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Oprah Practically Owns Chicago, So Tour The City In Her Footsteps

December 1, 2009 at 9:36 AM | by | Comments (0)

Now that Oprah officially announced she'll book it out of Chicago once her TV show ends in September 2011, it's a good time to head to the Windy City to tour the daytime diva's favorite local haunts.

Although the TV hostess doesn't make public appearances in the city often, we found out which restaurants and shops O visits when she does venture out. Who knows, take this DIY tour and you might run into her before she departs for the West Coast.

· Wishbone
Obviously you'll be planted outside of Harpo Studios, hoping to get a glimpse of Oprah. But when you need a break from stalking, head around the block to Wishbone, a popular restaurant among O staffers and guests. Sure, the location makes it perfect for star sightings, but the restaurant earns its own merits for its fun down-home Southern cuisine. Wolf down French toast coated with crushed cornflake batter, or some corn cakes dotted with corn and scallions, served with sweet red pepper sauce and scrambled eggs.

· The Oprah Store
Hardcore fans will want to shop here for O-logoed key chains, fleeces, baby booties and other souvenirs, all of which are personally approved by the lady herself. But the real reason to visit is to see Oprah's Closet, a selection of clothing that O has worn on her show or in her everyday life. It's all for sale and proceeds benefit the talk-show host's Angel Network.

· Garrett Popcorn
Oprah loves the popcorny goodness at Garrett so much that it's been featured on two different "Favorite Things" episodes. The Chicago queen of course favors the Chicago Mix, a blend of caramel and cheese popcorn that'll leave your fingers sticky and covered in orange powder.

· Grant Park
Gorgeous Grant Park is one of Oprah's favorite Windy City spots, with its lakefront location and its picturesque Buckingham Fountain. It's also the famous place where some guy named Obama had his winning election rally back in November 2008. You remember, Oprah got a lot of camera time as she nuzzled some random guy outside in the park. Maybe you can find a guy to nuzzle here, too.

· Table Fifty-Two
Cap your Oprah tour with dinner at Table Fifty-Two, an upscale restaurant that turns out—what else?—Southern comfort food. The restaurant is helmed by Art Smith, who served as Oppie's personal chef for 10 years and is a contributing editor for her magazine. So she may be a little biased, but after eating the free tasty goat cheese biscuits and ordering the cornmeal-crusted blackfish with cheese grits, bacon-braised collard greens and a hush puppy with a side of the rich three-cheese mac and cheese, you might be, too.

Related Stories:
· Oprah's Private Jet Pilot And Flight Attendant Get Caught In The (Sex) Act [Jaunted]
· Oprah Will Throw A Massive Public Party On Chicago's Michigan Avenue [Jaunted]

[Photos: Chicago Tribune/Heather Charles, Wishbone, The Oprah Store, Emily C., albany_tim, Table Fifty-Two]

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