Chicago recommendations? Extra points for pizza recommendations!
3I’m headed to Chicago Thursday for a conference. I’ve been once and visited some of the main attractions (Art Institute, Field Museum, Science & Industry Museum…). What other recommendations do you have?
I’ll be staying a block or 2 east of the Magnificent Mile, so things within walking distance would be best.
Mainly looking for things to do/see and food. Any pizza-by-the-slice recommendations around there?
Money is a little tight right now for attractions (we just bought a house and we’re putting in a yard…), so the cheaper the better.
Thanks!
- 20 comments, 41 replies
- Comment
Pizza you say? https://www.loumalnatis.com/
Not inexpensive, but worth a few extra bucks IMHO.
@ruouttaurmind Will definitely check that one out. It looks like there’s a place close to my hotel too!
@luvche21 If you do go to Lou Malnati’s, get an order of Malnoti Salad along with the pizza. I’m not much of a salad person, but will make an exception for this one.
@ruouttaurmind if you like sausage pizza, spend a few extra bucks and get the Classic. It’s worth it.
@Turken What’s so awesome about the salad? I normally don’t order salad in restaurants… but is this a life changer?
@midwhiteflava ooh, I do like sausage pizza, will keep that in mind, thanks!
@luvche21 something about the combination of crispy salami bits, cheese crumbles, and sweet house vinaigrette makes it highly addictive. The mushrooms/olives/tomatoes are there if you like them (i pick around those so the wife can have extra), and the lettuce of course exists only as a conveyance device for the aforementioned awesometoppings.
@luvche21 The pizza is thick, like a browne. So you don’t need to order so much.
I was there last weekend and failed to get into Chicago Pizza And Oven Grinder Co, which sounded great and has gotten good reviews from friends. But, yeah, 1.5 hour wait at 3pm for a table for two.
We ended up around the corner at R.J. Grunts which had burgers, fries, good shakes and a crazy decor. (And insanely packed together tables.)
Bad Hunter was really tasty (and had awesome cocktails), but was not super cheap.
We went on the Chicago River Architecture Tour - again, not cheap ($45 a seat) but really great, especially because the weather was good.
@dave Thanks for the ideas!
Like I had told hollboll, I like the Chicago Architecture Foundation tours. Their walking tours can be just $20 for 2 hours. They’re very informative, and you can walk off some of that pizza.
I agree that Lou Malnati’s is good.
Personally, I am a big fan of Gino’s East. -I don’t think Malnati’s would do a patty for the sausage.
In addition to the pizza make sure to take a walk west (Ontario down to Clark) for Italian beef and/or hot dogs.
Here’s a list of some great breweries in Chicago. Definitely go and check out Haymarket, plus there’s tons of other stuff in that area. Absolutely worth the very quick uber ride from where you’ll be.
http://chicagobeerpass.com/post/161995671851/top-10-craft-brewers-in-chicago
The Original Pizza Uno is in downtown. I thought the pizza was good. It was neat to go there so I could say I had.
I’ve had pizza from all the big guys (Lou Malnati’s, Giordano’s, Gino’s East, etc), but have found that Pequod’s is my favorite.
Deep dish pizza is more of a casserole. I don’t know how easy it is to find by the slice.
For an easy cheap Chicago dining experience I recommend going to a hot dog stand and getting either a Chicago dog or an Italian beef. I’m not a fan of the Italian combo (the seasoning for Italian beef and Italian sausage is different, and they just don’t work well for me), but the Polish is also a Chicago standard. I’d get that third, after a dipped cheesy beef and a hot dog.
@craigthom I don’t eat hot dogs. I avoid all processed meat. But there’s just something about a good Chicago dog that makes me throw caution to the wind and indulge.
Dammit! I was just laying here minding my own business… and then started the craving a Chicago dog. I had to go up to Sonic and get one (or three). Sonic doesn’t make the best Chicago dogs on the planet, but at 10pm in Phoenix my options are limited.
@ruouttaurmind Well, I’m glad you didn’t die in that heat wave that I keep hearing about down there! We’re further up north and it’s still getting up to 97 or something today
@luvche21 NINETY SEVEN? How can you stand it?
