Visiting Chicago in the Summer- Where to stay, fine dine, getting around by bike, attractions- July 2015
Hotel Recommendations in Chicago
Hampton Inn on Huron. The staff is fantastic helping in any way they can for directions, cabs and any other requests. The rooms were very spacious and nice. They offer a free breakfast of eggs, waffles, fruits, breads and more. The location was great situated not far from many of the popular restaurants, lake front and navy pier so you cannot beat that. They offer a big workout gym and nice outdoor heated pool to swim in. The Hotel near Magnificent Mile, has wonderful views of Lake Michigan and Michigan Avenue. It has easy access to shopping, dining, museums and family-friendly attractions in Downtown Chicago. They have a heated outdoor swimming pool and an on-site restaurant serving English and American cuisine. Located nearby are the Apple Store, Water Tower Place Mall, Navy Pier and the John Hancock Building.
Relax in the spacious rooms and suites at this Navy Pier hotel. Choose from a standard guest room, one-room studio suite or accessible room and enjoy many amenities designed with you in mind. Our Navy Pier hotel offers clean and comfortable rooms. Included in Every Stay are the following:
- Free hot breakfast
- Clean and fresh Hampton bed®
- Free WiFi in every room
- Gym/fitness center use
More info and to book your reservation on the link below.
The New Hyatt Place downtown Chicago loop recently opened at 28 N. Franklin Street. It is located in a very nice location with a friendly staff. You can tell everyone is trying hard to make your visit great. Free hot/cold breakfast and very nice atmosphere. I loved the old school 70’s-80’s soft pop cover background music in the lobby area. The room was very clean and modern. My favorite thing about the room was the dark out pull down shade with no light sneaking in the morning. The location was great near the Chicago River and it was very easy to get around. A nice full size gym on the 3rd floor with cardio and weights plus a heated indoor pool on the 2nd floor make this hotel even more attractive. Overall, it was a very nice stay, friendly, casual vibe yet professional.
The Hyatt Place Chicago / Downtown -The Loop is an 18-story building with 206 guest rooms conveniently located in the heart of “the city”. This new hotel is ideal for shopping, cultural & social favorites, business travel and many exciting events all just minutes away. The vibe is very casual yet it is very modern and chic inside. I would highly recommend a stay there.
http://chicagodowntowntheloop.place.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html
Getting Around:
The way to get to the city is GO Airport Express – They provide shuttles and private transportation to/from the airport.
GO Airport Express also provides non airport transportation point to point services for groups and private travelers starting as low as $50.00. We believe it’s an attractive rate for groups who want to travel together from their hotel to a sporting event, museum or restaurant.
http://airportexpress.hudsonltd.net/rwd?USERIDENTRY=PTOP&LOGON=GO
Phone: (800) 654-7871
Web: http://www.airportexpress.com – Email: [email protected]
Tours: https://www.airportexpress.
Bike and Roll located on Navy Pier and Millennium Park offers bike rentals first and tours second and if you like exercise and the ease to get around the bike friendly city, this is the way to go. Just be careful for the crazy car drivers that usually don’t give way to pedestrians and bikes. The other bike company I highly recommend is Bobby’s Bike Hike which offers multiple city tours and rentals. They are very popular despite the one small location and their lake front, gangster and food/brew tours are most popular. Either way, both companies are great and I highly suggest doing one of the tours and renting a bike to get around for the ease and convenience not to mention the workout where you can bike many miles on the lakefront and through parks.
http://bikechicago.com/ and http://www.bobbysbikehike.com/
Fine Dining:
Gibsons was the classic steakhouse with old time experienced and hospitable service including my server David. Old style red booths after entering the big signed venue. The crab/avocado appetizer was delicious. I ordered the bone-in filet which was cooked to perfection with a side of Bearnaise sauce. It came with a house salad and I added a baked potato to compliment the meal. They have a great variety of meats, seafood and chops but the steak is what to get here.
Try one of their great wines off their extensive wine list or a signature cocktail to enhance your meal. Finish your dining experience with a coffee or after dinner drink and peanut butter pie while you stumble out. Highly recommended and highly rated. Big flavor steaks and chops, fresh fish daily and enormous lobster tails — all matched with an extensive wine list. An evening out at Gibsons will include a fun and happening atmosphere with light entertainment, large portions of food and uncompromising service. Gibsons is the Chicago Steakhouse. http://www.gibsonssteakhouse.com
Joes Stone Crab This popular place follows its Miami location and has a great following. Of course, don’t miss the stone crab but they have a wide selection of seafood as we had a crab/shrimp salad and the suggested copper river salmon that is in season only for a short time. The service was excellent and the place was packed for lunch which is a great sign of how good the dining experience was. The decor was upscale and everyone that worked there was dressed to a tee. Another high recommendation and place not to miss.
The legendary Joe’s Stone Crab first opened in Miami Beach in 1913. It all began when Joseph Weiss, the “Joe” of Joe’s Stone Crab, and his wife Jennie set up seven or eight tables on the front porch of the house they owned. 100 years later, Joe’s has become one of the most beloved and widely recognized restaurants in the world, famous for its Florida Stone crab, signature sides and Key lime pie.In 2000, a partnership was born between the Sawitz/Weiss family and renowned restaurateur Richard Melman, founder of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises (LEYE). Based in Chicago, LEYE, is one of the nation’s leading independent restaurant groups, owning, managing and licensing nearly 100 establishments. Together they opened Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab in Chicago, a restaurant featuring a selection of prime steaks, quality seafood and the signature dishes of Joe’s Stone Crab. The restaurant quickly built a reputation as one of the most popular restaurants in Chicago. http://www.joes.net/location/chicago/?loc=chicago
My favorite restaurant of the whole trip was Rosebuds on Taylor (the original one in Little Italy pictured above). Nothing topped the food and great service by my waiter Patrick, who has been there over 20 yrs. He was so gracious and attentive. The food and portions were off the charts. How about staring with the best Grilled calamari I have ever had and that speaks volumes as I have had hundreds of them before. The flash fried eggplant salad with arugula, mozzarella cheese and tomatoes with a vinaigrette dressing was outstanding. For the main course, I had the wide parpadella pasta noodles in a vodka cream sauce and jumbo shrimp.
