We celebrated Phil’s birthday (observed) in Chicago on Tuesday. The drive from Madison, WI was only a few hours, so we had a chance to do some exploring in Chicago upon arrival. We took a Road Food recommendation for a restaurant called Ricobene’s on the South Side and enjoyed breaded steak sandwiches and a soggy manifestation of “the best fries in Chicago.” Our Pricelined Hyatt was right on the river with a view of the Chicago Tribune building to the north. Many of the pictures in our photostream were taken at Millenium Park, a gorgeous collection of art installations and performance spaces along Michigan Avenue. The stage is like the Hollywood Bowl on acid (although it’s unclear whether or not you can bring along a picnic). For the past few years, Emily’s favorite serving style has been small plates (see Orris and AOC for favorites in LA). For Phil’s birthday dinner we had our first Italian small plates experience at Quartino on a recommendation from Gene Fama Jr., sampling fettuccine, risotto, and braised lamb shanks. We awoke to pouring rain on Wednesday morning and the perfect bargaining chip for Emily to engage in some nostalgia with an indoor day at the Museum of Science and Industry. As an eight-year-old girl, Emily had her mind blown by Colleen Moore’s fairy castle, a massive dollhouse inspired by classic fairy tales. Nineteen years later, the castle was perhaps less overwhelming, but still impressive and evocative of childhood fancies. Then we were on to South Bend, IN for a visit with Emily’s grandmother, Zelda, a wonder at 97.