City Recs Dump

The following recommendations were put together by my friends/coworkers/myself, with LOCAL input and/or THOROUGH research.

Chicago

Rooftops and Patios:

·         I|O Godfrey – River North; drinks, apps

·         Tanta – River North; drinks, apps

·         Parlor Pizza – West Loop or Wicker park; dinner or brunch (best bloody mary bar)

·         Big Star – Wicker Park; tacos and margs

·         Federales – West Loop

Food:

·         Mercadito – River North; Mexican/tacos and great drinks

·         Yuza Sushi – Wicker Park

·         Mindy’s Hot Chocolate – Wicker Park; amazing hot chocolate and desserts

·         Bar Siena – West Loop; dinner or brunch

·         Bombobar – West Loop; the best chocolate gelato

·         Velvet Taco – Gold Coast; tacos (great for quick lunch or open late night)

·         Untitled – River North; dinner, whiskey bar, speakeasy, dj and dance floor

·         Fig and Olive – Gold Coast; dinner, amazing cocktails

·         Violet Hour – Wicker Park; Speakeasy

·         Maple and Ash – Gold Coast; dinner

·         De Cero – West Loop; Tacos and Margs

·         Pump Room – Gold Coast; dinner

·         Doughnut Vault

·         Stan’s Donuts

·         Nutella Café – Loop

·         Quartino – Gold Coast; dinner, Italian shared plates

·         Summer House – Lincoln Park; dinner or brunch

·         Café Ba Ba Reeba – Lincoln Park; dinner, Spanish tapas, awesome sangria

·         Beatrix – River North; brunch

·         Arbella – River North; drinks

·         The Bedford – Wicker Park; dinner, drinks, speakeasy

·         Lou Malnati's for local pizza

·         Portillo's for local comfort food

Dallas

Perry’s (Steakhouse)

Nick & Sam’s (Steakhouse)

Truluck’s (Steakhouse, however focus here is seafood)

HG Supply Co. (American food, HG stands for Hunt & Gatherer, one of the few roof tops in Dallas)

Taco Deli (Tacos obviously - only open for lunch, and in my opinion it’s the best taco spot in the city) 
Meso Maya (Mexican – known as the ‘most authentic’ in the area)

Mr. Mesero (Mexican)

Cane Rosso (Pizza – featured on the Food Network show)

Twisted Root (Burgers – featured on Food Network show)

Maple & Motor (Burgers)

Pecan Lodge (BBQ - featured on Food Network show)

18^th & Vine (BBQ)


Miami

Cuban Food

Garcia's - Really good Cuban seafood place recommended by my buddy who is Cuban

Sergio's - Authentic Cuban food in Coral Gables – This will be a 10 minute uber ride from downtown.

Havana 1957 - Located in Bricknell

Peruvian

Ceviche 105 - This place has the best ceviche in Miami and I eat here at least once a month (highly recommend for lunch)

Brazil Steak House

Steak Brasil - (For lunch they have a $25 all you can eat).

Greek

Stoupsy's of Athens– Really good gyros and Greek salads – Lunch spot only

Italian

Ristorante Fratelli Milano - Very good Italian food that is decently priced in Miami

Il Gabbiano - Bad ass Italian restaurant on the water in downtown across the street from the office. (however it is pretty expensive – high end).

Other Options

The River - Happy hour it is half off oysters. Food here is really good as well.

Bonding - Sushi and Thai (Really good Pad Thai) – Always order delivery from here but the food is amazing.

Mistero - Had Salad and Pizza here and it was very good (in the Mary Brickell village area)

***MUST TRY***

El Carajo - tapas restaurant INSIDE of a gas station - (do not let looks deceive you!); exceptional + cheap wine supply

Paris

Eats:

The Soufflé Restaurant

Eiffel Tower restaurant inside

Higuma Ramen off Italien blvd has kimchi Ramen

Holybelly brunch

L'Avant Comptoir (french)

L'as Du Fallafel (middle eastern)

Chez Janou

Les Deux Magots - Cafe

Café de Flore - Cafe

Berthillon (ice cream)

Laduree restaurant off Champs Elysees for macarons and desserts

Ellsworth - modern

Le Petit Vendome

Au Trappiste

Angelina - Dessert

Joel Robuchon Etoile

Things:
Sandeman Tour
Eiffel Tower/Trocadero
Cooking class
Macaroons class
Moulin Rouge Show
Le Jardin du Luxembourg

Musee d’ Orsay  

Palais Royale

Musee de l’ Orangerie
Centre Pompidou
Walk around Le Marais
Sacre Coeur
Day trip to Versailles

London

Things:

Buckingham Palace

London Eye

Tower of London

Take a boat on Thames River

Fortnum and Mason (British tea /scones)

Visit Piccadilly Circus (eat and shop)

Spitalfield market

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Eats:

Dishoom (indian)

Mala (indian)

The Goat (fish and chips)

Hawksmoor Knightsbridge (steak/seafood)

Aqua Shard (modern)

Fortnum & Mason (tea)

Itinerary

Breakfast: The Black Penny (Coffeeshop/brunch place near Convent Garden)

Free Tour: Sandeman London - 2.5hr

Afternoon Tea: Charlie Chocolate 

Dinner: SKETCH (Glade)

Cocktails: Seymour’s Parlour

Breakfast: Ivy Kensington Brasserie

Lunch: Caravan Bankside

Afternoon Tea: The Shard

Dinner: Duck & Waffle

Dessert: ROKA Aldwych

Amsterdam

Amsterdam letters

●   I amsterdam is the city's and its residents' collective catch phrase.

