Restaurant Tours – Friday April 23

Chicago is home to an amazing array of restaurants, sure to satisfy any palate and appetite! On Friday, April 23, members of the Local Arrangements Committee will be your guides to a variety of eateries, all within walking distance of the hotel. Sign-up sheets will be posted near the registration area and groups will meet in the hotel lobby at 5:45 p.m. that evening. Please join us!

Kamehachi
240 East Ontario Street
This Streeterville outpost of the local mini-chain offers something for everyone with a menu of sushi and maki, plus ample cooked selections like noodles and teriyaki. The airy space features blonde woods, shoji screens, bubbling fountains, bamboo tables, a sushi bar and a cut-glass wall to separate the bar from the dining room.
Host: Andrea Bainbridge (Andrea.bainbridge@ama-assn.org)

Sayat Nova
157 East Ohio Street
For more than twenty-five years, Sayat Nova has been serving up Middle Eastern food in its somewhat kitschy quarters just off Michigan Avenue. Combination platters let diners try a few mouthfuls of several dishes, and there’s always a big basket of pita on every table. Partially enclosed round booths add an air of mystery and/or romance.
Host: Peggy Glowacki (peggyg@uic.edu)

Gino’s East Pizza
162 East Superior Street
Legend has it two cab drivers were frustrated with rush hour traffic, so they decided to ditch the taxis, partner up with a pal, and go into the pizza business. The original Gino’s opened in 1966; the chain now has multiple locations in the city and suburbs. The draw here is the gut-busting deep-dish pizza; each pie is loaded with heady amounts of cheese and chunky tomato sauce and baked to order (plan ahead, the pies take 30-45 minutes). Bestsellers include the sausage (patty or crumbled) or the “supreme” with sausage or pepperoni, onions, mushrooms and green peppers. For those who can’t deal with the inevitable deep-dish food coma, thin crust pies, stromboli, pasta and sandwiches also make the menu.
Host: Benn Joseph (bennjoseph@gmail.com)

Dao Thai
230 East Ohio Street
Dao’s spacious dining room has Thai platform-style seating, requiring many diners to hop into a recessed hollow around each table. Once there you’ll peruse a huge menu offering large portions of traditional Thai cuisine at comfortable prices. Beef and chicken curries, shrimp and chicken dishes, soups, noodle bowls and salads are all offered. Want something a little more adventurous? Ask your server to recommend a favorite dish.
Host: Frank Villella (villellaf@cso.org)

Billy Goat Tavern
430 North Michigan Avenue
Wheaton comedian John Belushi brought the Billy Goat national fame when he portrayed a frenzied Greek cook on “Saturday Night Live” in the mid-’70s. But the Billy Goat, located out of the light of day on murky Lower Michigan Avenue, had long been a local legend, since original owner William Sianis was forbidden by Chicago Cubs management to bring his house goat into Wrigley Field during a 1945 World Series game. Insulted, Sianis’ curse that the Cubs would never again win a championship has held true. The Billy Goat also is known for its collection of newspapermen who wandered in after the dailies were put to bed. Eminent Chicago writers such as David Condon, Mike Royko, Irv Kupcinet, Bill Granger and Roger Ebert are honored both with blown-up bylines plastered behind one length of the L-shaped bar and on the “Wall of Fame” of pictures and articles on the other side of the room. The Billy Goat reeks with local color; pictures, news clippings and trivia including numerous tributes to William Sianis after his passing, a “Wise Guys Corner” of Chicago crooks and a decree from the Chicago Police Department.
Host: Glenn Longacre (glenn.longacre@nara.gov)

Restaurant descriptions courtesy of Metromix Chicago.

 

for those who enjoy coffee (or tea)

Piggybacking on an earlier post about wi-fi (see below), I’d just like to mention that Argo Tea, which is right across the street from the hotel, is a Chicago-based institution with several locations throughout the area.  All their teas are natural, and their coffees are organic, fair-trade, and shade grown.  Read all about it here.

But that’s not the only local option if you’re tired of Starbuck’s.  Two other top options are Intelligentsia and Metropolis.  Intelligentsia has 3 locations (Loop, Millenium Park, and Lakeview–none of them all that close by, but all in interesting neighborhoods).  Metropolis only has 1 location, in Edgewater.  You can’t beat Argo Tea if you just need to grab a coffee in between sessions, but the other two are definitely worth the trip if you have the time!

–Benn

 

Cheezborger! Cheezborger! Anyone?

