Chicago is the “largest city of the American Midwest” and “the third largest city” in the U.S. Founded in 1830, the city was “Established as a water transit hub; the city evolved into an industrial metropolis, processing and transporting the raw materials of its vast hinterland.”
With almost 3 million people today, Chicago has 100 neighborhoods, 36 annual parades, 40 annual film festivals, 250 live music venues, 600 parks, 29 beaches, more than 7,300 restaurants, 7 AAA Diamond-rated restaurants, and even 144 dog-friendly eateries. It’s definitely a destination for foodies. This great city also has 26 Michelin-starred restaurants and 40 James Beard Award-winning restaurants as well.
What’s Old is Now a Trendy Foodie Spot
In a city that was known as the meatpacking capital of the nation, things have certainly changed in Chicago. In 1971, the famed Union Stockyards were closed while “Fulton Market’s slaughterhouses have been replaced by food halls, swanky cocktail bars, and gastropubs, the city’s steakhouses remain bustling, mostly due to tourists, as well as businesspeople and conventioneers armed with buoyant expense accounts.”
Today the area that is known as the West Loop is a haven for foodies. “A former meat-packing district, the West Loop has become one of the most dynamic dining destinations in the city.” The area is now filled with some of the city’s most popular restaurants. Here, you’ll find Restaurant Row and Greektown. When you’re not eating your way through the area, you can check out art galleries, boutique hotels, and fun shops.
Tour Chicago for All of the Hype as well as the Food
Conozca de cerca la pizza de plato hondo de Chicago
When you’re in Chicago, you have to try the deep-dish pizza. The city is known for it, brags about it, and the classic is just about everywhere you go. This Chicago-style pizza, cheesy and tomato-filled, was put on the map in the fall of 1943 when Pizzeria Uno opened.
This deep–dish pizza had:
- Mucho queso y una corteza gruesa y dulce de hojaldre
- High oven temperatures when baking “with plentiful amounts of cornmeal sprinkled in the pan to help insulate the bread”
- Tiempos de cocción muy largos
Se hizo historia y a muchos se les hizo la boca agua. Las tartas se extendieron no sólo en Chicago, sino también en todo el país. Así que, cuando estés en Chicago, la pizza de plato hondo es un alimento que debes degustar.
Oprah tiene raíces en este barrio de moda
Desde sus primeros días, el West Loop ha sido una zona de contrastes, y conocerá su historia de "pobreza a riqueza". Incluso la propia Oprah Winfrey le ayudó en el camino. En este paseo por el barrio descubrirá más cosas.
What was once Oprah’s former Harpo Studios building is now the headquarters for McDonald’s. A developer bought the studio in 2014 while production on Oprah’s Show ended in 2015. “Harpo was home to the Oprah Winfrey Show from 1990 until it went off the air in 2011, staking Chicago’s claim as a media center and giving new life to the area west of the Loop.”
Cómo llegar al corazón de un sándwich de Corned Beef
Then it’s time to take a stroll and stop at the next food establishment on this tasty tour. You’ll pop into a total neighborhood institution: a corned beef sandwich shop where the corned beef is prepared just around the corner—a true nod to this area´s meatpacking past!
Es en esta parada donde encontrará un sándwich de corned beef entero que se produce realmente en el lugar. Comenzó como una fábrica y, más tarde, se añadió una tienda, lo que lo convierte en el lugar perfecto para degustar este delicioso sándwich.
El sabor de Grecia
Next on the list, you’ll continue to explore the West Loop hotspots and step into the popular food hall among the locals in Chicago. It was opened in 2019 and is truly a food lover’s paradise. It has provided up-and-coming chefs with the opportunity to try out their craft before they are able to open their own restaurants. The West Loop is the place to see and be seen, so it’s important for new chefs.
The West Loop is home to Greektown, which has the third-largest Greek population in the US. Here, you’ll try delicious Greek food from a local Greek restaurant and get a taste of the traditional culture.
Los deliciosos donuts de antaño con un nuevo toque de sabor
Next up on the tour is a taste of the sweet stuff that this neighborhood has to offer. You’ll stop for donuts at a small-batch donut shop owned by two former Michelin-star pastry chefs who met while working in the pastry kitchen at a Michelin-star restaurant. The chefs found out they were from the same town in California and each enjoyed the same favorite donut shop there.
En Chicago, hacen donuts en lotes pequeños para incluir sabores como el bacon de arce. Probarás el de tipo antiguo, que es la receta que más les cuesta elaborar debido al proceso de fermentación de la masa.
Terminará este increíble recorrido gastronómico con magdalenas artesanales de un chef local ganador del premio James Beard.
Chicago nunca ha sabido tan bien. Después de haber entrado y salido del barrio, y de haber probado lo salado y lo dulce, puede que esté listo para una siesta. Pero soñará con las delicias que ofrece Chicago, y querrá volver una vez más.
Fecha de publicación original: 11 de octubre de 2022