Category Archives: Places – Chicago

Cuisine - American, Cuisine - Desserts, Places - Chicago

Destination Chicago: Garrett’s Popcorn

Garrett's Popcorn: Oprah special tin

Limited edition tin for Oprah's last season.

Oprah just placed it on her Ultimate Favorite Things List for 2010. No, not the iPad. No, not the 2011 VW Beetle. No, not the mini-croissants from Williams-Sonoma.

I’m talking about Garrett’s Popcorn from Chicago.

“It’s the best popcorn on the planet,” said Oprah as she gifted the $135 tin filled with heavenly caramel and cheese corn to audience members.

So, what’s better than starting off the holiday season than with a trip to Garrett’s location in Chicago’s Theatre District.

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Cuisine - Desserts, Places - Chicago

Destination Chicago: Ghirardelli

Ghirardelli entrance in ChciagoWhile it’s home really is San Francisco, Ghirardelli Chocolate Company does have a midwest location off Michigan Ave. in downtown Chicago. This heavenly little shop exudes sweet smells that drift past Water Tower Place and direct you through its doors.

Under an iconic sign of bright lights (a smaller version of the one you can find in Ghirardelli Square in San Fran), Ghirardelli in Chicago is both a retail location and ice cream shoppe.

After dinner at Gino’s East and a stroll up Michigan Ave. on our recent weekend in Chi-Town, we decided to indulge our sweet tooth in a rich, hot fudge-covered treat from Ghirardelli.

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Celebrity chefs, Cuisine - Mexican, Places - Chicago

Prez stops at Rick Bayless restaurant in Chicago

I have this huge fascination with Rick Bayless. I LOVE LOVE LOVE his PBS show “Mexico: One Plate At A Time.” I haven’t yet had the chance to dine at his Chicago restaurants Frontera Grill or Topolobampo, so I do the next best thing. I follow him on Twitter.

And Saturday night, he had the biggest diner of all come to Topolo. President Obama and the Secret Service stopped at the Clark Street restaurant for a bite to eat. They even stopped for photos with the kitchen staff.

So what did the Commander-in-Chief order? Lobster and scallops in a roasted tomatillo-corn sauce with sweet corn tamales.

According to a Tweet from Bayless:

When the President arrived, they closed off our block on Clark Street. I counted 13 vehicles filling the 3 lanes.

Want more from Rick Bayless? Follow him on Twitter @Rick_Bayless. Check out his PBS show, too. You’ll LOVE it!

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Cuisine - American, Places - Chicago

Destination Chicago: Yolk

Yolk - Downtown Chicago signOne of the best tips I can offer anyone who is in an unfamiliar city is to ask a local where to find the best eats. We were in downtown Chicago the weekend of the Chicago Marathon on our recent trip, so we knew wherever we went was going to be full. But we wanted to try something different, yet offered a high-quality breakfast to get us through a day at The Field Museum.

As I mentioned in the review of Gino’s East, we stayed in Chicago’s Theatre District at Hotel Allegro. The hotel has its own restaurant but we wanted something on the way to the museum campus. A hotel concierge or front desk staff are a great resource when you’re away from home. Never hesitate to ask them for a recommendation.

Our concierge recommended Yolk, located on Michigan Ave. in Chicago’s South Loop, and just a quick stroll from The Field Museum, Adler Planetarium and Shedd Aquarium.

The restaurant’s menu is expansive, eclectic and amazing. Portions are huge, service is awesome and they have Nutella!

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Cuisine - Italian, Cuisine - Pizza, Places - Chicago

Destination Chicago: Gino’s East

Gino’s East has been a Chicago pizza staple since 1966. And with two convenient downtown Windy City locations, it’s easy to get your deep-dish fix after shopping on the Magnificent Mile or a long day at one of the great museums.

On a recent weekend in Chicago, my husband and I (usually devoted Lou Malnati’s diners) decided to go out of our pizza comfort zone and try another version of the classic deep-dish pizza. We were staying fairly close at the lovely Hotel Allegro and walked about a half-mile to the restaurant on the corner of Ontario and Wells Streets.

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