Chicago Roadtrip:6 min read

Chicago, Chi-town, Windy City, whatever you want to call it, I just call it plain FUN! Anyone who goes can make their list of fave things, these are just a few of my favorite things I uncovered this summer on a couple road trips. You could literally hit a new spot everyday, but then there are some places you just want to go because they are on your “have to go list”!

Where I ate/drank… (obviously)

Little Goat Diner– 820 W. Randolph St.- This is part of the Goat family such as.. Girl & The Goat, DuckDuck Goat & This Little Goat(online spices) all located in the West Loop. All are fantastic so take a pick. I stopped in for a drink while waiting on our table at Au Cheval. Great cocktails fantastic atmosphere and you can get an early start by going to lunch.

Duck Duck Goat– 857 W. Fulton Market- Wonderfully quirky Chinese part of the Goat family. Fantastic meal and hard to choose.  Thanks to our server, we narrowed it down and had quite a feast! Dumplings are so good totally more than basic and the “slap noodles”, just yum!  And, as you would expect, the cocktails were good, too.

Au Cheval– 800 Randolph St.- Cozy diner feel with a kick-butt cheeseburger… BonAppetit even agrees with me, voting it the best in America! Family friendly, hard to get in so you’ll need a little patience.

RPM Italian– 52 W. Illinois St.- Fantastic Italian restaurant owned by Giuliana & Bill Rancic.

Michael Jordan’s Steak-505N.Michigan Ave.- If you have boys like I do, this is a family pleaser! Honestly, it is a great little spot and worth going off the diet to try the garlic bread with blue cheese..you will be pleasantly surprised.

Gyo-Kaku Japanese BBQ – 1364 W. Randolph St. or 210 E. Ohio- Food and Fun all in one! Good bar area that you can get a bite, but I suggest you eat at a table. It’s an experience because you cook all the food in the center of your table. The upstairs has the traditional tables where you sit in the ground.

RL- Ralph Lauren Bar & Grill– 115 E. Chicago Ave. Absolutely elegant! You feel like your smack dab in one of their ads. Outdoor seating steps from Michigan Ave.

Noyane– 101 E. Erie St.- The name means “hidden roof” in Japanese and if you haven’t caught on.. I love Japanese. Contemporary Japanese and the sushi was amazing and I know that doesn’t sound that exciting, but I mean WOW so good. You cook up wagyu on hot stones at your table. My real reason to go is to get a boozy snowball drink served in a Japanese To Go box.

Where I Brunched 

Kanela Breakfast Club– 502 E. Illinois St. Laid-back atmosphere with delish food.

Beacon Tavern-405 N. Wabash Ave. Great outdoor seating. Right next to the river and the iconic Wrigley Building (one of the many beautiful buildings in this city….. Photo op!)

Pinstripes-435 E. Illinois St.- Huge brunch! Now serving on Saturdays. Seating outside along the river

3 Arts Club Café-Restoration Hardware- 1300 N. Dearborn St. – Ambiance overload!

Where I had a cocktail or two..

Lotties-1925 W. Cortland St. Young crowd or when your just feeling young! This is your neighborhood locals pub and it’s a really good time. Get Josh to make you a good shot!

Soho House– 113-125 North Green St. Some areas of this hotel are members only. There are a couple bar and restaurant areas for we average peeps. The décor is to die for and the cool vibe. The Fox Bar is small and eclectic. The Chicken & Farm Shop is a cool low-key diner style. The Allis– a great cocktail bar with huge windows to keep an eye on the happenings of the streets. They have all day dining and afternoon tea. It’s like bar hopping and all-day dining all in one place and you don’t have to walk very far.

Apogee-2 W. Erie St.- Rooftop of the Dana Hotel- Does have an enclosed area for all weather. Showstopper cocktails for sure… seriously, you have to see some of these drinks!

Booze Box-823 W. Randolph St.- Known as “Japan’s answer to the Irish Pub”. It’s a little basement bar with a hip-hop DJ and a laid-back vibe.

Broken Shaker-19 E. Ohio St.- Really cool diverse space located in the Freehand Hotel. Known for ingenious cocktails and hip unique space with little nooks to sit and sip. Get a drink in the fun golden pineapple.

Birkshire Room-15 E. Ohio St.- Located in yet another hip hotel, The ACME. Serving up great crafted cocktails and an amazing atmosphere.

Where I slept..Hotels

E=MC2– 228 E. Ontario St.- What a scientifically fun hotel! The best part is the robot that delivers anything to your door.. Love it!

The James-55 E. Ontario St.- Fun rooms, good cocktail lounge and the best coffee at the front desk. Get the donuts, you can inject different fillings.

Any of the cool hotels I listed above too!

Stuff I did…Things to do

Sugar Factory.- 55 E. Grant Ave.-This is a must if you’re with young kids. It’s bright and fun with an overdose of… you guessed it SUGAR! Worth going and sharing something.

Two touristy things that are still fun:  boat tours- you never know what’s going on at Navy Pier, so check it out.  The Ferris wheel has a really cool view. I also enjoyed learning more about the architecture one of the boat cruises or the kayak tours on the river..Skydeck- yep, tourist thing and a line but what a great insta pic!

Contemporary Art Museum – Funnnnky fun and really good gift shop. Such a variety of museums, so Google around and check out free days and just enjoy.

Shedd Aquarium– fun for the little ones…and everyone else :)

There are often pop up events and restaurants , so do some research. I happened upon this Happy Place while there this summer and last summer I went to the Rolling Stones exhibit at Navy Pier… so cool!

Lollapolloza– Love music: love this event. So many bands so little time!

Concerts, fireworks, movies all at the Pier during the summer. The airshow is pretty amazing too.

Games- Cubs, White Sox and Bears- I have a family of boys so we do sports (I have learned to join in).  Just  seeing different stadiums is really cool. This summer we missed Cubs, so we took the “L” and went to a White Sox game and it was so fun! Go see Hamilton!