Dining Suggestions for Mid-March Visit

My children and I will be in Chicago for 4 days in mid-March. Our hotel is on Michigan Avenue but we will be happy to travel by bus or el for a great recommendation. I have visited before but my children, ages 15 and 19, have not. I have eaten at some great places in Chicago that I would like to revisit, but want some suggestions from the locals. We are somewhat adventurous, like ethnic foods, and places visited by locals and well as some established landmarks. We need formal dining as well as casual places. Suggestions would be appreciated!!

Before you get attacked for not doing any site research at all prior to asking other people to take their time to help you plan your family vacation, and doing so without providing anything close to resembling helpful guidelines as to what you're looking for, I think you should click here

I did research on this site. I can find 50 lists that give me the best restaurants. Not being very familiar with the city, I purchased a guidebook. It said LTH forum was a friendly place to start a conversation. When I posted my questions, I thought I was pretty specific. I gave the ages of my children, our hotel location and some guidelines. I would like some personal recommendations from locals, not a list prepared by who knows who.

Never did I ask anyone to "plan my family vacation". I noticed there were some very helpful people on this site who had politely answered others' questions.

If you don't want to use your time, perhaps others will.

Some standard background questions -- where ya coming from and will you have a car? Even more specificity about your interests would help people here. I think you'll find lots of folks will play concierge happily and provide detailed suggestions complete with public transportation tips and directions.

Off the top of my head, I often suggest that visitors pick a few easily walkable, dense neighborhoods with easy L access, good food and other attractions -- focusing on the cuisine that's scarce at home but strong here. That often leads to suggestions for Pilsen (Mexican, plus), Uptown (Viet, Chinese, East and West African, the Green Mill and other music venues), Chinatown, parts of Wrigleyville (destination Thai, Wrigley field), Lincoln Square/North Center (German, Thai, other), Albany Park (Middle Eastern, Korean, Balkan, and others), Devon Avenue (Indian, Pakistani, Eastern European/Jewish). Then there are eclectic neighborhoods that don't have an obvious ethnic hook but are fun to visit for various reasons including standout restaurants. Logan Square and parts of Ukranian Village, West Town, Bridgeport and Wicker Park come to mind. You could do a tour of the now ubiquitous "Gastro Pubs," of which we have many good ones. Or "serious cocktail bars," ditto. Or BBQ. Or regional and dish-specific Mexican -- well worth it. If you focus on particular kinds of places, as opposed to neighborhoods, you might spend more time in transit as the places can be scattered. But that's fun too. Or, like my Bohunk father who lives in FL and gets nostalgic, maybe you want to find your people here. When he visits we hit up the vast Northwest Side Polish neighborhoods.

Thanks Jeff, I understand. We are coming from Alabama, so BBQ, country/soul/southern food is plentiful here and we are looking for something a little more exciting. We want to eat at a good steakhouse and there seem to be quite a few of them. German, Eastern European, French, Greek, African, Mexican and Chicago dogs all sound good. All of us like Pierogi, so Polish sounds good to me also. I would like to wander through some of the ethnic neighborhoods including dining and shopping. I plan to take them to the Art Institute, Field Museum and maybe Aquarium or Museum of Science and Industry plus take a city tour and possibly an architectural tour. We will be there from Wed. March, 16 thru Sunday March 19. I am excited about being there for St. Patrick's Day. I've always wanted to see the river run green! A special St. Paddy's day dinner or lunch would be fun. I am only familiar with the loop, a little of the Gold Coast and Michigan Avenue. It would be great to explore a little out of that area but not too much. Some places I have enjoyed before are Bistro 110, Lawry's, Berghoff, Spiaggia, Ann Sather's and the Foodlife at Water Tower Place. This time I want to be a little more adventurous and really go more "local". Our hotel is on Michigan Ave and I would like to be able to walk, take short cab drives, or the L if it is close I would really appreciate some suggestions.

mbdavis wrote:When I posted my questions, I thought I was pretty specific. I gave the ages of my children, our hotel location and some guidelines.

