One afternoon in Chicago, what to do?

FINFAN · Jul 27, 2016

I'm a fan of Oven Grinder and Due's (I am partial to the building as well)~most will suggest Uno's, Giordano's, Malnati's, or Gino's East...many choices, I guess the question is if you like deep dish lol
Might be fun for your kids (and you) to leave your mark for your visit on the walls/table if you eat at Gino's East~forgot about that, lol. Pack a sharpie!

piglet too · Jul 27, 2016

Yes, the debate on pizza, lol. We prefer Giordano's.

Also, Wildberry is great for breakfast.

Squirlz · Jul 27, 2016

Gino's and Giordano's are for tourists. Go with Malnati's, Due or Uno.

cabanafrau · Jul 27, 2016

The architecture cruise is fantastic. My caution for OP is, it may be uncomfortable on a warm and very sunny day, and it may be a bit tedious and beyond the attention span for the kids. Basically it's an in depth lecture with lots of history that simply happens to take place on a boat. For someone with the interest and enough of a frame of reference to take in the details given, wonderful. For kids stuck listening to a lot of random facts they don't have any prior knowledge to associate them with it could become a slow moving cruise simply looking at one building after another.

The Shedd and the Museum of Science and Industry are more likely to please kid interests -- and adults will enjoy as well.

Vernie822 · Jul 27, 2016

I went last year on a business trip and really enjoyed it. Things we really liked were Millenium Park (that's where the big silver 'bean' is), Giordano's for pizza, and walking along the Magnificent Mile. We did some light shopping. We also had an amazing meal at RPM Italian, which is owned by Giuliana and Bill Rancic. It was so delicious.

Lilacs4Me · Jul 27, 2016

snoopy5386 said:
Thanks for all the suggestions! One more question - where can I get some Chicago deep dish pizza for dinner? I think that is a must!

No Lou Malnetti's! Gross!!!!! Their crust tastes like pure dense nothingness. No flavor at ALL. I promise you, if you eat this pizza, then try a "real" deep dish pizza later in your life, you will be irritated that you wasted your time and money. (Although their sausage is pretty good, but there are so many more pizza's that are SOO much better!)

For you, being downtown and wanting the Chicago experience, I'd go with Giordano's. If you had more time and wanted to go to the suburbs, I know of about 25 pizza places that are much better than anything downtown.

For just an afternoon, I would stay downtown and walk the length of Grant Park/Millennium Park, the stroll the lake shore toward Navy Pier, OR, I would turn west a block or two and head north on Michigan Ave and window-shop your way up to the John Hancock/Water Tower area and DEFINITELY make a stop the American Girl store if your DD's are into that. (Interesting fact....Two of my DD's friends are models for AG and their pictures on on the plexiglass wall hangings throughout the store.) Lots of really cool landmark buildings and the "Flag" bridge on the way. It's seriously the heart of the city. If you can make it long enough, plan to be at the Buckingham fountain when the fountain/city lights start turning on at night - it's beautiful.

Garrett's Popcorn is amazing - I get the carmel pecan, which my kids hate, so I get it ALL! Yum! Lots of people like the Chicago mix, which I guess would be good if you like cheese popcorn, which I don't.

I second scratching boat tours and using the water taxi if you want to check out the city from the water. It's a lot cheaper and the views are amazing! there are stops at Navy Pier, MichAve, the Museum Campus, and by the Sears Tower/Union Station. There *may* be a all-day hop-on, hop-off ticket option, but I can't remember - the last few times we used it, it was for specific non-touristy reasons, so there was no need to look at the options.

The museums are nice, but really, if you've been inside one stuffy Aquarium, Natural History, or Science Museum, they are pretty much all the same. You wait in a really long line, walk around crowded exhibits, and get really, really warm to the point all you want to do is go outside again. If you REALLY want to go to the museums, then I'd wait and do them if you ever come back through town. The best part of Chicago is feeling the energy in the heart of the city.

Have fun!

Dan Murphy · Jul 27, 2016

snoopy5386 said:
where can I get some Chicago deep dish pizza for dinner?

http://www.disboards.com/threads/fi...ants-near-the-fairmont.3523899/#post-56045116

NovaPrime · Jul 27, 2016

piglet too said:
Yes, the debate on pizza, lol. We prefer Giordano's.

