Samantha & Kevin
Things To Do
Sundial Brewing and Blending
Great assortment of locally brewed beers and an assortment of wines available as well. 10 minute walk from the church.
Shakou Restaurants
Fantastic assortment of cocktails and appetizers. We recommend the Bul Gol Gi Egg Rolls, Calamari Tempura, and the Spicy Octopus Sushi. Also walking distance from the church.
Neoteca
We highly recommend the cocktails, especially the raspberry mojito. We also enjoyed the appetizers, specifically the Whipped Ricotta & Honey and Crispy Brussel Sprouts. Wouldn't recommend the pizza. This spot is right around the corner from Shakou and is again, walking distance from the church.
Gene & Jude's
What's a trip to Chicago without a Chicago hotdog? Rated the best hotdog in America on multiple occasions, Gene & Jude's offers a depression-style dog with mustard, relish, onions, sport peppers, and fresh-cut fries on top. Don't ask for ketchup, and if you think you're being smart by going to the McDonald's next door, they actually charge for ketchup because of Gene and Jude's popularity and lack of condiments (one of the only McDonald's in nation to do so). A hop skip and a jump from O'Hare for those traveling from out of town, we highly recommend this local joint.
Johnnie's Beef
A lesser known Chicago delicacy is the Italian Beef. Johnnie's does it best, and has a location in Elmwood Park, as well as a location a little closer to the wedding venue/hotel in Arlington Heights (but the EP one is better). Order a dipped beef or combo (beef with charred sausage) and top it with sweet or spicy peppers. Don't forget an Italian Ice to go along with it!
Pequod's Pizza
What's a Chicago recommendation list without pizza? First up is our go-to deep dish. For this we recommend Pequod's. The original is in Morton Grove, and the other is downtown near DePaul's campus. Kevin's favorite pizza of all time.
Joe's Pizzeria
While most people think Chicago's main pizza is deep dish, they're actually wrong. Locals will get deep dish occasionally, but their regular order is a tavern style pizza. For this we recommend Joe's Pizzeria in Wheeling. Note, this is to go only.