Chicago Museums

Part of chicago's charm is its museums. We used to go as little kids all the time for field trips, even as college students, but now as adults we go purely for fun:) I've recently gone to the art institute and the shedd aquarium, both were spectacular and definitely fun.

Below are a list of the museums to check out. 

the shedd aquarium

the art institute of chicago

the field museum of natural history

the museum of science and industry

the adler planetarium

Prices are not cheap but they are well worth it. Free days are specific so you have to look them up on the museum's website. 

Also, there is a porch area off the shedd aquarium that over looks the chicago skyline and it is stunning (photo below). A must see for sure, they even hold parties here. 

Sushi Samba

Who doesn't love sushi? I know, many people don't including my mummy. What is great for those who do not is that Sushi Samba offers more than sushi, they have chicken and beef entrees as well. Their rock shrimp tempura is absolutely delicious and tastes like a spicy popcorn shrimp.

If you're looking to go here on a budget, it's best to order a variety of the non-specialty sushi rolls and share amongst the crowd and then order a couple specialty ones so you all at least get to taste the more flavorful ones. Of the specialty rolls I recommend the el topo that has salmon and jalapeno, our waiter said it's one of their most popular dishes.

If you go in a party of 8 or more, the menu is fixed at either $40 or $50 per person, if your party is less then everything is a la carte. The ambiance is chic and very pretty.

Girl and the Goat

Top chef winner Stephanie Izard opened this restaurant in 2010 and the rest has been history. The restaurant is actually named after stephanie because her heritage roots from a small place with goats and so the restaurant is called girl and the goat.

The food is phenomenal. Really, which is why the reservation wait is 3 months. Every dish my friend and I had we were ooing and aahing because everything was full of flavor and delicious. This is what I recommend as a must try:

cauliflower, steamed mussels and pan fried duck tongues - (yes duck tongue) :)

What i recommend is for someone to get to the restaurant early, around 5pm and grab a place on the couches...they serve the full menu there and its still a very beautiful setting. This is one of those rare restaurants that is so popular and lives up to the hype :)

809 W. Randolph

The Doughnut Vault

So i've never actually been a huge fan of donuts. I liked munchkins a lot as a little girl and would always walk down 2nd ave in NYC and try to load up on as many free krispy kreme donuts as i could, but never thought of donuts as a must have until The Doughnut Vault.

A vendor sent a fresh box of doughnuts to our team early one morning, and goodness these doughnuts do not disappoint, they just melt in your mouth; no wonder i always hear the line is 2 hours! They're really large so we all halved different flavors and shared. These are definitely a must try :)

It's located in River North at 400 1/2 N Franklin.

Rick Bayless's XOCO

I actually tried this hole in the wall mexican restaurant during the summer time. We would pass this place coming back from vendor lunches in river north and i always wanted to stop by because people rave about it, as they rave about Rick Bayless.

I tried a chicken sandwich, which was so crunchy and tasty as well as a churro, which frankly was my favorite because it comes with a chocolate dip. Definitely a hot spot to check out:)

449 North Clark Street

(312) 334-3688

The Chopping Block

Last night yahoo took my team out to the chopping block. It's a culinary school that holds private events as well. We started off with appetizers that were prepared by professional cooks :) Then we all worked at separate stations and each made a portion of our very filling meal.

One group made polenta patties with mushrooms, another group made bruschetta and cheesecake, and my group made beef ravioli. It was so fun! We learned how to make ravioli from scratch, which is much easier than one would think.

I think this is definitely a different activity and one that many would enjoy if you're looking to do something interactive with a large group of people. There are two locations for the chopping block, lincoln square and the merchandise mart. We went to the merchandise mart location which is really nice.

Zoo Lights

A Christmas holiday must see in Chicago...Zoo Lights at Lincoln Park Zoo!

Yasu and i were driving along lakeshore drive, heading towards lincoln park zoo and we see a very long line of cars trying to exit out of the zoo parking lot. This holiday event brings in so many people it causes much traffic in the city. Admission is free. The decorations are just gorgeous.

We had a really unbelievable moment when the lights that brighten and dim in the trees were placed against the moon. You literally look up through these tree lights and see the moon's reflection, it was truly beyond beautiful.

The festivities kick off Nov. 25 and continue every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night through Dec. 11. Beginning Dec. 16, the event is offered nightly through January 1 (excluding Dec. 24 – 25). The zoo is open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., with special ZooLights activities beginning at 5 p.m. As always, entrance to this beloved winter wonderland is FREE for the whole family!

I recommend for everyone to go here, whether it's with your family, friends or on a romantic evening with a special someone:) You will feel like you're 5 years old again.

Oh and i must give a special shout out to the parking attendant who let yasu and i leave the parking lot without paying a penny, gotta love kind people <3

Off the Street Club, Volunteering

For those who are looking for a small way to give back to others outside of helping family and friends, here is an awesome club that promotes children to be ambitious in life and stay off the streets. It reminds me somewhat of girl scouts, an organization i used to work for that also placed good role models in front of young children.

Every third thursday of the month, a bus picks up volunteers outside of 401 n. michigan ave (right in front of the marilyn monroe statue on michigan ave). You don't have to be a part of any specific organization to volunteer here, all are welcome. For the month of october we did pumpkin carving with the little ones, below is a picture. 

For november they had a thanksgiving dinner with the kids. Below is a pic of my favorite little dragon (little ralph's nickname) receiving the boy of the year award. He was honestly the cutest little guy ever. In his award acceptance speech he said, "thank you. i love you all." and blew a kiss to the audience. He makes me want to adopt a little boy just like him!

For anyone interested in volunteering, please contact jahnke.stefanie@gmail.com.  

The december third thursday is coming up this week on the 15th, so make sure to RSVP if you're interested in going. One of the boys in the club is premiering his dance troupe so i bet it will be loads of fun!

Check out their website too at http://otsc.org/. 

Zed 451

If you're ever looking to impress a date, here's a great place. I first went here with a special someone over three years ago and I still love going here. The ambiance is so chic, very classy and sophisticated looking. There's a lounge and an upscale sports bar sort of feel in the area when you enter at the right. To the left is a gorgeous dining room that operates as a Brazilian steakhouse. It can be a bit pricey so they have options of just getting the Harvest Table, which is mostly cheeses, breads and veggies, at a lower amount. 

I actually had my 28th birthday celebration here with a large group and it worked out wonderfully, so i definitely recommend doing your next dinner party here. They also have a banquet room upstairs, which i've never been to but have seen as i've walked up to the rooftop.

 

The rooftop i love, the crowd is mixed with various types of people. I often see tourists here. Obviously though this part of the restaurant should be visited in warm weather, definitely a great place to grab some drinks or have delicious fondue:)

The Windy City

Hi Friends and Family!

After recently moving to the city i find myself being asked many times about where are neat places to go...being someone who loves to explore cities i thought it would be fun to start a blog that has cool places to visit and activities to do in Chicago. Working in advertising we often go to the latest hot spots so hopefully this blog will be helpful to those who like to adventure out to new things :)

The first place I want to request all my friends and family to go to is....

Macy's on State Street. I may honestly be a little too obsessed. To all my ladies out there, i know, Macy's isn't generally your favorite store, but this one on State will become the exception. It is like a mall inside with many floors, plus at this time they have their annual huge Christmas tree inside. Even if you don't celebrate Christmas, it's too much fun to be inside this store during the holiday time. One of my coworkers told me his parents fly in from out of town just to visit this store during the holidays!


Also, their sales have been amazing lately. I've been finding the best winter stuff at ridiculous prices:) If you visit, let us know about your shopping experience, especially if you got great stuff at a great price haha.