Where To Eat In Chicago When Attending ISSA/INTERCLEAN

From deep dish pizza to thick-cut steaks to the Chicago Hot Dog, the Windy City is home to many wonderful culinary dishes and world-class restaurants. If attending ISSA/INTERCLEAN isn’t reason enough to come to Chicago, then dining out should convince you. Even if you’re not a foodie, there’s something to match every diner’s palette. Here are a few options:

Pizza

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria
Deep dish pizza made with California vine-ripened tomatoes, an exclusive sausage blend and fresh mozzarella cheese make up the pizza at Lou Malnati's Pizzeria. All pizza begins with the restaurant's secret recipe for its flaky, buttery crust. The eatery offers several specialty pizzas and also allows diners to create their own. Dinner is about $10 a person.

Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Company
This pizzeria serves a variety oven grinders — individual pizza pot pies that are stuffed with cheese, meats and vegetables along with a homemade tomato sauce in a Sicilian bread-type dough. The casual restaurant in the Lincoln Park neighborhood also serves up huge salads enough for several diners to share. Oven grinders are about $15 each.

Pizzaria Uno
This legendary deep dish pizzeria serves up a pie with a buttery crust, a sauce of Italian spices and tomatoes and quality meats and cheeses. Full menu also consists of thin-crust pies, appetizers and salads. Checks start at about $10 a person.

Gino's East
Deep dish pizza at Gino's East is made with a secret-recipe dough, mounds of mozzarella cheese, fresh meats and veggies and a tangy tomato sauce. Signature pizzas include the Meaty Legend, consisting of pounds of pepperoni, Italian sausage and Canadian bacon. Pizza is about $10 a person.

Steak Houses

Chicago Chop House
Housed in a century-old Victorian brownstone, the Chicago Chop House provides classic ambience as it serves up New York strips, prime rib and porterhouse choice cuts. The menu also features fresh fish and seafood, appetizers and desserts. Entrees start at $40.

Ditka's Chicago
Go to Ditka's Chicago for the Coach's Pot Roast Nachos and stay for the USDA Angus and prime steak entrees that range from prime filet mignon to prime rib. The restaurant, named after legendary former Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka, also has an assortment of other dishes such as meatloaf, fried chicken and baby back ribs. Main dish items begin at $20.

Ruth's Chris Steak House
Steaks and chops come out sizzling on a 500-degree plate, a signature element to the exceptional service and dining at Ruth's Chris Steak House. The popular steak joint that serves traditional-aged cuts also features several signature entrees such as a bone-in filet, a 40-ounce tomahawk rib eye and a porterhouse for two. Entrees start at $25.

Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse
A favorite destination for celebrities, tourists and local politicians, Gibsons Bar and Steakhouse serves a wide array of aged prime beef choices. Lamb chops, bone-in sirloin and a Chicago cut entree are featured highlights on the dinner menu. Entrees start at about $25.

Around The World

Carnivale
Located in the West Loop area, the eatery bills itself as an exotic, energetic and global dining experience. The unique Latin-American menu features chirrasco, pork chop Milanese and a truffle cheese arepa. Carnivale also has an extensive drink menu featuring a cotton candy cocktail along with award-winning mojitos. Dinner entrees start at $20.

Catch 35
Catch 35 is a premiere seafood restaurant in the Loop, serving up a wide variety of fish and shellfish dishes. From a light Lake Superior Whitefish to Alaskan King Crab Legs entree, Catch 35 will delight any seafood lover's appetite. A full wine selection is available to pair with entrees. Main dishes start at $25.

Leña Brava
Leña Brava, which means ferocious wood, is renowned chef Rick Bayless' latest restaurant. Leña Brava takes diners to the Baja California Norte, a Mexican region known for its live-fire cooking, ceviches and world-class wines. The wine menu compliments the array of seafood on the menu. The restaurant also features an assortment of specialty drinks and liquors. Entree items are $20 and up.

Il Portcellino
A casual dining room awaits at Il Portcellino, where diners enjoy classic Italian-American comfort food, such as homemade pastas, vegetable antipasti and classic chicken entrees. Menu ingredients are sourced from quality artisans and local farmers. An extensive cocktail and wine selection is offered. Main dishes start at about $15.

Trattoria No. 10
Homemade ravioli, fresh risotto, veal scallopine and sustainable seafood dishes round out the traditional Italian menu at Trattoria No. 10. The restaurant's subdued dining room and extensive wine list create an intimate atmosphere perfect for a group that wants to make a night of Italian dining. Entrees start at about $15.

Cheap Eats

The Billy Goat Tavern
Small tavern with a big, legendary history is a must for any hungry Chicago visitor. The Billy Goat Tavern, which serves cheeseburgers and cold beer, was made famous on the "cheezborger, cheezborger, cheezborger," skit on Saturday Night Live in the 1970s. Checks run from $5 to $10 per diner.

The Berghoff
Located in the Loop, the German eatery and bar holds the city's first liquor license that was issued after Prohibition ended in 1933. A wide array of German beer and root beer is on tap at the Berghoff, which serves huge Reuben and corned beef sandwiches. Checks run from $15 to $25 per diner.

Portillo’s
100 W. Ontario
This popular restaurant serves up Chicago staples such as hot dogs, sausages and Italian beef sandwiches (made with extra gravy). Portillo’s also takes its salads seriously and two of its new options include a Chipotle BBQ Chicken Salad and a Thai Salad with Ahi Tuna. Eat for under $10.

posted on 8/12/2016