Haven't been to Chicago in years, and need a vacation in the worst way. I keep meaning to get away, but this time it's happening. The girlfriend and I are planning to trip up there in February - cheap flights / hotels, and being in South Florida, we're actually going for the cold and snow. My family was never in the city, and I haven't even visited in years. So, to all my friends here, help me out! Let me know what you think the best time in February is to go, where you think we should stay, what we should absolutely do... I want to hit the museums, personally - Art Institute, Field Museum, Adler Planetarium... I'd like to catch a Blackhawks game, eat as many sandwiches at Portillo's as I can, and maybe a local show (Broadway, Second City, what have you). But I know there's a million things to do, so if you guys can think of anything we shouldn't miss, especially specific to the time of year, I'd appreciate hearing from you. And, of course, if anyone's around when we're up there, you'd better believe I'd love to get together and buy you a drink. Much love, everyone. All the best.
The Science and Industry museum was always my favorite and I can't wait till my son is old enough to take him so he can really enjoy it. I'm a big pizza guy so I'd definitely say you need to get some. My family was always a Gino's family but the last few times we have been back I have tried different places and gave been rewarded. A handful of years ago I made a similar trip with my wife and it was the first time I actually did touristy things. We went early April. Our favorite thing was a architecture boat tour. I don't know if they do it in February but if they do I'd recommend it. And bundle up. It was freezing on the water in April.
Portillo's is average beef. You need to hit up Al's Beef. That's where it's at. Best in the world if you ask me.
Yeah the best time to go in February would be like some time in July. Free drink??? Hell I'm down for that! As far as pizza most of the stuff downtown is mostly deep dish, I prefer tavern style thin crust and Vito and Nicks on 84th Pulaski on the south side is simply the best. You have a beer in one hand and a thin square piece of their pizza in the other it just doesn't get better than that. What airport are you coming in? I live a mile from Midway, and can pick you up if you aren't renting a car. As crazy says hit the MSI I loved as kid and still love it. They don't do those boat tours in Jan Feb and into March.
You cannot go wrong with Second City. I’ve never failed to have the greatest time there. Saw Stephen Colbert there in the early 90’s. Edit - Pizza, it’s Giordano's deep dish or nothing imo.
Goddamn it and I thought I liked you. Portillo is above average beef, but a dipped Buona Beef is where it’s at. Al can claim the #1 beef in Chicago but they put like some sweet cinnamon in it or something. Terrible. Worst beef in Chicago. If I’m going Portillos I get a hot dog though. My wife took a solo trip recently and she mostly visited family. To me it’s all about the food, Seattle’s food outside of seafood is all crap. They split hot dogs down the middle to cook them? And a “Seattle dog” has ducking cream cheese it’s a goddamn travesty. Get a maxwell from somewhere. Don’t have to go to the original grill though that is the best. I agree with 3rd on giordanos, though ginos and uno/due are both good too. Eduardo’s ain’t bad. For me getting a real gyro would be nice too, 99% of the places here suck. I will 3rd or 4th the Museum of Science and Industry, my favorite museum hands down. I like the shed and planetarium. Field has that trex which there aren’t that many of those in the world. The sears tower sky deck is something you don’t get elsewhere but I honk it’s big money? Haven’t been in ages. And man tuna pegs it that the best time February to go is sometime in July, that when I’m planning to go back for the first time in about 4 years. You are nuts dude. Here when I want snow I travel to the mountains and even then it’s not Chicago cold. Have fun dude.
