Chicago is a well-established tourist destination and world-class city so it's not surprising that we wanted to go there. Madison and Minneapolis might have you scratching your heads a little bit. Madison is consistently ranked as one of the best/most livable cities in the U.S. Minneapolis, or the Twin Cities, is a part of the country that recently sparked Evan's interest because of the low cost-of-living, walkability, and culture. No one in our families has ever been there but we were happy to be the pioneers!
Our Itinerary (May 25 - June 1, 2013)
Saturday, May 25
After getting taken for a ride by our cab driver (*shakes fist*) we arrived at our luxury mansion/B&B Villa D'Citta. Let me tell you, this is one of the best places we've stayed at to date. It's insanely expensive but that's the only downside. Cathy, the greeter/hostess/cookie-baker/jack-of-all-trades, is awesome. She's one of the friendliest, easiest people I've encountered. I never once felt like I was talking to someone who I was paying to make my life easier. She exuded enthusiasm, confidence, and passion for her job. The cherry on top was everything else - the amazing location (Lincoln Park), the kitchen/communal amenities, the lavish rooms/decor, etc. There's nowhere else we'd stay in Chicago.
It was still early but we were on East Coast time so we were ready for a late breakfast or early lunch. As it turned out, we brunched. Cathy recommended a fantastic diner-like place just a few blocks from the B&B - Nookies, Too. Evan and I gave each other a look when Cathy told us the name of the place because my cat's nickname was "Nuky or Nukie". We each got a savory dish and then split this awesome spring special, which was a platter of pancakes with three different toppings/pairings. It was potentially the best meal of our Chicago leg of the trip.
Shortly afterward we made our way via cab to Downtown or more specifically, Millennium Park. The park is multi-faceted with a designated area for outdoor summer concerts. It's too bad our trip didn't coincide with the beginning of the concert season.
And of course, we saw the famous "Cloud Gate" or what Chicagoans call "the Bean".
We also saw the Crown Fountain, an interactive art piece, on our way out of the Park.
We continued our walk toward Michigan Avenue Bridge and the Magnificent Mile, which is Chicago's equivalent to NYC's Fifth Avenue.
Per a Frommer's recommendation we booked an "Historic Downtown (South Loop): Rise of the Skyscraper" tour with the Chicago Architecture Foundation later that afternoon.
It was a two hour tour, which thankfully covered ground we hadn't already covered earlier in the day. Evan and I agree that it had its slow moments but we found ourselves referring back to it over the course of the trip so it was definitely worth it. It's never occurred to me to take an architecture tour before but there's such a huge emphasis on it in Chicago that it seems like a requirement.
Some highlights:
To close out our evening we headed over to Giordano's for some classic deep-dish pizza. Unfortunately, the entire city of Chicago had the same idea so we skipped it and instead took a long walk to Little Goat. Little Goat is the more casual, no-reservations-required little sister to Girl and the Goat. My assessment? Overpriced and overhyped. My side dish of macaroni and cheese was quite tasty but my hopes for a supreme burger were dashed. I really dislike paying a lot of money for a disappointing meal. Blah!
Sunday, May 26
This morning we returned to where we had started the previous day - Downtown. But this time, we used the "L" or elevated train system. We bought 3-day passes from a local grocery store in Lincoln Park called Dominick's. From then on, we took this more cost-effective way around town.
We got off at Merchandise Mart, one of the stops on the Downtown "Loop" and took a more extensive exploration of Downtown.
Here's a residential building that really caught our attention. I don't actually know what it's called but we christened it the "Honeycombs".
We continued our walk toward the famous Wrigley Building and then the Magnificent Mile.
And then, because we were in the neighborhood, we thought we'd swing by Giordano's again and see if we could get a table. Fortunately, it was late morning so we were able to sneak in before the lunch rush.
Giordano's is consistently rated as having the best deep dish pizza Chicago has to offer so were were excited to try it. Incidentally, the preparation process takes about 40 minutes. We weren't all that hungry so the wait wasn't that torturous. We ordered the smallest size you can get and we kept it pretty simple - cheese and meatballs.