The menu is very extensive with a selection of pasta, chicken, veal and other dishes to choose from. You cannot go wrong. Just wonderful and worth the trip and sit outside on the patio on a nice day. Do yourself a favor and have the best Tiramisu I can remember for dessert and you will be completely satisfied. The original Rosebud on Taylor Street is an authentic, neighborhood Italian restaurant. With a loyal clientele, rustic recipes such as sausage and peppers, Italian wedding soup and veal bracciola, the Rosebud on Taylor has served Chicago’s Little Italy and the greater Chicago land area for over 33 years. http://www.rosebudchicago.com/The_Rosebud/
Joe Fish (pictured above)– Sister Property of Rosebuds Restaurants and one of their newly opened places specializing in seafood. The oysters (fanny bay) were some of the best while the grilled calamari and tasty burrata cheese and beefsteak tomato salad were also musts. For dinner, the lobster with a spice sauce and manchini pasta was very good but the best dish was the shrimp risotto. Try one of their signature cocktails or glasses of wine to accompany your meal. Our server Alexandra just started a few weeks before but was knowledgeable and very sweet. The carrot cake was to die for and one of the best I have had in a long time. The atmosphere was very modern and chic with a great vibe. They had tables, booths and a bar. Great location and we highly recommend it for a great seafood dining experience. http://www.rosebudrestaurants.com/#!restaurants/joe-fish
Tavern on Rush (pictured above)– This classic steakhouse was very trendy especially the downstairs bar/lounge where young hipsters tend to hang out. The upstairs dining room was very elegant and overlooked Rush Street. Before I get into the food, I want to mention the overall best and humorous waiter I have ever had named Jason. If you can ask for his section, your meal will be enhanced to another level with his positive energy, passion and enthusiasm. He was very knowledgeable and will take great care of all your needs. The servers come around to show you the meat selections (Jason pictured above holding the choices of meat) so you know what cut you are getting if you go with the steak or chops. They have seafood selections but the prime meat is the way to go. So I had to go with the bone in filet with a side of creamed spinach and double baked potato. Try the miamo pinot noir wine to accompany any meats and end with the …. after diner drink. Tavern On Rush is an upscale, contemporary American Steakhouse offering an extensive menu of Classic American fare, including only the finest USDA prime aged steaks and chops, fresh fish and seafood and unique daily specials. http://www.tavernonrush.com/
GT Fish and Oyster (pictured above)– Very trendy restaurant in downtown was very popular so reservations are recommended especially on a weekend. They serve small tapa plates to share and have a unique selection by Chef Giuseppe and his wild creations. Some highlights were the striped bass with bread style croutons, eggplant with tofu in a hoisin sauce, green curry fish and pacu fish ribs. This is a walk-in place that offers seats at the bar and boomerang style table (both first come first serve). GT Fish & Oyster opened in March of 2011, and has helped redefine the American seafood restaurant. Michelin starred, and Food and Wines Best New Chef 2008, Giuseppe Tentori, has developed a menu that’s half-traditional, half modern, in an everchanging small plates format. The restaurant received three stars from the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun Times, and 4 stars from Time Out Chicago. Opening GT Fish & Oyster in March 2011, Chef Giuseppe Tentori brought his award-winning cooking techniques to the masses, redefining the American seafood restaurant concept. The Food & Wine “Best New Chef” 2008 and James Beard Foundation “Best Chef Great Lakes” nominee, has received critical praise for GT Fish & Oyster including three-stars from the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times, four-stars from Time Out Chicago, and CS Magazine’s “Chef of the Year“ in 2011. In addition to GT Fish & Oyster, Tentori is the executive chef of BOKA Catering Group, a catering experience for any event that requires restaurant quality service and cuisine.
The City Pass is the way to go to save lots of money and get priority entrance if there is ever a line to many of the cities fabulous attractions. One of the better aquariums I have ever visited along with the ex- Sears tower now called the Willis Tower, the 360 Tower at the John Hancock Building (if you can visit on a Wednesday or Saturday in the summer, it is a great place to watch the fireworks from Navy Pier in the evening), The Planetarium with a fun 4D movie of the planets and Natural History Museum with many cool exhibits. If you are staying for a few days and want to hit some of the main attractions as I did them all, get a booklet to enhance your trip.
http://www.citypass.com/chicago
Urban Kayaks is a must on one of your free days. You pick up the kayak on the Chicago River and can reserve a tour or just rent a single or double kayak to go around yourself. A great way to see the city while exercising. Their 2- 2 and 1/2 group tour focuses on the history. There is nothing better to do on a nice day.
Take in a Cubs game at the famous Wrigley field or White Sox game at US Cellular Field.
Many summer festivals happening including the Taste of Chicago and Windy City Smokeout. Overall, Chicago was a great city and summer is a fantastic time to visit where you usually get nice weather. The people were great, the Food was outstanding and there are plenty of fun activities. You can find more at http://www.choosechicago.com/