Errr... not really. All you said about the hotel is that it's on Michigan Avenue. Michigan Avenue is quite a long street; there's the so-called "Magnificent Mile" that extends north of the Chicago River, and the next mile south (which includes North Michigan Avenue north of Madison and South Michigan Avenue south of there) goes past the Loop. There are hotels all along that two-mile stretch. A place that's walking distance for one end won't be walking distance for the other end.

I'm a local and here are places I enjoy eating within walking distance of hotels in each section of Michigan Avenue:

Mag Mile
Sable (contemporary American)
Cafe Spiaggia (Italian)
David Burke's (steakhouse)
Topolobampo and Frontera Grill (provincial Mexican)
Salpicon (provincial Mexican)
Uno and Due (deep-dish pizza)
Pizano's on State (deep-dish pizza)
Shaw's (seafood)
Avenues (fine dining)
Shanghai Terrace (upscale Chinese)
Steve's Deli (Jewish deli)

Loop
Cibo Matto (Italian)
Vivere (Italian)
Mercat a la Planxa (tapas)
Atwood Cafe (contemporary American)
Catch 35 (seafood)
Pizano's on Madison (deep-dish pizza)
Everest (French-Alsatian fine dining)
Bongo Room (creative pancakes)

Here are some other places that I also enjoy a lot, and are a short cab ride away (within 2-3 miles of downtown):

North Pond (contemporary American, Lincoln Park)
La Sardine (French bistro, West Loop)
Red Light (pan-Asian, West Loop)
Carnivale (Latin fusion, West Loop)
Mundial Cocina Mestiza (provincial Mexican, Pilsen)
Double Li (Chinese, Chinatown)

These aren't the only places I like, but I consider them the ones I like the best. I could probably list just as many places in the outlying neighborhoods over three miles from downtown (many of them in the areas JeffB mentions), and as many places again in the suburbs, but (a) I'm tired of typing, and (b) this may give you a better idea of just how broad your question is, and how just about anyone's list of their 50 favorite restaurants could be an answer. Put ten people's lists together and you've got hundreds of restaurants to choose from - which, when you think about it, really doesn't tell you anything that's specific to your needs but different from anyone else's.

I'm not trying to be nasty. Really. Heck, I'd like to be as helpful as possible, to give you advice that will really help YOU. But as JeffB notes, we really need more information to enable us to give that kind of advice.

EDIT: I see you've provided a little bit more in your latest post, so I'll reply to the points you've made there. Hold on a sec...

Thanks, shows you how little I know about Chicago. We are staying on the Magnificent Mile. Looking at the map, I thought the entirety of Magnificent Mile was all of Michigan Avenue. That is why I am asking for help.

mbdavis wrote:We want to eat at a good steakhouse and there seem to be quite a few of them.

We don't always agree on everything, but I like David Burke's the best, and so do a lot of other folks. But other steakhouses have their fans as well.

mbdavis wrote:German, Eastern European, French, Greek, African, Mexican and Chicago dogs all sound good. All of us like Pierogi, so Polish sounds good to me also.

For Polish/Eastern European, I recommend Podhalanka, which is not terribly far from downtown. There are lots of Greek restaurants in Greek Town, just west of the Loop; if I had to pick one to recommend, it would probably be Santorini, or maybe Greek Islands. For French, I've already mentioned my favorite for fancy/expensive (Everest) and for casual/moderately-priced (La Sardine). For African, there are a bunch of Ethiopian places but they're all on the far north side, quite some distance from downtown. For Mexican, again, I've mentioned my favorites (Mundial is my favorite of the group, but it's not as geographically convenient as Topo/Frontera Grill - but the reservations/waiting situation at the latter is horrible). For Chicago hot dogs, Portillo's location on Ontario is just a few blocks from the Mag Mile.

mbdavis wrote:I plan to take them to the Art Institute, Field Museum and maybe Aquarium or Museum of Science and Industry plus take a city tour and possibly an architectural tour.

