Hello, all. I've recently found these forums via eGullet, and I have to say, they rather make me wish I lived in Chicago. Currently I'm a resident of Pittsburgh, but I'll be visiting Chicago from May 10-13 this year (never been there, found a cheap airfare, decided to go for it). My primary interest when I travel is, of course, food, so I thought I'd ask for your help.
I've been paging through the many, many threads, and there's such a wealth of information available to me it's really sort of overwhelming. I wondered if anyone might be able to make some specific recommendations.
First, I will be staying at the HI Hostel, which I hear is somewhere downtown. I don't have a car, and so will be limited to public transportation, though I'm willing to walk probably up to 2-3 miles each way from the nearest public transportation (depending on sidewalks, weather, and safety of the area). I will be travelling by myself and am of the female sort of person.
One of my primary wishes is to go to a really, really nice place. I was thinking of Matsumoto, which I read about with great delight, and then equally great sadness when I saw that it had closed. I may try Chiyo but it seems to me that the food is not considered to be as... hm, artistic? I have also considered Alinea but would prefer somewhere with Japanese food, hopefully in kaiseki style; if not, as traditional and well-executed as possible. I am also generally interested in good Japanese places. I can speak marginally passable Japanese, if the other party is willing to tolerate it.
Also, Korean, Mexican and Chinese food; it is difficult at best to find good examples of these where I live. Dim sum would be very welcome indeed. I am considering the suggestions posted in joby's thread (I started another thread because my budget and party size are so different from joby's).
Any other food-related suggestions? I do plan to visit the Asian minimall in Chinatown; I'd love to go to Mitsuwa but can't quite tell if it's accessible via public transportation. Are there other good Japanese grocery stores? Any must-see spots that I haven't specifically asked about?
All thoughts appreciated. In exchange, I promise to bring my digital camera and post back with my thoughts on the various restaurants/destinations.