While You’re Here…

Since many of you will be coming from out of town, we wanted to give some recommendations for fun things to do! As we figure you know about The Bean, this has a heavy bias towards things we find fun or interesting. Think of it as an actionable companion to our about us page.

Restaurants

• Coalfire Pizza (3707 N Southport Ave, 60613; 1321 W Grand Ave, 60642)
  • Not Chicago style - closer to apizza than tavern-style (and not even close to deep dish). The pizza is, like you might guess from the name, baked in a 1,500 degree coal-fired oven. There’s nothing better than catching a movie at the Music Box Theatre just down the street on Southport in the summer and popping in afterwards for a half-order of meatballs, a pizza, and a cold drink. Order extra, since it reheats excellently.
  • We recommend: the black & white pizza, though you can’t go wrong with any of the pizzas on the menu.
• Volare Ristorante Italiano (201 E Grand Ave (at St. Clair), 60611)
  • Approaching its 30th anniversary, and well-deserved! Everything on the menu has been honed to perfection over that time. If you’re not sure what to order, ask the waiters what they’d recommend. They won’t steer you wrong.
  • We recommend: starting with the salsiccia e peperoni (AKA sausage and peppers) and the spaghetti neri al pesce for a main.
• AJI Omakase (by reservation only; 3809 N Broadway, 60613)
  • An omakase meal is you saying that you’ll leave it up to the chef. Every piece of sushi is a surprise. One of the pleasures is getting to watch the chefs make the meal up close and chatting with them throughout dinner.
  • We recommend: you get what you get with an omakase dinner, so go in with an open mind!
• The Bagel Restaurant & Deli (3107 N Broadway, 60657)
  • In the words of an immortal Tumblr post: “IF YOU WANT A CHICAGO RESTAURANT THAT HITS…YOU GO TO THE BAGEL.” Can’t really add much to that review. Getting carryout and eating it down by the lake is unmatched.
  • We recommend: the soft salami sandwich with mustard on rye or the reuben. Either way, make sure you get fries.
• Ann Sather (3415 N Broadway, 60657; 909 W Belmont, 60657; 1147 W Granville (at Broadway), 60660)
  • Very, very popular spot for weekend brunch and for good reason. Note that Ann Sather is one of the few places outside of the Andersonville neighborhood that you can get Swedish brunch food, so take advantage of it.
  • We recommend: the smoked salmon benedict and the cinnamon rolls.
• Wood (3335 N Halsted St, 60657)
  • We’ve never once had a bad meal here and try something different each time. One of the Yelp reviews mentions a waiter who is “clearly high,” but we know exactly who they’re writing about and he just acts like that (it adds to the experience, IMO). Make sure you get some appetizers if you come for dinner, since those are baked into the wait times for main dishes.
  • We recommend: the menu changes seasonally, but the rigatoni bolognese is a mainstay for a reason. If you go for brunch, the salad lyonnaise and a peach mimosa is delicious.
• Steingold’s Deli (3737 N Southport Ave, 60613)
  • Though we lament the loss of Zingerman’s caused by moving to Chicago, Steingold’s comes close to filling the hole left behind. Fresh-baked bagels, a dozen different sandwiches, and (according to Olivia) perfectly-sized and delicious pickles.
  • We recommend: the Uncle Paul BLT and an espresso brownie (which is genuinely the only brownie that can compete with a Zingerman’s Magic Brownie).
• Gene and Georgetti (500 N Franklin St, 60654)
  • Old-school steakhouse that Sinatra used to patronize. The waiters still serve in white jackets! Go all in on the Chicago steakhouse experience with the big steak, the martini, the wedge salad, the chocolate cake - after all, if you’re going to town, might as well go in a Lincoln.
  • We recommend: a medium-rare filet, Oscar-style, with a side of fresh pasta bolognese and the brussels sprouts to share. (See above re: going all in.)
• Taqueria Traspasada (3605 N Ashland Ave, 60613)
  • Our visit was complete sensory overload - Men in Black playing at full volume on the TV, traditional Mexican music blasting out of the kitchen, a family behind us speaking three different languages, the cashier with bright red eyes who we had to repeat every item to at least twice - but oh, the food, the food! The cashier recommended the black sauce, which they also boast about on the sign outside, and they aren’t kidding about how good it is.
  • We recommend: three kinds of tacos (al pastor, carne asada, and camaron) with the black sauce. Dine in, because the food loses a lot when it’s not eaten fresh.
• Chengdu Impression (2545 N Halsted St, 60614; 1300 N Milwaukee Ave, 60622; 5900 N Broadway, 60660)
  • Sichuan cuisine tends to be spicier than most, so be careful! The xiao long bao with black vinegar sauce are swoon-worthy and it’s nice to not have to go to Chinatown to get dishes more uncommon than General Tso’s chicken.
  • We recommend: the xiao long bao (soup dumplings) and Zhong’s dumplings.
• Katsu Shack (3109 N Halsted St, 60657)
  • We stopped in here on a whim one day since it had taken the spot of a sushi restaurant we had never gone to. They have maybe the best miso soup we’ve tried and the katsu itself is close to what you’d actually eat in Japan (this according to our friend the chef!). The tonkatsu set is quite filling and a great value.
  • We recommend: the traditional tonkatsu set.
• Oasis Cafe (21 N Wabash Ave, 60602)
  • Yes, this restaurant is in the back of a jewelry store. (You know a restaurant is going to be good when you have the vague notion that you’re doing something wrong by being there.) Unparalleled as a place for a quick lunch downtown or as a spot to waste time before going back to work.
  • We recommend: the Wabash mixed combo.
• Cafe Tola (3612 N Southport Ave, 60613; 1625 W Addison St, 60613)
  • Known for their empanadas, with flavors that rotate every day. There’s usually a line in the narrow store, but it moves quickly and the Southport location, at least, has a small patio outside. The empanadas are also pretty cheap, so it’s easy to try a couple flavors and trade with others in your party.
  • We recommend: the chicken tinga empanada with salsa.