The first three are all in the Loop or slightly south; see my list above. The MSI is in Hyde Park on the South Side, and I don't spend time there so I can't give you recommendations other than searching these forums for Hyde Park.

mbdavis wrote:Our hotel is on Michigan Ave and I would like to be able to walk, take short cab drives, or the L if it is close

The CTA Red Line is the main north-south el line that parallels Michigan Avenue. Depending on where on Michigan Avenue your hotel is - again, you haven't said - the nearest stop may be Clark/Division, Chicago, Grand, State/Lake, Monroe, Jackson, or Harrison. That's right, seven stops that are near the hotels along Michigan Avenue.

mbdavis wrote:I would really appreciate some suggestions.

Hope the ones I've made are helpful. Feel free to ask more questions!

mbdavis wrote:Thanks, shows you how little I know about Chicago. We are staying on the Magnificent Mile. Looking at the map, I thought the entirety of Magnificent Mile was all of Michigan Avenue. That is why I am asking for help.

The Magnificent Mile portion of North Michigan Avenue runs from the north end at Oak Street, where North Michigan Avenue starts, to the south end where North Michigan Avenue crosses the Chicago River. North Michigan Avenue continues south from the river another half mile to Madison Street, where all north-south Chicago addresses start; south of Madison, it's called South Michigan Avenue. South Michigan Avenue actually goes for many miles through the South Side, but only about the first half mile (to roughly 8th Street) has nicer hotels on it. After that there are lots of recently-built residential high-rises as it goes through the South Loop neighborhood, and then you hit the usual mix of various neighborhoods including commercial, residential, and other uses. Like many Chicago streets, it ends and is interrupted (such as at 63rd Street), but then resumes and retains its name where it continues (such as at 67th/Marquette). It continues on and off past the Chicago city limits and ends at Sibley Boulevard (147th Street) in the town of Dolton.

Hi,

I spent maybe 15 minutes or more looking for this. This woman came to Chicago for two separate times and made the best use of this board and her visit to Chicago:

1 week stay in Chicago-these restaurants OK or suggestions?

Suggestions for a girl's weekend

Here is a thread of a pending trip of a UK couple:

Need a bit of help please

A recent DIY visitor:
You know you've had a good chow weekend when you forget about _three_ of your destinations!

Regards,

In addition, www.transitchicago.com is a great resource for figuring out how to get from point a to point b. There's a trip planner tool on the homepage. If you plan to take more than 2 buses or trains within a 24 hour period, a CTA visitor pass is a better option.

Dave148 wrote:In addition, http://www.transitchicago.com is a great resource for figuring out how to get from point a to point b.

Yup, that's a good recommendation.

Dave148 wrote:There's a trip planner tool on the homepage.

If it works for you, great. But I've found that it often has trouble recognizing an address I enter. I've found it easier to use the online map on their website. Of course, you can try it both ways, and whatever works!

Dave148 wrote:If you plan to take more than 2 buses or trains within a 24 hour period, a CTA visitor pass is a better option.

Sort of, but not exactly. To be more precise, for less than the cost of the one-day pass, you can use a fare card to take two trips, each of which can consist of up to three bus or train rides within a two-hour period. If you need to take more than that, then the one-day pass is a better option.

I just go to Google maps and ask it to generate transit directions (which is really just what the box on the CTA's homepage does). Never had any issues with that.

jesteinf wrote:I just go to Google maps and ask it to generate transit directions (which is really just what the box on the CTA's homepage does). Never had any issues with that.

Good idea! My experience has been the same as Josh's. Google Maps seems to do a better job at transit planning - and more specifically, at understanding a departure point or destination based on its street address - than the transit planner on the CTA's own website. Go figure.

