Chicago for one night with my teen daughter
Oct 14th, 2014, 04:56 AM
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Chicago for one night with my teen daughter
Attending a dance conference near Ohare airport at the end of October. We are arriving one day early to stay in the city. Staying at the Inn of Chicago on East Ohio St. Would love to have some great restaurant ideas for 2 lunches, 2 dinners and 1 breakfast….also shopping suggestions besides the obvious Magnificent Mile. Any suggestions for activities would be great…no museums…we have done them. THX
Oct 14th, 2014, 05:24 AM
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For breakfast, West Egg. http://westeggchicago.com The best corned beef hash I've ever eaten.
Oct 14th, 2014, 06:20 AM
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Here are a few restaurants in the near area to your hotel I have enjoyed many times:
Sayat Nova (Middle Eastern cuisine in cosy ambiance)
157 East Ohio Street
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 644-9159
Volare ("old school" Italian)
201 East Grand Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 410-9900
volarerestaurant.com
Emilios Tapas
215 East Ohio Street
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 467-7177
emiliostapas.com
Sayat Nova (Middle Eastern cuisine in cosy ambiance)
157 East Ohio Street
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 644-9159
Volare ("old school" Italian)
201 East Grand Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 410-9900
volarerestaurant.com
Emilios Tapas
215 East Ohio Street
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 467-7177
emiliostapas.com
Oct 14th, 2014, 06:59 AM
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For restaurants, look at www.chicagoreader.com or www.chicagomag.com. You can search either by cuisine, price or neighborhood.
For shopping, there's State Street in The Loop with Macy's, Old Navy, The Gap, Nordstrom Rack, Burlington Coat Factory and TJ Maxx among others.
You can also take the Brown Line to Armitage and walk three blocks east to Halsted. The area has a number of smaller shops and boutiques.
For shopping, there's State Street in The Loop with Macy's, Old Navy, The Gap, Nordstrom Rack, Burlington Coat Factory and TJ Maxx among others.
You can also take the Brown Line to Armitage and walk three blocks east to Halsted. The area has a number of smaller shops and boutiques.
Oct 14th, 2014, 09:08 AM
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Carriage Ride, Double Decker bus tour (pick up either near the water tower on Michigan Ave. Drinks at the Hancock Bldg - 95th floor if you have a clear night; take a cab to Navy Pier - Riva restaurant, Ferris Wheel; take an architectural boat tour; walk along the river walk, grab lunch at one of the riverwalk cafe's. Take a cab to the Chicago Oven Grinder for dinner - get there by 5 at the latest!
Oct 14th, 2014, 03:39 PM
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It's best that you post your dining budget when asking for dining recs. No use for us to make suggestions if they will be far over your dollar range.
LOL - I really doubt that you've been to all of the Chicago museums. There are quite a few (over 50). So I'm going to throw a suggestion out there, just in case I'm correct in that assumption: The "David Bowie Is" exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art.
LOL - I really doubt that you've been to all of the Chicago museums. There are quite a few (over 50). So I'm going to throw a suggestion out there, just in case I'm correct in that assumption: The "David Bowie Is" exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Oct 16th, 2014, 06:52 AM
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Lunch/Dinner: Berghoff for German food.
Lunch: The French Market, which is a collection of kiosks selling all types of food. Very informal (but some of the food, like lobster, is kind of upscale).
Neither are particularly close to your hotel, with the FM being farther away.
We obviously have some deep dish za on each trip. I think Gino's East is reasonably near your hotel.
Someone mentioned Eataly. Worth a visit, though we found it to be a bit crazy when we visited (perhaps inundated with the after work crowd). Technically it would be a place to eat AND shop.
This summer we walked through the Merchandise Mart. Kind of interesting in and of itself (though maybe not a top attraction) and checks your "shopping" box.
Lunch: The French Market, which is a collection of kiosks selling all types of food. Very informal (but some of the food, like lobster, is kind of upscale).
Neither are particularly close to your hotel, with the FM being farther away.
