Let's Talk About...
Coming to Chicago!
10 years ago by
La semaine prochaine, avec Garance, on part à Chicago pour la première fois !!
On y est encore jamais allées, ni elle ni moi !!
Le Musée des Sciences et de l’Industrie va récompenser Garance en lui remettant le tout premier prix Fashion Inspiration Award (bravo, G !) et du coup, on organise une rencontre autour d’un petit-déjeuner au SoHo House… mais on aimerait aussi savoir ce qu’il faut absolument qu’on voie, qu’on fasse, s’il y a des personnes à voir… Dites-nous !
Et surtout, où est-ce que je peux manger la meilleure Chicago Deep Dish Pizza ?
Vous devriez également aimer
Lifestyle
A True Home: Edwina’s Charming Interior
Lifestyle
In Her Own World / Meghan Boody
Style
Fewer, Better Gifts
Lifestyle
At Home with Chelsea and Greg
Histoires
Not Enough Roomie
Lifestyle
Emmanuel’s Paris Apartment
Histoires
Roommate Etiquette
Style
Home Sweet Home
Histoires
Djuna at Home
The Oriental Institute down the street!
it must be already cold in chicago. i envy you nonetheless! :)
http://littleaesthete.com
you MUST go to the Art Institute….TOP TOP
and Giordano’s for the pizza
Fantastic! You will love it. I hope it is sunny for you. Take photos of the lakefront and beach, and some classic G street style also!
Art museums and the whole Millennium Park walkway. The people are a wonderful mix of chic and practical. It is a good time to come because you will see creative layering styles.
Yes the Oriental is my fav place too…did I mention I’m a huge pizza addict??
XOX, Gap.
http://www.gaptoothedgirl.com
Little Goat Diner, Giordano’s Pizza, Hot Chocolate (for amazing desserts), restaurant at Longman & Eagle, and David Bowie exhibit at Museum of Contemporary Art. Have fun & congrats Garance!
For pizza, go to Lou Malnati’s!
I hope you enjoy yourself x
http://www.strickleton.co.uk/
Pequod’s is the only good deep dish. A little out of the way, but totally worth it.
Ew, stay away from Giordano’s and Lou Malnati’s. Both terrible and touristy.
Please dont forget to write your suggestions for the first timers
http://www.traveling-lady.com
Avoid the deep dish. Go to Publican or Girl and the Goat for dinner if you can get a reservation. Would love to host you both in the Fashion Study Collection at Columbia College Chicago if you have time! The David Bowie Is exhibition at the MCA Chicago is amazing as well.
I second what April said and would add Publican to the must eat list! But do not, for the love of all the is holy about pizza, eat at Giordano’s. Definitely hold out for Pequods or My Pie if you need to do deep dish pizza.
The best burrito I’ve ever eaten in my entire life, not an overstatement, is at La Pasadita off the Ashland stop on the blue line. I miss it so. Definitely my recommendation!
I moved from Chicago just over a year ago. I miss it this time of year.
Go to the Art Institute for amazing art and people. Then walk north on Michigan Ave for good people watching.
The Girl and The Goat is a great place to eat. For deep dish…Pizza uno, Giordanos, Ranaldis. All touristy but heard great things about Pequods.
PS… low fashion attire kind of places.
love,
Hata
http://www.chicagotofrance.com
Don’t forget to stop by Ikram!
This post has prompted me to actually comment after years of reading and loving the blog because I live in Chicago and I have so many suggestions. The MCA and Art Institute are amazing and worth the trip. The lakefront, Millennium Park and Lincoln Park (go to the conservatory!) are beautiful. Check out the Tiffany domes in the Chicago Cultural Center. Visit Wicker Park for great shopping, hipsters and street style (I’m biased, I live there). If you’re at the MSI, check out the beautiful old homes in Hyde Park, the Robie House, the University of Chicago. Chicago has so many cool and unique neighborhoods to explore. And so many great restaurants–Mott St., Ada St., GT Fish and Oyster, Big Star or Antique Taco for tacos, The Violet Hour for cocktails, Nico Osteria, The Girl and the Goat, Lula Cafe, Longman and Eagle, any of Rick Bayless’s restaurants for amazing Mexican, Three Dots and a Dash for tiki…the list goes on. I’m sure you have a packed schedule and many people to see but it would be amazing to meet you in person and show you a little bit of the city!
