We had a little bit of a wild (but super fun) little travel stint this past April-May.
We went back to our beloved France (Paris & Chenonceaux) in April for a little over a week. And then a few weeks later, we went to Chicago.
Why Chicago specifically, you ask? Because one of my favorite vocalists of all time was touring through and it’s been on my bucket list for oh, 17 years, to see her live.
The trip would have been spectacular even if it was just to see Imogen Heap, but we also got to meet up with some amazing friends who live in Seattle. It worked out for us to share an adorable Airbnb and sightsee and eat Chicago deep dish together…and it was just lovely!
Here is what we did in Chicago:
Airbnb
Well, we stayed in this super cute and modern Airbnb in North Central Chicago on N Damen (can’t remember the exact neighborhood name). It had such nice decor (see shelf above) and a great location with walking distance to lots of good foor, breweries and also wasn’t too loud at night.
Shedd Aquarium
My husband insists on taking a trip to the aquarium every time we visit Chicago. The last time we visited we were both in college, so it was fun to come back and enjoy the animals once again. It’s an investment, but there is truly several hours of animals to see.
Learn more about the Shedd Aquarium
Archiectural Boat Tour
I’m so glad that a few people recommended this boat tour to me because it was such a fabulous way to see Chicago. I didn’t realize all of the architectural history, and you can’t beat being toured around the city on a boat when it’s sunny and 70s, right?!
The Publican
After much deliberation, I settled on The Publican for our special dinner out while in Chicago…and I’m so glad I did! Not only did we get to meet up with some fun old friends who are now Chicago-ites, but the meal and drink selection was just great! It was adventurous but still filling and familiar. They focus on meat, but they had so many great veggie options and amazing bread cooked by their bakery across the street.
Spacca Napoli Pizzeria
Our first culinary stop after arriving in Chicago was about a 20-minute walk from our Airbnb at Spacca Napoli Pizzeria. It was honestly one of the more memorable meals of our trip, even for Sunday lunch. The pizza was Neopolitan-style (definitely not Chicago- but we ate that later) with quality fresh ingredients. We started with some incredible burrata and toasted bread, then moved on to a margherita pizza and finished with an Italian chocolate gelato dessert.
Frontera Grill
I absolutely love making lunch reservations when I’m on vacation in a new city because it truly feels like vacay when you have a cocktail and special lunch out, and it’s usually much more affordable than dinner. I’m really glad Frontera fit into our lunch schedule, so we could try the delicious Mexican fare
Steingold’s of Chicago
Whenever I find out where I’m staying in a new city, I like to check Google Maps for well-rated food spots nearby. Steingold’s was one place I found about 5 minutes away from our Airbnb, and they had some amazing bagels with a serious amount of cream cheese (just how I like it).
Biscuit Man
It’s hard to pin down Chicago style, kind of like a hard exterior with a soft interior. I find the city and people that way, so it was no surprise that Biscuit Man served us up with delicious biscuits housed in a local bar. While my biscuit was $10, it was packed full of flavor with tomato jam, goat cheese, bacon and more.
Dovetail Brewery
We were also lucky to have a few breweries nearby, so we hit up Dovetail for some beer and even shandy! This was a nice little neighborhood spot for a good conversation with friends.
Thanks for joining us on this trip recap.