Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
restaurant with a grown-up
sophistication welcomes kids and
features a special kids' menu. See
p. 106.
•
Tops for Teens:
For a theatrical
hotel experience, the
House of
Blues Hotel,
333 N. Dearborn St.
(
&
800/235-6397
), can't be beat,
with its riotous mix of colors and
playful attitude. See p. 95. Of
course, this hotel is being given a
run for its money by the brand-
new
Hard Rock Hotel Chicago,
230 N. Michigan Ave. (
&
312/
345-1000
), in the historic, dis-
tinctive, and freshly renovated
Carbon Carbide skyscraper. See
p. 73.
•
Tops for Toddlers: Homewood
Suites,
40 E. Grand Ave. (
&
800/
CALL-HOME
), offers cribs, high
chairs, and babysitting services in
a great location in River North—
all great amenities for the toddling
set. See p. 93.
3 The Best Dining Bets
With pizza and hot dogs among the
city's signature dishes, Chicago is food
heaven for kids. Before you run out
and buy a case of antacids, however,
take heart: Wonderful cuisine to
please adults abounds, too. And I'm
going to send you in that direction,
right after I grab a garlic- and pepper-
laden hot dog.
•
Best Views:
A location right on
the Magnificent Mile means the
Hancock Observatory,
875 N.
Michigan Ave., offers an up-close-
and-personal view of the city from
its observation deck. For lunch,
visit the observatory's
Signature
Room at the 95th
(
&
312/787-
9596
), a sleek restaurant that
offers a discounted lunch buffet
for kids. On a clear day you can
see 50 miles and part of three sur-
rounding states—Michigan, Indi-
ana, and Wisconsin. (Moms and
daughters, make sure to visit the
restroom—it's got the best views
in the restaurant!) See p. 164.
•
Best Ice Cream:
Since the 1920s,
Margie's Candies,
1960 N. West-
ern Ave., at Armitage Avenue
(
&
773/384-1035
), has been
serving up mammoth sundaes in
conch shell-shaped dishes. Margie
is gone now, but her husband
Peter still mans the cash register.
Don't miss the homemade hot
fudge, real butterscotch, and
caramel. The place hasn't changed
much since 1940, and is stuffed
with kitschy dolls, boxes of home-
made candy, stuffed animals, and
news clippings through the years.
See p. 236.
•
Best Outdoor Eating:
Long
tables and family-style dining
reign in
Greektown,
making it a
comfortable and fun destination
for families and large groups; see
“The Randolph Street Market
District & Greektown,” in chap-
ter 5. At
Pegasus,
130 S. Halsted
St. (
&
312/226-3377
), a rooftop
garden allows diners a panoramic
view of the Chicago skyline. The
restaurant is so family- and large
group-oriented, in fact, that when
I called to make a reservation for a
group of 10, the host replied, “Ten
is not a big group!” See p. 116.
•
Most Kid-Friendly Service:
Scoozi,
an Italian restaurant in
River North at 410 W. Huron
(
&
312/943-5900
), is a family
favorite for its Sunday afternoon
pizza-making event that lets kids
loose with tomato sauce and
cheese to create their own pizzas
(under the supervision of Scoozi
chefs, who keep mess to a mini-
mum and pop finished pizzas into
the wood-burning oven). The
