I’d never been to Chicago, but had always wanted to visit and see what Frank Sinatra, and a ton of other people, were talking about.
I definitely fell in love!
That skyline, the food, the people, it was a great trip-even considering the fact that I came back about 500 pounds heavier {the foooood!}
So here are some of our must-do’s when in the city! Please add your recommendations down below as well because I’m quite sure I’ll be back.
{ must EAT }
1. Girl & the Goat
Now, we got lucky getting in to Girl & Goat apparently. We had heard multiple amazing things about this place and thought we’d try and sneak in at opening without a reservation. Luckily, they let us have a table as long as we were done in an hour and a half which was perfect for us, we were on a bit of a restaurant bender at this point. I definitely recommend attempting this if you can’t get a reservation!
Get: Olive Bread & Chickpea Fritter {amaaaazing}
2. Do-Rite Donuts & Chicken
We wandered in here on our last day based on our intrigue {donuts and chicken?!} and some amazing Yelp reviews. They were not wrong! The donuts are soooo good and the spicy chicken sandwich was definitely one of the best I’ve ever had, and I’m not going to lie I’m quite the spicy chicken connoisseur.
Get: buttermilk old fashioned donut & a spicy chicken sandwich
3. Jellyfish
My boyfriend took me here for an early birthday celebration and of course I’m a sucker for a menu shoutout. The vibe is really cool and the service was so good. I’d definitely recommend coming here if you love sushi-it’s in a really cute area of town and there are a bunch of places to venture to after dinner.
Get: Angry Jalapeno Roll
4. Chicago’s Pizza
{I have no pictures of this magical pizza because it didn’t last a minute on the plate}
Now, we were taken here by one of my boyfriend’s friends who used to live in the city and to be honest we had our hesitations as the cab ride felt longgg and it was super late. But this pizza is amaaaazingggg. I can’t even describe how good because now I’m starving and all I want is this pizza.
Get: thin crust Italian sausage
{ must DRINK }
1. The Berkshire Room
We were told to go to this craft cocktail lounge in the ACME Hotel by a local bartender, and I’m so so glad we did. The vibe is cool & moody, almost speak-easy type, and the drinks are delicious.
Get: Semester’s Abroad
2. The Signature Room at the 95th Floor
View = I N S A N E.
That’s really all I have to say about this place. A complete must do. And yes the view is even more amazing from the ladies room as everyone says.
Get: Mojito {yes, a mojito, I know but it was legit goooood}
3. RM Champagne Salon
Now if you know me you know I am all about my champsss so this place was a must. It was such a cute atmosphere. They have a gorgeous patio area, which is open in the summer, so I would definitely return to sip some champagne there as well!
Get: some champs of course & the Chocolate Tart dessert
4. Forbidden Root Brewery
We were taken to this brewery by some locals we met at The Berkshire Room. They said it was the first brewery dedicated to crafting botanic beers using all natural ingredients in Chicago. It was such a cool experience and a really fun environment! We absolutely love recommendations from locals because they’re usually off the beaten path.
Get: Forbidden Root brew
{ must SEE }
1. St. Patrick’s Day Celebration
This was so fun! I would definitely recommend experiencing Chicago during their St. Patrick’s Day celebration. The green river was magical and the city was so alive.
2. West Loop
We stumbled upon this area when we were going to RM Champagne Salon. It wasn’t open yet so it gave us time to explore the area and try some delicious food. Green Street Meats, Girl & the Goat, there are so many cool bars and restaurants in this area.
3. The Bean at Night
As a tourist in this city, I was definitely seeing the Bean. I am so happy we ended up there at night. It wasn’t super crowded and the pictures don’t even do it justice. I would highly suggest visiting at night.
4. Cultural Center
We stumbled into the Cultural Center as our last stop on our last day and I am so glad we did. It is so beautiful and we walked in on a couple of amazing musicians practicing, so basically a free concert. It is definitely worth the stop.
5. The Navy Pier
We saw beautiful views of the water and the fog rolling in on the city at the Navy Pier. This Summer they’ll be unveiling the new ferris wheel which looks so fun. I’ll definitely have to return one summer to experience a little warmth and ferris wheel action at the Navy Pier.
We absolutely fell in love with this city and had so many fun adventures. If you have any plans to travel here I hope our recommendations help! We spent 3 and a half days in Chicago and got a lot done {and a lotttt of food eaten}.
“Jobs fill your pockets. Adventures fill your soul.”
6 Comments
Nice post and how fun to be there during St. Pat’s Day! The architectural river tour is always good and very interesting. Great way to learn more about the city and the history. A bike ride with Bobbie’s Bikes or Bike n Roll Chicago is a great way to explore more of the city. The path along Lake Michigan is a wonderful place for a walk or bike ride and a great place to take in the views of the city. Have a great week and I enjoyed all of the restaurant recco’s!
Thank you so much for your recommendations April! I definitely want to visit again and I’d love to do the river tour and bike around the city!
I might have to use my airpoints to visit Chicago after this post! Sounds like you had amazing week and enjoyed your birthday! I also like the donut recommendation lol, I love sweets!
-Robin Lee
RUNWAYTEACHER.COM
Thank you Robin!! Yes you must it was so much fun! I love sweets too and those donuts are sooooo good! I wish I was eating one right now haha.
What an awesome post! That view is amazeballs! I have been to Chicago a bunch of times, but I don’t feel like I did it up as good as you did! You did a superb job!
http://www.streetmadonna.com
Thank you so much!!! It was such a fun city! I can’t wait to return!