tenthumbs, Chicago is a culinary destination and those that travel into the city for the cuisine do not do so for deep-dish pizza. In addition to our other fine restaurants, we have the one which is considered the best in the nation and in the top ten in the world.

I don't think you understand the comment. The various vendors for beefsteaks don't just service the Chicagoland area, they service the entire nation (and beyond in some cases). Same product, different locales, very different prices.

You could take a look at where the currently operating steakhouses started. Practically all started outside of Chicago - they just have additional locations here.

And you should take a look at who actually runs those "quality Italian" food restaurants you are mentioning. These aren't family run operations, on the whole. In fact, very few even have ties to those that may have created them in the past.

I grew up in a very small town (500 people, at most) surrounded by other very small towns. And every one of them had some place(s) that offered either Italian or steak. Every one.

So, if you want to come to Chicago for deep-dish pizza, I urge you to check how many of the patrons are even locals. (Bet it won't be many.)

Sorry, I asked for a preview and it posted.

jill_h, glad you enjoyed my suggestion.

exildedprincess~I think you misread my post, and you're right, I don't understand your comments. If you read this entire thread, I never gave a recommendation and therefore never mentioned "quality Italian food restaurants."

The OP specifically asked for Italian and a steakhouse (because that's what they LIKE, not because they thought it was the local specialty), and you told her she was "settling" for those two types of cuisine and missing out on *opportunities.* What opportunities? Again, if Chicago is not known for steak or Italian or deep dish pizza, exactly what IS it known for? Which restaurant is "the best in the nation and in the top ten in the world?" What do they serve?

I apologize if I misread your post. I had the impression that you were commenting instead of questioning.

And...I don't think you'll like this response because the end result will be for your need of further research. But hear me out here.

As I mentioned before, over the years, I have commented on probably thousand of threads where the OP requests one of three types of restaurants: Italian, seafood or steak. A high percentage of the time it's simply because they live in areas where that is the type of cuisine with which they are familiar. Or perhaps they don't even want to try something different.

And, as I mentioned above, the OP didn't specify their location on their personal page and there was no way to know they had even experienced different types of cuisine before. You can see by the way this thread progressed that they didn't mention that fact until *after* my response.

Now to your question: When you are traveling to a major metropolitan area, you have so many possibilities which you never have in smaller towns or rural areas. Not only do you have many different ethnic cuisines available to you but you also have cuisine prepared with unfamiliar or unlikely ingredients (for example, mac n' cheese pizza) or perhaps different ways of presenting something already known (a dish which might taste familiar but prepared in a different manner or with different ingredients - i.e., molecular gastronomy).

The best restaurant in Chicago and one of the best in the world is arguably Alinea. You would be spending $150-$250 pp there and it is a culinary event which takes all evening.

Alinea also has a sister restaurant, Next, where you purchase tickets for your evening meal, just like a concert or any other type of entertainment event. If you don't show up, you've paid your ticket price. And the cuisine changes every three months to reflect a specific time and place. For example, when they opened, it was Paris 1906.

At Moto, the menu itself is edible. And the chef uses chemistry to produce the entree items.

If you are interested in different ethnic varieties, then you also have choices. For example, Mexican. There are the upscale versions at Frontera Grill/Topolobampo and street food at their sibling, Xoco. These are the restaurants of Rick Bayless.

But if you were looking for the real ethnic choices, you could go to Pilsen for Mexican or Devon Ave. for Pakistani or Indian or Argyle Street for Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, etc.

Even hotdogs and sausages have places that offer products at different ends of the spectrum. The extremely well regarded (and rightfully so) Hot Doug's offers excellent gourmet sausages. It's quite a distance away from the touristy areas (meaning a consideration commute) and you'll stand in line up to 1.5+ hours to be served at the busiest times. I think that the longest wait I've ever read about was 2 hours 15 minutes. So, obviously, this isn't a viable choice for someone with only a couple of days here.

Another place similar to Hot Doug's, but not quite the same, is Frank 'n Dawgs up on Clybourn in the Lincoln Park neighborbood. Not as long a commute as Hot Doug's and the waits a lot less but not the same product, either, IMHO.

Without an OP doing sufficient research first into the different types of cuisines first, I could spend all day listing them (since Chicago has around 4000 restaurants). And, of course, the cost factor. Not everyone can afford the prices of Alinea and those of the higher tiers.

Fortunately, you again have options. For example, you can go to the Dining Room at Kendall College to sample some of the cuisine of future chefs. Some of the best chefs in Chicago and elsewhere got their starts there.

Perhaps you'd be interested in going to Bonsoiree or Schwa (if you can even get a reservation at the last nowadays) which aren't as expensive as the top tier but do offer a very nice alternative. But you'll still be spending quite a few pennies.

I hope that I've offered some information about your different *opportunities* available when you visit Chicago. There are some websites dedicated particularly Chicago cuisine (such as lthforum). You can check Metromix (and take a look at the Chicago Tribune's blog about dining - lots of good information there), TimeOut Chicago, the Chicago Reader, Chicago Magazine or even Yelp to help you narrow down your choices.

If you have some questions about these once you've done that research, I'll be happy to help you.

Thanks for the clarification! One thing I love about travel is trying local cuisine. I refuse to eat in chain restaurants when I travel (unless it's specific to the area)~I cannot fathom eating at an Olive Garden in Boston instead of going to the North End for Italian food, or eating at a Red Lobster while in Maine............one advantage to Fodor's is getting restaurant recommendations from people who have actually eaten at a particular establishment rather than just looking on line. I try not to make assumptions as to why an OP asks for a certain type of cuisine; you could be correct in that they are simply not adventurous eaters (I travel with someone like that!!) OR it could just be that they live in an area where that type of cuisine isn't readily available. I live in California, so I rarely ask when traveling where the good Mexican or Indian restaurants are, but I want to know about local cuisine first and choices I don't have at home, like good Thai or Chinese food......

Between what you and the rest of the posters here have suggested, my next trip to Chicago will present some very difficult choices!!! :)

You are very welcome.

As I prefaced my original response to the OP, I didn't want to come off as rude but - as I mentioned - I've responded to thousands of these types of requests over the years. After mentioning the other options available, I've also received numerous e-mails from posters who did try them, thanking me for that information because it's opened up avenues about which they didn't know.

I agree completely with you about chain restaurants*. I don't think people take enough time to even look at the history of the place, let alone who the chef may be. Although they do have their place in the scheme of things, if people keep going to chains - well, in the near future, that may be the only choices you have.

*Small local chains (with 3 or less locations) I'm kinda on the fence about them. If you have an unusually popular restaurant, you'll usually see additional locations pop up. So, I usually reserve judgment on them until the actual circumstances relay if the quality remains.

I try to do the same for entertainment options as well. Much of the very best of Chicago is not in the downtown (the Loop), River North or the Mag. Mile area.

And you won't find much of this in the "touristy" areas of Chicago.