What do The Blues Brothers, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Gotham City, The Untouchables, hit series The Bear and American football stars like The Fridge (William Perry) and Walter Payton have in common? They are cast from the great city of Chicago - filled with Irish America and topped up with a charm that’s warm and chilled at the same time.
A milestone birthday bucket-list took us to this glorious jewel that sparkles on Lake Michigan and to the stadium of Soldier Field - home of the Chicago Bears football team to experience an All-American big sporting event.
Aer Lingus from Dublin is the go-to for travelling stateside and for the metropolis known as America’s second city, it costs much less than booking to New York or Boston. For another hour of flying, a visit to Chi-town in early October is the best time with temperatures at a lovely, sunny 25C.
The famous Windy City has topped ‘best US big city to visit’ for eight years running, according to its tourism body Choose Chicago. It’s no wonder, with its regal river walks and cruises, great lake waterfront, sports stadia and impressive skyscrapers.
Add to that is fabled film locations, famous foods like Chicago pizza and Italian beef sandwich, gorgeous architecture, clean streets and stonking restaurants.
Sedan Airport pickup Global Allure is a popular choice among travellers to the city and we check in at our hotel L7 Chicago By Lotte in the famous Loop neighbourhood. This boutique hotel is close to all the main sights and sounds of downtown, including the Chicago River. It serves up all day coffee, just left of the elevator, and fresh popcorn as well as chocolates from Fanny May and more coffee in the spacious and comfortable rooms.
Amy Leary, director of sales and marketing, is probably more Irish than American as she tells us of her Irish dancing and camogie-playing young daughter and Gaelic football-playing sons. The tentacles of the old country still reach far into Irish Chicago...
Our first meal date is Irish-owned restaurant The Dearborn on a vibrant corner of the Loop. Galway sisters Amy and Clodagh Lawless run the most impressive restaurant that you never want to leave, with the friendliest staff that give guests such a warm welcome. Bears fan and beverage manager Bryan Rojas actually sorts out our Bears tickets, the chef comes out to say hello, Amy and Clodagh give us great craic and the food, of course, is delicious – being ‘scratch-made’. The professionalism and genuine hospitality are perfect for our first night and set the tone for our visit.
Next day it’s game on for the epic Sunday showdown between the Chicago Bears and the LA Rams at the world famous Soldier Field. Everything is ‘Go Bears’ and the crowds are enormous. We’re introduced to ‘tailgating’ - a curious pre-match tradition where Bears fans arrive in their big pick-ups and hold a massive barbecue picnic in the surrounding car parks. All sorts of seats, meats, camp and barbecue cookers, tables, salads, sauces and cakes are munched and washed down with beer. There are games being played nearby, including beer keg bowling, with families out to enjoy the game.
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Accessing the stadium, we find our seats and watch in awe at the massive TV screens, the fans going wild and the fireworks going off when the players come out. ‘Bear down, Chicago Bears’ is belting out and the atmosphere is carnival crazy. Against the awesome backdrop of Lake Michigan it’s three hours of snap, scramble, tackle and plenty of touchdowns. The Bears win 24-18. A brilliant day out.
That night we sample our hotel’s Korean cuisine. Perilla Steakhouse provides a glorious taste-fest introduction to US-Korean food with ‘Steakhouse Sets’ that include “wagyu hanger, prime short rib, wagyu bavette and marinated prime short rib’. It comes out raw and is cooked in front of diners on a special hot skillet built into the table. We also try and love Korean monkey bread with honey butter and can’t get enough of the fresh shrimp cocktail and oysters.
For a sweet roam around Chicago, travellers can’t go wrong with its CityPASS where we save 48% on combined admission to five sights. Walking around just taking in the surroundings, framed by the iconic ‘L’ (elevated) city trains on a warm autumn day is a treat. We get high at Skydeck Chicago, giving breathtaking views across Chicago and Lake Michigan on the famous Sears Tower. The pass also gets us into and around the impressive Art Institute of Chicago - displaying priceless works by Picasso, van Gogh, Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks and Grant Wood’s American Gothic. The Field Museum is also worth a look.
Walking and taking in the sights along the Chicago Riverwalk is a lovely experience in bright autumn sunshine. But getting onboard the Chicago Architecture Foundation Center River Cruise takes the traveller to another realm, exploring the riverfront and architecture that has built this glorious city.
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Guided with a brilliantly versed retired city architect we meander along the skyscrapers and monuments by boat. We learn how central a link the river played as it connects from the Great Lakes in the north, to the Mississippi River in the south. We learn about the Great Chicago Fire and ornate 1920s skyscrapers. But the most intriguing story matches the skyscape’s most impressive buildings, the 1960s’ Marina City apartments built by Bertrand Goldberg. Nicknamed the corn cobs, it is believed the open car parking bays below the apartments, were so designed as Goldberg believed that in the not-too-distant future, cars would fly. So the open lots would give easy access when newly gentrified Chicago residents returned from a day at work and flew their vehicles into their home - like bees returning to the hive.
Next it’s game on at the interactive Chicago Sports Museum, which celebrates the world of Chicago sports with skill challenges and high-tech simulated experiences with, sports memorabilia and an impressive collection of game-used treasures and other artefacts.
We have a dinner reservation at Oakville Grill and Cellar where we sample plated glory in the divine coal roasted brick chicken, So-Cal steak frites and delicious puddings. The ambience is American smooth, fresh and sophisticated with service and wine list to match.
Next morning has a dramatic twist when we get rolling for Downtown Chicago TV & Movie Sites Tour, getting on the set of iconic films like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, The Untouchables, The Dark Knight, The Blues Brothers and smallscreen hit The Bear.
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Food is king next day on a perfect introduction into the belly of Chicago on a food and walking tour taking us to the city’s historic Streeterville and River North neighbourhoods . Al’s Beef is famous for the beef sandwich of hit series The Bear and it’s easy to see why this is a staple of the locals. Deep dish pizza at Lou Malnati’s is legendary, and Portillo’s is the go-to for Chicago hotdogs. When it’s popcorn, it’s the Garrett Mix - a mixture of caramel and cheese popcorn. It’s delicious and our tour guide tells us it came about when customers started buying and eating the flavours together.
As the leaves turn, September and October is the perfect time to visit this glorious, clean and vibrant city with its laidback people and great sports venues. Go Bears!