We ate two pieces each and then gave our leftovers to a homeless person. We're just not deep dish lovers. We prefer New York or Neapolitan-style pizza. Not to mention, the amount of cheese in that pizza is enough to choke someone.
Potentially the coolest thing that happened while we were Downtown is we saw Divergent being filmed. I've read the series (the third book comes out in October) so I knew exactly what film it was just by seeing the faction names. Our picture isn't the greatest because the crew kept shooing us and the rest of the crowd away but it's the best we could muster. You can see Abnegation and Dauntless. The rest of the factions are Amity, Candor, and Erudite. And in case you have no idea what I'm talking about Divergent is a dystopian-themed young adult novel. It followed on the heels of The Hunger Games but the two series are quite different apart from the fact they both have strong female protagonists.
We also kind of stumbled upon the Tribune Tower, which has pieces from historically significant buildings and sites adorning its exterior.
An example:
The sun decided to make its first appearance since we arrived so we focused on more outdoor activities for the rest of the day. We made our way past Millennium Park and to Grant Park and the Buckingham Fountain, which you would know from the credits to Married with Children.
Before we reached the fountain we saw an awesome working replica of a Paris metro stop and a cool Native American sculpture:
The park/fountain:
We returned to our B&B mid-to-late afternoon to relax because we had an eventful night planned at Second City. We ended up not eating dinner out because we were still full from our lunch and Cathy's cookies. I literally cannot count how many of Cathy's cookies I had over a three-day period. I'm sure the number would put me into some kind of embarrassment-induced coma.
We walked 10+ blocks to Second City through our very cool and safe part of town past restaurants, bars, and boutique shops. We got to Second City early enough that we were seated in the front row. That made me a little nervous because one of my biggest fears is being asked to participate in an improv skit.
The particular show we saw, Laugh Out Loud Tour, was a mostly scripted compilation of the best sketch moments of Second City. They updated a few things to be timely and there was one particular sketch at the end that did involve improv and inviting an unsuspecting audience member on stage. Thankfully, it wasn't me!
It was so enjoyable that upon exiting the show we went right to the ticket counter and bought tickets for Improv All-Stars the following night.
By the time we got back "home" we were a little hungry so I made a panini from meats, cheeses, condiments, and bread provided by the B&B and Evan made himself Belgian waffles with their press and some left-over batter.
Monday, May 27
Today we spent a lot of time just walking around our neck of the woods - Lincoln Park and the surrounding area. The weather had turned gloomy again so we had a hard time figuring out what indoor activities we might resort to.
We knew we couldn't leave Chicago without having a Chicago-style hot dog so we asked Cathy for a recommendation. She told us about a popular local dive called Weiner's Circle.
We were still kind of full from breakfast so Evan and I decided to split a hot dog and one order of french fries. It was really good but Cathy was right about it being a dive. It really is a very no-frills place. It's not exactly service with a smile either!
Some cool things we saw along the way:
I have to share a cute little anecdote. After passing through the Lincoln Park area we were stopped by a Jewish man (I know he was Jewish because he was wearing a yarmulke - I wasn't assuming) who said to Evan, excuse me, do you have a moment? Call me a cynical East Coaster but my first inclination was to think - uh oh, what does this guy want? Either he's trying to convert us or solicit money for some cause. In actuality, the guy, from Kansas (Evan asked), was just overly polite in asking Evan if he could take a picture of him and his friend. Most people would just say, could you take a picture of us? But this guy provided an introduction to his request. It was just really surprising. I guess that's what they call Midwestern charm.
At some point we found a train station and went Downtown. We thought that if the weather was going to be gloomy we might as well visit one of Chicago's world-class museums.
On our way to the Field Museum - Chicago's Natural History museum - we saw this cool outdoor art exhibit:
When we got to the Field Museum we decided we weren't in the mood. Chicago has so many museums but we just couldn't focus or hone in on a particular interest. I hope it's something we'll pursue during our next visit.
It was already mid-afternoon by then so we decided to go back to the B&B for a snack and some relaxation. Around early evening we walked back toward Second City, which is in a charming area called Old Town.
