After we saw Hamilton, I knew I wanted to check out a bar or possibly two. It was difficult finding one within walking distance, but I had a couple ideas in case one did not work out. We walked into the LondonHouse and found an incredibly long line we were not at all interested in waiting in. So we walked on to Rebar at the Trump Hotel.
Say what you will about our President, but Rebar was a delightful experience, and I am glad we went there. A DJ was pumping awesome music, there was a dance floor I wish I would have spent just a little time on (but we walked seven miles between Saturday night and Sunday morning – my feet were tired), and our table was facing the River. I mean it wasn’t a rooftop bar, but the views were pretty stellar.
The drinks were tasty too. Dad and I split the Vogue Italia which came with the opportunity to take a Polaroid I will forever cherish, and Mom had the Purple Rain which was a little too floral for her, but pretty and still tasty.
We continued the walk back to the Peninsula a little after midnight and headed up to the Z Bar, one of Chicago’s hottest new rooftop bars … except the rooftop bar wasn’t open since it was after midnight. This really bummed me out since one of the things I definitely wanted to do in Chicago was experience a rooftop bar, but we grabbed some drinks and took them back to our room. I do wish they would let people know only the interior is open late.
In our room, the sofa bed had not been made up as I told four different people was necessary. So at one in the morning, they came to set it up. This was one of a few issues that also included several miscommunications with the concierge that are not indicative of a five diamond hotel and made me feel rather uneasy about my time there.
In the hotel’s defense when I called upon our return home, they did refund all incidentals and offer an upgrade on a future stay, which I will seriously consider in the event I head back to Chicago. I appreciated my concerns being taken seriously.
In the room, I settled into bed with my drink and turned on The Spy Who Dumped Me, an in-theater movie right in the comfort of the room. I even snagged a little sleep before getting up bright and early (6:15 – no time to waste!) and heading to the Pierre Gourmet café downstairs at the hotel for some coffee, berries, and pastries to go (which were insanely good!). I really loved the café and actually wish I would have eaten breakfast there. It was a beautiful morning in the Windy City!
With a walk back across the River, we picked up some Do-Rite Donuts (not as big of a hit as the pastries), and then caught our very first Uber EVER to Duseks’ for breakfast. I carefully considered all of Chicago’s Michelin starred restaurants and settled on Dusek’s for the availability of breakfast and the menu.
While some of the food was very good, I do not understand how this restaurant has a Michelin star. It is a nothing special, hole in the wall restaurant, where the waiter repeatedly made excuses about mistakes because it was early. If it is too early, do not open for brunch. Though it was not necessary in the mostly empty restaurant, they also claimed not to have my reservation despite the fact that I made it online and confirmed it not once, but twice.
The steak and eggs Dad ordered were a hit, and I can see why with those fluffy scrambled eggs. I also really enjoyed my French omelet. However, I asked for it without goat cheese, and the waiter said that wasn’t a good idea. I asked for light goat cheese, and I would have hated to see how much would have been inside had I not. I scraped out the goat cheese and definitely think the gorgeous, fluffy omelet without a hint of brown would have been better without it. The customer is always right! The salad and tomato salsa on top were excellent. I also ordered an almond milk cappuccino. When I was presented with it, I was told almond milk doesn’t froth. This is an excuse, and one I did not expect from a Michelin star restaurant. I have had some super frothy almond milk cappuccinos. Maybe Marais or Stella Good Coffee could give them lessons.
Mom ordered the juicy Lucy well done. Ah, well done can always be an issue with meat, but when a place has a Michelin star this should not be the case, right? Not so much. It was medium at best. The waiter had a new one fired, the only problem with that being Mom had to sit there with only fries to eat pretty much the entire time Dad and I ate.
Speaking of those fries, when the burger reappeared it was presented with a salad instead of the fries. The waiter brought more fries after another wait. The fries, cooked in beef fat, were nothing other than delicious, thick cut, fluffy on the inside, packed with flavor. But I would not return and look forward to the day when I can try another Michelin restaurant. Again, in the defense of the restaurant, they did take the burger off the bill.
