Destination: Gurnee Mills
THE SHOPS
More than 100 retailers–from the Abercrombie & Fitch Outlet T-shirt emporium to Zumiez, the skate and snow boarder’s paradise, plus a Kohl’s, Sears Grand, Value City and Circuit City–make Gurnee Mills overwhelming. Sort of.
Before cruising to this shop-a-thon at 6170 W. Grand Ave. in Gurnee (847-263-7500), be savvy! Be methodical! Be prepared! Go to www.gurneemills.com. Get a list of the stores. Print out a mall directory/map. Mark the stores you need to hit. Leave wanderlust at home. Doors open at 5 a.m. Friday.
NON-SHOPPER APPEAL
The Gurnee Mills complex includes movie theaters (Marcus Cinema, www.marcustheatres.com; 847-855-9940), an ice skating rink (Rink Sports, www.rink-side.com; 847-856-1064) plus an aquarium, life-size stuffed critters and more beef jerky makers than you can shake a smoky stick at (Bass Pro Shops’ Outdoor World, www.basspro.com; 847-856-1229.).
Also, seating areas are located throughout the mall–some are equipped with Mall TV, others with shiatsu chairs (3 minutes for $1). Good for sore feet and bored companions armed with sudoku puzzles or a book.
NEARBY ALTERNATIVES
Many chain retailers (Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Target, Old Navy, etc.) and chain restaurants (White Castle, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Panera Bread, Red Lobster, etc.) are located east and west of the interstate along Grand Avenue.
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And for even more outlet shopping, there’s Prime Outlets-Pleasant Prairie, roughly 10 miles north of Grand Avenue on Interstate 94 in Pleasant Prairie, Wis. (www.primeoutlets.com; 262-857-2101).
QUICK BITES
In addition to the mall’s options, there’s Avalon Family Restaurant (4821 Grand Ave., Gurnee; 847-244-0777), which serves up easy-to-swallow prices on family fare, from pancakes and omelets to Athenian chicken and burgers. Open 24 hours a few miles east of the mall.
Tucked away in a strip mall a few blocks from the mega-mall bustle is Hayashi Japanese Restaurant (6641 Grand Ave., Gurnee; 847-856-0270). It’s tranquility. It’s sushi. It’s a bento box and beer.
And should you be looking for Chinese and Japanese fare under one roof–say, Mongolian beef and katsu (vegetarian dishes)–there’s Yao Yao Restaurant (5572 Grand Ave., Gurnee; 847-662-5597).
PHIL VETTEL’S TAKE
Pack a lunch. The in-mall dining options are pretty lame, consisting mostly of food-court staples (though at least there’s an Al’s Beef). Full-service options include the Rainforest Cafe, but I’ve never enjoyed the food there, and the theatrics give me a headache. Best of the bunch is Ruby Tuesday, which has respectable burgers (three dozen of them, including the triple-decker Ultimate Colossal Burger, which packs enough calories for a family of four) and, remarkably, a whole page of health-conscious plates.
COCKTAILS
You can sip a brew while the kids enjoy the wackiness at the Rainforest Cafe (847-855-7800) or take a serious shopping break with Ruby Tuesday’s (847-662-0756) Megarita, a 32-ounce version of the tequila drink.
SANTA
The bearded one listens to kiddie wishes in a red-and-silver Santa set up outside Bed Bath & Beyond.
PARKING
This lot is beyond huge. One veteran shopper parks at one end of the mall, then moves her car to the other end of the mall midway through the shopping process. Tip: Park your car near the last place you plan to shop.
— Judy Hevrdejs
Destination: Michigan Avenue
THE SHOPS
The Mag Mile is a shopper’s paradise, with everything from big department stores to boutiques: Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Virgin, Apple, Gap, Nike, Ferragamo, Banana Republic, Crate & Barrel. Really, it’s all here–and so are the crowds. The street is anchored by several malls: Water Tower Place at 835 N. Michigan Ave. (Marshall Field’s, Lord & Taylor) and 900 N. Michigan Ave. (Bloomingdale’s) on the north end, Westfield North Bridge at 520 N. Michigan Ave. (Nordstrom) on the south.
There’s a reason you see so many red bags on the Avenue: Little girls do love American Girl Place (111 E. Chicago Ave.; 312-943-9400). Oh, by the way, Garrett’s Popcorn (at 670 N. Michigan) is good, but it’s not worth the two-hour wait! Cab it to the 2 W. Jackson St. location.
NON-SHOPPER APPEAL
The lighted street during the holidays is just stunning, as is the view from the 96th floor lounge of the John Hancock Center.
NEARBY ALTERNATIVES
The Rush/State/Oak Street area is its own shopping/dining destination. It just seems more fun to poke around Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie here than in any mall. And throw in quirky spots like Mr. Kite’s Gold Coast Confectionery (1153 N. State St.; 312-664-7270) and Oak Street’s upscale shopping? We’re sold.
Navy Pier is a summer destination, but it can be fun during the winter too. It lights up for the season Nov. 26 and hosts a winter festival (decorations, games, ice rink, etc.) beginning Dec. 9. Look for the free shuttle along Grand Avenue and Illinois Street.
