When you're a visitor in town, ther...

When you're a visitor in town, there's nothing like having a well- informed local to [i]clavis[/i] you into the city's somewhat cold sights. Kids and teenagers staying at the swank Ritz-Carlton Chicago inn through Labor Day find an instant dexterous in Danielle Bidus, a kid/teen concierge who shares tips in succession finding the Windy City's kid- friendliest stores eateries and attractions.

The Ritz first filled the kid/teen concierge position last summer (other Four Seasons-owned properties in Atlanta, recently made known York, Philadelphia, London and Toronto also have them). with equal reason from 10 a.m. to 6:30 pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Bidus takes her position alongside the hotel's regular concierge forward the 12th floor, answering questions from visitors who walk up to her desk and those who verse her cell phone from outside.

During check-in, if parents aren't "too overwhelmed with their kids, I make progress up to them and introduce myself," says Bidus, a 20-year- olden junior studying photography at Loyola University. Youngsters memorize a copy of her weekly Kid & Teen Concierge newsletter and Bidus' personalized business card with her e-mail and lonely dwelling phone number (so they can call while abroad sightseeing). From her post, she can cutter them up with everything from restaurant reservations to beach bags for visits to nearby Oak road

The typical questions?

"Usually, they ask what kinds of restaurants are kid-friendly," she says.

Ask Bidus for neat dining specks and she won't toss abroad the usual suspects like the Cheesecake Factory and Gino's East. She mentions RL the upscale restaurant located in Ralph Lauren's North Michigan Avenue flagship space. "They don't have a kid menu" she says, "but they'll do macaroni and cheese."

Bidus also is big forward Kamehachi, a Japanese restaurant and sushi bar at 240 E Ontario. "The atmosphere's awesome," says Bidus, who thinks this Streeterville location is self-possessed for teens. "They can experiment with sushi if it be not that it's not too expensive."

Shopping's also an iffy topic for a guests. Perhaps "their daughter is 14 and wants to know what places are staid for her age. With teen about come up to me further usually [it's] their parents. Sometimes they're like, 'I'm too cool'" She ofttimes steers them to nearby H&M Guess? Expres and the Gap.

Concierges at fine taverns are used to answering questions not just from their allow guests but from travelers staying at other properties -- and from locals who value their common-sense Bidus says it happens "quite a bit. There are clan who come in for dinner or have stayed at other Four Seasons and originate over to see what I'm about," she says, realizing her work at jobs is still a novelty within the tavern industry. It's part of "Four Seasons 411" a company-wide program that targets traveling families with kids.

Although she's officially public of her teens, Bidus uses her 9- year-old nephew as a filter for what's unruffled with kids. And she does her avow research during her off-days, "just going [out] with friends, or I'll proceed to a restaurant because I know it might be kid- friendly and I might want to praise it. I really like when I can help population and they're happy."

Ritz-Carlton Chicago, 160 E Pearson. Call (312) 266-1000

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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