Greetings, Eaters and Readers!
If you’ll allow us – and even if you won’t – we interrupt your regularly scheduled Nebraska foodie programming to bring you a special edition post about eating our way through Chicago.
At the top of October, we road tripped east to enjoy a long autumn weekend in Chicago and – most importantly – to celebrate a dear friend’s 40th birthday. (Shout out to Sarah – a long time bestie of Martha, the blog and, ipso facto, Jaclyn, too!) We know everyone has their personal must-have list when visiting the Windy City. For some in our group – this was their first real Chicago visit. So we did our best to eat a blend of must-haves and stumbled-upon gems. Read on to see if we stopped at any of your favorites or maybe find a new spot you’ll want to check out on your next Chicago trip!
Italian Beef & Sausage Sandwich Meal ($19)
If you’ve ever visited Chicago, chances are you’ve stopped at a Portillo’s to experience their famous Italian beef or Chicago-style hot dogs. This being Jaclyn’s first real Chicago trip prompted Martha to insist we add it to the list. Not particularly excited about what she heard was a Chicago-styled hot dog, Jaclyn opted for the Italian beef, as did Sarah, and I got the Italian beef/sausage combo. We felt like we should have opted for a side of gravy (au jus) for extra moisture but didn’t quite have our bearings on how to order or what extra things to add on. Served with hot, crispy french fries – everything was yummy enough, but we wouldn’t proclaim it the best thing we ate on our trip. Jaclyn is content having checked it off her Chicago list, though.
Chicken ‘n’ Waffles ($21) — Bacon waffle topped with crispy fried boneless chicken breast, susage gravy and a sunny side up egg
À la carte seasoned potatoes, two eggs & pancakes ($25)
Eggs Benedict ($19) — English muffin, Canadian bacon, poached eggs, hollandaise and seasoned potatoes
West Coast Crepes ($18) — Smashed avocado, mushroom, scrambled eggs and cheddar inside sweet crepes. Side of cheesy grits
God bless Google. A simple search of “breakfast near me” led us to Yolk – just 2 minutes away from our hotel, The Blackstone on Michigan Ave. The menu had so many promising options to pick from, and everything we ordered was just delightful. We each tried bites of one another’s food, not-so-secretly harboring food envy towards Martha’s bacon-filled waffles. Although we can’t say it was a local joint – with other locations in Indiana, Florida and Texas – it’s just as worth recommending to anyone looking for an easy-to-please breakfast joint with lots of seating, friendly smiles, and great food.
Big Soft Pretzel ($11) — Served with creamy cheese sauce, honey mustard seeds
Margarita ($16) — Reposado, tequila, poblano, orange, lime
Old Fashioned ($16) — Bonded bourbon, demerara, aromatic bitters, orange zest
Golden Sombrero ($16) — White rum, dark rum, elderflower, pineapple, lime, sparkling wine
Guinness ($8)
If you’re looking for a neat place to grab a small bite and a drink, you’ll love the vibe in The Game Room. We really enjoyed the upscale, yet urban, feel to this cocktail bar. You can gather for a round of bocce, cards, shuffleboard or foosball. Or nestle into cozy couch around intimate tables. We chose the latter, enjoying a few libations and a soft pretzel. The cocktails were quite strong and all agreed the Golden Sombrero was the most palatable of the bunch.
Although we’d be having dinner soon, we added a soft pretzel to our order at the last minute. And let us tell you, the cheesy honey mustard sauce that came with it was so, so good. It had a little twang and a little sweet – and it paired perfectly with the warm pretzel. If we make our way back to Chicago again, coming back to The Game Room is a must.
Local Cheese & Charcuterie ($32) — Chef’s selection of local cured meets, cheese, accoutrements
Half Roasted Chicken ($38) — Piri piri sauce, summer squash, cherry tomato, roasted corn, pickled cipollini onion
Sweet Corn Campanelle ($28) — Pancetta, foraged mushrooms, pickled corn, pecorino sardo, toasted cashew, pea tendrils
Loaded Baked Potato ($14) — Fontina cheese, bacon onion jam, créme fraiche, butter, chive
A few blocks north of the Art Institute of Chicago sits one of the most divine restaurants we’ve experienced to date. As you step inside the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel, you must locate the golden elevator which takes you to the 13th floor – the location of Cindy’s Rooftop. This place was chic, cozy, and the perfect spot to celebrate Sarah, our guest of honor. While we were intimidated by the menu because it had quite a few words we didn’t understand – we were confident it would be good. What we didn’t see coming was the instantaneous joy we’d all feel when we took our first bites.
Our meal was eaten almost entirely in silence, only looking up to lock eyes and nod heads with one another – confirming how excellent everything was. We collectively agreed our meals were every bit worth the high price tag. Cindy’s Rooftop is by far one of THE best meals we’ve ever had – and with Top Chef contestant Kaleena Bliss behind the menu, it stands to reason.
Lou’s Bruschetta ($11.79) — Roma tomatoes, fresh basil, olive oil and shaved parmesan on garlic rounds
Stuffed Spinach Bread ($12.39) — Hot, housemade crusty loaf stuffed with a blend of cheeses, fresh spinach, garlic, onion and tomato
Cheese Ravioli ($12.99) — Double-stuffed jumbo raviolis filled with a blend of Romano, Parmesan, Asiago and Ricotta cheese with meat sauce
Chicken Marsala Rigatoni ($16.99) — Rigatoni pasta in a creamy marsala sauce with seasoned grilled chicken, oven roasted tomatoes and mushrooms
Penne Ala Malnati ($16.99) — Cream and Romano cheese folded into meat sauce topped with baked mozzarella
Bowtie Pasta with Lou’s Sausage ($16.99) — Crumbled sausage and bowtie pasta tossed in a creamy yet slightly spicy vodka sauce
Personal Deep Dish Pizza ($12.89) — Pepperoni and sausage
For our last meal in Chicago, we looked to the birthday girl to choose where we’d be getting Chicago deep dish pizza. It was between Lou Malnati’s and Giordano’s — both Chicago classics. Choosing Lou’s, we set out on foot from our hotel to have ourselves what would become an Italian feast. Everything looked good: the pizza, the pasta, the ravioli, the appetizers … so we got it all. Lou’s has been in operation since the early 70’s – and we can see why. It’s family friendly, has great service, and even better food. If you go to Chicago, you gotta get Lou’s. Ya just hafta!
Cheers!
The Good Bite Gals + Friends
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Game Room pretzel image credit: Tim McCoy
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