Things to Do

• Music Box Theatre (3733 N Southport Ave, 60613)
  • Take in a movie from seats J24 and J25 - those are our seats! Well, they aren’t “ours,” per se, but we did sponsor them. The armrests have handsome engravings with our anniversary and initials on them, so you can’t blame us for feeling possessive.
• FACETS (1517 W Fullerton Ave, 60614)
  • This is where we officially got engaged! Their theater is quite small, but it has a nice vibe. It tends more to the “artier” side of things, but the programming is consistently good and their Anime Club screenings are worth the cost of the membership.
• Alamo Drafthouse (3519 N Clark St Ste C301, 60657)
  • Only certain movies lend themselves to the Alamo experience (no, In the Mood for Love would not be improved with people eating cheeseburgers in the dark), so pick carefully. Go for a big, noisy action movie or a comedy. Side note, eternal respect to the woman in the theater with us for John Wick Chapter 4, who, when one character said, “Friendship means little when it’s convenient,” chimed in with a quiet “That is so true.” It’s been stuck in our heads for years and now we’re ready to inflict it upon you.
• Birding at Montrose (4400 North Simonds Drive, 60640)
  • Montrose Bird Sanctuary hosts hundreds of migratory bird species and its beach is where our famous piping plovers come to nest. Don’t miss the purple martins that nest in special birdhouses! Walking in the morning is bizarre; the outside world’s noise is replaced with a bird and insect cacophony.
• Architecture tour
  • Go for the Chicago Architecture Center’s tour (and bring a jacket, since it’s colder on the water). Their hosts are experts and the facts they give tend to stick in your head.
• Northerly Island (1521 S. Linn White Dr, 60605)
  • See where Mayor Daley destroyed Meigs Field and gave the citizens of Chicago a new park! That’s kind of a lie, since the former Meigs Field runway is hidden from the public, but you can still enjoy hiking in the beautiful prairie. We saw a coyote here once!
• Navy Pier Ferris wheel (600 E Grand Ave, 60611)
  • Look, we’ll be honest: there isn’t too much to do on Navy Pier these days unless you’re into theater (in that case, check out the Chicago Shakespeare Theater). But sometimes you’ve gotta do tourist things because they’re fun! If you insist on something educational, the Ferris wheel was invented for the World’s Fair that was held in Chicago. You can ponder that while rotating.
• Sears Tower (223 S Wacker Dr, 60606)
  • We will NEVER call it the Willis Tower and neither should you!!!!! We could spend all day looking down at the buildings from the top floor, especially after an architecture tour when you can recognize a few of them. (Olivia sez: the glass box you can stand in is terrifying.)
• Lakefront
  • It’ll be a little cold in October, but the lakefront is one of the best things you can do on a lazy day. Take a walk, ride a bike, stop at the tiny dogs-only beach, play some Frisbee as if you’re in college, the possibilities are endless.
• Ride the El
  • We love riding the trains. Riding to a variety of places lets you see the different station designs, which feels a bit like traveling back in time. The Garfield Park Conservatory stop on the Green Line is a standout for its design, while the Purple Line stations near Evanston benefit from being surrounded by nature. At some points, the Brown Line runs at street-level, which never fails to be weird, and the Yellow Line (AKA the Skokie Swift) is the shortest in the network at only three stops. Be careful where you stop on the Blue Line, though; some of the stations on the highway have ramps leading up that feel like they’re miles long.
• Kinzie Street Bridge (W Kinzie Street and N Canal Street)
  • In lieu of explaining anything, we’ll link you to this helpful Wikipedia article.
• Field Museum (1400 S Lake Shore Dr, 60605)
  • You’ve already heard of it, of course, but it bears repeating that this museum never fails to amaze. (Kathryn sez: the Cyrus Tang Hall of China is a must-see if you have any interest in Chinese culture whatsoever. When I was actively studying Chinese Language and Culture in college and visited, I felt like a kid in a candy store.)
