Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Good Guide for Chicago

The latest edition of the Michelin Guide is out for Chicago. The Green Guide is a favorite of mine and I enjoy flipping through each new edition. Here are some highlights:
  • True true true weather facts in the When to Go section. Yes, as much as we Chicagoans don't want to admit it, winter is our longest season and yes, the high humidity in summer is barely tolerable. Good to know tips for visitors.
  • The guide mentions the fantastic Green City Market in the Chicago for Foodies section. This is one of the best markets around and not to be missed. Open year-round, winter in the beautiful Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Lincoln Park and in summer down the road a bit across from the Lincoln Park Zoo, one of America's last free zoos.
  • Didn't know this myself but handy for locals and visitors. Guide lists all the Foreign Consulates in Chicago in the Know Before You Go section.
  • Yes Chicago is built on a grid which makes it easy to navigate when looking for an address. Good description of how to get around in the Getting Around section. Also info on the famous "L" elevated train system.
  • Looking for things to do? The Guide is organized by City section: Downtown, North Side, West Side, South Side and suburban excursions. Figured this out yet? There is no East side, you'd be swimming in Lake Michigan.
  • Looking for a place to stay and something to eat? There are the traditional suggestions in the Your Stay in Chicago section. There are the big hitters, The Four Season, The Peninsula, The Drake. However the Guide is compact so there are very few accommodation and food recommendations, so do your research before you visit there are obviously lots more options than the 8 pages in the book. Chicago is a food city, some of the finest restaurants in the world. You won't go hungry whether it is traditional deep dish pizza, our famous hot dogs or the #1 restaurant in America, Alinea. Personal favorites of mine, the Swissotel, (I had my first wedding reception in the penthouse, AMAZING views of the City and the Lake.) I also love The Omni Chicago, located on Michigan Avenue a perfect location for shopping and seeing the sites. Their breakfast buffet is fantastic and the rooms are all suites! And my favorite restaurant in Chicago, The Gage across from the Art Institute and Millennium Park. The curried mussels are to die for.
Overall this is a guide book for Chicago that I recommend. So what are you waiting for...come and visit!

2 comments:

Beth Klein said...

Oh, Shannon, but you are mistaken. There IS an East Side. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Side,_Chicago

Many, many members of my famly actually live there, and both of my parents went to high school there. It is included in the official neighborhood listing of Chicago. The zip code there is 60617.

Shannon Distel Scanlan said...

Thanks Beth for pointing that out, guess I will have to visit the East Side neighborhood!