There have been a few different reasons that have brought me to Chicago in the past (American Girl Store, Lacrosse Tournament, Work Conference) but this time, it was the Golden Girls Pop Up Kitchen and it was certainly a must see for me!
The Golden Girls Pop Up Kitchen is making a big splash in 4 U.S. cities this year and I was thrilled that my daughter, Anna, was willing to join me on a mother/daughter adventure to Chicago for 24 hours to share the Golden Girls experience with me. (bucketlisters.com/experience/golden-girls-kitchen-chi).
I bought our tickets 2 months in advance (They have been selling very quickly since it has become a destination event for the 4 cities hosting the re-creation of the Golden Girls set, themes, food, and ambiance).
When you purchase your tickets online, you have the choice to be at the bar (Rusty Anchor), have a meal (which you preorder) in one of the house set locations of the restaurant’s choosing. We were on the lanai which was staged on the rooftop. The meal was actually very generous in portion size (and they do offer GF and vegan options). Our food was yummy and had we been hungrier, we could have eaten a lot more but it was just too much food at 2:15 in the afternoon. The meal also comes with 3 cheesecake flavors to pick from as well as 2 other dessert options.
After we ate, we took our time wandering the various rooms that had been designed for photo ops and the nostalgic feeling of being on the real set. The kitchen, family room, and Blanche’s bedroom were all there to enjoy.
Our allotted time was 90 minutes and we used every bit of it. The staff was very friendly and one merchadice staff member in particular made sure to get extra photos of my daughter and me and sincerely made an effort to make sure we were having a great time. If you are remotely a Golden Girls fan (who isn’t!?!), I highly recommend this limited time opportunity – It truly was a unique and special event! If you cannot make it to Chicago, I believe they have opened a location in San Francisco already and Miami is on the list as well to host.
The location of the pop up kitchen is in Bucktown which is about 3 miles from the Magnificent Mile Shopping District where our hotel, Fairfield Inn & Suites Downtown, was (www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/chifd-fairfield-inn-and-suites-chicago-downtown-magnificent-mile).
Sidenote: Every hospitality staff member we asked about transportation preferences suggested taking an Uber or Lyft to and from the venue (cheaper rates than a taxi). However, between the 2 of us, neither of our Uber apps was working (or at least no drivers were working in the areas) so we wound up using a taxi app that Anna downloaded (www.gocurb.com/cities/chicago) and it was easy and quick to use. Both fares to and from our hotel and pop up kitchen were around $13.50 for the 3+ miles each way. It was well worth it since the other apps kept saying no drivers or cars were available. Both of us felt safe and the taxis arrived quickly.
I also highly recommend our hotel, Fairfield Inn & Suites Downtown. It was a lovely, clean hotel with a friendly and accommodating staff (I was so grateful they accommodated our early arrival and one hour later than check out departure). I would stay there again in a heartbeat. The perk of staying Downtown near the Magnificent Mile is location, location, location. You are within walking distance of the Riverwalk (www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/chicagoriverwalk), Navy Pier(navypier.org), and countless restaurants and shopping.
Our favorite meal was from Burritio Beach, (www.burritobeach.com). We both thought the ingredients were fresh, flavorable and very affordable. In fact, nothing felt like price gouging at the restaurants and bakery that we frequented twice! (Finding affordable delicious food when traveling is always a bonus!) Since vegan and gluten free are necessities for Anna, we had plenty of options all within a few blocks of our hotel. Even the bakery offered over-the-top-good vegan and GF sweets, which perpetuated our desire to keep going back! (sweetmandybs.com).
Our main reason for going to Chicago was the Golden Girls Pop Up Kitchen, so we left the rest of the trip open to walking to certain points of interest especially since our weather was picture perfect. We walked to the Navy Pier and had a great time people watching and enjoying the iconic Chicago landmark. Free salsa dance lessons for the public were even going on that evening. We thought about taking a skyline or architectural tour boat ride (which we have done before) but we were windng down for the night.
The next morning, (after researching walkability) we decided to walk the 2 miles to Lincoln Park via Lakefront Trail (www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks-facilities/lakefront-trail) which was a fabulous scenic way to start the day. Once in the park, we headed to the zoo, which is free (www.lpzoo.org). It has a nice variety of animals (and we were fortunate to see the lion cubs romping around up close and personal). The zoo is compact so it is easy to see everything relatively quickly (and the gardens at the zoo are lush and provide a lot of shade).
We walked back along the same route. Our kind concierge thought it was too far to walk but said it was definitely safe – which it was – we felt very safe walking there (and walking around the night before to the Navy Pier). Besides the Golden Girls event, the morning excursion walking along the beachfront of Lake Michigan, through Lincoln Park and the zoo, and along the Magnificent Mile was the highlight of our trip. We loved it and would enthusiastically suggest doing that for a terrific way to experience Chicago’s beautiful scenery.
Had we stayed another night, we definitely would have taken a boat ride as well as walked along the Riverwalk, and possibly made our way to Grant Park. Chicago has many things to do Downtown and offers much of it for free. Anna and I agree that Chicago is incredibly welcoming and a fun, vibrant city. I know we will partake in its Midwestern charms again, even after the Golden Girls have already packed up and moved on – Chicago simply has a golden place in our hearts.
Thoughtful Travels 