We had a lovely Mexican dinner at Adobo Grill, another of Cathy's recommendations. Then we wasted some time walking through Old Town because we wanted to avoid the front row for the improv show. By the time we got to the theater we were able to choose our seats in the back. Unfortunately, the improv "all-stars" were off their game. Kind of like any skit on SNL, it's hit or miss and in this case, it was mostly a miss. It's too bad that we had to end our last night on such a blah note but I'm still really glad we went. I loved going to Second City and I think it's something everyone should do if they find themselves in Chicago.
Overall, we had a great time in Chicago! I didn't feel the same sense of hustle and bustle as in NYC, which to me is far too chaotic. It's a busy city but it felt manageable. We got around easily, people were friendly and helpful, the food was good, if a bit overpriced, and there's a lot of unexpected charm and beauty to the city. I'd definitely like to go back to see more of the city in better weather, visit some museums, and see more shows.
Tuesday, May 28
After a nice, unhurried breakfast at the B&B we headed to the airport via train and picked up a rental car from Alamo. It was probably the easiest pick-up process we've experienced to date. I think we'll be using them again!
It's only a 2.5 hour drive to get from Chicago to Madison but we thought we'd take a little break in between and stop in Milwaukee for lunch. Why not, right?
We were kind of impressed, Evan more so, at how big the city appeared as we were driving in. We quickly found a parking garage attached to a shopping center. Before we knew it, we were out on the street looking for some lunch.
Despite being a workday, the city seemed kind of dead. I wasn't sure if that was due to the fact that it was the Tuesday following a holiday weekend or if the city was depressed from economic problems. We didn't spend much time there - no more than an hour - but I was pleasantly surprised. There was definitely some charm there.
We stopped at Waterfront Deli for lunch and it was delicious. I got an excellent reuben and Evan got some kind of Mexican-themed wrap. It really hit the spot and got us ready for another hour or so on the road.
Some cool artwork on the Riverwalk:
When we arrived in Madison it was mid-to-late afternoon. We stayed at the Arbor House, an environmental inn just moments by car from Downtown. What can I say about Arbor House? It was very green. But really, it was nice. I slept well while we were there, the breakfasts were good, and the hostess, Cathy (yes, another Cathy) was very nice if a bit, overly enthusiastic. That being said, I probably wouldn't stay there again. Nothing happened to really justify that response but it's my gut reaction. Then again, chances are we won't be in Madison for a second time anyway.
Once we got settled in we did some exploring in the car to get acquainted with the area. We quickly became aware of how small Madison is and how overrun it is with students and hippies. I don't say that in a complimentary way in case I wasn't clear. Haha.
Along the way we saw this awesome pet supply store called Mad Cat. We think it's particularly awesome because most pet supply stores emphasize dogs and in this case, cats are their star clients! As it should be.
Right next door to Mad Cat was a vet's office and their resident cat was so cute plastering him/herself against the glass window.
Then we parked Downtown and started to walk State Street, the main thoroughfare. There's lots of restaurants and shopping and you can see the beautiful Capitol building.
Despite State Street's offerings, we weren't really digging the vibe. We decided that instead of eating at one of its recommended ethnic restaurants we'd leave Downtown and go to this Indonesian restaurant I'd seen while we were driving around earlier. Big mistake.
I take full responsibility for the decision to eat at Bandung Restaurant. The novelty of Indonesian in Madison, WI caught me off-guard so I wasn't thinking rationally. Just because it's novel doesn't mean it's any good. In fact, because it's novel and no one around can dispute its authenticity pretty much confirms that it can't be good.
Evan liked his meal but I thought my nasi goreng was terrible. Then again, I've had authentic and delicious nasi goreng so it's hard to not compare. At least the krupuk was edible.
We ended the evening on a sweet note with some dessert at Michael's Frozen Custard. My brownie sundae was yummy and Evan enjoyed whatever he got, too.
Wednesday, May 29
We were lucky to awaken to a sunny day so we hurried outside. Not sure about how long the beautiful weather would last we went right to the Olbrich Botanical Gardens.
On the way there we saw this cool anti-war memorial marking all the American lives lost in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The gardens are also right by Lake Monona.
Had the weather been more consistent we might've done some kind of lake-related activity but not knowing when a storm might hit kind of nixed that.
