119417 Fri Mar 31 14:15:00 -0800 2006 9 7 Chicago Area 0 651721 So, my "big" trip to Chicago, with Mom, purely for fun, is less than two weeks away. We arrive at various times on Thursday, April 13... hopefully Mom's plane will be on time, or we'll miss the first plans. (Although, I'm so stoked about Topolobampo, I think I'd grab a cab and go without her if I had to!) We're staying at the InterContinental. Most advice welcome, although I'm utterly sold on Topolobampo and Keefer's, so don't try to disuade me :-) Thursday: Topolobampo @ 2:00 With eating lunch so late, and with theatre tickets for 7:30, I'm leaning towards ordering Lou Malnati's delivery to the hotel upon our return. Anyone know if that's an option for our location and hour? Friday: We were going to breakfast at Ann Sather's (almost solely because of the cinnamon rolls), until I actually mapped it! No thanks. So, we need to come up with something that will hold us up through a Chicago Greeter tour and shopping the Mag Mile until afternoon tea at the Ritz-Carlton at 2:30. Haven't a clue what we're doing for dinner this evening, we have Blue Man Group tickets for 7:00. Saturday: Probably breakfast in the room or at least in the hotel. Not a clue what to do for lunch. Is street food a M-F thing? I love street food, and we just don't have it here. Or maybe we'll figure out how to get to Santorini's. Dinner reservations for Keefer's. Sunday heading home at an obscenely early hour. And, I'm almost looking as much forward to reporting on the food experiences as I am to the trip/experiences themselves! :-) Kind regards, Alison Fri Mar 31 14:15:00 -0800 2006 0 AlisonNC 1 651723 Sounds like a good itinerary, IMO. Enjoy Topo and Keefer's, and enjoy our city (hopefully the weather will cooperate). For pizza, the Malnati's on Wells probably delivers to the Intercontinental, or you may want to consider ordering from Pizzerias Uno/Due or the highly regarded Pizano's on State Street. Just a suggestion, but on Friday you might want to consider an early dinner at a neighborhood place like Socca or Jack's on Halsted (near the Briar Street Theatre), to get a break from the River North/Mag Mile scene. Fri Mar 31 15:47:54 -0800 2006 651721 0 Ron A. 2 651734 Thanks for those tips, Ron! My only concern about an early dinner Friday is that we may still be full from tea... but if we can eat, we'll keep those places in mind. Oh yeah - I totally forgot, too... I'm hoping to nab some Garrett's (if the line isn't insane). I'll make a note of my pizza-delivery alternatives, too. Thanks. Alison Fri Mar 31 21:20:11 -0800 2006 651723 0 AlisonNC 1 651725 If Ann Sathers is out because of time constraints, that I can understand. But it is super easy to get there on the Red Line. Just get on at Grand (ask at the hotel on how to get to the el station) and take a 15 minute train trip to Belmont. It's literally less than a block east from the station. Our trains are easy to navigate and safe. Greek town is also an easy cab ride away for Santori. Fri Mar 31 16:31:04 -0800 2006 651721 0 lb 2 651735 Thanks for the transportation tips, lb. On the map it looked like an awfully long way. 15 minute train ride might could work out. Then again, that's a half-hour of travel - for cinnamon rolls. Just how good can cinnamon rolls be??? :-) Do tell, really? I do intend to study the public transit map before we go, but I can't get my bearing for distance/time from a map. I think the subway was my favorite part of my recent first trip to NYC. Fri Mar 31 21:25:36 -0800 2006 651725 0 AlisonNC 3 651736 The CTA web site linked below has bus and train route maps as well as a trip planner. The trip planner can be very sensitive to starting time when there are multiple route alternatives because the planner assumes that all buses and trains run on schedule. Note that the Briar Street Theater is quite close to the Ann Sather's Belmont location. The Andersonville Ann Sather's would be quite a bit farther. I haven't eaten at Ann Sather's in years but wasn't terribly fond of the place or cinnamon rolls when she ran it let alone under current ownership and locations. Since my view of cinnamon rolls is heavily influenced by the great ones my mother made, others will have a different perspective. Chicago has a lot of great food neighborhoods that are readily accessible from the el system although it sounds as though they are for another trip. Link: http://transitchicago.com/ Fri Mar 31 22:38:43 -0800 2006 651735 0 Eldon Kreider 4 651742 I'd call the cinnamon rolls good, rather than great, at Ann Sather. I live nearby and will sometimes pick up a couple of dozen to take into the office. The folks who work for me love them. Personally, I was forever spoiled by the buttery, sweet cinnamon rolls cranked out by a place called the Biscuit House in Columbia, SC when I was a stedent there 25 years ago. In my mind, nothing else will ever compare to those. You won't find them any better anywhere else in Chicago. Cinnamon rolls unique to Ann Sathers. The remainder of the food there is below average, in my opinion. Sat Apr 01 09:27:44 -0800 2006 651736 0 YourPalWill 2 651780 What about Bongo Room for breakfast? There are two locations... one is in the bucktown/wicker park area off of the blue line - just walk to the lake street stop near clark - not a far walk at all. Take the blue line to the Damen Ave. stop. Its not far at all... AND I think there's an Ann Sather's near it as well. Grab some Ann Sather's buns to eat as a snack before your 2:30 tour. The breakfast at Bongo Room is extremely yummy. the only place I'll do hollandaise sauce. The savory items are fantastic... and the sweet items are amazing as well. the other location is in the south loop - take the red line south to roosevelt and its just east a block or two. FYI - there are some great boutiques and shopping options in the bucktown area. Mon Apr 03 10:27:32 -0700 2006 651725 0 Annie 1 651758 If you are staying at the Inter-Continental and want to have breakfast at Ann Sather's, nothing could be easier. Get on the Red Line subway (it runs under State Street) at either Lake or Grand and get off at Belmont. Ann Sather's is half a block east of the station (which at that point will be above ground thus an EL rather than a subway). Trip will take you 15 minute tops. Sun Apr 02 04:47:41 -0700 2006 651721 0 N Tocus 1 651788 For a Friday breakfast a little closer to the I-C hotel than heading up to Lakeview consider Lou Mitchell's, over by Union Station. Terrific omelettes (all made with double-yolk eggs). Lou Mitchell's 565 W. Jackson Blvd. 312-939-3111 Mon Apr 03 12:36:03 -0700 2006 651721 0 Kman