Chicago is a city that never fails to delight me. It's the first big city I ever visited -- and that wasn't till I was in high school. My family were small-town Michigan people who never saw any reason on earth to go to Detroit. When we moved to DeKalb, Illinois, in 1965 we pretty much avoided Chicago, too. But then came a high school field trip (I think our primary destination was the Museum of Science and Industry) during which we were allowed a little time to buy love beads on Rush Street during the height of the hippie era. That first trip didn't make me entirely comfortable with cities, but it was an introduction to their enchantments.
We spent last Tuesday night in Chicago at the Westin Michigan Avenue, just two blocks from the Water Tower and right across the street from the John Hancock Building, which had been the tallest building in Chicago when I made that first trip. We wanted a chance to walk around the city and have some great food before we headed off to Michigan for two weeks of lakes, trees, and less urban delights.
After stashing our bags, we headed over to Rush Street for a pint of Goose Island Brewery's Honkers Ale at Pippin's Tavern, a place of dark wood and tin ceilings where you can order food from Downtown Dogs, the hot dog joint next door. We skipped the hot dogs, though, and just wandered the neighborhood, which is often a great way to find dinner (sometimes not so great, of course, but ya takes yer chances). On the near north side there are so many good choices that you can hardly go wrong.
We spotted a sign that said "Spanish Cuisine," and since we're thinking about a trip to Spain next year, checked it out. It turned out to be 1492 Tapas Bar at Superior and Wabash, which ended up providing us with a trio of delights: the chance to eat outside in balmy July weather (rather than the usual Midwestern hot, sticky July weather) and watch the very interesting world go by, an excellent tapas meal, and an opportunity to explore the Victorian mansion that houses the restaurant -- you know, one of those lovely old townhouses that you walk by and think, "Gosh, I wish I could see what that looks like inside." The original woodwork and stained glass are preserved beautifully, and all you have to do is visit the bathroom to see them.
We enjoyed crab cakes, a mixed grill of bite-sized pieces of meats distinctively but gently seasoned, a plate of olives, onions and pickles, and grilled asparagus with prosciutto. We also got lucky because Tuesday is their half-price wine night, so we had a bottle of Dona Paula malbec for only $25.
More wandering ensued, till we ended up back at the Westin for a nightcap at The Grill on the Alley, which is decorated like a Victorian gentlemen's club, but the walls are literally covered, wainscoting to ceiling, with an eclectic mix of lithographs and line drawings. Service at the bar was friendly, knowledgeable, and competent, and we savored glasses of port in the shadow of John Hancock. Not having had room for dessert right after dinner, we asked if the bartender could have two desserts, the vanilla ice cream and the fresh strawberries, combined for us to share. The special order was no problem and a delicious ending for the evening.
Wednesday morning, before heading out for Holland, our first stop in Michigan, we wandered over to the lake shore and through part of the Northwestern University campus, then back over to Superior to a restaurant we'd noticed the night before, Pierrot Gourmet in the Peninsula Hotel. The outdoor dining area was full, but we were able to get a table in a open doorway, half indoors and half out. We had a hearty French country breakfast -- Alsatian scrambled eggs and breakfast bread pudding -- that kept us satisfied all the way till dinner.
I write this in the sun room of our B&B in Holland, Michigan. Sun shines through the pines, birds visit the feeder, and we're getting ready to go spend the afternoon at the Lake Michigan beach. More later....
Thanks for reading my blog.
Annette
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