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Quote:

Originally Posted by Alzilla (Post 534845)

Raul, I'll shoot you a PM with my phone number. Let me know if you want to meet up on Monday late morning/early afternoon. I wish it was open on Sunday...

I should be open then, we'll grab some lunch afterwards

Just got back from Chicago. I had a great long weekend there and I hope you guys didn't miss me too much... I'll have plenty of cool pics to share in this thread in the next few days.

Quote:

Originally Posted by .:Raul (Post 534847)

I should be open then, we'll grab some lunch afterwards

Sorry it didn't work to meet up, Raul. I couldn't convince my GF to stick around much later since she still has to drive drive back to Sioux Falls from Minneapolis tonight. It would've been great to meet you but I'm sure I'll make it back to Chicago soon. I'm really bummed I didn't make it to Gold Coast Bentley/Lamborghini but I got to look in the windows a little on the way to dinner last night.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alzilla (Post 547208)

Just got back from Chicago. I had a great long weekend there and I hope you guys didn't miss me too much... I'll have plenty of cool pics to share in this thread in the next few days.

Sorry it didn't work to meet up, Raul. I couldn't convince my GF to stick around much later since she still has to drive drive back to Sioux Falls from Minneapolis tonight. It would've been great to meet you but I'm sure I'll make it back to Chicago soon. I'm really bummed I didn't make it to Gold Coast Bentley/Lamborghini but I got to look in the windows a little on the way to dinner last night.

hey man hope you enjoyed the city and hope you come back soon!

Tavern on Rush was one of the best meals I've ever had. The atmosphere there was great, as was the service. We had a great table right in the corner by the windows on the 2nd floor with a great view of Rush St.

For dinner on Saturday, we went to Giordano's for pizza. Best pizza ever.

Oh, and our hotel room at the Allerton was really nice too! We had a great view of the historic Chicago water tower and Michigan Ave. I'll post a ton of pics tomorrow. I'm editing photos from Millenium Park at the moment.

Alex: Looking forward to seeing pictures!

Quote:

Originally Posted by M5Kid (Post 547280)

Alex: Looking forward to seeing pictures!

Thanks! Hopefully I won't disappoint even though I don't have many car shots. I snagged a few of a nice 997 Turbo cab and a Panamera 4S I kept seeing driving around.

boy I sure do love this city, great pics!

Do you have high res shots of the Milennium park photos?

Quote:

Originally Posted by LABrit (Post 548479)

Do you have high res shots of the Milennium park photos?

I sure do. I've got about 90 full res images from my trip that can be found here:

Chicago pics

Great snaps Alex. Definitely makes me want to go back!

Did you use the new lens for the majority of your trip?

Stupid question... I'm bringing my camera with me to Florida tonight... first time taking it anywhere :O

Quote:

Originally Posted by GetLiquidNow (Post 548647)

Did you use the new lens for the majority of your trip?

Stupid question... I'm bringing my camera with me to Florida tonight... first time taking it anywhere :O

I really wanted to use my new Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 more but the Sigma 10-20 was mounted to the D200 almost the entire weekend. That's not to say I don't like the new Tamron, but at 28mm, it just wasn't wide enough to really capture all of the unique architecture. Now if I had a FF camera like the D700, things might've been different.

Have fun in FL! I'll be looking forward to seeing some photos.

Sorry to bring up an old thread but I'm heading to Chicago in December and I've checked all the food places you guys recommended and they look great! Im going to try to eat at Tavern, gibsons and the la scarola place. I think for lunch and a quick slice I'll try UNOs. There are a few Gino's there, which one do you guys suggest? We are staying at the 4 points Sheraton on Rush. How is that hotel? We aren't paying for it, we are just paying for our flight. I guess we can't go wrong there, even if it's not the nicest hotel. What about places to see? I think you guys nailed it with the places to eat lol. I definitely want to check out the park Alzilla posted pics of and of course the lambo spot. Any other suggestions? Oh yea, while we are there, it will be my girlfriends birthday. Would the places you guys suggested do far be a great place for a nice romantic dinner, or is there an even better place for that nearby? Thanks for the advice and help guys!

