Weekend in Chicago

Indagare member April Paffrath recently traveled to Chicago. Here are her impressions from the trip.

I didn’t realize how homesick I was for Chicago until we got there. Our room at the Four Seasons was great and the perfect layout for traveling with a three-year-old. They sent up milk on ice, a little pitcher of chocolate syrup, and a mini blender each afternoon, along with a little cow cookie that just delighted and thrilled Esmé each time. Those simple things make a huge difference. Our view right down Michigan Ave from 37 floors up was the perfect nostalgia trip. I love Chicago even more, having been able to stare at that view every day. Some of the concierges were better than others, but, as always, the Four Season’s service was overall calm and fantastic. Oh, and the Modern wing at the Art Institute is wonderful.

We ate out at Perennial Virant in Lincoln Park, where they source a lot of food from the local green city market in the park across the street (and I think the chef came from Boka). The food is very good and it’s laid back and child-friendly. We also had an amazing meal at Green Zebra. We’d been there before, and it was stunning, yet again. The burrata with mulberry sauce, fava purée and fried squash blossom was delicious and surprising, as were the farro risotto and the buckwheat crêpe with corn and blueberries. Oh, and the panna cotta with blueberry “bubbles.” I love it there. Wow.

We didn’t end up going to a Rick Bayless restaurant, but I did get to interview him on this trip about his foundation and food sourcing. His assistant reiterated Indagare's advice that they are definitely child-friendly. He’s amazing. They have a garden on top of Frontera Grill where they grow the tomatoes and chilis for that night’s “rooftop salsa,” which is different every night.

We already want to go back to Chicago. There were so many things we didn’t have time to do…and taste.