MacArthur’s Restaurant
Cafeteria-style West Side soul food institution since 1997, famed for fried chicken, short ribs and peach cobbler
Garfield Park Conservatory
One of the largest conservatories in the country and free to visit, with a dramatic Palm House and Fern Room designed by Jens Jensen in 1908
Inspiration Kitchens
Social-enterprise restaurant that trains people overcoming homelessness while serving scratch-made New American comfort food
Lost Larson
An acclaimed Scandinavian bakery in Andersonville, milling heritage grains for its breads and cardamom buns.
Stony Island Arts Bank
A 1923 bank reborn by artist Theaster Gates as a gallery, archive, and community space on the South Side.
Calumet Fisheries
A James Beard-honored shack by the 95th Street bridge, smoking fish over oak since 1928 – cash only, no seats.
Thalia Hall
An 1892 opera-house-turned-music-hall in Pilsen, one of the city’s most beautiful rooms for live shows.
Constellation
An intimate room for adventurous jazz, new music, and dance, programmed with serious curatorial care.
The Hideout
A beloved honky-tonk hidden behind an industrial yard, hosting alt-country, literary nights, and community gatherings for decades.
Empty Bottle
Chicago’s scrappy temple of indie, punk, and experimental music since 1992, with cheap drinks and a resident cat.