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Started By
Message
Chicago - End of September recs
Posted on 8/11/19 at 1:52 am
Posted on 8/11/19 at 1:52 am
In the infancy stages of planning a long weekend Fri-Tues in Chicago for the last weekend of September. Only real plans thus far are to go to the Bears/Vikes game Sunday afternoon and then we'd like to find a bar (Saints bar hopefully?) to watch Saints/Dallas that night. I am also tossing around the idea of running in the Chicago Half Marathon that Sunday morning, it looks like it starts on the South Side.
Looking for recommendations on best area to stay in, or hotels in particular? Only real stipulation is obviously want it to be a safe area and I'd like to be close to the Lakefront Trail to get runs in and the Grant Park area.
I read through all of the threads that were pulled up using the search function but didn't see any recs on hotels. I did pull some great info on food though (copied the below from hoopsgalore). If anybody has anything to add or additional recommendations, please do. Haven't gotten around to looking at other touristy stuff that we'd want to do or bars. Much of this would depend on where we end up getting a hotel at, so trying to lock that down first.
My three favorite spots for a steak are Swift & Sons, Bavette's, and Kinzie.
- Favorite pizza is Lou Malnati, Pequod's, Art of Pizza, and Coalfire.
- Favorite burgers are at Au Cheval, DryHop, and The Bad Apple.
- Favorite sushi is Kai Zan, sushiDOKKU, Momotaro, and Seadog
- Best Italian I've had is La Scarola, Piccolo Sogno, Formento's, Rosebud, and Monteverde. Can't go wrong with any.
- Favorite Asian is Serai, Go 4 Food, and Andy's Thai Kitchen.
- Other spots that are, absolutely, worth checking out: Girl & The Goat, Publican or Publican Anker, Fulton Market Kitchen, Acadia, 90 Miles, Mott St, Parachute, Purple Pig, Tango Sur, Duck Duck Goat, Irazu, Ema, and Oriole (had it for first time last month)
Looking for recommendations on best area to stay in, or hotels in particular? Only real stipulation is obviously want it to be a safe area and I'd like to be close to the Lakefront Trail to get runs in and the Grant Park area.
I read through all of the threads that were pulled up using the search function but didn't see any recs on hotels. I did pull some great info on food though (copied the below from hoopsgalore). If anybody has anything to add or additional recommendations, please do. Haven't gotten around to looking at other touristy stuff that we'd want to do or bars. Much of this would depend on where we end up getting a hotel at, so trying to lock that down first.
My three favorite spots for a steak are Swift & Sons, Bavette's, and Kinzie.
- Favorite pizza is Lou Malnati, Pequod's, Art of Pizza, and Coalfire.
- Favorite burgers are at Au Cheval, DryHop, and The Bad Apple.
- Favorite sushi is Kai Zan, sushiDOKKU, Momotaro, and Seadog
- Best Italian I've had is La Scarola, Piccolo Sogno, Formento's, Rosebud, and Monteverde. Can't go wrong with any.
- Favorite Asian is Serai, Go 4 Food, and Andy's Thai Kitchen.
- Other spots that are, absolutely, worth checking out: Girl & The Goat, Publican or Publican Anker, Fulton Market Kitchen, Acadia, 90 Miles, Mott St, Parachute, Purple Pig, Tango Sur, Duck Duck Goat, Irazu, Ema, and Oriole (had it for first time last month)
4
Posted on 8/11/19 at 6:58 am to TigeRoots
quote:
Publican Anker
No longer there... it was replaced by Cafe Cancale (same owners).. it's now more French influenced with a nice raw bar.. I really like it.
Posted on 8/11/19 at 7:33 am to TFTC
The Hyatt Regency downtown is underrated and always a bit cheaper than the others.
It’s on the south side of the river so it’s an extra block or two walk to the main strip but we loved it and saved a lot of money. Has a great bar with a view as well.
It’s on the south side of the river so it’s an extra block or two walk to the main strip but we loved it and saved a lot of money. Has a great bar with a view as well.
Posted on 8/11/19 at 7:38 am to TigeRoots
I always recommend staying on or near the redline subway line that runs north south, you can take it to the Bears game and to Wrigley. It’s the only line to run north south. You can uber from there north west. It certainly runs plenty close enough to the low to run to the lake then go up and down.
Posted on 8/11/19 at 7:46 am to TigeRoots
I'm no Chicago expert, but as far as hotels go, if you want a hotel with a hopping rooftop bar and great views, the Godfrey was great.
Last time I was there, I stayed at the brand new Hyatt in the west loop. I was in town for work so needed something more low key. It's a really nice area and neighborhood, great restaurants nearby. however, it's more of a neighborhood feel than downtown. Mostly young professionals that live/work in the area.
