24 Hours In The Windy City

What do you get when you put a Texan in Chicago for 24 hours?  Oh, this isn't a riddle.  It's simple.  A lot of pizza, a quick trip to the bean, and a major hangover.  And an awesome work holiday party!

I flew out to Chicago for a quick trip thanks to my new job!  A holiday party in November is a smart move when it'll take place in the windy city.  Us Texans don't have a coat of that caliber, so it was nice to be there on a day that didn't even require a leather jacket.  Score.

Of course the first item on my to-do list was to grab a slice (or five) when I landed.  One of my best friends, Emily, lives in Chicago, so she took the train to grab lunch with me. After tons of recommendations from you all, we ended up at Gino's East (Southloop location).  ...I have no words.  

K I guess I do: It was damn amazing.  But a tip: I wouldn't go for the deep dish!  I know, some of you probably want to slap me, but I don't care.  My ideal pizza is a normal, crispy crust with lots of flavor, sauce, and cheese.  They hit the nail on the head -- We got a large Diavola: spicy pepperoni, plum tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil, and white truffle oil.  I'm a sucker for anything with truffle oil.

Also, shoutout to our waiter who looked exactly like Jeremy Renner.  Like, uncanny.  Go see him.

If you follow me on Snap (@corischerer), you saw some of this cheesy goodness.  We were completely stuffed by the end and took a quick walk to the Bean to de-bloat.

There's something so exciting about being able to walk in a city.  I kept saying that Chicago instantly felt like home, and I've always felt more "me" in a walkable, hustle-mentality city.  I was on a good pizza high on our walk to the Bean while we walked over the bridge.  

We took our pictures at the Bean (because did you even visit Chicago if you don't do this?), and headed back to the hotel.  I had to quickly get party-ready and head to our Chicago office, so I struggled to squeeze my bloated self into a tight, turtleneck bodysuit, snap it (almost impossible), and I was on my way.

Our company party was at Honey's, and I don't think I could have had a better time.  We had the best DJ, Jay Il (HIGHLY recommend him if you're never satisfied when you go out and want the perfect R&B, Soul & Hip-hop playlist), a ton of tasty cheeses, and some bomb cocktails that nearly put me out of commission.  

Ok, but how perfect were the names of the cocktails?  

Before our flight back we brunched hard at Yolk.  I got the Eggs Benedict with Chorizo + some Nutella Crepes, because how are you supposed to choose one?

I'm already looking forward to my next trip to Chicago.  I'm a big baby with cold weather, so we'll have to see how I hold up.

Have you been to Chicago?  What's your one recommendation for food/a rooftop bar?  Let me know!

xx