Friday, December 30, 2022

My Favorite Things Here In Chicagoland!

***Due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, visiting any of the following places may be limited. Please click the names to visit the links to their websites that I've provided to see more info if they're open or not.***

Here's a list of some of my favorite places here in Chicagoland. If you're looking for generic tourist trap places, look elsewhere, these are the real deal hidden gems in the city & suburbs! Some categories only have a few listings, because these are the best of the best Chicagoland has to offer. List is always being updated so bookmark this page to get more wonderful places to visit.



Nightlife: 
  • IO Rooftop Godfrey Hotel
    • Ask for Stavros! During Fall/Winter they have igloos you can sit in & enjoy your drinks outside seeing one of the best views of the city.
  • Play Book Sports Bar
    • Very loud music so don't expect to hear your companions well. Great place to watch a game.
  • Paradise Park
    • Nice rooftop & patio
  • Benchmark
    • Have NEVER had a bad time here. Great place to watch a game or just to hang. Arguably best turkey burger in the city.
  • Sneakers
    • Classic Chicagoland neighborhood sports bar. Great place to watch a game. Pizza & nachos grande are excellent. Tends to get loud so don't expect to have quality conversations.
  • Tavern On The Point
    • Very spacious bar with an excellent rooftop. Great place to get your night started. In Edison Park, which is statistically safest neighborhood in Chicago.


Low Key Nightlife:
  • Guthries Tavern
    • My most favorite bar in the city. They have an entire wall of board games you can play for the price of $FREE.99, haha. Great date place or to hang out with friends/family. Fun Fact: 5th most haunted establishment in Chicago.
  • The Curragh
    • Classic Chicago Irish bar with an extensive spirits list. The live music featuring local musicians is always fantastic. Only negative is that the staff is usually rude.
  • Pinstripes
    • Great place to grab a drink & play the fun Italian game bocce. The Chicago location has an incredible outdoor patio with a great view of the Chicago River; and during the Fall/Winter they have a quaint bonfire.
  • Logan Arcade
    • Fun adult arcade where majority of the games are pinball. They also have a creepy emo goth version of the Chuck E Cheese Band in the front which is hilarious.
  • Replay
    • Fun adult arcade where 90%+ of the games are FREE to play! Every month they also decorate the bar in different themes (Ex: The Office, Friends, Shrek, Game of Thrones, etc).
  • HQ Beercade
    • Another fun adult arcade in the city where 90%+ of the games are FREE to play.
  • Southport Lanes
    • So much Chicago history in this establishment with 98 years in business as a speak easy during Prohibition before being converted into it's current tavern incarnation with bowling, billiards, and darts. Great place to unwind with friends or for a relaxed first date.
  • Pressure Cafe
    • Excellent place for a date or to hangout/watch a game. You can play bags/cornhole on the outdoor patio, or chess & giant size Jenga inside, all for free. They also have billiards & darts inside, but for those are a charge.
  • AceBounce
    • Really fun ping pong bar in the Loop. Gets busy fast during night primetime hours, so make a reservation ahead of time. 
  • Hidden Cove
    • Hole in the wall bar that's arguably best karaoke bar in the city.
  • Veranda Inn
    • One of the best hidden gem rooftops in the city. They have quite a bit of plants on the rooftop; so it feels like you're having a drink in a pretty garden.
  • Green Mill
    • Legendary Sunday night poetry slam. One of Al Capone's old hangouts. The booth where he used to sit & watch shows has been preserved, and you can still sit in it. Fun Fact: There's still a trap door by the bar that leads to tunnels where Capone would escape police.
  • Avenue Ale House
    • Lovely rooftop just outside the city limits.
  • Hala Kahiki
    • With how cold Chicagoland can get for nine months out of the year, this tiki bar near O'Hare airport is the premiere tropical escape. Tacky decor but the drinks are STRONG & plentiful.
  • Real Time Sports
    • One of the best sports bars in the suburbs to watch a game. Food is excellent. I highly recommend their ultimate nachos & the golf club sandwich.
  • Westwood Tavern
    • One of the best patios in the burbs. Great drinks, great food, great ambiance for date night, hanging out with friends/family, watching the game, etc. Located just down the road from the largest mall in Illinois, Woodfield Mall.
  • Compass Arena
    • A multi floor complex. First floor has a concert venue, indoor soccer field, a breakfast & lunch cafe, and a sports bar. Second floor has an upscale whiskey lounge. Third floor has a nightclub. Sports bar & whiskey lounge close relatively early, even on weekends; so it's more of where you start your night venue instead of where you end it.