We obviously have some deep dish za on each trip. I think Gino's East is reasonably near your hotel.
Someone mentioned Eataly. Worth a visit, though we found it to be a bit crazy when we visited (perhaps inundated with the after work crowd). Technically it would be a place to eat AND shop.
This summer we walked through the Merchandise Mart. Kind of interesting in and of itself (though maybe not a top attraction) and checks your "shopping" box.
Oct 17th, 2014, 07:05 AM
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Hi, Andreadee.
Great location on the hotel.
RE: Shopping
The mag mile is really great for shopping, as is State Street. As you know, everything can be had much more conveniently online so the fun (for a teen daughter) is to visit the store. I wouldn't try too hard to find the boutiques in the neighborhoods with only a day in the city. It's not really worth it.
On/just off Michigan Ave (between the river and 900 north) there's a Spitalfields All Saints, Zara, a brand-new Neiman Marcus Last Call on Ohio (west of your hotel, same building as Eataly), Anthropologie, and Nordstrom (in the "shops at Northbridge" mall around 550 north).
North on/off Michigan Ave (between 900-1200 north), there's great shopping on Michigan, Oak, Walton and Rush street (topshop, h&m, lululemon, Frye boots, Barnes & Noble).
South on STate Street (between river and 300 south), there's Macy's (in the old Marshall Field's), Anthropologie, Gap, Akira Shoes, Nordstrom Rack.
So much shopping possible. You may want to start on one end of city (after breakfast) and meander down the other.
I'd recommend, starting on the north end and going south. Walking north from your hotel, grab a quick b'fast/lunch at L'Appetito in the base of the John Hancock Bldg. Continue north on Michigan. If the weather is nice, you can make a quick detour to see Oak Street Beach. Then you can go through the Bloomingdale's building, west over to Rush Street, Oak, and Walton to do a bit of shopping.
Heading south again on Michigan, you can see topshop, h&m, (Water Tower mall is a bit much, if time is running out, I'd skip). Continue south on Michigan to hotel area (drop off any packages), then continue south across the River (lots of photo ops), then take the curving Wacker Drive over to State Street.
On State, lunch at State/Lake might be nice, or Vapiano on Wabash.
RE: Restaurants
There's so many great restaurants, it's hard to have a bad meal in the area you're staying.
Something fun and different may be ramen at Slurping Turtle or Ramen Ya (Slurping turtle is better, and you can split the ramen at either place as it's a lot of food). If it's still open, Cichetti on St. Claire was good, but I'd just get the meatballs and a few appetizers to share. Volare (mentioned above) is good for lunch, not dinner. Cafe Lux is a big, bright restaurant with a nice view of the Mag Mile if you want something uncomplicated. I wouldn't eat a meal at EAtaly, but they have a good coffee bar and gelato/chocolate bar if you want to sit for a time.
Have fun in the city! Wear comfortable shoes but be sure to dress in something you feel you look good in. (Jeans and tees and tennis shoes may make your daughter feel uncomfortable if you want to duck into one of the nicer shops on Oak like Tod's shoes or Barney's.)
Great location on the hotel.
RE: Shopping
The mag mile is really great for shopping, as is State Street. As you know, everything can be had much more conveniently online so the fun (for a teen daughter) is to visit the store. I wouldn't try too hard to find the boutiques in the neighborhoods with only a day in the city. It's not really worth it.
On/just off Michigan Ave (between the river and 900 north) there's a Spitalfields All Saints, Zara, a brand-new Neiman Marcus Last Call on Ohio (west of your hotel, same building as Eataly), Anthropologie, and Nordstrom (in the "shops at Northbridge" mall around 550 north).
North on/off Michigan Ave (between 900-1200 north), there's great shopping on Michigan, Oak, Walton and Rush street (topshop, h&m, lululemon, Frye boots, Barnes & Noble).
South on STate Street (between river and 300 south), there's Macy's (in the old Marshall Field's), Anthropologie, Gap, Akira Shoes, Nordstrom Rack.
