The Real Chicago

Top Menu

  • Home
  • E-newsletter
  • Contact

Main Menu

  • Home
  • The Big City Blog
  • General Features
  • Around Town
    • First Look – Reviews
    • Hidden Gems
    • Inside Scoop
  • Eat. Drink. Shop.
    • Good Eats
    • Signature Dishes
    • A Round of Drinks
    • Shop Around the Corner
  • The Local Angle
    • Chicago Insider
    • The Local Corner
    • My Chicago
  • Interviews
  • Forum
Sign in / Join

Login

Welcome! Login in to your account
Lost your password?

Lost Password

Back to login
  • Home
  • E-newsletter
  • Contact

logo

Header Banner

The Real Chicago

  • Home
  • The Big City Blog
  • General Features
  • Around Town
    • First Look – Reviews
    • Hidden Gems
    • Inside Scoop
  • Eat. Drink. Shop.
    • Good Eats
    • Signature Dishes
    • A Round of Drinks
    • Shop Around the Corner
  • The Local Angle
    • Chicago Insider
    • The Local Corner
    • My Chicago
  • Interviews
  • Forum
  • Chicago’s hidden gems: Kiss Kiss Cabaret, Unabridged Bookstore, Lulu Belle’s Pancake House and TNT at The Annoyance

  • New on the scene: Recapping recent restaurant and bar openings in Chicago

  • The Big City Blog: A Chicago summer bucket list

  • Outdoor drinking: A guide to some of our favorite beer gardens and rooftops in Chicago

  • A day at the museum: Exploring the iconic Field Museum in Chicago

Chicago Insider
Home›featured-blogs›Chicago Insider›The Chicago Insider: Hilary Ward

The Chicago Insider: Hilary Ward

By TheRealChicagoOnline
January 16, 2012
506
0
Share:

Your ads will be inserted here by

Easy Ads.

Please go to the plugin admin page to set up your ad code.

Ever wish you had an active local’s advice on how best to enjoy the city? We have too, so here are some answers

Hilary Ward
Concierge at the Amalfi Hotel

How long you’ve lived here: A total of 20 years in the nearby suburbs, going on nine years downtown.

What you like best about Chicago: I’m a local tourist here. Every day I discover something new about this city that amazes me. If you’re bored here, you’re probably not doing something right. Chicago is friendly, (generally) safe, and insanely cultural. It has world-class dining, theater, museums, architecture…. and 60-degree blue skies one day, snow the next. What more could you ask for?

Best meal you’ve had recently: This is impossible to narrow down, so allow me to cheat and say: Aviary’s pre-dinner drinks and amuse bouches, Avec’s focaccia, Girl & the Goat’s goat liver mousse, Mercadito’s mahi mahi tacos, Hub 51’s “Really Good Ahi Tuna Burger,” and then finish it off with Sprout’s corn dessert. That whole meal is very light with zero calories. Promise.

Favorite big-name restaurant: Girl & the Goat. All the hype is true. Tough to get atable there, but go right when they open and get comfortable with the full menuand friendly service at the bar.

Favorite “hidden gem” restaurant: Nana in Bridgeport. Brunch so good, your day already feels complete.

Best sports bar to catch the game: Downtown, the Emerald Loop. Great daily specials and friendly service. Elsewhere, Piece, in the heart of Wicker Park. Amazing thin-crust pizza and craft brews.

A great night out with friends usually includes… dinner in tapas formation (Iberico, Quartino, Paris Club), then live theater/comedy.

Your ads will be inserted here by

Easy Ads.

Please go to the plugin admin page to set up your ad code.

Favorite store or best shopping area: Take the blue line to the Damen stop/Six Corners area in Wicker Park/Bucktown — tons of local, thrift, record and book stores there, which will keep you wandering around Milwaukee, North and Damen Avenues for hours.

The best way to spend a winter Saturday in the city: Wrigleyville has more than just Miller Light and backwards Cubs hats. Go to Angelina’s Restaurant at Addison and Broadway for their $21 dollar unlimited cocktail brunch. Burn it off with a spin on the ice — there’s a fantastic, lesser-known rink in the parking lot of Wrigley Field! Poke around the Strange Cargo shop down Clark Street for some quirky Chicago memorabilia. Grab some fun, tasty Thai for dinner at Cozy’s Noodles just around the corner. If your legs can stand it, go dance the night away at Smart Bar, right under the Metro.

One thing every visitor must do here: Eat at Lou Malnati’s. Then you can bring a frozen pie or three back home with you once you realize your vision of pizza has been forever changed!

While in Chicago, don’t bother… looking too much at your map. Unless you have a reservation, be open to spontaneity here. We’re known for being an incredibly friendly city. Ask a kind face on the street for directions, or an opinion — you never know what stories will come from it!

Secret Chicago spot: The Chicago Riverwalk. Go to the southeast side of the State Street Bridge and head down the ramp. This will guide you on a peaceful, straight shot out to the lake, all while giving you an entirely different viewpoint. Suddenly it doesn’t feel like you’re in the heart of a bustling city! Runner up is the cemented lakeside stretch in between the Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium. Go there at night for a north-facing skyline view like no other.

