So, I just got back from another trip to Chicago, which, of course, means another round of non-stop eating! Really anytime I travel back to the US, I have a list of foods I want to have while there, but with Chicago, the list is always much longer than usual. Maybe it’s the city’s infamous specialties, the wide variety of cultural influences you can find, or the nostalgia-factor, but whatever the reason, to me, Chicago is a foodie’s dream destination! In fact, anytime someone asks me for recommendations when visiting Chicago, I always include a list of specific foods to try, and for this month’s post, I’m going to share my list for anyone else who plans to visit my favorite US city. Warning: this might make you hungry.
Chicago Deep-Dish Pizza
One of the first things that comes to mind when you think of Chicago has to be the pizza. Specifically, the deep-dish pizza. It is undoubtedly something everyone has to try at least once in their life – it’s like pizza on steroids! It’s baked in a pan to give it that two to three inches of thick buttery crust layered with everything you love about pizza: mounds of cheese, chunky tomato sauce, and all the traditional topping options. There is definitely a reason this style of pizza is world famous. And fortunately, thanks globalization (and shipping companies around the world), you don’t necessarily have to be in Chicago to sample the majesty that is Chicago deep-dish. Many of the larger chains will ship these one-of-a-kind, ridiculously heavy pies directly to your door. But which chain should you go with? Oof, that conversation is bound to start an argument with any Chicagoan.
Chicago Thin-Crust Pizza
Another common Chicago argument is deep-dish versus thin-crust pizza. Although Chicago deep-dish pizza clearly enjoys more notoriety, most locals usually prefer thin-crust (me included). There’s just something about a super thin, crispy crust, loaded down with toppings, and always cut into squares (something I once thought universal) that just hits the spot. And if you’re thinking “hey, I’ve had ‘thin-crust’ pizza before at *insert national chain here*”, think again because Chicago thin-crust is fundamentally different and 100% worth trying if you’re ever in the city. Trust me.
Chicago Hotdogs
Another Chicago staple is the Chicago dog. Traditionally an all-beef hotdog “dragged through the garden” with mustard, sweet pickle relish, onions, tomatoes, pickles, and sport peppers all atop a steamed, poppyseed bun. I’m honestly not a huge hotdog fan in general, but the quality and uniqueness of Chicago dogs makes them so much better than what you typically get at a baseball game or backyard BBQ. Just like with Chicago pizza, there are very strong opinions on who makes the best dogs and what can/can’t or should/shouldn’t go on them. Unfortunately, I always add ketchup to mine, which is decidedly very un-Chicagoan. Please, don’t judge me!
Italian Beefs
Alongside pizza and hotdogs, an Italian beef sandwich is another must-have whenever you find yourself in the Windy City. Thinly sliced, seasoned and simmered beef served on squishy bread dipped (or double dipped) in the au jus and topped with giardiniera (a sort of pickled relish), sweet peppers, and/or cheese – it’s an amazing sandwich to be sure. I pretty much always order both a hotdog and a beef because I just cannot decide which I prefer! This is absolutely why I cannot afford to live in the Midwest ever again – my pants would never fit!
Polish Food
Another thing everyone should try (especially if/when in Chicago) is Polish food. I’m a bit biased here, but I think Polish food is one of the best cuisines in the world, and if you can’t make it to Poland, Chicago is your next best bet for some truly delicious and authentic Polish eats. Kielbasa, kabanosy, pierogi, bigos, gołąbki, placki ziemniaczane, żurek, rosół, and so much more can be found all over Chicago. If you pick the right place, you’ll absolutely feel like you’ve been transported to another country, and you won’t soon forget the homey, delicious dishes that have had a huge cultural influence on Chicago’s food scene.
Bakeries
In addition to all the amazing Chicago-specific restaurants and dishes you can try, I always recommend going to a local bakery as well. With all the immigrant groups that have continued to flow into Chicago throughout its history, the city has been blessed with some of the most amazing breads, pastries, and desserts in the US. Salt sticks are a favorite of mine; my mom loves Italian butter cookies; and my dad always goes straight for the decadent, dark chocolate desserts found at all the Polish bakeries. Unlike your basic grocery store bakery, a lot of these specialties have to be ordered in advance and sometimes only on certain days, so do some homework, get up early, and get the good stuff!
