The Time Out Chicago blog team

As we approach Thanksgiving—or, as I prefer to call it, Planes, Trains and Automobiles season—it’s time to pay tribute to the humble train. Gridlock traffic? Nonexistent. Security lines longer than the wait for a Kasama breakfast sandwich? Not with Amtrak. When it comes to rail travel, it’s as simple as hopping on, tuning out and watching the world go by through a panoramic window. Let’s just hope you aren’t left hauling a trunk full of all your earthly possessions across a muddy field like our beloved transit heroes Neal Page and Del Griffith. If you’re ready to embrace the convoy lifestyle, Chicago happens to be the starting point for one of the most picturesque train rides in the country. In a recent roundup of bucket-list train journeys, The Independent named Amtrak’s Empire Builder the No. 1 most scenic train ride in the U.S. Beginning at Chicago’s Union Station and making its way toward the Pacific Northwest, the route winds through 1,138 miles of rolling vistas and splendid wilderness, even following long stretches of the Lewis and Clark trail. And the best part? Tickets for the life-defining trip can cost as low as $160—granted, it’s a coach ticket. But those views? Priceless. RECOMMENDED: The 22 best Metra day trips from Chicago Amtrak’s Empire Builder has been in operation for 96 years and counting, connecting over 40 communities across eight states. The first westbound Empire Builder trip pulled out of Chicago on June 10, 1929, when the route was helmed by the...

If you’ve been waiting for a new spot to test your skating skills, Rosemont Village has your winter plans covered. The brand-new Rosemont Ice Arena officially opened its doors (and rinks) this week, and it’s bringing serious chill to Chicago’s entertainment suburb. Photograph: Courtesy of Nicholas & Associates The spectacular new 103,000-square-foot facility, located just north of Allstate Arena, features two full-size rinks—one for the pros and one for the rest of us. It’s the new official practice home of the Wolves, complete with all the luxuries an athlete could want, think sauna, steam room, cold plunge, players’ lounge and film room. But the good news is that this place isn’t just for the pros. The Rosemont Ice Arena was designed with the public in mind. Youth hockey teams, figure skating clubs, adult leagues and the Chicago Mission girls’ hockey program will all find a home here, where there will also be open skate hours, when anyone will be able to rent a pair of skates, hit the ice and channel their inner Olympian. Photograph: Courtesy of Nicholas & Associates Photograph: Courtesy of Nicholas & Associates Spectators aren’t left out, either. Up on the mezzanine, Hatty’s Club, a new sports bar and supper club, offers a front-row seat to both rinks and a menu that’s sure to beat concession-stand hot dogs. There’s also a grab-and-go market, a fitness center and even an Illinois Bone & Joint Institute clinic onsite. Managed by the Spectate Group, which also runs...

Kinan Moufti spends a lot of time standing under the Belmont stop in Lakeview. He’s been handing out free sandwich vouchers for his new restaurant at 953 W Belmont Ave—and he’s documenting the entire journey on social media. Moufti is a partner at Hot Chi, along with brothers Amer and Mutaz Abdullah, a Nashville hot chicken-slinging restaurant with locations in the South Side neighborhood Chatam, the Old Post Office, Sterling Food Hall in the Loop, and soon, Lakeview. The trio’s culinary portfolio also includes Cedars, a 33-year-old Mediterranean eatery in Hyde Park.  “Documenting the journey has been a wonderful way to kickstart our relationship with the Lakeview community,” Moufti says. “It started as a way to show others a real BTS of what it takes to get a restaurant up and running, and it’s turned into a way to meet hundreds of locals, commuters and nearby business owners.” @kinan.moufti Episode 1 in the books. Intentional marketing based on primary research. 3 months is an awesome timeline to make a huge splash when we open #chicagotiktok #restaurantmarketing #restaurantowners #smallbusinessowners #lakeview #lakeviewchicago #northsidechicago original sound - Kinan Launched in 2021, Hot Chi is best known for its chicken wings and sandwiches, like the hot honey butter chicken sandwiches and the “Popeye’s Ain’t Sh!t,” made with whipped garlic sauce. All creations are influenced by Middle Eastern cuisine. With man-on-the-street style videos and countdowns to...