It’s hard to imagine it now but it was only around eighteen months ago that I first decided to venture on a solo trip abroad.
Solitary. Alone. That sad person eating on their own who you always feel sorry for. These were the words that sprung to mind.
I was about to cross the precipice and become that person – I didn’t even have a business trip to blame/secretly thank. But it was always something I wanted to do, and a wedding of a dear friend in the Midwest (Cleveland, Ohio) provided the perfect opportunity to skip across to somewhere I’d always wanted to explore: Chicago. Except this time it’d be just me.
Independent. Single-handed (…OK… maybe more like single-minded). Words to inspire a better frame of mind!
For a first trip alone I can think of much worse places to visit than the Windy City. OK, so the L train was somewhat terrifying at night, and that’s from someone who, whilst not ‘street’ in the slightest, has walked down the odd dark alley or two in various insalubrious places in her time. (My tips: figure out where you need to go then count the stops in your head; act bored; and, as anyone who’s been to London will know: don’t make eye-contact).
Pushing that aside, though, Chicago is a beautiful, varied and inviting city. It’s full of interesting places to visit whether you like art and culture, sport, architecture, the outdoors…. or just plain boozing and eating. In fact the latter it does especially well. That trip taught me quickly that two key advantages to travelling alone are 1) being able to do whatever you damn like, whenever you damn like and 2) generally being able to nab a table in a great restaurant, because you can easily fit in anywhere.
Like any major city, the Chicago restaurant scene changes quickly, so I would always recommend looking at guidebooks and local magazines, doing some social media research and plain old asking friends for their advice too. But, for what it’s worth, I ate at these places alone, and liked it.
Table for one at…
Little Goat Diner, 820 W Randolph Street IL 60607, 312 888 3455. Nearest station: Morgan (Green/Pink).
Little Goat Diner is one of those places that fills that awkward culinary gap that can present itself when on the hunt for a tasty, value-for-money but atmospheric meal. Its diner-style format means it’s casual enough for a quick bite with friends (or alone!) but the quality food and stylish decor makes it feel a bit more special.
The dishes on offer are similarly casual diner breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack meals served high quality and with a side of tongue (in cheek). As it was my first night in Chicago I went for the classic All American burger and didn’t regret it, though I was tempted by the sound of the pork belly pancake.
I visited rather late in the evening and, on a Sunday, was slightly worried things would be winding down for the night. Though somewhat quieter than I imagine it would be on a weekend evening ‘proper’, the place was still bustling. I’d booked online and was given a cute and cosy two-person booth – there’s also a diner bar area which, if busier, might have been a more social option for a solo diner. I liked my spot though which gave me a vantage point for excellent people-watching across the entire restaurant.
Little Goat Diner is part of famed local chef Stephanie Izard’s second ‘West Loop’ group that includes ‘Girl & the Goat’ (just over the way from the Diner), and the Little Goat Bakery. Although booking is advised, I believe they take walk-ins in both places. A new venue is also set for 2015, and I’m sure will be well-worth a visit.
Ruxbin Chicago, 851 N Ashland Ave IL 60622. Nearest station: around equal distance to Division and Chicago (both on Blue).
I love love loved this place, to the point that I actually half-wished someone else could have shared it with me so I can reminisce with them about it for days, months, years afterwards. But at least this meant that I got to have the complimentary popcorn all to myself.
This place is intimate in (almost) the truest sense of the word. It only has 32 seats and is run by a husband-wife-and-sister team. Their aim is to be unpretentious, high-quality but affordable and I think Ruxbin easily ticks all those boxes. The food is just plain good. I had the hanger steak with broccolini, potatoes and chimichurri, followed by a (less pretentious than it sounds) deconstructed black forest gateaux. Simple, fresh, seasonal menus with inspiring pairings that you just hadn’t thought of, and attentive service to boot. Bonus points for BYOB and an amazing loo (wait and see).
Looking back on these meals I realise that by eating alone, and in a place as small as Ruxbin especially, my train of thought narrowed at times to encompass only that which was directly in front of me; that is, I began to truly focus on the food I was eating and savour every mouthful. But I still don’t think that’s the only reason I thought to myself that this was the best meal I had had in ages.