Brittany and I were heading to Chicago for a quick getaway.
We had an early morning adventure with the team at Shedd Aquarium so decided to
stay over the night before.
I had never stayed at the Fairmont Chicago before and was
excited when they decided to host me. It is a luxurious hotel in an ideal
location, overlooking Millennium Park and Lake Michigan.
As someone with allergies, I also loved the idea of their “Pure
Room,” which are hypoallergenic, using sanitizing technologies to improve the
air quality.
Our room was great, and we enjoyed dinner and cocktails at The
Bar, the hotel’s lounge.
In the morning, we headed to the Kayak Chicago location. It
was a beautiful day for a trip on the Chicago River and I was a bit jealous
that I was not longer able to do anything like that.
I did get to watch and photograph, as Brittany learned about
the Kayak for Conservation program through the Shedd Aquarium.
This was just introduced in 2018 and is rapidly expanding. Its
purpose is to teach visitors about the waterway while working with the non-profit
Urban Rivers to build a new habitat.
Through this program (which you can sign up for on the Shedd website), guests
kayak along the river and collect water and plant data that can help bolster
future biodiversity.
While you do this, you also learn about the birds, wildlife, and vegetation that can grown here.
While you do this, you also learn about the birds, wildlife, and vegetation that can grown here.
Eventually, the end result will be a mile-long eco-park.
After Brittany returned from her kayaking, we headed over to
another place I had been wanting to try for a while, Jake Melnick’s Tap. We
were not disappointed.
This family-friendly restaurant has been named the “Top Chicken
Wing Spot in the U.S.” by the Today Show. While the wings alone are
worth a trip, this place has plenty more to offer.
Jake Melnick’s Tap graciously brought us a selection from
the menu that turned into scrumptious
feast, with plenty of leftovers to take home. Everything that came out was so
good!
We started with drinks, Peach Sangria (made with sauvignon
blanc) for me and Ace Pineapple Craft Cider for Brittany, while we nibbled on
the Loaded BBQ Nachos.
Then, a platter of wings arrived. We were able to try
everyone of the nine sauces and decided the Firecracker, a sweet Thai chili
with siracha, the Nashville, which is hot and sweet at the same time, and the
PB&J, Thai peanut sauce with raspberry chipotle jelly, were our favorites.
We had a lot of wings left, but we had a feeling there was a
lot more to come. That is when Jake’s Ultimate Feast came to the table.
The platter is easily enough for six and includes brisket, hot
links, baby back ribs, and pulled pork. It came with cornbread, coleslaw, baked
beans, and mac & cheese.
It was all tender and flavorful.
We were pretty stuffed and couldn’t even imagine dessert but
tasted the Fried Oreos when they arrived at the table. They were done in a
sweet funnel cake batter and worked perfectly with ice cream and chocolate sauce.
It took a while to get up from that table after such a meal.
We took our bag of leftovers and vowed to come back. Jack Melnick’s Tap is
definitely at the top of my Chicago restaurant list.
No comments:
Post a Comment