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Jenna Fischer is basking in an extended stay in Chicago wondering where to eat in this lovely city. The actress endorsing the play ‘Ashland Avenue’ at Goodman has expressed her passionate love for this city and has now announced the extension of the run for the show until October 19th.
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At one point, Fischer took to social media to profess her love for Chicago, expressing that she did not want to leave. She praised the city, people, Lake Michigan, and the art community. One of the joys is the local custom of asking, “Where have you eaten?” This guided her followers in the comment section, asking them for their favorite restaurants while she still had two weeks to go in Chicago.
Fischer used this opportunity to talk about her play, ‘Ashland Avenue.’ She proceeded to describe the story as a hilarious and touching study on family dynamics that center around a small businessman grappling with the idea of his daughter wanting to find her own way instead of taking over the family business. She urged fans not to miss it and gave a 50% discount promo code, “CHICAGO,” for selected remaining dates. Moreover, she thrilled her fans by revealing that Billie Joe Armstrong and his Green Day gang attended a show.
Almost simultaneously, the comment section exploded with recommendations on restaurants and enthusiastic proposals for the play. One user mused, “Stay in Chicago, it’s such an amazing city!” Another expressed a little more bittersweet sentiment: “And we love you. It would be selfish to say, please don’t go. But how about please come back? Often!”
The annals of suggestions became something of an informal dining tour guide. The list became so overwhelming to one fan that she exclaimed, “Girl, now I’ll have to go there just to follow your food tips!” The suggestions ranged from long-established Chicago staples to the newest hot spots.
An enthusiastic user gives their full endorsement for Twin Anchors: “Best melt-in-your-mouth ribs and pair it with the onion rings!!” with a fabulous tidbit that it was featured in ‘Return to Me.’ Recommendations for Loyalist were due to its speakeasy vibe and incredible burgers, La Scarola for Italian, and Cho Sun Ok for Korean BBQ, particularly emphasizing their tableside cooking.
There were plenty more mentions, like Lula Cafe in Logan Square, Monteverde, Cruz Blanca, and, of course, Alinea, with one commenter joking, “I know it’s a bit bougie for mom detectives but I have always wanted to go!” Also on the list were Trivoli Tavern, Rosemary, Aba Restaurant, and a trip to Chinatown.
Amidst the foodie ruckus, one remark stood out as it shed light on the bigger picture: Speaking to the actress’ known social justice fervor, a Chicago-based listener of Fischer’s ‘Office Ladies’ podcast-while acknowledging any backlash-pushed Fischer to address the political struggles facing Chicago and the country, telling her, “we don’t have a choice to turn it on and off as we please.” It pointed to the sometimes-strained relationship between a star enjoying a city and actual attempts at political solutions getting overshadowed by the darker faces the city wears.
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Still, the tones of the thread remained celebratory and centered on Chicago culture and food. Another comment thanked Fischer “for not being political and instead just showcasing how great this city is!” The conversation rounded away from the personal toward an arts shout-out and back into the care-taking of each other through good food, an embodiment of the very community spirit Fischer mentioned in her post. With the extension of the play and such a long list of restaurants to longer, there’s no way this chapter of Jenna Fischer in Chicago is going to end anytime soon.
This story originally appeared on Celebrityinsider