I think if you are into exploring the neighborhoods, it might be a good/practical idea to hit the Red Line train and go from there. There are Red Line stops just a couple blocks form the Mag Mile on State & Grand and State & Chicago. There are a lot of fun neighborhoods right at red line stops like Chinatown, Little Vietnam noodle/pho places at the Argyle stop and the Green Mill is right there too, Wrigleyville (I'm a sucker for Ian's Pizza, and Tac Quick is close by too...just maybe avoid this neighborhood on St. Patty's Day), the Belmont stop has lots of weird little shops and a ton of places to eat and there's a Comedy Sportz improv theater that does family-friendly shows, Blue Man Group, all right there.

I live on the Blue Line, so not knowing the Red Line stops as well, there are probably a ton of things I'm leaving out. I'm just trying to take into account what teenagers might find interesting and what's easily accessible.

Also, I think Lincoln Square (which would require a transfer from the Red Line to the Brown Line...very doable), is a great place to spend the afternoon. There are a ton of shops and good restaurants, and I think there's a little something for everyone there. That's one of the places I take visitors when they come from out of town.

As far as steakhouses go, most higher-end steakhouses in Chicago buy their steaks from the same couple of distributors. So the meat is basically the same. Where these restaurants differ is in the quality of preparation, ambience and price. One very notable exception is Dave Burke's (mentioned above). They not only have their own supplier (in fact they have their own stud bull), but they are one of a few places that also have their own dry-aging room. It is not the cheapest place by far, but definitely unique among the plethora of steakhouses in the area.

As far as ethnic places go, like other posters, I would suggest going to one of our many ethnic neighborhoods where you can not only eat, but also explore foreign groceries and other shops. The aforementioned Devon ave, chinatown, Albany Park, Pilsen and Argyle streets come to mind. Since you are coming from the south and have teenaged kids, I would highly reccomend visiting a Korean barbecue place (not at all like the BBQ you are used to) where you cook your own food right at the table. Several of those places actually bring live coals to the table. I have always had a great time at these places. For excitment, I would go to San Soo Gap San on Western, although many people enjoy the more subdued and relaxed Hae Woon Dae on California. Either way, you can't go wrong (what's not to like about meat and fire). For a side-dish be sure to try the Dolsot Bi Bim Bop which is a rice and vegetable dish brought to the table in a piping hot stone bowl. We also have many excellent Mexican restaurants featuring the cuisines of various regions of Mexico. These places vary from hole-in-the wall taco stands to much more upscale establishments. If you can be more specific about the type of ethnic food you might be interested in, I am sure people can come up with more specific suggestions.

At any rate, have fun, and don't be afraid to be a little adventurous. Chicago is a great vacation destination, especially if you are willing to venture outside of the touristy areas.

OK, Alabama I know pretty well (form FL and have spent plenty of time in AL/GA/TN). While Mexican has gained a foothold in the south recently, Chicago's Mexican food has depth and breadth that is still unmatched in the US with regional exceptions in Southern California and the Southwest. Same for Thai and obviously Eastern European. While coastal visitors might not get overly excited by our Chinatown, I think it would be a good stop for people coming from AL. And Pakistani and Korean BBQ joints will be a revelation. A walk down Devon Avenue to look at saris, gold, and bootleg CDs while sampling Indian snacks and sweets between Pakistani tandoor-cooked meats, breads and "stews" is just the best.

Chicago is lousy with good steaks. I agree David Burke is very good, but for the whole over the top downtown hustle and bustle experience with great seafood, Joe's is hard to beat. I am among the 1/2 the population that loves Gene & Georgetti, Chicago's old, gruff but loveable Italian chophouse. To go there you need to be in on the joke and be ready to pay a lot to eat big steaks in an old house under the L tracks surrounded by bad Italian American decor. For a terrific and cheap international steak place that teenagers love in my experience, consider Tango Sur on Southport near the Brown Line. Started as a tiny storefront grill attached to the owners' parents' old time Argentine butcher shop. It's kind of glamorous in its own neighborhood way and packed with good looking South American people. In fact, it's the "real" version of what many concept driven places try to achieve these days -- ethnic, butcher-centric, BYO, neighborhood anchor, do one thing well without trying to please everyone, etc.

Here are some matches that I think work well. This is far from a complete list.