So much shopping possible. You may want to start on one end of city (after breakfast) and meander down the other.
I'd recommend, starting on the north end and going south. Walking north from your hotel, grab a quick b'fast/lunch at L'Appetito in the base of the John Hancock Bldg. Continue north on Michigan. If the weather is nice, you can make a quick detour to see Oak Street Beach. Then you can go through the Bloomingdale's building, west over to Rush Street, Oak, and Walton to do a bit of shopping.
Heading south again on Michigan, you can see topshop, h&m, (Water Tower mall is a bit much, if time is running out, I'd skip). Continue south on Michigan to hotel area (drop off any packages), then continue south across the River (lots of photo ops), then take the curving Wacker Drive over to State Street.
On State, lunch at State/Lake might be nice, or Vapiano on Wabash.
RE: Restaurants
There's so many great restaurants, it's hard to have a bad meal in the area you're staying.
Something fun and different may be ramen at Slurping Turtle or Ramen Ya (Slurping turtle is better, and you can split the ramen at either place as it's a lot of food). If it's still open, Cichetti on St. Claire was good, but I'd just get the meatballs and a few appetizers to share. Volare (mentioned above) is good for lunch, not dinner. Cafe Lux is a big, bright restaurant with a nice view of the Mag Mile if you want something uncomplicated. I wouldn't eat a meal at EAtaly, but they have a good coffee bar and gelato/chocolate bar if you want to sit for a time.
Have fun in the city! Wear comfortable shoes but be sure to dress in something you feel you look good in. (Jeans and tees and tennis shoes may make your daughter feel uncomfortable if you want to duck into one of the nicer shops on Oak like Tod's shoes or Barney's.)
Oct 17th, 2014, 08:28 AM
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All great suggestions. I had pizza at Eataly. Would be good for lunch. In the Loops area, Miller's Pub on Wabash is nice for lunch.
I have to second the recommendation for Volare for dinner. Great food. Don't be fooled by the nondescript building.
I have to second the recommendation for Volare for dinner. Great food. Don't be fooled by the nondescript building.
Oct 21st, 2014, 06:25 AM
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Since the OP hasn't posted their dining budget, I can only assume that it has to be on the lower end, based on their choice of hotel. (Inn of Chicago had extremely low rates advertised through a third party booking source.)
IMHO, I think it is a big mistake to only consider those dining establishments in the area where this (and other) hotels are located - especially for those on very inexpensive dining budgets and/or those who have been to Chicago a number of times. If you have an inexpensive budget, you are pretty much regulated to options such as chains (i.e., Grand Lux Café/Cheesecake Factory), fast food or tavern food (which wouldn't work because of the underage individual) - and those places being overtaken by tourists, and not particularly local patrons. There are a few other choices but not many.
Assuming that one has purchased CTA visitor passes, which include unlimited travel within a 24-hour period, there wouldn't be any extra charge to get out of the most touristy areas and into an outlying neighborhood. Much larger selection of more inexpensive eateries (by Chicago standards, of course).
Lastly, I disagree with the assessment that you cannot have a "bad" meal in these areas. Plenty of places where that can happen. However, the onus is that you have a "good" to "very good" meal.
Shopping: The State Street Loop stores will probably be less expensive than the Magnificent Mile. However, IMHO, don't expect too much more of a selection on the MM than most larger suburban malls. You can see the stores listed on their website. Same stores, bigger selections, though.
The RANCH (Racine, Armitage, North, Chicago River, Halsted) triangle area mentioned above (as "Armitage") has pricer boutiques. If you are planning on going there, do some research first to see if the pricing is in line for what you want to pay. After all, you would be spending the largest part of that day there. Perhaps the N. Southport Corridor might be more in line with the shopping budget of the OP. Brown Line to Southport.
Dining:
No idea where the OP will be, so I am forced to recommend some places within the most touristy areas. These places have very good to good food - but you won't get "great" without the "great" prices.