Also, Wildberry is great for breakfast.

Wildberry is fantastic but it the wait is terrible!

Squirlz said:
Gino's and Giordano's are for tourists. Go with Malnati's, Due or Uno.

Seconded on this. Oven Grinders and Pequod's are also high up on my list but don't make any plans after - talk about a food coma.

Lilacs4Me · Jul 27, 2016

Scootypuffjr said:
We had a great time at the Museum of Science and Industry. Just be careful though, our Uber driver was an off-duty police officer and made us promise that we would go straight into the museum and leave the area when we were done. According to him, the area around the museum is not the safest part of town.

^^^^ ha ha ha ha ha ha :rotfl2:

What would you do in that area anyway? There is nothing there to "do" in the immediate area around the museum, but if you decided to, there's a 99% chance you would have been fine (insert the normal "nowhere is ever 100% safe" disclaimer here). We street park in the neighborhood north of the museum all the time.

This is the Hyde Park area and University of Chicago is very close by.

He was teasing you. Trust me, there are areas that make the MSI/Hyde Park area feel like Disneyworld.

nd5056 · Jul 27, 2016

Squirlz said:
Gino's and Giordano's are for tourists. Go with Malnati's, Due or Uno.

Lilacs4Me · Jul 27, 2016

Squirlz said:
Gino's and Giordano's are for tourists. Go with Malnati's, Due or Uno.

nd5056 said:

Haha, my DH totally agrees with both of you! We live in the west suburbs, and there is a Malnatti's right down the street from us. DH ALWAYS wants to go there - but I think it's gross! Well, the sausage is good, and the tomato's are decent, but the crust! I just can't get past it - it has no taste! I always peel the toppings off and just eat that part - DH steals my crusts.

My sister's family came out to visit once and we did a self-made "Pizza Tour" with them -we hit 7 of our absolute favorite pizza places in one day. We ordered one large from each place, and everyone tasted. Because DH really wanted it, Malnatti's was on the list. But it came in 2nd to last! The worst was Aurelio's (there's one in LaGrange and one way out in like Homer Glen - not sure where else) again because DH loves it, but their pizza has sauce that tastes like sugar. it's worse then the Malnetti's crust LOL

You can probably tell I'm more of a thin crust girl...lol If I have to pick a deep, I'd go with Giordano's, but that's mostly because they deliver to our house....

Scootypuffjr · Jul 27, 2016

Lilacs4Me said:
^^^^ ha ha ha ha ha ha

What would you do in that area anyway? There is nothing there to "do" in the immediate area around the museum, but if you decided to, there's a 99% chance you would have been fine (insert the normal "nowhere is ever 100% safe" disclaimer here). We street park in the neighborhood north of the museum all the time.

This is the Hyde Park area and University of Chicago is very close by.

He was teasing you. Trust me, there are areas that make the MSI/Hyde Park area feel like Disneyworld.

Sorry, we are not familiar with the area. Just relaying what we were told.

Squirlz · Jul 27, 2016

Lilacs4Me said:
Haha, my DH totally agrees with both of you! We live in the west suburbs, and there is a Malnatti's right down the street from us. DH ALWAYS wants to go there - but I think it's gross! Well, the sausage is good, and the tomato's are decent, but the crust! I just can't get past it - it has no taste! I always peel the toppings off and just eat that part - DH steals my crusts.

My sister's family came out to visit once and we did a self-made "Pizza Tour" with them -we hit 7 of our absolute favorite pizza places in one day. We ordered one large from each place, and everyone tasted. Because DH really wanted it, Malnatti's was on the list. But it came in 2nd to last! The worst was Aurelio's (there's one in LaGrange and one way out in like Homer Glen - not sure where else) again because DH loves it, but their pizza has sauce that tastes like sugar. it's worse then the Malnetti's crust LOL

You can probably tell I'm more of a thin crust girl...lol If I have to pick a deep, I'd go with Giordano's, but that's mostly because they deliver to our house....

You can get Malnati's with a crust made out of sausage instead of dough. We really wanted to get that last time we were there but it was too late to order delivery. Next time.

