Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
celery salt. Your kids might be
brave enough to ask for and
receive ketchup, but as an adult, I
wouldn't risk the disapproving,
raised-eyebrow look you'll get
from the counter staff. You can
round out the meal with cheese
fries, made from Idaho potatoes
and topped with a generous glob
of Wisconsin cheddar. See p. 142.
•
Best Pizza:
In the town where
deep-dish pies were born,
Chicagoans take their out-of-town
relatives to either
Gino's East,
633
N. Wells St. (
&
312/943-1124;
p. 128), or
Lou Malnati's Pizze-
ria,
439 N. Wells St. (
&
312/
828-9800;
p. 140), to taste the
real thing: mouthwatering slabs of
pizza loaded with fresh ingredients
atop delectably sweet crusts. Lou's
fan base is so enamored that the
restaurant has even instituted a
popular overnight mail-order busi-
ness to get expatriate Chicagoans
with a deep-dish jones over the
hump.
•
Best Fast Food:
Even though
you're in the hometown of
McDonald's, our vote goes to
foodlife
in Water Tower Place,
835 N. Michigan Ave. (
&
312/
335-3663
), a food court exemplar
with everything from Asian noo-
dles to pizza to smoothies. See
p. 122.
•
Best Brunch:
Cajun and Southern
cooking is in store for you at
Wishbone,
1001 W. Washington
Blvd. (
&
312/850-2663
). Primi-
tive art, bright colors, and a
bustling crowd make this a great
place for kids. A diverse crowd,
from Harpo Studios employees
(Oprah is headquartered right
around the corner) to businesspeo-
ple in suits and ad agency types,
frequent the place. For brunch, try
the salmon cakes. See p. 115.
•
Best Girls' Day Out:
Can't help
but notice those dark red bags that
girls carry like badges of honor
up and down Michigan Avenue?
They come from
American Girl
Place Cafe,
111 E. Chicago Ave.
(
&
877/247-5223
), which also
features a cafe and theater. Call
well in advance for lunch reserva-
tions or to catch a performance of
The American Girls Revue
in the
150-seat theater. See p. 116.
•
Best Boys' Night Out:
What red-
blooded American kid doesn't love
baseball?
Harry Caray's,
33 W.
Kinzie St. (
&
312/828-0966
), is
one of Chicago's most flamboyant
eateries, filled with uniforms, hel-
mets, cards, and photographs. Be
sure to check out the bar—it
measures 60 feet, 6 inches, the
exact distance from the plate on
the pitcher's mound to home plate
in a major-league park. See p. 124.
•
Best Neighborhood Hang-Out:
Stanley's,
1970 N. Lincoln Ave.
(
&
312/642-0007
), is a classic
Lincoln Park restaurant with a
family-friendly bent. There's a bar
near the entrance, but the adja-
cent dining room, decorated with
photos, quilts, bowling trophies,
and children's drawings, feels like
someone's family room. This pop-
ular family spot has a special kids'
menu. On Saturday and Sunday
from 11am to 4pm, there's an
all-you-can-eat brunch buffet,
featuring make-your-own omelets,
build-your-own Belgian waffles,
home-fried potatoes, fried chicken,
and mashed potatoes. Daily spe-
cials are posted on the chalkboard
out front. See p. 136.
•
Best Retro Diner:
Sure, it's a
chain, but
Johnny Rocket's,
901
N. Rush St. (
&
312/337-3900
),
does a wonderful job of replicating
a 1950s diner. Burgers wrapped in
