Chicago: Smart Splurges

Moto Chef Homaro Cantu’s marriage of food and science has rocked the culinary world. Think servers in lab coats, edible menus, and utensils that release aromatic vapors. Meatpacking District; 845 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-491-0058; www.motorestaurant.com
trendy | restaurant | expensive | notable chef

Park Hyatt Chicago The Hyatt chain is Chicago based, so naturally its flagship property is a real stunner. The eastern-facing rooms overlooking Michigan Avenue are true gems, but all of the hotel's 198 rooms have marble baths, oversized work desks, individualized climate control, and more. Restaurant NoMi is still the talk of the town, especially for the collection of Dale Chihuly blown glass in the dining room. Magnificent Mile; 800 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-335-1234; www.parkchicago.hyatt.com
luxury | hotel | expensive

Pops for Champagne Great jazz exists city-wide in Chicago, but Pops tops them all when it comes to atmosphere. The elegant champagne bar (over 100 varieties on offer) lures thirty- and forty-somethings with fizzy libations and primo people watching in a simultaneously modern and classic space with cool blue accents and state-of-the-art sound complementing the building’s original stone walls and low ceiling. River North; 601 N. State St.; 312-266-7677; www.popsforchampagne.com
nightlife | lounge | live music

Sixteen “The Donald” is determined to put his indelible stamp on Chicago’s dining scene and he’s set to do so with this restaurant inside his eponymous Trump Hotel. Thirty-foot floor to ceiling windows are matched only by chef Frank Brunacci’s robust modern American dishes like a slow-poached red snapper with Yukon Gold potato puree and bacon drizzle. River North; 401 N. Wabash Ave.; 877-458-7867; www.trumpchicagohotel.com
restaurant | expensive | new american

The Peninsula The Magnificent Mile location, state-of-the-art rooms, and jaw-dropping levels of service are reasons why this hotel is consistently rated as one of the finest worldwide Magnificent Mile; 108 E Superior St; 312-337-2888; www.chicago.peninsula.com
luxury | hotel | pool | expensive

The Signature Room and Lounge At the bar and restaurant on the 95th and 96th floors of the John Hancock building you can have cocktails and a sumptuous dinner with your view. Magnificent Mile; 875 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-787-9596; www.signatureroom.com
restaurant | expensive

Wrigley Field The Chicago Cubs may never win the World Series, but spending an afternoon swilling beer in the bleachers at this ivy-covered neighborhood ballpark should be a compulsory part of every visitor’s experience. Lakeview; 1060 W. Addison St.; www.cubs.mlb.com
family | spectator sport | things to do