southernchef

I'm bringing my husband and 21 yr old daughter to Chicago for the first time (my third - we're coming because I've loved it!) Oct 1-4. Is there anything special that week-end that we should know about? I've gone to Metromix and can't get past "the next seven days". Is the Lion King still in town? What's the best way to get inexpensive Bears tickets (or do we really want inexpensive tickets?)? We love really good food, but since it's just a w/e get-away, we can't go "whole hog" as we say down here. What do you recommend for Italian, seafood, or Chicago steakhouse that's not $100/person? Is the Amalfi a good location for seeing the city (shopping with fashion major dtr, Navy Pier, Arch tour more so than museums...may not have a day to spend in a museum)? I appreciate your help! I don't want to blow introducing them to your beautiful city!

Kristi

For information on things to do in Chicago you can also have a look at www.877chicago.com which has a similar search function by date. Also, if you arrive on a Friday, you might pick up a copy of the Chicago Tribune at the airport and take a gander at the Friday section which always has a nice writeup of what's going on over the weekend.

The Amalfi is in a fine location for sightseeing, just a couple of blocks from Michigan Avenue in an area with lots of restaurants. Close by you will find my favorite seafood place, Joe's Stone Crab at 60 E. Grand, reservations are a must on weekends and you can do in advance at www.opentable.com.

The Amalfi is on top of Keefer's restaurant (steak), I didn't have a good experience but other folks seem to like it. When I have a taste for steak, I head to Wildfire for their awesome horseradish crusted filet or Lawry's when I have a taste for prime rib (that's all they serve though) or the Chicago Chop House. Gibson's and Morton's are the most well known.

You're not too far from the restaurants on Rush St., I've recently had good Italian meals at both Cafe Luciano and Carmine's, also very busy on weekends so be sure to have a reservation. I still prefer Rosebud over on Taylor in Little Italy but that's a distance from the tourist area.

placeu2

The best way to get reasonable bears tickets is to buy them on the street outside of Soldier Field. Yes it's less than legal to sell...but not to buy oddly enough. The closer to kick off, the cheaper they will get. The trick is to approach the guys who claim to be buying. Obviously be prepared with cash.

Schildc1

Another vote for the steaks at Wildfire. They are superb, especially the special of three small(2-3 ozs.) filets which come encrusted as you wish. My favorites are bleu cheese, parmesan and bearnaise. The house salad is varied and extremely filling. Oh, the desserts are killer too. Enjoy!

JJ5

Be very careful if buying tickets on the street outside of the stadium on Bears game day. The problem is that there have been lots of counterfit tickets being sold. You might be lucky and you might not. And I don't think many would call them inexpensive. It is a great crowd though, and lots think it is worth the chance.