Don’t miss this icon in Chicago, where you can get served the quintessential Chicago dog by car hop in the city’s last remaining drive-in restaurant. Read more.
This cafe serves breakfast, lunch and dinner effortlessly and without pretension. Best of the best include brioche French toast and roast leg of lamb with sherry-braised black figs.
This well known Swedish restaurant is a neighborhood favorite, serving traditional pastries, several types of benedicts, quiche and herring dishes. Read more.
See 160 works by Pop artist Roy Lichtenstein in a major retrospective May 22 - September 3. Chicago has the honor of being the first city to host the show: Read more.
Catering to all tastes, Skinnie Piggy Cupcakes serves an assortment of vegan cupckaes along with a delicious variety of of regular cupcakes and bulk candy.
Form a happy “taste memories” at Ina’s, which has served up brunch for over 20 years. Enjoy the Vegetable Hash and Heavenly Hots signatures. Gluten-free options are available and parking is free.
A seasonal stand in the heart of Little Italy, Mario’s is a local staple. Stop in for one of their famous frozen lemonades, which are similar to an Italian ice.
Demitasse is a local establishment that proudly brews their own coffee in house! Stop in and have a coffee in house or keep your eye out for their coffee at stores around town.
Wishbone’s mascot Dolly is the owner’s actual childhood dog. Stop by for fast-service brunch, but also don’t forget to try their signature shrimp & grits, blackened catfish, or smoked beef brisket.
La Colombe supplies coffee to West Loop restaurants as well as to cafe patrons. Try their Leonardo DiCaprio blend: proceeds go to the Actor’s foundation to support environmental sustainability.
Tomoto Head, known for their cracker thin-crust, puts a unique spin on pizza by using cornmeal instead of flour. Their Fire Breather and BBQ Chicken are popular menu choices!
Ask Porkchop to “add meat” to anything on your menu. Besides their grilled porkchop, this place is also known for fried chicken! Come here on a Friday or Saturday to listen to live local rock bands.
Loretta’s is owned by a family of ten who’ve been lifelong restuarant owners. Grab their signature applie pie, a lemon curd brownie, or a latte served by the local La Colombe Coffee!
In business since the 1960s, Barbara’s Bookstore has earned a reputation in Chicago for it’s personalized service, amazing author event schedule and great book selection.
Jane Addams Hull-House, one of Chicago’s always free attractions, is a dynamic memorial to the 1931 Nobel Peace Prize, who helped Chicago’s diverse immigrant communities develop roots in Chicago. Read more.
A must stop in Greektown, the family-owned Pan Hellenic Pastry Shop has been serving authentic, homemade Greek pastries for over 38 years, including a delicious traditional baklava.
Making a Chicago-style hot dog, with all its requisite toppings, is also known as "dragging it through the garden".
Except for a brief period when relocating to Union Avenue, Jim’s Original is the longest continuously operating hot dog stand to have once served the hungry patrons of Maxwell Street Market. Read more.
A hidden gem in Greektown, stop into Meli to grab breakfast, lunch or one of their famous homemade juices from their vast menu.
Greek Island is the staple of Greek Town, importing wines, olives oil, oregano, honey and olives straight from Greece. Try their distinctive lima beans and Colorado lamb.
Haymarket offers American and Belgium-inspired beers brewed in-house and delicious food (vegan options available). Sip on a brew while taking in a play at the connected Drinking and Writing Theater.
Stop in this coffee shop and deli for a corned beef sandwich lunch! Manny's staff says it's a local favorite.
"I like going to Kuma's Corner when I'm in Chicago. Its a Heavy Metal themed hamburger joint and the burgers are named after bands. You don't have to eat for again for 3 days!" -Dan Black @Dan_Black
Go during the week for a shorter line. Although the duck fat fries are good, the sausage is king.
Often referred to as “landscape art under glass,” the free admission conservatory occupies approximately 4.5 acres inside and out, where thousands of plant species are on display. Read more.
This take-out bakery specializes in the "Big Dat" an enormous doughnut, measuring 9" across and 3" tall.
Located just outside the Damen Pink Line ‘L’ Stop,this mural focuses on the individuality of the people that created the heritage and cultural identity of the community. Read more.
Located outside the United Center’s east end, the sculpture, which can be seen without buying a ticket to a Bulls or Blackhawks game, celebrates one of Chicago’s most internationally known figures. Read more.
Around since 1875, this apothecary's original location is stacked floor-to-ceiling with every medicine, scent and homeopathic brand you can think of. It's one of Lincoln Square's many hip boutiques. Read more.
With 3 floors of books stacked from floor to ceiling, Myopic is one of Chicago’s oldest and largest used bookstores. They also have a curious piece of memorabilia: Charles Bukowski’s “last breath”.
Discover a unique 2-in-1 bookstore and cozy café serving coffee and wine in the heart of Lincoln Square, hosting events such as Essay Fiesta and Local Author Night.
Quimby’s features one-of-a-kind publications such as small and independent press books, magazines, zines, and underground comics, like Chicago cartoonist Chris Ware's Quimby the Mouse.