Ha, Mirnal, I totally agree with you about Wicker Park. I’m from Chicago and my family lived in the neighborhood long before it became a hipster haven, but I think it would probably make a great place for street style shots and shopping. I live in L.A. now but have fond memories of the area. And the Art Institute has been one of my favorite museums anywhere since I was a childhood.
http://totalbettymedia.com
Yes, so much goodness here!!
Pequod’s for pizza, Rick Bayless restaurants (I love him) for mexican, Violet Hour for classic cocktails, Three Dots and a Dash for tiki cocktails (yum yum), go to all the art museums you can, I LOVE NoMi for brunch, oh and you MUST get a bloody mary at the Palmer House!!!! Oh I could go on.. I love Chicago ^.^
Le signature Lounge en haut de la Hancock tower est le bar avec la plus belle vue de tout Chicago, incontournable!
Il faut se balader le long du lac vers le planetarium également si on veut avoir la plus belle vue sur la skyline, c’est le seul endroit où on peut la voir au complet.
Marcher depuis Armitage St jusqu’au zoo de Lincoln Park est également une très jolie promenade, vrai coup de coeur.
Le musée à faire est l’art institute, en passant par Millenium Park!
Se promener dans les quartiers de Wiker Park et Belmont, les endroits bobo-branché-jeune de chicago.
A Chicago il n’y pas tant à faire que ça, tout l’interet de la ville est plutot dans les bars a vue et les promenades le long du lac ou dans les différents quartiers qui n’ont rien à voir entre eux.
Bring warm clothes & tell us where to see Garance :)))
THE DAVID BOWIE SHOW at the Museum of Contemporary Art, only place in the US to see it.
Deep dish? Get a good burger at Au Cheval instead.
I agree Ray, 100%. Burger at Au Cheval, forget the deep dish!
I would suggest Au Cheval or the Publican (which are in the west loop, nearish to the Soho House) for food.
Three dots and a dash is a really fun tiki cocktail place just north of the downtown loop.
The violet hour in Wicker Park (on the blue line) is an amazing place to get a cocktail as well. Across the street from the Violet hour is a taco place called Big Star, the fish tacos there are AMAZING. Up the street from The Violet hour and Big Star is Hot Chocolate, which has phenomenal baked goods.
Deep dish pizza, I would say Pequods or Lou Malnatis.
Welcome! <3
Inkram is amazing but Blake is even better. They carry tons of Dries.
Take guided tour of downtown too. It sounds very cheesy but Chicago has the best stories of how a city developed in the USA.
My hometown – I miss it! Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinders is the place to get deep dish.
Congrats Garance!
Oh, Chicago.
I agree with those who say to avoid Malnati’s and Giordanos, unless uber-touristy is what you’re after.
Lula Cafe is fantastic, as is their sister restaurant Nightwood in Pilsen. If you do go to Pilsen, swing by Coyotes taqueria or Nuevo Leon on 18th Street (maybe not as Saveur-worthy as the Bayless empire, but frequented by *gasp* actual Mexicans! and super cheap to boot). While you’re in Pilsen, and if you’re into poking around in vintage stores, Comet is one of my favorites.
If you’d like some museum’ing, the MCA is excellent. If you’re feeling a little morbid, there’s also the Museum of Surgical Science. Intuit is a great gallery for outsider art, and Corbett vs Dempsey (another gallery) has a pretty rad show up right now that delves into that space where art and music meet.
Also! While you’re in Hyde Park, you HAVE to check out Bonjour Bakery. Run by the most terrifying French woman I’ve ever encountered, and her croissants are top-notch for being made in America!
Hello,
Will there be a meeting with fans? I think it could be a great idea to do a meet up with Chicago fans and bloggers. Also, is the Fashion for Breakfast event open to public? Thank you! Chicago is excited for your visit :)
Dove’s Luncheonette for brunch (brand new, and making waves!); Violet Hour for delicious craft cocktails. For lunch and dinner, Publican, Bavette’s, Nico, Longman & Eagle.
