About a week or so ago Adam and I were fortunate enough to take a weekend getaway trip to downtown Chicago – to see the city for the first time, and to visit my brother who lives in Wisconsin. Even though the trip was short (we stayed 2 nights – Friday through Sunday), it was such a blast, and Adam and I are already talking about going back. So today I just thought I would share a little bit of our experience, and especially our favorite food – pizza.
We ended up staying in downtown Chicago since this was our first time seeing the city. I had previously seen some of the touristy stuff before when driving through on my way to Wisconsin, but this was my first time really experiencing the city and what it has to offer. During our two night visit we stayed at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Chicago, a boutique style hotel that offers both a great location (near the loop), and a comfortable environment. Although we didn’t get to experience this, they offer a nightly wine hour, and have an in-house restaurant (Fisk & Co.) where everything looked delicious.
Obviously because it was Adam’s first time in the city, and my first time really exploring around, we had to walk to Millennium Park and get some pictures. The city was beautiful during the day, even so much that we decided to walk there again on Saturday to see the sunrise (worth waking up for!). Overall I felt like we got to be touristy, but it was just refreshing to have some down time and see the hustle and bustle of the city.
My favorite part about the city, other than the food, is the Chicago Riverwalk. Although during our trip it was a little bit cold, and most vendors weren’t open, it was worth walking along to see some of the city’s architecture, and the beautiful skyline from below. Honestly, I feel like we can’t wait to get back to the city mainly for the Riverwalk. In the summer you can tell this must be the place to be. There are restaurants, bars, and even ice cream vendors that line the Chicago Riverwalk – enough to keep you busy all day. And if you want to take a tour, they have boat tours that float on through, something I am definitely going to consider on our next visit.
When we weren’t worried about seeing the sites, Adam and I were worried about eating good pizza. Thanks to recommendations from family we got traditional deep dish pizza from a pizza chain in Chicago, Giordano’s. We ended up creating our own pizza (pesto chicken) and it was seriously so delicious, we have already considered having pizzas shipped from Chicago to Pittsburgh (they really do that!).
During our day visiting family we explored a few different areas surrounding the city of Chicago. We ended up eating brunch at a delicious restaurant – AMK Kitchen Bar, where I got to experience Chicken and Waffles, and Adam of course got the most delicious thing – Stuffed French Toast. I wish we were able to stay longer because the menu for dinner looked so good, and they had a nice list of handcrafted cocktails!
To walk off all of our food we spent the afternoon visiting the Chicago Zoo, and walking through downtown neighborhoods. (Bonus to the day, I got to see a Polar Bear!!!)
For even more pizza (I was too hungry to take pictures) we stopped at Pequod’s Pizza, where they have a deep dish pizza with the most delicious caramelized crust… I’m drooling thinking about it. I’d recommend pepperoni, sausage, and green peppers – SO GOOD. Later we went to a bar arcade, which I had never experienced before, and it was so much fun, and a major flashback – we got to play games like Pacman, Mortal Kombat, and Frogger. And lastly, as if I hadn’t eaten enough in one day, we stopped at Jeni’s in Wicker Park for seriously delicious ice cream. I tried a few flavors but had to get Coffee with Cream & Sugar, and Salted Peanut Butter with Chocolate Flecks (sounds so fancy). Again, no pictures, too hungry.
Ugh, when I look through my pictures and really think to recap my trip, Adam and I had so much fun. I love Pittsburgh, but a weekend away was so needed, and Chicago was so good to us – we cannot wait to go back.
Where’s your favorite weekend away spot?
Until next time,
Paige
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