I am going to Chicago for the first time and would like to avoid renting a car. Flying into Midway and staying at the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart plaza-I heard I can take the L. Any advice would be appreciated and any great old school restaurants near Wrigley please?

No car needed. Take the train (the Orange line) to the Clark/Lake stop. It's the only train that runs from MDW to the Loop. When you get off the train, look for the walkway bridge that crosses over the tracks to the other side of the platform. Use that bridge to cross over to the other side of the platform. Wait for the Brown line train. Take it one stop to Merchandise Mart. (You'll cross over the Chicago River right before you get to the MMart. If you're facing fwd in the train, yOu'll see your hotel off in the distance to your left, but the real view is to your right).

When you get off at the MMart stop you'll want to cross back over to the other side of the paltform. You can then go inside the Merch Mart and walk through the bldg (the building is enormous - it's at city block or more so it'll take you a few). The hotel is across ths street on the west side of the MM.

If my descriptoin sounds confusing, don't worry. It's easier than it sounds. Trust me.


"old school" as in ???

Old School in -I do not need a fancy restaurant- I love finding the hidden gems-or those mom and pop restaurants that have been around forever. The ones only the locals know about! Thanks for the help! I can't wait to explore!

If you walk South of Wrigley on Clark Ave, there are many, many local mom-and-pop restaurants. Plenty of them are pretty good. Any particular cuisine? Beer or just food? Here are a few suggestions:

Goose Island Restaurant serves locally brewed namesake beer. Though certainly not unknown to tourists, it's pretty good and is frequented by locals: http://bit.ly/Mqxh3T

I frequently stop by El Jardin Mexican Cafe at 3401 Clark Ave before a game - it has pretty good food and nice courtyard seating.

You can try Byron's Hot Dog Haus just North of Wrigley Field (1017 West Irving Park Road). Their claim to fame is that their dogs were served at the White House...though I personally think they're overrated.

Another good beer place is Uberstein (http://www.ubersteinchicago.com/), though it is neither mom-and-pop nor old.

I've lived in the Lakeview/Wrigleyville neighborhood for 20 years and, quite honestly, there aren't many restaurants that have been around forever and are gems. (A controversial statement, to be sure.) Add to that the fact Wrigley's a tourist destination and most of the restaurants/bars in the area scream out to be noticed by non-locals.

But...

TAC Quick: (3930 N Sheridan) Family owned Thai restaurant serving a lot of dishes you won't find at the average Americanized Thai restaurant. Ask for the translated menu if it's not freely offered.

Angelina's: (on N. Broadway just south of Addison) Neighborhood Italian restaurant that's been here for 20+ years.

Cafe Orchid (1746 W. Addison at Lincoln): Under-the-radar Turkish restaurant.

Uncommon Ground (3800 N. Clark): Neighborhood place known for locally sourced ingredients, emphasis on seasonal produce, good craft beer list.

Yoshi's (3257 N. Halsted): Japanese-French fusion cuisine. It's a study in contrasts. The owners (he runs the kitchen, she runs the front of the house) opened this restaurant 30+ years ago & it was one of the original fine-dining destinations in Chicago. But it's by no means "fancy." You can sit at the bar, eat a burger & watch a game on TV.

Anthony Bourdain's show NO RESERVATIONS did Chicago fairly recently. Might want to watch that for some restaurant ideas. It's online for free somewhere.

Also look around in Community Buzz for some of the Chicago restaurants we locals have gathered at. I really liked the Vietnamese DO from a few weeks ago.

If you visit any of the above good recomendations, you should be able to save money, earn miles or both.

Goose Island and Angelina's certificates are on restaurant,com and El Jardin and Byrons are part of Rewards Network. I believe Yoshi's offers something also.

If you are looking for a hole-in-the-wall unique to Chicago, visit Al's Italian Beef.

Lastly, Luck's gets alot of hype because it was featured on "Man vs Food", but this place is far from my favorite.

Trip is not for several weeks. I do appreciate anyone taking the time to respond. I am super excited and have my notes ready to go.

Eeeeeh, no. Chicago's got so much excellent Mexican food, but for the love of god don't eat in a Wrigleyville frat boy place.

If you want to get some good Mexican food, look for a local hole-in-the-wall taco place that has lots of Mexicans eating in it. Most Chicago neighborhoods have a bunch of them. And be sure to drink an horchata while you're there.

Also, you could take the Pink Line to 18th St or Damen and get amazing, cheap Mexican food down there. I'm a big fan of Los Comales on 18th just east of Ashland.

In general, the better restaurants are not in the Loop or River North (there are some good places, but very touristy and generally expensive) or Lincoln Park/Lakeview (very gentrified neighborhoods with disappointingly bland food catering to drunk ex-frat boys & sorority girls who grew up in Ohio). Chicago has many outstanding ethnic restaurants, but they're mostly in neighborhoods with lots of immigrants and relatively low real-estate costs.

Some of my favorite places, in no particular order:

El Tinaj�n (Guatemalan):
http://www.yelp.com/biz/el-tinajon-chicago

Los Comales (Mexican, already mentioned):
http://www.yelp.com/biz/taqueria-los-comales-3-chicago

Ann Sather (absolutely massive, ginormous, Swedish-themed breakfast place - they have one in Lakeview and one in Andersonville, both are institutions):
http://www.yelp.com/biz/ann-sather-chicago

Phoenix (Chinese, best for dim sum, but their dinner offerings are decent, too):
http://www.yelp.com/biz/phoenix-restaurant-chicago

Edit: Just saw chgoeditor sort of seconded my Lakeview/Wrigleyville opinion (albeit in much more diplomatic language.) But his/her excellent rec of Angelina's reminded me of another Italian place I quite like:

Anna Maria:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/anna-maria-pasteria-chicago

I'm a Wrigley Field season ticket holder and I was having trouble thinking of places I'd recommend. I just thought of Anna Maria Pastaria and noticed it had been posted.

In addition to breakfast, Ann Sather is also a good place for lunch - very hearty "home cooked" type (no longer open for dinner). If the op is going to a day game, breakfast or lunch would be a good choice. And the cinnamon rolls are a must. If any place in the area is "old school," Ann Sather is it!

I'm also going to post their actual website, because the yelp site posted above indicates a location that is NOT convenient to Wrigley Field. Either the Belmont or Broadway locations is an easy walk from the ballpark.

http://www.annsather.com/

travelchannel.com

I understand there's an App as well, but believe you have to pay for that.

Chicago is an awesome place. Just don't go in the winer

EmailKid

Conversely, ask for the "Thai Menu", which won't be offered, and has a lot of more authentic dishes that aren't tuned for Western palates. The "Thai Menu" is in English.


Agreed on all counts. I love Nuevo Leon in that neighborhood...I think it's on 16th and Ashland. Like eating in a Mexican family's house. You can almost see grandma cooking in the kitchen.