Checking In: Public Chicago

Before the Chicago winter fell into full swing, L.A.-based photographers Dylan Ho and his wife, Jeni Afuso trekked to the Windy City to check out the new Public hotel and a handful of buzzed-about restaurants nearby.

“The first time I was in Chicago, it was all business. While I only had about a day to enjoy myself, I never forgot my time there. I made it a point to come back with my wife Jeni to see more. She was nervous about the harsh weather conditions, but we completely lucked out with mild 55 degree days, sunshine and hardly any of the harsh wind Chicago is known for.

With eating, drinking and visiting the architectural sites of Frank Lloyd Wright in Oak Park on the agenda, we chose the new Public hotel as a starting point. The former Ambassador East was recently redesigned by Ian Schrager, who has expertly maintained the integrity of the building. The Pump Room, the hotel’s Jean-Georges restaurant, is really a marvel. With at least one hundred glowing orbs suspended from the ceiling, you feel as if you’ve walked into a glass of Champagne. And despite having opened weeks before our visit, it’s already an uncontested hotspot in the city. Of course, that didn’t stop us from testing out some exceptional restaurants nearby — Avec, The Publican and The Girl & The Goat, though each night we took much delight in being able to return to the bar at the Public for a final nightcap.”

Dylan and Jeni are a husband and wife photography team based in LA, chronicling their adventures on the blogs Eat, Drink + Be Merry and Oishii Eats.