A weekend in Chicago
Start your weekend with breakfast at a Chicago institution, Ina’s Restaurant (1235 West Randolph Street; tel 001 312 226 8227;
breakfastqueen.com). At this contemporary but kitsch diner in Chicago's trendy West Loop Market District, chef Ina Pinkney and her team serve up hearty favourites, like Heavenly Hots (light sour cream pancakes) and Scrapple (a cornmeal loaf with Cheddar cheese and spices). Once you’ve had your fill, a short taxi ride away is the Museum of Contemporary Art (220 East Chicago Avenue; 001 312 280 2660;
mcachicago.org), an elegant horse shoe-shaped building bursting with outstanding visual art – mainly surrealist, minimalist and conceptual photography, plus work by local artists from 1945 to the present. Join a 45-minute tour, and afterwards browse at your own pace.
Now it’s time for a stroll along the ‘Magnificent Mile’ on Michigan Avenue, looking up to admire some of Chicago's tallest skyscrapers. Have lunch at Weber Grill (539 N. State Street; 001 312 467 9696;
webergrillrestaurant.com), known for its barbecued ribs cooked on giant grills. You really should try the ‘beer can chicken’ special – half a chicken roasted with garlic, beer, and a signature spice rub. Then spend the rest of the afternoon shopping in the Magnificent Mile’s countless boutiques and stores, including Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue, and the landmark Water Tower Place – an eight-storey shopping centre with over 100 top stores.
Before heading back to your hotel, take the elevator to the 96th floor of the John Hancock Centre to the Signature Lounge bar and restaurant and enjoy the stunning city views with a coffee, beer or cocktail.
For dinner, get your smart stuff on and head to one of the city’s sleekest restaurants, Tru (676 North St Clair St; 001 312 202 0001;
trurestaurant.com). Admire the dramatic black, white and rich blue velvet interiors as the chefs prepare delights such as ‘Peeky Toe’ crab and ‘Swan Creek Farm’ suckling pig in the theatre-style kitchen.
Later, soak up the atmosphere at one of Chicago’s favourite Blues bars, Blue Chicago (736 N. Clark; 001 312 642 6261;
bluechicago.com). This friendly 1920s-style club won’t fail to get your feet tapping.
On the Sunday, take the ‘El’ (CTA) Green Line to Oak Park for a fabulous all-you-can-eat $17.95 buffet brunch at Winberie's (151 N. Oak Park Avenue; 001 708 386-2600;
selectrestaurants.com). Create your own pasta, tuck into Belgian waffles, and dip into the chocolate fondue, then wash it down with a few pomegranate mimosas – and all for under $20. When you’ve had your fill, head to the nearby Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio (951 Chicago Avenue; Oak Park; 001 708 848 1976;
wrightplus.com), the home and workplace of the world-renowned architect from 1889-1909, the first 20 years of his career. Start with a guided or audio tour and then take a walk outside to see some of his creations. Wright designed 125 beautiful structures, including the Robie House, the Larkin Building and Unity Temple, and 25 of them are here in Oak Park.
If you have time, nearby is the museum of Ernest Hemingway, (200 N. Oak Park Ave; 001 708 848 2222). See rare photos, diary entries, and early writings, while just down the road you’ll find Hemingway’s birthplace (339 N. Oak Park Ave).
Tonight, it's time to have a laugh at The Second City (1616 N Wells Street; 001 312 337 3992;
secondcity.com), Chicago’s famous comedy club that launched the careers of comic greats such as John Belushi, Mike Myers, and Bill Murray. Afterwards, walk down the road to one of Chicago’s top Japanese restaurants, Kamehachi (1400 N Wells Street; 001 312 664 3663;
kamehachi.com). This low key but cosy eaterie serves up sushi, sashimi, maki and a fine selection of Japanese beers and sake.
One day in Chicago
Start your 24 hours in Chicago with a great breakfast at Ann Sather (929 W. Belmont Ave; 001 773 348 2378) – a popular establishment that’s been serving up hearty Swedish dishes since 1945. As you tuck into the delicious Swedish Pancakes and Anne’s legendary cinnamon rolls, notice the portrait of the woman herself smiling down at you.