Brown Line to Southport, shop (lots of boutiques for girls) catch a movie at Music Box (our best small cinema), dinner at Tango Sur.

Red Line to Wrigley, check out the park and neighborhood sports bars (kids welcome), shops, then dinner at TAC Quick (Thai).

Red Line to Argyle, see the big old theaters and neon, Green Mill (a true bar, so not for kids inside), eat at one of the many Viet spots recommended here or the excellent Chinese Sun Wah.

Pink Line (thanks Amy) to Pilsen, look at galleries, Mexican Fine Arts museum, eat birria, carnitas, churros, etc.

Red Line/Westbound bus to Devon and Western, take it all in and eat at Khan BBQ.

Red Line to Chinatown to buy trinkets, Japanese candy and dried squid desserts, and eat.

Blue Line to Division, eat Polish at Podhalanka, tacos down the street at Pasadita, or Mexican seafood, or Moroccan. Observe hipsters and working folks.

Brown Line to Lincoln Square or Irving Park, shop (including the cool Central/Eastern European grocery/butcher Gene's), eat German or Thai.

Blue Line to UIC/Halsted to shop and eat in Greektown, Little Itlay/Taylor Street, Manny's Deli and remnants of Maxwell St...

You've gotten some great suggestions for the neighborhoods. Let me throw out a couple food suggestions related to the other things you mention wanting to do.

Art Institute/St Patrick's Day. Most of the celebrations will, not surprisingly, involve people drinking to excess. Irish bars which serve food (e.g. Fado) will be a zoo. However, I think the Gage might be a spot where you could have a very good dinner with some Irish touches. The owners are from Ireland and the general emphasis is on gastro-pub food, including curry fries, fish and chips, scotch eggs, etc. You can make a reservation there in advance, too (I would recommend doing so, especially on St Patrick's Day). AND, it is just a block from the Art Institute, so you could combine a visit to the museum with a dinner at the Gage. The Art Institute stays open late on Thursdays, till 8, and furthermore offers free admission 5-8 on Thursdays. [[note to other readers: this is true until the end of May, 2011. In June, the free hours will be different; check the museum website.]]

If you go one day to the Museum of Science and Industry, don't bother trying to find good food in the Hyde Park neighborhood. I'd recommend instead taking a cab from the museum to Chinatown, indulging in the activities suggested by Jeff above, and then taking the Red Line L train back north to your hotel.

A trip to the Field Museum/Aquarium could also be followed by a trip to Chinatown, either by cab or by walking on Roosevelt to the Red Line station at State Street and going one stop south to the Chinatown station.

have fun!

If you really want to head out and try something different/off the beaten path, here are two (more) ideas:
Sun Wah - Mentioned by Jeffb above, this is a truly wonderful Chinese restaurant steps from the red line. It's probably a 25 minute train ride from downtown to the Argyle stop. Call ahead and reserve a roast duck, order some of the side dishes on special that day (anything with house-cured bacon is a must-have) and enjoy the gigantic feast.
See also: viewtopic.php?f=14&t=2086

Hot Doug's - Doug gets a lot of press already but it's well deserved. If you're looking for encased meats, few places prepare them better. It's a trek from the downtown area without a car (you're looking at a 45+ minute trip involving a train and bus ride [either blue line northwest to California, transfer to northbound #52 California bus; or red line north to Belmost, transer to westbound #77 Belmont bus). He keeps limited hours (10:30am-4pm) and is generally mobbed on Fridays and Saturdays (while Hot Doug's is off the beaten path, the actual path to Hot Doug's is pretty well-trodden at this point). Check out the specials menu and see if they speak to you (and get a classic Chicago-style dog, too, while you're there): http://www.hotdougs.com/specials.htm
See also: viewtopic.php?f=14&t=2699