QUICK BITES
Our favorite food court is on the top floor of The Shops at North Bridge (520 N. Michigan Ave.)–good “fast casual” from Potbelly Sandwich Works to Tuscany Cafe to Mezza Grilled Wraps & Pitas. (And we love the salads at Nordstrom’s Cafe.)
As you walk down the Avenue, look right and left for the best quick options. East: Corner Bakery on Erie, Burrito Beach on Ohio, Joey Buona’s (slices to go) on Superior. West: Grand Lux Cafe on Ohio, Jimmy John’s on Grand.
PHIL VETTEL’S TAKE
If time and budget aren’t considerations, I’d invest three hours and $300 at Spiaggia (980 N. Michigan Ave., 312-280-2750), the Mag Mile’s four-star restaurant. More realistically, I’d grab a window table and a grilled-lamb sandwich at Bandera (535 N. Michigan Ave., 312-644-3524) or eat quickly, cheaply and well at foodlife (Water Tower Place, 835 N. Michigan Ave., 312-335-3663). You can also venture a block east to my favorite budget Italian, Coco Pazzo Cafe (636 N. St. Clair St., 312-664-2777).
COCKTAILS
The Omni Chicago Hotel (676 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-944-6664) has a bar where you can peer down on the shopping masses. And the lounge at the InterContinental Chicago (505 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-944-4100) has good snack mix, comfy couches and chairs, and, sometimes, a pianist.
SANTA
Westfield North Bridge has two versions: The real one in Nordstrom (call 312-464-1515, ext. 1690 for times) and a LEGO version at the LEGO store (3rd level).
PARKING
No bargains here. Several malls have discounted parking, but you will still pay big bucks. Search for lots a block or two east and west of Michigan. And driving on Michigan Avenue? Nothing says happy holidays like gridlock.
— Linda Bergstrom
Destination: State Street
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THE SHOPS
This old-fashioned Great Street still draws holiday crowds for one big reason: windows. It’s “Sparkle, Shimmer, Shine” this year at Carson Pirie Scott & Co. (1 S. State St.; 312-641-7000) and “Cinderella” at Marshall Field’s (111 N. State St.; 312-781-1000), where dining under the Walnut Room’s tree is also a holiday tradition.
Other stores to catch: Old Navy, H&M, Sears, Filene’s Basement, TJ Maxx and the Barnes & Noble in the DePaul University Center.
Head a block east to Wabash Avenue to check out Jewelers Row, a string of jewelry malls between Washington and Madison Streets where you can shop for some impressive baubles.
NON-SHOPPER APPEAL
In a word, architecture, from the Louis Sullivan designs of Carson Pirie Scott & Co. to Daniel Burnham’s Reliance Building (now the Hotel Burnham at 1 W. Washington St.) to the Monadnock Building (53 W. Jackson Blvd.).
NEARBY ALTERNATIVES
Daley Plaza (Washington and Dearborn Streets) really gets into the spirit, with its Holiday Tree (the official lighting is Friday) and Christkindlmarket, a German-flavored holiday bazaar that opens Thursday.
The Art Institute of Chicago (111 S. Michigan Ave.; 312-443-3600) not only has a truly world-class art collection but its gift shop sells lots of treasures too.
Get a wintertime view of the city like no other gliding around the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink in Millennium Park.
Palmer House Hilton (17 E. Monroe St.; 312-726-7500) is the very definition of venerable: elegant, staid, a little too old-fashioned. But the lobby never fails to impress, especially during the holidays, with its two-story, bejeweled tree.
QUICK BITES
The south end at Jackson near the DePaul University Center has the largest concentration of quick, good options: Cosi, Jimmy John’s, Chipotle, Potbelly Sandwich Works. The center is a good respite, with a Barnes & Noble Cafe, Sbarro and My Thai, and most of all, quiet. Other quick options: the basement of Field’s and Corner Bakery at Wabash Avenue and Monroe Street.
PHIL VETTEL’S TAKE
For a sense of history, grab some German food or a carved-meat sandwich at The Berghoff (17 W. Adams St., 312-427-3170), or dig into ribs while gawking at the vintage photos at Miller’s Pub (134 S. Wabash Ave., 312-263-4988). The original Heaven on Seven (111 N. Wabash Ave., 7th floor, 312-263-6443) is tops for imaginative Cajun/Creole and great French toast, and for homey charm and great-tasting food, you can’t beat Atwood Cafe (Hotel Burnham, 1 W. Washington St., 312-368-1900).
COCKTAILS
Petterino’s (Goodman Theatre Building, 150 N. Dearborn St., 312-422-0150) has a big, lively bar scene, and you can grab a bite to eat. Encore (171 W. Randolph St., 312-338-3788) is a real lounge, with cushy chairs, a fun cocktail menu and a kitchen that stays open late. And Trader Vic’s (312-917-7317) in the Palmer House, if you need a tropical vacation from the holidays.
SANTA
He’s got a home on Daley Plaza. Visit him there, beginning Thursday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
PARKING
This is the most public transit-friendly location you can get. Nearly all the CTA lines are within a block or two.
But if you must drive, try the Grant Park North Garage (enter northbound on Michigan at Randolph, southbound at Monroe), which has an early-bird rate, even on weekends (in before 9 a.m. and out by 9 p.m.: $14); or Grant Park South Garage (enter on Michigan at Adams or Jackson).
— Linda Bergstrom