Any ideas for a special night out with hubby?|197643

I_m planning a surprise trip to Chicago with my hubby (whisking him away for some R_R), and he_s never been there. I_m going to let him pick our daytime activities, but I would really like to take him someplace unique for a nice dinner or show (in the city). Does anybody have any suggestions? I_ve only done tourist type trips to Chicago, never got into the nightlife...Thanks!

See an improv show at Second City. Reserve tickets early--the shows sell out. Second City was the basis for the show _Saturday Night Live_ and is a great night out. Very unique to Chicago and the cast never disappoints. Then, if you walk west on North Avenue, you can go to the little dive bar that John Belushi and friends used to hang out at. I forget the name of it, but if you ask someone at Second City, they will know because that_s where they hang out too. It_s about two blocks west of North and Wells, on the south side of the street, and it_s a total dive. The bartenders know all the comedy stories if you get them talking.

Have a great time--Chicago_s a fun city.

horse drawn carriage if you have never done it?

Is there a Cubs game that weekend? That is a must.

Here is the absolute best thing!!
Take him to Tommy Guns Garage for dinner and a show. It is a wild night! You have to give a password at the door :) and then you have a great dinner and an interactive (there is audience participation!) show about gangsters and prohibition and runnin_ booze in Chicago in the _20s. It is a hoot!
You could really pull one over on your hubby - he_ll get a kick out of you _knowing_ the password at the door!


http://www.tommygunsgarage.com/


It is Chicago_s longest running audience interactive dinner theater show - most obviously because it is GREAT!

Does he like chocolate? The Peninsula is a beautiful hotel, and they have a chocolate buffet with live jazz.

You don_t say if you two are meat eaters, but if so take him to Fogo de Chao (
http://www.fogodechao.com/),
a meat lovers restaurant. You pay one price and are served about seven different kinds of meat by waiters dressed as gauchos who bring it to your table on skewers and slice it right there. Beef ancho, fillet mignon, pichana, alcatra (top sirloin), fraldinha (bottom sirloin), cordeiro (lamb), frango (chicken drumsticks and chicken breasts wrapped in bacon), etc. They give you a card and when you_re ready for something new, you flip the card the green side and when you want to take a break, you flip it to the red side. It_s a unique dining experience.

As far as a show, try Zanies comedy club (
http://www.chicago.zanies.com/).
It_s the top stand up comedy place in town. There are different acts almost each night, but I_ve had a good time every time I_ve gone. And they say that laughter is a great aphrodisiac :)

You might also want to check out the Green Mill Jazz lounge (
http://www.greenmilljazz.com/).
Even if you_re not a big fan of jazz, you_ll love the atmosphere. The place used to be the hangout of Al Capone and still retains some of that aura. There are dark booths, waiters in ties and aprons and great music almost every night of the week (except Sunday when they hold the weekly Poetry Slam, which is also a great time). Dress up a little (you don_t have to, though) and pretend you_re both members of the Rat Pack waiting for Frank or Sammy to show up. I was there one time and to my left Ani DiFrank (an indie music star who had a concert nearby) and former SNL star Nora Dunn, and on my right was Jeremy Piven and John Cusak. It was weird. But be warned: lines have been known to form to get it. The place isn_t that big, so you may want to get there earlier in the evening.

I agree with the dinner cruise on Lake Michigan. They have many different kinds that have different prices, so if you_re looking at a more expensive, romatic cruise, they have one, and if you_re looking for just a more casual cruise, they have one.

A dinner cruise. There are several to choose from.

You never did say when you were coming...prior to your visit you might want to check the site Metromix which has virtually every kind of activity you can think of including dining places (Chicago is a virtual melting pot of restaurants with food from all over the world) and entertainment.

Personally he might like a good steak dinner at one of the many steak houses just north of the Loop area. From Ruth Chris_s to Mortons (which is more local) there might be a steakhouse just for him.

Theaterwise....if you can find tickets, Blue Man Group might be one of the most unique shows you will ever see....caution though as tickets sell out way in advance. If you want a taste of Broadway, the Broadway in Chicago shows are cool to see as well. Currently Wicked is continuing its long run at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts....also The Color Purple which is based on Oprah Winfrey_s bestseller is playing.

But if Broadway is not your thing, there are many smaller more intimate theaters. As was mentioned in a previous answer, Second City which is in Old Town is an excellent choice. All around the city there are other more local theaters you can check out as well.

Have fun...Chicago is a great place to go in the summertime!!

You could go to dinner at the Signature Room in the Hancock Building.

For Dinner try Geja_s. Very romantic dinners there/


http://www.gejascafe.com/