Okay, so we girlfriends love a good restaurant!

In Chicago, you won’t be disappointed! There are enough tourists and residents to keep the great restaurants in business and new ones opening to always have a wonderful selection of eateries. While in Chicago this weekend, here are our dining findings:

THE WEBER GRILL – I just love this vibrant, busy home of home-grilled dining. They serve breakfast (a buffet) as well as lunch, dinner and late night. We split the “Black and Blue Burger.” (Yes, I know it is supposed to be “bleu” but their menu doesn’t get hung up on perfect spelling, but saves their perfection for the food!) The burger is Black Angus beef and is dang tasty. The fries were plentiful and arrived hot. The bleu cheese (or blue!) was plentiful but not overpowering. It’s a great burger – I’d recommend it! My glass of the Hope Estate Cabernet Sauvignon was $8.75. (Note – if you’re unsure of what wine to order, ask your server or bartender. They’ve turned us on to really great wines several times.)

Guess what? The Weber Grill restaurant actually

has some HUGE Weber Grills that they tastefully prepare great burgers and lots of other tasty meals on. (In fact, the wait staff is training on grilling techniques and can take your grilling questions.) I believe they take reservations. In addition to tables inside and out (weather permitting), If you’re there with a friend or two, you can also eat at the bar or overlooking the grilling area. We ended the meal with a generous slice of warm apple pie, with streusel topping, and a scoop of cinnamon ice cream on the side. YUMMY! (You can find Weber Grill restaurants in Indianapolis, and three in greater Chicago.)

P.J. CLARKE’S - “Lettuce Entertain You” is a restaurant group in Chicago that includes Big Bowl, … We’d never been to a P.J. Clarke’s but decided to try it (plus it was in the same building as the Embassy Suites so was very convenient. The menu was very tempting but, not wanting a huge meal, we split the chop salad and had a side of the sweet potato fries. The salad had pes

to marinated chicken chunks which were very flavorful and moist. The lettuce was crisp and the dressing was ‘just right’ – smooth, slightly smoky and not overpowering. The pricing was pretty reasonable too

BANDERA - We took our wedding party to Bandera almost 13 years ago and little has changed there since that perfect meal. (Where girlfriend Patty declared that it was the very best ‘wedding chicken’ she’d ever had!) Bandera is very popular with tourists and regulars because of it’s a great location (Michigan Avenue, second level) and awesome food. Their signature dish is a rotisserie chicken. Our tradition is to share this for lunch, replacing the rice with broccoli mashed potatoes. The lunch pricing is $13.95ish (didn’t write it down and can’t find it online!) – it’s gone up in price since that fun day in 1996 when we took 30 of our friends there for dinner! Their house salad is a great accompaniment – creamy dressing with avocado, cornbread crouton

If you go early enough, you might be able to get a table by the window overlooking Michigan Avenue. If they’re busy, you can wait on a table or possibly sit at the bar. I’ve done that when I’m in town on business by myself and always felt safe and had some great people watching.

CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN - Another great chain (that we unfortunately don’t have in/near Cincinnati OH), CPK is home to a host of creative pizzas like Thai Chicken and Pear & Gorgonzola. We stopped in the Water Tower Place location (7^th Level) for a light snack. I chose the Tortilla Spring Roll-up appetizer which was perfect. Of the three filling options, I selected the Baja Chicken and Thai Chicken. The fillings are wrapped in a tortilla then baked/broiled. It is served with dipping sauces. There was a little bit of a spicy bite but not overwhelming at all – it was great. I would recommend this if you’re not starving. If you are, their pizzas and other dishes are generously served and trustworthy in being very tasty.

BLOGHER CHICAGO RESTAURANTS – If you’re coming to BlogHer this summer and want to sneak away for a meal, I’d recommend these restaurants as well as the Grand Lux on Michigan Avenue. P.J. Clarkes would be the closest, with Bandera and Weber Grill definitely in walking distance. If you want to have a fun evening, stop by the Lucky Strikes bowling alley on Illinois Avenue right across the block from the Sheraton. This ‘bowling alley’ is a hip hangout with a wine bar and pool tables. It’s a great late night venue and perfect for some hilarious memories with your favorite gal pals.

Any other favorite girlfriend hang-outs in Chicago – or your favorite destination? Please share!

Related article: Girlfriend review: Chicago Hotels and Transportation.

Tags: Cabernet Sauvignon, California Pizza Kitchen, Chicago, Chicago restaurants, Chicago review, Michigan Avenue, P.J. Clarke

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