• Snakes & Lattes Chicago (1965 N Milwaukee Ave, 60647)
  • Tired of educational activities? Stop by for a game and a bite to eat. They have a massive selection of games that you can “check out” from their library and the food isn’t half-bad either. If you get tired of a game, simply return it and pick another one out. Really fun to visit with a couple of friends.
• Harold Washington Library (400 S State St, 60605)
  • Features to check out: the gargoyles on the corners of the building, the lobby, the Winter Garden. You could spend ages in here.
• Chicago Cultural Center (78 E Washington St, 60602)
  • This used to be Chicago’s main library before the Harold Washington Library was built. You have to check out the two Tiffany glass domes, but stop in the lobby to admire the ornate tiling and marble. We used to really CARE about our cultural centers, man!!
• Lincoln Park Zoo (2001 N Clark St, 60614)
  • Right next to the Peggy Notebaert, totally free. The print version of The Onion once “advertised” it with a quarter-page ad that said “LINCOLN PARK ZOO: WE ONLY HAVE AARDVARKS NOW,” so good luck not thinking about that when you visit the aardvarks.

Cool Stores

• Quimby’s Bookstore (1854 W North Ave, 60622)
  • A comic store unlike any others you’ve visited. Quimby’s is more of an alternative comix space, so while they sell graphic novels, they won’t be from the Big Two. One of the best parts of Quimby’s is that they sell zines from indie creators. It’s a good way to check out what the local comic scene is up to even if you aren’t completely tuned in.
• Unabridged Bookstore (3251 N Broadway St, 60657)
  • It’s been around since the ’80s and features one of the oldest dedicated gay sections in the city. Their remaindered book section is also top-notch: instead of it being filled with books that people didn’t buy for a reason, this is a curated selection with books that you might actually want to read. Every time you score a hardcover for $12 instead of the $30 you would pay new, it feels like stealing.
• Mitsuwa Marketplace (100 E Algonquin Rd, Arlington Heights, IL 60005)
  • This is in Chicagoland rather than Chicago proper, but we love visiting here too much to leave it off. In addition to the supermarket filled with Japanese staples, it also hosts a food court, a bakery, and a Kinokuniya Bookstore. Try to visit on a weekday or early in the morning because it can get packed.
• Marshall Field’s (111 N State St, 60602)
  • Yeah yeah yeah it’s “Macy’s” now, but this store is still firmly Marshall Field’s. You don’t even have to buy anything to enjoy your time; it’s fascinating to explore all of the different floors and read about the history (some floors host old Christmas window decorations, too). While it is a bit of a maze, we always rush to the middle to look up and down the central column. Macy’s doesn’t use the top few floors now - how on Earth did they sell enough that they needed all that space back then?!
• American Girl/LEGO (835 N Michigan Ave, 60611)
  • In a bit of brand synergy that should have earned everyone involved a huge promotion, the American Girl and LEGO stores are located right next to one another. (Full disclosure from Kathryn: I still love browsing the AG store because the accessories are so cute! Just ask my American Girl doll-sized Pizza Hut BOOK-IT! set.) While the LEGO store is less impressive than American Girl, it makes up for it by having the Build-a-Minifigure section and a great selection of sets.
• Dusty Groove (1120 N Ashland Ave, 60622)
  • We once camped out here on Record Store Day at 2 AM to ensure that we would get the limited release Daft Punk single. Even if we hadn’t, though, Dusty Groove is still well worth a visit. Their basement is home to a bunch of $1 records and you can have a great time going through them. (For a while, we had an Adlai Stevenson speech on vinyl, because people were buying those back in the 60s?) They lean more towards jazz, something we unfortunately know next to nothing about, but they apparently have a great selection with a lot of Japanese imports.