If the weather is pleasant, the Architecture Foundation offers a marvelous architecture tour on the river.
Steven Huynh for TH came to Chicago last week and this is what I told him to go to for food: For deep dish you want Lou Malnati’s. There is something called Pequod’s, but that is deep pan pizza (not deep dish). Still amazing and a Blackhawks bar too. Vegetarian go to Mana Food Bar. For burgers go to Au Cheval or Edzo’s. For Donuts go to Stan’s, Doughnut Vault, or Glazed and Infused. For pie Bang Bang Pie or Hoosier Mama. For Brunch go to Bongo Room & Crosby’s Kitchen. Food scene Big Star, Fat Rice, Pot Sticker House, Longman & Eagle, GT Fish & Oyster, Tete charcuterie, Cemitas Puebla, Sun Wah (Peking Duck), Mercadito, Avec. Drinks: Scofflaw (Best Gin Bar), Berkshire Room, Wishing Hour, Avery, Watershed, Violet Hour, & Celeste. I know I am leaving some things out, but I am sure you aren’t going to be here that long to go to all.
Giordano’s or Lou Malnati’s for pizza. But if you’d rather go for something completely different check out Franks ‘n Dawgs. I also recall an epic meal at Blackbird. Visiting the Art Institute of Chicago and checking out the Bean is a no-brainer also, and then, there’s always the Sear’s Tower Skydeck if you feel like an uber-tourist :)
PLEASE ignore other pizza choices. PLEASE. Gino’s East in right off Michigan Ave, was founded by one of the cooks at Uno’s (the true original) and used their recipe plus magic to make the best pizza ever created (outside Florence, of course). Enjoy!
Wonderful!
I suggest Lou Malnati’s for deep dish pizza! As far as other eats: The Girl and the Goat, The Gage, Longman and Eagle (great cocktails), Big Star for tacos, and the Violet Hour for cocktails and The Publican for brunch. Oh, and Stan’s Dounts in Wicker Park!
There are a lot of great boutiques in Bucktown/Wicker Park and close to MCA.
Enjoy!
E-mail me for any questions!!
Rachel
http://www.taffetaandcedar.com
just look up in the air……the architecture is marvelous.
If you can in Sepia on North Jefferson Street. The executive Chef Andrew Zimmerman ( not the foodnetwork guy) is amazing. His wife is super fashionable and so sweet.
Garance! I so wish I could be there. I just moved from Chicago. Lou Malnati’s is the best place for deep dish pizza (although Giordano’s is a close second). I would definitely take the time to see the Art Institute. Check out Northwestern’s campus in Evanston (so pretty on Lake Michigan! and where I went to undergrad!) and University of Chicago (Hyde Park – you can even swing by President Obama’s house maybe ;). Check out Boys Town / Lakeview (the gay neighborhood in Chicago, super cool and lovely), Wicker Park (definitely go to iCream here – you can make your own ice cream flavors and they make it on the spot RIGHT BEFORE YOUR EYES), and Logan Square (Wolfbait & B. Girls is a fantastic store with one of a kind handmade clothing and accessories – only a few made in the world). Of course also check out downtown of course – Michigan Ave, State Street, Millennium Park, Grant Park, and more! xo
Pequod’s Pizza is a Chicago Must!!! http://pequodspizza.com/chicago/ Try the Bongo Room for breakfast, take the Architecture Guided Tour (bundle up), stop by where the Valentine’s Day Massacre took place and drop by the restaurant across the street to enjoy its unique bread, salad dressing, and pizza (not our conventional pan pizza) http://chicagopizzaandovengrinder.com/. Can we participate in your events while you’re in the city?
Garance! I love you and have been following you for years! So excited to hear you will visit my home, Chicago!!! Please tell us where and when?! I would love to meet you ! Chicago is so special… There are so many places to visit !!!
Don’t forget to visit Ikram….
