Chicago fun

Just a few pictures from our Chicago trip last weekend!  

We finally got to Wrigley for a Cubs game (and they won!)

Totally lives up to the hype

Best dessert ever--

salted caramel cinnamon soft serve ice cream with apples and pie crust

--from Grahamwich

Chicago 2012 visit

I just got back from a nice visit to Chicago--I enjoyed catching up with my friend K and others, enjoying the cool weather, eating lots of great food, and doing lots of window shopping and actual shopping down Michigan Ave and other little unique neighborhoods.  Here are a few pictures from the trip!

My welcoming party

Delicious pizza and salad at one of K's favorite neighborhood haunts

Shopping on Lincoln Square

Wienermobile sighting!

 

Takeout bao?  Yes please!

A vintage DVF discovery

And of course Garrett popcorn

True dat, Garrett popcorn!

Chicago food

My trip to Chicago was filled with lots of catching up with my friend K, shopping, watching chick flicks (I highly recommend Crazy, Stupid Love) and of course, eating.  I realized that the only pictures I snapped on the whole trip was of the food.  Why am I not surprised...

Breakfast sandwich at a little diner across from K's place

Cinnamon rolls  

(these were the SIDES my friends, the SIDES, 

there was a whole other meal to go along with these babies)

Rock shrimp tacos at Hub 51

Carrot cake with extra cream cheese on the side for good measure

Seared ahi tuna salad at Moonshine

Thanks K! I had a wonderful time!

Wishlist Wednesday: Girls weekend

I'm headed to Chicago in a few days for a girl's weekend with my dear friend K!

Looking forward to eating a ton of Garrett's popcorn (cheesy and caramel mix)

Shopping to our heart's content

And watching chick flicks!

Chicago: Brunch at the Signature Room

One of our favorite meals in Chicago was Sunday brunch at  

the Signature Room, located on the 95th floor of the Hancock Tower.

The best part about the Signature Room is the amazing view 

of the city from up high.  Our table had a gorgeous view of the 

north side of Chicago, along the shore of beautiful Lake Michigan. 

The food was mighty tasty too with (my favorite) seafood bar 

complete with shrimp, crab legs, smoked salmon and caviar.  

There were lots of tasty salads, creamy soup and artisan bread as well.

Traditional breakfast foods like eggs, bacon, french toast, and 

hash browns were also on the menu.  B went for the carving station  

(prime rib) and I hit up the fruit, dessert, and pastry tables.

A look at my dessert plate

And B got his own very special dessert plate as well

Overall, brunch at the Signature Room is a nice splurge for a special occasion and a wonderful way to see the city from a bird's eye view!

Chicago: Architectural boat tour

It was a sunny 70 degree weather day when we went on the architectural boat tour down the Chicago river.  Our tour guide was informative and it was neat to learn more about the history of the buildings on the river front and recent revitalization efforts.  We also learned that there are actually a lot of newer buildings that have been built in the last 20 years and that the skyline of Chicago is still evolving.

Some pictures:

I think that's the Hancock building with the two towers at the top

One of my favorite buildings--doesn't it look so space-agey?

These distinctive corn cob towers have parking in the lower levels!

Love the use of green glass windows to reflect the river 
and the buildings across from it

The tour was about an hour and a half and a nice way to learn more about the city and see it from a different viewpoint.  I definitely recommend it as a "must see" when you're in Chicago!

Chicago trip food recap

Whenever we pick a travel destination, one of the first things we think about is food.  Croissants in St Martin, conch salad in Provo, dim sum in San Francisco, falafels in NYC...  So of course, when we made it to Chicago, we headed for Giordanos for some deep dish pizza.

We went to the location off Michigan Avenue which was packed with tourists.  There is a 40 minute wait for your pizza and fortunately they let you order it while you're waiting for a table. So after you wait 30 minutes  for your table, you only have 10 minutes after that before you're digging into your food. 

We went with a canadian bacon, mushroom and olive pizza (this is a small...really!)

