Dining Excursion in Chicago, Illinois

With a blend of urban and natural activities, Chicago is an excellent choice for vacationing near the bustle of a large Midwestern city. Chicago hosts a number of local restaurants ranging from fine dining to inexpensive, family-owned storefronts.

Alinea is owned and food created by Chef Grant Achatz. Located inside a nondescript black building, the dining room is decorated with modern themes. The dining experience is created by several courses of food brought to tables by servers as customers finish them. Alinea offers a 13-course tasting or a 23-course tour of entrees and desserts. Wine tours are tailored to match food selections by a staff sommelier, though non-alcoholic choices are available.

Alinea
1723 N. Halstead
Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 867-0110
http://www.alinea-restaurant.com/

CJ's Eatery

Settled in the Humbolt neighborhood of Chicago, CJ's Eatery is open for breakfast, brunch and lunch. Serving typical breakfast fare like sausage biscuits and gravy, banana pancakes, French toast and and eggs with hash browns. Other brunch and breakfast items include the Fried Catfish breakfast, shrimp and grits, and fried chicken with waffles offer deviation from the normal collection of breakfast choices. CJ's offers coffee and espresso from their bar as well as several fruit iced teas.

CJ's Eatery
3839 W. Grand Ave.
Chicago, IL 60651
(773) 292-0990
http://www.cjs-eatery.com/

La Gondola Italian Restaurant

A small restaurant within the Lakeview neighborhood, La Gondola specializes homemade-style Italian food. Food is served family style making the the restaurant acceptable for families and large groups. Executive chef Abdon Vazquez prepares familiar dishes such as eggplant parmigiana, grilled calamari, pizza and sandwiches. The menu at La Gondola has several items and offers a wine list. Due to the small dining space, advance reservations or carryout is highly recommended.

La Gondola Italian Restaurant
2914 N. Ashland Ave.
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 248-4433
http://www.lagondolachicago.com/

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria

Lou Malnati's provides an opportunity to try out Chicago-style deep dish pizza, though several styles of pizza are served. Lou Malnati's is a local chain that has expanded to the serve each of the suburbs outside of town. Standard fare such as bruschetta, calamari and cheese bread top the appetizer menu, while salads are available for those looking to stick to the lighter meals. Lou Malnati's also offers pizza in four different sizes, sandwiches, kid's menu and dessert. A full bar is available in some locations.

Lou Malnati's
3859 W. Ogden Ave.
Chicago, IL 60623
(773) 762-0800
http://www.loumalnatis.com/