AAFrequentFlyer

A winery in March, that's a great idea lol

yes it is

http://www.taborhill.com/

Beautiful, wonderful food, serving their own wine...

LOL at you

There are many more

WhereAreWe

There are many restaurants in Chicago, no need to drive that far for beautiful wonderful food. Thats seriously silly.

OP wants to see beautiful landscapes, not gonna happen in March. Not at a winery, not in a little town, its just not gonna happen.

jfcarli

Thanks everybody for the posts and for the attention.

I will stick to my original plans and the overwhelming majority of recommendations and will stay in downtown Chicago, without a car. As a matter of fact, I already booked the Warwick Allerton on North Michigan Ave.

Considering it will be chilly in the evenings, I looked for evening bowls of soup and found Soupbox, about 4 blocks away from the hotel 8D.

I also learned about Foodlife around the Water Tower, a couple of blocks from the hotel.

If anybody can come up with suggestions for good eats at about 20 bucks per person around that neighborhood, I would be very appreciative. We are not terribly fond of burgers, or any sandwiches as a matter of fact. An occasional pizza is great,though. What would be wonderful is if we could find a steak house, or buffets with a variety of food.

Thanks again for all your inputs. It helped me crystalize the decision.

cd

jf, I recommend this often and someone always shoots me down but I continue to do so because the view is incredible! Also, the food is not bad. The Hancock has a restaurant on the 95th floor that views the city of Chicago and the shoreline. They have a buffet on Saturday for




































We like the Signature on the 95th floor of the Hancock building. We enjoy their Sat brunch because it is only 20.00 pp We go for the View! They might have a Friday brunch for that price also. It is the city of Chicago at your feet and the shoreline! They also have a lounge on the 96th where you can sit and enjoy a drink and see the view. However, the drinks are not cheap, around 10-12 dollars
http://www.signatureroom.com/Menus/Lunch









3

cd

Sorry for the typo

Bitter

For that price, I suspect you will have any number of choices a block or two off Michigan avenue, either direction. That said, for pizza, Gino's East is a block north. Adjacent (I think) to your hotel is a British Pub, Elephant and Castle. It's a chain, but I've had good luck with their food and beer there. And I'm a broken record, but in the Loop straight west of the Art Insitute is the Berghoff, historic German restaurant. Very affordable.

Marija

Check out Eataly which is very close to the Allerton.

http://www.eataly.com/eataly-chicago/

HillarySM

Hi! This reply is coming MUCH later than you posted, so I'm not even sure if you'll see it. However, as a walking tour company owner/operator, I can't let this request for suggestions go so insufficiently answered -- especially since you're visiting Chicago in March, and so will need specific suggestions (as opposed to wandering around in rather unpleasant weather, stumbling upon sites/restaurants).

The area where you'll be staying is a very busy area -- right on the Mag Mile, right on Michigan Avenue. Here are a few recommendations:

--Restaurants in the area: The Purple Pig and Quartino. Both offer small plates, and are a fun (and high quality) option. Quartino has fantastic profiteroles. If you're looking to get the "authentic Chicago-style pizza" experience, you must go to either Pizzeria Uno or Lou Malnati's. Though everyone has his/her favorite pizza place, if you want super tasty and *actually* authentic, as opposed to later attempts at copying the original recipe, then you have to go to one of these restaurants. Deep-dish pizza was first made at the Ohio Street location of Pizzeria Uno, in River North (only a few blocks from where you're staying), and it's been made the same way there since 1943. Yes, it's a chain now, so people are sometimes surprised when I recommend it, but it's a chain because the first one -- the one I'm recommending -- was just SO good, and they haven't changed the recipe since. So either go to Pizzeria Uno, or to Lou Malnati's, a local chain opened up in the 1970s by the cooks who came up with the Uno recipe back in the 1940s, Rudy & Lou Malnati. And make sure you get the sausage pizza, and if going to Malnati's, get a butter crust.

--Stuff to do during the day: First, go to the Chicago History Museum. The other museums in Chicago are wonderful, but in my opinion, you can go to a science or natural history museum anywhere -- you can't go to a Chicago history museum anywhere. Also, make sure to go to the Art Institute, open til 5pm most days (after 5pm on Thursdays). Nearby your hotel is another hidden gem, the Driehaus Museum. It's a gorgeous restoration of an 1885 mansion, with period furnishings, art, etc. They do guided tours there. I'd also recommend getting some kind of architecture tour in, whether it's a simple tour of one building with the Chicago Architecture Foundation, or a tour of more with my company, Inside Chicago Walking Tours. I'm not sure yet if we'll be running when you're here, but you can always contact us to check.

--Stuff to do in the evening in your area: There are great bars in your area that have nice vibes, though in River North and its surroundings, you're bound to have more expensive places. A couple great ones to try, though: 1) Sable, great cocktails and lovely atmosphere; 2) the Lounge outside of Sixteen, the restaurant in Trump Tower. Absolutely stunning views of the city at night.

--Stuff to do in the evening NOT in your area, but accessible via CTA: Chicago is known, among other things, for its music and comedy. That's what I recommend first and foremost. Get some live music at the Green Mill in Uptown, a jazz-era speakeasy that was frequented by Al Capone. Fantastic music especially on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with swing dancers livening the scene. There's also great music and dancing opportunities throughout the city on any given night. As a swing dancer, I use this website to see what's going on, even if just to hear some music: thisweekinchicago.blustein.net. For comedy, don't just consider Second City; consider the lesser known venues, especially iO (formerly ImprovOlympic), the birthplace of many SNL performers and famous American comedians. They've got a wonderful show that they do a couple nights a week called "Improvised Shakespeare," and it's one of my favorites.

Hope this helps! I had to pitch in with my tour guide know-how!

Best,
Hillary

HappyTrvlr

For more soups, The Big Bowl, Asian, 6 Cedar St or 60 E.Ohio. When in the mood for soup, or noodle bowls we always headed there while living downtown.

LBloom

Good luck at the Allerton. Be careful, as many of their rooms ars the size of broom closet. Insist on decent room, arrive early in day.

laurie_ann

And just because you are arriving without a car at the airport doesn't mean you can't rent a car for a day to go out somewhere. All the rental agencies have downtown and probably also Mag Mile or Gold Coast locations you can pick up and return the same day.

HappyTrvlr

There are also Zip Cars available for rent in downtown Chicago, good for a short time need.