Mentioned by Tales of a Backpacker
Free Things to do in Chicago Illinois
"The list of great Chicago parks is long but we’d be remiss if we didn’t include: Washington Park, one of the cities biggest and best parks, which is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places; Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe; Ping Tom Memorial Park (originally a railroad yard) in Armour Square; the 55-acre Horner Park in Albany Park; Portage Park; Northerly Island, where many concerts are held in the summer; and Oz Park in Lincoln Park, a kid-friendly sculpture park featuring "The Wizard of Oz" creations."
"Maggie Daley Park is also located in the Loop and is home to the city’s only outdoor climbing park. You can also go ice skating during the winter months on the famous ‘skating ribbon’. The park also has spots to picnic in with the family and a tennis court to enjoy a game."
"Chicago’s Lakefront Trail I promised we’d do a lot of walking today, so next, head back towards Lake Michigan and enjoy the lakefront trail, a nearly 20-mile stretch of paved walkway that meanders down the city’s coastline. The views are spectacular and it’s a great way to see the city’s skyline from a distance. If you’d prefer to bike the trail (highly recommended!), check out the city’s bike-sharing system, Divvy, where you can grab a bike for a 24-hour rental period from one of the city’s many stations"
"A meal out as a family can be a struggle since kids will often get bored and restless. When they do it can be tempting to overload them on screen time, but this kid friendly restaurant in Chicago offers another solution by combining dinner with a fun activity!. Unlike most bowling alleys, the food at this upscale bowling alley and bistro is easily a perfect 10 (even without the game of 10 pin!), with a menu that will please both kids and more discerning adults."
"A post shared by THE CARB CONFIDENTIAL (@thecarbconfidential). Just a 10-minute walk from Navy Pier is the fun restaurant of Pinstripes. Guests can choose between just eating at the bistro, or participating in the bowling alley or bocce ball courts."
"They seated us quickly though our server did take a while to get to us but when he did he was v..."
"Found in the Lincoln Park Theater District, Trattoria Gianni is a place for a meal before or after a play. It takes pride in impeccable, slow-paced service that doesn’t rush diners..."
"Kitchen 17 is a casual, laid-back vegan café in Lakeview that focuses on house-made seitan-based vegetarian and vegan fare in a friendly, inviting setting. The cozy restaurant offers a menu of simple yet delicious food ranging from nachos, hummus and toasted pita bread, artichoke dips, and hearty burgers with a variety of toppings to gyros, barbecue sandwiches, Philly cheesesteaks (sans the steak), and refried black beans. A weekly selection of mouthwatering desserts includes cupcakes, freshly baked cakes and homemade fudge for a sweet ending to your meal."
"Everything from the spicy seitan to the hummus and vegan cheese is made in-house at Kitchen 17. Find the beloved seitan wrapped in fluffy Greek flatbread in the gyro or griddled with cheese and green peppers in the philly cheesesteak. The rest of the menu reads as vegetized versions of your favorite bar food, such as buffalo cauliflower wings, chili cheese fries, veggie burgers drenched in barbecue sauce and personal pan pizzas strewn with crumbles of soy sausage and vegan mozzarella."
"Kitchen 17, a completely vegan restaurant and bakery, is the type of place where time seems to escape you — before you know it, half of the day is gone because you’ve been having so much fun playing board games and hanging out with your friends and family. The food here is so good you might even surprise your meat-eating friends with vegan comfort food that they didn’t even know existed. Many of the dishes are created with house-made seitan, a product made out of wheat gluten."
"According to La Boulangerie owner Vincent Colombet, the canelé is in his blood. After all, it's one of the most celebrated traditional sweets of his home region of Bordeaux, where, he says, it's not an everyday staple, but rather a special-occasion treat. Though he believes his background gives his version (which is prepared in his central cooking facility on Elston) an edge over those of his peers, still he finds it challenging to produce an exact replica of the canelé of his youth, largely because the rum commonly used in Bordeaux is difficult to source in his adopted city."
"La Boulangerie found on W Logan Blvd boasts a whole range of baking specialties. There are usually 11 staple macaron flavors on offer, with others coming and going based on the season. Currently, flavors include mint chocolate, dark chocolate hazelnut, lemon poppy seed, raspberry, and lavender chocolate."
"France comes to Hyde Park thanks to this upscale eatery located in a South Side strip mall. Chef and owner Mary Mastricola’s menu promotes seasonality and diners can look forward to rabbit pate, trout grenobloise, lavender-honey roasted chicken, and an all-French wine list. Early birds will also get the best bang for their buck as a three-course prix fixe special, priced at $38 per person, is offered daily between 5 p.m."
"When it comes to a romantic date night, it’s hard to beat a classic French restaurant. La Petite Foliebrings you a piece of Paris in Hyde Park, serving classically prepared French food and an all-French wine list in an elegant space. Dishes reflect the changing seasons, incorporating the best produce available at Chicago’s farmers markets."