Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab

Alinea

Grant Achatz's three-Michelin-star temple of molecular gastronomy is still the most ambitious restaurant in America. Every course is a provocation — edible balloons, desserts painted directly on the table, flavors you didn't know existed. It's not dinner. It's a performance that happens to involve food, and it will rearrange your understanding of what a restaurant can be.

The Robey

A boutique hotel built into the iconic Coyote Building at the six corners of Wicker Park. The art deco bones are stunning, the rooms are compact but clever, and the rooftop bar — Cabana Club in summer, Up Room year-round — delivers one of the best skyline views in the city. You're steps from the best eating and drinking in Chicago.

Art Institute of Chicago

One of the greatest art museums on the planet, and it still doesn't get the credit it deserves outside the Midwest. The Impressionist collection rivals the Musee d'Orsay. The Modern Wing by Renzo Piano is a masterwork of light. You could spend a week and still miss entire galleries. This is the cultural heart of the city, full stop.