This should help you too! http://passionpassport.com/city-perspectives-steven-sampang-chicago-part-i/
Pequod’s, please! Gibson’s is great and so is Carmine’s. Very excited you’re visitng Chicago! Keep warm (:
that’s amazing!!
http://hashtagliz.com
YES YES to whoever said Pequods for deep dish: out of the way, but so much better than any chain. I’d also second (third?) the recommendation to get out of the Loop / downtown area, so you can get a feel for real Chicago neighborhoods; after 6pm, downtown closes down anyway, so most of the true fun of the city can be had elsewhere. Lincoln Square, Andersonville, Old Town, and Hyde Park are my favorite haunts.
Omg! So glad you are coming to Chicago!! Can we please meet up ???? I love the soho house west loops is so hot lately! (Hidden underground ramen place by Brandon sodikoff across from it, loft condos and so many new restaurants) how long will you be here? Skip ada st/ publican… Go to Lou mounatis for pizza. Definitely go to wicker park (hipster area), I have a feeling you will love antique taco, violet hour and maybe trenchermen for a drink (you will love the decor it used to be a Turkish bathhouse). Go to north pond (Lincoln park) for a fancy sit down meal! It won’t disappoint. Pump room is also lovely for dinner! Spend time exploring all the architecture details!! You just missed the Chicago open house where they open up 150+ normally closed to public places for viewing. It will be freezing to take an architecture boat tour this time of the year but if it’s a sunny day tough it up the view it’s unbeatable! Check out the Tiffany dorm at the Chicago cultural center, the Palmer house(also a Tiffany dome there) and the union train station. Go to the signature lounge for a cocktail on 96th floor in the Hancock building at sunset!! Go to see cloud gate/ the bean , face fountain at millenium park. Spend 2-3 hours at the art institute if you have time (they just won worlds #1 museum award by tripadvisor and claim to have the largest impressionist collection in the world!) the rookery building is always gorgeous! (Chicago has so many architecture beauties. and the skyscrapers mash so well together-unlike LA’s downtown… It’s also so much cleaner and less hustle-bustle than NYC!!) there’s a great brunch scene in the city. Go to bongo room if you can get up early and wait in line.. Otherwise try Beatrix, little goat, or fat rice. Spend half a day exploring wicker park/bucktown and another half day in Lincoln park (the j Parker hotel is lovely).
http://www.travelandleisure.com/local-experts/amy-tara-koch
http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/August-2014/Best-of-Chicago-2014/
Ok so when are we meeting :D
Ikram ! Amazing shop, actually much more than just a shop, must see ! Have a great time!
Yep, the Art Institute is one of my favorite museums anywhere in the world but I am surprised that no one has specifically mentioned the Thorne Miniature rooms – tiny but exquisite maquettes recreated from interiors of the 11th century to the 1930s: http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/thorne
Perfect to make you dream….I second Dove’s Luncheonette and to avoid Malnati’s like the plague…
Have a wonderful time. Chicago is a great town.
Bring your WARMEST coat! A full length down is an unfashionable choice that will make the difference between enjoyment and suffering if you walk around the city. Garance, do you know, there is SURFING in Chicago- yes! The 3rd coast.
Hey G – CONGRATS! Go to Ikram’s store and meet Ikram Goldman :) So many things to do and see here. I wish I could take you around, but I’m actually moving to Amsterdam this week. I will miss this city so much.
Eat:
1. The publican
2. maude’s liquor bar
3. The pump room (public hotel)
4. pequads pizza for Chicago style pizza
5. avec ***my favorite spot in Chicago****
6. nightwood
(these are just to name a very few of the amazing restaurants in this city)
to see / do
1. art institute and the modern wing
2. take a walk along the lakefront -one of the best views of the city, and so relaxing
3. second city comedy show
Go here, so fun and so good:
http://bigstarchicago.com/
A new place – Dusek’s in Pilsen – same proprietors as Longman & Eagle. It’s in a beautiful old Czech community center in Pilsen (the neighborhood is so named because of there used to be a lot of Czechs in the area!). They have fantastic « punches, » cocktails, beers and food.
Someone else said Lula Cafe – I second that! Delicious, simple fare from a restaurant that’s been in the neighborhood for many years.
Lou Malanati’s and Girodano’s are overrated. Pequod’s is good…but know that most Chicagoans do not eat deep dish..it is there for the tourists!
