Chicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois and the restaurants in Chicago are as diverse as the people. With over 2.8 million people in the city, Chicago is the third-most populous city in the United States. The Chicago metropolitan area has a population of over 9.5 million people living in three U.S. states Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. As of 2007, the city’s attractions, business, and commerce bring 44.2 million visitors annually-all eating in restaurants. Making use of its abundant resources, Chicago has a heritage for hosting major international, national, regional, and local events that include commerce, culture, entertainment, politics, and sports which also supports the restaurants in Chicago.
Chicago ranks as one of the nation’s finest restaurant towns. Here you’ll find everything from innovative hot spots to lovingly maintained traditional establishments. Chicago’s more than 7,000 restaurants range from those ranked among the best in the country and priced accordingly to simple storefront ethnic places and old-fashioned, unpretentious pubs serving good food at modest prices.Chicago lays claim to a large number of regional specialties, all of which reflect the city’s ethnic and working class roots. Included among these are its nationally renowned deep-dish pizza Chicago style, also known as deep-dish, which is thick-crusted and often demands a knife and fork; stuffed, which is similar to a pie, with a crust on both top and bottom; and thin crust. Although locally the Chicago-style thin crust is also popular; featuring a thinner than normal crust. There are very few pizzerias or restaurants which specialize in true Chicago-style deep dish, the most prominent being Gino’s East, Giordano’s and Lou Malnati’s.
Chicago also has a long list of world-renowned upscale fine dining restaurants serving a wide array of cuisine from some of the most well-known chefs in the United States. Some notable destinations include Frontera Grill, a gourmet Mexican restaurant owned by Food Network star Rick Bayless, and Everest, a nouveau-French restaurant on the top floor of the Chicago Stock Exchange. Chicago also features strips of restaurants in the city’s ethnic districts, including Greektown on South Halsted, Little Italy on Taylor Street, just west of Halsted, and Chinatown on the near south side. Each neighorhood is packed with restaurants in touch with their patrons tastes.
The town is known for The Taste of Chicago which is the world’s largest food festival, held annually for 10 days in Chicago starting Friday before the 4th of July and ending the Sunday after. Restaurants in Chicago benefit from this event which is the largest festival in Chicago. Every year, millions of Chicagoans and tourists from around the world flock to Grant Park to enjoy the variety of food prepared by Chicago’s most popular restaurants. Events also include live music on multiple stages, informational and family oriented pavilions, and nightly film performances. The taste of Chicago is known for showcasing some of the top restaurants in the city, including many local favorite delicacies including popular local food staples such as Chicago-style pizza, Chicago hot dogs, barbecued ribs, Italian Beef, Maxwell Street Polish Sausage, Eli’s Cheesecake, and a variety of ethnic and regional foods. The city’s diverse variety of cuisines is well represented.
Restaurants in Chicago reflect a food lover’s paradise with so many different cuisines that people can choose from. Chicago is full of immigrants who have brought over their own staples from their respective countries. Chicago is considered by many to be one of the Mecca’s of eateries in not only the country but as well as the world. With such large neighborhoods in the city made up of Downtown; the center of Chicago’s cultural, commercial, and financial institutions, and home to Grant Park and many of the city’s skyscrapers. The North Side the most densely populated residential section of the city and many high rises are located on this side of the city along the lakefront. The South Side which has the largest Irish population of any in the city. The West Side which has a very ethnic population, with many different nationalities represented. Each of these neighborhoods has their own different types of cuisines that they serve.