Chicago
I recently spent some time in Chicago for the BlogHer Food Conference. The conference itself was a great experience, but the most valuable aspect of it for me was getting the opportunity to talk to and hang out with some fantastic bloggers I really admire. It was also a nice mini vacation and my first time visiting Chicago, so that was great as well. However, the true highlight of the trip was hearing Sarah Michelle Gellar, the closing keynote guest, speak about her new company, Foodstirs. She was a true delight (soooo nice!), and I appreciated what she had to say about eating and cooking with her family. Of course there was also some talk about Buffy and what it's like to start a business as a woman. It was refreshing.
Do you have any idea how many photos I had to take of her talking to get one that looked somewhat decent? She's a very animated speaker, so getting a photo of her where she doesn't look totally insane was hard. This just goes to show that celebrities are actually human and also take terrible photos. We're not alone!
Robert came along to Chicago with me and did his own thing while I was attending the conference. (He was really bummed that he couldn't sneak in to hear Sarah Michelle Gellar speak.) We arrived early on a Thursday morning and the conference was Friday/Saturday, so we did have all of Thursday to explore the city together. We also managed to squeeze in some roaming together in the evenings during the conference days. So thankfully we ended up hanging out together a lot more than we had expected.
I used the Foodie Crush Food Blogger's Guide of Where to Eat in Chicago to steer us in the right direction, but we ended up at a lot of random places as well. So here's a breakdown of our trip where I basically just tell you everything we ate:
THURSDAY
BEATRIX
WHAT WE ATE
• belgian waffles with strawberries
• "eggs your way" (over easy) with hash browns, toast and brown sugar bacon
WHAT I DRANK
• power greens juice
• honey and cinnamon latte with almond milk
THOUGHTS: This was our second breakfast of the day when we arrived in Chicago on Thursday. We had flown out of Philly at 6am, so it was time to eat again by 10:30ish in the morning. I loved the green juice - it was so invigorating (it had some fresh mint in there) and it made me feel instantly better about life. The rest of the food was also spectacular. Those belgian waffles were some of the best I've ever had, with a perfectly crunchy outside and a fluffy but chewy interior. This is a great spot!
GLAZED AND INFUSED
WHAT WE ATE
• vanilla bean glazed donut
THOUGHTS: We passed this place on our way to Beatrix so we popped over afterwards for a little breakfast dessert. The donut was the size of Robert's face and totally amazing. It was so intense that I don't think we ever actually finished it, even though I kept it in my purse for snacking throughout the rest of the day.
VELVET TACO
WHAT WE ATE
• the wtf (weekly taco feature) with pan-seared salmon and grilled persimmons on a corn tortilla
• the annatto shredded pork taco with avocado crema, grilled pineapple, pickled onion, queso fresco, cilantro and a corn tortilla
• rotisserie corn ("elote-style" with queso fresca, asadero cheese, valentina, crema and lime)
THOUGHTS: After breakfast we did a lot of window shopping on "The Magnificent Mile," and then we stopped here for an afternoon snack. Even though the tacos were a bit too spicy for us, we were very impressed by the food. Thankfully we asked them not to put the hot sauce in our corn just in time, or else that would have ruined Robert's life. There's nothing he likes more than some good creamy corn, and making it spicy would have been devastating. We sat upstairs in front of the open windows looking out onto the city, which was so pleasant and relaxing. I bet this place would be perfect for a late-night drunk food stop after some bar-hopping.
THE SIGNATURE LOUNGE
WHAT WE DRANK
• blood orange margarita
• Heavenly Helles lager
WHAT WE ATE
• anti-hero cheese dip (a beer cheese dip with toasted slices of a pretzel baguette)
THOUGHTS: This place was amaaaaazing. It's the bar on the 96th floor of the Hancock building in the center of town. Almost all of the tables are set up right at the windows, and the view is out of control. The drinks were pricey (although really good), but you don't have to pay to actually get up there, and it's worth it for the view alone. We were able to get right in, but I think we were there around 5pm (on a Thursday). By the time we left there was a longer line to get in, so it's probably better to hit this place up on a weekday or at least earlier in the day to beat the cocktail hour crowd. I would call this a "must-visit."
