Nine Chicago Restaurants to Try: From a Monster Burger to Refined Midwest Fare
Forget New York: This is a great city for casual dining, with gastropubs, curries and Mexican food as well as American fare and bars with a view.
Chicago is a great city for eating out, even though it lacks the gastronomic ambition and international reputation of New York.
There's a wide range of cuisines, the cooking is good, the prices are affordable and the service is friendly. Plus, it is a manageable size, with good public transportation. On a flying visit last week, to interview chef Grant Achatz at Alinea, I made a whistlestop tour of some hot dining spots.