What's New

Where to Stay

A historic landmark hotel has reopened as the Blackstone, A Renaissance Hotel, 636 S. Michigan Ave. (tel. 800/468-3571 or 312/447-0955). The location along South Michigan Avenue is walking distance from both the Museum Campus and Millennium Park, making this a great spot for summer visitors (book a lake view room so you can soak in the sights 24/7). The rooms, decorated in understated cream, deep red, and brown, are quite spacious for a historic building and include bathrooms with marble vanities and glass-walled shower stalls.

Just off the Magnificent Mile, the Hotel Cass, A Holiday Inn Express, 640 N. Wabash Ave. (tel. 800/799-4030 or 312/787-4030) is a good option for budget travelers, with a location as good as many luxury hotels at significantly lower rates. Rooms are tiny -- even cramped -- but decorated in bright, cheery shades, with boutique-hotel-quality beds. Even the compact bathrooms manage to squeeze in stylish rectangular sinks. Even better: the free breakfast buffet, including decadently rich cinnamon rolls.

Two other Chicago hotels have received head-to-toe makeovers. The Hotel Allegro, 171 W. Randolph St. (tel. 800/643-1500 or 312/236-0123) ditched its previous pink-themed guest rooms for a more understated white-and-deep-blue color theme (and an upgrade to luxurious Italian Frette sheets). The Fairmont Chicago, 200 N. Columbus Dr. (tel. 800/526-2008 or 312/565-8000), has added an extensive new spa and fitness center, as well as more contemporary decor in the guest rooms.

Where to Dine

For a sophisticated twist on an all-you-can-eat buffet, head to ZED 451, 739 N. Clark St. (tel. 888/493-3451), where a set price of $42.50 gets you unlimited appetizers, salads, and soups, and chefs hand-deliver a selection of entrees to your table. Sit at the communal tables around the central fire pit if you want to be in the center of the action, or request a table in one of the secluded side rooms for a romantic dinner. The rooftop deck is a lovely spot for pre- or post-dinner drinks.

To sample different dishes in a more low-key (affordable) setting, try the new Italian spot A Mano, 225 N. Dearborn St. (tel. 312/629-3500). A wide selection of antipasti, salami, pizzas, and salads are offered in appetizer-sized portions, and pastas can be ordered in full or half portions, depending on your appetite. If you're not the small-plates type, there's a good selection of meat and fish too. Just make sure you save room for the authentic Italian gelato, which tastes just like the kind you'd get in a piazza in Rome.

The Gage, 24 S. Michigan Ave. (tel. 312/372-4243), is the Loop's first gastropub -- a spot where the food doesn't take second billing to the drinks. The menu, billed as Irish-American, is one of the most varied in town, with everything from pastas to seafood to exotic game. The dining area has the elegant charm of a place that's been here for decades, with pressed-tin ceilings and roomy brown leather booths. You can also peruse the long wine list and varied cocktail selection at the elegant front bar, one of the few spots downtown where you can grab a bite after midnight.

A few blocks north, Tavern at the Park, 130 E. Randolph St. (tel. 312/552-0070), highlights its connection to Millennium Park -- although, unfortunately, you can't see much of the park itself from the majority of the restaurant's tables. The decor is more modest than the menu prices suggest, but chef John Hogan is an expert at taking classic American dishes up a notch (think chicken pot pie, braised beef short ribs, and a double-cut pork chop with cherry cola barbecue sauce). The Tavern's secret weapon is its second-floor patio, which offers some of the city's best views come summertime.

Exploring Chicago

Chicago would never have boomed were it not for its river, and the new McCormick Tribune Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum, 376 N. Michigan Ave. (tel. 312/977-0227), traces the intertwined history of the river and the city around it. The coolest part of this unassuming museum is the observation room where you can see the gears underneath the Michigan Avenue Bridge. Reserve a space here during one of the scheduled bridge lifts to see the gears in action.

