Shopping

Experience the urban rush of retail along Chicago's Magnificent Mile, where it's easy to walk from store to store along North Michigan Avenue. You'll find flagship stores for Ralph Lauren, Gap, Niketown and Apple.  It is also home to upscale shopping centres:

900 North Michigan Shops - features Bloomingdale's, J. Crew and Diesel

Water Tower Place - offers eight floors of stores including American Girl Place, Victoria's Secret

In the suburbs, you'll find Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, one of the largest shopping malls in the United States.  With over 200 stores to choose from.

The Fashion Outlets of Chicago is an unparalleled shopping environment, where fashion meets art and fine dining! Shop over 130 designer outlets, including Tory Burch, Coach, Prada, Bloomingdales The Outlet Store and Last Call by Neiman Marcus. Located just minutes from O’Hare International Airport.

Or try Chicago Premium Outlets, in Aurora, for impressive savings at over 120 designer and name-brand outlet stores, such as Armani, Calvin Klein, Coach, Cole Haan, Gap Outlet, J.Crew,Ralph Lauren,  Michael Kors and more. Aurora is located 37 miles west of Chicago.

Food & Drink

Discover the Illinois food scene. The best restaurants in Chicago, Michelin stars, artisan tastes, farm-to-table, local favorites, wine trails and craft brews.

Discover the Illinois food scene - the best restaurants in Chicago, Michelin stars, artisan tastes, farm-to-table, local favourites, wine trails and craft beers. 

While restaurant powerhouse Chicago hosts such crown jewels as Grant Achatz’s The Aviary and Alinea, Brendan Sodikoff’s Au Cheval, and Maurie Berman’s legacy Superdawg, southern and central Illinois are home to the country’s best chilli, ribs, and spaghetti and meatballs. 

Goose Island was founded in 1988 and has grown exponentially since then. They pioneered the use of bourbon barrels in the beer-ageing process. If you’ve never had the pleasure of trying bourbon-aged beer, you are in for a treat. By championing sustainability in their breweries and investing in Chicago’s communities, Goose Island continues to lead in the craft brewing industry. 

Iconic Illinois Dishes:

• Deep Dish Pizza - more than just a pizza!
• Horse Shoe Sandwich - an open-faced sandwich--typically a thick piece of bread, a burger, and then there are a bunch of fries on top
• Hotdog - Try it Chicago-style, with tomatoes, sport peppers, and mustard (no ketchup allowed!)

Famous Food from Illinois

Deep-dish pizza - No matter how many regional takes on pizza you’ve tried, there’s no more epic pie experience than the two-handed meal that is Chicago deep dish.Chicago-style pie was born in 1943, when The Pizzeria downtown placed a thick crust in a pie-like pan with sides and “inverted” the toppings. Cheese, vegetables and meat come first, followed by sauce on top.

Horseshoe Sandwich This open-face sandwich is considered the signature dish of Springfield, Illinois, the home of Abraham Lincoln. A horseshoe sandwich is made of two pieces of white toast covered by two pieces of sliced ham covered by a portion of french fries topped with a cheese sauce.

Chicago Hot Dog - Considering the hot dog was introduced in Chicago at the World’s Fair in 1893, you’ll be inundated with a bevy of great locations to find one. Topped with yellow mustard, tomatoes, peppers, onions, neon green relish, dill pickle and celery salt.

Italian Beef sandwich originated in Chicago and dates back to the 1930s. Designed for cheap and easy eating in the stockyards, it quickly took on a legend of its own.

Illinois Wine Country

Somewhere between the scenic vineyards, tasting rooms and wine trails, it hits you: Illinois really does have a wine country. Throughout the state, you’ll find more than 100 wineries and vineyards, each one with its own personality. 

Explore the award-winning wineries of Illinois wine country. Taste your way around the scenic Shawnee Hills Wine Trail or one of the other nine wine trails dotted across the state.

The Shawnee Hills Wine Trail features 12 award-winning wineries located along a 25-mile scenic drive along highway 127 and highway 51 in the Shawnee National Forest. Along the way have a picnic, go on a hike, visit a shop, and stay in a cosy B&B or cabin. Many of the wineries host special events throughout the summer and fall