MouthShut.com Would Like to Send You Push Notifications. Notification may includes alerts, activities & updates.

OTP Verification

Enter 4-digit code
For Business
×
transparentImg
Upload Photo
Illinois Image

MouthShut Score

100%
5 

Accessibility:

Local Sightseeing:

Hotels / Accommodation:

Safety:

×
Supported file formats : jpg, png, and jpeg


Cancel

I feel this review is:

Fake
Genuine

To justify genuineness of your review kindly attach purchase proof
No File Selected

Illinois Reviews

Posh
Nov 13, 2004 07:12 AM 2198 Views

The Le Meriden Hotel is the only hotel I have ever stayed when I was in Chicago, Illinos. In fact it is the only hotel I've stayed in Illinois..


After we landed at O’Hara Airport, and collected our luggage, we had a taxi drive us to our hotel. It took about half an hour even though the hotel is only 15 miles from the Airport.


The hotel is in a nice location.


The lobby was large, and reminded me of a posh European Hotel. It had a number of sofas, with two chairs around each, and a coffee table between them.


The check-in went smoothly and a bellboy took us to our room.


The room was decorated in jewel colors. I was happy to see it was air-conditioned, because we were here in August, and it was hot and humid.


There was a queen sized bed with a night table on each side. There was a window that overlooked Michigan Avenue.


The closet was large, and had a safe in it. There was a large dresser with a TV set on top. Next to it was a mini-bar, (that we never used).


There were two cosy chairs and a small table between them. We had wood chair and a large desk, and on the desk was a telephone and an outlet for a computer.


All of the wooden items were made out of made out of mahogany.


The bathroom was tiled and had a tub/shower, toilet, and a sink. The sink was in a medium sized cabinet, with two drawers to put your bathroom things. Next to the sink was a basket of amenities. On the wall next to the door was a hair drier.


The cafe on the lower level was normal cafe for breakfast and lunch. For dinner it became an Italian dinning room. The servers were from the Opera class at the U. of Chicago. Every so often, without warning, one of them started to sing. The others joined in, and it was a fabulous experience.


We found the staff helpful and the room was always clean. That's what I want in a hotel that I'm staying in.


The Address


520 North Michigan Avenue,


Chicago, IL 60611 US,


Phone Number: 1-800.359.2522


You can book on line at: https://stayathotels.com/hotelLists/byCity.asp?city=MERIDIAN&stateProvince=MS&co
untry=US&Hotels=G2644


If you'd like to read my review on Chicago the link is:


https://mouthshut.com/readreview/31840.html


Thank you for reading my review.


©LL2004


wd like to visit paris usa
CHICAGO
Feb 22, 2004 03:18 AM 2196 Views

Chicago?..the windy city


As I walk down the alley and the shadow of death..


I take a look at my life and realize this myth


That is what the hip hop stars have to pen about big cities as Chicago?


But well, it all depends on how u want life to manifest itself. It is all a question of choice.


People from all walks of life come over here in Chicago.


Near downtown Chicago....you will find lots and lots of skyscrapers.


You may also chance upon seeing the tall SEARS TOWERS and the red radar on top of it? making it taller.


On the Lakeshore drive, one cannot possibly miss the penthouse of Miss Oprah Winfrey. It is the top penthouse with purple lining?


Seeing is believing??fast life??...faster cars?


Taller than sky buildings..


But then that is just the lakeshore drive near downtown Chicago


Take a turn towards the ?devon street?.


And guess what?? An area totally dominated by people from the Indian subcontinent..


You will find so many Indian shops. Rather, it is safe to say that u should try hard to find a complex or shop of any white American.


Indian food, Indian clothes, people selling all Indian stuff.. everything from groceries to Indian stainless steel utensils. There are two languages prominent over there?Gujrati and Hindi.


Real desi stuff and real desi people. Straight out of Dehgam and Viramgam.(only my gujju friends will get the pun).


The smaller streets in devon are named..as ?mohammed ali jinah way? , ?gandhi road? Etc. Amazed???? Don?t be?...because , certain parts of Chicago will make u feel like u are taking a stroll in amchi Mumbai ?s some gali(street) the Subway trains over there will definitely remind you of the Gujrat mail or Shatabdi express. The same level of cleanliness, the same amount of people. Ditto.


And for the food lovers?.you are bound to find a place to eat ?panipuri and bhaajipaav? at every corner.


Come a bit far away like down to Woodbridge area or Naperville and you will find the part which constitutes most of the USA. Lots of greenery ,albeit ?whitery? in winters. But the same old food chains named ?subway?, ?mcdonalds?, ?papa john?s pizza? etc.. The same old groceries named ?walgreens? ?meijer? etc.


