Chicago trip 2017/18

My gosh where to start! 

This was my first ever visit to Chicago and (understatement) it was brilliant!

 

There is just too much wondeful stuff to report so below you will find just some of the highlights

 

Rick Bayless' Frontera Grill

In 1987 after an extended stay in Mexico, Rick Bayless brought his Mexican cooking to Chicago.

 I was excited to try "mole sauce" which is a sauce made from hot chillies and chocolate.  For a starter we got a chicken and green mole with tamale bread (a moist doughy corn maize bread) and it was  amazing.  For mains we got a delicate and tender pompano fish dish, and Shrimp a la Diablo.  The shrimp!  Wowsah.  It was hot!!  With hindsight...the server said it was hot (me and my silly big mouth "oh I love hot, oh I can do hot") and also, look at the name of it [Diablo]. 

It was lovely though I must say, but jeebs yes it was HOT.  But sure look that meant that we simply had no option but to go for a drink after dinner in Fado bar downtown right?!

 

 

Hancock Building

I really enjoyed seeing this massive skyscraper and going to the bar on the 95th floor.  It was a snowy cold day and the visibility was not the clearest - but in fact I liked that more, how often do you get to see the shoreline of Lake Michigan frozen over?!

Pizanos Piza
Ok so I like pizza.  Well now I can tell you I looooove deep dish pizza.  We sat at the bar eating pizza, drinking vodka, wine and beer and I pretended I was on the set of  La La Land with their lovely Christmas decorations and lights.

New Years Day
This may have been one of my best New Years days ever.  A brunch of tacos (mmm), vodka (mmm) and bloody Mary (bleugh lol) in BigStar.  Then a little stroll to the local bar (Macs) for €3 vodkas.  Yes you read that right.  More drinks, lots of craic and chats, a few games of pool (Goldstar bar) and sushi to finish it all off.  What a day!



The Wormhole
I had read online that the coffee from this place was fantastic.  And they have a real life size DeLorean car which I decided I simply must see.  The coffee was fantastic.  So good that I went back three times during the trip.  Which nicely brings me to the area of Chicago, Wicker Park...

Wicker Park
What a great location!  I was staying right between Milwaukee Ave with it's cool hipster clothes shops and record shops mixed with old 60s & 70s style furniture shop, and Division with loads and loaaads of cool restaurants and bars.  I loved it in the Winter but apparently it's even better during the Summer having cool drinks on the bars patios.




The Weather


The Chicago weather deserves a whole blog of it's own really!  Temperatures were low and it felt it.  But it was lovely.  I had all the right gear - boots, fur mittens, heavy coat, woolly hat/fur hat with ear flaps - so all was good and it didn't stop me getting out and about (lol to The Wormhole for coffee!).  Still it was cold.  And dry!  It was the funniest weather I've ever encountered and totally unlike that damp "get in your bones" cold of Ireland.

I may do some separate blog posts about some other things I did in the lovely Wicker Park.
 But for the moment I shall finish here by saying it was a 10 out of 10 trip!

...and if you'd like to read more about my trip click here!