FINFAN · Jul 27, 2016

Happy to see other DIS Wildberry fan's :thumbsup2

OP, if you want Widlberry and don't have time, you can place on order on line for pick up, take back to your hotel to eat.

720L · Jul 28, 2016

Pizzeria Uno or Due (same pizza 2 locations). The Riverwalk is fun to do & there is a "bridge museum" you can go in where you can see the gears to one of the bridges.

Aimeedyan · Jul 28, 2016

We went in April for a week (business trip) and LOVED the speedboat tour. It starts/ends at the Navy Pier so as a bonus, got to walk through that. I wanted to do the longer architectural tour but my husband has the attention span of a roach... this was perfect! We used https://www.seadogcruises.com.

The Sears Tower was also fun, but it is time consuming. You spend more time waiting to get up or down than you do actually experiencing it. That said, it was a tourist attraction we couldn't pass up and found it worthwhile overall to check it off the travel bucket list.

Our pizza choice was Giordano's, simply because it was located across the street from the Sears Tower, and I thought it was good. Chicago is SUCH a foodie town so we ate well. My travel to-do list was mostly restaurants I wanted to eat at and along the way, we stuck in things to do nearby. Ha!

{the science and industry museum was by far my favorite thing to do but you need a full day - if not more - to really experience it}

Lilacs4Me · Jul 28, 2016

Scootypuffjr said:
Sorry, we are not familiar with the area. Just relaying what we were told.

Sorry - I wasn't trying to tease you - I just had visions in my head of your poor family cowering in the Uber car, then doing a duck and run into the museum with your jackets over your head for cover - all because this weirdo off-duty cop wanted to play around and scare the bejezus out of a nice, unsuspecting family from...wherever.

Just so you know for next time, it's pretty darn safe over there.

nd5056 · Jul 28, 2016

Lilacs4Me said:
Haha, my DH totally agrees with both of you! We live in the west suburbs, and there is a Malnatti's right down the street from us. DH ALWAYS wants to go there - but I think it's gross! Well, the sausage is good, and the tomato's are decent, but the crust! I just can't get past it - it has no taste! I always peel the toppings off and just eat that part - DH steals my crusts.

My sister's family came out to visit once and we did a self-made "Pizza Tour" with them -we hit 7 of our absolute favorite pizza places in one day. We ordered one large from each place, and everyone tasted. Because DH really wanted it, Malnatti's was on the list. But it came in 2nd to last! The worst was Aurelio's (there's one in LaGrange and one way out in like Homer Glen - not sure where else) again because DH loves it, but their pizza has sauce that tastes like sugar. it's worse then the Malnetti's crust LOL

You can probably tell I'm more of a thin crust girl...lol If I have to pick a deep, I'd go with Giordano's, but that's mostly because they deliver to our house....

Well... We go to Lou Malnati's for 2 things:

Cheddar Cubes - our kids favorite
The Lou! - Deep Dish vegetarian pizza - the only vegetarian pizza we eat, ever!

The only other Deep Dish pizza we have is Pizza Uno Cheese Pizza.

Thin crust covers the rest.

Now back on topic... :duck:

Scootypuffjr · Jul 28, 2016

Lilacs4Me said:
Sorry - I wasn't trying to tease you - I just had visions in my head of your poor family cowering in the Uber car, then doing a duck and run into the museum with your jackets over your head for cover - all because this weirdo off-duty cop wanted to play around and scare the bejezus out of a nice, unsuspecting family from...wherever.

Just so you know for next time, it's pretty darn safe over there.

No worries. I'm originally from LA, so it wasn't quite that dramatic, but being from LA, when someone tells us not to go somewhere, generally, we listen. I think it also had to do with the fact that we were there over Memorial Day weekend and with the number of shootings that occurred, I think he was a little on edge.

Scootypuffjr · Jul 28, 2016

720L said:
Pizzeria Uno or Due (same pizza 2 locations). The Riverwalk is fun to do & there is a "bridge museum" you can go in where you can see the gears to one of the bridges.

We went to Due and it was awesome! We also went to Firecakes donuts and had some of the best donuts ever!

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