We’ve both visited Chicago a number of times for both business and pleasure and always end up having a good time. The city provides history, museums, beautiful architecture and great food and drink.
Lodging | Restaurants | Bars | Activities
Lodging
Sofitel Chicago Water Tower
20 E Chestnut St(312) 324-4000
www.sofitel-chicago.com
This hotel’s location has made this our go-to hotel in Chicago. The rooms a very comfortable and many provide stunning views of the city. The lounge features a very good cocktail program and many wines by the glass.
Amenities: Restaurant; lounge
Restaurants
avec
615 W. Randolph St(312) 377-2002
avecrestaurant.com
Bright place with a bar and long communal tables. Cozy but comfortable. Staff is solid and the food is delicious.
| Cuisine: | Contemporary American |
| Hours: | Lunch: Mon-Fri 11:30 – 2:00; Dinner: Sun-Thu 3:30 – 12:00, Fri-Sat 3:30 – 1:00; Sun Brunch: 10:00 – 2:00 |
| Dress: | Casual |
The Betty
839 W Fulton Market(312) 733-2222
www.thebettychicago.com
Beautiful lounge filled with dark wood. There’s a bar and several tables. They offer tasty tapas-style food and very good classic cocktails.
| Cuisine: | Small Plates |
| Hours: | Dinner: Mon-Thu: 4:00 – 12:00, Fri-Sat: 4:00 – 1:00; Bar: Mon-Sat: 4:00 – 2:00 |
| Dress: | Casual |
Blackbird
619 W. Randolph St.(312) 715-0708
www.blackbirdrestaurant.com
Our first experience here was quite enjoyable. A stark minimalist setting. Very good service and food.
| Cuisine: | Contemporary American |
| Hours: | Lunch: Mon-Fri 11:30 – 2:00; Dinner: Mon-Thu 5:30 – 10:30, Fri-Sat 5:30 – 11:30 |
| Dress: | Casual |
Frontera Grill
445 N. Clark St.(312) 661-1434
www.rickbayless.com/restaurants/frontera-grill/
Located in the same building as chef Bayless’ higher-end restaurant Topolobompo this casual Mexican eatery provides delicious authentic dishes. We found the services to be very good as well. Don’t forget to have a Margarita as they are excellent.
| Cuisine: | Mexican |
| Hours: | Lunch: Tue–Fri 11:30 – 2:30; Dinner: Tue: 5:20 – 10:00, Wed-Thu 5:00 – 10:00, Fri-Sat 5:00 – 11:00; Brunch: Sat 10:30 – 2:00 |
| Dress: | Casual |
Nico Osteria
1015 N. Rush St.(312) 994-7100
www.nicoosteria.com
An attractive restaurant offering outside, inside and bar seating. We’ve only been for brunch but found the service to be friendly and prompt and the food to be quite good.
| Cuisine: | Italian |
| Hours: | Breakfast: Mon-Fri 7:30 – 10:30; Lunch: Mon-Fri: 11:00 – 4:30; Dinner: Sun-Thu: 5:00 – 10:00, Fri-Sat: 5:00 – 11:00 |
| Dress: | Casual |
Publican
837 W. Fulton Mkt.(312) 445-8977
www.thepublicanrestaurant.com
Tapas-style concept; very tasty food; good service.
| Cuisine: | Contemporary American |
| Hours: | Dinner: Mon-Thu: 3:30 P.M. – 10:30 P.M., Fri-Sat: 3:30 P.M. – 11:30 P.M., Sun: 5:00 P.M. – 10:00 P.M.; Sunday Brunch: 10:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M. |
| Dress: | Casual |
Spiaggia
980 North Michigan Ave(312) 280-2750
www.spiaggiarestaurant.com
The recently renovated Tony Mantuano restaurant provides stunning views of Lake Michigan in a modern setting. Service is very professional but not stuffy. Your choices for dining are seven our fourteen course tasting menus with our without wine pairings. This makes for a pricey evening but the food is very good.
| Cuisine: | Italian |
| Hours: | Dinner: Mon-Thu: 5:30 – 10:00; Fri-Sat: 5:00 – 11:00; Sun: 5:00 -10:00 |
| Dress: | Business Casual |
Bars
Old Town Ale House
219 W North Ave,(312) 944-7020
www.theoldtownalehouse.com
If you’re looking for a good example of a “drinking bar” the Old Town Ale house would be it. There is a long wooden bar along one wall and tables along the other. There is a good selection of beer and the service is solid. Don’t miss the interesting political pictures on the wall.
| Cuisine: | None |
| Hours: | Mon-Fri: 3:00 P.M. – 4:00 A.M.; Sat: 12:00 P.M. – 5:00 A.M.; Sun: 12:00 P.M. – 4:00 A.M. |
Pops for Champagne
601 North State St(312) 266-7677
popsforchampagne.com
Pops has become a regular stop when we visit Chicago. This is no surprise since Aasma’s motto is “Life is short. You should always drink Champagne.” The space has a modern feel with a wrap-around bar in the center of the room surrounded by tables. As you would expect, they offer a huge selection of bubbles by the class and bottle. There is also a selection of raw seafood and small plates. NOTES: There is live jazz at 9:00 Sun-Tue.
| Cuisine: | American |
| Hours: | Sun–Fri: 3:00 P.M. – 2:00 A.M., Sat: 1:00 P.M. – 2:00 A.M. |
Activities
Museum of Science and Industry
5700 S Lake Shore Dr(773) 684-1414
www.msichicago.org
If you’re into science, you’ll enjoy this museum. On our one visit we had limited time and focused on the very interesting CSI exhibit that was there.
| Hours: | Daily: 9:00 A.M. – 5:30 P.M. |
| Fee: | $27 for adults |
International Museum of Surgical Science
1524 N Lake Shore Dr(312) 642-6502
www.imss.org
I’d heard about this museum while watching Anthony Bordain’s Layover show. It sounded interesting so we checked it out. The exhibits provide information about infectious disease, apothecary, genetics, nursing and more. NOTES: On our visit the first floor contained a genetics exhibit. While incredibly interesting, it was overwhelming. We thought that if the whole museum was like this we would need a nap. Luckily that isn’t the case.
| Hours: | Tue-Fri: 10:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M.; Sat-Sun: 10 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. |
| Fee: | $15 |