See the City Through Our Eyes

• Olivia’s Version

  See full screen

• Kathryn’s Version
  • 41°51'50.4"N 87°40'34.2"W
    • I saw a guy on a bike try to turn left from the right lane as the car in the left lane tried to go straight and he got hit. He was not seriously injured, to be clear! The lady who hit him stopped on the side of the road for a little while, saw that he was getting help, and then drove off. I know it was basically his fault, but still.
  • 41°51'59.6"N 87°40'34.6"W
    • Once I crossed the street after the walk sign went on and flipped off the guy in a truck who had run the stale yellow to turn left, directly where I would be. He slammed on his brakes and screamed that I shouldn’t have done that because I could get killed (presumably due to road rage, though, in a country like America, shouldn’t he have also assumed he could be killed? What if I had had a gun?). He seemed shocked when I immediately started screaming back and invited him to step out of his car to back up his words with action. We shouted overlapping obscenities at one another, blocking the road and crosswalk, broad daylight, on a crowded street for a full 15 seconds. Then he pulled his head back in his car and drove away and I got on the bus. The end, no moral.
  • 3643 N Sheffield Ave, 60613
    • For a little while, a goose was nesting in the bushes near the bleachers at Wrigley. The Cubs staff had to shut down that section of the bleachers and post a guard so no one bothered the geese. The pair eventually decided it was too noisy for them and flew elsewhere.
  • State and Lake, 60601
    • While riding the bus with Olivia’s mom and youngest sister, we came up to a bus stop located under an El station and had to pause because someone had parked their car in front of the stop and was actively unloading luggage. Our bus driver opened the window, laid on the horn, and let out an uninterrupted 45 second string of cursing that would have brought tears to a Navy man’s eyes. (The car did end up driving away.) It was so impressive that I wished I could tip her.
  • 41°56'49.0"N 87°40'08.6"W
    • There are a lot of Cybertrucks in Chicago, unfortunately. As I was waiting for the bus, one slowed at the light near me and I gave the driver a thumbs down. He was not having this, so he flipped me off with a scowl. I hope he didn’t run into any four-year-olds, since I think calling him a dum-dum might have made his head explode.
  • 41°56'48.5"N 87°40'43.3"W
    • The bus figures in a lot of these stories, huh? Well, anyway, I was waiting for the bus here when a guy pulled into the right turn lane and stopped. Other cars pulled up behind him, reasonably thinking that he was about to turn. Nope! Instead, he parked the car, exited, opened the passenger door to retrieve a smoothie cup, and walked to the corner trash can to throw it away. He had the audacity to give everyone the “what’d I do?” face and throw up his hands when all the other cars started honking at him. I’m still a little in awe of the lack of shame.
  • 41°57'09.7"N 87°38'59.5"W
    • Sometime in 2020 or 2021 (the years blend together), we went for a walk and spotted someone dressed as Spider-Man posing on top of a bus shelter and entertaining some teenagers. Whoever they were, they had the poses down pat, and their voice sounded really similar to Tom Holland’s.
  • 41°59'07.2"N 87°39'19.2"W
    • I have a soft spot in my heart for this bus shelter because in 2020, the ad company put up the poster for the first Sonic movie and then uhhhhhh everything happened and they ended up leaving it there for like two years.
  • Roosevelt Red Line station (22 E Roosevelt Rd, 60605)
    • Good place to spot the occasional rat on the tracks in the summer.
  • New York Private Residences (3660 N Lake Shore Dr, 60613)
    • This is where Rob Lowe’s character lives in Wayne’s World, at least in the exterior shots.
