Residents Recommend Chicago’s Hot Spots

Orthopaedic residents are busy folk. But at some time during their 5-year program, the graduating seniors in the department of orthopaedic surgery at Chicago’s Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine managed to get out and about, exploring the city. For the young and young-at-heart attending this year’s AAOS Annual Meeting, they put together this list of “don’t miss” sights.

Museum of Science and Industry Interior
Credit: ©Adam Alexander Photography\Choose Chicago

Museums
Chicago has plenty of world-class, family-friendly museums, including the following favorites:

The Field Museum
www.fieldmuseum.org
Located just down the road from McCormick Place, at 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr., this natural and cultural history museum is open daily, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., and is home to Sue, the world’s largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex. Current exhibits include “Titans of the Ice Age 3-D” and a collection of Maria Pinto fashions.

The Art Institute
www.artic.edu
Most famous for its world-class collection of Impressionist art, the Art Institute is open daily, 10:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. More than 250 of Pablo Picasso’s painting, drawings, and sculptures will be on display as part of the “Picasso and Chicago” exhibition.

The Museum of Science and Industry
www.msichicago.org
One of the largest science museums in the world, with plenty of educational exhibits for children, the MSI is home to more than 35,000 artifacts and nearly 14 acres of hands-on exhibits designed to spark scientific inquiry and creativity. It’s located south of McCormick Place, at 57th Street and Lake Shore Drive, and is open daily, 9:30 a.m.–4:30p.m.

Blues & Jazz
Chicago is famous for its blues heritage. For a true Blues experience, consider visiting the following classic blues and jazz joints; if you visit, you’ll know why they’ve lasted so long.

Buddy Guy’s Legends
www.buddyguy.com
At 700 S. Wabash Ave, you can enjoy live blues performances 7 nights a week.

Kingston Mines
www.kingstonmines.com
This northside (2548 N. Halsted) club is has been serving up the blues since 1968.

The Green Mill
www.greenmilljazz.com
It’s a bit farther out (4802 N. Broadway), but the music and the atmosphere make the trip well worth it.

Burgers & Dogs
Almost every big city seems to have its share of burger joints and hot dog styles. Chicago just happens to have the best! Here are three to try:

Kuma’s Corner
www.kumascorner.com
This is the place for a great, perhaps even legendary, burger. The burgers are as edgy as the music (heavy metal often blasts through the speakers). With menu items such as the Mastadon and Iron Maiden, the ingredients and portions will rock your face off (2900 W. Belmont Ave).

Wiener’s Circle
www.wienercircle.net
Look no farther for a classic Chicago dog, but don’t ask for the chocolate shake (2622 N. Clark St).

Hot Doug’s
www.hotdougs.com
For interesting dogs, check out this self-proclaimed “sausage superstore and encased meat emporium” at 3324 N. California Ave.

Pizza
Chicago is famous for its deep dish pizza and has plenty of great options. Ask 10 Chicagoans where they get their favorite deep dish pizza, and you may be surprised at how many answers you get. Some of our favorites are Giordano’s (multiple locations; www.giordanos.com), Gino’s East (three Loop locations, including the original at 162 E. Superior; www.ginoseast.com), and Lou Malnati’s (multiple locations; www.loumalnatis.com).

If you’re more interested in thin crust (and some pretty decent micro-brewed beer), check out Piece Brewery & Pizzeria (www.piecechicago.com) in Wicker Park (1927 W. North Ave).

Nightlife
There is plenty to do in Chicago after dark. Although the city sports many trendy spots, the Pump Room (www.pumproom.com/; 1301 N. State St) remains a “classy locale” that appeals to most crowds.

Studio Paris (59 W. Hubbard St; www.parisclubchicago.com) is also a great spot where the “music is roaring” and celebrities are often spotted.

If you’re interested in what’s new and buzz-worthy, Zagat just named Untitled (www.untitledchicago.com; 111 W. Kinzie St) among the top 10 openings of 2012. Go for live jazz, prohibition-era cocktails, and the world’s largest whiskey library.

Wine Bars
If you’re in the mood for wine, check out Bin 36 or City Winery.

Bin 36
www.bin36.com
339 N. Dearborn St. Bin 36 has excellent flight selections and does a great job educating guests about specific pairings.

City Winery
www.citywinery.com/chicago
1200 W. Randolph St. This spin-off of the New York City restaurant and bar also happens to be an operational winery and a music venue in its own right.

Cool Spots
Big Star
www.bigstarchicago.com
For great tacos, cold beer, and an all-around fun scene, check out Big Star in Wicker Park (1531 N. Damen Ave). It gets crowded fast, but the food is cheap and tasty, and they play old country records. Hard to ask for much more—but they do have an excellent whiskey selection.

The Publican
www.thepublicanrestaurant.com
If you’re more interested in European fare (and interesting brews), check out the Publican (837 W. Fulton Market). It has an eclectic menu inspired by simple farmhouse fare served in a space evocative of a
European beer hall.

Hopleaf Bar
www.hopleaf.com
If you’re adventurous and willing to travel to the Andersonville neighborhood (5148 N. Clark St), this place has an incredible beer list and top-notch American fare. It’s a hike, but worth it!

Brewpubs
Chicago has a lot of great breweries popping up (as most large cities seem to these days). Among the most notable spots are Goose Island (www.gooseisland.com; 1800 N. Clybourn), Revolution (2323 N. Milwaukee Ave; www.revbrew.com), and Half Acre (4257 N. Lincoln Ave; www.halfacrebeer.com).

Comedy
Live comedy doesn’t get much better than Second City (www.secondcity.com; 1616 N. Wells). It’s a great place to see potential up-and-comers, as many stars of “Saturday Night Live” and other comedies found their start here, including John Belushi, Bill Murray, and Tina Fey.

City sights
Wrigley Field & Wrigleyille
Wrigley Field is one of the great American baseball fields. It still sits right in the middle of a youthful, thriving neighborhood. The baseball season doesn’t start until March 31, but tours are available. And the area surrounding the park is home to numerous bars and restaurants; the sheer density of bars in this neighborhood makes barhopping easy.

Chicago Architecture Foundation
If you are at all interested in learning more about the city itself, consider taking a tour with the Chicago Architecture Foundation (www.architecture.org). Although the river cruises don’t start until April, building, area, and self-guided audio tours (in several languages) are available.

For more information on things to see and do in Chicago, see the Annual Meeting Social Program, available at www.aaos.org/tours

2013 Annual Meeting News
Tuesday through Friday, February 19 – 23, 2013.
http://www.aaos.org/news/acadnews/2013/AAOS10_3_19.asp