Last time I was there, I stayed at the brand new Hyatt in the west loop. I was in town for work so needed something more low key. It's a really nice area and neighborhood, great restaurants nearby. however, it's more of a neighborhood feel than downtown. Mostly young professionals that live/work in the area.
Posted on 8/11/19 at 8:18 am to specchaser
I stayed in west loop when I went. It was the crown plaza, which I think is right by that Hyatt. Would definitely recommend it. A lot of those restaurants on OPs list are a 5 minute walk. Little goat diner is great for breakfast as well.
Sometimes we walked downtown (20 mins) and it wasn’t bad at all. $10 Uber ride if we were pressed for time.
Sometimes we walked downtown (20 mins) and it wasn’t bad at all. $10 Uber ride if we were pressed for time.
Posted on 8/11/19 at 8:54 am to RonFNSwanson
I prefer the West Loop area (where I work) to downtown, for the reasons mentioned above... right in the heart of some of the best restaurants in the city... and you can hop on the green line at Morgan Street.. that puts you downtown/grant park/lakefront in minutes...
This post was edited on 8/11/19 at 9:01 am
Posted on 8/11/19 at 9:48 am to TFTC
Thanks everyone, these responses certainly help. Will post back once we decide on a spot to get some more centralized recs.
Any LSU/Saints game in the city to watch the Saints game Sunday night?
Any LSU/Saints game in the city to watch the Saints game Sunday night?
This post was edited on 8/11/19 at 9:49 am
Posted on 8/11/19 at 10:13 am to TigeRoots
Frontier, on Milwaukee, is the Saints bar... a little nicer than your typical sports bar... but Ive always enjoyed watching the games there, when I get out the house..
Posted on 8/11/19 at 11:23 am to TFTC
quote:
No longer there... it was replaced by Cafe Cancale (same owners).. it's now more French influenced with a nice raw bar.. I really like it.
Yup. I posted that quite awhile ago. I went to Cafe Cancale the week it opened - food was good, but service was a disaster.
To be expected with opening, though... OP, I can hit you with recommendations later. I’m too hungover to see.
This post was edited on 8/11/19 at 11:24 am
Posted on 8/11/19 at 11:25 am to TFTC
Standard is an LSU bar, too. It’s not far from Frontier, if OP wants to do both for football.
This post was edited on 8/11/19 at 11:25 am
Posted on 8/11/19 at 12:06 pm to hoopsgalore
quote:
I went to Cafe Cancale the week it opened - food was good, but service was a disaster
Yeah, they let a lot of the front of house staff go from Anker... The missus works for OOH, so we always get treated pretty well, in regards to service at their restaurants...
Posted on 8/11/19 at 12:10 pm to hoopsgalore
quote:
Standard is an LSU bar, too. It’s not far from Frontier, if OP wants to do both for football.
I stopped going there, because I really dislike the atmosphere.. but that's really just personal preference..
Posted on 8/12/19 at 10:26 am to TFTC
quote:
Frontier
Such a shame they don't do Gamekeepers anymore - anyone know what happened there? Loved that place.
Posted on 8/12/19 at 10:32 am to Hobnailboot
quote:
Such a shame they don't do Gamekeepers anymore - anyone know what happened there? Loved that place.
Closed a few months ago. That area of LP is getting very expensive.
Posted on 8/12/19 at 11:23 am to hoopsgalore
Thanks, I remember when I lived there in 2010, we liked a place called Tilly's on Halsted. Just an easy, good meal with a nice courtyard. The landlord jacked up their rent to $40k.....a month. So it closed.
Posted on 8/12/19 at 1:29 pm to hoopsgalore
quote:
Closed a few months ago. That area of LP is getting very expensive.
I live a block away, 3 bars and a restaurant all closed on that corner and all have sat empty since. These landlords are shooting themselves in the foot raising rent while it sits there unoccupied for years. There are spots that have been vacant the entire time we have been in LP (3+ years).
Posted on 8/12/19 at 4:21 pm to hoopsgalore
quote:
OP, I can hit you with recommendations later. I’m too hungover to see.
Thanks! Everyone has been a huge help so far. You can wait on further recs until we book the room, to get a better idea of our homebase. Looking like we will end up in West Loop, likely the Hyatt but will confirm here once we book it.
I have this skeleton itinerary for now but will be filling it in.
Friday:
Fulton Market Area (lunch, beers, etc), Grant Park, Millenium Park (Bean), Buckingham Fountain, Navy Pier, Revolution (brewery) Dinner (either Ema, XOCO, Purple Pig)
Saturday:
Museum Day
Dinner - Girl and The Goat
Sunday:
Bears game, Saints game (Frontier)
Monday:
Architecture Boat Tour, Wrigleyville
Posted on 8/12/19 at 4:58 pm to TigeRoots
quote:
Purple Pig
I went to the new location a couple of weeks ago... much more space...
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