TBH, much of my life revolves around climate controlled spaces. AC at home, great AC in the truck, AC in the office, AC in the market… everywhere I go is in cool, climate controlled comfort. Even the 120* temp yesterday was hardly a blip on my radar. It was more of a curiosity than a discomfort or inconvenience.
EDIT: Actually, the only time I really notice the heat is when I take the dogs out to do their business and they dawdle. It’s a million degrees in my back yard and my dogs seem to want to take that opportunity to explore. LOL!
@ruouttaurmind yeah, 97 isn’t that bad, except I’m putting in a sprinkler system right now, so 5 minutes outside in the sun digging makes it feel much much worse.
@luvche21
/giphy none for me, thanks
@luvche21, you must forgive giphy. Because, well, giphy.
@craigthom They keep forgetting the ketchup on those hot dogs
@duodec Ketchup? On a Chi-dog? WHAT?
/giphy sacrilege
oh giphy… giphy giphy giphy. What are we going to do with you?
@ruouttaurmind
Giphy is out to get you. Specifically you.
/giphy "evil giphy"
giphy… AND Mr. Fred Rogers, shame on you both!
/giphy shame
@ruouttaurmind All I wanted was ketchup on my dog… thats all! Ok, I’ll get one from Burger King since they’re not afraid of ketchup like chicago is.
@duodec
/giphy ketchup dog
Chicago is a criminally underrated food town.
@huja And what’s your favorites?
@luvche21 Giordanos of the chains.
I was there this last week. My food agenda was simple - locate a good smashed hamburger. It was glorious.
http://www.avclub.com/article/beef-salt-and-elbow-grease-simple-smashed-burger-e-255455
@melonscoop oh my goodness, I’ve never been introduced to a smashed hamburger, but it looks amazing! Will definitely be keeping my eye out for one of those. Any favorites in the downtown area?
The Billy Goat!
http://www.billygoattavern.com
Cheap Cheezborgers!
The original location from SNL.
@icehole It’s good to go to for having been there, but I wasn’t impressed with the food. But it’s been twenty years, so maybe it’s better. It’s fun going down to Lower Wacker to get there.
@craigthom it’s on lower Michigan, not lower Wacker.
And yeah, it’s just okay. It’s great when you’ve been shopping on Michigan and are sick of the consumerist opulence and tourists, head down there for an ok burger and beer.
@minivanmegafun I really knew that. It’s on the other side of the river. But it’s been twenty years.
@craigthom
I am pretty sure nothing has changed since you were there.
It is still a dive, with the same cheap food.
Stay away from the Malort.
Anywhere.
Just trust me on this.
Don’t buy an entire deep dish. Just get a slice. When you realize how sloppy it is, get a goddamn Stromboli, which is how you saw it in your head anyway.
@PocketBrain Any good places that actually sell it by the slice? I don’t think I ever saw it the first time I was there a few years ago.
Whoa, I didn’t even know that Strombolis were a thing, but they look amazing!
@luvche21 No, this guy knows not what he speaks of. And it’s nothing like Stromboli. There are a (very) few places you can get deep dish slices (usually stuffed, not pan) but they suck. Do not get deep dish by the slice! It’s just not what deep dish is about. Go to Lou Malnati’s on Rush Street and order a small sausage pizza with buttercrust, well done. Or just order the Chicago Classic. You’ll be very happy you did.
@luvche21 Listen to @sidewinder3000, pizza by the slice is NOT a Chicago thing.
You must stop into Eataly! http://www.eataly.com/us_en/stores/chicago/
2 floors of various, all things Italian. Restaurants (many), Lavazza coffee, in-store made chocolates, bakery, gelato, grocery, butcher shop, seafood, cheeses, wines, deli, sausages and so much more!
When we last visited, we had a giant prime rib sandwich. Best we’ve ever had!
@redhotqueen Their prime rib is literally the very fabric of what dreams are made of. Had to explain but there’s nothing like it.
The Lincoln Park Zoo is free, but you would have to take the CTA and walk a bit to get there. It’s small, but nice.
The Aquarium is very nice, but there is often a line and it’s a bit pricey.
If you just want to stroll about, there is a lot of ground you can cover: the lake front, the river front, or just walk between the buildings downtown. The walking architecture tours are a good suggestion. Downtown Chicago has a lot of amazing buildings from many eras.
