Since so many of you have asked where to go when you’re visiting Chicago, here is the list of a few Ron Bennington Recommends, and some listener recommendations.
1. Mollys Cupcakes. Obviously. 2535 N. Clarke Street, 773.883.7220 Get the Ron Bennington Cupcake, and anything else, its all good. Cookies, Brownies, Ice Cream and really outstanding coffee, espresso, lattes, teas etc. And say hi to Mike Caka.
2. The Wiener Circle. Chicago Style hot dogs located conveniently right down the street from Mollys. Obviously get them Chicago style. 2622 N. Clark Street
3. Hot Dougs. A bit of a travel but everyone calls it the best dog in town, and the best fries. 3324 N. California Avenue
4. Lou Mitchell’s for breakfast. Open since 1923, its literally a part of Chicago history. Get any of the skillet breakfasts, served right in the pan. It may look like a greasy spoon and you can eat as high cholesterol as you want, but you’ll also find fair trade coffee, whole grain toast and kick ass egg white omelettes. Delicious and very Chicago. 565 West Jackson Boulevard. Free milk duds if you have to wait in line.
5. Garrett Popcorn. Various locations. Outstanding caramel corn fresh out of the …whatever they pop and coat the popcorn in. Buttery is pretty great too.
6. Blackbird. If you want a nice dinner, using great local fresh ingredients, check out Blackbird. Since everything is seasonally based here, the menu changes often so just order what looks good to you. We had an outstanding meal there. 619 W. Randolph. (312)715-0708
7. Kuma’s Korner. I haven’t been there myself but I’ve heard from enough people to trust that this place has one of the best burgers in town and has become a Chicago institution. 2900 West Belmont Avenue. Expect lines.
8. Gibsons Steak. Again, its as much a part of Chicago as anything. Its not a ‘secret’ and its might not even the absolute best steak in the city. The menu is basic ‘steakhouse’ fare and the apps are just okay but its a damn good steak, and its very Chicago.
When You’re Done Eating- Do Not Miss
9. Millenium Park. One of the best things to do in Chicago. Check out the Bean, and all of the other iconic sculptures and fountains. Its also a great place to view several of Chicago’s skylines. The Frank Gehry designed amphitheater is completely unique and beautiful and brilliantly designed. Try to get there when someone is playing music of any kind. And you’ll also want to check out all of the bridges, gardens, walkways and other features of the park.
10. The Art Institute of Chicago. If you like art, Ferris Bueller, or even the boardgame Masterpiece, you wont want to miss the World Famous Art Institute. Its located right alongside Millenium Park so you can kill those two birds in the same afternoon.
11. Frank Lloyd Wright Home, Studio and Neighborhood. This requires heading out of downtown to Oak Park, but if you have the time, and like architecture, its a really interesting side trip. You get to see and tour the house where he lived and worked, but even more fun is the walking tour through the neighborhood where he designed many homes. The best part of the neighborhood tour is you get to grab headphones and tour on your own timing.
That’s it, but here is a collection of some listener recommendations for while you’re in Chicago taken from our Twitter page. Let us know if you love or hate anything mentioned here.
Architectural Boat Tour is the BEST tourist thing in Chicago bar none.
Sandwich fans all need to visit Al’s Beef, there’s a few locations. Al’s Beef is the birthplace of the Italian Beef, the Chicago version of a beef dip sandwich: think a French dip sandwich (where the whole sandwich is dipped) but with the signature Chicago celery flavor, spicy peppers and tons of flavor.
Take a look: http://alsbeef.com