Chicago

Three foods are typically associated with Chicagoan cuisine: pizza, hot dogs, and steak. Chicago and New York City are perpetual rivals for the best slice of pizza; although New Yorkers favor a wide, flat crust, Chicagoans prefer a thick crust that can support a lot of toppings. While Chicagoans prefer their beef franks on poppy seed buns with yellow mustard, chopped white onion, tomatoes, dill pickles, pickled peppers, and a touch of celery salt, New Yorkers prefer their hot dogs simply on potato buns and ketchup, mustard, or relish.

Chicago is renowned for its steakhouses, which are abundant on the Loop and the North Side. These upscale restaurants specialize in serving prime cuts of beef. Some of the most well-known steakhouses are Bavette's Bar & Boeuf in the River North neighborhood and Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab located off The Magnificent Mile. Just know that a decent steak in this town won't be cheap.

The Italian beef sandwich is a different Chicago delicacy that is well-liked by residents but less well-known to tourists. This seasoned roast beef sandwich with meat drippings and spicy giardiniera or sweet Italian peppers is seen on many hot dog stand and restaurant menus. It was developed by Chicago's Italian immigrant community in the early 1900s. However, locals advise going to Portillo's if you want to have an actual Italian beef sandwich. There are two locations in the downtown area, one on West Ontario Street in River North and the other next to the South Loop.

Ranking:

• #1 Best Weekend Getaways in the Midwest
• #3 Best Foodie Cities in the U.S.
• #7 Best Weekend Getaways
  

Some Best Restaurants in Chicago: The Polo Inn Bridgeport U.S.A., The Chicago Diner, The Capital Grille, Smoque BBQ, Doughnut Vault, etc

Best Times to Visit Chicago: April through May, between September and October