Revisiting Michael Jordan at the Intercontinental Chicago

My friend Cortney and I had a big night of eating (and drinking) around Chicago so we were more than satisfied for breakfast with just nibbling on the beautiful tray of fruit, nuts and cheese the hotel had left us. After all, we had quite a lunch a head of us.

I managed to work up an appetite with a little Michigan Avenue shopping. The Intercontinental Chicago is right on the Magnificent Mile so it was a stone’s throw from dozens of stores. Fortunately, I didn’t have too long to do any serious damage to my pocketbook, mostly picking up some interesting things at the Home Goods/Marshalls location.

I met Cortney back at the hotel and we went downstairs to the Michael Jordan Steakhouse. I hadn’t been there since the opening night and, quite honestly, there wasn’t a lot of food to be tasted then. I was really looking forward to the opportunity to see if the menu could stand up to the legend himself.

We were joined for lunch by Julie and Lauren from Isabelli Media Relations, the firm that represents the hotel and the steakhouse. We got to sit in Jordan’s favorite booth. (I knew it was the truth because it was the one I saw him sitting in the night of the opening.) It was great to have some recommendations because everything on the menu sounded so good!

Mixologist Peter Vestinos redesigned the restaurant’s cocktail menu and we had to, of course, check out what he accomplished. We chose The Danish Sangria (Block 9 Pinot Noir, Peruvian Pisco, Cherry Herring Saccharum and soda) and the Old Cuba (Bacardi 8 Rum, mint, lime, simple syrup,  Argyle Brut and Angostura bitters). Cortney and I agreed that The Danish Sangria was the outstanding one, though the other was also very good.

While we sipped our cocktails, the waiter came over with the restaurant’s signature starter, garlic bread. This is no ordinary garlic bread. It starts with fresh baked bread on a plate put on the table. Then, the waiter pours a buttermilk blue cheese fondue directly on it.  I’m sure you are salivating as you read this, and you should.

The garlic bread is worth a trip alone and I think someday I have to go back there and have a whole basket for myself as my whole lunch! I couldn’t do that on this day because we already had plenty of food coming. For me, it was a big plate full of house smoked, local brisket, smothered in barbecue sauce and served on a pretzel roll. It was definitely a two napkin meal, but worth every drip.

Cortney raved about the flaky crab cakes and we also enjoyed tastings of our tablemates’ orders, the grilled cheese with tomato soup and the cob salad.

Just when I didn’t think I could consume anymore, the waiter came over with a “selection” of some of the steakhouse’s best desserts. It looked too good not to check out and I’m glad I found room. The Maple-Mascarpone Cheesecake was creamy and flavorful and I found the 23 Layer Cake to be a chocolate lovers dream, but there was no doubt the Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie was the one I found to be incredible.

It took some coffee and digesting before we were ready to head out of Chicago, but I’m sure it won’t be long until I’m back to check out some more great hotels, food, wine and spirits.

Another Chicago Food, Wine and Spirits Getaway

It was time for another trip to Chicago and I had no problem finding new things to check out. This time I brought my friend Cortney along for the adventure, which started at the InterContinental Hotel on Michigan Avenue.

We had quite a welcome as the hotel manager left us a beautiful spread of fruit, cheese and wine. We nibbled a little as we dressed, but saved our appetites for our first stop of the night – Eno Wine Bar.

The Eno Wine Bar is located downstairs at the InterContinental Chicago. It’s not very large, which makes it a cozy spot for a quiet date, or catch up with girlfriends. There is a good size wine selection and wines are available by the glass, in flights or by the bottle. The waiter was quite knowledgeable and helped us make decisions on what to get.

Courtney and I enjoyed a start with the Jean-Louis Denois Brut Blanc de Blanc before switching to a wonderful house branded sauvignon blanc-riesling blend from Washington. Wine isn’t the only thing Eno has with their own label on it, there’s also a delectable set of chocolates, of which the Black Truffle Sea Salt was my favorite.

