BLOWN AWAY
Chicago – known as the Windy City – gives ROBERT DALLING so much more than a memorable day off
SIPPING on a margarita and slowing down to marvel over the understated beauty of one of Chicago’s oldest areas, I couldn’t help but summon the wise words of one of the Windy City’s most famous fictional characters.
As movie icon Ferris Bueller sagely observed: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
I was happily wandering around the streets of Pilsen, a proud Latino area with a heritage that carries a vibrant, unmistakable energy. You can find Hispanic culture on every street corner, with my attention torn between sensational murals and the smell of the Mexican tamales, which lured me into Fiesta Tamaleria El Barrio.
I was desperate to see if the taste matched up to the smell, as informative tour guide Ian showed me into the restaurant where I was challenged to put down my margarita and make a tamale of my own – a spicy filling covered in corn dough and steamed in a corn husk.
I was soon allowed to put my own sorry creation to one side and handed one freshly prepared by the experts. It lasted seconds.
Three miles away from downtown Chicago, the neighbourhood’s cultural tapestry became increasingly Mexican in the late 1960s.
Pilsen was ranked one of the world’s 12 coolest neighbourhoods by Forbes magazine. It’s an accolade I could not argue with when admiring the stunning mural by Aurelio Diaz’s Galeria del Barrio. Well, it was that, or the mouthwatering churros at authentic bakery Panaderia Nuevo Leon, which may have sealed the deal.
LAP OF LUXURY
My home for the week in Chicago – America’s third-largest city after New York and Los Angeles – was The Peninsula.
This five-star hotel, with 339 rooms, has offered traditional Asian service since 2001, inspired by the group’s flagship property in Hong Kong.
Located along East Superior Street, just off the North Michigan Avenue, aka the Magnificent Mile, it retains plenty of that cultural influence, including stone engraved lions, which flank the entrance.
I was led to my Grand Premier King Room by a staff member who gave me a guided tour of all it had to offer. The tour was needed – it was huge, measuring 542sq ft.
The first thing that struck me was the panoramic view of the “mile” from my window.
The second was its extra-large double bed, so comfortable I could feel my body sinking into the mattress.
Many things in the room are controlled by a tablet, meaning you can alter the lighting and room temperature, choose a channel on your 55in TV or request an item to be brought to your room at the touch of a button. Even a simple bath felt like an event. How often do you get to soak in a sunken tub, while watching a built-in TV in front of you?
There’s a fitness centre with Techno gym equipment on the 20th floor, too, as well as swimming pool.
Finally, I made my way for a drink at the hotel’s luxurious Z Bar via an elevator that played music to set the scene. The doors opened and revealed breathtaking rooftop terrace views, and I was soon taking pictures of the Windy City with my camera in one hand, and raising a cocktail with the other.
Downstairs is The Lobby, serving up a contemporary American breakfast menu including incredible stuffed French toast.
European-style restaurant Pierrot Gourmet is next door, serving up the delicious “PG breakfast”’ – a choice of bacon, chicken sausage or ham with eggs, potatoes and toast.
OUT AND ABOUT
The location of the hotel is as good as it gets: a right turn away from that Magnificent Mile. I constantly craned my neck admiring sights like the historic Water Tower, the neo
Gothic Tribune Tower and the Wrigley Building. Being within walking distance of the Riverwalk on the south bank of the Chicago River was really something – it’s a 1.25-mile trail from Lake Michigan to Lake Street.
But the most memorable way I witnessed the city’s skyline was aboard Chicago’s First Lady via Chicago Architecture Center’s River Cruise, while learning plenty about the different architectural styles.
I also tried out The Skydeck, located at Willis Tower, formerly Sears Tower. At 103 floors up, the view is pretty special – on a clear day, you can see four states, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan.
I then willed myself to step out on to The Ledge – glass boxes extending 4.3ft out from the building. It’s a great photo opportunity and is included in the CityPass (citypass. com/chicago around £110), which is a cost-effective way to explore five major attractions.
RAISE A GLASS TO THE CITY
I had to visit one of Chicago’s newest additions – the Guinness Open Gate Brewery which opened last year in a repurposed 1910 rail depot.
It was described to me as a “small but mighty” operation compared to what you’ll see in Dublin. But it has unique features, like the first Guinness bakery and a 10,000lb harp sculpture that “floats” over the bar.
Chicago has it all. As Ferris also said: “The question isn’t, ‘What are we going to do?’ The question is, ‘What aren’t we going to do?’”