Toe-tapping in the Windy City

The gorgeous lobby at the Palmer House Hilton.

So, anyone who knows me knows I am a HUGE theatre nerd. I love, love, love live theatre. I love being entertained and letting shows wash over me. I love thinking about the choices the director, technicians, and actors made to produce the show I'm watching.

As you can imagine, I've been swept up in the Hamilton  mania. Now, I've had NO problem waiting to get a chance to see the show. Let's face it - Broadway shows rarely make the leap off the arts page and into more widespread popular culture. I was more than happy to wait and let people who rarely go to live theatre file through, in hopes that they might become theatre devotees and help keep the arts alive.

But frankly, it was time. Around the first of the year, a work colleague reached out to me, inquiring if I'd like to make a quick trip to Chicago to see the show there. Happiness! I'd been to Chicago before and love the city, so it was an easy choice.

We added a few days to make a mini-vacation of it. Here's what we did:

Friday - Day 1

Cloud Gate in Chicago's Millennium Park

I got into town just before lunch and headed to the hotel we booked - The Palmer House Hilton. We chose this hotel because it's in a fantastic location (heart of the tourist district, nearly across the street from the PrivateBank Theatre, where Hamilton is playing) but also because my traveling companion loves history. In addition to being a lovely property, the hotel has a long and storied history that is tied tightly to the story of Chicago. The famed peacock doors and opulent lobby are a sight to behold, and the rooms are comfortable. (We chose a room with two double beds and two bathrooms, a genius selection for two women traveling together. Plenty of space for getting ready in the morning.)

I had a lovely lunch in the hotel restaurant, the Lockwood, as I waited for my friend to arrive (mushroom pasta, with creme brûlée to finish). We routinely ate breakfast at the Lockwood during our stay, as the weather was chilly and rainy. (Morning is a tender time. I'm not traditionally up for cold rain until I've got something delicious in my belly in the a.m.)

Once she arrived, we settled our things at the hotel and then headed out for a quick walk. She'd not been to Chicago as a tourist, so we had some basic sights to see. We started at Millennium Park and Cloud Gate, otherwise known as "the bean" for obvious reasons. Like every other tourist, we walked up to the bean, observed how it reflected us, the city, other people. We walked underneath it into a fun house of reflections. I've experienced the bean before, but it never gets old!

Thirsting for knowledge at the Chicago Cultural Center

We also checked out the concert pavilion and Crown Fountain. To keep our history vibe going, we took a turn through the Chicago Cultural Center to admire the Tiffany dome. After stopping for a quick drink at Tavern at the Park (We tried the CloudGate cocktail, minus the expensive jewelry surprise!), we headed down Michigan Avenue. We took in the bridge, the really cool base of the Chicago Trib building, the Wrigley building, and all of the lovely spring plantings along the Mag Mile.

We ended our short hop at the historic Water Tower, one of the only structures in Chicago to survive the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Then, it was back to the hotel for a break before dinner. That night, we had a quick dinner at a nearby Italian restaurant - Vapiano. You go in, get a card, then order pizza, pasta, salads, or antipasti at the front. Then, they cook your food and bring it to you. It's like a deli, but more substantial food. Portions are HUGE, and prices are low. The only tough thing - it's loud and crowded in here! Nevertheless, we enjoyed our pasta (I chose a delicious, creamy chicken carbonara.) and wine and then hit the hay.

Saturday - Day 2

GIANT sculpture from Middle Eastern temples at
the Oriental Institute Museum

After another delicious breakfast at the Lockwood (spendy, but yummy, and so comfortable and easy - I chose an omelette this time), we hopped in a cab to check out the Oriental Institute Museum. I'd never been to this museum before, and indeed, I'd never even been to this part of Chicago before. It's gorgeous! The museum is on the campus of the University of Chicago, a lovely place full of brick and stone buildings, climbing ivy, and pedestrian paths. Flowering trees were already in bloom, and if the day hadn't been so gray, drippy, and chilly, I would have loved to explore this part of the city more on foot. As it was, we hustled into the museum for some interior discovering.

The museum owes much of its collection to the scholarly partnership is shares with historic sites throughout the Middle East. Students and scholars from the university participate in excavations in the region, for which they are allotted some of the items uncovered. The museum has a large collection of pots, tools, seals (I thought these were really cool.), and sculpture, in addition to some truly huge and impressive pieces recovered from temples and palaces. They also have an Egyptian collection, with a few mummies, some airy papyrus, and stone friezes. We spent a couple of hours here, taking in the collection and browsing the gift shop.

One of Wright's famous stained glass windows at Robie House

As the weather was still miserable, we abandoned our plan of eating lunch in a nearby Italian restaurant and walked the scant block to the Plein Air Cafe for lunch. The tiny cafe was packed, but we lucked out with a table, settling in for salad and sandwiches. (I can vouch for the prosciutto and manchego baguette, served with fig jam and arugula - delish! And the vanilla latte I had with it warmed my very soul.)

We relaxed a bit over our warm cups, then popped right across the street for our 1 p.m. tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House. I'd toured Taliesin West back when hubs and I visited Arizona, but other than that, I hadn't toured any of Wright's buildings. This private home is a little gem, sheltered by trees and open to its surrounds. The tour starts in the gift shop/courtyard area, then winds around the house to the lovely front porch, and then to the entryway. The outside of the structure has been fully restored, and efforts are underway to restore the home's interior as well. Gorgeous wood paneling and stained glass, coupled with Wright's penchant for close spaces that open into large ones, make this a lovely stop.

Light, open sitting room at Robie House

After soaking in the architecture a bit, we hopped a car back to the hotel for a quick break. We wanted to be well-rested for dinner at The Gage, which I was very much looking forward to. It was a delight! I had the roasted elk rack entree with roasted brussels sprouts and a big glass of wine. I finished it off with a piece of sweet strawberry pie. YUM. Prices aren't cheap here, but you get what you pay for. My food was amazing (and the wine pour was generous), our server was attentive without being annoying, and we left the restaurant full and happy!

More to come . . .