Chicago Visit

I took a break from baking and cooking last week and spent several days in Chicago with friends from Boston, London, and Cologne, Germany. I fell in love with the city and its wonderful museums, Lake Michigan, beautiful parks, elegant shops, ethnic neighborhoods bursting with energy and vitality, and so much more. It has all the things that make a great city.

One night we joined 15,000 people at a concert, Stars of the Lyric Opera, at the magnificent Pritzker Pavilion. We picnicked on the grass, listened to the glorious music, and watched a full moon rise over the city. What traveler could ask for more. Another highlight was an architecture tour to the home and studio of Frank Lloyd Wright in Oak Park. I only had time to see a bit of what the city has to offer, I’m eager to go back for a longer time.

I wish that I could say that the food was also outstanding. We didn’t hit any of the restaurants of the top tier chefs but I’d hoped for something a bit above average. The Chicago deep dish pizza from a place recommended in all of our guide books was a big disappointment. The sauce was bland and the toppings sparse. Not worth the $31 that we paid for it. The famous Chicago hot dog lived up to it’s hype though. A beef dog, dipped in barbecue sauce, grilled over a charcoal fire until dark (the way I like them) and served on a toasted roll with sauteed onions and spicy mustard was one of the bright meals of my visit.