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< word of the day: assurance – a positive declaration intended to give confidence; a promise >
After taking a hiatus in blogging, I wanted to share a recent trip to the windy city of Chicago over the Labour Day weekend. It was actually not windy at all that weekend, a gift perhaps? I have never been to Chicago prior to and before my trip, I have been told the many similarities of Chicago and Toronto.
Disclaimer: Our trip was planned around food so anticipate lots of food pictures below 🙂
Our first stop was visiting the Takashi Murakami Exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art. It was such an interesting visit and we were glad we caught it.
We visited many great restaurants and the first was Ada Street. I highly recommend making reservations well in advanced. This restaurant is not in a hustle and bustle area, which you can easily walk pass without realizing it is there. I loved the small tapas styled dishes and the excellent service! Right after, we headed to the Up Comedy Club to watch its Legendary Laughs show. I can’t rave about this enough, it was interactive, witty and smart comedy. We finished off the night at the Navy Pier where we watched the fireworks. We caught the last of the Fireworks Summer Schedule.
The following morning, we headed to Lula Cafe for Sunday brunch. I read about some great reviews, and we were not disappointed. As all brunch spots, you may need to wait so get there early! Luckily, we were a party of two and we were seated almost immediately on the patio. They provided a blanket that came in handy when during chilly breezes. After brunch, we walked to Bang Bang Pie Shop for their famous Key Lime pie. There was actually a TV feature being filmed on location that day. The second day was even warmer than the first.
For dinner, we visited avec, as recommended by my friend Adriane. Another restaurant that I highly recommend making reservations well in advance. The hospitality was fantastic, they were helpful to make cocktail and food suggestions. After dinner, we walked to Formento’s for their FAMOUS chocolate cake. Best. Decision. Ever. I am so glad we were able to sit by the bar because their dining room wait time was 45 minutes minimum. We finished off our evening walking along the Chicago River.
Our final full day, we started the morning at a Architecture tour along the Chicago River. Besides the weather being scorching hot, this was by far one of the highlights of the trip. I loved learning about the history of the buildings and the different building styles. As well as the Chicago Fire of 1871 and the rebuild that came with it. It was inspiring and fascinating. For lunch, we went to Imperial La Mian to have their famous xiao long bao / soup dumplings and hand-pulled noodles. You can order a combination, which includes one of each flavour. The flavours were interesting? I was skeptical of the Gruyere, as a cheese lover but also a traditional food lover, I was worried I would not enjoy it. And boy, was I right! I could not stomach the Gruyere one. As we headed back to our hotel, I just had to visit the gelato shop, Amorino, for a second time in 12 hours to satisfy my sweet tooth.
Now, you are probably wondering where is the deep dish pizza? Originally we planned to have it the first night but ended up having for dinner on our last night. We debated between many great spots but finally decided on Giordano’s. There was no way we would finish the small, but it did make for a great midnight snack. We headed to the 360 Chicago Deck and got a really exposed view of the city. The daytime would definitely provide a complete different view if you prefer it over the evening. They are open all year round and depending on the season, you may need to wait to head up.
Our last destination was to the BEAN aka Cloud Gate. We were there around 10:00 am, and as you can see in the photos, it was not super busy. If you want a really nice shot, I would suggest heading there early.
I had a really amazing time in the not-so windy city. The people were so sweet and friendly. Chicago was so cultured and definitely a destination you can visit again and again.
I can definitely say Toronto and Chicago are similar in that you almost need to make dinner reservations in advance.
Happy Travelling!
xo,
Beatrice
small but mighty. 