Missing downtown Chicago, a friend and I decided to spend a day in the heart of Chicago. It wasn’t quite a “staycation,” but it was a lot of fun.

We started the day with a late breakfast at Ina’s, opened in 1991 by Chef/Owner Ina Pinckney. Hailed as “the Breakfast Queen,” Ina is outspoken against artificial trans fats. I enjoyed the baked French toast with sautéed apples, but I also found myself desiring my friend’s vanilla bean waffle. My eyes wandered to the warm goat cheese salad on the lunch menu. I guess I will have to revisit Ina’s.

After breakfast, we eschewed a cab in favor of the long walk to The Loop. We did a lot of window shopping and even stopped in a few places that looked like fun.

Eventually we made it to the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place for I Love Lucy: Live on Stage. We really felt like we stepped back in time and were on the Desilu soundstage during filming of the iconic sitcom. We laughed at the hi-jinx in their apartment and in the Tropicana Night Club, complete with the Ricky Ricardo Orchestra. The Crystaltone Singers even performed advertising jingles during breaks. This performance is funny, entertaining and nostalgic.

ID 30787072 © Ernitz | Dreamstime.com

After loving Lucy, we took a cab south to the Museum of Science and Industry for more pop culture fun courtesy of “Charlie Brown and the Great Exhibit.” The history of Peanuts creator Charles Schulz, the origin of Peanuts and the development of the Peanuts gang is shown through film, original strips and other memorabilia. One highlight is seeing a recreation of the interior of Snoopy’s doghouse, which has never been seen in the strip or cartoons.

Upon leaving the MSI, we took a cab through the Hyde Park area, passing President Obama’s Chicago house. While it is nothing spectacular, it was interesting to see.

We did make another stop in Hyde Park at Just Turkey, one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago. I switched it up a bit from the norm and ordered the turkey lasagna with spinach for the first time.  It was awesome, although I did get to take a bite out of my friend’s jerk turkey burger, too!

We cabbed it to La Scarola on the near west side for dessert. We shared a cannoli and pistachio gelato (in a close call over the spumoni). It was the perfect end to a fun day in my home town.

Days like this make me long for more fun in the city. With that in mind, we have made plans for another “Chicago trip” in February.

— John Wroblewski, online contributor