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My top Chicago recs
18
items My favorite spots I’ve found since moving to the city in 2022. While Chicago is known for deep dish, hot dogs, and Italian beef, I’ve found some other solid gems that deserve to be shared 😊
Map
Sections
3
Things To Do
Restaurants
Bakeries and Treats
Things To Do
The home of many comedy legends and the best improv in Chicago! For the best shows, look for Improvised Shakespeare, the free show on Wednesday nights, and you can’t go wrong with any house team!
The iO Theater
An immersive board game cafe with delicious food and drinks to boot! The board game vault is the coolest collections of games and their in-house board game expert can walk you through the rules of any game!
Snakes & Lattes
It’s not just a hotel, it’s so much more! In fact, their second floor lobby is open to all. Its gilded age, dark wood glamor and warm fireplace is the coziest spot in town to spend a day reading a good book or catching up with friends. Also, I have i...
Chicago Athletic Association
My favorite place for cards in Chicago! It’s also full of art work, fun gifts, trinkets, stationary, and so much more. Worth checking out and lovely for window shopping.
Foursided Card + Gift
If you are on a fitness journey and looking for a place to workout, this is the spot! Btone is great for any level of fitness and every move can be modified to be made more or less challenging. The instructors are phenomenal and guide you through the...
btone FITNESS Lakeview
Restaurants
Delicious Ethiopian food in the heart of Uptown! Grab a friend and have one of the best meals of your life!
Demera
Pequod’s is the best deep dish you’ll have in the city by far! A lot of people will argue that it’s “pan crust” but who cares when it’s THAT GOOD?!
Pequod's Pizza
The friendliest staff and the best Indian food in town! The tikka masala is to die for and the vegetable pakora never miss. Always a treat to dine in or take out!
Gorkha Kitchen Indian and Nepalese Restuarant
As a gluten free girlie, it is so hard to find good quality pizza, and after finding Sharpies, my search is over! The gf crust is fluffy and moist, which I know id hard to achieve. Highly recommend for anyone gluten free!
Sharpies
Go. Just trust me.
Chicago Pickle
Have you ever had chicken tikka masala and thought there’s no way it could get better? Then go here and try their version with chicken momos. It’s so good it should be criminal.
Momo Factory
A cute, intimate restaurant with some of the most delicious and creative food you’ll have! Get the butter chicken calzone and the Manchurian potatoes and you won’t be sorry!
Superkhana International
Bakeries and Treats
When I tell you this is the best bakery I’ve ever been to, trust me. Get the chai spice roll, one of their focaccia, and a sweet brioche and you won’t be sorry!
Sugar Moon
As a gluten and dairy free girlie, this is my go to bakery for sweet treats in Chicago! So delicious and the staff are so friendly and knowledgeable about ingredients
defloured: A Gluten Free Bakery
Tucked in an alleyway off Armitage in Lincoln Park, these donuts will blow you away! The flavors regularly change and you won’t want to miss any of them!
Beacon Doughnuts
You won’t miss dairy even a little bit when you’re here! They have soft serve, milkshakes, sundaes, pastries, and even sell flavors by the pint. Check out their monthly specials (the mango sticky rice they had this summer was insane)!
Vaca’s Creamery
They had a mango and coconut chai this summer that changed my life! Absolutely worth a trip down to the loop. And it’s right next to the Chicago Athletic Association!
Chiya Chai
A bakery worth the wait! I love that they had gluten free bagels on top of their normal offerings. And if they have the butter cake, don’t skip it!
Mindy’s Bakery
