Chicago: Street Food, Crowds and the Tribune Tower Facts

First Stop on the Eat Everything in Chicago Birthday Tour...... Portillo's Italian Beef sandwiches and Chicago dogs. I am not a big meat eater but this is the BEST ROAST BEEF sandwich on the planet. I am not sure what makes a roast beef and Italian beef, but this beef is so tender, soaked in gravy, with soft bell peppers on top. OH MY. I ate the WHOLE thing and could have had another. The bread is wet with the gravy but not soggy- just perfect.

Yankee boy had an Italian beef AND a Chicago dog. If you have never seen a Chicago dog, they have SO MUCH STUFF on them. All kinds of peppers. They are all beef kosher dogs and are very tasty. He gets no onions but the rest of the works. Pickles, sport peppers, I think even tomatoes.

The Best Street food in Chicago!!! Order online: http://www.portillos.com/

It is good, but not as good as being there.

Next stop, magnificent mile shopping on Michigan Avenue.

Please tell this crowd there is an economic crisis. The shoe sale at Nordstroms looked as if a bomb of UGG boots and Cole Hahn Clogs and Jimmy Choo pumps had blown through. The American woman is still shopping in full force despite the bailout, housing crunch and the naysaying media. Airports and streets were full of happy, money spending people.

Tribune Tower, 435 North Michigan Avenue
Inspired by the Button Tower of the cathedral at Rouen, France, the Tribune Tower exemplifies the way American architects have elevated office buildings to sacred status. Newspaper publisher Colonel Robert R. McCormick held a $50,000.00 international competition to design, "the most beautiful and eye-catching office building in the world." In some estimations, it succeeded. Construction begun in 1922 and completed in 1925.

The tower has all of the traditional elements of a skyscraper plus heritage expressed in flying buttresses, spires, grotesques, and more.

The base of the Tribune Tower contains 120 stones from important locations all around the world, including the Parthenon, in Greece; the pyramids, in Egypt; the Taj Mahal, in India; the Alamo, in San Antonio; the Great Wall of China; and Injun Joe Cave in Missouri. They even made an addition to include the World Trade center- some twisted metal from 2001.


Did you know that????? I didn't!
See I did learn as I ate.
And I did not buy any shoes at Nordstrom's, my favorite store, either. Just looked. Dave R would be proud.
Tune in for more Chicago adventure, sights and food tomorrow!!!