First off - I had posted previously on this, so thanks for everyone who came up with a recommendation! The wife and I just spent two weeks in Chicago, ate way too much, and wanted to give some thoughts.

First off, cultural shit:
1. We did a riverboat architectural cruise. I thought it was enjoyable, informational, and funny at times, though it was 75 minutes long and probably could have been 45. Probably not something kids would be into other than for the boat ride.

2. There was a post here about how kids would like the Field Museum, which I read as I was in the Field Museum and was like - what on earth are they talking about? Kids would hate this shit. I said this after I had only seen the stuffed bird part of the museum, which is boring. All of the new stuff is pretty awesome, and of course Sue is the main attraction. It's hard not to be stoked when you're looking at the T-Rex head and skeleton. Very cool trip.

3. The aquarium was alright. The beluga whales were the highlight of it for us, otherwise it received a B grade from us. If you've been to some of the better aquariums out there, it might be a miss for you.

4. The Art Institute of Chicago - if you're into art, this is pretty much a can't miss for you. I could have spent two days going through this and still felt like I had more to see. Amazing collection of impressionist and post-impressionist art. American Gothic and Nighthawks both get big billing here, but don't sleep on the rest of the collections. Very well curated and fun stop.

Food!

1. Giordanos beats Lou Malnatis. Neither are pizza.

2. Tavern style pizza is pretty great (not sure if there are places best known for this, but I ate it at D'Agostinos and it crushed).

3. Portillos is fine. Their hot dogs would be better with ketchup.

4. Alinea. I ate here last year and brought the wife back for this years. It's difficult to criticize Alinea because they're objectively pretty dead on with everything they do, but I preferred my first experience there. What seemed very whimsical the first time through felt very intense on my second trip - color, music, etc. The food is amazing, mind you - but the feel of the overall experience could have used a little lightness. Best dish of the night was a shrimp served multiple ways, with the heads stewed in a mace/nutmeg/foie/white sauce kind of thing. It was great. Michelin gives it 3 stars, and it's consistently voted in lists of best restaurants in the world, and it's hard to disagree.

5. Topolobampo - pretty great experience! They start you in a little sitting room for cocktails/mocktails/small bites, then transition you to your large table for the meal itself. Very high-end takes on traditional Mexican food, which was fantastic. Best dish of the night was their take on esquites (street corn). Michelin gives this 1 star, and that feels right on the money.

6. North Pond - the most "standard" of the restaurants we went to, it's set in a beautiful park location in an older building that just sort of screams Chicago at me. The service was on point, and it was a 4 course tasting menu with a few amuse bouche thrown in. The food was a bit uneven - my meat course the pork was pretty overcooked - but the flavors were good, if not particularly earth shattering or exciting. This was the most approachable restaurant from a price-point perspective. Michelin gives it 1 star, and I think it's kind of on the cusp. But certainly not a bad time out, and the setting is beautiful.

7. Elizabeth - I saved the best for last. This place was an absolute delight - though unexpectedly once I saw the location which is pretty sketchy. Playful, fun, really inventive cuisine - laid back atmosphere (like wear jeans and a tee-shirt if you want) blasting punk rock and the pogues while I ate. Every dish hit, and some absolutely wow'd - a couple made me feel similarly to how Alinea made me feel the first time, when I took a bite of something and it was completely not what I expected, and it's just really, really fun. Michelin gives it 1 star, and I have to assume they struggle with consistency, because I think it deserves a second.

Other stuff:
1. The game - yay, we won. Wisconsin fans are nice enough.

2. I miss living in a city with easy public transit.

3. The trivia scene is pretty solid! The Globe Pub is tough but a blast on Tuesday nights.

Tags:
travel