Big Appetite Strikes Chicago — Pizza, Steak & Pasta 🍝

My first time in Chicago in 10 years of living in the US (not just for a layover)! Friends warned me to bundle up — but turns out Chicago was having a warm spell — 50°F (10°C), warmer than New York! I was sweating in my thickest coat at every restaurant 😅 The L train instantly felt like stepping into a video game — almost booked a spontaneous day trip to Detroit out of sheer vibe. Downtown felt quiet at first — walking between dense buildings with just a few people hurrying by with lunch bags, like a mini Wall Street. Such a different feel from NYC. And the streets here are so clean compared to New York… Came mainly for errands, and once those were done — it was eating time! 🥩 RPM Steak Almost took a cab to RPM Seafood by mistake 😅 We ordered medium-rare steak and miso-glazed cod. The cod was split and plated for us — Japanese-style glaze, almost like unagi — made me crave a bowl of rice! The steak was 28-day dry-aged cowboy steak — crispy outside, juicy inside. No extra sauce needed — just salt and pepper. 🍕 Giordano‘s One of Chicago’s “Four Pizza Legends”! Their deep-dish pizza is a cheese lover’s dream — looks like it could stretch a meter. Huge portions — a regular 10-inch could feed four. Takes about 40 minutes fresh from the oven. We tried BBQ wings while waiting — surprisingly good! 🍝 Volare A viral spot from social media. Ordered the signature squid ink pasta — honestly, expectations > reality. The pasta was a bit too soft. Not bad, but not amazing either. (I recently had incredible pasta in NY — will share that in another post!) 🌮 Santa Masa Tamaleria A lesser-known Mexican spot near the airport, not downtown. Pork tacos!!! Insanely good — we ordered more after finishing! Found it through online reviews — crispy pork in corn tortillas 🤤🤤 Also tried tamales — tasted just like the ones from a popular street vendor in Guanajuato. So flavorful! 🍪 Crumbl Okay, it’s a chain (also in NY), but I never got around to trying it. Got three flavors: chocolate chip, Dubai chocolate, and cream mousse cookie. Super sweet — but really tasty! The mini size was plenty for me. Fav was Dubai chocolate. Also visited the art museum and the world’s largest Starbucks (packed with people!). Stayed at Hyatt Regency — great location near transit and walkable to sights. Trip felt a bit rushed — missed out on jazz clubs and the silver bean fridge magnet I wanted. Guess I’ll just have to come back next time! #ChicagoEats #ChicagoTravel #Volare #Giordanos #DeepDishPizza #SteakLovers #FoodTour 🍕