I love Terzo Piano in the Modern Wing for lunch. Nico is fabulous. Chicago Cut for Steak and incredible wine list. Winchester has a great brunch. So does Little Goat Diner. Nightwood still tops my list as one of the best dinners I have had in Chicago. The Library Bar at Public hotel has some great drinks and good people watching but even better cocktails are at Aviary or Violet Hour. Ikram is interesting but I find them to be super standoff-ish…I’m sure they wont be to you! Blake is better. Also check out Jayson Home. Just beautiful. Penelope’s has great basics like A.P,C. Enjoy our beautiful city!
hello garance studio!
I have a suggestion for you, although I never been to Chicago myself. But it happens at this very moment there is an exhibition of a very highly acclaimed graphic & communication design team from my hometown, Thessaloniki, Greece, winner of many red dot awards among others.
here is a link to get an idea: http://blog.beetroot.gr/greek-monsters-in-chicago/3542
I imagine that you will have little time and many suggestion, but I thought it’s worth spreading. Nothing to do with fashion but maybe it is interesting to other Chicago citizens.
Have a great time anyway!
go to sunda for an absolutely amazing dinner. get the brussel sprouts. you will NOT regret it.
I’m from the Midwest and currently live in NYC. Chicago has the best architecture in the U.S. When Mies van der Rohe emigrated here he settled in Chicago and created some of his most iconic works: He designed the campus at IIT, the apartments at Lake Shore Drive, and the Farnsworth House in Plano, Illinois. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House is located near the University of Chicago campus in Hyde Park. I strongly urge you to visit any of these sites and take photographs, so that those who have never been to the Midwest can see the beautiful art and architecture there.
For deep dish, DEFINITELY Lou Malnati’s Gold Coast, my old neighborhood. It’s in a lovely area, just steps from Hermes, Prada, Louboutin, and the other great shops of Oak Street. I also love XOCO, Roka Akor, and Spiaggia. For a taste of home, definitely have breakfast at Pierro Gourmet.
As others have said, you will love Ikram and the Art Institute!
Oh, Chicago! What a city. Chicago is a fantastic city for MUSIC! Catch a show if you can… check out gapersblock.com for ideas about shows to see. And DEFINITELY get out into the neighborhoods–the loop is dead at night. Logan Square, Boystown, Wicker Park… all great for people-watching! Do NOT go to Giordano’s or Malnati’s for pizza–you’ll feel terrible, trust me. DO go to Pequod’s, or to Dimo’s on Clark St or Piece in WP (though, neither of these are deep dish). And how has no one mentioned Margie’s Candies for late-night dessert snacking? Or Hoosier Mama Pie Company?! Come on, people! Guhhh and what about Ann Sather for brunch??! Also make sure you get to a good bar to try some of the great Midwestern craft beer on tap…. Hopleaf in Andersonville and the Fountainhead in Ravenswood both have great beer lists. And if you have time, check out a brewery! Have a great time and STAY WARM!
Deep dish pizza? Lou Malnati’s. AND Garrett’s Popcorn….a combination of cheese and caramel. Don’t be discouraged by the long line: IT’S WORTH IT!
Skip pizza, forego Garrett, go to Hyde Park Bonjour cafe. It is one of a kind and it is in Chicago :)))
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bonjour-Cafe-Bakery/113471275353073
Come to Oak Park for the Frank Lloyd Wright tours. Visit these lovely shops on Marion Street: Takara (clothing), Gem (Jewelry), and Careful Peach (housewares). Have lunch at the Marion Street Cheese Shop.
Publican is amazing, I’d throw the Bristol and Gilt Bar in there too. tons of good cocktail options – scofflaw, violet hour!! – but we are a very serious beer city, so the Radler, Hopleaf, Map Room and Bangers & Lace are worth consideration. Coffee too, Intelligentsia gives tours of its roasting facility on weekends. Pilsen is an amazing neighborhood, so I’ll second recommendations for Nightwood and Duseks. We unfortunately have had some great boutiques close in the last few years, but Blake and Ikram are, of course, amazing, as is Helen Yi in Wicker Park. River North around the Merchandise Mart has great art galleries and furniture.
One request – PLEASE do not walk up MI Ave on a weekend and decide that’s « Chicago style. » It would be the equivalent of judging NYC on people in Times Square.
Chicago will always be my love! I lived there for five years, but I now am in Austin. Anyways, Pequods for deep dish. If not, then Lou Malnatis. BUT – Chicago has so much more to offer than pizza! It is one of the greatest food cities in the world. If you are staying around River North, please go to Three Dots and a Dash, it is this wonderful tiki bar. For lunch, go to Slurping Turtle (River North). Bavettes is one of my favorite restaurants in the city, would be great for dinner and drinks, which is also in the River North area. If you want to go a great dive bar, go to Old Town Ale House in Old Town (cash only, fantastic art work, and stays open until 4 a.m. I believe!). For blues, go to B.L.U.E.S. and then across the street to Kingston Mines, in Lincoln Park.
The West Loop has splendid options – The Girl and the Goat, Little Goat, Publican, Blackbird, Avec, Maude’s Liquor Bar (love this place)… And remember not to get too wrapped up in Michigan Avenue, go out to Wicker Park, Lincoln Park, Logan Square, etc. If you have time, take the architecture boat tour. It sounds touristy, but I promise you, it is not and no one will judge. Locals do it too, I’ve done it twice!
You will have the best time! Bring a warm coat or jacket, and layer. Chicago is chilly right now, but not in the big down coat weather/deep freeze yet. So layering is key! And don’t forget a nice scarf. It is nice to cover your face for the cold gusts of wind!
I take back what I said about the current level of chilliness in Chicago – it is going to be quite cold starting this week!
Lou Malnati’s. When Eric Clapton did his Crossroads Festival shows in Chicago that was the ONLY pizza of choice backstage. And he’s not the only one. It’s just the best..
Since you’ll be in Hyde Park for the Museum of Science and Industry, you ought to spend extra time exploring one of the best neighborhoods in the country!
Things to see:
1. The University of Chicago campus–libraries, quads, a mixture of gothic and modern architecture, weird and brilliant students and professors. A number of people here have suggested the Oriental Institute, located near the center of the campus. There is also the Renaissance Society and the Smart Museum of Art.
2. The Robie House, one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s gems.
3. The Point!
Places to eat:
1. Z&H
2. Valois (best breakfasts)
3. The Medici
Shopping:
1. 57th Street Books
2. Seminary Coop Books
3. Powell’s Books
Happy travels!
Chicago lifer here: Agree with the posters who advice not to bother with deep dish pizza, it’s not all that. And disagree with those advising to prepare for frozen tundra, it’s November therefore getting wintery, but not deep freeze yet. But you’ll be happy if you have a pair of cashmere gloves in the pocket of your coat. Think low 50s, 40s, not subzero (admittedly, I snicker at those who pull out their North Face snowsuits for anything below 60) Museum of Contemporary Art (David Bowie Is exhibit currently on) and Art Institute are my favorites. The Chicago Architectural Tours are all fab – or try a Chicago Chocolate Tours. My favorite Hyde Park restaurant is A10. Skip Willis (Sears) Tower if the weather’s clear, do have a drink at the top of the John Hancock. Touristy but the view is gorgeous. Second the vote for Mindy’s Hot Chocolate and Girl and The Goat, two of my go-to restaurants. And, there’s nothing quite like experiencing a Blackhawks hockey game at the United Center. And if you have time, call Amy at Ladysmith Jewelry to see her beautiful, unique handcrafted pieces. http://www.ladysmithjewelry.com/index.html (Full disclosure, she’s a friend.)
Check out the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Oak Park.
Head north! When you tire of the city and its beautiful windy skyscraper lake, make your way north to experience the Illinois countryside of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Daisy …. take a hike at Deerpath Farm: huge old oak trees savannahs, prairie landscapes, smart architecture houses, and horses wandering across the vista view. For hand-crafted wines and great organic food, go to nearby Nirvana. Then head east to Lake Forest’s Market Square for classic outdoor shopping, the Green Teaist, and a great train station. On the way home, stop by the Chicago Botanic Garden, drive by the Bahai Temple in Wilmette, and check out Union in Evanston for cocktails, just across the street from smart-style jeweler Christopher Duquet.