SEASONS 52
WHAT WE DRANK
• Revolution Brewery Eugene Porter
• "Pearfect Storm" (Absolut Pears, St. Germain, Fresca, Bosc pears and thyme)
WHAT WE ATE
• caramelized brussels sprouts with crispy bacon, garlic and parmesan crust
• roasted acorn squash with maple brown butter
• crisp romaine and baby kale caesar
• butternut squash soup with shiitake mushrooms and chives
• caramelized grilled sea scallops with butternut squash risotto, broccolini and lemon butter
THOUGHTS: If you can't already tell by that list up there of what we ordered, this place was fantastic. From what I gathered, they switch the menu up each week to reflect what's best at the markets and fits the season. We ended up with a bit too much food (ya think?), but it was all so good. All of the veggies were perfect. I love places like this where they change the menu because you can always have a new experience when you visit again.
LONE WOLF
WHAT WE DRANK
• harvest moon cocktail (with bourbon and cider, etc., house-carbonated)
• Brooklyn lager
THOUGHTS: This was a fun stop because I was able to meet up with Ileana from A Little Saffron! She wasn't attending the conference, but she was in town for a different conference for work and our schedules overlapped a little. She's a sweetheart (as expected), so I'm super happy that we were able to cross paths. This bar was hoppin' and the drinks were great. We had a lovely time chatting it up about food blogging and getting to know each other better. It's definitely worth a stop if you're bar-hopping downtown.
FRIDAY
THE COMMONS CLUB AT THE VIRGIN HOTEL
WHAT WE DRANK
• "Space Boy" (tequila, lime, violet liqueur, amaretto liqueur, chocolate bitters)
• some kind of Chicago pilsner
WHAT WE ATE
• cheese board
• shrimp dumplings
• lamb meatballs
THOUGHTS: This place had a great vibe. My cocktail was super interesting - not something I ever would have thought of, but our server recommended it to me and I really enjoyed it. The food wasn't my favorite (although I did enjoy the cheese board quite a bit), and it was definitely overpriced for how much was served. So I would recommend this place more for just a drink stop. However, now we want to stay at a Virgin hotel sometime because this place seemed awesome, and it sounds like they have an open bar for guests every night from 7-8pm. (?!??!)
SWIG
WHAT ROBERT DRANK
• Bell's Brown Ale
WHAT WE ATE
• BLT with avocado and chipotle mayo
• waffle fries
THOUGHTS: This was our stop down the street from Jeni's (see below) so we could stock up on some "real food" before gorging on ice cream. We screwed up slightly because we meant to ask for the chipotle mayo on the side ... but we forgot. So between that and the waffle fries it was a little too spicy for us. (We're seriously wimps in that department.) But, it was still really good. This place was just a really chill bar situation.
JENI'S ICE CREAM
WHAT WE ATE
• a cup with the salted peanut butter with chocolate flecks, the pistachio and honey, and the milkiest chocolate
THOUGHTS: I've been obsessed with Jeni's ever since I got her cookbook(s). I first visited a scoop shop of hers in Ohio and then this summer in Charleston. This stop was a must for me because my goal is to get to as many Jeni's locations as possible. You walk in and you instantly get hit with the smell of fresh waffle cones, and we watched one employee making some before we ordered. You can't go wrong here.
POPS FOR CHAMPAGNE
WHAT WE DRANK
• lagers? (I'm not sure specifically what Robert ordered ...)
• "Notso Cosmo" (rosemary lavender vodka, triple sec, lime, raspberry, rhubarb bitters, prosecco)
THOUGHTS: If you love champagne and bubbly cocktails, this is the place for you. I would describe it as "swanky fun." We met up with some other bloggers here, and the group kept growing until we took up an entire pocket of this place. The group included Steph from Girl Versus Dough, Erin from Well Plated, Rachel from Rachel Cooks, Katie from Healthy Seasonal Recipes, Taylor from Food Faith Fitness, and a handful of others. Great drinks, great atmosphere, great people. Loved it!
SATURDAY
EATALY
On Saturday there was a "lunch excursion" to Eataly as part of the conference. A group of us tried to get a table at one of the restaurants here, but we ran out of time. Going here at lunchtime on a Saturday is probably not the best idea for a large group. I had a nice time just wandering around, taking photos and inspecting all of the goods.