Closer to downtown, Cafecito is as good a place as any to grab a quick sandwich. Located at Wabash and Congress, they make one of the finest Cuban sandwiches in the city. Macy's on State St. is home to Seven on Seven - it's a food court, but a good one. Bowls of Japanese noodles are solid, the burgers are better than you would expect (fries rank as some of the city’s best) and there's a Bayless-stamped torta/taco stand, as well (for amazing Mexican-style sandwiches, though, head up to XOCO or down to Pilsen). There's also a salad and soup/sandwich stand but you're better off skipping these generic/bland options.
See also: viewtopic.php?f=14&t=20762 (Cafecito); viewtopic.php?f=14&t=25008 (XOCO)

Purple Pig is right off Michigan Ave. and if you have a hankering for bone marrow and salami, you can't do much better.
See also: viewtopic.php?f=14&t=27106

You mentioned architecture tours, too - one of the Chicago Architecture Foundation's newer options is the Elevated Architecture: Chicago’s Loop by Train. This tour makes full use of the CTA’s loop trains and you get a fun overview of the city’s different styles as well as the history of the L itself. This tour sells out quickly so if it sounds like something you’d like, buy tickets asap. Full disclosure, I’m a volunteer docent with the CAF (and if you have any specific questions about their tours, please feel free to send me a PM).
See also: http://caf.architecture.org/page.aspx?pid=183

I completely agree with the Gage and Cafecito for Loop/Michigan Avenue options and would also mention Mercat a la Planxa as a great choice for a higher end dinner not too far from the Art Institute. Other places near the AI that are worth considering are Miller's Pub (venerable almost 24 hour Greek-owned tavern with giant menu) and Russian Tea time.

jesteinf wrote:I just go to Google maps and ask it to generate transit directions (which is really just what the box on the CTA's homepage does). Never had any issues with that.

I agree - and the Google Maps app on Android, paired up with GPS, does an excellent job as well (don't know anything about miPhones to know whether it's out for Apple).

For steakhouses I agree about David Burke's Primehouse serving excellent food but I find the atmosphere there rather bland. I prefer either Smith & Wollensky (and as a Chicagoan praising a NY import isn't easy, but it's very good) or Morton's myself - but there's enough excellent steakhouses in Chicago that it's hard to go wrong.

Depending on scheduling I think Avec is a great Chicago destination dining spot. I mention the scheduling as they don't take reservations so you will either (usually) be waiting during prime time but if you arrive earlier it's typically not too hard to be seated.

Edit: forgot to add War Damn Eagle!

Kman wrote:I agree - and the Google Maps app on Android, paired up with GPS, does an excellent job as well (don't know anything about miPhones to know whether it's out for Apple).

There is also a Google Map of the LTH Forum Great Neighborhood Restaurants (GNRs) that I find quite helpful when used with my Droid.

Kman wrote:For steakhouses I agree about David Burke's Primehouse serving excellent food but I find the atmosphere there rather bland.

That's funny, because I like it a lot - not just the food, but for the atmosphere. So many of our steakhouses seem like a "men's club" in atmosphere - loud and bustling, dark wood paneling and somewhat dim lighting, and I could just picture the cigar smoke in days gone by. I love David Burke's because that's NOT what it's all about; rather, it seems very contemporary, civilized, and hip, more like an upscale bistro than the stereotypical steakhouse.

But of course these are opinions, and one person's "civilized" can be another person's "bland".

stevez wrote:

Kman wrote:I agree - and the Google Maps app on Android, paired up with GPS, does an excellent job as well (don't know anything about miPhones to know whether it's out for Apple).

There is also a Google Map of the LTH Forum Great Neighborhood Restaurants (GNRs) that I find quite helpful when used with my Droid.

Yes, it's a terrific resource that I use all the time. Just the other night at the bar somebody was telling me about this little place in their neighborhood but couldn't recall the name - so I pulled up the LTH GNR map on Android and zoomed in and found it.

@nsxtasy - yes, like Gary likes to say, that's why Baskin-Robbins makes 31 flavors!

