MY KIND OF TOWN

In the words of the inimitable Frank Sinatra, Chicago is most definitely my kind of town.  Why?  It dates back to the mid-80’s when I started in the printing industry working (in Los Angeles) for a Chicago-based company.  Hence, a great many trips to the Windy City occurred.  The hiring was only a few months before meeting the Hubby.  So, when deciding where to go for a quick trip celebrating our 40th Anniversary, the choice was easy.

What also played into the decision was the cost of staying at a 5* property in California.  In a word, staggering.  Rosewood Miramar and San Ysidro Inn, both in Montecito — fuggedaboutit.  Places in Napa — Meadowood, Auberge de Soleil, Four Seasons — same.

Breakfast at The Peninsula Chicago

Thus, utilizing an airline credit coupled with significantly better pricing at the top hotels in Chicago made for a very quick decision.  If only the weather had cooperated a bit more (too humid), but we managed to make do with our essentially 2-day stay.

One simply must indulge in pizza in Chicago.  Deep dish for him, thin crust for me.  Gino’s East is a classic joint just off Michigan Avenue.  Hard to believe that it takes 45 minutes to make a pizza, but that’s how long the deep dish bakes.  And it was very good.

The biggest decision was where to have our special dinner.  I’m happy to report that Tre Dita in the St. Regis Hotel — referred to as “the prettiest restaurant in Chicago” — lived up to its billing.  Proprietor Evan Funke has a big presence in Los Angeles with 3 very popular restaurants.  He does an excellent job, particularly with pasta.  He was featured on an episode of Chef’s Table (Netflix) showing his extraordinary pasta making skills.

Son Sam pulled off quite the surprise.  As soon as we sat down, beautiful wine goblets were brought to the table even though we had not ordered anything.  We were soon presented with a magnificent bottle of Chateau Mouton Rothschild from 1986, the year of our marriage.  A gift from our son.  But what he had to go through to get this done was nearly better than the wine itself.

The restaurant does not allow bottles to be brought in.  After first shipping the bottle from New York where he was, Sam coordinated with concierges at The Peninsula and at the St. Regis, who worked with the sommelier at the restaurant to “overlook” the policy.  The bottle had been open for 3 hours prior to our seating and continued to improve over the evening.  The memory, the effort, and the fabulous wine is something we will savor for a long time.  Well done, Sam!

As for the food, I savored the best steak I’ve ever had.  Full stop.  Pasta and a salad, along with some gelato, plus great service: a perfect evening.

The next day, we met up with a cousin at the beautiful RH Chicago’s 3 Arts Cafe for a leisurely lunch and catch-up.  And of course, a baseball game at Wrigley.  Fortunately for the hubby, the heat and humidity precluded any Michigan Avenue shopping which is a favorite Chicago activity.

Below, Cousin Michael Emery aka “Slow Baja” — check out his website!

I consulted with ChatGPT for “the best hotdogs near Wrigley” and went with Byron’s.  Excellent choice! Many there were going for the traditional boiled Chicago dog (for $3!).  We opted for the grilled polish — excellent. The meal deal was $16 including a drink and a mountain of fries.  The only downside was walking about four blocks to the park — did I mention the high humidity??  Yuk.

Revisiting this iconic ballpark was great fun, especially talking baseball with those around us.  Back to the hotel (and wonderful A/C) to prepare for the next day’s flight home.  By the way, American Airlines is to be commended for their customer service.  Below is the note in every seatback in the front of the plane for the flight to Chicago.  For the return, the captain came out and thanked everyone for their loyalty.  Then he apologized for how hot it was inside the plane.  The A/C doesn’t rev up until the engines are at full blast, and the window shades were down due to the heat outside.  Those words went a long way to make up for the short discomfort.

And with this post, I’m officially done mentioning the milestone anniversary. I think everyone has heard enough.  But I look forward to scheduling another trip to Chicago soon …