One of the things I did get was a juice from this amazing cold-pressed juice place called Owen + Alchemy. The one I ordered was the "No. 33," with sweet potato, carrot, apple, cinnamon, ginger and sea salt. It was DELICIOUS. I wish I could have tried all of them.
Most of us who had attempted to eat at the restaurant wound up getting sandwiches from the "Eat Panini" counter. I just got a classic caprese (with fresh mozzarella, basil and tomato), and it was wonderful. Those ingredients plus great bread is a hard thing to mess up.
So Eataly was fun, but a little overwhelming at the time. I would like to go again when it's maybe not as crowded and I have more time to hang out.
GODDESS AND THE BAKER
WHAT ROBERT HAD
• chicken salad sandwich with bacon, lettuce and potato chips on toasted multigrain
• Malka blonde ale
THOUGHTS: I didn't actually eat here, but Robert ate lunch here on Saturday while I was busy at the conference and he said it had my name written all over it. In fact, he couldn't stop talking about it, so I figured I had to mention it here. From what he said, the place had craft beers, baked goods, something called "liquid chocolate" (I do love a good hot chocolate), and coffee (including some kind of infamous maple sage latte), in addition to sandwiches and other stuff. If we end up in Chicago again I'm sure we'll try to hit this place up together.
HAVANA
WHAT WE DRANK
• mojitos: guava, raspberry and traditional
WHAT WE ATE
• guacamole with chips and salsa
• citrus marinated baby back ribs with mashed yucca
THOUGHTS: We ate dinner here with some other bloggers after the conference ended on Saturday evening. The ribs were kind of spicy (.... hahaha we're so terrible), but so frickin' good, especially with that mashed yucca. I don't normally order ribs but for some reason I was in the mood for them that night. Robert had eaten pretty soon before this, so we shared the ribs and guacamole, plus had our fill of mojitos (which were top notch). If you like Cuban food then I would definitely recommend this stop. We had a great time here with the other bloggers. It's a nice intimate little restaurant.
MAGNOLIA BAKERY
WHAT WE ATE
• chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream
THOUGHTS: I needed a little somethin' somethin' for dessert after that dinner, so this was where we ended up. (Robert tried to take me to Goddess and the Baker, but they were closed by this time.) I had experienced Magnolia Bakery before in NYC a few years ago, so I knew it would be good. Our slice of cake was what you would call "hefty," and it was perfect. I was in my happy place.
THOUGHTS: I do love good coffee, so I couldn't leave Chicago without visiting this famous coffee bar. I got up early on Sunday morning, left Robert sleeping, and took an invigorating morning stroll to the location closest to our hotel (The Hyatt Regency). I ordered my goodies, sat by the window, did some Instagramming, and then headed back to the hotel so we could check out and catch our shuttle back to the airport. The coffee was excellent, and it was a nice little "me moment." It made me feel like a cool city-slicker who was popping in for her morning coffee after an early morning yoga class or something. Hey - a central-PA girl can dream.
CHICAGO AIRPORT FOOD RECOMMENDATIONS
Airports have got to be one of the worst places for finding decent food. So this was a little unexpected, but we found some really good food by our gate.
WOLFGANG PUCK EXPRESS
WHAT WE ATE
• salad with baby kale, red quinoa, golden raisins, apples, fennel, marinated tomatoes, Parmesan, lemon vinaigrette
• chicken salad sandwich (they were out of the pesto aioli so Robert asked them to put bacon on it instead)
THOUGHTS: This will probably be my go-to spot at any airport that has one of these places. That salad was one of the best salads I've ever had, so now I'm dying to recreate it. Robert's sandwich was also excellent. Score!
GARRETT'S POPCORN
WHAT I ORDERED
• a small bag of the "Garrett Mix"
THOUGHTS: If you've never had Garret's popcorn then you're seriously missing out. You have to get the Garrett mix, which is their caramel corn and cheddar corn mixed together. That might sound kind of weird, but just trust me. It's totally addictive and it's like my personal crack.
So there ya have it: Our Chicago trip in a nutshell, as told by our food choices. Chicago is definitely a cool city, and I will gladly go back there anytime. Have you ever been there? What are your favorite spots?
Illustration at top created with pencil and Photoshop.
Prints of my illustration (along with other products with my work on them) are available in my Society6 shop.
