hey there! glad you guys liked my first recap of my chicago trip. for those of you just tuning in, i was in chicago over the weekend visiting some friends.
said friends live just steps away from the lake, so on saturday morning we walked over to the beach to check out the gigantic lake.
it was freezing!
for a little warmup, we snagged a cup of coffee at a nearby shop called metropolis before hopping on the train.
we made our way down the red line to the addison stop. on the agenda? 
cubs stadium! too bad it’s february and no baseball games were going on.. but it was still fun to see. plus, there was a huge captain morgan statue. tell me that’s not exciting and i will tell you that you’re lying.
we started wandering down the road looking for food. it was past noon and all i’d eaten was an apple. all day! we were so hungry. walking aimlessly when you are incredibly hungry is NOT fun. i think we were all a little cranky!
when i spotted the chicago diner, i got really excited because i realized that caroline told me to try it out. a random stumbling on a recommended restaurant?! it was fate.
i am not vegan.. not even vegetarian.. but i happen to love vegetarian and vegan restaurants. i think i am just always so impressed with how delicious the food is without the use of certain ingredients.
the chicago diner’s brunch features are something to brag about. check it out:
plus, they had organic ketchup. i have never been to a breakfast joint that doesn’t have HFCS-filled ketchup. i was giddy.
danny & derrick
me & kristen
started with coffee & soy milk~
i ordered 2 eggs over medium, seitan sausage, roasted potatoes & toast.
the roasted potatoes were a medley of russet, sweet and purple potatoes!
i was all over this marble toast. and the rice syrup sweetened preserves that came with it.
even though it was already 1 o’clock when we ordered, i still went with breakfast food. breakfast foods are easily my favorite when it comes to dining out.
after eating every last bite, we were off!
first stop: the chicago history museum. i didn’t take any photos, but it was fun to learn about chicago’s history. i knew nothing going in and i knew everything going out. okay, not everything, but i learned a lot.
after the chicago history museum, we had big plans to go to the field museum and then to the art institute of chicago. we raced to the field museum because last admission was at 4 PM. we got to the doors (LITERALLY) at 4:01 PM. they wouldn’t let us in.
ugh. lame.
so.. we hopped back on the train and headed toward the art institute. we took our time because we thought it was open until 8 PM (it is on friday—that is when we had checked the hours). well, we strolled into the museum around 5 PM, only to find out that it was closed!
dangit.. two strikes. we were out. what do you do when you don’t get into either museum on your agenda?
eat more food!
we decided to get some deep dish pizza since it is a chicago MUST. the recommended restaurants were nowhere near us, so we settled on a place called giordano’s.
kristen & i split a deep dish that had pepperoni, mushrooms, onions & green pepper. it had 6 HUGE slices. the menu said this size was ideal for 1 or 2 people. um.. try 3 or 4?
this was cheesy and delicious. chicago is onto something with this style of pizza.
the crust was my favorite part! i could eat a whole plate of crusts alone!
somehow i managed to eat two whole slizes of deep dish and then i had to be wheeled out of the restaurant.
we made our way to the puma store so i could snag some shoes for the mister and for myself. no photos, but i assure you, they are cute.
we also stopped to take photos of the chicago theater, because we were tourists, and that’s what tourists do.
yooooo!
we called it an early night and went home to bake banana bread. yeah, banana bread baking on a saturday night on vacation. totally normal! it was momma b’s recipe, by the way.
and that, my friends, concludes day 2 of my chicago trip!
one more full day to recap.. stay tuned.
Qs~
1. how do you like your pizza: deep dish, thick crust or thin crust? how about toppings?
2. museums: do you prefer art museums or history museums?
xo. janetha g.
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i’ve NEVER had chicago pizza, believe it or not. new yorker pizza habits simply don’t die :) i am all about the thin crust, but want to try chicago deep dish sometime. it’s on the list!
art museums! history museums are a bit much to digest after about an hour… or maybe that’s just my mild spazziness?
history museums! actualy science museums are the best with all their hands on stuff!.. i like thin crust!!!!!
ow! That breakfast spot sounds fabulous. There is something incredibly comforting about breakfast potatoes. I’m a thin crust girl all the way! But I’m with you- I could just eat crust and be more than happy ;).
I want to go to Chicago so bad!!!
Hi love!!!!
I am so glad you had a great time in chicago!!! Your two friends danny and derrick are too cute! I bet they love living there, so lucky for them!
Yay for deep dish, that is always a must in chicago, I love the CRUST the most too! My son doesnt like it so when we get pizza I always get his!!