Brunch:
  • Nana
    • Arguably best brunch place in the city. Service, decor (they feature the artwork of local artists), and deliciousness of food (not to mention health: most options, if not all, are organic), are second to none.
  • Sweet Maple Cafe
    • Quaint place that feels like you're eating in a Southern Grandma's kitchen. Location is very small, so wait times can be very long to be seated.
  • Chief O'Neill's
    • One of best Sunday brunch buffets in the city. Enjoy your Sunday brunch in their pretty garden patio.
  • Egg Harbor Cafe
    • Only recommend Hinsdale & Glenview locations. The pumpkin pancakes once they switch to the Fall menu will CHANGE YOUR LIFE! Haha
  • Ann Sather
    • Best cinnamon rolls in the city. Only recommend Belmont location.


Dinner:
  • Fogo de Chao
    • Only recommend the city location. Service & quality of food is impeccable.
  • Cafe Iberico
    • Arguably best Spanish tapas in the city.
  • Prasino
    • Healthy, organic, vegan, vegetarian options.
  • Chama Gaucha
    • Best Brasilian steakhouse in the burbs. Much like Fogo, service & quality of food are superb.
  • Pops For Champagne
    • Perfect place for an anniversary, special date night, etc.
Pizza:
  • Spacca Napoli
    • The most authentic pizza Italiana you'll get in Chicago. The owner spent 13yrs working in pizzerie in Napoli, then came to Chicago to open Spacca Napoli. Don't forget your free cannoli on the way out.


Italian:
  • Anna Maria Pasteria
    • Two sisters from Basilicata, Italia, who opened their establishment in 1989. Authentic Italian cooking that'll make you feel like you're in "Mamma's"/"Nonna's" kitchen even if you didn't grow up in an Italian household.
  • Angelo's Ristorante
    • Only recommend the weekday Italian lunch buffet service. Best eggplant parmigiana in the Chicagoland area.


Sandwiches (Beefs, Hot Dogs, Subs, Etc):
  • Portillos
    • Best Italian beef sandwiches in the city. Also try the chocolate cake shake, you wont regret it!
  • Alpine Deli
    • Arguably best sub sandwich place in Chicagoland. My favorite order: imported prosciutto, imported salami, provolone, ricotta, tomato, EVOO. They tend to have long lines, so you may want to order ahead.
  • Wieners Circle 
    • EVERYONE needs to experience Wieners Circle at least once in their life. If you're going to go late night be forewarned that it gets ROWDY. To get a sneak peek of what you're in store for, click the link & watch the clip of when the Conan O'Brien Show visited.


Sushi:
  • Tanoshii
    • Only recommend Andersonville location. Sit at the bar so you can be served by Sushi Chef Mike, BUT be forewarned, if he serves you complimentary rolls, you must eat them immediately! Also, do NOT use any sauces in his presence! You've been warned! Haha


Mexican:


BBQ:
  • Russells
    • Arguably best BBQ in Chicagoland. It's been around since the early 1900s, so it's a Chicagoland staple.

Sweet Treats:
  • Margie's Candies
    • The Beatles, Rolling Stones, and other legendary acts have all gotten their sweet tooth fix here. Order the Eiffel Tower, I dare you to finish it! Ha
  • Caffe Gelato
    • Arguably best gelato in the city. Sit at their patio near the street while you enjoy your treat for some great people watching.
  • Dunk Donuts  
    • Almost 50yrs in business. They're so old school they don't have a website or social media; so check out the WGN Chicago's Best review done on them by clicking the link. The buttercream coconut is my favorite.
  • Spunky Dunkers
    • A NW burb coffee & donuts staple for over 30yrs. All of their glazed donuts are delicious. Ask about their SECRET menu. 

Beaches:
  • Gillson Beach
    • The scene is so serene & peaceful, and it feels like you're no where near the third largest city in the country. They have kayaks, sail boats, paddle boards, etc for rent.
  • Thorndale Beach
    • One of the city's best off the beaten path beaches. So quiet & peaceful.
  • Ohio Street Beach
    • One of Chicago's less frequented & quieter beaches despite being right next to Chicago's most visited tourist attraction Navy Pier.
  • Crystal Lake Beach
    • A private beach that's perfect for a family gathering or renting a peddle boat & having a picnic on the water.

Activities:


Gyms:


Outdoorsy Fun:
  • Swallow Cliff Trails
    • 125 limestone staircase (that will kick your butt even just walking them because the staircase is nearly vertical) that leads to several trails. Such a peaceful area that's just outside the city.
  • Wagner Farm
    • Perfect place just outside of the city to take the kids for them to see horses, cows, and learn all about Illinois farm life.
  • Morton Arboretum
  • Chicago Botanical Gardens

Museums:

  • The Chicago Public Library offers a program where if you have a Chicago Public Library card you can check out passes to 19 museums in Chicagoland. FYI, just like popular books, these passes get checked out quickly, so call ahead to the library location you plan on visiting to see which passes that library branch has available.

Public Art:

  • Chicago is home to some of the most creative & innovative artists that have created incredibly beautiful murals. For lists of where to see their public works of art click here & here.


HAVE FUN & ENJOY!