So this city has all that life has to offer?


A lifestyle of millionaires( the life shown in bigtime movies)


A lifestyle of desi living( as seen in amchi Mumbai or aapnu amdavad)


A lifestyle of simplicity but monotony(as seen in various shows like ?will and grace? ?everybody loves raymond? or ?that 70?s show?..


Charlie Trotters - Chicago -windy city
Jan 21, 2004 12:25 AM 2330 Views

I began my love affair with food as a toddler growing up in a house of gourmands, My Grandmother's delectable Kashmiri cuisine, My fathers side being Rajputs have had their lives intertwined with the gourmet in Indian cuisine.


Till today my grandfather along with his ole’ rajputana cronies deconstruct the menu of every event they attend . My fascination with all things edible grew from there.


No small wonder that for years I have wanted to visit what is widely considered the best restaurant in the United States, and one of the top restaurants in the world - Charlie Trotter's. From the time you walk into this emporium of all things delectable, you will be taken on a wild, exciting culinary ride through bliss that you will never forget. People come from all over the world just to visit. They are not disappointed.


PRICES First of all, let's get the sticker shock out of the way so that we can move on to more interesting topics.. At Trotter's, you are not purchasing dinner. Dinner is an added bonus that is included in what you are really paying for - an experience of a lifetime and a memory that will be treasured the rest of your life. This will be an evening you tell your friends about years from now.


A complete tasting, or degustation menu, will run around $100 to $125 per person for the food only. Wines (the only alcohol Charlie serves) range in price from $11 per glass (they average $30 per glass) to several thousand dollars per bottle. A 17% gratuity is automatically added to each check, with a line for an additional gratuity at the bottom of the check if you feel the service warrants that. It doesAn evening for two can easily approach $400-$500. Although prices are listed on the voluminous wine menu, they are absent from the food menu.


SERVICE The service at Trotter's comes closest to the way I have imagined that royalty or a celebrity is treated on a daily basis. I've eaten in many very nice restaurants, but never have I received the level of service I received at Trotters. I felt a bit apprehensive before arriving at the restaurant. Walking into what is arguably one of the world's greatest eating establishments produces images of waiters looking down their noses at you, wine stewards laughing because you chose the wrong vintage, etc. etc. I need not have worried. All traces of anxiety left me from the moment I walked inside and was greeted by the warm staff. Throughout the evening, I found them to be attentive without ever being intrusive, warm and friendly without being forced, and willing to answer any question no matter how silly you fear it may be I pulled out all my desi stunts and all my culinary school contacts to get a table over the weekend I was in Chicago, and as luck would have it I got in. By the way I told them it was my cousins birthday – A lie… Trotters is located in a renovated brownstone home on the north side of Chicago. As we pulled to the front of the restaurant, two valets greeted us, one on each side of the car, and walked us to the front door. I gave my name as we were greeted by the hosts at the reception room. We were a half hour early. Neither looked for our name in a reservation book. Both said that they had been expecting us and seated us immediately in the first floor dining room. The restaurant is comprised of a wine bar, one small dining room on the first floor (around ten tables), and one identical dining room on the second floor. The decor is understated and elegant. Mr. Trotter wants the focus to be on the food, not the room. We were greeted by our head waiter (around ten people served our table during the course of the evening.) He said that he understood that we were celebrating a birthday and handed each of us a menu with a printed inscription at the top wishing my friend a happy birthday. A few moments later, my cousin asked for a paper cocktail napkin (everything was linen of course.) He told the waiter he had a piece of gum in his mouth. The waiter returned with a cocktail napkin resting on two stacked gold trimmed Limoges plates. My friend took the napkin and held it, waiting for the waiter to leave. The waiter continued to stand behind my friend. He placed his hand on my friends shoulder, and whispered into his ear, ''Go ahead, better than sticking it under the table.'' (Again we were put immediately at ease.) My cousin spit the gum in the napkin. The waiter held out the porcelain plates and he placed the whole ''package'' on the plates. Throughout the evening, if a sip of water was taken (bottled water from Fiji), the glass was immediately refilled, if a roll was eaten, another immediately appeared of a different flavor and variety, steaming hot. And so it went. We each ordered an iced tea mid way through the meal. Both arrived with lemon. I left my lemon in the glass, my cuz removed his and placed it on his bread plate. When we had finished the tea, two fresh glasses arrived. One without lemon, one with. The waiter said the he noticed cuz had not ''utilized his lemon the first time.'' A trip to the bathroom resulted in an attendant escorting me to the restroom door and then taking me back to my seat after I had finished. While I was gone, my table linens were changed and water glass refilled. Before dessert, the waiter arrived with a bottle of wine and two glasses. Compliments of the house on my cuz’s birthday(hyuck hyuck). More complimentary wine of a different variety followed along with dessert, which arrived with a birthday candle.