After one and a half pieces I was done in.  It was good though we walked around for an hour afterward to try to get that ball of cheese in our stomachs to dissipate.  Final verdict: a must try when in Chicago, but otherwise I'll be sticking to NY style thin crust pizza.

Another highly anticipated food visit was Garrett Popcorn.  We went three times and there was a huge line each time.  And let me tell you, it's really worth it.  I highly recommend the Chicago mix which is a blend of caramel and cheesy popcorn (that'll turn your fingers neon orange).  Amazing.

Sorry there aren't any pictures of the actual popcorn. Once we got a bag, our hands were too full with popcorn to care about the camera.

Another Chicago food favorite is the infamous hot dog, and this simply must be eaten at a ball game.  We watched the Royals take on the White Sox at Cellular Field and it was a pretty good game.  The Sox fans are pretty vocal and I was a little afraid for B's well being seeing as he was wearing the only Royals t shirt in the whole stadium.

Sorry no pictures of the food there again because we were too busy wolfing it down.  I do have a little fireworks video though.  Everytime the Sox scored, they would set off fireworks.  Every time the Royals scored it was dead silent in the stadium--except for me going "wait what happened?  did we score?"




I did manage to capture a picture of the chicken gouda hot dog we had at Chicago Renegade however.  It was really awesome with the poppy seed bun.  Where can we get poppy seed buns here in Austin??

So there you have it, a quick Chicago food highlights post.  I have more pictures from the amazing buffet at the Signature Room and the architectural boat tour that I'll be putting up soon.  I really enjoy writing these recaps and am toying around with the idea of compiling these little travel guides for must see, must shop, must eat places on this blog.

Chicago Renegade: Marching Bands

These two marching bands: Mucca Pazza and the Magic Circus Band were huge hits at Chicago Renegade.  They call themselves a "Circus Punk Marching Band" and I think that is a pretty accurate description.

Here are a couple of videos that B took of their performances.  They would play and march down one side of the street and then back--there was always a huge crowd following them and it was really such a unique performance to watch--their enthusiasm was contagious!

Check out the guys wearing loudspeakers on their heads and playing electric guitars:


And the vintage Mizzou Marching Band outfit on one of the guys in the front:

Vintage Monday: Whistle necklace by Lillian Crowe

The Chicago Renegade Craft Fair was amazing and not only did I get some great items for the house, I also managed to snag a few unique pieces of jewelry for myself!

This whistle necklace is by Lillian Crowe and is part of her 100% reclaimed collection.  It's a working whistle as well! (watch out and don't catch me unawares!)

Another awesome find is this amazing porcupine broach from Mikinora--she created it out of various findings and then cast the mold herself.  It's about less than an inch in diameter and I think it'll look great paired with some of my daintier vintage brooches.

I also got a Leighelena lizard skin cuff (similar to this picture).  I was surprised to find that she is an Austin designer--I can't believe I hadn't noticed her jewelry before.

 

I'll post more Renegade finds later on in the week.  Overall the goods and craftsmanship of all the booths  (lined up over 6 blocks!) were top quality and very unique.  There was yummy food, a free photo booth, and fun entertainment--even a marching band  (you'll have to wait for the video...)

On the road again: Chicago

I could get used to this:

View of Lake Michigan from our hotel room:

We've having a blast--looking forward to brunch at the Hancock Building tomorrow and then we fly home!

Wishlist Wednesday: Chicago

I'm surprising B with a birthday weekend trip to Chicago and here are some of the activities we're hoping to do while we're there:

Cheer on the Kansas City Royals as they play the White Sox

Watch the penguins at the Shedd Aquarium

Take in the Chicago skyline on an architectural boat cruise

Eat our weight in Chicago style hot dogs, pizza, and this amazing popcorn

Save room for these famous and delicious mint chocolates from Macys (formally Marshall Fields)

 Stroll down Wicker Park for Chicago Renegade!

Oh and I might just have to stop by one of these as well...