The Story of My Life

Cloud Gate at Millinieum Park in Chicago is British artist Anish Kapoor's first public outdoor work installed in the United States. The 110-ton elliptical sculpture is forged of a seamless series of highly polished stainless steel plates, which reflect the city's famous skyline and the clouds above. A 12-foot-high arch provides a "gate" to the concave chamber beneath the sculpture, inviting visitors to touch its mirror-like surface and see their image reflected back from a variety of perspectives. Inspired by liquid mercury, the sculpture is among the largest of its kind in the world, measuring 66-feet long by 33-feet high. "What I wanted to do in Millennium Park is make something that would engage the Chicago skyline…so that one will see the clouds kind of floating in, with those very tall buildings reflected in the work. And then, since it is in the form of a gate, the participant, the viewer, will be able to enter into this very deep chamber that does, in a wa...

After Chinatown, we took a trolley and bus to get to Lou's! The best pizza ever. The secret is in the crust and my hubby wanted to sneak in the kitchen and steal the recipe. His pizza is as good as this, but the crust is a little different. They say the secret is in the Lake Michigan water used? Or some other secret ingredient . Whatever the case, it is wonderful The lunch special was a salad and a 6 inch of your choice. He had 2. I had the Stuffed Spinach bread, which tasted just like the pizza crust and was stuffed with cheese and spinach. The bread was great, the stuffing a bit heavy, but had a good taste. I just scooped half of it out and ate away~! http://www.loumalnatis.com/ I know, I have said before, order the half baked ones and have it delivered right to your door!!! Try it for a holiday gathering if you have not. Portillo's is available as well. We walked off the lunch by heading to Navy Pier and window shopping and people watching. It is a beautiful place filled ...

We walked around the city, had a Starbucks.... ummm my new favorite is the Hot Carmel Apple!!!....took lots of pictures and just relaxed. We had that late huge lunch at Portillo's on our first day, so we just turned in early, after strolling by Lou's, our favorite pizza. We had a course mapped out tomorrow that included their pizza for lunch. Day 2 will include lots of fun. Chinatown, Navy Pier..... Stay tuned for more sights and sounds of the Windy City.

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 look...

Coming from a small town environment, it is difficult for some to imagine FLYING to a city and not having a car. We always make use of the Chicago Transit system while visiting, but it is a little more hectic with children, so we usually have a rental car. This trip, no kids. And no car. I am very directionally challenged and the map below is the CTA train map. Buses are a whole different complicated map. So I pretty much just followed the leader with NO clue how to get around. I have to admit, by the end of the trip, I feel pretty confident that I could make it alone. Maybe. So, we flew to Midway. Took the Orange line to the Loop, got on a Blue Line, took it almost out to O'Hare, to Rosemont station, to our hotel. Something we would NEVER do with kids. Or prior to Dave Ramsey taking over our finances. Downtown hotels are great, handy to all attractions and expensive. We stayed at a new hotel we had never tried, the Sofitel. http://www.sofitel.com/ "Classic comfort with the F...

The leaves were in full color. The high was 57. The low 36!!!! It was cold, beautiful, relaxing, and exciting all at once. What a great thing to get to do some of your favorite things with your favorite person for your birthday. Oh, I am sorry, No, not John BonJovi ..... my REAL LIFE favorite. I returned to my Yankee boy's hometown of Chicago to celebrate my 40 th birthday. Just the 2 of us and it was Wonderful. First off, 2 thing I missed greatly about my Florida home. My long forgotten addiction to DUNKIN DONUTS French Vanilla coffee and chocolate donuts. I grabbed these favorites first chance I got at the train station. This started the weekend of EATING off just right. And the warm coffee felt great in the crisp Chicago air. I took some great shots. Saw some interesting, cultural sights. Saw $700 shoes. Ate. And Ate. And then ate again. We stayed at a wonderful hotel and did a lot in 2 days. Funny, you can do that with NO KIDS. I will share more as I get a chance....

You know that if there is a Chicago pizza place to be found, my husband will find it; and we did....in even in Vail, Colorado! The chef and owner of Vail’s LaTour , a five-star French restaurant, Chef Ferzacca decided to return to his Chicago pizza kitchen roots and open a "red sauce joint" in Vail. Before Ferzacca became a classically trained chef he worked in the steamy kitchens of Chicago’s most famous pizzerias. He worked tirelessly slicing mountains of pepperoni and tomatoes, preparing him to open his own pizza joint high in the mountains of Colorado. With ZaccaZa !, Paul is returning to his roots and his love of Chicago-style pizza. This Red Sauce Joint specializes in family-style pastas original Chicago style deep-dish pizza, authentic Napolitano thin crust pizza, steaks and seafood. ZaccaZa ! Only uses the finest meats, fresh cheeses and San Marzano tomatoes. ZaccaZa ’s deep dish and thin crust pies are unique, as the sauce is on top. This is not stylistic gimmi...

It is my husband's birthday next week and he will not be here for the day, so I have a little suprise for him. I have posted about his famous pizza here and the inspiration for it here - Lou Malnati's . I also posted about one of my favorite spots to eat in Chicago - Portillo's . Chicago is his home and I dare say his favorite city. So today, delivered overnight express I will get a birthday treat for him. Lou's Pizza and Portillo's Italian Beef !! It is safe to tell you guys because he never reads my blog...... except when I post about hair and tells me I need job. (And I bought him this special gift anyway??????) So if you want to order a treat for any special occasion or just to try this wonderful Chicago fare....go to Taste of Chicago , get out your credit card, and tomorrow- you can be eating, pretending you are in the windy city---- minus the great shopping and the el - of course.

I Love Chicago ! I love to go there to shop and eat. So in honor of my Valentine day Swap Partner, my husband's birthplace....and in honor of being able to think of food today .....I salute 2 of the places we bring a cooler to and carry on food for the trip home ! Portillo's has the greatest ROAST BEEF SANDWICH EVER!! Italian Beefs with drippy, yummy "gravy" to we southerners...... My husband always gets the sandwich and the Chicago Style hot dog because he can never choose. If you have never had the pleasure of going to Chicago and do not plan on getting there anytime soon, you can order party packs online, which we have done several times and have it delivered straight to your door. Portillo's has a website with a menu and ordering details. One of my favorite places to eat after a long day of shopping ! The next place is in the suburbs - Skokie, my hubbys old stomping ground--and we always go to this wonderful deli to take home bagels, corned beef and many oth...