Great Lake
The first thing any tourist to Chicago thinks about is pizza. Sure, you could take your guests to one of the big guys like Lou Malnati’s or Gino’s East (both excellent options for Chicago style pizza), or you could dazzle your friends with your insider knowledge and take them to the teeny, tiny Andersonville storefront that, according to GQ magazine, bakes the best pizza in America.
Great Lake is about the size of your average Chicago living room, so go early, preferably on a weekday, and then still be prepared to wait. Pass the time by taking a stroll up Clark Street to grab a bottle of vino at In Fine Spirits (Great Lake is BYOB). An hour and a half later, your cell phone will ring. It will be the pizza gods calling to tell you your table at Great Lake is finally ready. Run, don’t walk! The crisp, authentically Italian pizza is worth the wait and laid-back visitors will appreciate the whole experience. Don’t take children, cranky people or anyone who you don’t want to spend an extra hour with while you wait for a table to Great Lake.
Great Lake is at 1447 W. Balmoral Ave.; call 773-334-9270.
Hot Doug’s
If pizza is the first thing on people’s brains when they enter the Chicago city limits, then hot dogs are the second. There is no shortage of place to get a decent dog in this city, but if you want a deliciously out-of-the-ordinary sausage experience, there’s only one place to go: Hot Doug’s. A hidden gem no longer, Hot Doug’s usually has a line that wraps around the corner. But, when you do to encased meats what owner Doug Sohn does—deep fry them and top them with contraband foie gras, to name two preparations—people are going to line up. Sohn elevates hot dogs to haute cuisine. Recent specials included a blueberry and merlot venison sausage with blueberry mustard and smoked Gouda cheese, and an ale and chipotle buffalo sausage with smoky bacon sauce and sage derby cheese. A little step up from neon green relish and mustard, no? Whether you opt for a simple dog or go for one of Sohn’s encased meat extravaganzas, order the duck-fat fries.
Hot Doug’s is located at 3324 N. California Ave.; call 773-279-9550 or visit www.hotdougs.com.
The Signature Lounge at the 96th
After you’ve dragged your out-of-town guests all over town to wait in line at obscure pizza and hot-dog joints (“I swear, it’s really worth the wait!”), you may want to consider bringing them somewhere with a little more glitz. You won’t find a table with a more spectacular view of Chicago’s skyline than at The Signature Lounge at the 96th. Even the most jaded city dwellers will be awestruck at the sight Lake Michigan glistening while a brilliant orange sunset reflects off of skyscrapers. It’s stunning—every time.
Yes, going to the Hancock Building is touristy, but you’re with tourists, so consider this your free pass. Note: I did not recommend dining at the Signature Room, the high-priced restaurant one floor beneath the lounge. I think there is much better food to be had at more reasonable prices on the ground level in Chicago. However, the Signature Lounge serves pretty decent specialty cocktails. You will forfeit the better part of a $20 bill to enjoy one, but if you go just before sunset on a clear evening, that drink will be worth every penny. Another way to play the Signature Lounge: Stop for dessert and a nightcap after an early summer dinner (again, in time to catch the sunset). The Nutella bread pudding and the blueberry parfait are actually quite delicious, and are sold at “ground floor” prices.
The Signature Lounge at the 96th is located at 875 N. Michigan Ave.; call 312-787-9596 or visit www.signatureroom.com/Signature-Lounge/.
Girl & The Goat
Right before your guests start thinking Chicago has nothing to offer but pizza, hot dogs and pricy tourist traps, take them to Girl & the Goat (windycitytimes.com/lgbt/SUGAR—SPICE-Girl—the-Goat/27483.html), which is one of our city’s many restaurants serving truly world-class cuisine. If anyone wants to dispute that Chicago is as much (if not more) of a food town than New York or Los Angeles, kindly remind them that we are consistently ranked at the top of America’s fattest cities in various surveys. So, take that, New York and L.A.! Why would we be so fat if our food weren’t so extraordinary? If your friends and family don’t come to town asking you to take them to Girl & the Goat, they will be so happy you did. Top Chef champ Stephanie Izard and her team consistently churn out dazzling dishes that turn conventional culinary wisdom on its head. Menu items may sound confusing to visitors from rural lands, but you can assure them they are in very competent hands.
Girl & the Goat is located at 809 W. Randolph St.; call 312-492-6262 or visit www.girlandthegoat.com.
Eleven City Diner
If you and your visitors had a wild night on the town, head directly to Eleven City Diner the next morning when you wake up. If the spicy Bloody Marys don’t get you back on your feet, the fluffy three-egg omelettes certainly will. I’m a bit of an Eleven City evangelist, so I’d recommend anything on the menu, but my favorites are the lox & latke (which is served with a ridiculously large scoop of cream cheese) and the challah French toast, which will make you wonder why anyone bothers making French toast with inferior breads. Also noteworthy for summer, Eleven City’s spiked lemonade is surprisingly delicious and potent. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Eleven City is the perfect spot to start a day of shopping on Michigan Avenue or a great pit stop on the way to drop off visitors at Midway.
Eleven City Diner is located at 1112 S. Wabash Ave.; call 312-212-1112 or visit www.elevencitydiner.com.
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