For anyone thinking about taking a trip to Chicago below is my itinerary, hopefully it inspires you:

Friday:

Friday night we went to a Mexican resto-bar called Mercadito to start our trip with some seriously potent margaritas. This is the only bar I have ever been to where there were full bottles of tequila on the tables and shots as big as my head. Ummm, Awesome! Needless to say, a great way to start off any night!

Post margaritas, mojitos and tequila shots, we made our way to a club called Crescendo. Crescendo reminded me of Embassy (the old System Soundbar). Had we been in Toronto, I would probably have scoffed at the half naked girls dancing on platforms, the mirrors that lined every wall and the wanna-be, wished-it-was “house music”. I find I am far less picky as an out-of-towner and danced to the poorly mixed beats nonetheless. We had fun, but unless you really like the cheesy club scene, it wouldn’t be top on my list.

Saturday:

On Saturday afternoon we went to the Park Hyatt’s NOmI Restaurant in search of some over priced, high-end burgers (aka The Twenty Dolla’ Burger). Unfortunately, this particularly delectable item was no longer on the menu, forcing us to select other over-the-top munchies instead. We ‘settled’ for ‘The Park’ (which is basically a chicken avocado club), an order of Kobi Beef sliders and mini pulled pork sandwiches, served with salads and fried plantain chips. Nothing warms up your stomachs or your wallets quite like a swanky hotel lunch.

Chicago has no shortage of shopping. Whether you’re in search of a Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s or a smaller boutique, you’ll find something to suit your tastes and budget. I picked up some awesome boots from Bloomy’s and a great pair of pants from a boutique called Intermix (highly recommend checking this one out!).

Saturday night we decided to treat ourselves to a steak dinner at Epic, a trendy new restaurant spanning three floors. The top two were lined with booths and large round tables full of diners and daters, while the first floor, reserved for dancers, pumped out classic dance hits from the ’90s. The food was great, but definitely very rich. We ordered a spread of appetizers, most notably the sausage gnocchi and brazed scallops. We were also treated to light appetizers and deserts, compliments of the chef – I love when restaurants shower me with love in the form of free snacks!

After dinner we hit the clubs, and hit them hard. Since bars and clubs in Chicago are either open until 2 or 3 on Fridays and 4 or 5 on Saturdays (depending on their license), we had enough time to hit 3 post dinner spots. The first two, Lumen and Y Bar, were pretty loungy and reminded me of King Street West. The third club, Spy Bar, had much more of an after hours vibe, with DJs JJ Flores and Alex Peace cranking out well mixed house music. I wish I could remember more of the finer details, but all I can tell you is that I danced until I could literally not feel or move my feet any longer. And then it was time to tap out!

Sunday:

Sunday morning we dusted off our 48 hour hangovers, threw on our leggings (have i mentioned lately how much i love leggings?) and sat our danced-out asses down at Kitsch’n, a typical mid-western greasy spoon, comparable to Mel’s or Boom. Our meals were pretty basic but nonetheless delicious. Id suggest hitting this place up if you’re looking for a cheap and cheerful brunch spot.

Before catching our 6:30pm flight, we toured Millenium Park and ogled the beauty that is the Nugget. We even made it to the famous Art Institute of Chicago for a little culture. No matter how hungover and tired you are, this is a MUST! Plus, they have the coolest museum shop Ive ever been in – so many neat and interesting gadgets and doohickeys.

It has taken me 8+ days to get over the partying and sight seeing that was Chicago – truly a great city to visit!