DAY 1
Hotel: Marriott Fairfield Inn
Lunch: Wheat’s End
“I’ve been in Chicago for two days and have already gone here twice…this place is so good. I had my first panini! It came with vegan cream cheese. The employee was so kind and has celiac and dairy and egg allergies, so she understood the struggles of finding gluten-free bread that is also egg-free. This bread was squishy and delicious! Donuts, too! Thanks, Wheat’s End.”
Dessert: Frio Gelato
“So yummy! Got here as soon as they opened so everything was fresh and perfect. There were four vegan sorbets—lemon, passion fruit, mango, and berry. I wanted to sample all of them and each sample was 50 cents, but I really wanted to try each. I ended up liking the lemon and passion fruit the best, so I got both in a cup! When I was sampling, I was really suspicious because the sorbet was so creamy. I asked if there was any way to see the ingredients to double check, and she said it’s their secret recipe so they couldn’t share. But I already knew it was safe from extensive research! It was so good!”
Sightseeing: Lincoln Park Zoo
Sightseeing: The Bean
Sightseeing: Navy Pier
DAY 2
Lunch: The Chicago Diner
“So many firsts here! I had nachos, a milkshake, and mashed potatoes for the first time. They have a separate blender for allergy milkshakes, since they have the peanut flavor in the other blender. This place is amazing and the manager came out—she was so knowledgeable and kind. The nachos were only my appetizer, though. I had a lentil loaf with gravy (kind of like meatloaf—the whole restaurant is vegan) that came with garlic potatoes. I could have mashed potatoes here, so of course I ordered them! Mashed potatoes are so good! Nachos are so good! I love strawberry milkshakes!”
Sightseeing: The Art Institute of Chicago
DAY 3
Lunch: Portillo’s
“I was nervous for this one because it was super busy. I ordered a beef bowl with fries after researching their allergen menu days before. Although it’s just meat, it was really good. Plus, it was mainly to fit in with my mom and brother who got Italian beefs from Mr. Beef! Was successful!”
Dinner: Paulie Gee’s
“First deep dish pizza! Waitress was so kind and gladly took my allergen sheet to the kitchen and asked which items on the menu were safe for me. Came back and gave one option, saying it was the option easiest for them. I was so excited! This pizza was so good and she didn’t mind when we double checked the ingredients. The crust was so squishy for gluten-free and and cheese made my mom and brother really suspicious because of how real it tasted (I don’t know what real cheese tastes like so I was clueless). Overall amazing experience! Plus, I got strawberry mojito ice cream for dessert.”
Sightseeing: Buckingham Fountain
