Exploring Chicago’s Neighborhoods on a Budget: Little Italy
Welcome to Chicago, the third largest city in the country! Whether it’s your first year in the city or you simply have not had the chance to explore the neighborhoods near campus, here are a few spots with some of the most delicious food. In this challenge your favorite UIClife bloggers, myself, Elizabeth Lopez, and Adrian Almaraz, explore the Little Italy neighborhood and figure out what meals and food we can buy during a typical school day with JUST $20. Did we succeed or did we fail? Keep reading to find out…
For breakfast, we chose to start at Eggsperience on 1230 W Taylor Street. Eggsperience is the seventh location in the independently owned franchise and opened its doors in 2016. Open from 7 a.m.-3 p.m., you can dine-in or order takeout. Adrian decided to get the Bacon & Eggs with a side of complimentary pancakes and fruit for a total of $13.23 with tax.
“Definitely a very filling meal to start your day. I’m stuffed!” said Adrian grinning. This meal is a great way to start your day and fill your appetite before a long day of lectures and activities.
If you need a quick lunch, stop by Busy Burger on 1120 W Taylor Street. I decided to try their famous original burger, “Single Busy”. At a price point of $6.41 with tax and a student discount (15% off), this delicious burger is one for the books. The burger is made from a single, natural-beef patty, topped with their tangy, spicey busy sauce, leaf lettuce, dill pickle, tomato, red onion, and a butter toasted bun. This burger is probably my favorite on Taylor Street. Every bite was so filling and flavorful. It will definitely have me coming back for more.
For a grand total of $19.64, your bloggers successfully bought food for the day with just $20. The budget was tight for the neighborhood, but we did it and so can you! In our next adventure, we will try to buy breakfast, lunch, and dessert with just $20. Stay tuned to see what neighborhood we take on next!
Make sure to check out our TikTok @UIClife, where we'll show our $20 adventure and Adrian’s reaction to our meals.