Things to do in Great Lakes
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Signature Room at the 95th
Given that diners spend most of the meal gaping at the soul-stirring views, you’d think the kitchen atop the Hancock wouldn’t trouble itself with the food, but the chef does a fine job with the fish, steak and pasta dishes, many of which have a seasonal twist. The lunch buffet ($20, served Monday to Saturday) is the best deal for the view, since the price isn’t much more than a foodless ticket to the observation deck. Cheapskates should note they can get the same vista for the price of a (costly) beer, one flight up in the Signature Lounge.
reviewed
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Illinois Centennial Memorial Column
What’s that giant phallic thing in the middle of the road, causing traffic to swerve every which way? Excellent question. Most locals have no idea. Turns out it’s a monument commemorating the 100th anniversary of Illinois’ statehood, by a gent named Henry Bacon – the same architect who created the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. The eagle atop the Doric column echoes that on the Illinois state flag. The reliefs of Native Americans, explorers, farmers and laborers represent the great changes the state experienced during its first century.
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Four Seasons Hotel
Service is taken seriously here. Call for food day or night and they’ll attempt to fulfill any request, on the menu or not. Even the little ones are pampered – with munchkin-sized bathrobes and a special teen-interest concierge in summer. Slip into the spa for a four-seasons aromatherapy treatment with scents from winter, spring, summer and fall. Then relax further, dipping into the pool beneath the Romanesque domes. The elegantly tailored rooms are scheduled for an update in ‘08, so expect even more amenities to come.
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Pasticceria Natalina
A bright green awning announces the little bakery of Natalie and Nick Zarzour, who achieve the most authentic Italian sweets in the city by importing the hard-to-find ingredients (including pistachios, rosewater and Sicilian sheep’s milk ricotta) from the motherland. The creations change daily, though all are made with unfailing attentiveness. The luckiest visitors pick up cassata, a Sicilian liqueur-soaked cake filled with sweet ricotta cream, and a box of old-fashioned Sicilian lemon cookies – bites of buttery, crumbly goodness.
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Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site
A surprise awaits near Collinsville, 8 miles east of East St Louis: classified as a Unesco World Heritage Site with the likes of Stonehenge, the Acropolis and the Egyptian pyramids is Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site. Cahokia protects the remnants of North America's largest prehistoric city (20,000 people, with suburbs), dating from AD 1200. While the 65 earthen mounds, including the enormous Monk's Mound and the 'Woodhenge' sun calendar, are not overwhelmingly impressive in themselves, the whole site is worth seeing.
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Merchandise Mart
Beautifully restored in the early 1990s, the Mart contains a modest collection of chain stores on its lower floors. But the real allure lies on the upper floors devoted to distributor showrooms for home furnishings and other interior fittings. As you prowl the halls, you can find next year’s hot trends on display today. Technically, only retailers and buyers can shop on most of these floors, though LuxeHome, with its 100,000 sq ft of kitchen and bathroom fixtures, is open to the public (you must see the concierge to get a free ‘guide’).
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Smoque
- Chicago, USA
- Restaurants › Bbq
This squeaky-clean, family-friendly barbecue joint is all about slow-cooked meats. The baby-back and St Louis–style ribs are what line ’em up: they’re smoked over oak and applewood and soaked in a tangy, slightly sweet sauce. The brisket and pulled pork aren’t far behind in making carnivores swoon (including Guy Fieri, who featured it on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives ). Brisket-flecked baked beans, cornmeal-crusted mac ’n’ cheese, freshly cut fries, citrusy coleslaw and peach cobbler round out the trim menu. BYOB.
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Astor Street
In 1882 Bertha and Potter Palmer were the power couple of Chicago. His web of businesses included the city’s best hotel and a huge general merchandise store that he later sold to a clerk named Marshall Field. When they later relocated north from Prairie Ave to a crenellated castle of a mansion at what is now 1350 N Lake Shore Dr, the Palmers set off a lemminglike rush of Chicago’s wealthy to the neighborhood around them. The mansions sitting along Astor St, especially the 1300 to 1500 blocks, reflect the grandeur of that heady period.
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May May Gourmet Food Inc
Ask a Chinatown local for the most authentic meal in the neighborhood and you’ll invariably be directed down a side street to the green-painted exterior of this windowless café, also referred to simply as ‘Gourmet Restaurant.’ Don’t be put off; what it lacks in decor – which is considerable – is made up with the freshness of their made-to-order Cantonese dishes. Expect some degree of language barrier, easily overcome by pointing to the delicious-looking dish on the table next to you.
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Valois Cafeteria
It’s a mixed crowd at Valois. In fact, the clientele is so socioeconomically diverse that a U of C sociology professor wrote a well-known book about it, titled Slim’s Table. It seems hot, fast, Southern-style dishes like French toast, bacon, biscuits, pot pies and patty melts attract all kinds – even Barack Obama, who used to chow here regularly (enjoying steak and eggs, according to the sign at the counter). It’s a real-deal cafeteria, so know what you want before reaching the front of the fast-moving line. Cash only.
reviewed
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Swedish American Museum Center
The permanent collection at this small storefront museum focuses on the lives of the Swedes who originally settled Chicago. In that sense it reflects the dreams and aspirations of many of the groups who have poured into the city since it was founded. You can check out some of the items people felt were important to bring with them on their journey to America. Butter churns, traditional bedroom furniture, religious relics and more are all included. The children’s section lets kids climb around on a steamship and milk fake cows.
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Chicago Cultural Center
The block-long, beaux arts building houses art exhibitions, foreign films, and jazz and world music concerts at 12:15pm on weekdays. It also contains the world's largest Tiffany stained-glass dome, Chicago's main visitor center and a local authors' gallery, in which you can browse Nelson Algren and Studs Terkel books.