  • 661 W Sheridan Rd, 60613
    • Our first apartment!
  • The Dugout/The Press Box (950 W Addison St, 60613)
    • Made famous by an episode of Bar Rescue that did not emphasize just how close it is to Wrigley Field. The jerk bar owner lost money on this bar despite it being literally less than a block from Wrigley and owning the building it’s in. Only go here if you’re morbidly curious about a nasty dive owned by a nastier guy.
  • Belmont Red/Brown/Purple Line station (945 W Belmont Ave, 60657)
    • We woke up at some horrible hour to go be some of the first people to ride on the newly completed Belmont flyover. (Genuinely a fun experience!)
  • Sheridan Red Line station (3940 N Sheridan Rd, 60613)
    • I was once going downtown to visit Olivia and got on a train that should not have existed (it was not scheduled, was not using the correct track to be a Red Line train, and no other lines stop at Sheridan). I got off at the next stop and got on the correct train, so this story isn’t very exciting.
  • 628 W Addison St, 60613
    • The owner of this building, a big Paul Vallas guy, put up a security camera on his building that day after Brandon Johnson won the mayoral election.
  • 41°56'29.8"N 87°38'40.0"W
    • We were walking to Unabridged a couple years ago when we saw a woman walking a Pomeranian. I say “walking” loosely, since the dog wasn’t leashed and her method of controlling him was to say “No no! No no!” ad nauseum. The dog ignored her and she only picked him up when he began wandering into the road.
  • Sheridan Liquor (3946 N Sheridan Rd, 60613)
    • This party store (now under new management) used to be owned by a couple that had a dog. They allowed this dog to roam freely in the store, which he repaid by pooping on the floor while we were trying to shop.
  • Wrigley Field (1050 W Addison St, 60613)
    • Olivia’s Lyft driver told her that he could have invented moneyball (the method, not the movie) right around here. I’m skeptical, but let’s hear him out.
  • Chicago gift inventory room (121 N LaSalle St, 60602)
    • We both took a day off of work to go see the gift inventory room, which is where the city stores all of the gifts the mayor or the city receives. (I’m mad that I didn’t pick the earlier time; if I had, we would have been the literal first people to ever show up for our appointment.) It’s a mix of cool, unique gifts (a NASCAR driving suit themed to the Chicago Street Race with Brandon Johnson’s name embroidered on it), junk (paper certificates for speaking to a club), and bribes (gold Montblanc pen, leather shoes in Brandon Johnson’s size).
  • Windy City Sweets (3308 N Broadway, 60657)
    • This is a great candy store, but unfortunately it will always be known to us as the candy store that hates kids. For a while, they had signs up saying that children needed to turn in their bags at the counter before they were allowed to browse, big signs stating that you were on camera, and had black and white photos of alleged shoplifters taped on the jellybean dispensers. I’m sure shoplifting is a problem, but it’s inherently funny that you go to all this trouble over candy thieves.
  • Little Caesar’s Pizza (2501 W Lawrence Ave, 60625)
    • Good.
  • Little Casesar’s Pizza (3135 W Addison St, 60618)
    • Bad.
  • Culver’s (1111 W Addison St, 60613)
    • Because of its location in Wrigleyville, this Culver’s has been constructed out of indestructible and easily cleanable materials.
  • Addison Red Line station (943 W Addison St, 60613)
    • For literal years, there was a toupee lying on the 95th/Dan Ryan tracks. What do you do if your toupee blows off your head? Is the answer “I guess I’m not going to work today”?
  • Schaumburg Convention Center (1551 Thoreau Dr N, Schaumburg, IL 60173)
    • Now hosts Vintage Computer Fest Midwest annually. Once hosted Dashcon.
  • IKEA (1800 McConnor Pkwy, Schaumburg, IL 60173)