Afterwards, take the Brown Line from Belmont to Millennium Park (Madison/Wabash Street exit). Take a stroll through the city’s stunning park (
millenniumpark.org) to the Art Institute of Chicago (111 South Michigan Avenue;
artic.edu). Here you’ll find a world-class collection of Impressionist paintings, ancient Egyptian bronzes and Greek vases, 19th-century British photography, masterpiece sculptures and modern American textiles. Take the Highlights of the Art Institute tour or head straight to the museum's renowned collection of Impressionist art, including Monet paintings, and the European and American contemporary art galleries, featuring the works of Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Salvador Dalí, Jackson Pollock and Andy Warhol. Don’t miss Georges Seurat's masterpiece Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, Grant Wood's American Gothic and Edward Hopper's iconic Nighthawks.
Jump in a cab (about a mile) to Heaven on Seven (600 N Michigan Ave; 001 312 280 7774) for lunch Louisiana-style. This lively, colourful joint serves up treats such as Louisiana crab cakes and jalapeno cheddar corn muffins and, if you still have room, go for the Key lime icebox pie for desert.
After lunch, you can take a leisurely Architecture River Cruise (
architecture.org). This 90-minute, narrated river cruise is the best way to admire the city’s stunning skyline and spotlights more than 50 architecturally significant sites, some of them designed by world-famous architects Mies van der Rohe, Skidmore Owings & Merrill and Helmut Jahn. Boats leave from the southeast corner of the Michigan Avenue Bridge & Wacker Drive. Look out for the blue awning marking the stairway entrance and allow 20 minutes for check-in and boarding.
If you fancy a pre-dinner drink, head to the legendary Green Door Tavern (678 N. Orleans St; 001 312 664 5496 (cross St Orleans and Huron). Don’t be put off by the garage-like exterior: the bar is housed in the last wooden building that was allowed this close to the Loop after the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. Inside, it’s crammed with Americana – old advertisements, an Uncle Sam handshake machine, Budweiser clock, antique musical instruments, black and white photographs – you name it, it’s hanging from the ceiling, the walls, or anywhere there’s a space.
For dinner, head to Opera (1301 S. Wabash Ave; 001 312 461 0161), a favourite in the increasingly chic Wabash and Roosevelt district. The interiors here are elegant yet gritty, and the cuisine is contemporary Asian. Chef Paul Wildermuth creates delights such as lobster Cantonese, with a fragrant, curry-scented lobster sauce, and kung pao beef with broccoli in a hot chili-garlic black bean sauce.
Then spend the rest of the night at Blues at Buddy Guy's (754 S Wabash Ave; 001 312 427 0333;
buddyguys.com), known for its blues memorabilia and its showcase of top musical talents from all genres. The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison and David Bowie are among the A-list musicians who have performed here.
One hour in Chicago
If you have just one hour in the windy city, you should definitely use it to explore the delights of Millennium Park in downtown Chicago on Michigan Avenue between Randolph and Monroe Streets. This stunning park is a haven of interactive art, music, architecture and landscape design, with something to keep you entertained year round. You won’t have time to see all 24.5 acres, but make sure you take time to admire the Crown Fountain – two towering glass sculptures displaying visual effects from LED images of Chicagoans' faces, taken from a cross-section of 1,000 residents, with water spouting from their lips.
Then take a walk under the reflective Cloud Gate sculpture, a liquid mercury inspired sculpture that’s 66-feet long and 33-feet high and affectionately known as ‘The Bean’, and take a stroll through the Lurie Garden – designed to celebrate Chicago's transformation from flat marshland to a modern, major city. Its flora and fauna have been planted to evolve with the seasons.
Millennium Park is also home to the stunning silver Jay Pritzker Pavilion, designed by Frank Gehry. Standing 120-feet tall, it has a shimmering headdress of brushed stainless steel ribbons and crisscrossing steel pipes. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch one of the free concerts. Take a seat and enjoy the pavilion’s state-of-the-art sound systems, designed to create the same acoustics you’d get in an indoor concert hall. If you want to relax and soak up the atmosphere, The Park Grill (11 N. Michigan Ave) is the perfect spot for people watching. In the winter, it overlooks the park’s beautiful ice-skating rink, which converts back to an outdoor café in the summer months. You can even download an audio tour to your MP3 player at
millenniumpark.org.