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Water Tower
Landmark The 154ft-tall, turreted tower is a defining city landmark: it was the sole downtown survivor of the 1871 Great Fire.
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Piece
The thin flour-dusted crust of ‘New Haven–style’ pizza at this spacious Wicker Park microbrewery offers a welcome reprieve from the city’s omnipresent deep-dish. The best is the white variety – a sauceless pie dressed simply in olive oil, garlic and mozzarella – which makes a clean pairing with brewer Jon Cutler’s award-winning beer. The easygoing, sky-lit ambience changes after dark, when ball games beam down from ubiquitous flat screens, an occasional band plugs in, and the 30-something patrons get a bit more boisterous.
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Gage
- Chicago, USA
- Restaurants › Pub
It’s clear from the formidable Scotch egg – a sausage-encased, deep-fried, hard-boiled beast with the girth of a softball – that this elegant, Irish-tinged gastro pub is serious about its menu. Standards include the Camembert-topped Gage burger ($16, but worth it) and Guinness-battered fish and chips, while more exotic options include roast saddle of elk and barbecue lamb shanks. Ask the knowledgeable servers which beers from the well-curated list best accompany your food. Note the bar stays open later, usually until 2am.
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Cold Comforts Café
Sure, Cold Comforts does begrudgingly cater to unadventurous souls with smoked turkey, and ham and cheese, but the magic in their nearly 50 choices are the ones that push boring deli definitions to the limit. With one called ‘Who Is Che Guevara?’ (a hot turkey pastrami, feta, tomato and spinach delight on ciabatta) or the amazing ‘Torta de Kosher Salchicha, ’ (strips of kosher dogs, lettuce, tomato, mozzarella and chipotle sauce), they’re easily Wicker Park’s most creative deli.
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Nuevo Leon
Tour buses line up, disgorging dozens of gringo tourists to sample the famed cuisine of Pilsen’s most celebrated restaurant. Sounds horrible, right? Wrong. This huge place is a well-deserved tour stop, and tourists are well outnumbered by the Latino families who fill the tables. Outstanding tacos, tamales and enchiladas are available, though the dish most likely to blow any meat eater’s taste buds is the assado de puerco – tender roast pork served with homemade flour tortillas. The breakfast is also excellent.
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Chinatown
Chinatown’s charm is best enjoyed by going from bakery to bakery, nibbling chestnut cakes and almond cookies, then shopping for Hello Kitty trinkets and tea in the small shops. Old Chinatown stretches along Wentworth Ave south of Cermak, and is the neighborhood’s traditional retail heart (and a good place to purchase a turtle). Chinatown Square, along Archer Ave north of Cermak, is the newer commerce district; it’s filled with restaurants and is at its wonderful noisiest on weekends.
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Hutchinson Street District
In marked contrast to some of Uptown’s seedier areas, the Hutchinson St District is a well-maintained area perfect for a genteel promenade. Homes here were built in the early 1900s and represent some of the best examples of Prairie School residences in Chicago. Several of the homes along Hutchinson St – including the one at 839 Hutchinson St – are the work of George W Maher, a famous student of Frank Lloyd Wright. Also of note are 817 Hutchinson St and 4243 Hazel St.
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Wiener's Circle
As famous for its unruly, foul-mouthed ambience as its char-dogs and cheddar fries, the Wiener Circle is the place for late-night munchies. It helps to be shnockered before entering.
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West Loop Galleries
Tucked between meatpacking plants and warehouses, the galleries of the West Loop are the beachhead for contemporary art in Chicago. Though they’re less entrenched than their River North peers, the lower rents here mean larger showrooms. Generally speaking, the galleries also take bigger chances on up-and-coming and controversial artists. Gallery hours typically run from 11am to 5pm, Tuesday to Saturday; admission is free. Check www.westloop.org for listings. Note that owners often take off a week or two in August.
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Goose Island Brewery
Goose Island’s popular beers are served in bars and restaurants around Chicago, but it tastes best here at the source. The pub pours the flagship Honker’s Ale and 14 or so other potent brews. If you’re lucky, the 10% Extra Naughty Goose or Maple Bacon Stout, served with a meaty slice, will be on tap. A four-beer flight (5oz per glass) costs $8. Tours ($7) take place on Sundays at 1:30pm, 3pm and 4:30pm and must be reserved in advance. Fine grub complements the brews; special kudos to the Stilton burger and chips.
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Lyric Opera of Chicago
By taking on a premiere of William Bolcom’s A Wedding (an adaptation of a Robert Altman movie) for its 50th anniversary, the Lyric Opera showed its stripes. The seasons of this truly great modern opera company are popular with subscribers, who fill the ornate Civic Opera House for a shrewd mix of common classics and daring premieres from September to March. If your Italian isn’t up to snuff, don’t be put off; much to the horror of purists, the company projects English ‘supertitles’ above the proscenium.
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Fox & Obel’s
A short stroll from Navy Pier, this bustling café has a boon of options for those looking to avoid dodgy, overpriced carnival food. Early in the day, the egg dishes are excellent; later, try sandwich options ranging from upscale (roast beef and blue brie) to classic (grilled cheese), or one of the well-executed comfort-centric large plate options, like the roasted salmon over succotash. If you can’t find anything you like, the adjoining store is packed with supplies for an idyllic picnic on the pier.
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Behind-the-Scenes Chicago Pizza Tour
3 hours 30 minutes (Departs Chicago, Illinois)
by Viator
Get an exclusive view inside four famous Chicago pizzerias on this 3.5-hour tour and enjoy delicious slices at each! With your small group, go beyond the…Not LP reviewed
from USD$60.00