Love ya and cant wait for the last recap!!! xoxo
I didn’t try deep-dish pizza in Chicago, and though I kind of wish I had, my allegiance will always be with thin-crust. A cross between crispy and doughy….there’s a place in the Bronx that serves literally the best Italian pizza ever. Everyone I’ve brought there has said it’s the best they’ve had. If you’re ever in New York, you know where to go haha :)
i LOVE chicago’s deep dish. my fave is spinach and mushroom.
So jealous of your travels! What a blast. :D
I’m a thin crust pizza kind of girl. Preferrably with a ton of toppings like goat cheese (or feta!) and a ton of veggies. Yum! :D
Ah Chicago is amazing! I went my first time this summer for the HLS and had so mucn fun! I wish I would of know about that coffee place, I definetly would of tried it!
I love art museums- especially modern day museums. My favorite is the walker in Minneapolis; they have beautiful/funky/out of this worrrrrld pieces! See, I even get excited talking about it! :)
That deep dish pizza looks incredible! I want to go to Chicago so I can try that! When my boyfriend was there for work, he went to the original Pizzaria Uno and said it was amazing! Oh, and that breakfast looked really good too!
I like art museums bettter than history museums.
Ohhh….love pizza but for me the perfect slice is thin on the bottom and has a nice poofy crust with some of those air bubbles (does that make sense?). More sauce than cheese please, too! I’m all about the crust too and could eat a plateful. In fact, I could skip the rest and just eat the crust dipped in the pizza sauce. Oh I guess that’s kind of a breadstick…oh well!
Natural History museums are my favorite. That and botanical/science stuff. That’s why I love living in the DC area….free (:
Oh now I want pizza…NOW!!!!!!
Oh and if you get a chance go to a Gipsy Kings concert…fabulous fun and crazy happy dancing!
That does look delicious! I’ve never had deep dish pizza (so sad) but I love thin crust!
I love art museums, but history can be fun, too :)
xo
I LOVE your vacation recaps! I feel like I am right there with you ….bummer about the museums but sounds like a great day! Glad you have such awesome friends xoxo!!!
i have never really been to a museum, it would be sweet to check out either, especially one in a big city like that.
I love whole wheat crust with my pizza, and LOTS of cheese.
Love thin crust, regular crust, AND deep dish pizza, but you’re right, there is something magical about Chicago style. The pastry-type crust is divine. Next time, try spinach and mushrooms. I’m telling you, it’s the best combo for Chicago style pizza!!
Glad you had fun… we’ve been really wanting to make a trip there anyway, to visit family and see the sights. Your recaps are amping it up! Luckily we can drive there from metro Detroit.
I looooooove Giordano’s pizza…ever since having that a couple years back on a trip I took to Chicago, no other pizza has compared. I need to go back to Chicago–that buttery crust is calling my name.
I like thick, doughy pizza crust and my ideal toppings are probably just simply lots of roasted garlic and mushrooms.
history museums for sure!
Fun times!
For pizza I usually like thin crust because it’s healthier, but your picture of deep dish style may have me changing my mind….For toppings I usually just like cheese or veggies.
I prefer art museums. History sadly kind of bores me.
Fun Fact: I can recite the story on the back of the Captain Morgan quart bottle. It wasn’t on purpose… I just drank it that much!! :P
how do i do my pizza? can i say all of the above? LOOOVE pizza! :) i’ve only been to chicago once, but we got deep dish pizza – oh em gee so good!
i think i like history museums over art museums. i’m a total nerd and i love learning about history!
Thin crust is definitely my favorite. Thin and crispy! I’m boring, and love a plain old margherita pizza. with avocados. and pine nuts. yum!!
I love NY style pizza! When we were in New York a few years back they delivered to our room at the hotel, it was awesome.
I LOVE any museum, I’m sort of impartial to art ones since I went to school at the art institute but I enjoy history ones too. Anytime I go out of town I always to go visit some sort of museum.
Fun! It looks like you need to get Danny done mixing bowls… except the handle does look pretty handy for pouring! Did he love it?!
I went for a run right by the lake on saturday- I wonder my group went past you (I was visiting my cousin)
ANyway, the pizza you had is pretty famous in chicago- and I absolutely love it (my mouth is watering now haha)
Im glad you had a great day in chicago- sorry about all the closing those…that stinks!
i heart you.
and i heart chicago.
and i heart giordanos pizza.
lotsa hearts here :)
Oh gol. I want that pizza soooooooo bad right now!
Totally love art museums…and now I want to go to Chicago to see the bean and for the pizza…I <3 pizza..i could eat it every day of my life and not get tired of it…so i need some of that yummy looking pie!!
I am an equal-opportunity pizza lover! Thin crust, deep dish, whatever, I love it all.