Without a doubt, the highlight of our time in Madison was the Olbrich Botanical Gardens and specifically, the Thai Pavilion. Apparently, Wisconsin has one of, if the not the highest population of Thai students in the country. Who woulda thunk it? Anyway, a great number of Thai government officials studied at the University of Wisconsin so they gifted the state with an amazingly ornate gold-leaf adorned pavilion. It was constructed in Thailand and then dismantled and shipped to the U.S. It took three weeks to put it back together in Madison.
After our peaceful retreat at the Thai Pavilion we returned to State Street for some lunch. We decided to try Nepalese at Himal Chuli. In this case, I felt more confident trying a novel ethnic food because it came recommended by our B&B.
It was our first time eating Nepalese food, which was much like eating mild Indian food. We enjoyed it very much!
Then we went to Daisy Cafe and Cupcakery for some gourmet cupcakes. Interestingly, the two best cupcakes were the normally flavored ones. We also got two cupcakes that were prepared with national foods in mind. We got the Iceland and China themed ones. The Iceland one had a salty caramel filling and China had a sweet lychee filling. Both were creative but not entirely edible.
Still, we were so impressed with the cute and homey atmosphere of the place that we picked up a to-go menu and planned on coming back for dinner.
We did and it was the best meal we had in Madison and one of the best meals during the trip, overall. So many of the menu items are house-made, which is really appealing. I got a fresh fish fry (wild-caught Alaskan cod) with panko breadcrumbs, garlic parmesan potatoes, and house-made tartar sauce. Evan got a very unique chorizo and pepper jack cheese meat loaf. We both polished off our food without much conversation so it was obvious we enjoyed it. It's too bad we discovered Daisy toward the end of our trip because we would've been happy to eat there for every meal.
Aside from Daisy and the Thai Pavilion we weren't overly impressed with Madison. I can see why it would appeal to some people. I'm sure it's a nice place to raise a family and there's a lot of potential for outdoor activities with the lakes and rampant bike paths but it's a little too quaint and student-centric for us. I doubt we'll find ourselves there again but I'm kind of hoping that Daisy expands to other locations...
Thursday, May 30
We got in the car right after breakfast because we knew we had a 4.5 hour drive ahead of us. Something we opted to skip was Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin in Spring Green, WI. The good news is that we've seen a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece before (Fallingwater) so I don't know if we were missing much. We really just wanted to get to Minneapolis and not take any time away from that part of our trip.
On the way, we stopped in Eau Claire, WI for some lunch. It was Evan's idea to go there because he saw a nice picture of it on Wikipedia or something. Unfortunately, nothing we saw looked picture perfect. There were lots of boarded up windows/buildings and riff raff walking around. It's too bad because the part of town that could've been charming seemed to be undergoing a major face lift. Needless to say, we didn't stick around. We ended up at a McDonald's off the highway.
We arrived in Minneapolis at the LeBlanc House in the early afternoon. Even though the home was decorated nicely, it could probably use some updating. It had a bit of a shabby chic appeal. We were also a little surprised that the regular owner/hostess was not present and that her son and his wife were filling in. Overall, it was a pleasant experience but some of the nicer touches we're used to just weren't there. That being said, I'm not sure where else we'd stay if we happened to be in the Twin Cities again so it might end up being our default.
We drove back Downtown to get a look around and unfortunately, our first impressions of the city weren't the best. We got stuck in a garage and ended up paying $14 to park for something like 30 minutes or less. Ridiculous. And then when we took to the street to walk through an open-air market on Nicollet Mall we were accosted by ChildFund International representatives. Ugh!
Evan was able to ask for directions to the Sculpture Garden before the guy launched into his very long and drawn-out spiel but we had to stand there and listen to it. Finally, we just said, we're not filling anything out or giving any money today. And then the guy said the Sculpture Garden sucked. Bitter much?
We got a quick picture of Mary Tyler Moore with one of the ChildFund people in the background.
Things got a lot better when we arrived at the Sculpture Garden. The UNICEF guy was wrong (!!!) and it was just the peaceful, beautiful break we needed from the hubbub of the city.
The famous and iconic Spoonbridge and Cherry:
After the garden we went outside the city to a very close and affluent suburb of Minneapolis called Edina (pronounced E-die-na). Knowing that we were really interested in the area, my parents very thoughtfully subscribed us to Minnesota Monthly and that's where I got the recommendation for Mozza Mia.