The chocolate, as well as cheeses, are paired with wines. You can also order a la carte and include some of their tasty flatbreads, which change seasonally.

After our aperitif at Eno, we hopped into a cab and headed to Zocalo Restaurant & Tequila Bar for dinner. Zocalo features flights of a different kind, either tequilas or cocktails. The tequila selection is like none I’ve ever seen and while I was tempted to start comparing, we both decided to stick with the cocktails.

I absolutely loved the Chile Mango Margarita, made with Agave Loco Pepper-cured Reposado Tequila, triple sec, mango passion juice and lime, then rimmed with chili. It was fruity and spicy, a combination that suits me.

The food at Zocalo also has a Yucatan influence, using more fruit and varied spices than most of the Mexican restaurants do. The Trio de Guacamole showed this off, especially in the Fruita, an excellent mix of avocado, mango, guava and habanero.

For a main course, I was more than satisfied with my Chile Relleno, fire roasted and stuffed with a blend of three cheeses and then baked in a puff pastry covered with ranchero sauce. Courtney went for the Carne Asada and said the tequila skirt steak was the best she’s ever had.

We had a tough time deciding on dessert, especially with a selection of dessert martinis and after dinner drinks available. We finally decided that we preferred to eat the sweets and shared samplings of the Pay de Queso, Crepas de Cajeta and Churros y Champurado. I’d have to say the crepes, filled with apple, topped with caramel sauce and served with dulce de leche ice cream, were my favorite.

After dinner we decided to walk off some food on our way back to the Intercontinental. We needed time to rest and digest before our big lunch the next day at Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse.

Midwest Adventure Ends with Michael Jordan in Chicago

It had been quite a week as my friend Lisa and I started in Indianapolis and then went on to Cedar Falls. We had discovered a new spa (Evan Todd), a new fruit (pawpaws) and a new beer (Rockmill Brewery), but nothing quite prepared us for what we would see when we arrived in Chicago.

We had another great breakfast (homemade quiche and blueberry muffins) at the Inn at Cedar Falls before saying goodbye to Hocking Hills and hitting the road. It was a long drive to Chicago, but there was something quite exciting waiting on the other end. I had snagged an exclusive invitation to the Grand Opening of Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse at the Intercontinental Hotel on Michigan Avenue.

I have been to celebrity events before and although this one was a bit more sports oriented in its attendees, it felt more celebratory than any I had seen. As the valet opened the door to my Santa Fe, the cameras started snapping us walking down the red carpet as if we were the stars of the evening! The truth is, it was one of those events where you felt like everyone could be a star and not even the paparazzi wanted to take a chance and miss getting a picture of someone.

It has never been clearer to me just how much of a hero Michael Jordan is to Chicago than at the opening to his restaurant. He is the man who helped the Bulls earn six NBA titles, and even played for the Chicago White Sox minor league baseball team for awhile. Most of all, he is the man everyone wants to see and MJ obliged, putting himself in the middle of the party action. He and Scottie Pippin shook hands, posed for photos and greeted all the guests as if they were still on the basketball court.

Lisa and I mingled through the group of celebrity athletes and even spent some time talking with Jamie Blythe, a former Bachelorette. It was all a bit surreal and so different from the woodsy location we had left in Ohio, where we didn’t even have televisions or phone service in our cabin. Some people don’t understand when I say I liked both experiences equally, but I do. A quiet evening with a friend and a bottle of wine is just as fun as a red carpet event. Variety is the spice of life!

As for the restaurant itself, it’s beautiful, decorated in red and black, just like the Chicago Bulls. The cozy bar on the first floor is inviting. We had some tender lamb chops, but didn’t really sample enough food for me to give a full opinion on the menu of Chef James O’Donnell. I’m hoping to actually have a dinner there in the future.

We spent the night at the Palmer House Hilton before my Midwest adventure with Lisa was over (though I predict we will have more outings in the future) and it was time to head home. After all, I only had a few days before I was heading off to Colorado.

Photos courtesy of Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse