Experience Chicago

Before, during and after the conference, make some time to experience Chicago. From opera to Off Broadway, museums to the Mag Mile, Chicago in March is filled with things to do and sights to see. For more information and ideas, visit the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau to make the most of your time in Chicago.

Restaurants | Nightlife | Shopping | Museums | Tours & Attractions

Laren’s Restaurant Recommendations

The Purple Pig
500 North Michigan Avenue
312/464-1744 (no reservations)
(Voted one of the ten best new restaurants in America by Bon Appetit magazine, Feb. 2010.)

Takashi Restaurant
1952 North Damen Avenue
773/772-6170
(Laren’s favorite restaurant.)

Chicago Cut Steakhouse
300 North LaSalle
312/329-1800
(Voted Best Restaurant in Chicago by Crains. Favorite hangout of celebs and athletes.)

Ing
951 West Fulton Market
855/834-6464
(Opened March 1. So cool, we haven’t even been yet. Nano-brewed beers and flavor changers.)

Piccolo Sogno Restaurant
464 North Halsted Street
312/421-0077
(Best authentic Italian food in the city. Great wines too.)

Girl and the Goat
809 West Randolph Street
312/492-6262
(“Top Chef” Season 4 winner Stephanie Iazard’s “fun and funky” shared-plates spot in the West Loop focusing on Mediterranean flavors.)

Paris Club
59 West Hubbard Street
312/595-0800
(French bistro as interpreted for today.)

Salpicon
1252 North Wells
312/988-7811
(As good as Frontera Grill, without the wait.)

The Gage
24 South Michigan Avenue
312/372-4243
(Gastropub. Upscale yet down to earth. Across from Millennium Park.)

Pelago
201 East Delaware Place
312/280-0700
(Master with fish. He used to be Exec Chef at Felidia in NY but he got smart and came to Chicago.)

Publican
837 West Fulton Market
312/733-9555
(Hipster restaurant of the moment. Temple of pork, beer and seafood.)

Mindy’s Hot Chocolate
1747 North Damen Avenue
773/489-1747
(The most fun menu ever. Can eat a seriously delicious meal here, not to mention the desserts which have to be good with a name like that.)

Meli Cafe & Juice Bar
540 North Wells Street
312/527-1850
(Best breakfast in the City. Greek owned and operated, but not your daddy’s Greek coffee shop.)

Nightlife Recommendations

For more suggestions, visit Metromix Chicago or Chicago Magazine’s 100 Best Bars in Chicago list.

Crimson Lounge (lounge)
333 North Dearborn Street
312/371-6923
(The namesake hue pervades the sumptuous décor at this lounge inside the Hotel Sax.)

Excalibur (bar and dance club)
632 North Dearborn Street
312/266-1944
(One of the largest nightclubs in the city. With more than 60,000 square feet of partying space, this late-night, early-morning, prime-time groove palace.)

Howl at the Moon (piano bar)
26 West Hubbard Street
312/863-7427
(This unusual saloon-like club features a rowdy atmosphere complete with dueling pianists who encourage diners to belt out familiar tunes.)

Hub 51 (lounge)
51 West Hubbard Street
312/828-0051
(Look for an “urban and industrial space” and a broad menu covering everything from seafood and sushi to tacos and burgers. Head downstairs to Sub 51, a reservations-only, DJ-fueled lounge space.)

Lumen (dance club and lounge)
839 West Fulton Market
312/733-2222
(This 5,000-square-foot lounge boasts an innovative multimedia system blending LED lights, video and sound for a cutting-edge experience.)

Pops for Champagne (lounge)
601 North State Street
312/266-7677
(Draws a more mature clientele than most of the surrounding nightclubs – try one of their 100-plus sparkling wines and listen to live jazz in the downstairs lounge.)

Sound Bar (dance club and lounge)
226 West Ontario Street
312/787-4480
(This 20,000-square-foot space is decorated in a minimalist style and divided into two levels, two dance floors and nine separate bar areas. Aiming to attract a diverse crowd, Sound Bar’s downstairs lounges and upscale wine and champagne selection appeal to an older clientele, while the hard house music and bottles of light beer satisfy the younger set.)

Theory (sports bar and lounge)
9 West Hubbard Street
312/644-0004
(This modern sports-focused lounge fancies itself one step above your standard sports bar. Comfy barstools and chairs are fit for extended game watching, and a casual menu of American and Mexican eats has a touch of barbecue by way of pulled pork and ribs.)

The Underground (dance club and lounge)
56 West Illinois Street
312/644-7600
(This subterranean space aims to live up to the hype with unmarked entrances “guarded” by beefy bouncer-types and a sexy staff outfitted in military uniforms. Huge celebrity hang out.)

Y-Bar (lounge)
224 West Ontario Street
312/274-1880
(This spot is a more intimate concept that puts less focus on beats and more emphasis on lounging.)

Gay and Lesbian Scene

Hydrate
3458 North Halsted Street
773/975-9244
(The bar’s blue-hued front room serves as a lounge, while the club’s rear turns into a full-blown dance club after 11 p.m. and stays going until the wee hours thanks to Hydrate’s late-night license.)

Minibar/Winebar
3339 North Halsted Street
773/871-6227
(Bartenders with model looks, Minibar focuses on flavor-infused spirits and cocktails, and Winebar serves a selection of panini, bruschettas, salads and cheese to compliment your vino. The two contemporary spaces are joined by a rear hallway, and when the music’s turned up late at night and the party vibe pervades, you won’t be able to tell the difference.)

Sidetrack
3349 North Halsted Street
773/477-9189
(Gay bar catering to a predominantly male, fun-seeking clientele. The bar includes four rooms, including an airy front patio that looks onto Halsted Street, plus a multi-level, rooftop deck for 350 people.)

Shopping

The Magnificent Mile along Michigan Avenue. In this eight-block stretch, 460 stores offer luxury items, beautiful bargains, and everything in-between.
State Street Retail Historic District and surrounding Loop stores — including the historic Macy’s (formally Marshall Fields) covers a full city block
Oak Street is an international style center with high-end stores and salons just steps off Michigan Avenue. Art and antiques collectors hunt for treasure in the 60-plus galleries of nearby River North Gallery District.

Museums

Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, the world’s only museum with two full-size planetarium theaters
The Art Institute of Chicago, whose permanent collection of paintings, drawings, photography and textiles includes the largest compilation of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works outside the Louvre
The Field Museum, 20 million biological and anthropological specimens, including Sue, the largest and most complete T. rex ever found
The Museum of Science and Industry, the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere offers over 800 captivating interactive exhibits including the U-505 submarine, a working coal mine, a Boeing 727 airplane, and much, much more
Shedd Aquarium, 22,000 aquatic species
The Museum of Contemporary Art
The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
The Museum of Contemporary Photography
Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies
DuSable Museum of African American History
The Oriental Institute
Chicago Children’s Museum

Attractions

Navy Pier, the Midwest’s top tourist destination and its boardwalk with countless dining or shopping options
Millennium Park offers dazzling music, art, landscape design and architecture including the mammoth stainless-steel Cloud Gate sculpture and ice skating in the winter
Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) 103rd floor of Skydeck Chicago
Hancock Observatory 94th floor
The city’s 29 miles of lakefront paths are just one reason Chicago is one of the world’s most walkable and beautiful cities
Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago's Architectural Showplace for the Lively and Visual Arts and the city's official Visitor Center