The Billy Goat Tavern, a famous Chicago eatery, is on the list of restaurant tours scheduled for Friday evening. MAC participants can sign up near the registration desk. The group will meet in the hotel lobby at 5:45 PM to make the short walk over to the original Billy Goat Tavern located on the lower level at 430 N. Michigan Avenue near the Tribune Tower and Wrigley Building. The Billy Goat Tavern was made famous by the 1970s Saturday Night Live skit with John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd.

To some, however, the Tavern is infamous in Chicago sport’s lore. Original owner, Greek immigrant, William “Billy Goat” Sianis, placed a curse on the Chicago Cubs when they refused him and his pet goat entrance to Game 4 of the 1945 World Series at Wrigley Field. As any Cubs fan can lament, the curse lives on. Much to the delight of south side White Sox fans!

The Billy Goat Tavern web site offers interesting photos, history, and a menu at: http://www.billygoattavern.com/home.html.

But, please remember: No fries, cheeps! No Pepsi, Coke!

 

Restaurants near the MAC hotel

Restaurants abound in Chicago. Here’s a place to start when looking for a place to eat near the MAC hotel.

View Larger Map

 

Finding really cheap (read: free) accommodations

For those of you on an extremely tight budget, the price of a room at the Doubletree Hotel Chicago might be a little out of your price range. If, perhaps, a night at a Motel 6 is even too expensive for you, you might be writing off a trip to MAC’s annual meeting as merely a pipe dream. Don’t give up too soon, though.

NewArchivist.com, a blog aimed at those who are new to the profession, as well as students, has a list of potential hosts for people looking for a free place to stay when they attend professional meetings. Crash Space for Archivists (http://newarchivist.com/crash-space/) provides the host’s name, e-mail address, city of residence and preference for the types of people he or she is willing to put up for a night or two. A link that takes readers to a Google spreadsheet gives readers even more pertinent information, such as the host’s proximity to public transportation and more specifics on the type of lodging (smoking or no smoking, existence of pets, etc.). It also has a sign-up form for people who would be willing to host out-of-towners for a night or two.

So, whether you need a place to stay or want to let readers know there’s a place to stay in the Chicago area, check it out!

–Kevlin Haire

 

Roommate Matchup for MAC Chicago

We have started a thread on the MAC website forum pages for finding roommates.

If you are going to MAC and are seeking a roommate to share the cost of hotel accomodations, then check out the forum.

 

Strolling Around Chicago: For the Kids

Consider broadening your conference experience into a weekend getaway for the family!

Chicago has child-friendly museums, two great zoos, world-class parks, Navy Pier’s attractions (including a Ferris wheel), and lots of shops catering to what kids like. Kids’ favorite eats are practically cultural icons here, from hot dogs to pizza, Cracker Jack to ice cream sundaes (invented in Evanston).

Before your trip, children can explore the Windy City by checking out the Chicago For Kids Explore Chicago Downloadable Tour presented by the Chicago Office of Tourism. Click the Virtual Visits link for neat and quirky facts about the city.

Find up-to-date events designed for families visiting Chicago on the Office of Tourism site.

If you require childcare while you are attending sessions and workshops please contact the conference hotel. The DoubleTree Hotel partners with American Child Care, Inc. for guests’ childcare services. Contact American Child Care by phone at 312-644-7300 or online at: http://www.americanchildcare.com/ (There is a four-hour minimum.)

 

Internet options

The DoubleTree hotel offers in-room Internet for $9.95/night, and free Wi-Fi for guests in the lobby areas.  But if you’re bringing a laptop and want to get out for a bit, try these cafes in the area to hang out and work or surf:

Argo Tea Cafe

Northwestern’s Prentice Women’s Hospital
250 E Superior St
(312) 212-8144

or

819 N Rush St.
(312) 951-5302
www.argotea.com

 

Chicago History Tours

The Chicago History Museum offers tours throughout the year by foot, bus, and “L” train. There are also History Pub Crawls. Many will be available in April.

Click here for more information on these tours and to purchase tickets.

 

Chicago Architecture Tours

Chicago has some amazing architecture that can be explored through a variety of tours.

The Chicago Architecture Foundation offers many tours by boat, foot and bus.

While it might be a little cold in April, boat tours are a great way to see the city’s architecture, either on the Chicago River or Lake Michigan. Several companies offer these tours and they will be available in April.

Some options:
Chicago Line Cruises
Shoreline Sightseeing Cruises

These companies are just a few of the options and are not endorsed by the LAC. A Google search for Chicago architecture tours will result in more options.