    • This is a concept IKEA, where I guess the concept is “what if IKEA was three times as difficult to navigate?”
  • The Anti-Cruelty Society (157 West Grand Ave, 60654)
    • We adopted our beloved Pepperoni Jones from here!
  • 41°46'30.1"N 87°37'22.9"W
    • When we have to bring Pepperoni home, we drive (well, usually my mom drives). This is about where he pukes every time, right after we get on the toll road and can’t exit.
  • 3524 N Broadway, 60657
    • A teenager on Google Maps has labeled this as “Looksmaxxing School” and gotten friends to write reviews. Please do not report this as a data problem.
  • Walgreens (3646 N Broadway, 60613)
    • This is a terrible Walgreens. However, we once saw a pigeon that had gotten trapped in here and flew around causing mild chaos, so you win some, you lose some.
  • Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center (1240 S Damen Ave, 60608)
    • A goose was nesting here last summer and her partner was very aggressive. He ended up chasing a cop around the parking lot until he (the cop) fell down. The security footage of this incident is my Holy Grail.
  • Rat hole (1918 W Roscoe St, 60657)
    • “Scientists” will try to tell you that the rat hole was made by a squirrel. These people are heretics.
  • Royal Home Entertainment (2923 N Broadway, 60657)
    • We stopped in here (an authorized Sony dealer) and bought a TV from Joe, the manager, who was bemused by us buying it in person. We spent an hour here while he showed us all of the stereo equipment he was working on and told us what it was like on Broadway (Chicago’s Broadway) in the ’80s.
  • Domino’s (3103 N Clark St, 60657)
    • Because of its location, it keeps rainbow Domino’s logos on the store and its cars all year long. We’ve christened it “Gay Domino’s.”
  • Target (1 S State St, 60603)
    • Goth Target. Also, it’s two floors, so you can see the carts go up their special escalator (I like watching this, okay!!!!).
  • FACETS (1517 W Fullerton Ave, 60614)
    • Where Kathryn proposed to Olivia.
  • Millenium Park (41°52'54.8"N 87°37'17.1"W)
    • Where Olivia proposed to Kathryn.
  • Millenium Park (41°52'54.8"N 87°37'17.1"W)
    • Where Roni sent his spirit out into a rat to witness Olivia proposing to Kathryn.
  • Addison Red Line station (943 W Addison St, 60613)
    • He’s replaced the billboard now, but for a while a real estate agent used to have a big billboard featuring him decked out in Cubs blue with the words “Chicago Mortgage Fan Man.” Of course, you were supposed to read down, then across, to read “Chicago Fan, Mortgage Man,” but it’s like “Don’t Dead Open Inside.” You screwed up and now you’re forever the Chicago Mortgage Fan Man.
  • 3604 N Pine Grove Ave, 60613
    • Someone lives in one of these units that has an AC unit with “SWEAT” carved into the back of it. You would think that would impact the cooling ability, but it’s reappeared every summer.
  • The Fresh Market (2730 N Halsted St, 60614)
    • This used to be Dom’s Kitchen and Market until they merged with Foxtrot and both chains went insta-bankrupt. They sold off the assets via Microsoft Teams. There is definitely more to the story than what was reported, since Foxtrot is trying to open back up again (I haven’t forgotten that they got sued for violating the Illinois WARN Act).
  • Regal City North (2600 N Western Ave, 60647)
    • Worst movie theater in town. A very Popcopy-like experience where every person working there reacts with hostility if you ask a question like, “Can I have the 3D glasses for the 3D movie?” or “Do you have mozzarella sticks available today?”
  • AMC Navy Pier IMAX (700 E Grand Ave, 60611)
    • Our dearly departed IMAX theater that could show 70 mm movies. I think this has just been sitting empty for years. (It might be a tourist attraction now, but I don’t care enough to check.)