Anniversary foodie weekend in Chicago, IL
Two days is plenty of time to do so many things in this vibrant and cosmopolitan city. This trip was just two days, one night for a 15 year wedding anniversary and, despite the wide variety of experiences, did not feel rushed! Inspired by The Bear, we had ambitious eating goals, but the architectural phenomena may have been even more appealing during this Saturday morning to Sunday evening stay in the Windy City.
Places to stay
Stroll Lake Michigan - just a short walk from the Ambassador
Looking for a mid-range hotel in a quiet neighborhood, but still very walkable to many local attractions? Try the Ambassador Chicago. It’s not far from the lake, the Magnificent Mile, and two local spots to eat for breakfast and dinner that make it worthwhile to stay in this charming property.
Doing it up big in Chicago? Two places to splurge on luxury are the St. Regis and the Four Seasons. Choose the St. Regis if you are a foodie and love great views and the Four Seasons if the spa is your thing. Can’t go wrong at either place.
Places to eat
Italian neighborhood spot Mario’s
If you took my advice and stayed at the Ambassador, nearby are two neighborhood gems. The 3rd Coast Cafe for breakfast and Mario’s Table for a lovely Italian dinner - we tried Veal Saltimbocca, Chicken Parmesan, and a shared salad with an amazing vinaigrette.
Chorizo-stuffed dates and lamb burger with chips at Avec
If you watch The Bear, Eater has a great guide to the 60+ restaurants featured on the show. Two we tried were awesome: Avec and Tortello. Amazing lunch on the way to the airport at Avec - tried their famous chorizo-stuffed dates, had a delicious lamb burger, and shared a salad. Perfect meal. Tortello was great for dinner - the tagliatelle and fennel salad were excellent and we were tempted by the take home cooking kits (if checking luggage instead of carrying on, would have definitely returned home with at least one of these as souvenirs.)
Things to do
Top of the list and not to be missed is the Chicago Architecture Tour. This experience was amazing. Appropriate for all ages, so informative, great sites and information about the history of so many historic landmarks in Chicago. All in a 90 minute boat tour!
Second on the to do list is the Frank Lloyd Wright Museum and tour. The experience includes a guided tour of the home and studio and a self-guided audio tour of the surrounding neighborhood featuring homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Such an intriguing and educational way to spend an afternoon before heading home from Chicago - we stopped here on the way to the O’Hare airport and the museum conveniently stored our luggage during our tour..
It’s one of the most touristy things to do in Chicago, and relatively expensive if you include both entrance fee and access to the skydeck, but we thoroughly enjoyed seeing panoramic views of Chicago at the Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower) and there’s a great food hall on the ground floor of the building.
