Alex and I visited Chicago for the first time a few weeks back and I instantly fell in love with the city. Spirits were *high* — we were visiting the Midwest for a wedding in the region and decided to begin with a 48 hour jaunt to the windy city. I’m so glad we did! I only wish we had another day or two to fully immerse in the liveliness of summer in Chicago, but we crossed off so many sights and provisions in just under two days. This was our first real vacation in over a year, just the two of us, so we made it count.

We stayed in the West Loop neighborhood which presented itself as a foodie mecca. The district is home to the famed Girl and the Goat restaurant by acclaimed Chef Stephanie Izard, a collection of vibey rooftop bars and restaurants, and situated about a fifteen minute walk to the Chicago Riverwalk.

We checked into The Hoxton Chicago, a boutique hotel concept by London’s The Hoxton hotel brand, and the property was the perfect homebase. The design was right in our wheelhouse — a mix of mid century modern style furnishings, floor to ceiling windows, modern bathrooms and amenities, and bathed in a soft color palette of taupe, greens, pinks alongside rich leather details. In addition to a rooftop pool with sweeping skyline views and a fireplace with comfy couches and seating on the ground level, the hotel is home to three restaurant concepts with bars including a hidden underground speakeasy.

On the first night we dined at the hotel’s rooftop restaurant, Cabra, a Peruvian concept by Stephanie Izard, and it was a pure delight! The dishes were light yet rich and utterly surprising. We loved the Solterito, a grilled summer squash salad with corn, strawberries, green mango, cucumber, olives and topped with an herby chimmi and fried cheese.

Other eateries on our West Loop bucket list were Au Cheval where we had possibly one of the best cheeseburgers we’ve ever tried, rooftop drinks at Aba (I sipped on a spicy aloe Mezcal margarita!), and a long, late, heavenly dinner at Girl and the Goat. Not only was every dish that came out of the kitchen incredibly inventive, they all tasted SO delicious. Every dish is meant to be shared (my favorite) and we tried a few different courses. We opted for the Blueberry Pickled Pepper Corn Bread, Ora King Salmon Poke with strawberries, avocado and asparagus, Sauteed Green Beans with fish sauce vinaigrette and cashews, and Kalbi Short Ribs with grilled okra relish and corn. Everything was a 10/10, though the most surprising pairing was the salmon and strawberries — the berries added just the right amount of sweetness and just really worked with the salmon. And I’m not kidding when I say the honey butter with the corn bread was the silkiest consistency and I scraped the jar clean. Girl and the Goat was a rare treat and we cannot wait to return one day!

Of course, we took to seeing the sights and started our first morning with coffee and breakfast sandwiches we picked up from the Time Out Market Chicago and strolled the the Chicago Riverwalk. The skyscrapers alongside the river are more than just tall buildings, each one has unique architectural details reflective of design trends throughout the 1900s — from Art Deco to Postmodern and even Gothic. We took an architectural boat tour with Wendella Tours & Cruises and it was a fabulous way to spend an hour and a half taking in the city’s history of its past and architecture and design tycoons, and experience Chicago from the water. A real feast for the eyes!

Millennium Park at the edge of the city and waterfront is a lovely sanctuary from the city noise. We stopped at Cloud Gate, otherwise known at The Bean, for the iconic Chicago photo opp, and walked through the Lurie Garden, a five-acre botanical garden with gorgeous wildflowers. The colors caught me off guard — the garden was a vibrant patchwork of orange, pink, purple, and white with the city backdrop in the distance, all too reminiscent of Central Park in New York. It was absolutely breathtaking!

Chicago deep dish pizza was a must-do on our list so we tried out Lou Malnati’s in River North, and it lived up to its reputation — so yummy! Also on the North side of the Chicago River was Tanta, a Peruvian rooftop hideaway where we had craft cocktails and ceviche at happy hour — a perfect end to an afternoon of sightseeing.

Anytime Alex and I visit a new city we wonder if it’s a place where we could eventually put down roots. I definitely see the appeal of living in Chicago, the lively energy and young hustle is contagious. We had a blast and hope to visit again in the future — highly recommend for a quick city getaway!