atmosphere thing as well.

mcar001 · August 2012

jerseygirl81:
Definitely go to Giordano's for pizza!

I second this!! Delicious!

JilllyBean · August 2012

I think you have gotten some great recs so far, so I will just add my restaurant recommendations. My H and I are really into food and I am a big Yelper, so I have a lot of opinions Wink I will stick to places near Michigan Ave

Purple Pig $$ (on Michigan Ave) https://thepurplepigchicago.com/

Mastro's (Steak pricey! must try the butter cake)$$$$ https://www.mastrosrestaurants.com/Locations/IL/71-Chicago-Main/Default.aspx

Table 52 $$$ (Southern, Art Smith, Oprah's Chef's restaurant) https://www.tablefifty-two.com/

RPM Italian $$( Guiliana & Bill Rancic's Restaurant) https://rpmitalian.com/

q $$ (BBQ) https://chicagoqrestaurant.com/

Paris Club $$ (French) https://www.parisclubchicago.com/

XOCO/Frontera/Topolobombo $-$$$ (Mexican)https://www.rickbayless.com/restaurants/grill.html

I could go on forever but I will stop here Big Smile

I will also put my vote in for Lou Malnati's. Get The Lou Pizza, it is the BEST!

RunningGal900 · August 2012

JilllyBean:
XOCO/Frontera/Topolobombo $-$$$ (Mexican)https://www.rickbayless.com/restaurants/grill.html

XOCO is his little cafe next to his nicer restaurants. It's far less expensive and a great way to try his food. I actually liked what I got there better than Topolobombo.

Tara0604 · August 2012

Thank you again everyone! I/We truly appreciate it!

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NTTGPR: We're going to Chicago for the first time, help?!

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