Maps for sale in Chicago

-
OK, I'm a map junkie.  Whenever I travel somewhere, I need to go out and find a map of the city or area.  As I'm reading the guide books about the city, I like to lay out the map and get a feel for the surrounding area.  Sure, the little maps in the guide books will do in a pinch.  But for me, there's nothing better than laying out a full size map to get a big picture of the area I'm reading about (or ready to travel to). There used to be a bricks and mortar Savvy Traveler on Michigan Avenue, but they are only online now.  I'm sure they still have the great selection they had at the store, but sometimes you like to walk into an actual store and check out the goods.  Rand McNally used to have a beautiful store on Michigan Avenue (444 N Michigan) as well, but that has since closed. The various Barnes and Noble stores have a respectable map section.  If you're looking for good travel books and maps, try these folks out before they go the way of Bord...
Post a Comment

Favorite Italian Restuarants

-
Rosebud on Taylor

They are celebrating their 30th year! Opened in 1977 on Taylor Street in the heart of Little Italy neighborhood (also known as Tri-Taylor, as it's bound by Roosevelt Road Western Avenue, and the diagonal Ogden Avenue). This is a very nice place to bring friends, family or clients to enjoy an elegant Italian meal. Originally named Bocciola della Rosa (Italian for bud of the rose, after a native Sicilian flower), they changed the name to the English 'Rosebud,' which was much easier to pronounce for those that no parla italiana. The missus craves their Antipasti Salad (crisp lettuce mix with imported meat and cheese, tomato, cucumber, red onion, pepperoncini, roasted red peppers and Italian dressing), and I always make sure to leave room after Spaghetti and Meatballs or Chicken Vesuvio for their delicious Tiramisu and a cup of cappuccino!

Bella Notte

Italian for "beautiful night," that's just what you'll have if you bring a date to this romantic Italian restaurant. It looks like they've expanded since I've been there, but were able to maintain the intimate ambiance. The food is fresh and tasty, the staff kind and attentive, and the prices reasonable (especially considering the generous portions). They are on Noble and Grand Avenue, a short cab ride from downtown. You can't go wrong with a night out for Italian dinner at Bella Notte!

Tufano's

Last but certainly not least is Tufano's. They have been around the Little Italy/University Village area since 1930. This is a very family friendly restaurant with excellent Italian food. I guarantee you will not be disappointed! The atmosphere is truly family style, with wine served in water glasses, and the menu displayed on large chalkboards for everyone to see. My favorite is their lemon chicken: delicious! A few tips: they only take cash (but don't worry, the prices are reasonable). Also, there is only zone (neighborhood) parking on the street, so pull up to the front door and valet (or take a cab if you prefer). This is a fun place that the locals go to when they want to enjoy excellent Italian food in a casual setting for a reasonable price!

Cafe Bionda

OK, I had to add this one after stopping in for dinner Sunday night after the last Bear's game of the 2007 season. My wife and I (and occasionally our 2 year old and 7 year old daughters) have enjoyed many dinners at this relatively new South Loop restaurant at 1924 S. State Street. After the Bears game, my wife and I and her Uncle had a delicious meal that I'm still thinking about today! We shared appetisers, the Rigatoni Genovese and an 18 oz New York Strip Steak. Mmmm, was that good! They really know how to treat you to a tasty, well prepared meal at Cafe Bionda. It's a nice place to bring a date, but on the occasions we've brought our girls, Danny (we always seem to get Danny as our waiter when we've got our girls in tow) makes sure to treat them like princesses! Looking for somewhere new for Italian? Try Cafe Bionda, I guarantee you'll come away very pleased!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My favorite quiet places in Chicago

-
Image
Chicago is a big city, and it can be hard to find a quiet place to sit and read, think, or just do nothing without people crowding around you making noise. Here are my three favorite places in the city for a little escape. 1. The 9th flo or of the Harold Washington Public Library . This floor contains the Winter Garden, which can be rented out for social functions. When it's not being used, it's a great place to sneak away and read a book. Its openness and natural lighting from the glass atrium are a section of the library not everyone knows about. Head on up here sometime and tell me if it's not a great place to get away with a book for a while. 2. The Crystal Garden Ballroom at Navy Pier. This is another open space with natural lighting. It is run as a restaurant by the Stefani Signature Restaurant Group, but when it's not hosting an event, it's a nice place to sit in the one acre botanical garden and enjoy a good book, or just sit and unwind. 3. Olive Park, jus...
Read more

Chicago Traffic

-
I've tried different sites, but keep coming back to the GCM Travel website (Gary-Chicago-Milwaukee Corridor). If you live in Chicago, click on My Travel and put in the expressways that you commonly travel. It uses cookies, so the next time you pull up the site, you can click on Reports, then Travel Times and it will show you the current travel time (Travel Time), the average historical travel time (Average Travel Time), distance and speed between various points. And if you click on the hyperlink for Average Travel Time, it will pull up a graph showing peak travel times during the day. This can be very helpful: leaving an hour before or after the peak can make a world of difference for your commute time! Update June 12, 2008 Ok , I have to add to this post. I've been trying out the traffic.com website lately and like one of the features. You put in your A (starting point) and B (destination) addresses, and it will show you the most direct route, with an estimated time of arri...
Read more

Maps for sale in Chicago

-
OK, I'm a map junkie.  Whenever I travel somewhere, I need to go out and find a map of the city or area.  As I'm reading the guide books about the city, I like to lay out the map and get a feel for the surrounding area.  Sure, the little maps in the guide books will do in a pinch.  But for me, there's nothing better than laying out a full size map to get a big picture of the area I'm reading about (or ready to travel to). There used to be a bricks and mortar Savvy Traveler on Michigan Avenue, but they are only online now.  I'm sure they still have the great selection they had at the store, but sometimes you like to walk into an actual store and check out the goods.  Rand McNally used to have a beautiful store on Michigan Avenue (444 N Michigan) as well, but that has since closed. The various Barnes and Noble stores have a respectable map section.  If you're looking for good travel books and maps, try these folks out before they go the way of Bord...
Read more