48 hours in Chicago: the ultimate two-day guide

How to make a whirlwind trip to the Windy City a breeze

Chicago

A storm was brewing in the Windy City. Thunder rumbled overhead as a steady stream of lightning strikes illuminated the night sky. I was soaked in seconds in the downpour as I clambered from my Uber into the welcoming warmth of Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria. Considered the oldest family name in Chicago pizza, their legendary gut-busting deep dish had long sat on my foodie shortlist. A buttery, flaky crust bathed in sweet, plummy tomato sauce, gooey mozzarella and generously adorned with home-made pepperoni. Enough said. “Welcome to Chicago, baby. We Fed-Ex pizza anywhere in the country,” said the waitress. Hungry yet?

Chicago felt feisty and I had little more than a 48 hour stopover to experience her. Having recently been awarded 2017 Restaurant City of the Year, and nabbing the titles of Best Big City in the US and Best City for Having it All, plus being home to avant-garde chefs earning James Beard accolades, and the centre of the world of architecture and design during the Chicago Architecture Biennial, America’s third-largest city is bubbling.

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