june-2011

DAY 1 | This is not a trip on which to count calories, starting
with breakfast at local favorite Original Pancake House (1). The
enormous, fl uff y, oven-baked omelets and the loaded baked
apple pancake are house specialties—you’re on your own to answer
the age-old question of sweet or savory. Fortifi ed, you set
out to explore the Gold Coast (2). Once home to the city’s steel
magnates and retail tycoons (along with Abraham Lincoln’s son),
this has been a posh neighborhood since soon a er the Great
Chicago Fire of 1871. Feel the lake breeze and dri into posh boutiques
such as Shrine haberdasher and the Euro-inspired Sarca,
as well as more well-known brands such as Marc Jacobs.
Journeying south, you eventually hit the Magnifi cent Mile,
Chicago’s shopping mecca, marked by the Water Tower (3). One
of the only structures to survive the fi re, this building looks like a
fairytale castle, and to fashionistas it kind of is. Familiar clothing
outlets like J. Jill and Lacoste line the shiny interior alongside
the shimmering storefronts of several jewelers.
Take a quick diversion off of Michigan Avenue for lunch at
Portillo’s Hot Dogs (4). The Chicago-style dogs—with pickle
relish, hero peppers, chopped tomato, onions, mustard and a
pickle spear on a poppyseed bun—are delicious. An equally good
choice, though, is the heartier Italian beef sandwich with hot
and sweet peppers, served au jus. The thinly sliced roast beef and
roasted sweet peppers melt into the now-soggy bread, with the
hot peppers and giardiniera (Chi-town’s
signature mix of pickled veggies) adding
just the right amount of kick.
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HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM • JUNE 2011 99