This meal was the start of several stellar eating experiences in the Twin Cities. It's some of the best pizza we've had outside of Italy. Evan got the very traditional Margherita pizza and I got a special or gourmet pizza with pork and fennel seed. As an appetizer, we had meatballs that left us wanting more.
Being in Edina that night was very serendipitous because we learned that they were having an art festival that weekend. We made a mental note so that we could return the following day.
We really liked Edina in the sense that it had everything you could possibly need - restaurants, shops, an indie movie theater, beautiful homes, etc. It wasn't until later that we found out how expensive the area was. Even if we moved to the Twin Cities we would not be able to afford living in Edina!
Friday, May 31
As planned from the night before, we went to Edina for the Art Festival right after breakfast. There was all sorts of cool sculpture art, photographs, paintings, and we ended up buying two small prints from this guy that makes his art from recyclable materials.
For lunch we returned to Minneapolis and went to Midtown Global Market per a local friend's recommendation. Midtown Global Market is very much like Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia and the Mercato Centrale or Central Market in Florence. It's a series of food counters and grocers in a warehouse kind of building.
Our friend specifically recommended The Left Handed Cook, which specializes in Asian-influenced American food. For instance, one of the sandwiches is a "sloppy cho". I remember thinking that was quite clever. In retrospect, I probably should've ordered that! Instead, I went outside my comfort zone and ordered a very spicy rice bowl. Evan got some spice fried chicken strips.
After an interesting lunch we headed to the Mall of America. Neither of us are shoppers but we felt like it was one of those things you have to do if you're in Minnesota. We walked the entire lower level but I didn't feel up to doing more. It's a pretty extensive building, as you might imagine.
Later that night we met up with a couple we had previously encountered on our Florence for Foodies tour last October. They were so nice and when we found out that they lived in the Twin Cities (St. Paul, actually) we knew we had to reconnect.
Per their recommendation, we dined at Victory 44. I think it can best be defined as contemporary American with an experimental twist. In other words, this is the kind of place you go to for an experience rather than to satiate your hunger. In fact, we were pretty hungry even after having two small savory plates each with one dessert to split. Another interesting fact, the servers are also the restaurant's chefs so they're intimately acquainted with the food and explain each dish at length.
Evan got a salad to start and I got a cheese-filled pasta.
Then Evan got trout with pretzel chips. How cool that they presented it in a sardine-like tin, right? And I got pork cheeks, which were melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
For dessert our friends, M and J, got what could be described as a chocolate egg for the whole table to share and we got a rhubarb custard.
Better than the food or even the dining experience was the time we shared with M and J. One could argue that we were merely acquaintances before this dinner but there aren't many people I know that I could spend four hours talking to. I actually felt like we could've talked more but they had their child with them and understandably, she needed to get home to bed. It feels like whenever we meet cool people geography keeps us apart! Still, you never know when our paths will cross again. Hopefully, sooner rather than later.
Saturday, June 1
We awoke to a gloriously sunny morning so we decided to return to the Sculpture Garden for some more pictures of the Spoonbridge and Cherry.
When our photo op was done we walked over this bridge to Loring Park:
It's a lovely area to walk through.
When we were done exploring we hopped in the car and headed to the American Swedish Institute. It wasn't somewhere we had planned on going but Evan asked our friends for a Scandinavian food recommendation and FIKA, the museum cafe, was their suggestion.
It was too early for lunch when we arrived so we decided to pay the museum fee and tour the former mansion of the Turnblad family. The Turnblads only lived in the mansion for seven years but they certainly added their own extravagant touches. Specifically, they had nine tile stoves or kakelugnar throughout the house. My favorite was the pastel-colored one in the Moroccan-themed room.
In addition to touring the beautiful rooms of the mansion we also walked through an exhibit of Swedish artwork. I don't remember what they were called but the collection featured a series of postcards that were glued onto pieces of wood and then embellished with paint and other glued-on items. Apparently, it was something that Swedes would make as souvenirs from their travels. I don't think it's as prevalent now as it used to be.
