Chicago Anniversary

Dan and I love going to Chicago. It's not so far away, and even after all the trips we've made, there's still a lot of fun touristy stuff we can do. We loved this trip so much we would hope that anyone going to the city would at least check out some of the things we did. You won't be disappointed!

This trip we took the bus, which, despite small setbacks, was a wise choice (and cheap!). I love love loved not having to drive or park in the city. I am a major proponent of mass transit, and I hope that someday Detroit will have something worth riding (but I'm not holding my breath).

We saw the CIA and the Museum of Contemporary Art (free on Tuesday) this time around. I preferred the art institute- the works there are a little more tried-and-true, by my tastes. I really liked the Jeff Wall exhibit, but unfortunately there were no photos allowed. His is the kind of art I would pay to have a real live piece of it in my home. Insightful and disturbing.

We ate at some really tasty restaurants that even our Chicagoan friends hadn't tried. For our anniversary, we got (veggie) fondue at Geja's Cafe- they have half off bottles of wine on Monday. Dan loved the ambiance. Some folks might find the candlelight and cave-like walls cheesy, but we had a blast. Service was lovely (and that means something, coming from a fine-dining server!). We also ate at Cafe Iberico, which had some mighty fine tapas (I didn't dig the paella- but we got the veggie version) and pitchers of sangria. I recommend taking friends here, and be prepared to wait- we stood outside for 30 minutes on a Tuesday. The real gem of our dining experience was Irazu. It was a hole-in-the-wall place in a neighborhood a tourist would probably never go, but I encourage everyone to hop on the blue line and get there! The potato tacos sounded absurd, but I ordered them (and laughed when they came with rice AND plantains- starchy!). They were delicious, delicately spiced morsels, and they were accompanied by a knockout mole and a cabbage and cilantro slaw. Order a plate of potato tacos to share (they're a lot on your own), and on the way out the door, grab an oatmeal shake to go. It's like a liquid cookie and it was the perfect thing to sip as we walked around. And hey- it's got fiber to boot.

And, as in all knitting blogs, here's the obligatory action shot, courtesy of my husband, from the lounge on the 96th floor of the Hancock Building at sunset:

All the yarn I buy in Chicago I get from Loopy Yarns. This time they were way understocked, but I still managed to drop a little cash. They send out birthday coupons for folks on their mailing lists, and they let my use mine two months late. Thanks!


Happy anniversary, babycakes.