Hey friends, we’re back from our trip to Chicago! Here we are writing this and wishing we were already back. Something about that city just gives us all the happy vibes! Being able to walk all over the place while surrounded by so many great shops + food is more than amazing in our eyes. I (Lydia) am a HUGE dreamer and Chicago is definitely on top of my list of places I see myself/consider moving to someday. But enough of that talk and let’s get to all the Chicago eats and shopping we did on our quick little trip.
Oh, and you better believe we are already planning our trip for next year and already know where we are going to stay. That’s just how we roll, haha!
Acme Hotel Company
We stayed at the ACME Hotel Company in the River North neighborhood. This was our second time staying there and funny enough, we were in the same exact room as the year before. We personally really LOVE the location of where it’s at, 15 East Ohio Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611. It’s 2 1/2 blocks from the Magnificent Mile, allowing us to easily get to our favorite places.
The location is something we always look at. We want to be able to walk everywhere because we truly love walking around the city! Here are some of the things Acme hotel has/offers:
- All the Hotel Extras: morning joe, knock & drop, in room noshing, keyless entry, DIY cocktails, “hair of the dog”, and so much more
- The Berkshire Room
- Bodega bar in a retro living-room bar located on the second floor
- Bunny Slope: have drinks while relaxing in a hot tub
- West town Bakery
Chicago Eats & Shopping
It doesn’t matter where we go, our trips always revolve around some great food and shopping. Last year when we went to Chicago it was still pretty chilly and we weren’t that great with planning out where we wanted to eat. That’s definitely one thing we planned a little bit better this year on our trip and it was a SUCCESS! Are ya ready for us to share some of the best places to eat and shop while on your trip to Chicago? Because we are!
We stayed 3 nights in Chicago and for us, it was the perfect amount when it came to hitting all of our favorite shops. BUT, we definitely wish we could have hit more places when it came to eating. You can only eat so much in a day though, haha.
Where To Eat In Chicago
Our goal for choosing where to eat (besides it being loved by the locals) was if they offered outdoor seating. We just love eating outside when the weather is nice. Plus, the people watching is incredible and we’re huge people watchers over here!
Everything you are about to see is in the exact order of what we ate each day for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and anything in between.
True Food Kitchen:
1 West Erie Street Chicago, Illinois 60654
The first night we sort of failed when it came to taking pictures of what we ate. We went to True Food Kitchen for dinner and went back the next day for a mid-day snack. THE BEST PART, we saw Jesse Mccartney at a hotel across the street while eating our yummy guacamole, so my whole trip was made after that!
We’re not much on eating at places that are a chain when there is always so much to explore when it comes to local places. However, we have to say that True Food Kitchen is an exception to that rule!! We just LOVE a place that has good for you food that tastes amazing as well. Plus, if Oprah Winfrey invests in True Foods, you know it’s gotta be a great place to eat. Fingers crossed that they open up in St Louis!
What we got:
- Ancient Grains + add chicken
- Kale Guacamole (pictured above)
- True Food Kitchen Menu
Bodega Imports:
355 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654
Okay, this place was incredible. Such a cute little store where you can enjoy coffee and breakfast tacos in the morning. They offer a selection of snacks, beer, and wine as well.
But their desserts are killer and worthy! Let me tell you, you can definitely share the churro cone with someone or be a glutton like me (Katie) and eat it all by yourself.
What we got:
- Oreo Churro
- Churro cone w/ chocolate soft serve, salted chocolate pretzels, brownies, and chocolate
- Major thanks to Hannah Schweiss for letting us use her pics since we forgot to take our own 😉
- Bodega Imports Menu
Goddess and The Baker:
225 N. Lasalle, Chicago, IL 6061
On our first morning, we went to Goddess and The Baker. They are open all day offering a wide array of beer, wine, breakfast, lunch, dinner, smoothie bowls, and obviously amazing baked goods. We are huge fans of avocado toast so it was a no-brainer to try theirs out and it didn’t disappoint.
Their coffees are delicious and they are served with the yummiest almond mini muffin on top of the straw.
What we got:
- Avocado toast (pictured above)
- Mayan mocha iced coffee (pictured above)
- Goddess and The Baker menu
Beatrix:
519 N Clark St Chicago, IL 60654
Beatrix was located on a quiet street off of Michigan Ave in the River North neighborhood, we enjoyed our dinner outside on their patio. They are open all day with a coffee house and in-house baked goods. As well as a healthy lunch & dinner that’s fresh, local, and made in-house.
What we got:
- Straight “A” Salad with chicken
- Beatrix Menu
Eataly Chicago:
43 East Ohio Street Chicago, IL 60611
Eataly is a must place to visit while in Chicago. You can spend hours there just shopping, eating, and tasting Italian wines. If we lived in Chicago we could see ourselves stopping there for an amazing meal or to get some toppings to make our weekly pizzas. And of course, never can skip the dessert!
