Chicago Comfort Food and the Spa Life

I was just getting over an illness, but itching to travel, so when the opportunity to go to Chicago and do nothing except eat, drink and spa came up, my bags were packed and I was ready to go.

My friend Cortney picked me up for our second adventure in Chicago together.  Our first stop was The Local Chicago, just opened in December, 2012. Even though this restaurant is by the same owners as Chicago Cut Steakhouse, the two could not be more different.

The Local Chicago is all about a casual atmosphere and old fashioned American Comfort food, offering fare to the “locals” such as a Thanksgiving Dinner every Thursday.  It is open from 6:30 am to 2:00 pm, offering one menu for lunch and dinner.

We started lunch with the unbelievable Blue Cheese Fondue Chips, which were soft and crispy. We also tasted the Jalapeño corn bread and it was easy to see why Oprah fell in love with it. Alongside the comfort food were comfort cocktails, with ingredients like house-made grenadine and hibiscus gin.

I was thrilled to hear they are very allergy conscious here and don’t share the same fryers or pans with different types of food so when Cortney was enjoying her scallops with butternut squash risotto, I didn’t need to worry that my Dr. Pepper Ribs (as good as it sounds) and fries were cooked anywhere near them.

We finished the meal with a sampling of a trio of their most popular desserts – chocolate mousse, warm chocolate chip cookies and Oreo mint ice cream pie and thanked our hardworking waitress, Linda.

Within a few minutes we were pulling up at the Trump International Hotel Chicago. This was my third visit, but I will never get tired of the first class treatment. It would be even more than usual as Cortney and I were spending the night in one of their Spa Rooms.  

In addition to direct access to the spa without having to take an elevator, we had a room full of extras that come standard in these rooms, including thick robes; an oversized bathtub with salts, oils and scrubs; and a heater for our nightly eye and neck warmers. We also had a wonderful view. 

We relaxed for a bit before meeting Michael Koury downstairs at Rebar to hear about the cocktail menu introduced for the spring and summer. He told us about his new ice program, which included large cubes infused with everything from smoke for whiskey to rosemary and thyme for herby cocktails. Even the new pastry chef was getting into the mix with ice pops.

He said the focus would be on citrus and champagne. We tried a few of the drinks, including the White Sangria (St. Germain, sauvignon blanc and vodka) which macerates with peaches and apples in a big glass jug at the bar.

In addition to the drinks, Rebar has mixed up their famous sushi for the summer by using soybean paper instead of seaweed so the outside doesn’t overpower the inside.  

We had a Trump Ransom (Ransom Gin, Peach Ciroc Vodka, rosemary-infused simple syrup, Blood Orange San Pelligrino) for the road before grabbing a cab to City Tavern.

To be honest, I probably would have picked a different restaurant for dinner had I realized that City Tavern also specialized in comfort food, but that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it.

The cocktail menu was a bit too eclectic for my taste (I learned I’m not a fan of Arrak), but the wine was interesting and diverse enough to make up for it.  I really liked the Ship of Fools Pinot Blanc from Traverse City.

As at The Local Chicago we had a sampling of a number of things on the menu.  The pork belly sliders were quite good and came with the best (house-made) potato chips I’ve ever had. The meatloaf was perfectly paired with a great mac and cheese, but the best at City Tavern is definitely the fried chicken, coated in maple and honey, then vinegar to give it the sweet and salty.

For dessert we only had room left for small bites of the apple pie with cheese and the chocolate pudding with homemade fig newtons.  Kelin, who had been serving us all evening, suggested a prosecco to top off the night and it certainly did.

When we arrived back at the Trump Chicago, our beds were turned down, chocolates, water bottles, slippers and the warm neck and eye pillow were waiting. We drifted off to sleep, thinking that the only thing better than this was the day ahead at the spa.

Meeting Mackinac

Ever since the first time I saw photos of Mackinac Island, I couldn’t wait to go there.  It was one of those places that would require a long drive and the timing never seemed right. When I finally did commit to making the trip, there was nothing that was going to stop me.

My friend Lisa and I left early in the morning and drove through the day to make sure we would catch the last ferry in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula from Mackinaw City to Mackinac Island. It was a bit disappointing that it was raining when we boarded the Arnold Transit ferry, but they had indoor seating and it was a very short (less than a half hour) ride to the island.

Along the way we had a view of the Mackinac Bridge, which connects Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to Mackinaw City.

We were told that the “shuttle” would take us, as well as our luggage, to our hotel. What we didn’t realize until we arrived was that shuttle was synonymous with horse and buggy on this island!

We walked a bit in town before we found the ride and enjoyed the scenery as we went up the hill to the Mission Point Resort.

I made not of all the fudge stores and souvenir shops that I would have to check out. I also saw the many bed & breakfasts and event private houses that were along the water.

Bradley McCallum, the resort’s manager, greeted us in the lobby. It was quite a large and rustic building and it made up only part of this hotel.  As a full service resort on 18 acres, it offers everything couples, families – and girls’ getaways – could want, with golf, available bicycles, a pool, hot tubs, tennis, croquet, a movie theater and a spa. There are also three restaurants to choose from.

We had an incredible three bedroom suite, one of about a dozen different suites the hotel has available for those looking for a little extra space. The view from our suite was even more magnificent than the suite itself. Had it been a little warmer and drier, it might have been hard to pry us away from the wrap around deck.

After the long drive we decided to keep it casual and headed down to the Round Island Bar & Grill for dinner.  It was a comfortable atmosphere, complete with a fireplace and cozy booths.

It happened to be Mojito Monday at the Round Island and we were happy to imbibe.  It was served with a whitefish dip with garlic and cream cheese, something popular on Mackinac Island. I can’t eat fish, but Lisa loved it.

For the main course, I kept it simple with a pulled pork sandwich, which was tender and sweet, while Lisa had the flatiron steak.

We had a few more drinks at the bar to unwind and chat with some locals about the island. Before heading to our room we also stopped at the Martini Bar. We didn’t stay long, but did enjoy some chocolate and martinis.  

It had been a long day and we were looking forward to spending the next day exploring Mackinac Island. I fell into my four poster bed (turned down with chocolates on the pillows) and dreamed about the day to come with my opportunity to finally check out this quaint island.