Delis
Similar to its incredible bakeries, Chicago’s delis are another thing you have to check out while in the city. Whether you want to get some cured sausages, delicatessen lunchmeat, or a sandwich the size of your head, a deli should be on your list. They have such an old-school, bustling community vibe (yes, even in the suburbs), and the prices are almost as amazing as the quality. Jewish delis in particular are so worth the trip because it’s really an experience as well as an incredible meal – just be sure you know what you want before you step up to order, like a lot of major cities, locals can be a bit impatient with the out-of-towners!
Chicago Mix Popcorn
Another famous Chicago treat that is making itself known even outside the city, is Chicago mix popcorn. A mix of sweet, buttery caramel popcorn and salty, tangy cheese popcorn seems like a strange combination, but somehow it works amazingly well and is super addicting. One of the most famous brands of Chicago mix is Garrett’s, which has been around since the 1940s and is marketed as “gourmet popcorn” (so you know it has to be good). But you probably don’t have to find a Garrett’s to get the good stuff anymore – most grocery stores nationwide sell a version of the “mix” in the chip aisle.
Fannie May Chocolates
And finally, a little dessert…another thing I absolutely always make time for when in Chicago is a trip to Fannie May. A confectionary founded in 1902, Fannie May has a plethora of chocolates and candies that are so unique, I travel thousands of miles to buy and transport them so my friends living abroad can also experience their exquisiteness. If I had to recommend just one thing to try from Fannie May, it would have to be the Mint Meltaways (even the most anti-mint people usually enjoy these perfectly balanced, creamy bites of chocolate). I literally have to ration them after a trip to Chicago! But even if mint isn’t your thing, they have a wide-variety of other truffles, caramels, and any other chocolate-dipped creation you can possibly imagine.
There you have it: my must-have list when it comes to Chicago eats. In my somewhat biased opinion, Chicago is a such great city to visit for a huge number of reasons, but if you’re a food-driven traveler (like I am), it absolutely has to be on your bucket list. So, I suggest you start planning your trip to the Windy city now, and just be sure to bring your stretchy pants with you!
This was an obvious choice for this particular list because we only spent about 23 hours in the country. It was our first foray into long-layover travel, and we definitely fumbled our way through it. It wasn’t too difficult to get from the airport to the city center (and back again), but as we set off with absolutely no plan, it was mostly just a long walk around the beautiful canals. Amsterdam is a great walking city though, so even with our random ambling, we were able to take in the numerous and iconic bridges, bicycles, and fry-stands. We also explored the infamous Red Light District and (from a distance) the I AMsterdam sign, which is sadly no longer there.
Next on our “must return to” list is Finland, which might not have been an obvious choice seeing as we spent almost three weeks there, but at the time we 1) had very little money to spend, 2) were exhausted from finishing up our undergrad degrees, and 3) had just gotten married, which as anyone who has planned a wedding can attest, left us feeling a bit burnt out. Typically when we travel now, we avoid suitcases, and we move around a lot, but as this was our first trip sans car, we failed miserably at both packing lightly and at utilizing public transportation. We also weren’t able to afford train passes or much of anything at that time; in fact, our flights and accommodations were wrangled together with the help of some of our wedding gifts and useful family connections. Regardless of what now seems like a trip very far removed from our usual preferences, at the time, it was magical.
Technically we’ve been to the Bahamas a few times now, but does it really count if it’s on a cruise? I mean, don’t get me wrong, cruises are fun and economical, but they definitely keep you in a bit of a bubble. For this reason, I would love to go back to the Bahamas, without the big boat. I think it would be amazing to fly into Nassau and explore New Providence Island a little more slowly and a lot more thoroughly. There are several forts I want to see on the island, not to mention the art galleries, lighthouses, and, of course, the beaches (especially the ones on the far side of the island). At some point, Tucker and I want to get our diving certification so we can explore the depths too, or if we don’t have time for that, then I want to do one of those bubble helmet dives instead!