We Ubered back to the hotel, packed up, and headed out. I wish I would have had more time to do some of the things I so wanted to: rooftop bar, great cup, okay cups, of coffee, aquarium, museums, Navy Pier, but time was short and some things didn’t quite work out.
It was a good trip, a trip I liked better when I got home, caught up on sleep, and had the chance to process the experience. I might go back to Chicago, I’d rather go back to Toronto. But none of that matters. I did this. I loved it. I wish I was still there. And two months ago, those are things I NEVER thought I would say. Let’s hope 2018 has some more (good) surprises in store.
This post makes you sound like an entitled brat. Actually, most of your “review” posts do. It’s not a good look.
Ordinarily, I’d spam a comment like yours and move on. But since both my trips to Toronto and Chicago were such huge steps for me after 20 years of anxiety and avoidance, the vast majority of my lifetime, I want to let you know there is nothing you can do to change that I overcame my fears. I traveled. You cannot take that away from me. You cannot bring me down. I try to offer honest reviews of my personal experience. If you do not like my blog or me, feel free to stop reading.
It’s lovely that you’re managing to overcome your anxiety and your fears. As someone with Generalized Anxiety DIsorder, I truly know how big of a step this is that you’re taking. However, one should remember that no disorder is ever an excuse for poor attitude, rudeness and entitlement. I don’t know you in person, so I can’t say you are all those things, but you certainly make it sound like it the way you wrote about your experiences in Chicago. Can you acknowledge that the people who serve you at hotels and restaurants are, well, people? People who work hard to try to make ends meet and deserve to be treated with respect? “The customer is always right” can be a mean mantra to live by, especially if you’ve never had any working experience as any type of server before. Maybe you should reflect on that.
Vivian, I appreciate your comment and the careful way in which you have crafted it. I often see things more black and white than most people. Perhaps that is something I need to continue working on. If I offended anyone I do apologize. I understand it is difficult to work in the service industry for a variety of reasons including frequently low wages. My words about the customer being right were specifically about the omelet with goat cheese, which I still think should have been prepared to my liking. I enjoy getting to know all kinds of people and often post rave reviews of places. I was frustrated with the hotel not so much for the bed not being made as for the fear it instilled in me that things had not been wiped off and cleaned as I requested during several phone conversations with the hotel during which time I explained why I needed these things to be done. I panicked and no one wants to panic on their vacation. After speaking with the hotel, it is possible, even likely I will return. As far as the restaurant, I didn’t have a good experience. We have all been there. I would not return, but someone else might have a completely different experience. That’s what makes life interesting … and complicated. I try to post honest reviews here and tell people what I would want to be told. I did not want to just say everything was amazing when that was not my experience, though perhaps I came off to harsh and somethings were lost in translation from my mind to the page. I hope this clarifies things.
I think this is a good response. One other thing to consider is your position of privilege. It is indeed great that you are overcoming anxieties and mental issues. However, it might also help to reflect on how absolutely lucky you are to be able to afford hotels and restaurants and other experiences that allow you to take steps to overcome these things. Many people are struggling and suffering with similar issues, but they might never be able to afford five-star hotels, bars, and restaurants. In fact, I dare say that most of your readers will never be able to go the places you talk about for money reasons (myself included).
So, it would help to acknowledge how fortunate you are to be able to even request some of the things you do. I can’t imagine requesting specific cleaning instructions or being so picky about a restaurant because the places I can afford to go don’t provide service like that. That might be where a lot of readers are coming from.
Hi Reba! I am sorry it has taken me so long to respond. I wanted to take a step back from all the negativity and criticism. It’s funny that so many people thought I was mean but they felt it was okay to be mean to me and try to bring me specifically down. I did not call out any specific person and tried to mention both positive things with the not so positive.
I am lucky, and that is something I have to remind myself of regularly. Everyone has problems and things in my life are not always sunshine and butterflies. That said I know there are many things others worry about on a daily basis that have never and will never be on my plate and that gives me pause.
