Chi-town

I won't do Chicago justice in this blog but I wanted to mention that I had a chance to tour the city this past weekend. It was 40 degrees or less the entire time and raining. I think it stopped raining for about 2 hours total and that was fortunate because it was during the time I was on an architectural boat tour.

I would not recommend going on a boat tour in such weather but it was great nonetheless and if you're ever in Chicago, take my recommendation (which was the recommendation of a friend) and go with Wendella tours, located by the Wrigley Building. TThe tour guide did a great job with a very long and extensive script and there was a ton to see including Sears Tower and also the new Trump Tower. I love The Donald and was excited to see this building which is still unfinished. There is a lot of history explained and get this, Chicago is not the "windy city" because of the wind! That comes from a favorite anecdote but I won't ruin it for you and tell you why.

My friends and I also checked out the Art Institute before we headed to dinner at Chicago Chop House. The Art Institute is also a must-see though it was super crowded and I didn't get to enjoy the special exhibits because of that. Admission is staggered by the hour but that still didn't help as the crowds were so large. However, there is a great imprssionists and also great modern collections there.

I don't want to know how much steak or red meat I ate the first week I was in Chicago. It was too much and I may have actually turned into a cow...I'll leave that to you to elaborate on. Considering the great food I had that first two weeks (Weber Grill was a favorite), nothing compared to the Chicago Chop House. I had a great bloody mary which went so amazingly well with the wonderful steak. The sides were superb as well. I could go on and on. I went with the bartender's recommendation and got the T-bone (I think). The kitchen even sliced it up ahead of serving so it would be easy to share. If you go, you must spend the money for this excellent meal. It is worth it and in all honesty, I expected it to cost much more than it did.

Bongo Room was the breakfast spot that was a must-have for me because so many friends had recommended it. I truly enjoyed my meal here as well. The pancake choices are innovative and though they sound sickeningly sweet, they actually aren't. It is a well-crafted and interesting menu that offers traditional and innovative breakfast items.

Lastly, in case anyone does land here and is going to Chicago, a great site to check out is Metromix. It is somewhat like Yelp in that it has reviews but helps very easily navigate the city.

That's all for now!