^^^^^ The best pizza is your local hole in the wall place. Mine's La Villa on the north side at Addison & Pulaski for thin crust. Deep Dish is Mi Pi (instead of 'Pi,' its the mathematical symbol for 3.14) but the last location is Damen & Armitage, right next to DePaul's campus. If you're going to do the touristy thing, I say go with 3rd and Giordanos, unless you like a buttery, cornmealy type crust, then go Lou's. Uno's and Gino's East are garbage. If you love beer and fancier food, my go to's are Hopleaf in Andersonville, or is that Uptown, I don't know--then take her to George's for ice cream (a block away from Hopleaf on Clark) and you win date night. Thousands of beers, and the owners go into small towns in Belgium, Germany, and Europe (and the US) and get beer on tap, beer in bottles, and its damn fine food too. Kind of pricey. Other is L Woods Tap in Lincolnwood. I used to work for a hotel doing security (I got some fantastic stories if we grab that pint including the time I met J'Marcus Webb and/or the time I kicked out a bunch of DeMarco Murray skanks after he smashed them and left for running up a room tab on no credit card before the Cowboys played the bears on a Monday night in 2013), so if you're going in February, go before all the conventions start at McCormick Place. They normally do the 2nd or 3rd weekend of the month, I forget. From New Year's until the Auto Show, its dead season for hotels, so prices are dirt cheap for downtown hotels. Once the Auto Show/convention season starts though (February through Spring Break), you're looking at $500+ per night per room anywhere. There's usually no rooms and you'll end up in some shitty motel or Evanston/northshore areas, where you'd still be paying a pretty good buck per night. Avoid Wrigleyville unless you like overpaying for bad beer and want to be surrounded by a bunch of fraternity bros named 'Chad.' Surrounding areas are far better like Lincoln Square, Roscoe Village, Uptown, etc. are much better for night life. A lot less pretentious too. If you like beer you're in luck. Craft breweries everywhere. Fuck Denver, we're the craft beer capital of the US. Portillos is okay for beef, but they're better for their dogs. If you don't care for your arteries, get their dipped beef on the croissant. Al's beef is fine. Buona? VV you're such a suburbanite......there's only 1 in city limits. MSI is excellent, if you got kids, Lincoln Park Zoo will be open, and its free. It's February, so there's a good chance you'll be freezing your nuts off.
No doubt pat, I tend to stay away from those places with more than two parlors like Giordano's and Lou's because the Mom And Pop parlors are mostly run by family and are more detail oriented and do the little things right. Here's an example of what I mean I have a buddy that owns one in the neighborhood here Vince's he took he over from his father, when you watch him he makes whomever is preparing the pies to be sure to mix the gravy before preparing a pie otherwise the spices and seasonings start to settle. I doubt things like that are consistently being done in those other places because nobody really gives a fuck. If you do insist on going to Gino's East get the sausage patty pizza, where the entire top is like a manhole cover of sausage where you get a big hunk of sausage in every bite. LMAO and so true so fuck the Chad's. I like the hole in the wall bars where the people are real and not pretentious in any way. Solid advice stick to the working class neighborhoods. That's J'Mucous Webb buddy! If you're into Mexican 26th st would be the place, I don't remember how many times after a night of drinking we ended up there usually after hitting the bars in Cicero.
Of the chains I like Lou's the best. Best crust by far, best sauce, right amount of cheese. The original Lou's in Lincolnwood is 5 minutes from my parent's house and when I'm in town we dine in a lot. Tons of great Bears memorabilia in the restaurant and the service is always good. One local place we always loved is Gulliver's on Howard and California. Great tavern style thin crust and equally great deep dish. If you make it that far north I would recommend it. Man I definitely miss good pizza the most. I've been living in DC for the last 5 years (and abroad the 5 years before that) and have gone all over the city looking for good pizza and have yet to find it. People here have the worst taste in pizza imaginable. They're cool with Domino's since all their local places are literally no better. Agree with this. As far as things to do, the Field Museum isn't free but it's the best museum in the city. Definitely worth it for fossil collections, ancient Egypt and Native American exhibits. And I know the Odyssey cruise ship does operate year round so you and the lady can have a nice lunch or dinner on that while enjoying some great views of the city. You're pretty brave D-line for going in Feb, I would never advise people to experience the city unless it's summer. But I'm sure you'll enjoy it nonetheless.
I can't tell you how much I appreciate the thoughts, everyone. Really looking forward to being there. Yeah, February isn't exactly the nicest weather of the year, but we're both jonesing for some cold, as odd as that sounds. I don't know if she's actually ever traveled that far north, so it'll be a memorable experience, at the very least. I'm sure we'll have some lightly used cold-weather clothes for sale, in the days afterwards. Deep discounts.