Eataly has a market on the main floor + a ton of Italian desserts. On the second floor, they have 3 restaurants, shopping, and a fresh market for fruits, vegetables, meats, sausages. The place is always packed and has such a great environment. We loved being able to just pick up something yummy and people watch! For dessert, we went to the gelato bar.
What we got:
- Salted caramel gelato with chocolate sauce
Wildberry Pancakes and Cafe:
196 E. Pearson Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611
Our FAVORITE by far! Breakfast & lunch featuring local farm fresh ingredients and fresh baked goods. We actually went last year and instantly became obsessed. There are two locations: Prudential and Water Tower. In our opinion, it’s worth the walk or drives to go eat at. We went twice last year and twice this year, so good.
What we got:
- Cinnamon Spice Latte (pictured above)
- Caramel Latte
- Mocha Coconut
- Almond Banana Oatmeal (pictured above)
- Wildberry Crunch Oatmeal (pictured above)
- Cinnamon Roll French Toast (pictured above)
Stan’s Donuts:
535 N Michigan Ave, Chicago IL 60611
Stan’s Donuts has a ton of locations: Wicker Park, South Loop, Magnificent Mile, and several others that you can see HERE. If you are a donut lover, it’s a place you must visit. Our photographer, @HannahSchweissPhotography lives in Chicago and she said, that some mornings she wakes up and craves these donuts, and let me tell you, she was right, they are so darn good.
What we got:
- Chocolate Sprinkled Cake Donut (pictured above)
- Stan’s Donuts & Coffee Menu
25 Degrees Chicago:
736 N. Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654
On our last night, we were torn between enjoying pizza or a burger. Although Chicago is well known for their deep dish pizza, burgers won out. So once we decided on what we wanted we started hunting for the best burgers in the area. 25 degrees was recommended to us where they are known for their specialty burgers, fries, and boozy shakes. If you are not a burger lover, no worries because they offer other things too.
Another place that looks like they have some killer burgers is Au Cheval. They are known for the best cheeseburger and people wait in line for hours just to get one.
What we got:
- Create your own burger (pictured above)
- Half and half – regular and sweet potato fries (pictured above)
- 25 Degrees Chicago Menu
Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate shop:
830 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL, 60611
To end our last night with a bang, we went to Ghirardelli to get some dessert. When you walk in, they pass out a piece of chocolate.
What we got:
- Lands End: salted caramel brownie sundae (pictured above + we got it with chocolate ice cream)
- Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop Menu
Best Shopping In Chicago
Michigan Avenue is a shopping destination. With department stores such as Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Barneys, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, you will find what you are looking for. If your wallet says, way no girl, then fear not. You can always shop your favorite fast fashion stores like H&M, Victorias Secret, and TopShop. What makes magnificent mile shops so amazing is that they are beautiful; offering the best of each of those stores.
Nordstrom:
If you haven’t heard there is a big sale going on at Nordstrom, hahaha. Every year Nordstrom has an Anniversary Sale which is their biggest sale of the year and anticipated by many. As we had mentioned in our Summer Bucket List and our Heartloom Summer 18 blog post, we have wanted to experience the sale at what we consider the best Nordstrom around. The Nordstrom at The Shops at North Bridge is 4 stories of gorgeousness. When we first went there we thought we had died and gone to Nordstrom heaven! When visiting plan to make a day of it there because they have so much to offer.
Forever 21:
Forever 21 is a must to visit in Chicago. Both locations are two levels and the plus is both locations are very organized and easy to shop. Which if you know anything about Forever 21, that isn’t always the case. Or is it just the St Louis ones that are always so messy and disorganized? Who knows!
Zara:
We don’t have a Zara in St Louis, so wherever we go we get super excited if there is one where we are traveling. Usually, we always find ourselves picking up a few things each time we visit one.
We seriously always have the best time while visiting Chicago! Now we’re just trying to convince our family to move there. We’ve come to believe we are city girls at heart! Let us know if you have any questions about our trip and want any recommendations. We ran into SO many great people who recommended a ton of places to us! If you want to find some of the best restaurants/dining experience recommendations in Chicago be sure to check out @chicagofoodauthority on Instagram.
And if you have any recommendations of where we should eat/things we should for next years trip, let these girls know. Thank YOU for all the love and support!
I LOVE Chicago!!! I could live there in a heartbeat. Your trip looked amazing, but where was the Mexican food?! Lol but for real, next time go to Velvet Taco!!!!!! It’s the best 🙌🏼
– Mary
OMG all that food looks AMAZING!!! Definitely will use this as an awesome resource when I make it to Chicago! You guys are the cutest, glad you had such a good time!
-Anna
Love the good vibes !! x
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