New Year's in Chicago..

So we kicked off 2008 attending a wedding in Chicago. It was one of John’s friends from his Georgetown days.. yep, he spent a year in Georgetown before heading to Stanford.. What was great to see is that even though these friends don’t keep in contact often, the bond amongst them all is still very strong and they are all so similar… think five JK’s together..

We got there on a Friday, after spending way too long in airports due to snow… and headed straight for a friend’s reunion at Charlie Trotter’s restaurant.. a long cry from the days of meeting up in the local coffee shops at school..

Charlie Trotter’s restaurant is considered to be one of the finest restaurants in the world.. and is recognized by a variety of accolades.. but I do believe over the last 20 year’s it has been taken over by better, finer restaurants in the world.. We went for the Grand tasting menu (tasting menus are all you can actually get at Trotters) together with a wine pairing..

Perhaps my palette is no longer “fine”, but for $700 for the two of us, I have eaten better at Michelin starred restaurants in France and the UK. Of the seven course meal, the venison was the best.. none of us thought that the wines were well pared.. my personal view is rather wait and head to the Bordeaux region - St Emillion to be exact and spend a night at this hotel and book yourself the dinner (tasting menu and wine pairing). (http://www.hostellerie-plaisance.com/uk/). Probably the best meal I have had ever…

Well enough about the food, Chicago looks great in the snow.. It’s the second time I have visited Chicago (the last in 2001), and between the trips, Frank Gehry has now made his mark on the city.. (more to follow on my visits to frank Gehry buildings).. It was wonderful being in proper winter weather again.. the seasons don’t really change in San Diego, so I enjoyed the boots, long coat, and French beret style hat (subsequently lost in Chicago).



















Another new addition in Chicago is the Bean or properly known as Cloud Gate in the Millennium Park. “Cloud Gate is British artist Anish Kapoor's first public outdoor work installed in the United States. The 110-ton elliptical sculpture is forged of a seamless series of highly polished stainless steel plates, which reflect the city's famous skyline and the clouds above. Inspired by liquid mercury, the sculpture is among the largest of its kind in the world, measuring 66-feet long by 33-feet high.” We spent a lot of time, taking many photos with our reflection on the Bean.. this is a pretty cool sight and well worth a visit if you are in the town.. Let’s face it the chances of you bumping into Oprah are close to zero, and I would recommend this as the next best alternative.

We also went to one of the best steak restaurants in Chicago.. Gibson’s Bar and Steakhouse.. well worth a visit if you are in the area.. but go hungry.. skip lunch that day..