Chicago Favorites
Sachin has always considered Chicago to be the greatest city in America & though Serena's love for NYC is steadfast - she's become a Chicago convert as well. One thing we both can agree on - it's hard to beat Chicago in the summertime! Below are some of our favorite spots + activities around town.
AU Cheval
Conde Nast says "your quest for the world's best cheeseburger ends at Au Cheval." We haven't eaten all of the burgers in the world - but this one is pretty solid. The lines can be pretty long though, so plan accordingly. They serve the burger at a number of "Small Cheval" spinoffs across Chicago if you want to get your hands on one without the lines, but the original location is our favorite.
Bonci
We ate our way through Rome, Milan and Como last March and while pretty much everything we tried was amazing - our favorite bite of all followed us home when Rome's famed PIzzarium restaurant opened their first branch outside Rome in the West Loop. The Roman pizza al taglio (served by weight) is almost even better than we remembered.
City Mouse
Bon Appetit named Chicago the "Restaurant City" of the year in 2017 and a big part of that was Giant in Logan Square. Giant is, admittedly, pretty exceptional but it's also exceptionally hard to score a table at.
Luckily for us, and you (!), the Giant team opened up another restaurant in the new Ace Hotel right across the street from our wedding venue and the food (and wine list) are 95% as good and way more accessible.
The Beach // The Shore Club
The holiday weekend might mean slightly bigger crowds but if you're willing to brave them, Chicago's beaches are usually worth it.
Serena used to frequent Castaways in college but more sophisticated offerings exist. Our favorites are the Shore Club (this picture doesn't really do it justice!) & Oak Street Beach + Food. Cafe Olivia & the Lakefront are also good options a bit further away.
Breakfast @ Hendrickx Bakery
This exceptional Belgian bakery is just across the street from the Drake Hotel and down the street from the Westin. The owners are from Belgium and their pastries and coffees are some of the best we've had in Chicago. Highly recommend stopping in for breakfast over the course of the weekend!
If you're staying closer to the West Loop - Publican Quality Meats is a great option for breakfast or lunch as is the Little Goat (their bakery is also amazing)!