Browse historic books, documents, photographs and artifacts related to the history of the U.S., particularly pertaining to Abraham Lincoln, the Civil War, and presidential and military history.
An independent neighborhood bookstore, Unabridged Bookstore is known for its specialization in gay and lesbian titles, but carries something for the book lover in anyone
Shop for a great cause! Buy a book and help a child learn to read. Purchases from this colorful used bookstore benefit the non-profit organization’s literacy programs.
Family-owned and operated since 1982, Sandmeyer’s Bookstore has been an independent neighborhood institution in the historic Printing House Row District for over 25 years.
The foundation's bookshop offers out a plethora of titles ranging from architecture to children’s books, maps/guides, and Chicago-themed books, as well as gadgets and gifts inspired by architecture.
Browse the Art Institute’s galleries, then head to their bookshops, which offer a comprehensive range of art titles, as well as artistic stationary and gifts.
A Michelle Obama favorite, this 26-year-old bookstore, part of the Seminary Co-op Bookstores, Inc., is a visually colorful nook with a vast collection children’s and cook books
Stroll past three large window galleries with new and engaging artwork to enjoy. This “experimental cultural center” produces art exhibitions, readings, and performances. Read more.
The Music Box plays a mix of independent and foreign films, as well as classic (black and white) movie matinees, and midnight screenings of cult classics. Read more.
This Chicago landmark presents jazz nightly, from traditional to experimental, amid a "speakeasyesque" décor. Read more.
The cobblestone, mural-lined Glenwood Avenue Arts District in Rogers Park is home to award-winning theaters, art galleries, a seasonal farmers market, and cute cafes. Read more.
Among the Park’s cool features are a pagoda-shaped pavilion, where you can catch a water taxi to downtown Chicago, and a unique railroad drawbridge. Read more.
This take-out bakery specializes in the "Big Dat" an enormous doughnut, measuring 9" across and 3" tall.
Popular with locals and visitors, Chicago’s Home of Chicken & Waffles serves soul food up in a stylish dining room. Read more.
According to the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council, Wrigley Field and Yankee Stadium tied for home of the best stadium hot dog in 2008. Read more.
Famous for its authentic Swedish meatballs, Ann Sather is loved by locals (Scandinavian or not) for its desserts - gigantic cinnamon rolls and marzipan cream cakes.
True elegance, style and service. A fantastic addition to our world class city!
The collection encompasses more than 5,000 years of human expression from around the world & more than 260,000 pieces. The Modern Wing was opened in 2009 & is the largest expansion in their history.
This museum's centerpiece is a flying machine whose size and reputation dwarfs all others. It is the Hughes H-4 Hercules, the largest aircraft to be built almost entirely from wood. Read more.
It's the world's largest indoor aquarium with over 8,000 aquatic animals representing over 700 species. The Marine Mammal Presentation features staff interacting with whales & dolphins as they dive.
Best view of Chicago Skyline is from the front steps of the Planetarium. Bring your camera!
This is the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere. The Henry Crown Space Center features rockets, shuttles, satellites, rovers and probes. You can even see the actual Apollo 8 spacecraft! Read more.
Thought you'd want to know: Ruxbin has been nominated for Best New Restaurant and Edward Kim has been nominated for Breakout Chef of the Year in Time Out Chicago’s 2011 Eat Out Awards. Vote now! Read more.
Sample the selection of grilled cheese, banh mi, beef short rib, & turkey confit sandwiches. Custom sodas such as vanilla kola & lemongrass-lime leaf help wash down the great food. Read more.
Seafood, poultry, and all sorts of meats and vegetables are prepped on a sizzling charcoal grill until 1 a.m., filling the air with smells that can work up a solid mouth sweat. Read more.
Located inside a former Turkish bathhouse, Trenchermen offers vintage cocktails and a menu of dishes that can probably be described as “substantial.” Read more.
A go-to shop for stylish cyclist-friendly thread. A custom sewing station helps shoppers add a personal touch to bags & the shop also plans to host live music every third Thursday of the month Read more.
Diners can still expect an excellent 100-seat outdoor patio & a world-fusion menu. The outdoor seating & inviting indoor bar lend themselves to boozy evenings,& Red Door has nice beer & wine lists. Read more.
First planned in 1997 to create new parkland in Grant Park & transform unsightly railroad tracks & parking lots, the Park has evolved into one of the most significant millennium projects in the world.
Make a meal out of small plates like the wings, slicked in a gingery soy-caramel glaze and tossed with cucumber kimchi and sip on the perfect stirred Sazerac: http://tmoutchi.us/13EV7jr
Order the Bar DeVille cocktail, a potent elixir of rye, Campari, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, bitters, simple syrup and egg white, it's a frothy delight: http://tmoutchi.us/13EV7jr Read more.
Gaslight roasts its own beans and brews them via drip, pour-over and siphon methods. http://tmoutchi.us/13RnXNp Read more.
Big plates of homey and very satisfying Mexican with a friendly, accommodating staff. Excellent refried beans.
The lox and whitefish terrine has smoked whitefish folded with dill, pepper, and cream cheese, and's wrapped in smoked salmon, served with house-made toast and horseradish sauce. Read more.