The Field Museum, at Roosevelt Road and Lake Shore Drive (tel. 312/922-9410), has become even more family-friendly with the opening of the Crown Family PlayLab. Geared toward children 7 and under, it's filled with hands-on activities for little ones, including an art room, a mini dinosaur dig, and a percussion room filled with drums and other loud instruments.

At the nearby Shedd Aquarium, 1200 S. Lake Shore Dr. (tel. 312/939-2438), the massive indoor Oceanarium will be closed for maintenance from September 2008 until early June 2009, with the beluga whales and dolphins that usually live there shipped temporarily to other facilities. Although the rest of the Shedd will remain open, anyone who visits during that time will miss out on the museum's best exhibit.

Shopping

One of the most popular stores in town -- the phenomenally successful American Girl Place -- has moved to a larger location inside the Water Tower Place mall, 835 N. Michigan Ave (tel. 877-AG-PLACE). The move means much-needed additional space for the hoards of mothers and daughters who trek to this doll emporium for a day of bonding.

But American Girl isn't the only big name in retail these days. The town's biggest celebrity, talk-show host Oprah Winfrey, opened the Oprah Store, 37 N. Carpenter St. (tel. 312/633-2100), in the West Loop, across the street from the studio where her show tapes. Come here to stock up on loungewear, mugs, tote bags, and baby clothes emblazoned with the "O" logo, as well as fair-trade home accessories and artwork from South Africa (site of Oprah's school for girls). Don't expect to see Ms. Winfrey herself passing through, but you can get a taste of celebrity life by browsing through the store's "closet," where some of Oprah's designer clothes are for sale.

To stock up on cutting-edge fashion from some lesser-known names, head to Habit, 1951 W. Division St. (tel. 773/342-0093), one of the best women's clothing boutiques in the up-and-coming West Division Street shopping district. This is the place to find funky pieces from emerging designers, many of them Chicago-based.

If you want to see more of the coolest boutiques in town, two new companies offer shopping tours of the trendiest independent shops. Urban Shop Guide (tel. 312/533-1256; www.urbanshopguide.com) and Shop Walk Chicago (tel. 773/255-7866; www.chicagoshopwalk.com) set up walking tours of stores in Wicker Park, Lincoln Park, and other residential neighborhoods. They'll also organize custom tours based on your specific interests. As an added bonus, you get discounts (and sometimes drinks) along the way.

Chicago After Dark

Chicago theater got a major national boost from the 2008 Tony Awards, the annual celebration of live theater. Although the Tonys tend to be a New-York-centric affair, the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, on Navy Pier at 800 E. Grand Ave. (tel. 312/595-5600) received the award for best regional theater in the United States. August: Osage County, a play originally produced by the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, 1650 N. Halsted St. (tel. 312/335-1650), before it transferred to Broadway, received an impressive 7 nominations, including best play and nods to some of the Chicago-based actors.

The Lincoln Park building that was the long-time home of the Bailiwick Repertory Theatre has now been taken over by the relatively new group Theater Wit (1229 W. Belmont Ave., tel. 773/327-5252). After undergoing extensive renovations, the theater will reopen in fall 2009; other local theater troupes will also stage productions in the three-theater complex.

Although Chicago's nightlife scene has more than its share of Irish pubs and frat-boy bars, wine connoisseurs had reason to celebrate the opening of the Tasting Room, 1415 W. Randolph St. (tel. 312/942-1313), a sleek, loftlike wine bar in the far West Loop (it's off the usual tourist track, but only a short cab ride from most downtown hotels). For the full experience, try one of the creative wine flights, which are named according to a monthly theme (Prince songs; Hitchcock movies).

At the Violet Hour, 1520 N. Damen Ave. (tel. 773/252-1500), Wicker Park's retro-cool new hangout, you can actually have a conversation over cocktails, thanks to its policy of only admitting as many customers as there are seats. The English manor decor -- with white crown molding and crystal chandeliers -- may be a throwback, but the specialty cocktails are modern and excellent, thanks to the talented staff "mixologists." The only turnoff? The we're-too-cool-for-a-sign hidden entrance.