There is a bike sharing program by the name of Divvy. The system is kinda confusing and the bikes are very heavy. Stay off of the streets and ride up and down the lakefront. There is a station near Navy Pier and others up and down the lake.
For people bringing kids I would recommend Maggie Daley park. It’s huge and right downtown. They even have rock climbing (enough wall for 100 people at a time), but you have to pay to climb.
Everyone seems to have the deep dish covered. I usually recommend some thin crust like Pizano’s downtown. For lunch get a Italian Beef from Luke’s or Portillo’s. The Gage is good eats. They often have poutine.
Take an über or cab adventure to Green Mill cocktail lounge for a classic jazz club experience. Worth it if you like live jazz and have time one evening for an adventure.
/image green mill jazz
@denboy that place has underground escape tunnels used by Al Capone during Prohibition! Classic place. If you are there on a Sunday the Poetry Slam is a one of kind Chicago original.
@denboy I LOVE live jazz (I’m a saxophonist myself), so hopefully I can check that one out!
@luvche21 there are other more conveniently located jazz clubs to downtown. Green Mill’s history and vibe are unique though.
Have any of your music out on the internets for mehtizens to hear?
@denboy no recordings on the interwebs right now. I went the education and library route to music, but hope to record more!
@luvche21 don’t be shy in the forums when you get recordings going. You’ll probably get a mixture of love and attacks but it will be fun…right?
@denboy definitely!
even though many people don’t enjoy the same tastes in music as myself that doesn’t mean that I don’t try to constantly force them on others! 
If you’re in it for deep dish, see above. But I recommend Happy Camper Pizzeria off of Wells and Division: http://www.happycamperchicago.com
Excellent pies.
Plus, check out the bean (aka Cloud Gate) in Millennium Park. Touristy, but free and cool. Finally, I’d recommend strolling Magnificent Mile itself and checking out the architecture there. But I’m a simple pleasures kind of guy, so caveat emptor for all of this, etc.
Kuma’s Corner is the best burger you will ever have. It was started by a gourmet chef who decided to open his own burger place but it had a heavy metal theme. All the burgers are named after heavy metal bands and the music playing throughout the restaurant is just as heavy. The burgers are huge and delicious. The first restaurant is so popular they opened up Kuma’s 2, which is just as good if it is closer to you.
I’m a bit late here, I realize but Chicago is one of the greatest cities in the world. I definitely concur with folks on Malnatti’s and Giordano’s. I think they’re both very good. I also seem to remember having some really nice dinners at fairly reasonable prices at restaurants where you bring your own wine, which is a great option for folks trying to keep an eye on costs. BUT, I must recommend a torta from the Rick Bayless place (counter service rather than table service) Xoco. The sandwiches are melt-in-your-mouth amazing. They’re so great that now that there’s two locations at O’Hare where you can order on app as soon as you’re wheels down and zip by and pick it up on your way to your connecting gate, I actually TRY TO CONNECT THRU O’HARE. Well, for the sando and there better be time to swing by for Garrett’s mix, too. Finally, def. recommend spending time on the beach or the trails along Lake Michigan. Chicago in the summer is about the most perfect urban experience I can imagine except for Minneapolis-St. Paul and it’s all due to the water! Try bicycle rentals, or even grabbing bikes from the Chicago bike share program (just be careful because if you keep the bikes too long, they get pricey pretty fast, but it works like DC’s - Buy a day pass for $10 and you can use bikes for up to 30 minutes at a time during a 24-hour period - so it actually works out great for tourists going from site to site as there should be a bike dock near any typical 'hood or locale a visitor would hit).
O’Hare Airport. Because it provides the most forms of transportation to get out of Chicago and vacation elsewhere. Also, there is food.
http://heyjackass.com/
@Ruger9mm The murders are mostly gang related. If you’re not in a gang or hanging out around gang members, you probably won’t get murdered. However, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll get robbed.
@luvche21 So what did you get to eat?
@mikibell still here until tomorrow, but had some deep dish (Giordano’s, because it was close), an Armenian restaurant, and the famous chocolate cake shake from Portillo’s. And a bunch of food from my conference. Still need a plan for tonight though…