Travel Diary: Chicago

FOOD

Aba Restaurant: sister restaurant to Ema, located in West Loop, Mediterranean food, cool vibes
Au Cheval: icon burger, very popular so go at off-hours because they don’t take reservations
Ave Chicago: in West Loop
Beatnik
Beatrix: in River North, great brunch
Brown bag seafood co: great for a quick bite, fresh ingredients & so healthy/casual
Butcher and the burger: little butcher shop with great burgers
Cabra: Peruvian cevicheria ono the top of the Hoxton hotel
Café Babareeba: tapas and sangria
Chicago pizza and oven grinder: “best” pizza, near Lincoln Park
Chicago Raw: on Huron, all raw, vegan
Cindy’s rooftop: great restaurant, brunch + view of the bean
*Ema: the best mediterranean food!! Make a reservation on Open Table and order everything on the menu, you won’t regret it. My favorite was the King Salmon Kebabs. Located in River North.
Fairgrounds Coffee: has great avocado toast
Food by Fare: food with purpose, breakfast & lunch. So, so bummed we weren’t able to make it here, it looked amazing! Just not enough time in the city.
Freshii
Fulton Market: global food
Galit: Mediterranean
Gilt Bar: dinner & drinks
Girl & the Goat: in West Loop
Goddess baker
Graze Chicago
*Hi-Vibe Superfood Juicery: adaptogenic/wellness lattes, great smoothies, acai bowls, GF avocado toast, some grab & go items
Ingrained Chicago: superfood raw bars/truffles
Juno: sushi
Left coast food: located in River North, breakfast & lunch- smoothies, juices, bowls, wraps, avo toast
Lou Malnatis: deep dish pizza
Lyfe kitchen: in River north, good flatbread, seasonal desserts, salads, salmon, etc.
Milk & honey café
Pacific standard time: dinner
Peqouds: deep dish pizza
Porcelino: Italian
Portillo’s: Chicago dog
Publican: for dinner, shareable plates
Quartino: Italian
Raw foods: 100% organic & vegan
*Real Good Food Stuff: go to the 701 North Wells St. location– it’s amazing!
River valley farmer’s table: in Lincoln square, sustainable
RL (Ralph Lauren’s actual restaurant) Restaurant: service, vibe and food great!
Roka Akor: sushi / Asian fusion
Roti
RPM Italian or RPM Steak: owned by Giuliana & Bill Rancic, Italian
Sociale: small plates, fresh ingredients
Soho House
Stan’s donuts: offers GF and vegan donuts
*Summer House: in santa monica (Lincoln park) for good vibes / brunch / lunch, California vibes
*Sweetgreen: my absolute favorite whenever I’m traveling. Build your own salads with sustainable ingredients — very easy to customize all kinds of flavors with greens, grains, proteins, etc.
Tanta
The Ali’s at Soho House
The Brewpub: location on Milwaukee has awesome food- local, organic options with an in house butcher and pastry chef
*The Little Beet Table: Great burgers, sweet potatoes– recommend!
True Food kitchen
Uncommonground: located in Lakeview- farm to table, organic brewery. Pretty casual, good quality of food & sometimes live music
Uno’s: deep dish pizza
Wheats End café

JUICE / SMOOTHIES / ICE CREAM

Fruve juice bar: smoothies, acai bowls, organic
Good Food Stuff
*Hi-Vibe
Jeni’s ice cream: just came out with dairy-free flavors
*Joe & the Juice: honestly didn’t have many options for smoothies– I love adding some type of fiber/omega-3’s like ground flaxseed, chia seeds or hemp seeds and they didn’t offer.
Juicerx: acai bowls
*Real good stuff co: dairy-free almond based frozen yogurt (no-yo fro-yo), donuts, smoothies, avo toast. The best little market with all the healthy things!! Definitely recommend checking out 701 N Wells St. location

COFFEE / MATCHA

Beatrix: matcha
CCferns Chicago: matcha
Goddess baker
*Hi-vibe: matcha, cold pressed juices, GF avocado toast, great “kill shot” (wellness shot)
Lacolomb coffee
Our fairgrounds: good iced matcha’s
*Real Good Stuff: Delish matcha!! (and offer unsweetened)
Sawada coffee: apparently they have a great matcha

ACTIVITIES / SHOPS

Adler Planetarium
Buckingham fountain: gorgeous on a nice day and close enough to walk by the lake
Chicago Athletic Association: sometimes has roller skating
Credo: non toxic beauty
Drinks/brunch at Cindy’s on the rooftop overlooking the bean
Lakefront bike trail: run, walk or rent a bike
LondonHouse: great rooftop views of the city / riverwalk
Millenium park: the famous Chicago bean is located here
Olivia’s market
Shedd Aquarium
Signature lounge on top of the hancock hotel: best views of the city. ask for the south windows
Take the L (CTA train) at least once for a full Chicago experience
The Lincoln Park zoo: completely free
Wabansia: great shopping
Willis Sky tower deck: views of the entire city

WORKOUT / FITNESS / WELLNESS

Barry’s bootcamp
Bracey Performance: strength/circuit workout
Chill Chicago: quick yoga and meditation
CPY sculpt
CTF Chicago
Equinox
Flybarre
*Revitalab: cryotherapy (full body and cryo facials)– amazing! It was our first time trying and we loved it.
Shred415
Solidcore: pilates, strength training
Studio Lagree
Studio three
Title Boxing
Vive float studio: in old town, offers great rest & recovery modalities – float therapy, infrared sauna, vibro acoustic therapy, cryo
Workout/run on the lakefront path
Yoga Six
Zen yoga garage

HOTEL STAY

Ace hotel
Blackstone: Marriott
Chicago athletic association
Four Seasons
Hotel lincoln
Hotel Thompson
Hoxton
JW Marriott
Kimpton Gray Hotel
Kimpton hotels: there are 4
Langham
Loews Hotel
Londonhouse
Marriott downtown
Marriott on the magnificent mile: great gym
Omni
Palmer House
Publishing House: cute B&B
Robey: in Wicker Park
Soho house: in West Loop
Swissotel
The Conrad
The Dana hotel: located in River North
The Drake
The Fairmont
The Godfrey
The Gwen
*The James: we absolutely LOVED this hotel. Very nice and trendy. Reminds me of PUBLIC hotel in NYC. Pretty great gym (though small), awesome staff, diagonally across the street from Millenium Park (Chicago bean), right next door to Sweetgreen and very close to the river. Definitely recommend.
The Peninsula
The Ritz Carlton
*The Sofitel: Great location & even better gym! Definitely recommend.
The Talbot
The Waldorf Astoria
The Wit
Viceroy