By the time we were done looking around it was time for lunch. Even though the idea of a museum cafe doesn't sound appealing, FIKA is quite extraordinary. Evan and I both agree that this was our best meal in the Twin Cities and probably the entire trip. The ingredients were fresh, the flavors were rich, and the service was excellent.
We split a sunflower seed soup as a starter and Evan got a butter lettuce salad with Vasterbotten cheese.
As a main course, I got the meatballs with lingonberry sauce and pureed potatoes. Evan got the beer-battered cod sporga or sandwich over toasted rye bread.
There's something to be said for simple ingredients that really complement one another. I'm getting wistful just thinking about that meal! I'd definitely recommend a visit to the American Swedish Institute and a meal at FIKA. Having gone there on a whim, I can't believe we almost missed such a highlight of our trip.
Some pretty pictures Evan got of the Minneapolis skyline as we were driving around:
We split the rest of the afternoon between Dinkytown and St. Paul. Dinkytown is the part of Minneapolis where the students of the University of Minnesota study/reside and there's oodles of cool restaurants and shops. It's not like Madison in the sense that the students rule the area. Their presence is certainly felt but it's also just a fun, casual place for anyone to hangout.
St. Paul is the capital of Minnesota and it's also, I think, the more charming of the Twin Cities. Minneapolis has a very modern and business-oriented feel to it, much like any typical metropolis. St. Paul, however, has a more homey appeal. It's where I'd choose to live between the two cities because of its wealth of neighborhood restaurants and shops. We drove down this one street called Grand Avenue and it was just block after block after block of fun places to hangout. It felt like the kind of place where people who've grown up together still go out and meet up and everybody knows everybody. That might not actually be the case but that's what I like to imagine!
We also drove down Summit Avenue, which has a plethora of amazing Victorian mansions. It's not anything I would've expected but there they were. I'd have thought I was in Cape May but these mansions were bigger than any I've seen on the Jersey Shore. I even got a picture of one of my favorites.
Then, to avoid what was a random windy weather front, we ducked into the Cathedral of St. Paul. It was like something you'd expect to see in Europe. It was big, beautiful, and ornate. The dome even reminded me of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.
We could also see the Capitol building from its steps.
For dinner, we again relied on our friends' expertise. I had mentioned that I really wanted a good burger before I left the Midwest so they recommended Blue Door Pub. They told us to call ahead or get there early because there's always a crowd. Boy, were they right! Fortunately, we were able to be seated right away because we offered to sit outside during an unseasonably cool, breezy evening.
We started with what the menu termed a Minnesota must - spam bites. It sounds kind of gross and it was a little heavy but also enjoyable.
I got the breakfast blucy, which is a burger topped with bacon and a fried egg. Evan got the classic, which is a regular cheeseburger. What makes their burgers special is that they stuff it with cheese and when you take a bite it kind of oozes out. SO good. It definitely hit the spot.
We didn't want the evening to end so we very spontaneously bought tickets to see a comedy show at Brave New Workshop in downtown Minneapolis. It might not be a household name like Second City but Brave New Workshop put on a fantastic show. I wasn't so much into the theater or their very aggressive pestering to buy drinks and snacks (we eventually gave in) but it was worth putting up with to see Lance Armstrong's Steroid Pumped Comedy Revue: A Cheater's Guide to Winning. Their performers are seriously talented. I laughed far more during this performance than I did during the two shows we saw at Second City. They also let patrons who've bought tickets to the main show watch their improv show for free. They were really quick on their feet and came across as such polished performers.
Overall, we had a fabulous experience in the Twin Cities. We were both a little sad to leave. Leaving was kind of like watching the American dream slip out of our fingers. I know that sounds dramatic but we live in such a high-cost-of-living part of the country that we're constantly dreaming about what it would be like to live somewhere else. It doesn't happen often that we find ourselves in a place where we can relate to people and afford their way of life. But putting that aside for a moment, having now been to the Twin Cities, I feel sorry for people that can't expand their minds to consider visiting Minnesota. Evan told me it's referred to as a "flyover state". How rude! I can personally vouch for the Twin Cities and say that there is PLENTY to see, do, and eat. I'd love to go back and I know Evan feels the same.
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