Hey all

DH and I will be in Chicago 8/20 to 8/25 before going on to SF - coming all the way from the Virgin Islands. Staying at Hyatt Regency on North Michigan Ave. Got a deal on Priceline. I have been lurking on this board for quite some time and have managed to put together something of an activities itinerary based on the wonderful responses received by others from Fodorites especially Chigal. I have just a few questions on dining options and other small details and would really appreciate some input:

- restuarant suggestions for Sunday brunch - we are not fussy, DH is vegetarian but eats and loves seafood.Also would love suggestions for good seafood restuarants

- we would love to go to church on the Sunday morning - we are Catholic - any RC churches within reasonable distance of the Hyatt?

- what about transportation from O'Hare? We get in at approx 9:30pm Friday night. Can we take public tranport from the airport and is there an El stop close to the Hyatt?

- jazz clubs suggestions for me /blues clubs and comedy clubs suggestions for DH for the weekend nights - any suggestions would be appreciated.

one more - is the Chicago Citypass worth the money. We are interested in all of the attractions included in the package but wondered whether there is anything to be gained from getting it?

Thanks in advance for all suggestions.

Enya,
Holy Name Catherdal is very close to where you are staying just off of the Magnificent Mile and is a gorgeous church. For seafood, McCormick and Schmick is good, Hugo's Frog Bar is good, and Roy's which serves a Hawaiian style seafood.

Thanks Swalter for your response especially regarding Holy Name Cathedral. Any one else?

I can only help with a couple points, but here they are:

* The Hyatt Regency is on Wacker Drive, just south of the River, a couple of blocks East of Michigan Avenue, but not particularly far north. To my knowledge, there is not another Hyatt on Michigan Ave, though it does come up in the NMA zone on priceline. Stayed there last month through priceline and the stay was excellent! Couldn't ask for a better location.

* Sunday (or other day) breakfast (not brunch, depending on your definition). Lou Mitchell's is phenomenal!!!! During the meal my husband and I just kept oooohing and aaaahing over how wonderful the food was, right down to the toast. They have a pretty typical breakfast menu (eggs, meat, variety of omelets, pancakes, waffles, etc.) and are quite busy, but the wait goes quickly for 2 people if you're willing to sit at the counter. My husband went back last weekend and said we were not wrong the first time. It was delicious once again.

jlm_mi, I am so pleased to hear about your stay at the Hyatt. It has to be the same one we will be at. Since the booking, I read some reviews on the hotel on Tripadvisor that were quite mixed so it is good to have a recent first hand account that it positive.
And Lou Mitchell's sounds too good to pass up for breakfast on at least one of our mornings there. Thanks for your input.

Hi Enya,

Before we moved to Chicago, we stayed at the Hyatt through Priceline, too, and had a great experience. It's a good location, and you may have a terrific view from your hotel room!

I believe the closest el stop would be Lake (on the Red Line). You can take the Blue Line from the airport and transfer to the Red Line (for free) at Jackson, then travel north a few stops to Lake. It should be less than an hour's trip. Check our www.yourcta.com and do a "Tripfinder," putting in your starting and ending points.

I believe Holy Name Cathedral is the closest Catholic church--St. Pat's is a bit farther.

For comedy, I always recommend Second City, in the Old Town neighborhood. We often bring visitors there. It's a Chicago landmark!

Regarding the CityPass, if you are interested in most of the attractions, I definitely think you'll save money by purchasing it.

Have a great trip! And don't forget to check out the new Millennium Park--it's beautiful.

I cannot thank you all enough for your help here. I greatly appreciate it and will take all suggestions on board. Thanks so much again! We plan to have a ball.

One last tip, I agree with don't missing Millenium Park and try to eat at Park Grille in the Park-the food is great and it's great people watching if you can get a table by the window. Try to make a reservation ahead of time though.

I don't think anyone mentioned my favorite seafood place, Joe's Stone Crab at 60 E. Grand, their crab cakes are awesome. It gets busy on the weekend, make reservations at www.opentable.com and here's a link to their menu

http://www.leye.com/restaurants/menus/joe.htm.

I also like Bob Chinn's on the river
http://www.bobchinnschicago.com/

If you haven't secured tickets yet to Second City, they can be tough to get on the weekends. You can check out Hot Tix and see what they have left (usually just Friday at 11 pm) or you can try one of the Improv places that can sometimes be fun. BTW, Second City's Romeo and Juliet wrapped up in mid-August.

http://www.hottix.org/

Did you know that the Air and Water Show is this weekend? Both Sat and Sun, best viewing is from North Avenue beach but it is also the most crowded.

City Pass-if you visit all the attractions it is worth getting and I think it cuts the lines which can be significant on the weekends. Something to note-the Field, Shedd and Adler are closing early (4:00 pm) on 8/21 due to a Bears game. This website details which special exhibits are included and which you need to purchase separately

http://www.citypass.com/city/chicago.html

Again, thank you all for the suggestions and comments which are so appreciated. I will post a report when we return to let you all know how it all went. Very much looking forward to it all.

Have a great time, Enya! The weather is supposed to be terrific--sunny and in the high 70s. It could be in the low 90s and unbearably humid, so you're lucky.

Another brunch option-- check out the House of Blues for their Gospel Brunch. A great resource for Chicago dining, theater, and what's going on in general is www.metromix.com.

Have fun!

Strass thanks for that tip on the weather. This morning I was packing long pants and long sleeved tops based on what I was seeing on weather.com. And coming from the tropics, you know that anything below 75F is FREEZING for us! So it is good to hear that the weather will be cooperating for us because we will plan to be out and about alot. Guess I can throw in a few pairs of shorts in the suitcase! Thanks Jen for the brunch suggestion