THE FOOD There are two different selections to choose from in the main dining room. The Grand Menu, which usually includes eight or nine courses consisting of different meat and seafood dishes combined with vegetable dishes followed by dessert, and the Vegetable Menu, consisting of eight or nine vegetable dishes followed by dessert. In addition, the chefs will be happy to create a special menu just for you based on your wine selections. We chose the Grand Menu. This was as follows:


Amuse Gueule Salad of Razor and Steamer Clams, Daikon, Prince Edward Island


Mussels, Kumamoto Oysters, Caviar, Fennel and Watercress.


Steamed Main Black Bass with Squid, Cucumber, Bitter Melon, Red Curry and Spicy Coconut Broth.


Roasted Main Monkfish with Braised Short Ribs, Rice Beans and Morel Mushroom-Red Wine-Endive Vinaigrette.


Grilled Veal Short Loin with Anson Mills Grit Cake, Braised Kale, Roasted Trumpet


Royale Mushrooms and Nicoise Olive-Boudin Sauce.


Mango and Yogurt Sorbets with Toasted Almond Milk Soup.


Gingerbread Cake with Brown Butter Pears and Nutmeg Cream.


Mignardises The Amuse Guele, or appetizer, was sublime. Paper thin slices of raw tuna were covered with salmon roe. The buttery tuna combined with the feeling of the salmon caviar bursting in your mouth created the sensation of walking along the seaside with the salty air blowing in your face. The short rib/monkfish dish was rich and delightful, the meaty beefy taste of the ribs playing perfectly off the flavor of the delicate, tender fish. The dessert wasn't just the gingerbread cake as listed on the menu, but nine different items on nine different plates. Chocolate cakes, squash tarts, two homemade ice creams (clove and bananna), and the list went on. The foods arrive in small portions presented in a dazzling array of colors and shapes on beautiful china. Just the right amount of time lapses between the end of one course and the beginning of the next. You will see unrecognizable food stuffs that you never knew existed, and taste pairings of ingredients that seem odd from the menu but taste wonderful when eaten. (Sorbet with Almond Milk Soup, or Osetra caviar used as a topping for oysters and clams.) Neither of us could have been happier with the service or the food. It is an experience we will never forget.


YOUR RATING ON

Illinois
1
2
3
4
5
LOOKING FROM THE WINDOW ABOVE
Mar 14, 2001 07:41 PM 2358 Views

Chicago, the second city of the U.S.A. not everyones cup of tea, or is it?


Maybe the thought of Al Capone, firing bullets at you from his machine gun outs you off, or is it the gangland massacres portrayed by the hip movie syndrome of black ghetto land.


None of this was visible when we visited last year, although my first impression was of how dominating the City of Chicago was compared to the South of The U.S.A., which has few buildings over 5 stories high.


As you drive in to the heart of Chicago, the skyline is a phenomenal sight. The ants to people syndrome pops back into mind (used in my Niagara Falls op), but that is how you feel.


It is almost like driving in darkness, as very little sun finds it way through the manic concrete fingers pointing to the heavens.


Do not let this paint to dark a picture, as there are some lovely parks and man made beaches around Lake Michigan, where you can catch as many rays as you would on the Gulf coast.


I will now list the things to see and do, just so I don’t waffle on as usual!


Architecture.


Need I say more, its what it is all about.


If you think buildings are boring, just wait until you here the stories of the skyscrapers of Chicago.


I will not be telling you them however, you will have to go, ha ha


Buildings.


Hancock Tower is a must, its observation deck, the tallest in the world, has views that you will never forget.


Sears Tower, the tallest building in the world completely dominates from all angles


Museums.


They love them, no matter what it is, there is a museum for it in Chicago.


Art, Engineering, Artefacts and culture.


Trust me, if you like museums, there is one on every street corner.


River Trip.


You have to do it.


They tell you all the stories of the famous buildings, and why Chicago is called the Windy City (if you think you know why, you are probably wrong, unless you have been there and heard the story)


Food.


Ribs, Pizzas, Steaks, Italian, Chinese, all excellent cuisine.


Navy Pier.


A long pier full of things to do such as, food halls, bars, cinema, entertainment complex, and cruise meals.


Lust like it says, you cruise the Michigan Lake, while dining on the finest food you could imagine.


Prices vary depending on how well you want to eat.


Hotels.


We stayed at the Travel Lodge.


It was cheap, and that is all I would like to say about it.


This should give you enough info to consider for know, please look at other peoples ops on Chicago, as it is a great place and you need to get as much info as possible.


Thanks, Angus



X