Hello, Garance! So excited you will be going to my homentown! Pizza: it has to be Lou Malnati’s — it’s just a few blocks from where I grew up and it’s the real thing and has been a Chicago staple for decades. If some folks consider it touristy, so be it. But, it’s what Chicago girls crave about home.
If you want the best Chicago Pizza, either go to Lou Malnati’s or Pequod’s.
Do yourself a favor and have dinner at Sepia in the West Loop. Chef Zimmerman is making some of the most delicious and sophisticated dishes in the city and the dining room is lovely.
Brandon sodikoff’s restaurants are my favorite: Babette’s for steak and seafood, cocello for Italian (you will love the chandelier and bookshelves decor), gilt bar has the best food-bruschetta, steak tartare, bussel sprouts and the brownie is out of this world, high five is this underground ramen place, and green at smoked meats for BBQ althought you might like Maude’s more. Little goat has amazing brunch!! Pump room is amazing, their fried chicken (I know don’t laugh) and champagne brunch is amazing. Check out the signature lounge(for its view ), the cultural center(Tiffany dome!) and the rookery building for architecture charms. Go to b.l.u.e.s and Kingston mines for blues!!!! When you visit wicker park, go to antique taco (try mushroom taco, rosemary margarita, chili cheese curds and lobster dish) and go to violet hour for a cocktail then head to Bedford (lounge in a bank vault!) Polar vortex is on it’s way, wear a down or fur jacket next week!!!
Félicitations pour le prix, et belle découverte de Chicago à vous :)
xx CarolineJ
http://www.sleevesandheels.net
I’m a fashion consultant on the rise and would love so much to meet you however the best pizza besides Giordano is Barraccos Italian restaurant pizza it’s the best!!!
Hi Garance, happy to hear that you are coming to Chicago. Congratulations on the award, the update to your blog looks great, I feel like I’m soaring over your photos now. As for Chicago, I’ll start you at the MSI and work north. While at the MSI, if you like trains check out the giant train set for a second, do the same with the plane if you like planes, though seeing a plane cut up will remind you that we fly so high in the sky in a tin can (you may need a drink after that). If held captive in Hyde Park by your MSI hosts (I can say that I lived in HP for a couple of years), go to A10 (new). One of the best things about Hyde Park is the view leaving it on the drive to downtown — great skyline view. Take in the architecture as you are driven around. Do stop in at the Art Institute, start at the Michigan Avenue entrance, take a selfie with the Lions, go up the main staircase to see A Sunday on Le Grade Jatte. Stand back, walk close, repeat. There’s other stuff to see of course, but you can file that thought away for another time. From there, make your way to the top floor of the new wing where you will find Terzo Piano — which is good for cafe, cocktails or a nibble. You are really there for the view and to walk across the skybridge which swoops down into Millennium Park. Spend five minutes in the park as it may be freezing and windy. From there, for shopping Ikram, for food and the one place you should not miss out on for food: Frontera. One of the best restaurants in the world, and food that is hard to find elsewhere anywhere. Eat at the bar and start with a Topolo margarita up. Surf or turf (including veggie) its all good. For dinner, a cocktail at Sepia then go around the corner to Blackbird or go to Girl and the Goat and afterwards around the corner to SoHo House for a cocktail or cafe (it’s new and has attracted the most stylish crowd in Chicago). Nico is another good place for dinner. For later in the evening, Violet Hour, Billy Sundays, Big Star, Longman & Eagle (but not to eat), or consider going to a blues or jazz club. Chicago is a city of neighborhoods, check out hipsterville in Wicker Park/Bucktown (two blocks in each direction from six corners). Antique Tacos are the best. XOCO, another Bayless place, is good for Mexican, try the Paloma margarita. About Chicago deep dish . . . have a small sausage (patty), onion and green pepper pizza delivered to you hotel room from Gino’s East (or buy one frozen at the airport and heat it up back in NYC — it works). And/or, you may want to have a Chicago hotdog at Banger’s & Lace (where they also serve a terrific venison sausage hotdog) or get a beef sandwich with hot peppers at Portillo’s or Mr. Beef. Enjoy!