Urban Belly

We're always trying to find restaurants that serve adult food where it is not that big of a deal to bring your kids.  Urban Belly is one of those restaurants that we really enjoy going to.  The restaurant is located in a strip mall (so keep your eye out or you will walk/drive right by) at 3053 N. California.  The food is Asian fusion, I guess, and the menu is made up of dumplings, noodle dishes, and rice dishes.  The dumplings are really good.  We like the ones with duck and pho spices.  What we really go for, however, are the noodle dishes.  One order is plenty of food for my husband and I to eat so we always have a hard time deciding what to get.  Usually we end up with the rice cake with chicken, mango, and Korean chili sauce but we've tried just about noodle dish and they are all good.  The food is a bit spicy, however, for small children.  The restaurant offers one kid's option, a noodle bowl (you choose the type of noodle) in a very mild, non spicy but also very delicious broth.  My older daughter loves it and always eats just about the whole thing even though it is definitely big enough for a couple of kids.

There is a small parking lot in front of the restaurant.  Inside the restaurant, all of the seating is at four large communal tables.  You are supposed to order at the counter first and then sit down.  Wait staff will bring you your food and bus your tables when you are done.  I wouldn't say the staff is the friendliest I've ever seen but they are not rude and the food more than makes up for it.  Urban Belly is open from 11 AM - 9 PM Tuesday through Sunday.

Chicago History Museum

The Chicago History Museum, located at 1601 N. Clark, currently has a Magic exhibit that is a lot of fun.  The exhibit is smallish with a short movie to watch and two rooms with local magic and magician related memorabilia.  The best part, however, is that there is a magician who performs at the entrance of the exhibit.  Every week there is a different magician.  See the Museums website for a schedule of who will be there when (chicagohistory.org).  We went back a couple times to see the magician perform while we were at the museum and every time he was doing different tricks that were really entertaining and totally engaging of the audience.  We all had a good time and the girls loved when they got to be involved in the tricks.  The magicians are at the exhibit daily from 11 until 3 during the week and until 4 on Saturdays and Sundays.

In addition to the Magic exhibit, the Museum has a lot of other interesting permanent exhibits.  My favorite room has a bunch of very elaborate dioramas showing big events in the history of Chicago, such as the World's Fair and the Great Fire.  The girls really liked an exhibit called Crossroads of America that included an old subway train you can walk through.  In addition, there is the Sensing Chicago exhibit, which is more hands on, allowing kids to add toppings to a giant stuffed hot dog and smell different scents in the City and guess what they are.

The museum is free for kids 12 and under and $14/person for adults.  Street parking can be tricky in this part of the City but there is a parking lot located at LaSalle and Stockton.  It's just a short walk to the museum.  Parking will cost you $9 at this lot but you have to make sure you get your parking ticket validated at the Museum to get this price.  The Museum is also not too far of a walk from the Clark and Division stop on the Red Line.  There is a cafe located inside the Museum that offers breakfast and lunch.

The museum is enjoyable in itself but if you have a child who loves magicians I suggest catching the Magic exhibit, which will be at the Museum through September 3rd.