Give the frankfurter its due at the Chicago History Museum’s annual feast, which celebrates the humble hot dog’s spot in the city’s culinary canon with sausage-themed talks and activities for kids, plus a dozen encased-meat vendors ranging from titans like Byron’s to newcomers like Luella’s Southern Kitchen. chicagohotdogfest.com
Want to show a client you mean business? Meet here, at 7 a.m., over a pristine New York strip with two eggs — nowhere else is serving up this much power this early in the morning. 300 N. La Salle St., River North, chicagocutsteakhouse.com
With the shade-giving trees, ivy-covered walls, and tucked-away vibe, it’s like hanging out in the ideal urban backyard. The impeccable crisped pork belly feels like a bonus prize. 2211 W. North Ave., Wicker Park, cebuchicago.com
This Wi-Fi-free coffee shop and bar offers an incentive to strike up a conversation with a stranger: Phones and laptops are verboten. By contrast, books and board games — and tapping notes on the manual typewriters scattered around the room — are A-OK. 2212 N. Clybourn Ave., Lincoln Park, kibbitznest.com
The botanical artists at this plant boutique help you build the perfect miniature oasis. You’ll leave the hourlong workshop, held every other Wednesday, with a kit that includes a glass vessel, soil, substrates, decorations, and an array of succulents, ferns, and other plants. $75. 745 N. Damen Ave., West Town, sprouthome.com
Dimmed lights, loud music, and a sense of camaraderie: It’s like rowing at a sporty rave — except your muscles will feel like leftover Jell-O afterward. $32 per class. 1226 N. Wells St., Old Town; 185 N. Halsted St., West Loop, therowhouse.com
Pop in for a quick whole-body freeze or frigid facial, or linger for 30 minutes at the infrared sauna. From $40. 1205 W. Webster Ave., Lincoln Park; 1917 N. Damen Ave., Bucktown; 1215 W. Madison St., West Loop, thecryobar.com
On the third Monday of every month at Cafe Mustache, some of the city’s most creative female and nonbinary performers and writers share stories magnificently unfit for polite conversation. Menstrual messes, sex mishaps, and other nasty subjects are fair game at a show that proudly upends expectations of what it means to be a lady. … Read more
Do you ever tell stories about all the embarrassing things you did as a teenager? Annie Russell and a roster of fellow comedians certainly do, and with gusto. At this kinetic monthly event at Transistor, they drag the skeletons out of their adolescent closets — from cringeworthy paintings to dangerously purple novels. Donations accepted. 5224 … Read more
If you head a few miles southwest from Michigan and Adams, you will encounter an equally spectacular collection of millennia-spanning artifacts, from jade carvings to pottery to ritual bronzes, extending from the Shang (which began around 1600 BC) to the 17th century Qing dynasties. Free to $8. 218 W. 26th St., Bridgeport, heritageasianart.org