Germany, unfortunately, represents another set of rookie moves on our part. We spent a year living just a few hours over the border in central Poland, yet we failed to A) make it to Oktoberfest and B) visit Bavaria, the most quintessential of all the German regions. While I do sorely regret not making time for southern Germany, we did really enjoy our time in Berlin and Potsdam, looking at the incredible architecture, sampling the infamous brews, and picnicking in numerous parks. It was an absolutely lovely time, but of course, I’d love to go back for a festival or two. It’s really not our fault we missed Oktoberfest; we had wrongly assumed it took place in October, but really it’s more of a September event that actually ends in early October. Ah well, it’s on the list for our inevitable return trip. As are other famous places like: Neuschwanstein Castle, the Rhine, Cologne, and, of course, Bavaria.
Perhaps unlike any other place we had been, Mongolia intrigued us in so many ways. It’s really a breathtakingly beautiful country that exceeded every expectation we had for it. We visited for about a week in 2017, but unfortunately, a lot of that time was taken up by work (conferences, presentations, etc.) In our free time though, we were able to pretty thoroughly explore Ulaanbaatar, including temples, yurt neighborhoods, live-music bars, and amazingly trendy restaurants. We also took a short road trip out to Gorkhi-Terelj National Park, which was honestly a bit frightening for me (mostly because we opted to dismiss the rental insurance), but ultimately it gave us the best glimpse of what life is like outside UB.
Last on this list (for now) is a place we actually visited just last year. On our way back to China from a work event in the Philippines, we took a bit of a roundabout path that allowed us to spend almost a week in Malaysia, well, in and around Kuala Lumpur anyway. Malaysia is a tricky country to fully explore in a short amount of time because it’s made up of part of a peninsula (West Malaysia) and part of the island of Borneo (East Malaysia), the two regions being about 400 miles apart. For this reason, although we feel pretty good about our exploration of the amazing capital city, typically called KL for short, we still really want to explore some of the other regions of this incredibly diverse country.
We never made it to a beach while we were in Malaysia, so maybe we’ll start there on a subsequent trip. There are many islands off the coasts of both West and East Malaysia that look amazingly beautiful and relaxing. There are also several world-renowned national parks, which are home to a collection of unique indigenous species that Tucker really wants to check out. Of course, as we found in KL, Malaysia seems to enjoy extreme sports as well, so maybe we’ll try the popular zip-lining, white water rafting, or jungle trekking activities while we’re at it!
Of course, there are three countries, not previously mentioned, that are and will indefinitely be on our return radar: the United States, Poland, and China. These are the places we have the greatest connection to, and thus will need many re-visits and reunions to sustain us. Luckily, our friends and family in Chicago, Atlanta, Orlando, 
Next up, my dad wanted to try a famous seafood place (Dixie Crossroads) out on the Atlantic coast, which I quickly paired up with a drive to Cocoa Beach and Port Canaveral. Although it was a quick visit, we walked along the beach and the pier, looked for the cruise ships and the Space Center, and learned that Florida has a nickname for every single section of coastline.
Our next stop was Guadalajara, the capital city of Jalisco (I’m really beginning to think I must have a thing for capital cities…). Anyway, when we arrived in this larger city, I realized just how much all the negative hearsay (like the number of well-meaning warnings I received before our trip) can really affect first-time travelers. I immediately felt uneasy, like everything was an unforeseen danger. Of course, after only a few hours, that was all wiped away. The people of Guadalajara were just as friendly and carefree as those in Merida. Our Uber drivers, especially, greeted us and patiently listened as we stumbled through Spanish to ask questions or give any necessary additional information. We also noticed that in Guadalajara, and perhaps Mexico as a whole, the timings of things are quite flexible. We often found ourselves checking the hours of one place or another, only to arrive and see they haven’t quite set up yet (even a few hours after opening). We really felt the struggle of coming from a China mindset (up early, asleep by 10pm) to the Mexican way of life, where nothing really gets going until after 8pm, at least!
Our final stop on this scouting mission was the infamous Mexico City. One of the largest cities in Latin America with about 9 million residents, and easily one of the most welcoming mega-cities I’ve ever been in. Sometimes in cities of this size, the expectations for speed and efficiency can be extremely high, which poses a problem for travelers who are clueless as to how things are usually done. However, I never felt any impatience from the locals in CDMX (Ciudad de Mexico). Things were just as easy-going and friendly as the other cities we visited. Of course, Mexico City is quite big, which does bring about some challenges. For example, it typically took over an hour to get from one side of the city to the other, even with the super convenient (and cheap) metro. A sprawling city combined with loads of commuters, holiday shoppers, and tourists definitely made for a chaotic transportation situation. However, because of that large and diverse group, we were also able to get some Kansas City BBQ when we wanted something a bit different one night. It’s the eternal struggle of city life!
The second New Year (also known as the Chinese New Year or the Lunar New Year) has come and gone, and with it, possibly our last long winter break off together. Just like last year, the Chinese university semester break coincides with the holiday giving us several weeks off, which, of course, we put to good use! My program had its mid-year meeting and conference in the Philippines this year, and somehow, Tucker and I managed to squeeze in three (and a half) other destinations on our island hopping itinerary. You might have seen the hundreds of photos on Facebook, but I’d also like to share a few words about our time traveling in South Asia. To be honest, it’s a little surreal to be writing this as I watch the snow fall outside, but here we go!
Our first stop was Macau, a “special administrative region” of China. It gets this rather long name due to it being somewhere in between a province and another country entirely. It’s a part of China, but it’s also not China, which is actually one of the reasons we wanted to visit. We wanted to see if there were any noticeable differences. We also wanted to visit because we were eager for another taste of Portugal. Macau used to be a Portuguese colony and has retained quite a bit of the Portuguese flair in architecture, food, and language.
After a few days of strolling around Macau’s narrow alleyways, we took a massive speed boat (TurboJet) to our next destination just across the water: Hong Kong. This was actually our second trip to Hong Kong, but last time we didn’t quite get to everything on our list – this short stopover on the way to Midyear was our second chance. We had less than 24 hours in the city, but we managed to make it out to Lantou Island to see the incredible Buddha and cableway there, we took the bus to the top of Victoria Peak to watch the sunset over the city, and we went to Tim Ho Wan for the world’s cheapest Michelin Star eats. While I definitely preferred Macau’s laid back, European vibes, it’s hard to not like Hong Kong as well. Macau and Hong Kong are a couple of tiny islands (and respective peninsulas) that I highly recommend everyone to visit! No visas needed for US citizens! :)
All too soon it was time to fly to the Philippines and get to work. When we first landed in the Philippines it was chaos! Passengers getting up and grabbing their bags before the plane had stopped moving; people sitting on seemingly every inch of the floor in the airport; signs for flight changes being moved by hand from gate to gate; loud cover songs of 2000’s hits playing in every corner of the terminal, etc. All I could think was “Well, we’re definitely not in China anymore.” As we sat waiting for our flight though, the newness wore off, and it was easy to see that the Philippines are just plain fun! In fact, their national slogan is “It’s more fun in the Philippines”, and I totally got it. Smiles were everywhere! The flight attendants wore bright yellow polos and hummed songs as we boarded. Fellow passengers sang along with the music they heard on the plane. The joy was contagious!
The first week we were in the Philippines I had to “work”. I attended meetings with the other Fellows, we planned and executed various group activities, and generally bonded and reconnected after our last five months apart in our various host cities/countries. For this part of Midyear, we were put up in a resort on Mactan Island, which was incredibly fancy and not the sort of place Tucker and I usually go for (I’ve never heard so many “yes ma’ams” and “hello sirs” in my life). It was beyond beautiful though, and luckily Tucker was able to take full advantage of the beach, the snorkeling, the infinity pool, etc. However, after a few days completely devoid of local culture, I was definitely ready to get to our next location: Cebu City. It was here that we attended and presented at a local teacher training conference held at the University San Jose Recoletos. Easily my favorite part of Midyear, I was able to meet and interact with many local Filipina/o teachers and get a much better feel for what life in the Philippines is really like.
Once the conference and Midyear were officially over, Tucker and I hadn’t quite had our fill of the Philippines, so we headed to Manila for some good old-fashioned touristing. Manila is an incredible city with some of the best food I’ve had in a long while. Their specialty seemed to be fusion restaurants. We had super interesting and delicious food at Loco Manuk (Filipino, Peruvian, and Chinese) and El Chupacabra (Filipino and Mexican), and saw a Japanese-French Cafe that looked amazing as well! In addition to the incredible food, we also had a great time walking around Manila Bay, grabbing a drink in Intramuros (the Old Town), and watching the Super Bowl at a local expat bar. The Philippines boasts an amazing mix of languages and cultures, and it was so fun for us to be able to use English (commonly spoken there) to ask about a million questions of our taxi drivers, servers, and any other local we could find. We learned about the strong influence of Catholicism in the Philippines, the new-ish movement towards environmental clean up, and most of all, we learned how welcoming and friendly the people are.
At this point we were over the halfway mark of our trip, and my body had had enough. I left Manila with a fever and several other ailments (not so fun to describe), but I was still super excited to see Singapore! We watched Crazy Rich Asians on another leg of this trip in preparation, but the movie doesn’t do the city justice. It is by far the cleanest city I’ve ever seen, and has represented its multicultural population incredibly well! Singapore is made up of large groups of ethnic Chinese, Malays, and Indians, and each has a dedicated area of the city where you can find their respective religious buildings, restaurants, and specialized grocery stores. Even with the diverse neighborhoods in place, the city as a whole really seems to cater to each group in so many ways. Colorful, artistic, and clearly very well-off, there are so many lovely parks and public spaces in this city, where we saw families wearing everything from tank tops and sundresses to saris and hijabs. I often talk about places where there is a mix of cultures, but its usually a watered down mix, where clearly one culture has dominated, but in Singapore they were all there loud and proud. It was amazing!
It turns out KL was full of surprises for us. The majority of people living in Malaysia are Muslim, so it was much more conservative than I was expecting. Most everyone wore long sleeves and pants despite the high temperatures, and the presence of beautiful and delicious “mocktails” was at an all time high for me. KL is actually not on an island, and to us, it seemed like we lost that friendly, carefree island-vibe as soon as we arrived. Interactions were a bit more abrupt and businesslike – like they usually are, I suppose. Another surprise was the color we saw all around us – both the Philippines and Singapore were incredibly colorful cities, but I think any city would be hard pressed to match the vibrancy of KL. Brightly colored murals everywhere, some of the lushest, greenest trees I’ve ever seen against the bluest of skies, and the insanely colorful Batu Caves just outside the city made for some incredible scenes (and photos).
You might have noticed that Tucker and I like to go on trips. A lot of trips. :) And since we typically try to travel as cheaply as possible, we usually end up with long bus/train rides, fairly small accommodations (usually hostels), and ultimately a lot of walking. All of these factors (in addition to my scrawny arms and general aversion towards planning) have turned me into somewhat of an expert packer. For anything from 4 days to 40 days, I pack everything Tucker and I need in 2 regular-sized backpacks and 1 duffle bag, and it usually takes me about 20 minutes. I have whittled down my packing process and have come close to perfecting it (at least for our needs), and I’m happy to share what I’ve learned with other trip-takers!
We also always bring a duffle bag as opposed to a rolling bag. The nice thing about a duffle is that it allows us to keep our hands free. One of us will sling it over our shoulder and happily traverse any sort of terrain (hundreds of stairs, cobble stones, dirt paths, etc.) all while holding a map, a phone, a water bottle, or anything else we might need. It’s also much easier to travel on a bus/train with a duffle than it is with a rolling bag. Our bag can be thrown in the overhead compartments, squashed under our feet, or stacked with other luggage in a separate area. We’ve also had zero issues with a duffle bag breaking (knock on wood!), and even if we did, they’re fairly easy to fix or replace. We have, however, broken wheels off of rolling bags, and that was not easily fixed. Instead it was dragged along behind us…rather loudly.
Souvenirs: Finally I’ve heard several people mention that they have had to buy additional suitcases for the souvenirs they bought while traveling (this may or may not have happened to us on occasion as well!). Typically I try to focus on collecting photos (and the occasional, functional item) for myself, but we often want to bring back souvenirs for friends and family as well. When looking for things to bring back, we typically aim for flat, sturdy items (wall art, bookmarks, games, etc.). They pack the best, whether for short or long-term storage/travel. I also really like to send postcards in lieu of gifts. If you travel a lot or live abroad giving gifts becomes expensive and exceedingly difficult to do in a timely manner, so instead I like to show I’m thinking of someone by sending a postcard from wherever I happen to be. I absolutely love getting mail, and I think most people would agree!
Dani Francuz Rose 