Week 118: Applebee's and Chicago

elenalilamartin
Apr 9, 2025
4 min read

Week 118: March 30-April 5th, 2025

This week, I channeled my inner suburban American and experienced Applebee’s for the first time. I might have already been to an Applebee’s in my life, but I can’t remember. I kept seeing commercials for Applebee’s while watching reality TV (currently binging RHONY), and as the easily-influenced consumer I am, I thought why not try it?

My boyfriend and his family like to go to Applebee’s because it’s a good place to get maximum bang for your buck with a kid-friendly menu. He was a bit confused why I was so excited to try such a pedestrian place, but I figured I needed to experience a longstanding American institution at least once.

We went to the Applebee’s right by H Mart in the Convoy neighborhood of San Diego.

We got there right before their happy hour ended, so we ordered an appetizer of spinach artichoke dip really quickly before deciding our entrees. The menu was a bit overwhelming because there were SO many options. I’ve been trying to be more conscious of what I eat every day, so I got a chicken salad. The calorie-heavy options did look quite appetizing, but I wanted to try something healthier. My boyfriend got his normal Applebee’s order of grilled chicken, broccoli and mashed potatoes.

Overall, Applebee's wasn't earth-shatteringly delicious, but I'm glad I went. I see the appeal with the happy hour being all 7 days a week and the family-friendly atmosphere. It felt like a real "American" experience, if that makes sense.

To continue in the real American experience, I also ended this week with the first stop of my 2025 Midwest tour: Chicago. Packing for this trip was harder than normal, because I don’t really own “real” Winter clothing. I had to go deep into my closet to unearth an umbrella and the one single beanie I have.

While I’ve been to Chicago before back in October 2024, and loved it, this time around I only was there for about a day and a half. Even so, I managed to pack a bunch of fun, new experiences into a short period of time and despite the chilly weather, I had so much fun walking around and returning to such a fun city.

I stayed with my friend Sam and his boyfriend in Fulton Market District in West Loop again. Funnily enough, I was also able to see my mom, aunt, and aunt’s friend Bob, who were also in Chicago at the same time. It was great to see my family and introduce them to my friends.

We all went to Wishbone for dinner on Friday night. Wishbone is a long-standing Southern restaurant that offers incredible gumbo, catfish, and shrimp and gritz. I ordered the gumbo and a side of collard greens and was in heaven.

We all were thankful for the brisk walk home to burn off some of the calories we’d just indulged in.

In the morning, I met up with my mom and aunt and Bob again for breakfast at the famous Lou Mitchell’s. It was a classic, old-fashioned, diner-style restaurant that was incredibly efficient and delicious. I got the Greek omelet, hobo skillet style (potatoes added in), and shared some of my mom’s maple bacon malted waffles.

After the odd feeling of saying goodbye to my family in an unfamiliar city, I returned to Sam’s apartment and then we met up with some of his German friends, as well as his boyfriend’s mom. While there was a nationwide protest for the Hands-Off movement, we had purchased tickets to the Flyover so unfortunately we couldn't attend. We cheered on everyone we saw holding protest signs as we made our way to Navy Pier.

The Flyover is a new experience in Chicago as of last year. It is a super cool immersive "ride" at the Navy Pier. If anyone is familiar with the Soarin’ Over California ride at Disneyland California Adventure park, think of the same thing but for Chicago specifically. We all sat in ride-like seats that moved along with the images on the screen. The drone footage was beautiful, and the experience made me appreciate Chicago as a city even more. One of my favorite scenes was the car chase during filming of Chicago PD where they made it more realistic by including the scent of burnt rubber on the ride.

During the Flyover, a restaurant called Manny’s was given a huge spotlight, so I wanted to try it. Manny’s is a classic, world-famous Jewish deli and bakery that has been a staple in Chicago since 1942. After all our exploring, we wanted some good food, and Manny's was the place to get it. Inside, it felt like a classic cafeteria, complete with gruff servers and tons of options. I got the Reuben sandwich with pastrami, and even though a lot of other items caught my eye, I knew I had to have some self-control. It felt like we were back at the Flyover because we even were served by the same guy in the video. Apparently he is the closest living relative to Manny himself!

The amount of food and MEAT was actually insane. The guys behind the counter even joked that if I returned without my entourage of boys, they’d give me even more pastrami piled on, and maybe even an extra latke, just because I was pretty. I didn’t mind, because it was all part of the experience. Sam said they always poke fun at their customers and it’s their "thing."

I tried to keep it concise, but I did a whole lot more in Chicago than just what I reported here. I'm just writing this from the airport on my way to Minnesota, and am looking forward to my plane nap.