Underrated activity in the city: There are over 200 active theater companies in Chicago. Beyond the typical Broadway fare, there’s no shortage of stunning productions presented by local talent. Try Timeline, Steep or Mary-Archie Theaters, for starters.

Your ads will be inserted here by

Easy Ads.

Please go to the plugin admin page to set up your ad code.

TagsAdler PlanetariumAmalfi HotelAngelina's ChicagoAvecAviaryBridgeportBucktownChicagoChicago RiverwalkChicago TheaterCozy's NoodlesCubsEmerald LoopGirl and the GoatHilary WardHub 51IbericoLou Malnati'sMercaditoMetroNanaParis ClubPieceQuartinoShedd AquariumSmart BarSprout ChicagoStrange CargoTimeline TheaterWicker ParkWrigley FieldWrigleyville
Previous Article

The Chicago Insider: Jennifer Gillette

Next Article

The Chicago Insider: Luis Torres

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

TheRealChicagoOnline

Related articles More from author

  • Chicago Insider

    Chicago Insider: Hella Neumann on shopping Wicker Park and baked goat cheese at Cafe Iberico

    December 1, 2010
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • The Big City Blog

    The Big City Blog: Breaking down the best holiday-themed events around Chicago

    December 7, 2016
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • OldThe Big City Blog

    Big City Blog: NYE dinner cruises, Taco Joint lunch deals and plenty of holiday events around Chicago

    November 28, 2013
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • Inside Scoop

    Inside Scoop for Summer 2013: Grant Park Music Festival, S3 leagues, Pinot on the Patio, A Blend of People and ...

    July 8, 2013
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • General Features

    Tropical escape: Where to find the best island cocktails — and vibes — in Chicago

    August 12, 2018
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • OldThe Big City Blog

    The Big City Blog: Top 10 things to do in Chicago before summer is over

    July 11, 2014
    By TheRealChicagoOnline

You might be interested

  • Around TownHidden Gems

    Chicago’s hidden gems: Sandmeyer’s Bookstore, Margie’s Candies and the Town Hall Pub

  • Around Town

    Stepping out on “The Ledge” at the Willis Tower

  • Around TownGeneral Features

    Top Chef, Chicago style: Analyzing the city’s hottest restaurants

  • LATEST REVIEWS

  • TOP REVIEWS

Timeline

  • November 11, 2021

    Inside Scoop: Massive FoBAB beer festival returns to Chicago this weekend, Nov. 12-13

  • July 31, 2019

    Chicago Insider Etienne Padin on obscure museums, shopping in Andersonville and dining at Maple & Ash

  • July 30, 2019

    First Look review: CMX CineBistro provides a fun, fresh take on the luxury dine-in theater experience

  • July 28, 2019

    Finger lickin’ good: Six trusted Chicago spots for a stellar barbecue experience

  • July 25, 2019

    The Big City Blog: Four Friday Night Flights beer tastings remain this summer, including July 26 in Ravenswood

Latest Comments

  • The 14 Best Fireplaces in Chicago | UrbanMatter
    on
    October 11, 2017
    […] Photo Credit: The Real Chicago […]

    Cozy on up: We asked active Chicagoans for their favorite spots to warm up in the ...

  • Why You Should Visit a Museum | FreeForAll.org
    on
    January 16, 2017
    […] Photo Credit: Therealchicago   […]

    It’s cold out there: A few spots to warm up this winter

  • Why You Should Visit a Museum – FreeForAll.org
    on
    October 23, 2016
    […] Photo Credit: Therealchicago   […]

    It’s cold out there: A few spots to warm up this winter

  • The Real Chicago – The Big City Blog: A very Chicago night on the town
    on
    May 31, 2016
    […] up was The Redhead Piano Bar for drinks and live music. I’ve said it before ...

    Friendly, unfussy, and serious about music: Hanging with Marshall Nelson from the Redhead Piano Bar

  • Scouting Logan Square: A Renewed Historical Neighborhood - The Annex, a blog by Casamatic
    on
    March 10, 2016
    […] (cover photo via The Real Chicago) […]

    The rise of Logan Square: Why this diverse area has quickly become one of Chicago’s hottest ...

Find us on Facebook

Originally launched in 2006, The Real Chicago — as a glossy entertainment magazine, website and email newsletter — has consistently provided the very best insider information, features and reviews to help both tourists and active locals get the most out of exploring the greatest city on Earth.
  • Latest Posts

  • Inside Scoop: Massive FoBAB beer festival returns to Chicago this weekend, Nov. 12-13

    By TheRealChicagoOnline
    November 11, 2021
  • Chicago Insider Etienne Padin on obscure museums, shopping in Andersonville and dining at Maple & ...

    By TheRealChicagoOnline
    July 31, 2019
  • First Look review: CMX CineBistro provides a fun, fresh take on the luxury dine-in theater ...

    By TheRealChicagoOnline
    July 30, 2019

Photostream

    Follow us

    © Copyright The Real Chicago. All rights reserved.