Toni Patisserie (on Washington by Millennium Park/Chicago Cultural Center)
Fabcakes
Soupbox (on Chicago)
Doc B's Fresh Kitchen
Naansense - this will probably have a line at busiest times but it goes fast
Pastoral
India House (on Grand) - luncheon buffet, big menu
I made some suggestions for better dining on NeoPatrick's recent thread. You can take a look there, just keep in mind that those were geared more for two adult diners.
Entertainment: I highly recommend going to the Joffrey Ballet's production of "Swan Lake", if you have the chance. Tickets for good seats will probably not come cheaply, but they are worth every penny. You can read the rave reviews just posted by the various newspapers online.
IMHO, I think it is a big mistake to only consider those dining establishments in the area where this (and other) hotels are located - especially for those on very inexpensive dining budgets and/or those who have been to Chicago a number of times. If you have an inexpensive budget, you are pretty much regulated to options such as chains (i.e., Grand Lux Café/Cheesecake Factory), fast food or tavern food (which wouldn't work because of the underage individual) - and those places being overtaken by tourists, and not particularly local patrons. There are a few other choices but not many.
Assuming that one has purchased CTA visitor passes, which include unlimited travel within a 24-hour period, there wouldn't be any extra charge to get out of the most touristy areas and into an outlying neighborhood. Much larger selection of more inexpensive eateries (by Chicago standards, of course).
Lastly, I disagree with the assessment that you cannot have a "bad" meal in these areas. Plenty of places where that can happen. However, the onus is that you have a "good" to "very good" meal.
Shopping: The State Street Loop stores will probably be less expensive than the Magnificent Mile. However, IMHO, don't expect too much more of a selection on the MM than most larger suburban malls. You can see the stores listed on their website. Same stores, bigger selections, though.
The RANCH (Racine, Armitage, North, Chicago River, Halsted) triangle area mentioned above (as "Armitage") has pricer boutiques. If you are planning on going there, do some research first to see if the pricing is in line for what you want to pay. After all, you would be spending the largest part of that day there. Perhaps the N. Southport Corridor might be more in line with the shopping budget of the OP. Brown Line to Southport.
Dining:
No idea where the OP will be, so I am forced to recommend some places within the most touristy areas. These places have very good to good food - but you won't get "great" without the "great" prices.
Toni Patisserie (on Washington by Millennium Park/Chicago Cultural Center)
Fabcakes
Soupbox (on Chicago)
Doc B's Fresh Kitchen
Naansense - this will probably have a line at busiest times but it goes fast
Pastoral
India House (on Grand) - luncheon buffet, big menu
I made some suggestions for better dining on NeoPatrick's recent thread. You can take a look there, just keep in mind that those were geared more for two adult diners.
Entertainment: I highly recommend going to the Joffrey Ballet's production of "Swan Lake", if you have the chance. Tickets for good seats will probably not come cheaply, but they are worth every penny. You can read the rave reviews just posted by the various newspapers online.
Nov 17th, 2014, 04:11 AM
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Thanks everyone. It was a whirlwind day and a half but it was fun. Lots of shopping. Lunch at the Public House. Cute place. Dinner at Rosemonts….not good….but I'm Italian.
Our hotel was just a place to rest our head. Would not return to the Inn of Chicago. Not the cleanest of places.
Had panini at Eataly. Very yummy…and bought some Christmas presents.
We did Shedd's Aquarium…great way to kill an afternoon on the coldest/windiest day in Chicago! The big horses were being blown over on the sidewalks!
Thanks everyone for your input! Will save all the names of restaurants for future trips!
Our hotel was just a place to rest our head. Would not return to the Inn of Chicago. Not the cleanest of places.
Had panini at Eataly. Very yummy…and bought some Christmas presents.
We did Shedd's Aquarium…great way to kill an afternoon on the coldest/windiest day in Chicago! The big horses were being blown over on the sidewalks!
Thanks everyone for your input! Will save all the names of restaurants for future trips!