Depending on where your hotel is located on Michigan Ave., go to Pizano's for pizza at 61 E. Madison ST. This Pizano's location is right off Michigan Ave., and is very close to the Art Institute of Chicago. Pizano's makes some of the best Chicago style deep dish pizza in the city. Their buttercrust is the best crust I've ever had on a pizza, and the sausage they use is world class. The thin crust at Pizano's is a thin buttercrust version of the deep dish. Either way, get the sausage- you will not regret it. There are usually plenty of families eating at this particular location as well. Pizano's is full of Chicago sports lore, and the owner is a direct descendant to a very major player in the development of deep dish pizza in Chicago ( i.e. the owner is Rudy Malnati, Jr., son of the legendary Rudy Malnati, Sr. of the original Pizzeria Uno fame ).

If you don't mind taking the Red Line from State ST., then go to Little Three Happiness at 209 W. Cermak Rd for great quality Chinese food. I've always loved their Honey Walnut Shrimp, and their simple, yet exceptional chicken fried rice.

One Caveat: Be careful on the Red Line at night. There have been more than a few people that have been robbed of their i-phones, and other
personal belongings, usually at night. Just be careful, and always be aware of your surroundings.

Hope This Helps,
deepdish

deepdish wrote:Depending on where your hotel is located on Michigan Ave., go to Pizano's for pizza at 61 E. Madison ST.

I mentioned both downtown Pizano's locations above. Given that the OP has indicated his hotel is on the Mag Mile section of Michigan Avenue, he is closer to the Pizano's location on State than the one on Madison.

nsxtasy: I only mentioned the Pizano's on Madison because mbdavis mentioned that he was going to take his kids to the Art Institute of Chicago, which is very close to that particular Pizano's. Either way, mbdavis can't go wrong with Pizano's, as long as he sticks to the pizza with sausage.

Wow, Y'all have given me some wonderful suggestions.

From the top,

JeffB-thanks for making me understand how big Chicago really is. You started my "thinking" process. Absolutely want to try geniune Mexican. We have what you call "taco stands".

nsxtasy- Tons of great suggestions and I hope to be able to go to several including Cafe Spiaggia, David Burke's, Pizano's and maybe Everest. Santorini or Greek Islands too. Also, thanks for transportation guidance.

Cathy2- Good suggestions were on the links you sent me from other visitors.

jesteinf and josh- helpful tranportation links.

redhanded- you have given me several neighborhood options.

d4v3- you made David Burke's a definite, especially since nsxtasy also recommended. So many good ethnic choices.

Amata- I am taking your suggestion for St. Patrick's Day. I hope Gage takes reservations. We would all get a kick out of Irish food on St. Patrick's. Good info about free museum hours too. I can save money and spend it on more food.

danimalarkey- SunWah roast duck sounds great. And I have heard of Hot Doug's. Will probably try something at 7 on 7 since we want to go Macy's. Just for the building, not necessarily the store since we have one of those. But I love the old Marshall Field building. Arch tour by el sounds different. We would like that. I will make reservations.

Kman-War Eagle to you too! Hope to try Avec.

deepdish-You got me with the buttercrust and sausage pizza!

I am a 5' 0" female so even if I have my 19 year old son with me I really appreciate all the safety hints. Keep sending me ideas and I will definitely let you know my itinerary and how the trip goes. I may have other questions as I continue planning. Thanks so much for taking your time to help a visitor!!

Thank you all for your suggestions for our trip to Chicago!!

We had a wonderful time in your city and hope to return soon.

We were able to go to Gene and Georgetti's, Lou Manalti"s, Ed Debevich's, Bistro 110, Gino's East, Al's Beef, The Gage (great on St. Patrick's Day because the wonderful food, party atmosphere and bagpipe player) and other places.

We went to the Field Museum, Millenium Park, saw the Bean, Art Institute, shopped, shopped, shopped and ate, ate, ate.

Also took a trolley tour.

Toured some neighborhoods and all in all had a fabulous time.

I can see why you love Chicago!

Thanks again.

Thanks for your report! (not everyone does report back what worked, what they saw, what didn't they like, etc)

Glad you had a good time - come back again