Audrey Niffenegger's Chicago: From Tre Kronor to The Hideout
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Writer Audrey Niffenegger attends a festival in Wales in 2013. Photo: David Levenson/Getty Images
Audrey Niffenegger is one of Chicago's most celebrated contemporary authors and visual artists. Her novels include "Her Fearful Symmetry" and the mega-hit "The Time Traveler's Wife," which was turned into a feature film.
The latest: Niffenegger took her love of literature and book arts to new heights when she founded the Artist Book House, which moved into its own space in Old Irving Park last year.
- On Saturday, they are throwing the Goreyesque Gala to raise money for renovations.
State of play: Writers usually work in unique places. So naturally, we asked Niffenegger about what her perfect day in Chicago might look like.
🍳 Breakfast: "Tre Kronor. If it's Sunday brunch, I order the crab cake eggs benedict and coffee. Other days, I usually order two eggs sunny side up with fried potatoes and limpa toast, and coffee. The maple danishes are very tasty, too."
📚 Morning activity: "Browsing in bookshops. It would be pretty impossible to browse all of these in one morning as they are scattered across many neighborhoods, but a notable thing about Chicago is its wealth of terrific bookshops, libraries, and other literary gathering places; these are just a few of the greats:
- Quimby's Bookstore, The Book Cellar, Chicago Bookends and Beginnings, Women & Children First, Powell's Books, The Book Stall and Volumes Bookcafe."
😋 Lunch: "Kopi Cafe. The smoked salmon tartine is smoked salmon slices on a baguette with wasabi dill cream cheese. (I eat fish, but I also like Kopi because they have great vegetarian food.) I love their Russian tea, it is served with preserved cherries in the bottom of the glass."
🖼️ Afternoon activity: "The Art Institute of Chicago has a new exhibit that I am eager to see: 'Strange Realities: The Symbolist Imagination.' I've always been inspired by Symbolist artists, especially Edvard Munch and Odilon Redon. The work is sumptuous and spooky. The show runs through January 5, 2026."
🍟 Dinner: "Since I'm already downtown at the Art Institute, I'll go to The Gage for dinner. It's hard to choose from their varied menu, but I love their pub scotch egg and also the truffle fries."
- "For mains I would order the diver scallops, with roasted squash, grilled peaches, and smoked yellow tomato. (I know this equals three meals with fish — in real life fish once a day or less would be more my speed. In real life, I'm at home writing or drawing all day and eating egg salad on toast for lunch and homemade vegetarian pizza for dinner.)"
🍺 Evening activity: "If I am out in the evening, it's usually to attend a friend's reading or go to an art opening. A favorite place to go afterwards is Hopleaf Bar in Andersonville. They have tasty food (try the frites!) and an awe-inspiring selection of beer."
🎵 After hours: "The Hideout. A former speakeasy, it's been around forever. It's tiny, it's beloved, and it is where all the best music happens. Be there or be square."