I saw someone mention Gyros above. If you want a good Gyro head to Zeus's in Greek Town. It's the best I've had in the city. We have a hole in the my home town that is better but I'm way west of the city.
For a deep-dish pizza there’s one place that truly stands out above the rest, and I can’t believe nobody has mentioned it. Pequod’s. Webster and Clybourn. They cook them in a cast iron skillet and put a thin layer of cheese around the outside before cooking it, so you wind up with a crispy ring around the edge of the crust. It’s fucking fantastic. They’re always winning awards as a local favorite. Second in the country according to Food Network... https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/top-5-restaurants/photos/top-5-pizzas-in-america-top-5-restaurants
I haven't lived in Chicago for quite a while but I'm there at least two months total out of every year. Food... Best pizza....Pete's Pizza #2 on Montrose Best burger....Au Cheval Best hot dog....Portillo's if you're in the city....Gene and Jude's if you don't mind a short venture outside of it Beef sandwich? Again, in the city....Al's. Outside the city....Johnnies out on North avenue in Elmwood Park. Gyro....for me it doesn't get better than Central Gyros. And finally the staple of any good diet....tacos. Big Star on Damen. Must have. Best classyish bar....Bar Sienna. Best dive bar...Rossi's. And as Pat stated above....there is some really awesome craft beer breweries to be found. I'm a big Revolution fan but there's also Spiteful, Moody Tongue, 3 Floyds, obviously Goose Island, Two Brothers, Half Acre and others. Good stuff there. It's the greatest city in the world. Enjoy the trip brother.
While I was still working for a living, I had quite a few suppliers and a major customer (Ford Chicago Assembly Plant) in the Chicago area. Most of the places I had to go to were in some of the more "seedy" areas of Chicago so I always stayed downtown. I loved every trip to that area. One of the items on my bucket list is trailer one of our antique wooden boats to Chicago and take it for a cruise up the river.
If you like IPAs check out Marz brewing in Bridgeport. Weird hipster younger crowd (going joke with friends is it’s like sprockets, the Mike Meyers skit from SNL lol) but really good beer (pricey though). Have to agree with Pequods. Had a meatball pizza from them, kick ass lol. Giordanos is the best chain deep dish place. And Gene and Jude’s in River Grove is the best hotdogs (and fries). If you fly into ohare airport in particular it’s literally right down the road. Just don’t ask for ketchup or they’ll kick you out.
One phone so not going to bother with quoting this time. You got me pat, I am definitely suburban born and raised, I worked downtown for about 11 years which is where my city knowledge comes from (and heading downtown for games and such). Doesn’t change the fact buona is awesome, and there’s also one by o’hare. There was a my pi in northbrook too, last time I had a real deep dish was about 2 years ago when I mail ordered one from them, they’re not bad. Pat brought up a good point on fancier places, and there I recommend Sepia. My wife and I went there before they got the Michelin star and it was awesome. Pricy sure but there’s only 3 cities in the country with Michelin star restaurants so if you like fancy give it a go. Alinea’s is too over the top for me, but it is one of a handful of 3 Michelin star restaurants in the word. Blang I feel your pain dude, the guys here in Seattle order dominos with the argument “it’s the best of the bad pizza” the problem is they have no legitimate good pizza to realize the distance. There’s supposedly a Chicago style place here but I have yet to check it out because I hate spending time in Seattle proper. I could write fucking pages on how much and what things I hate about this city. Let us know how it goes dude. Last time I went back (like 3 years ago now?) I definitely ate far too often at portillos.
Exactly. We have a couple places here that claim to be Chicago style. Tried them both. Neither are terrible but they aren’t even close to real Chicago style. As far as they’re concerned as long as they have a deep dish crust that’s all that matters. I’ve never loved hot dogs or Italian beef. But one staple of the good local hot dog places, at least on the far north side and suburbs, is the char cheddar burgers with the Merks cheddar sauce. Poochies in Skokie has the best char cheddar burger. It’s seriously among my all time favorite burgers anywhere.
As far as hot dogs go I prefer Superdawg at Devon and Milwaukee. I don't make it up there that often anymore but when I do it's a must stop.