That said, I would like to think if any hotel from a Holiday Inn to the Peninsula was politely asked to make accommodations, they would do their best. All rooms are cleaned in between guests so for example asking remotes, light switches, and door handles to be wiped may not be a hardship for any place. As far as restaurants, I am game for trying anything with great food, but again I think polite requests are okay. When I go to Five Guys and ask for my burger on lettuce and fries without salt, I do hope that’s what I get.
Anyway, thanks for your insightful comment, Reba! 🙂
If you had more realistic expectations and didn’t demand to be treated like royalty, you’d have much better experiences and be treated well. If every worker in the place is rolling their eyes at you, you’re being far too demanding. What they must be saying about you in the kitchen!!!
I actually take pride in speaking to people from managers to housekeeping. I learn names. I smile. And say hi. And ask for recommendations about places to visit. When you spend hours researching and making calls and speaking to people, carefully describing your requests and why you want them, I don’t think it is too much to ask for my requests to be met. And they are not demands, they are requests. That is why I make calls and talk to people one on one. I did not book the hotel online, but over the phone. When I had questions I requested the agent I had previously spoke with by name. And why is it exactly you think they were gossiping about me in the kitchen? Because my mom requested her burger well done and it was rare?
There is nothing wrong with having your expectations met after careful and polite requests which is what I am sure you did. And if you have a rating for your food and service, one would expect you would live up to that standard. If you say everything is fine when it is not, that is how restaurants go out of business. You certainly did the right thing. I am so glad your overall experience in Chicago was worth it.
Thanks for you comment, Debbie! It’s nice that you can see where I am coming from. I definitely did not mean to hurt anyone’s feelings but I also did not want to post things that aren’t representative of my experience.
So…I also have an anxiety disorder but I don’t go around acting as if everyone on the planet is here to cater to my very specific needs. I’m sorry, I’ve traveled extensively and I have never once had the hotel staff make up the pull out couch bed for me. Is this a thing? Are you unable to do it yourself? Maybe it’s because I can’t afford to stay in 5 star hotels and I don’t expect my parents to pay for my trips. And about the almond milk, it actually doesn’t froth very well. Any almond milk lattes you’ve had with froth most likely contained an additive.
You seem like you can be a nice person, but this blog post makes you sound like a huge brat. You went on a free trip to Chicago, got to see Hamilton, and ate at delightful restaurants. Only a person who is unaware of this extreme privelage would find such crazy things to complain about. You really need to break out of your bubble, get a job, and go live on your own.
Betsy, I haven’t traveled extensively and I probably never will. My parents did not pay for my trip; we went together as the family unit we are. As far as the bed was concerned, I genuinely believed all hotels would make them up. At the very least you would need to notify them that you need sheets, pillows, blankets, etc. I have also seen frothy almond milk lattes made and they do not contain additives. I am sorry if I offended you.
Just FYI, Michelin star does not always equal fancy. One of my favorite restaurants in Brooklyn has a Michelin star and it is a fairly casual pizza place!
Hey Amanda! I wasn’t suggesting that I didn’t like the restaurant because it wasn’t fancy. To me a Michelin star means great food, service, and ambiance, not necessarily white table cloths and high prices. I actually chose Dusek’s because it wasn’t a three hour, 12 course tasting menu for $180. I can appreciate good food of all natures. In fact one of my most memorable restaurants was at a place in Detroit where I had to salads from locally grown vegetables. The food was exceptional and the staff was friendly, welcoming, and somehow anticipated all of our needs.
The people criticizing you are most likely just jealous that they can’t afford to travel like this. I read both of your posts about Chicago, and they were very balanced. It is completely reasonable to expect to be catered to at a five diamond hotel, that is one of the main things you are paying for. Don’t let the criticism get to you. 🙂
Lara – You can’t imagine how much your comment means to me. I have to admit the criticism was getting to me, even though I really believe in what I said. Thank you for the encouragement, it’s a tough world out there and to know there are people like you makes it a little better.