Exploring the Windy City

A few weeks ago I surprised my husband with a trip to Chicago for our 8th anniversary. He is a big fan of Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture. Neither of us had ever been, so it would be an adventure. It was a lot of fun... we saw an awesome variety of architecture, walked (a lot!), and of course ATE at some really delicious restaurants! Below I have included links to some of the highlights of our trip.

We arrived Friday afternoon and first checked out the Rookery lobby which was remodeled by Frank Lloyd Wright. We snacked on some Garrett popcorn. I got half cheese and half pecan caramel crisp. We're not huge popcorn people, but it was so good that on our last day we went and got some for souvenirs, and for ourselves. We got the Chicago mix (cheese and caramel).

Our first Chicago meal was... You guessed it: Chicago style pizza from Giordanos. W-O-W! It was so awesome! It was at least 2 inches thick. My husband said "I've never eaten a pizza where just 2 pieces filled me up!"

We ended Friday getting food from this place in the mall called Wow Bao. They have Asian food that is really fresh and yummy. We split a spicy kung pao chicken bowl and a teriyaki chicken bao and and a thai curry chicken bao. They are steamed, filled buns. Their motto is Hot Asian Buns!

Saturday we just ate breakfast @ the hotel. We stopped to see Oak Park which is the area where Wright's home and studio are. Then we toured the Robie house, which is on the campus of the University of Chicago. After that we went to Navy Pier which has a lot of shops and restaurants, and a ferris wheel! We got lunch there and ate at the food court. He got pizza, but he was very disappointed because it wasn't Giordanos. I got a hot dog and curly fries from America's Dog.

F.L.W house in Oak Park

Wright's Home and Studio

Nathan at the Robie House

Robie House, Chicago, IL

For dinner we took a cue from Guy Fieri and went to Cemitas Puebla. We definitely had to trek off the beaten path, and the place was tiny, but it was delicious! They go to Mexico every month to get authentic spices. The majority of people there were Hispanic, so you know it has to be good!

 

Sunday we enjoyed leftover pizza for breakfast and then made our way to the John Hancock Observatory to get some good views of the city. For lunch we split a hoagie from Potbelly's sandwiches. There are several of these little shops throughout the city. For dinner we went a little fancier, The Grand Lux. For dessert we got pineapple upside down cake that they make from scratch when you order it! It was covered with caramel and macadamia nuts and served with ice cream! Yum! Then we got to see the city from the J.H. Observatory at night too.

 

Navy Pier

Monday we slept in a little and picked up our popcorn to take home. Then we tried to go to anothet Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives place called Panozzo's- but they are closed on Mondays! Boo! :( But it's okay, because instead we ate @ Yolk who has these delicious, vanilla-ey pancakes! I got a crepe filled with egg, mushrooms, and avocado, and Nathan got an omelet with chorizo and avocado. He said it was the best omelet he ever had!

We had a really awesome weekend, with good food and good sights, but the best part was getting to actually enjoy each other's company without feeling rushed or distracted (followed closely by the fact that I didn't gain any weight because we walked so much! Hehe).

So to all you out there who have places you've never been, take time to go! Enjoy it, have some fun, even if it's just a long weekend! :)