KUMA BURGER! Don't miss it, best burger in america!

Quote:

Originally Posted by C Money (Post 1151196)

KUMA BURGER! Don't miss it, best burger in america!

Still haven't checked it out. The lines are always so huge

Quote:

Originally Posted by .:Raul (Post 1151401)

Still haven't checked it out. The lines are always so huge

you need to just eat a late lunch/early dinner on a weekday... I promise it is worth the wait!

I'm glad you enjoyed your stay Alzilla, but you MUST come back during the summer.

Great thread. Hoping to hit Chi Town in the spring and really want to stay at the Sofitel or the Trump. What should sway my decision (other than price) between these two?

Also --- doesn't MJ have a steakhouse there? Is it good? I would love to say i ate at his place even it there are better places just because i am such a fan.

Finally, the architecture tour on the boat - has anyone done that recently? Is it still a must do?

Quote:

Originally Posted by pearlcoupeg35 (Post 1154122)

No more restaurant for MJ.

Trump is real nice and so is the W. never been to Sofitel.

Did the boat tour this past summer and I enjoyed it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by frshcoupe (Post 1151183)

Too bad that there aren't more Chicago folks on here to give you some feedback. Depending if you'll have a vehicle while here or how far you want to go from your hotel some of these recommendations may not apply.

Hotel
Sounds like you're set but if returning in the future I would recommend checking out the Elysian - still head there for a drink

Breakfast
-Meli's - my fav
-Nookies or Toast - for something neighborhoody
-Sunday brunch at the Peninsula - if you want fancy

Lunch
might be a good opportunity for you to check out a pizza joint - expect to WAIT with a pack of tourist zombies at any of those places downtown
-The Purple Pig - surprisingly solid place in the tourist zone off the Mag Mile
-Big Star - pretty solid Mexican (a bit of a hike from where you're staying)

Dinner
The places mentioned (Gibson's etc) are nice and good but not really my style. I usually stay away from the Gold Coast for dinner.
-Blackbird - 'new' American - might be a good spot for your lady's b-day dinner but def check out the website to make sure it's her/your scene ahead of making a commitment there for an important date like that
-The Bedford - 'new' American - in the basement of a bank - you can eat inside the vault :]
-Gilt Bar - 'new' American - good food and drink scene
-The Bristol - 'new' American place that uses a lot of local foods from the midwest (a bit of a hike from where you're staying)
-Leopold - Belgian tastiness! (a bit of a hike from where you're staying and def off the beaten path)

Motor
-Bentley Gold Coast (Lambo spot) is pretty awesome and worth dropping by
-Willow Automotive Services on the South side is my personal favorite place to ogle at vehicles - amazing private collection in there and sometimes cars are for sale. I would recommend calling ahead if you're serious about getting a look around because it's not always open.

Not sure if it was you or someone else mentioning something about going to Jordan's restaurant - meh, I went there when I was younger and got all geeked out about it but only go if you're a crazy Jordan fan. Better to go check out the Jumpman statue outside the United Center. If you're really into b-ball then depending on when you're here I would recommend checking out a local high school game at one of these schools to see what Chicago basketball is all about

I could go on - PM me if any of these spark your interest and you need more recommendations.

Enjoy your visit

^ awesome review - thanks so much! ^

Moabite, that was awesome thank you. Heading to Chicago in the morning, can't wait it'll be my first time. Really looking forward to the food, the city and the sightseeing!

In the windy city as I type this

Quote:

Originally Posted by Christian (Post 1178638)

In the windy city as I type this

welcome! enjoy our first snow fall......

where you staying?

A suite at the drake

^

very nice, are you here for a special occasion?

Birthday week, I come to Chicago few times a year, this is were I was born

sweet!!! any exciting plans?

don't stay at the Affinia, really was not impressed for the price

Was in ORD this week and am now back in L.A. - go once or twice a year. Best "chain" stays so far are Park Hyatt and JW Marriott IMO.