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Chicago<br />
ILLINOIS<br />
— Rod O’Connor<br />
GO SHOP<br />
THE BOOK CELLAR<br />
4736 N Lincoln Ave • 773-293-2665<br />
www.bookcellarinc.com<br />
This independent bookstore serves wine,<br />
beer and strong coffee alongside a lovingly<br />
assembled collection of books. The stock<br />
includes titles by indie and local authors.<br />
P+L BOUTIQUE<br />
2956 N Clark St • 773-248-3758<br />
www.pandlchicago.com<br />
Because it’s so unpretentious, some loyal<br />
North Side shoppers call this an “antiboutique.”<br />
Visit for chic yet accessible clothing<br />
for both men and women.<br />
POUR VOUS<br />
1750 W Division St • 773-698-6024<br />
Soothing bath salts, homemade soaps and<br />
sweet-smelling lotions—plus fancy but<br />
affordable pajamas—make this a one-stop<br />
shop for any and all relaxation needs.<br />
THREAD LOUNGE<br />
918 W Armitage Ave • 773-281-0011<br />
www.threadlounge.com<br />
Started by a company that specializes in trunk<br />
shows, this relatively new ladies’ boutique<br />
offers fashionable hats, handbags and<br />
sweaters at sample-sale prices.<br />
GO SEE<br />
THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO<br />
MODERN WING<br />
111 S Michigan Ave • 312-443-3600<br />
www.artic.edu<br />
With glass walls and a “fl ying carpet” roof,<br />
this new addition to the renowned Art Institute<br />
provides the perfect home for new galleries<br />
focused on architecture and modern art.<br />
CHICAGO RIVER CANOE & KAYAK<br />
3400 N Rockwell • 773-704-2663<br />
www.chicagoriverpaddle.com<br />
Explore the Chicago River’s surprisingly<br />
diverse local wildlife by booking a day trip<br />
with these outfi tters. Trips take paddlers<br />
past herons and turtles sharing space with<br />
towering skyscrapers.<br />
GOEBBERT’S PUMPKIN PATCH<br />
Rt 47 and Reinking Rd, Hampshire<br />
847-464-5952<br />
www.pumpkinfarms.com<br />
This time of year, this pumpkin farm is more<br />
than a mere gourd garden. It features a haunted<br />
mine, craft barn, pig races and even a 20 foottall,<br />
pumpkin-eating animatronic dinosaur.<br />
HAUNTED SANITARIUM<br />
2401 N Lake Shore Dr • 312-742-7994<br />
www.chicagoparkdistrict.com<br />
This lakefront theater building once actually<br />
served as an open-air sick ward—bringing an<br />
eerie authenticity to its annual transformation<br />
into a spooky haunted house.<br />
WORLD KITCHEN<br />
66 E Randolph St • 312-742-8497<br />
www.chicagoworldkitchen.org<br />
Like a cross between a cooking class and a<br />
history lesson, this culinary technique class<br />
focuses on ethnic dishes that have infl uenced<br />
the Chicago dining scene. Call to register in<br />
advance. Through Dec. 5.<br />
GO EAT<br />
CHICAGO BRAUHAUS<br />
4732 N Lincoln Ave • 773-784-4444<br />
www.chicagobrauhaus.com<br />
Every day is Oktoberfest at this Lincoln Square<br />
institution. Come for the huge steins of beer<br />
and the oompah band, and stay for the tasty<br />
veal schnitzel. $$<br />
GAUDI COFFEE & GRILL<br />
624 N Ashland Ave • 312-733-9528<br />
www.gaudicoffeegrill.com<br />
This cute storefront eatery is operated by<br />
two sisters who serve up satisfying Mexican<br />
breakfasts (try the huevos rancheros) and<br />
everything from classic Spanish tapas to pasta<br />
dishes for lunch and dinner. $$<br />
FRANCESCA’S ON TAYLOR<br />
1400 W Taylor St • 312-829-2828<br />
www.miafrancesca.com<br />
This handsome wood-paneled dining<br />
room feels like a speakeasy—the perfect<br />
atmosphere for diving into a big bowl of pasta<br />
with mussels and clams or a half roasted<br />
chicken. $$$<br />
AJASTEAK<br />
At Dana Hotel and Spa<br />
660 N State St • 312-202-6050<br />
www.ajasteak.com<br />
Housed in an über-trendy hotel, this Japanese<br />
steakhouse delivers fresh sushi and Kobe beef.<br />
Also try great lunch sandwiches like a Wagyu<br />
burger with shallot marmalade. $$$$<br />
TRU<br />
686 N St. Clair St • 312-202-0001<br />
www.trurestaurant.com<br />
Longtime chef/partners Rick Tramonto and<br />
Gale Gand present four-star dining that’s<br />
bold and creative, but not pretentious.<br />
Mediterranean-focused prix-fi xe menus<br />
feature dishes like Thai butternut soup and<br />
suckling pig. $$$$$<br />
GO PARTY<br />
LASALLE POWER CO.<br />
500 N LaSalle St • 312-661-1122<br />
www.lasallepowerco.com<br />
Equal parts rock club and happy hour<br />
destination, this tri-level bar lets you shoot<br />
pool, grab some retro-diner grub and catch an<br />
indie rock show. Visit from 4-8pm for $2 sliders<br />
to go with your beverage of choice.<br />
LOTTIE’S<br />
1925 W Cortland St • 773-489-0738<br />
www.lottiespub.com<br />
Legend has it this Bucktown corner tap was<br />
once a gambling hotspot for 1930s mob types.<br />
Today, it’s the perfect homey neighborhood<br />
bar for whiling away an afternoon watching<br />
college football.<br />
TILTED KILT PUB & EATERY<br />
17 N Wabash Ave • 312-269-5580<br />
www.tiltedkilt.com<br />
This playful spot has a distinctly Celtic<br />
bent, with short-kilted waitresses serving<br />
kitschy-sounding drinks like the Caribbean<br />
Kilt (rum with pineapple, orange and<br />
cranberry juices) and the Irish Itch (whiskey<br />
with melon liqueur).<br />
SIMONE’S<br />
960 W 18th St • 312-666-8601<br />
www.simonesbar.com<br />
The design of this chill hangout offers plenty<br />
of eye candy—its brick walls are covered with<br />
found art and the main bar is a repurposed<br />
bowling lane—but the real draws are the<br />
handcrafted cocktails, like Peter’s Pickled<br />
Pepper, with Rekya vodka and jalepeño-thymeinfused<br />
pickle brine.<br />
GO DAY-TRIPPING<br />
SHEBOYGAN, WI<br />
150 miles north of Chicago<br />
www.sheboygan.org<br />
The “freshwater surfi ng capital of the world”<br />
is just a three-hour drive from Chicago. Rent<br />
a board from Expedition Outdoor Supply if<br />
the weather is right, or get your aquatic fi x<br />
artifi cially at the massive Blue Harbor Resort<br />
and Conference Center’s indoor waterpark.<br />
FUN FACT!<br />
Voted #1 By Citysearch.com Readers<br />
<br />
The fi rst self-sustaining nuclear chain<br />
reaction took place at the University of<br />
Chicago in 1942.<br />
NO COVER<br />
<br />
16 W. Ontario St. 312-640-1000 <br />
OCTOBER <strong>2009</strong> GO MAGAZINE<br />
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