Chicago has stepped into the light as a food-lover's paradise. From top-end restaurants such as Charlie Trotter's and Ambria all the way down to corner dives serving Chicago "dawgs" (100% pure beef hot dog, poppy seed bun, yellow mustard, sweet relish, chopped onions, pickle spear, tomato, celery salt, sport peppers), there's something for every taste here. I swear that even the dives are good!
Indecisive about what to try? Come to the annual
Taste of Chicago, which runs for 2 weeks at the end of June through July 4th, and brings together more than 60 restaurants to showcase their talents, in combination with top-notch entertainment from around the country. If "the Taste" seems overwhelming, there are smaller food festivals around the city during the year.
Some neighborhoods are known for their ethnicity - Devon Ave on the north side of the city has a large population of India and Pakistani restaurants; Chinatown, Little Italy, Ukranian Village, Little Korea, Greektown and other areas are home to heavy concentrations of their respective restaurants.
Outdoor dining is extremely popular in Chicago during the warmer weather. Any restaurant that can manage to get the sidewalk space or squeeze out a small patio does so - and the locals LOVE people-watching from outdoor seating. My favorite outdoor seating areas are Melrose Diner, Meritage, Twisted Spoke and Keefer's, but there are lots of great places to eat al fresco, especially at Navy Pier.
Some favorite dining memories from around Chicago:
- spending the Chinese New Year celebrations in Chinatown, then having dim sum and exploring local shops;
- checking out various local festivals;
- taking a sunset dining cruise from Navy Pier and watching the fireworks;
- doing wine tastings at Bin 36;
- shopping at Fox & Obel's food market near Navy Pier;
- picnic feasts at Ravinia, courtesy of the fantastic food court at Marshall Field's;
And lots more. If you love food, it's hard to go wrong in Chicago!
Quick Tips:
A couple of great local sources for information including event listings:
Metromix - website dedicated to what is hip and happening in Chicago. Includes restaurant reviews, map links, more.
Chicago Reader - Printed version of the newspaper comes out Wednesday afternoon and is free; website available. Reader-written restaurant reviews in the back, current event listings, more.
Lettuce Entertain You - Restaurant group that rewards you for frequent dining in their establishments. All LEYE restaurants are high quality, and their variety is astounding.
Both the Chicago Cultural Center's Chicago tourism office (78 E. Washington St.) and the city tourism branch location at the Water Tower (N. Michigan Ave at E. Chicago Ave.) have visitor magazines available with coupons, as well as tourist-orientated coupon books providing a variety of discounts.
Best Way To Get Around:
Chicago is very walkable, and has an extensive quality public transportation system consisting of buses, trains and taxis. For extensive information, visit the CTA website (
yourcta.com). CTA fares start at .75, and multi-day passes (a very economical choice if visiting the city for multiple days) are available.
The Chicago city grid radiates out from the crossing of State Street and Madison - everything north of State is "North" and everything west of State is "West". When in doubt, even-numbered houses are on the west and north sides of the street.
If you are driving yourself, keep in mind that on-street parking is limited and outside the Loop, parking garages are not as common. However, many restaurants offer valet parking (-10), or offer discounts for local parking garages. It is always a good idea to call ahead and ask about a restaurant's parking availability when in doubt.