Giordano’s is the bomb!! Though, I think we like Chicago Pizza Oven Grinder a little better? They’re both amazing!
oh man!!! Chicago looks soooo delish!!!
The best pizza I ever had has zucchini on it. Oh my god, it was amazing.
I love love love deep dish but it’s hard to find it done right in my parts. There is one place though and I go there whenever I can.
Mmm, that breakfast is making me drool all over my keyboard.
I like thin crust (yay for the crunch) and art museums best.
I love that with deep dish you don’t even need toppings! The sheer volume does the trick. I was dragged around art museums so much as a kid (we lived closet to New York City, so my mom took my sister & I to the Metropolitan too many times to count) that I’m still a little burnt out; history museums are great but I like science ones even better!
Aww Chicago. I’m so happy you loved it! :)
As far as museums go, I like a little of both – but my fav in Chi-town is the Science and Industry!
I have always wanted to go to chicago and have never been!
I used to be a deep dish kinda gal…but I try to stay away as much as possible and when I do have pizza, its thin crust for me.
I love THIN crust most of the time but every once in awhile you gotta go THICK. :) I love all museums both art and history so I can’t chooose!!
Thanks for the recap from my home town. Although I love living abroad, I can’t help but feel a bit of longing for home while looking at your photos. In case you’re interested, I have a how to for making an awesome homemade Chicago-style deep dish pizza.
http://travelingtogether.wordpress.com/2010/11/10/chicago-style-deep-dish-pizza/
I realize it’s too late now, but the Architectural Boat Tour is a must-do in Chicago! It might have been a wee bit cold and windy for that when you were there, though.
I prefer thin crust pizza! More slices!
um, i actually don’t like museums of any kind. i avoid them like the plague.
i love the pizza crusts, too! (the bones, we call them, in our family). just give me the bones and i’d be very happy.
loved your recap, once again, janetha! and i agree – why not act like a tourist when you ARE a tourist! nothing to be ashamed of, and very fun to do!
oh so fun!!! that restaurant looks awesome and I totally agree with you about vegan and vegetarian restaurants…I am not either of those but I am always so darn impressed how the food is so so so good and fresh!
I have NEVER tried deep dish chicago syle pizza! I know I cant believe it either
That is really bogus about all of your failed museum trips! haha. Personally, I tend to like art museums more than history museums, but if the topic is right, I’m alllll over it! I loved going to the Field Museum, they have awesome exhibits. Also, 9 years in Chicago still didn’t make me like deep dish. I’ll eat it, but I much prefer a middle-of-the-road pan pizza. Not too thick, not too thin :)
Great recap! I’m kinda a giddy gal because Wrigleyville & Giordano’s were definitely 2 of my must see suggestions! Also that’s a pretty long walk from Clark & Addison to the Chicago Diner – no wonder you were hungry!
There’s a really great Bobby Flay Throwdown on Chicago-style pizza – it’s cool watching how it’s made!
Hi Janetha,
I have read your blog for months, but this is my first comment. I go to college on the south side of Chicago, Hyde Park, which I hope you fortunate enough to not visit. I am also a huge fan of the Chicago Diner. If you go to Whole Foods in Chicago you can also buy their sweets, although it is a little too late for that now. If you are back in Chicago sometime you should try Lou Malnati’s for real Chicago style pizza; Giordano’s is pretty good, but the typical chain restaurant. I love your pictures!
Those boys are the cutest! My favorite pizza is thin crust and loaded with veggies… and now either cheeseless or with Daiya and a gluten-free crust… gotta love these sensitivities! ;)
It depends on what kind of art, and what kind of history!!! I HATE modern art…I don’t understand it at all, and though I can TRY to appreciate it…sorry, I just don’t see the wonder in a cube.
I’ve never tried the chicago-style pizza that you showed, but I’m drooling…I prefer pizzas with heavy toppings and a shatteringly thin crust though, that way I can eat the whole pizza by myself. Hahah!
Giordanno’s…is SUCH a Chicago institution. I know the exact location you were at (well, pretty sure) and I found myself there at all hours of the night after a night on Rush Street.
I used to live in Wrigleyville and love the Addison stop :)
Oh this post makes me miss Chicago so much! Glad you had a fabulous time!!
And that sucks about the Field Museum / 4:01p. Ugh.
Looks like you filled your agenda tho!
My college apartment was the scene of the great pizza wars – staged between our roommate from NYC and our roommate from Chicago. Gotta say, I love super thin crust with cheese and veggies galore!
That is a serious pizza! I can’t believe i’ve never had deep dish pizza before, the crust is my favorite part!
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