Neighbourhood markets in Amsterdam

●      Albert Cuypmarket in De Pijp (Mon - Sat)

●      Lindengracht market in the Jordaan (Saturdays)

●      Waterlooplein flea market (Mon – Sat).

●      ●      De Hallen Amsterdam

○      Food, film, fashion, crafts and architecture converge at this cultural centre in a converted industrial building in trendy Amsterdam Oud-West.

○     Food Hallen

Travelling by ferry in Amsterdam

●      Amsterdam’s ferries provide essential, free connections across the River IJ

The Jordaan

●      possibly the most famous neighbourhood in the Netherlands.

Anne Frank House

Museumplein

●      the cultural beating heart of Amsterdam

●      Rijksmuseum

●      Van Gogh Museum

●      Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art

Amsterdam Central Station

●      Amsterdam Centraal is the largest railway station of Amsterdam

●      NDSM Wharf

Canal cruising

●      ●      On the water in Amsterdam

Kalverstraat

●      The Kalverstraat is a busy shopping street of Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands

De Negen Straatjes or ‘The Nine Streets’

●      quaint warren of cobbled streets that connect the main canals between Leidsegracht and Raadhuisstraat

Souvenirs

●      Amsterdam brands at the Local Goods Store in De Hallen or the I amsterdam Store in Central Station

Oostelijke Eilanden (Eastern Docklands)

●    De Gooyer Windmill

Brouwerij 't IJ (the IJ Brewery)

○      an award winning artisan microbrewery with a large outdoor drinking terrace and 30-minute guided tasting tours.

Westergasfabriek

●   home to a variety of tempting bars, restaurants, coffee roasters, a microbrewery, arthouse cinema, and a whole host of creative businesses.

The Flower Strip or 'Bollenstreek'

●    one of the most popular and unique sights in the Netherlands. Every spring the entire region bursts into vivid colour as bulbs shoot and millions of flowers blossom.

Vondelpark

●      The 47 acre park is the largest; housing an outdoor theatre with live concerts in summer, three bars and restaurants and a range of other attractions.

Other parks

●      Westerpark

●      Sarphatipark in De Pijp

●      Rembrandtpark in the West – home to the oldest petting zoo in the city. 

De Pijp

●      Bustling mix of culture, cuisine and cafés

●      Lose yourself for hours in Amsterdam’s lively Latin Quarter

De Plantage

●      Cultural garden with an elegant touch

Oosterpark

●      Hip places, green spaces and diverse faces

EYE Filmmuseum

●      EYE is already one of Amsterdam’s modern icons. Situated on the northern bank of the River IJ, just opposite Central Station, this cinema, film museum, café/restaurant and cutting-edge event location is a standout location.

Breakfast

●      Gartine (10AM -6PM)

●      Omelegg (7AM - 4PM)

●      The Lobby Nesplein (7AM -11PM)

●      The Pancake Bakery (9Am -930PM)

●      Pannenkoekenhuis Upstairs (12PM-6PM)

●      De Vier Pilaren (9AM - 8PM)

●      Pancakes Amsterdam (9AM - 6PM)

Snacks

●      Van Stapele Koekmakerij (10AM-6PM)

○      COOKIES

●      Lanskroon Banketbakkerij (8AM -530PM)

○      STROOPWAFFEL

●      Banketbakkerij van der Linde (11AM - 6PM)

○      Whipped Cream cone!

●      Melly’s Cookie Bar (9AM -6PM)

○      Alfajores

 Cafes

●      C.T - Coffee And Coconuts  (8AM -11PM)

●      Winkel 43 (8AM - 1AM)

○      APPELTAART

Copenhagen

Words to know:

*tak = thanks in danish! Everyone speaks english

*24 hour subway system

*home of hans christian andersen & legos

*do not jaywalk

*hygge = coziness (pronounced hooga) 

*happiest place on earth apparently

*minimal tipping - restaurants include service charge usually

*dkk = danish krone (crown)

*tivoli gardens - world’s second oldest amusement park

Restaurants:

Vakst: modern Nordic foods

Host: contemporary Nordic cuisine $$$

Restaurant Soren K: danish food

Restaurant Kanalen: waterfront views, french-danish cuisine

Copenhagen street food: waterside marketplace full of food stalls with danish-inspired twist

Royal smushi cafe: sushi + smorrebrod

Aaman’s - smorrebrod store

Drinks:

Mikkeller

Lidkoeb

Coffee:

Atelier September

Kaffebaren

Coffee Collective

Cafe det vide hus

Dessert:

Rajissimo - dipped chocolate waffles

Ismageriet - ice cream

Osterberg - ice cream

OLUFs IS - ice pops

Things to do:

Copenhagen Opera House

Royal Danish Theatre

Nyhavn harbor - famous waterway

National museum of denmark (free)

Rosenborg castle - king’s garden

Rundetaarn (famous spiral tower - may be touristy - but best views of copenhagen apparently)

Free tower: tarnet - views of copenhagen

Borsen - 17th century former stock exchange

Amelienborg: former queen/kings residence

Design Museum of Denmark

Marmorkirken - church

Christiania - freetown autonomous neighborhood (hippietown) 

Shopping:

Torverhallerne

Stroget & Kongens Nytorv

Castles:

Frederiksborg Castle (1.5 train or 30 min drive)

Rosen Castle (crown jewels)

Special danish foods to try!

Flæskesteg, or roast pork with crackling skin

Pølse - danish hot dog (found on stands throughout the city)

Smørrebrød - openfaced sandwich (danes prefer rye bread)