1. The Magnificent Mile – Chicago’s largest shopping district – 13 blocks to be exact. It’s almost like the Fifth Avenue of New York City, except the Mag Mile has got some more affordable stores peppered in here and there. For more info on the shops/restaurants they feature, check out their site.

2. Second City – an improv theater troupe. It also happens to be where Tina Fey and Amy Poehler got their start, just to name a few notable alumni. Tickets can be purchased through their website. Depending on which theater and which section, the prices range from $23 to $48. From there, seats are first come, first serve within each section. Some of the humor is a bit weird, but the show was funny overall. It was my first time at a comedy show and it was definitely a fun experience.

3. Chicago-style hot dogs – invented at Fluky’s in 1929 and known as the “Depression sandwich”, this hot dog on a soft bun only cost 5 cents back then! It’s topped with:

-yellow mustard

-neon green relish

-freshly chopped onions

-tomato slices

-pickle

-sport peppers

-celery salt

Today, one of the most popular joints in Chicago serving this creation is probably Portillo’s

4. Italian beef sandwich – thin slices of seasoned roast beef, topped with giardiniera (pickled vegetables), served on an Italian-style roll, often dipped into the juices that the meat was cooked in. Its exact origins are unknown but it is believed to have been created by Italian immigrants who worked in the Union Stock Yards in the early 1900s. They used the less desirable cuts of meat sold by the company, and that’s how this sandwich came about. Upon Adam Richman’s recommendation on one episode of Man vs. Food, I tried the sandwich at Al’s Beef. It turns out that this was just a fast food chain and as you might have guessed, it wasn’t very good. I wouldn’t recommend going there. Instead, hit up Yelp for a quick search and I’m sure there are plenty of great Italian Beef sandwiches out there, waiting to be discovered.

And that’s a wrap on Chicago! I’ll leave you with this photo of the sunset I captured from the roof of the Airbnb we stayed at: